http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_23210253/deaf-motorist-who-got-93k-from-st-paul?source=rss

Deaf motorist who got $93K from St. Paul hopes police learn

from arrest incident

Doug Bahl, a deaf St. Paul man, said what happened to him at the hands of St. Paul police in 2006 was an “unnecessary tragedy,” but he also hopes it “becomes a learning experience.”

Bahl, 62, spoke Thursday, May 9, the day after the city council approved a $93,450 settlement of his federal lawsuit. As part of the settlement, St. Paul police “agreed to make some very significant changes in how it’s going to ensure effective communication with deaf people in the future,” said Rick Macpherson, an attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center who represented Bahl.

When an officer pulled Bahl over for a traffic violation more than six years ago, the officer “knew Mr. Bahl was deaf, but he thought it would work to just use gestures and use a loud voice to communicate with Mr. Bahl,” Macpherson said, speaking with Bahl at a news conference.

Bahl asked the officer to communicate with him in writing, but the officer sprayed him with a chemical irritant, dragged him out of his car and beat him, Macpherson said.

“The St. Paul police officer reported that Mr. Bahl had attacked him, but in fact when he tried to tell that story to a jury, the jury did not believe him,” Macpherson said. “They believed Mr. Bahl’s version of the events.”

A jury convicted Bahl of misdemeanor obstructing legal process but acquitted him of the more serious charge of obstructing legal process with force.

In Bahl’s civil lawsuit, the city denied liability and Bahl’s allegations but agreed to settle “given the costs and uncertainties of future litigation,” the city attorney said this week.

St. Paul police are updating their policies as a result of the settlement.

When a police investigator came to talk to Bahl after his arrest, Bahl requested an American Sign Language interpreter, Macpherson said. The investigator left and never returned, the attorney said.

One policy change as a result of the settlement: St. Paul police “will no longer refuse to interview or provide services to deaf people because they ask for an interpreter,” Macpherson said. “They will provide interpreters necessary for effective communication.”

All officers will be trained in how to communicate with deaf people in street encounters when there is no interpreter, Macpherson said.

Bahl, speaking Thursday through an American Sign Language interpreter, said there are about 28 million deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the U.S., and tens of thousands of them live in the Twin Cities area.

“My hope is that not one of them ever has to experience what I did, simply because they have a hearing loss or use American Sign Language in order to communicate,” said Bahl, who is an ASL instructor at St. Paul College and a board member of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens.

Bahl was held in the Ramsey County Jail for three days. He said the county didn’t provide him with an interpreter, a TTY (a device that lets deaf people use the phone by typing messages) or any other way to communicate to friends and family about where he was.

He also sued Ramsey County, which settled its part of the suit in 2011 for $230,000, agreeing to change procedures at the jail.

As a result of policy changes at the jail and with police, Bahl said he’s “confident that our deaf community will no longer have to face communication barriers when interacting with law enforcement personnel. I am grateful to be an American deaf citizen in a country where justice can be sought and where equal rights for all really does exist.”

_______________________________________________

Why should it take for a deaf person to be abused to for proper communications with the deaf?!? Agreement that it will never happen again does not compensate for what happened!!! Once abused, there is no way t take it back. I am sure he has suffered all this time and that his duress will continue. There are 28 million deaf and hard of hearing people in this country and no excuse for this-NONE!!! Totally unacceptable and still happening…imagine that!!! This makes me sick!!!-It took how long for them to settle with him?!? There’s no excuse for this!!!

Disclaimer connected to this blog…Things said are of my opinion and the opinion of others -B

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — An 11-year-old German Shepherd that was stabbed and beaten by a burglary suspect in 2010 has died.

Major, who was helping police search for suspects in a November 2010 attempted burglary in Maplewood, Minn., lost the use of his hind legs after the attack.

The former Roseville K-9 was stabbed on the top of his head, behind his left ear, the middle of his shoulder blades and once in middle of his back and beaten by 21-year-old Roel Joseph Perez, Jr.

Perez was sentenced to 120 days in Ramsey County Jail.

After the stabbing, Major underwent therapy seven days a week for three months. Without the use of his hind legs, he used a K-9 wheel chair in order to get around.

Since Major’s injury, his partner and caretaker Officer John Jorgensen has helped get legislation passed to increase the penalties for someone who hurts a K-9.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Amy Senser’s appeal of her guilty verdict went before the Minnesota Court of Appeals Wednesday.

Senser was convicted almost exactly a year ago of criminal vehicular homicide in the death of Anousone Panthavong.

Senser’s defense attorney had argued that Senser never knew she hit Panthavong, who was filling his car with gas on a darkened exit ramp on 1nterestate 94 in August of 2011.

