@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social cover
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theleftistlawyer

@[email protected]

Mercedes' lucky wife. Name-your-own-price attorney in IL for people facing eviction and incarceration. No legal advice here. She/her. If you like my work, buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/theleftistlawyer

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@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random
The "one ring" meme in three panels. The first shows the One Ring in Isildur's hand. The second shows Elrond telling Isildur "cast it into the fire! Destroy it!" The third shows Isildur saying "No. The Dow is over 50,000!"
ALT
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

"We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Your lives as they have been are over. Your culture will adapt to service ours. But don't worry, the Dow is over 50,000.“

A Borg cube orbits earth.
ALT
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

I will be honest: we are not talking nearly enough about the downstream effects of these ICE and CBP deployments.

For example: landlords and debt collectors file more aggressive collection and eviction suits with dubious (or no) factual bases, knowing that the defendants won't go to the courthouse.

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

Consider: when CBP and ICE agents can shoot and kill and kidnap people with no warrants and no consequences, the lesson sent to anyone who could be profiled as undocumented (basically all racialized people) becomes "if you go to court to defend yourself, you might never see your family again."

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

I'm getting calls from people facing eviction or foreclosure or debt collection lawsuits and they're not doing anything because they are terrified of ICE, even if they have legal status, even if the case against them is bullshit.

And no one is talking about this.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

We can simultaneously say Bad Bunny is a citizen of the US and denying the existence of his citizenship is racist and xenophobic AND we can point out that his citizenship, and that of every Puerto Rican, is essentially a second class version as a result of colonialism and oppression to this day.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

That's a weird way of saying "keeps violating court orders," ABC. Just wondering what would happen if a judge told me to do something and I said I "declined the request" 🙃

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/trump-administration-declines-judges-request-return-college-student/story?id=129936369

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Hello Transfemme friends! I have an entirely unopened, never used package of tucking gaffs from Origami Customs that thanks to recent events I will never need to use. They're really nice (I paid over $200 for them and they're handmade). I'll send them to whomever wants! FCFS, [email protected].

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Thirteen years as a lawyer and I've never gotten as much media attention for any case as I'm getting now for my case asking for a special prosecutor against ICE.

I'm gratified, but admittedly it would be nice to have this many eyeballs on eviction or arraignment court.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Increasingly people on the left act like transphobia isn't like "other" bigotries because we're "more controversial" or "scare away voters" or "an idpol psyop" or there aren't enough of us to matter, and meanwhile the right is overtly trying to kill us all.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Call me a filthy commie but I think if we're going to have a carceral legal system it's probably more important to prosecute the child sexual predators and murderous fascist goons than kids who shoplifted, and if we're doing the opposite maybe we're doing everything wrong

Just a thought

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

"This isn't who we are!" - false, ignores history, keeps harmful systems in place

"This isn't who we should be!" - true, imagines a better future, includes everyone.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Reminder that if you're arrested in Illinois for protesting ICE, I can represent you pro bono. Email me at [email protected]. As always, I will take as many cases as I can.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Please be wary of accounts telling you not to get legal support for your resistance or that lawyers are cops.

Radical lawyers do exist. And you need legal support MORE at times like this, not less.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

I keep seeing people asking why the police aren't arresting ICE or protecting people from ICE and I desperately need you to understand that the police aren't protecting you from ICE because protecting YOU is not and never has been their function and that's why we need to defund them.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Too many people are trying to differentiate between ICE and police.

I will hold your hand as I say this:

Police in the US treat marginalized people the way ICE treats everyone. They're far more similar than you want to admit.

Defunding the police and abolishing ICE are the same fight.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Listening to NPR on the way home and a guest just defined "socialism" as "when the government makes you do something involuntarily" and I think my head just exploded

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

For the people (not inaccurately) comparing the IDF to ICE:

We didn't learn violent oppression of people from Israel.

Israel learned it from US.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Gentle reminder that EVERYONE shot by ICE or the police is innocent. Every single one. Cops aren't Judge Dredd. A person is innocent until proven guilty IN A COURT, so until a person is found guilty by a judge or jury, they're innocent. They're ALL innocent.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Saying "Israel made us invade Venezuela" is frankly insulting to the many, many people who suffered from our genocides, war crimes, and imperialism between 1600 and 1948.

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

You really think that a country built on genocide and war crimes and land theft wouldn't be doing genocide, war crimes, and land theft unless Israel made us? Please.

WE are genociding Occupied Palestine. WE are the global hegemon. No one makes us invade Venezuela for oil.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

"Why are we arresting Maduro and not Netanyahu?"

Because Netanyahu works for us, and Maduro didn't. That's really the difference. We are the global hegemon. We aren't the good guys. If Putin gave us oil and tribute, we'd sell him cheap weapons, just like Netanyahu.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

The United States really is just a weapons manufacturer, an oil company, and a private equity firn in a tech bro's trench coat signing Israeli bombs.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Explained my upcoming surgery and hospitalization to a judge today. The response was to tell me to just come to this hearing and go back to the hospital afterward. When I explained that wasn't possible, the response was "that's okay. We'll call you at the hospital and do the hearing that way."

