The next big event in the torture case of Mrs. Juana Villegas (DeLaPaz) following the dropping of all local, traffic tickets against her will be a lawsuit -- for millions of dollars ultimely payable by the taxpayers of Davidson County.
Named on the lawsuit will be Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, Metro Mayor Karl Dean and a few other folks with titles of authority. These officials represent you the taxpayers of Nashville. And you pay for their wrongs that go against the sense of common decency and the constitutional protections of the United States of America and the state of Tennessee.
Metro Nashville will automatically have to incur legal fees just to fight the lawsuit. That's going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. And even a settelment of the lawsuit, which would be best for Nashville, will have to be at a seven-figure amount. And taxpayers will have to pay that in a very tight budget year.
Such is the cost of public policy under the 287g deportation program that was not needed here, except for Hall's political career. Such is the cost of policy that is put into the hands of the Keystone Kops of Berry Hill, which is notorious for supporting its government with speed traps. This time, the trap was sprung on them.
So taxpayers will have to determine with 287g and politicians like Hall and Dean whether deporting people who are committing no violent crime is worth millions of dollars in public money that could have gone for public services. All charges against Mrs. Villegas' were dropped Friday concerning any violation of traffic laws and not possessing a driver's license.
The ACLU, which is investigating obvious racial profiling in this case, will also get involved legally. It will either petition the local U.S. attorney to file federal charges against the Berry Hill Police Department and Sgt. Timothy Coleman for violation of the new federal law against racial profiling or violation of Mrs. Villegas' civil rights and that of her newborn son -- an American citizen. Civil rights violations would most assuredly include the sheriff's department, too.
In addition, Sgt. Coleman's record will be investigated for similiar wrongs concerning people of color. A Berry Hill judge would not allow Mrs. Villegas's attorney to question Coleman on Friday about his record.
All that we do know now is an unnecessary arrest was made of a very pregnant woman before July 4, 2008. The video on Coleman's patrol car did not work to back up his contentions. He did not explain to Mrs. Villegas what she was being arrested for. He put Mrs. Villegas' three children in the control of a relative she did not agree to take the children, thus putting them at risk. And he set in motion the torture she and her newborn would endure at the hands of the sheriff's department.
While Mrs. Villegas still faces deportation for being illegally in the country, she still can collect a substantial award from Mexico and live comfortably there with her husband and her four American children. She can also return here to testify in criminal proceedings against Nashville authorities. And the abuse of her newborn was committed against an American citizen.
So her case is far from over. And as long as politicians like Dean and Congressman Jim Cooper continue to support Hall's 287g deportation program, they continue to put Metro taxpayers at risk. Mrs. Villegas' case was not an isolated one for Nashville Hispanic families. It was just one that finally got the needed media coverage to make an initial difference.
Now, let justice be done.
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2 comments:
I am Carol Anne and I am a resident of Nashville Tennessee. I think we need to be very careful not to try this case in the media.
The story Ms. Villegas tells is a horrible one but at this point, we are only hearing her side. Did the officer you mention in Berry Hill illegally target her or use racial profiling to get her pulled over? If so, we need to deal with that because it is a wrongful/illegal practice.
I am waiting to read details from all parties with regard to what happened at the hospital when she had her baby before I am ready to call it a case of "torture." That is a horribly strong word. Torture is defined as: "inflicting extreme pain or physical punishment on somebody." If that happened to Ms. Villegas, we have a problem. However if we are talking about was she or was she not 'restrained' while she was giving birth, we are not talking about "torture," we are talking about a "process" that may or may not be necessary.
I keep reading something about this story every week - seems like. I have read that the Sheriffs office does not arrest people. So why are we villinizing Sheriff Daron Hall? Are we ready to say that illegal immigrants should be allowed to by pass the legal steps to enter this counrty so long as they don't commit felonies? Misdemeanors are fine but not felony offenses?
I think we need to be clear and consistent. Racial profiling is not acceptable. Torture should still be a punishable human rights violation. If you want to come to the United States, you are welcome - just come in the legal way. If you break the law, felony or misdemeanor, you risk getting arrested. If you are not a legal resident, in addition to the sanctions that a judge can impose for the local crime, you risk being deported.
I just think we should keep things in proper perspective. Otherwise, this story will continue to get distorted.
That criminal pregnant lady was treated the very same as any other criminal pregnant lady. She is here after being deported once, so she is doubly illegal. A CRIMINAL.
PERIOD
Metro will only be liable for $385,000.00 per the charter. No more. Ask the tourists who had the NES transformer blow up on them how much of their medical bills Nashville paid.
Before you start sensationalizing an event that occurs in this county all the time, pull your head out of your.... criminal loving cloud and get some facts before you spout your drivel.
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