The prosecution argued that Senser was drunk on the night of the accident and said she intentionally fled the scene.

Amy Senser was not in court on Wednesday but her family and her husband, former Viking Joe Senser, was. Joe Senser sat in the front row at the hearing with his arms crossed for much of the debate. He did not comment after the hearing.

The family of Anousone Panthavong was also in attendance. Afterwards, his sister Vilayphone Panthavong said the family members felt they had to be there.

“I don’t want them to think that after the case is done we just don’t care about him. No, we do. it’s not that we want her in jail more or anything like that,” she said.

Senser’s defense attorney, Eric Nelson, argued that the judge made a number of mistakes in the case, including not immediately revealing a note jurors wrote after the verdict saying jurors believed she knew she had hit a car that night.

The note, from the jury foreperson, asked the judge to read the following message to Senser in the courtroom. The note said, “We believe, she believed she hit a car or vehicle and not a person.” The defense argued that showed the jury was confused.

The Court of Appeals, however, questioned Nelson’s argument, wondering how that note would have made a difference in the case.

“The jury must have disbelieved her claim that she didn’t know that she struck either a vehicle or a person,” Judge Kevin Ross asked.

Nelson responded, “No, I do not agree with that at all, Your Honor, in so far that I believe that the jury’s note is indicative of the fact that they did in fact believe her when she testified.”

The judges repeatedly questioned the prosecutor about the judge’s failure to disclose the note.

“Wasn’t it abuse of discretion for the trial court judge instead of notifying attorneys about it to basically not to say a word about that until several days later?” Judge Margaret Chutich asked.

But Prosecutor Lee Barry said he did not believe it was abuse of discretion.

Senser is serving a 41-month sentence at the Women’s Prison in Shakopee, of which she’s served nine months so far. She is scheduled for supervised release in October of 2014.

Legal experts say it is very difficult to overturn a verdict and that the note shows jurors followed the jury instruction and the law.

The Court of Appeals has 90 days to make a ruling.

Ideas were due by Wednesday night. At final count there were more than 900, and they range from clever to wacky.

So, to the conceivable ideas first: Several people wanted to renovate the old Ramsey County Jail, overlooking the Mississippi River. Some want it to be turned into a homeless shelter or a place for people displaced by storms.

Another idea called for a sculpture garden where the former Macy’s store sits downtown. Another was creating a “Minnesota Walk of Stars” to honor famous Minnesotans, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

But then things got a little weird. One person wanted a resort made up of small cottages in the trees along the Mississippi. Another suggested building the world’s largest model railroad in downtown St. Paul.

And another person suggested getting laser projectors so the city could put emblems into the sky. The winning idea will be chosen in September.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) –- Though authorities still have not found a body, a St. Paul man has been charged with murdering his wife after authorities found traces of blood throughout the couple’s home.

Jeffrey Trevino was charged with felony second-degree murder by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office Thursday morning in connection with Kira Trevino’s disappearance. The charges have been signed by a judge and bail has been set at $1 million.

Jeffrey Trevino, 39, first reported his wife missing to St. Paul Police on Sunday morning, saying that she was suffering “a midlife crisis.” He said she’d disappear for days at a time. Later that day, Kira Trevino’s mother also called police, concerned that Jeffrey may have hurt her daughter.

When her car was discovered in a parking ramp Friday morning with her not around, St. Paul Police say they saw evidence of blood along the rim of the trunk, and also found a trunk liner nearby that had blood on it. Her cell phone and purse were found inside.

Police went to Jeffrey Trevino’s house to execute a search warrant. The criminal complaint says they saw a number of freshly washed towels and clothes there, with bleach bottles and a mop and bucket, as well as carpet cleaner.

Investigators said there were blood spatters found in the master bedroom, in the living room, the bathroom, the hall, and also in the basement. Investigators say blood was found on the bedroom carpet, in the shape of a human head and torso.

Though investigators say Jeffrey Trevino’s wife is still missing, they say there is probable cause to conclude she is dead, based on the amount of blood police found and the fact that she hasn’t contacted anyone for a week.

“Although a body has not been recovered, we believe that the victim has been murdered by the defendant, and is no longer alive,” said John Choi, Ramsey County prosecutor.

Jeffrey Trevino was arrested and booked at the Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of homicide.

“The defendant in this particular case took a number of actions to be evasive and cover up this murder,” Choi said.

Prosecutors say Trevino washed his clothing and used bleach to clean up blood evidence at his home.

Also, on Wednesday police received surveillance video from Mall of America, showing someone parking Kira Trevino’s car in a ramp last Friday — the last day her husband or anyone else claims to have seen her.

