Mass Dissent Massachusetts Chapter National Lawyers Guild 14 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108 November 2011 www.nlgmass.org Vol. 34, No. 7 In This Edition Police (Mis)Conduct This Mass Dissent’s topic is Jonathan Messinger writes of police misconduct, a matter with another important and chilling Guild News which some of us in Boston have aspect of police misconduct – the page 3 just become reacquainted as a actions of ICE (Immigration and “NLG Presents...” and result of the Occupy Boston Customs Enforcement) person- “Designer Circus” Event arrests, but a continuing and nel. Where vague and overbroad page 4 commonplace problem around laws combine with increasing the country, particularly in com- anti-immigrant popular opinion, Police Misconduct - Is it munities of color. Jonathan’s article shows we Getting Better? Chapter Board member enter the realm of a true police page 5 Makis Antzoulatos provides an state. overview and writes that police David Milton, also a mem- 1st Circuit Says You Can Shoot misconduct – really, police vio- ber of the Guild’s National Police the Police (with your Camera) page 6 lence – is a growing problem. He Accountability Project, writes notes that the type of police vio- about that project’s CLE at the How to Break the ICE? lence we are seeing at the Occupy Guild’s National Convention in page 7 protests are common police tac- Philadelphia this past month. tics in low income communities. The educational event lasted a NPAP at NLG Convention Guild member David full day, attracted more than 100 page 8 Milton, whose firm has decades lawyers from around the country, NLG Student Corner of experience litigating police and involved presentations on page 9 misconduct cases, writes about important developments in the the recent first amendment case, law by about a dozen lawyers and NLG Sustainer - Bonnie Glik v. Cunniffe, where the court others. Tenneriello held that the First Amendment We also have a report from page 10 protects the right to videotape NLG Convention first-timer police officials carrying out their Molly Del Howe-Lembcke, a NLG Convention Report page 11 duties in public – in this case an Suffolk law student, on her arrest accompanied by apparent Convention experience and excessive force. Glik is an object inspiration. lesson on the lengths to which This month, in the “NLG BOARD MEETING police and prosecutors can go to Sustainer Profile Corner,” Judy November 15, 6:00 pm protect their own unlawful con- Somberg gives us a glimp into duct and what the courts can and Bonnie Tenneriello who recent- will do to protect the First ly joined our very important 14 Beacon St., 1st Fl. Amendment. Sustainer Program. Boston Chapter Board member - David Kelston - November 2011 Page 1 NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD Massachusetts Chapter, Inc. Join a Guild Committee 14 Beacon St., Suite 407 Boston, MA 02108 Street Law Clinic Project: The Street Law Clinic project provides tel.: 617-227-7335 • fax: 617-227-5495 workshops for Massachusetts organizations that address legal needs of [email protected] • [email protected] various communities. Legal education workshops on 4th Amendment www.nlgmass.org Rights (Stop & Search), Landlord/Tenant Disputes, Workers’ Rights, Civil Disobedience Defense, Bankruptcy Law, Foreclosure Prevention BOARD OF DIRECTORS Law, and Immigration Law are held at community organizations, youth centers, labor unions, shelters, and pre-release centers. If you are a Guild CHAIRPERSON attorney, law student, or legal worker interested in leading a workshop, Neil Berman, Common Sense Legal Counseling please contact the project at 617-723-4330 or [email protected]. TREASURERS Patricia Cantor Lawyer Referral Service Panel (LRS): Members of the panel provide legal Jeff Petrucelly, Petrucelly, Nadler & Norris services at reasonable rates. Referral Service Administrative/Oversight Committee members: Neil Berman, Neil Burns, Joshua Goldstein, Jeremy MEMBERS Robin, and Azizah Yasin. For more information, contact the Referral Service Laura Alfring, CPCS Youth Advocacy Dept. Makis Antzoulatos, CPCS Coordinator at 617-227-7008 or [email protected]. Thom Cincotta, Political Research Associates David Conforto, Conforto Law Group, P.C. Foreclosure Prevention Task Force: Created in June 2008, the Task Hillary Farber, UMass Dartmouth Force’s goal is threefold: (1) to draft and introduce policies that address Jeff Feuer, Goldstein & Feuer issues that homeowners and tenants of foreclosed houses face, (2) to pro- David Kelston, Adkins, Kelston & Zavez vide legal assistance to these homeowners and tenants, and (3) to con- Jonathan Messinger, solo practitioner duct legal clinics for them. If you are interested in working with the Task Halim Moris, Moris & O’Shea Force, please call the office at 617-227-7335. Gráinne O’Neill, Harvard