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Call me crazy but maybe if a military and government spend two years nonstop killing children and screaming "this is for all Jews, all Jews support this" at the top of their lungs, people might believe them and do awful things to Jews as a result, and that's yet another reason why genocide is bad

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Law school cost me $190,000.

I have paid $206,000 since graduation.

I now owe $223,000.

I pay $830 per month, and next year it will be more.

I genuinely believe law school student loans are designed to make pro bono representation impossible.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Landlord lawyer just now: "The purpose of an apartment lease isn't to give housing to people who used to be homeless. It's not to get homeless people off the streets. It's to reward people who have earned the right to live in my client's building."

I may break something.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

I've said this before, but there are two kinds of people in the world.

  • People who have suffered or been traumatized by something, and think it's unfair unless everyone else also suffers
  • People who have suffered or been traumatized by something and don't want anyone else to experience that.
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

"Europeans conquered the world!"

Dude whilst peoples of the Global Majority were inventing algebra, astronomy, gunpowder, and modern medicine, our European ancestors were arguing about whether ducks were fish that grew on trees. Let's be real.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

It's very simple.

If you don't oppose ICE, I oppose you. 🤷

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Had to go out today to buy toilet paper. I know, I should have planned better, but Crohn's does what Crohn's wants. Anyway, I'm standing in line with my toilet paper and the woman in front of me is telling her very young child that the Christmas miracle is when Jesus found America.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Had to work yesterday and I'm working again today, but at least I felt pretty doing it

Sheryl looks at the camera wearing a long sleeve ribbed turtleneck blouse. Her hair is neck length and her bangs and nose stud are visible.
ALT
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Ftr, no, the Diaspora isn't responsible for what Israel does. We're not there. The apartheid state doesn't care what we think anyway.

But that just makes it even more fucked up that we have spent so many years normalizing an apartheid state and acting like it WOULDN'T lead here.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Gotta be honest, it absolutely sucks watching the same people who call me a groomer just for being trans say that Epstein did nothing wrong because his victims were teenagers.

PEOPLE WOULD RATHER THEIR KIDS BE RAPED THAN BE TRANS.

And it is INFURIATING.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Every human being everywhere on earth should have all the tasty food, and good and safe housing, and a fantastic education through graduate school, and all the healthcare they need or want, all for free.

There is more than enough wealth on this planet to do that. We just need to divide it fairly.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

In 1999, a woman named Jessica Gonzales sought and obtained an order of protection against her physically abusive husband ("AH"), who had repeatedly threatened to kill her and their three children. The order included language specifically limiting when and where AH was allowed to see the children.

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

The judge who issued the order was horrified by the facts of the case, and told Jessica to be sure to call the police if AH ever violated the order, because he would be arrested.

Within a month, AH did just that, kidnapping the children from Jessica's front yard. Jessica did what the judge said,

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

and immediately called the police. She explained that the children had been kidnapped and that AH was violating a domestic violence order of protection. The two responding officers mocked Jessica, told her to let the children be with their father,

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

and to call them back if the children weren't back in a few hours.

So that's what Jessica did. At 10:00 pm that night, she called the police for a third time, only to be mocked again by the police. The responding officer told her to stop being so emotional and went to dinner.

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

At 3:00 am the following morning, AH followed Jessica to the police station in his truck and opened fire. The police shot and killed him. In his truck were the already dead bodies of the children. AH had killed them whilst the officer was at dinner.

Jessica sued the police department,

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

alleging that they owed her a duty to enforce the order of protection entered against her, and because they failed to do so, her children were killed. The case went to the SCOTUS as Castle Rock v. Gonzales in 2005. In ruling for the police, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority,

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

explained that police have no duty to protect people because their only job is to protect property rights, and an order of protection was "not the sort of 'entitlement' out of which a property interest is created." The right to be protected from harm by police, wrote Scalia,

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

"would not, of course, resemble any traditional conception of property." As such, the SCOTUS held that police owe people no duty to enforce laws or court orders whose aim is the protection of people instead of property interests.

"We conclude, therefore, that [Jessica] did not,

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

for purposes of the Due Process Clause, have a property interest in police enforcement of the restraining order against her husband." And because nonproperty interests weren't protectable, said SCOTUS, she had no legal remedy.

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

Trump is basing his entire presidency, and the right wing bases its current fascist project, on cases like Castle Rock. Because if the government has no duty to protect you from others, it need not protect you from itself.

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

TIL being colorblind means I can't see the auroras 😕

@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar theleftistlawyer , to random

Another person mocked me for my car today, and I know it shouldn't bother me, but jeez. A Scion iQ is a perfectly good car. Mine is in great shape for 125,000 miles aside from a few scratches here and there, and even has alloys.

theleftistlawyer OP ,
@theleftistlawyer@mastodon.social avatar

"What kind of lawyer drives that?" I don't know, a free one who cares about the environment? A frugal lawyer who likes having a car payment she can afford? A lawyer who appreciates the quirkiness and maneuverability of small cars? A lawyer who likes being able to parallel park literally anywhere?