dear all:

i received a letter yesterday from the office of Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas informing me that i was being charged with "violation of section(s) 484(a)-488 PC petty theft by taking and carrying away" on May 25, 2005. early this morning, i put calls into both the DA's office and the GGPD to inquire the details. they told me nothing.

later this morning, i get a call from Detective Reynolds telling me GGPD has a search warrant for my place of residence in Westminster. he proceeded to question me about a flashlight that i am accused to taking on the night of the 25th. he said it belongs to one of the police officer and that "this is a serious matter, we are not playing games" and "just tell us where it is" and "if you don't have it, tell us who does." i maintained that I DO NOT HAVE SUCH AN ITEM IN MY POSSESSION and that furthermore, THIS IS HARASSMENT. he persisted in questioning me; to which i responded that i needed to consult with a lawyer and that there was nothing more i was going to say. i asked several times for a phone number to follow up. just as i was about to give up and say i will just call the GGPD if i need to follow up, he states, "well, i would have given you my phone number earlier if you would just answer the question." he then proceeds to give a contact number.

lesson to be learned here: DON'T EVEN TRY TO TALK TO THEM.

why? because you are not obliged to do so. i did not need to ask for a number. i did it out of courtesy and to demonstrate my cooperation.

GGPD ended up leaving my house in defeat. they did not find the flashlight in question because... I DO NOT HAVE IT IN MY POSSESSION!

i am sharing all of this because i want you to be aware of attempts by the police to intimidate us and squash dissent through harassment and engaging us in THEIR legal process, thereby wasting our time, money, and energy. they want to make us feel afraid to speak out against brutality and advocate on behalf of those who have been wronged.

in the coming days and as this unfolds, i expect that i will stay really busy as i continue my work with the Legal Defense-Offense Committee and addtionally, fight my own battle. so, if i don't respond to your calls or e-mail in a timely manner, i ask now for your understanding. let's also continue to organize because racism and fascism, in all of its strains and manifestations - be it the police or the Minuteman Project, has NO place in a movement for love, liberation, and self-determination!

yours in struggle,
theresa dang
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