Law School Josh Raisler Cohn, CPCS Judy Somberg, solo practitioner Mass Defense Committee: Consists of two sub-committees: (1) Bonnie Tenneriello, Prisoners’ Legal Services “Legal Observers” (students, lawyers, activists) who are trained to serve Jessica White, Prisoners’ Legal Services as legal observers at political demonstrations and (2) “Mass Defense Team” (criminal defense attorneys) who represent activists arrested for LAW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES political activism. To get involved, please contact the office at 617-227- Jay Diaz & James Racine, Boston College Ryan Hidden, New England 7335. Molly Howe-Lembcke, Suffolk Lauren Marcous, WNEC Litigation Committee: Established in 2010, the Committee brings Matthew Schultz, Boston University civil lawsuits against large institutions (such as government agencies, Matthew Spurlock, Harvard law enforcement, banks, financial institutions, and/or large corporations) Sky Swett, UMass Dartmouth which engage in repressive or predatory actions that affect large numbers Yohana Valdez & Jessica Yamane, NUSL of people and that serve to perpetuate social, racial and/or economic Lindsay Vick, Roger Williams injustice or inequality. To get involved, please contact the Guild office. STAFF NLG National Immigration Project: Works to defend and extend the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR human and civil rights of all immigrants, both documented and undocu- Urszula Masny-Latos mented. The Committee works in coalitions with community groups to LRS COORDINATOR/ADMIN. ASSIST. organize support for immigrant rights in the face of right-wing political Barbara Lee attacks. For more information contact the NLG National Immigration STREET LAW CLINIC COORDINATOR Project at 617-227-9727. Sky Swett NLG Military Law Task Force: Provides legal advice and assistance Mass Dissent (ISSN 0887-8536) is published to those in the military and to others, especially members of the GIRights monthly except January, May, July and August Hotline, who are counseling military personnel on their rights. It also by the National Lawyers Guild, Mass. Chapter, provides legal support and helps to find local legal referrals when need- 14 Beacon St., Suite 407, Boston, MA 02108. Second-class postage paid at Boston, MA. ed. For advice and information, GI’s can call 877-447-4487. To get POSTMASTER: Send address changes to involved, please contact Neil Berman ([email protected]) or Mass Dissent, NLG, 14 Beacon St., Suite 407, Boston, MA 02108. Marguerite Helen ([email protected]). November 2011 Mass Dissent Page 2 GUILD NEWS NLG HAPPY HOUR The NLG HOLIDAY PARTY We Massachusetts Chapter’s “NLG Presents...” Happy invite you to our Holiday Party on Friday, December 9, Hour” will be held on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 5:30pm. We’ll be hosted again by Stern Shapiro 5:30-7:30pm, at a new location - Red Hat, 9 Bowdoin Weissberg & Garin (90 Canal St., 5th Fl., Boston). In St. (corner of Bowdoin and Cambridge Streets), in addition to a very tasty spread and wine, the program Boston. This month we’ll discuss the “Occupy Boston” will include a raffle drawing with exceptional prizes. movement. Please join us! (See below.) Raffle tickets are $10/ticket - to buy, call: 617-227-7335. Street Law Clinic Report The following clinics and trainings were conducted for “NLG Presents...” Happy Hour members of Boston area community organizations and agencies: OCCUPY BOSTON - LEGAL SUPPORT & LEGAL FRONTIERS September 26: Legal Observing at a protest against Donald Rumsfeld visit in Boston, by Makis An evening with Antzoulatos, Urszula Masny-Latos, Josh Raisler ERICA BUSHELL, KAT JOHNSON, Cohn, and Carl Williams. JEFF FEUER & CARL WILLIAMS September 28: Legal Observer training for Western Wednesday, November 9, 2011 New England College School of Law, by Urszula 5:30 -7:30 pm Masny-Latos. Red Hat September 29: Legal Observer training for Rights to 9 Bowdoin St., Boston the City and Occupy Boston in Boston, by Jeff Feuer, Erica Bushell and Kat Johnson, organizers with the Urszula Masny-Latos, and Carl Williams. Occupy Boston legal working group, will talk about legal support for the Movement. Guild Attorneys October 2 & 7: Legal Observer trainings for Occupy Carl Williams and Jeff Feuer will discuss the crimi- Boston, by Urszula Masny-Latos and Carl nal defense of those arrested and new civil chal- Williams. lenges to arrest practices and property confiscation. October 15: • Legal Obeserver training for Roger Williams Univ. School of Law in Bristol, RI, by Chris October 24: Legal Observer Williams; • Legal Observer training for UMass training for Millie Drew Dartmouth School of Law, by Sky Swett. Northeastern School of Law, by . October 18: Foreclosure Prevention/Tenants’Rights October 25: Legal Observer training for Western Urszula clinic