Police Retaliation? 71-Year-Old New Yorker Facing Weapons Charges

A civil rights activist working to expose New York's controversial stop-and-frisk policies is facing two counts of weapons charges.

2012-10-26

October 26, 2012 (Press-News.org) A 71-year-old New York man is currently facing charges of possessing dangerous weapons. The weapons at issue are not dangerous semi-automatic guns. In fact, the weapons in question are not even guns, switchblade knives, or brass knuckles.

Instead, according to the Huffington Post, the man received the weapons charges because a penknife and commemorative, miniature baseball bat were found within his vehicle.

The man facing these weapons charges, Joseph "Jazz" Hayden, has a reputation in his community as a civil rights advocate. Many members of this community are supporting his fight against these charges, arguing that the police department and court system are pushing for prosecution because of Mr. Hayden's civil rights work.

A Fight Against the System

Mr. Hayden has a master's degree in theology and lectures throughout the country on civil rights and the failings of the country's current prison system. He has a long history of personal experiences to pull from to fuel these lectures. Mr. Hayden has spent almost 20 years in prison for various charges, including time served for what was later determined to be a wrongful conviction.

During his time in prison, Mr. Hayden joined various groups and began to believe that mass incarceration was holding back the advances made by the civil rights movement. As a result, his civil rights work focuses on exposing the failings of the criminal justice system, primarily by posting videos that are intended to depict evidence of these failings online.

Currently, Mr. Hayden's work is focused on the controversial stop-and-frisk practices being used in New York. His supporters argue that the weapons charges and prosecution of Mr. Hayden are nothing more than an effort by police to retaliate against Mr. Hayden for attempting to expose negative police activity.

Weapons Charges in New York

Mr. Hayden is fighting against these charges, not just because they seem unjust, but because weapons charges in New York can come with harsh penalties. As a result, it is important to take such charges seriously. Charges associated with weapons possession range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the situation.

Even a first offense with no previous criminal record can result in prison time. As noted in the case above, charges do not just include guns. Weapons charges may issue for possession of various forms of knives, metal knuckles, sand bags, clubs and slingshots.

Navigating New York's complex weapons possession laws can be difficult. If you or a loved one is charged with a weapons possession crime, it is important to contact an experienced weapons lawyer to better ensure your legal rights are protected.

Article provided by Bruce Yerman, Attorney at Law
Visit us at http://www.criminal-defense-law-nyc.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New Ignition Interlock Standard for Virginia

2012-10-26

Virginia drivers who are convicted of a first-time drunk driving offense now must install and use an ignition interlock system on their vehicles as a condition of receiving a restricted permit. The requirement took effect July 1, 2012. Previously, Virginia law required ignition interlock only for repeat offenders or for first-time offenders with very high blood alcohol levels, at 0.15 and above. How Ignition Interlock Works An ignition interlock system uses an analyzing device attached to the vehicle's ignition. In order to start the car, the driver must provide a ...

How Does a Parent Modify an Arizona Child Support Order?

2012-10-26

Parents have an obligation to support their children financially. When parents divorce, or when parents who were never married split up, one of the ways that a parent fulfills this obligation is by paying child support. In some cases, a parent's circumstances will change after the court enters a child support order and he or she will need to have the order modified. Arizona parents should be aware of what a child support modification is, when a parent may seek a modification and why a parent should use the court to modify child support. When Can a Parent Seek Modification? A ...

Protecting a Small Business in an Arizona Divorce

2012-10-26

Divorce is a difficult thing for most people to endure and the pain of divorce can increase exponentially for those small-business owners if they end up losing part of their business in a divorce property settlement. Arizona is a "community property" state, which means that the court splits a couple's marital assets evenly in the event of a divorce. Arizona business owners can take steps to prevent the court from viewing their businesses as marital property, and also to ensure that the court treats the businesses fairly in an asset division in the event that the ...

Chinese Court Takes a Bite Out of Apple

2012-10-26

Apple, Inc. is renowned for being the maker of wildly popular electronic devices such as the iPod, the iPad and the Macbook. The company is trying to expand its sales into China, and has opened four Apple Stores in the country. However, Apple has run into some legal issues regarding the use of the name "iPad." A Chinese company, Proview Technology, owns the trademark to the name in China and the two companies have been battling over the rights to the name since 2006. A December 2011 Chinese court decision rejected Apple's claim that Proview was infringing on Apple's ...

Improving Credit Scores After Bankruptcy

2012-10-26

While there is no quick fix to improving a bad credit score, there are steps that savvy consumers can take to improve their credit scores after filing bankruptcy. The first step is to review a copy of the credit report and make sure that any debts previously paid off or discharged in the bankruptcy are correctly indicated as such on the credit report. Otherwise, the amounts will continue to show up as delinquent, keeping the credit score down. Consumers should also try to establish new credit. At first, it may not be easy to get a traditional credit card, but obtaining ...

San Francisco Bay Area Discrimination Lawsuit Gains National Attention

2012-10-26

A lawsuit filed by Kleiner Partner Ellen Pao is continuing to draw attention to discrimination allegations within technology businesses located in Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley, popular for its innovations in the technology industry, is facing heat as the lawsuit fuels a debate on the presence of sexism throughout the technology industry, according to Reuters. Kleiner, a venture capital firm, is known for backing big names including Amazon.com and browser company Netscape. The firm not only denies the presence of discrimination within the company but also claims that ...

Houston Men's Club Sued for Providing Alcohol Leading to DUI Accident

2012-10-26

A recent drunk driving accident resulted in the death of an 18-year-old Caney Creek High School senior. The young woman was driving along the Sam Houston Parkway when another vehicle, allegedly driving at speeds over 130 mph by an intoxicated Erasmo Ramirez, collided with her pickup truck. The force of the collision caused the bed to separate from the cab of the truck and become airborne. The truck bed ultimately landed on and crushed the cab. The high school senior suffered serious injuries from the drunk driving accident and died the next morning. Mr. Ramirez was charged ...

Enforcing Contracts in California: Recovering From Misrepresentation

2012-10-26

Companies rise and fall based on the strength and reliability of their business dealings. In the past, many business owners created obligations and made promises based on a handshake. Now, deal-making is much more complicated. With every transaction, there is still an element of trust when dealing with others -- an assumption that the other party is telling the truth. Unfortunately, that assumption may be unreliable, even when the parties have a contract laying out each other's responsibilities and duties. If one party to a contract fails to hold up his or her part ...

Above the Law? Police Officers in Texas and Distracted Driving Accidents

2012-10-26

City officials throughout Texas are in agreement: Distracted driving is dangerous. Distracted driving can include texting, eating, grooming, using a navigation system or using the Internet while operating a vehicle. City officials aren't the only ones noting how dangerous this practice can be; recent research has also supported this realization. In fact, some studies find that distracted driving can impair a driver even more than driving while intoxicated. Distracted driving is so dangerous that some states have passed legislation banning the use of hand held cellphones, ...

Ignition Interlock Device May Be Required for Wisconsin OWI Conviction

2012-10-26

People convicted of driving drunk in Wisconsin, legally termed, "Operating While Intoxicated," or OWI, face certain penalties such as automatic driver's license suspension, fines and the possibility of jail time. In addition, some drivers may be required to install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles. Wisconsin OWI Laws In Wisconsin, a driver convicted of a first-time OWI with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or greater faces fines of $150-$300 and a six- to nine-month driver's license revocation. Drivers convicted of a second OWI within 10 years ...