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From: stever@VLSI.CALTECH.EDU (Steve Rabin)
Newsgroups: mod.legal
Subject: introduction
Message-ID: <8601261025.AA08940@vlsi.caltech.edu>
Date: Sun, 26-Jan-86 05:25:03 EST
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Posted: Sun Jan 26 05:25:03 1986
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Thursday night I was mistakenly arrested by a Pasadena police
patrol due to a computer error.  I spent two hours in a smelly holding
cell while my friends collected bail.  $130.50 Cash.  Exact change please.

When I appeared in court Friday morning with proof that the ticket had in
fact been paid in February of 1984, the case against me was dismissed.

In conversation with the court clerk and with the police officers who
processed me I learned that mistakes like this are not uncommon, and that
the safest thing for me to due is to keep the 1984 receipt on my person
at all times.  One friendly officer said "In processing these (warrant
dismissals), the paperwork goes through so many hands that if anyone
drops the ball there is no way to tell what happened."

It appears I have a good case against the City & County of LA ("failure 
to properly document computer system"), and the City of Pasadena
("improper stop and use of excessive force by arresting officer").
The excessive force claim arises because the officer physically
prevented my departure after I had identified myself and before
the information about the bogus warrant came over the radio.
He is not supposed to do this.  There may be an additional
case against Pasadena if in fact the statute on the original
offense (jay walking in 1981) had expired.

Do any of you high powered legal types have any insights on my
case?  Do any of you folks know good, reasonably priced lawyers
in the LA area with whom you have had personal experience?
Have their been any problems with Chas. & Angelique Johnson, attys?
I am also looking for a good patent lawyer, so if you know/are
one please write me.

My interest in this news group (until now) has been focused on
copyright & software marketing issues.  I am a grad student in
Computer Science at Caltech.  Hobbies include science fiction,
the tunes of Garcia/Hunter, and long distance running.  I would
like to do triathalons too but my swimming is weak.  Pleased to
meet you all.

("I won't do it again!  Honest!")
(I thank you for your patience)    stever@{cit-vax.arpa,csvax.caltech.edu}