Found at: http://zena.secureforum.com/interactive/content/display_item.cfm?itemID=903 railroad justice in riverside
by mary shelton
mshelton69@hotmail.com

Across the United States, Riverside's justice system is known as "railroad county" given its extraordinarily high conviction rate of 91%, the highest in California. Michael Harold Ray tried to dodge the odds against him, but judge Becky Dugan put an end to that quest, by gutting his entire defense before he could even go to trial, forcing him to take a plea bargain. Ray had wanted to enter evidence to prove that he was being selectively prosecuted by District Attorney Grover Trask, as one of the 20 activists to be indicted of the over 60 people who participated in the prayer vigil which took place on the 91 freeway last November. And he had six items of evidence he wanted to present, showing that he was practicing his first amendment rights that day. Dugan said point blank, that no evidence involving selective prosecution, free speech, civil rights or anything that hinted at any attempt to encourage the jury to nullify its verdict, would be allowed inside courtroom 33. So, Ray pled guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and public nuisance on the condition that these issues would be addressed by the California Court of Appeals, 2nd District, and received a sentence of one year summary probation and a $405 fine. His father, Ray Harold had also been indicted as well, but after eight months of dragging him into court, the District Attorney's office realized that he had not stepped one foot on the highway and dropped the criminal charges against him. xposted by Keith Henson