Papantonio Reacts To The Sandra Bland Case

[GoLeft TV]

What happened to Sandra Bland? That’s the question everyone is asking after she was found dead, hanging, in her jail cell on the day she was supposed to be released. Bland had been arrested for altercations with officers following being pulled over for improper signalling.

America’s Lawyer, Mike Papantonio, discusses this on The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann.

[passiveporcupine]

1. Interesting

I wondered about all the questions Pap answered in this video.

I did think the she was taking a big risk in being so verbally antagonistic with him from the very start, but that is not something you should be arrested for. I did not know he had the right to order her out of the car, or put out her cigarette and put down her phone. I think he should have informed her that they were legal requests she was obligated to follow.

So...this needs to be made viral so everyone can learn this. This should never have to happen again. But with so many people not knowing these things, it likely will.

There was a story somewhere where the video following her death in the cell was on-line...I lost the link. I think it was on Huffpo. Has anyone seen that?

[Lilith Rising]

2. The point is that he had handed the warning

ticket to her and she was in the process of signing it when he started in with the 'lawful orders' to do this that and the other thing.

It should have been over the minute that ticket was in her hands.

[passiveporcupine]

3. But she hadn't signed it yet, so it wasn't a done deal yet

I can't remember what happened then. I'd have to watch the video again.

And Pap covers this in the video. Once the warning or ticket is handed to you and you are done...don't talk, just leave.

I'm just saying that this information needs to be out there so everyone else can avoid an event like this one, if possible.


Edited to add, after watching video again

She was mouthing off the whole time he was watching her sign and hand back the warning. He then asked her if she was OK and she continued to mouth off, and that's when he asked her to put out her cig. I don't know if he had the right to do that after taking the warning back, but maybe he hadn't handed her her copy of it yet. Or maybe the fact that they were both still there and talking meant he had the right. I don't know. Pap doesn't think he was in the wrong, but he didn't discuss the violence that ensued. He was just addressing the legal rights that cops have.

I really don't know what to say about this tragic event. I just hope this is used as a lesson how not to deal with police who are giving you valid orders, and for the police to learn how not to escalate a situation when a civilian is having an obviously bad day.

I think because she was having a bad day (and it was obvious from the time she first spoke), it's very possible she was in a depressed state and maybe she really did commit suicide. Maybe she was afraid she'd lost her new job she was driving to, by being arrested. This is one of those things we will never know for sure, and that's really hard to accept. The fact that she might have been that depressed and there is no way for people in jail to get help when they are like this is pretty scary too.

I know what it feels like to be given a ticket you didn't really deserve, and while it happened over 30 years ago, it still bothers me to this day. Sometimes life just ain't fair and you still need to try to survive it. In her case, it was just a warning, but I don't think she realized that. She kept calling it a ticket. If she had registered it was just a warning, maybe she would have dropped the attitude. She also didn't know it was a ticketable offence to not signal a lane change.

It's all horribly sad and I hope everyone learns from it.

[90-percent]

4. Am I correct about this?

It's perfectly legal for the police to knowingly lie to you?

This all speaks to how much us average citizens have to know in case we have to deal with police.

-90% Jimmy

edit:

http://www.alternet.org/story/154253/5_reasons_you_should_never_agree_to_a_police_search_%28even_if_you_have_nothing_to_hide%29?sc=fb