The Alex Sanchez Case

Alex Sanchez is an internationally recognized peacemaker and co-founder of Homies Unidos in Los Angeles where he has developed and implemented innovative prevention and intervention programs since 1998 and has also lead the organization as Executive Director since 2006.

An outspoken community leader, Alex's commitment to disenfranchised you and their family in the Latino and largely Central American communities of the Pico Union, Westlake and Koreatown areas of Los Angeles, is rooted in his own personal journey that included having been a gang-involved youth, target of the INS, LAPD and Salvadoran nationall police and death squads. After being involved in gangs and serving tme in state prison, he was deported in 1994 to El Salvador where he met the founder of Homies Unidoes, Magdaleno Rose Avila, and other striving for social change. This turning point marked Alex's commitment to improve his life and to help other youth do the same.

He has been sought out to consult with academics, journalist, filmmakers, elected officals, non-profit agencies and advocates at local national and transitional levels to address youth violence prevention and intervention and is the recipent of many awards including the Drum Major Award from the Martin Luther King Legacy Assoc., the Lottie Wexler Award, the AGAPE Award and others. He is husband, father, and symbol of peace, compassion and courage to his family and community.

Alex is currently facing federal charges for violation of federal RICO statue laws, alleging his peacekeeping efforts are just a front for furthering the illegal activities of the MS-13 street gang. Alex was denied bail twice. It was subsequently released in December of 2009. Alex must now face a long trial towards freedom, but the granting of bail is a welcomed step. Alex's trial is scheduled to begin in October 2010.

Where do you stand? Do you think Alex was sincere in his efforts as peacekeeping? Do you think there is a valid case? Why or why not, what legally support your position on the issue if possible?

Resource Center Named in Honor of the late Kenneth Garner

At the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Downtown Los Angeles, the school's new resource center was named in the memory of the late Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Kenneth O. Garner. Deputy Chief Garner was a member of the LAPD for 31 years before his sudden passing in March of 2009. He was an active member of the community and last served as the Commanding Officer of Operation South Bureau. His work in starting the "Honor and Strength parolee re-entry program and has served individuals looking to get their lives back on track and become productive members of society.

Built with funds by the Rotary Club of Los Angeles, the resource collection included books, online periodicals and peer reviewed journals, DVD's, access to academic research papers, and Internet-based research tools focused on the application of forensic psychology theories, principles, and evidence-based practiced in law enforcement. The collection will be made available at no cost to criminal justice agencies and organization including LAPD, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Mayor's office, and community and faith based organizations involved in local parolee reentry projects.

Stop by and check it out.....I was able to find legal literature and statistics on legal data.

Justice Now CD Project Experience-www.jnow.org

In 2002 while I was incarcerated I was blessed with the unique opportunity to perform an original piece of poetry which when on to become published work by an organization called Justice Now (http://www.jnow.org/). The CD collection is entitled "The We That Set Us Free" polictical icons such as Angela Davis, Assata Shakur, and Climbing Poetry also appear as guest artist on this CD collection. I actually performed this piece standing in the visitation room at the Central California Women Facility. Enjoy and hopefully you will support our cause and order your personal copy today at: http://www.akpress.org/ or http://www.jnow.org/

Gladly Pay You Tuesday, For A Hamburger Today!

Voting Rights of Ex-Offenders under Review - Legislation & Policymaking - FindLaw Blotter

All of Us or None wrote letters to the 58 counties within California that oeprate jail facilities, asking what their policies were for implementaton and education regarding honoring an inmate's right to vote while in county jail. Many different reponses were received and found that many weren't aware that inmates serving time in county jail for felony sentences had the right to vote under California state law.

As a result, All of Us or None set up an meeting with the Secretary of State, presenting her with suggestions on how to go about getting the correct information to eligible inmates. In addition, the ACLU created a pamphlet with instructions on who is eligible to vote in the state of California and how to obtain an absentee ballot while in county jail.

On a FEDERAL LEVEL:

The House subcommittee has taken arguments on a new proposed bill that would require states to allow felons to vote in federal elections once they're released from prison. The bill is called the Democracy Restoration Act, and it is being sponsored by John Conyers who is a democrat representing the state of Michigan. Conyers is also Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. The findings of the bill note that "given current rates of incarceration, approximately one in three of the next generation of African-American men will be disenfranchised at some point their lifetime." The signing and passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, makes the last read sentence in this posting a sad fact and statistic. For reasons of both principle and sensible social policy, Congress should step in and give ex-offender the right to vote.

Anyway, the question for my "legal scholars and friends" is not who you or I think should be entitled to vote. That is not the system under which we live in. Our Constitution has the potential to delivery promise and guaranteed voting rights no matter what a person's opinion is or how well that opinion is founded. The next issue is of course, if it does not, does the Federal government have the power to enforce on the States its judgment on the matter? As my mother would say on this one, "Some things are an act of God, other things are an act of Congress." I guess this is the first step in exhausting all administrative remedies before we have to appeal to heaven.