The Long, Strange Trials of Tom the Nurse

freeman HempEvolution.org

San Francisco, CA Feb 17, 2006 -- I thought ugh, it's raining out... and I have to go to down to 'eight-fitty'' [or the Hall of Justice] to support Tom [the Nurse] Juzbasic.   Luckily the showers stopped and I made my way to Bryant St and only waited about fifteen minutes when everyone started arriving.  A crowd of twenty patients gathered and medicated in front the police station in the drizzle.

When the magic hour of nine approached, we dutifully entered through the metal detectors past officer Jim Miller, who seemed subdued, perhaps because it was Friday, and took the elevator up to the third floor.  Department 22 is the courtroom of the honorable James J. McBride and is where the master calendar is set for defendants awaiting trial. Judge McBride is a dour, spectacled man who barks orders from the bench with startling finality, and in some cases, can be brutally blunt with both attorneys and defendants alike.

Fifty-one defendants appeared before Judge McBride, facing charges ranging from murder to shoplifting and were assigned public defenders and court dates for trial.  One defendant, facing a charge of assault on a firefighter, was getting railroaded because he essentially didn't have a public defender and had been locked up since October.

The court recessed for ten minutes and I went outside to get some air.  Who did I happen to bump into, but Inspector John Keane, of the undercover detail.  I was feeling feisty and recited his name and badge number [949], and added, "I never forget a face."  Ever the smart ass, he shot back, saying he remembered my face as well.  He then slithered past and thankfully out of sight. I returned upstairs to the courtroom.

Finally Tom's name was called and nothing happened.  He went back to his seat, where we all sat for another two hours, dozing off until court was adjourned at two p.m.  I thought, man, this is punishment enough, spending six hours in a stuffy courtroom.

We went to a place called Catalyst Cocktails for lunch and returned to the front of the Hall of Justice, where we medicated twenty feet or so away the front door.  Officer #848, a tall Asian cop, confronted Tom and started threatening us and told it was against the law to smoke in public.  We told him that he was wrong, so he went inside to get a couple of his cohorts.  A beer-bellied sergeant [#16] and a patrolman [#2099] appeared and immediately began insulting and taunting us.  The young, white cop tried to provoke Tom and said he was going to arrest him for disorderly conduct.  He became physically aggressive with Tom, grabbing him, with his other hand balled into to a fist, ready to smash Tom in the face, if he tried to pull away.  I stuck up for Tom as the cops lied to us by insisting that "it's illegal to smoke pot in public".  I kept telling them they were wrong and the sergeant started berating me, attempting to get me angry.  I composed myself and laughed as the young cop threatened to arrest me for inciting to riot.  Cooler heads prevailed and we walked away from the police to medicate down the block.  Ten years of Prop 215 and we still have to put up with bullshit from the SFPD.  When will they ever learn?

Tom went before Judge McBride as court resumed and was ordered to report to 400 McAllister St. to appear before Judge Thomas J. Mellon Jr., Department 541 for trial.  The building was new and had a less gritty vibe then the Hall of Justice.  Our group had thinned out to few diehards as we awaited Tom's trial date to be set. Assistant DA Thomas Heckler arrived and shed his motorcycle jumpsuit in front of the judge.  Mel Santos, Tom's public defender entered minutes later and Judge Mellon ordered that jury selection begin on Tuesday, February 20th at 9 a.m., final motions to be made by Wednesday and the trial to begin Thursday, ending with the expert testimony of Chris Conrad and Terence Hallinan on Friday.

Tom and his attorney Mel are asking that you call the District Attorney's office to complain  and to ask DA Kamala Harris why Tom is being prosecuted.  The numbers are:  (415) 553-1754, (415) 553-9529, (415) 553-9530.  We are planning demos for both Thursday and Friday at lunchtime.  Come show up to support Tom in court next week.  See you there!