|
steps forward to help Christopher Bollyn
23 May 2007 He sent the following e-mail message to the Chicago officials listed below the letter.
We have a page to make it easy to send email:
|
|
|
|
steps forward to help Christopher Bollyn
23 May 2007 He sent the following e-mail message to the Chicago officials listed below the letter.
We have a page to make it easy to send email:
|
23 May 2007
To Whom It May Concern: I understand that my colleague and friend Christopher Bollyn was subjected to TASER shocking by members of the Hoffman Estates Police Department while he was handcuffed – in a community in your jurisdiction or area. I consider this barbaric action shameful and "cruel and unusual punishment," forbidden in the U.S. Constitution. I further understand that Christopher will now be subjected to a trial (Case No. 06MC3005170). In my opinion, it will be the Hoffman Estates Police Department and local leaders who will be on trial, if this trial goes forward. I have known Christopher Bollyn as a decent and loving family man. I respect him and the rights of all those who speak out in defense of Constitutional principles of human dignity and freedom as he has done in his job as an investigative reporter. Where is the dignity and fairness in TASERing a handcuffed man on the ground, and breaking his elbow? Is not this brutality against a neighbor? How can there be justice and a fair trial when the video tapes of the incident have been "recycled?" That "recycling" of the tapes should itself be sufficient to dismiss the case against him, since officials failed to protect this crucial evidence which would have revealed the facts of what happened and could have exonerated Christopher. It is called "due process." I will be following this situation and will follow the trial of Christopher on the one hand, and the mayor and Hoffman Estates Police Department on the other. It certainly appears that Christopher has been put into unnecessary pain and jeopardy, perhaps due to his investigative reporting disclosures. Freedom of inquiry and freedom of speech are highly prized civil rights in this country, and I ask you to support those rights. I ask that Christopher
Bollyn be treated fairly and not subjected to any further mistreatment.
Furthermore, it certainly appears appropriate to dismiss the charges given
the destruction of crucial taped evidence at the hands of those who were
duty-bound to preserve that evidence. This case is becoming well
known and the attention will certainly escalate as many are now watching
you. I wonder, will justice and due process prevail?
Sincerely,
Dr. Steven E. Jones Professor of Physics (ret.)
|
The above letter was sent to:
Mayor William D. McLeodEmail: bill.mcleod@hoffmanestates.org |