The person threw out a blood-stained trunk liner, before taking a cab — that GPS shows — and stopped just a block away from the Trevino’s home.

“All of his schemes and his efforts to cover up this crime have been foiled by a lot of hard work,” Choi said.

Jeffrey Trevino told police that he and Kira had a date night Thursday, and that she left home Friday morning to go tanning and to work out.

According to court papers, she never did either that day.

Kira Trevino’s mother, Marcie Steger, said she felt angry, betrayed, upset and confused after hearing of Jeffrey Trevino’s arrest. The criminal complaint says that Kira Trevino told family members she had been having marital problems and was considering leaving her husband.

The two had been together for eight years and married for at least three, but a family member said they never really got to know him well.

The search for Kira is ongoing though police haven’t said where they’re looking. Jeffrey Trevino is not cooperating.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Authorities say a St. Paul man died Thursday night from injuries suffered after his girlfriend struck him with her vehicle Wednesday evening.

Police responded to the 600 block of Wells Street at about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday on a report of a man found lying in the middle of the street. When authorities arrived, they found him unresponsive. The man was later identified as Mark Leroy Urang.

Urang was transported to Regions Hospital, where he died at about 8 p.m. Thursday. Authorities say Urang had been in some sort of argument with his girlfriend, Arlene Garcia, and actually called 911 before he was run down.

Police say both Urang and Garcia appeared to be drinking at the time of the dispute. Garcia is now charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide.

Police said Garcia is being held at the Ramsey County Jail. The incident is still under investigation.

According to police, authorities were called to the 2200 block of 8th Street in White Bear Lake late Monday afternoon on a report of a possible homicide. When police got to the scene, they found the body of a woman inside the home’s garage.

A subsequent investigation led police to a home on the 1400 block of Sheldon Avenue in St. Paul, where they took a 35-year-old man into custody.

Authorities said the man — Steven Roger Johnson — was questioned then booked into the Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of murder. Police haven’t revealed what led them to arrest Johnson.

Officers found 32-year-old Manya Jewel Johnson’s body after someone called police Monday afternoon — that person is cooperating with police. Authorities haven’t said she died.

Police say the two were married.

Johnson has previously been convicted of felony criminal sexual conduct involving a stranger in 1996. He was in prison for that crime from Dec. 6, 1996 until February 2008.

The incident is still under investigation.

Johnson is currently being held in the Ramsey County Jail.

Abdulkarim Ali Ismail, 33, is in the Ramsey County Jail facing possible criminal sexual conduct charges stemming from an incident that occurred on the morning of Nov. 7.

The victim says Ismail touched her breast over her clothes and made unwanted advances toward her. She also said Ismail followed her and two friends off the bus and only left when an adult threatened to call the police.

Metro Transit authorities say the case will likely be forwarded to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office for charges.

Pauviera Linson, or Pauvi, as her family and friends called her, was at a party when she was given a drink of Sprite mixed with Codeine, which is a strong drug often found in cough syrup. It’s considered a pain reliever and a narcotic when taken as a tablet.

Pauvi got sick instantly after taking the drink. She got home Sunday night and fell asleep, only to never wake back up.

Pauvi’s friend also took the drink and ended up going to the hospital for two days. She’s now out of a Twin Cities hospital.

Robert Kibble, 25, and 19-year-old Jacob Sawyer were arrested in connection to the death. St. Paul Police say it’s unclear if these men knew the ages of the girls. They were released from the Ramsey County Jail Thursday.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office has performed an autopsy and the cause/manner of death is pending both toxicology results.

The Attorney’s Office says that investigators and the medical examiner staff are working as fast as they can to complete the investigation.

According to an investigator with the St. Paul Police, 36-year-old Joseph Allen Facente took a parked 1997 Econoline van from the Super America located at 577 Smith Ave.

The van had been converted into an ice cream truck, and was parked while running with the keys in the ignition in order to keep the air conditioning on to cool the frozen treats in the 100 degree weather. The van’s owner reported it stolen to police.

A Mendota Heights police officer stopped the van driven by Facente at Interstate 35E and Highway 13. After being turned over to St. Paul Police, Facente claimed to have permission to use the van to “sell ice cream throughout the neighborhood.” When asked where he was heading, Facente responded, “Frogtown. They love me over there.”

Facente has two prior felony convictions. He is currently being held at the Ramsey County Jail on $10,000 bond.

The marshal’s office said Shawn Michael Olthoff was arrested at about 8:15 a.m. Saturday at a trailer home in rural Pine County near the town of Beroun, which is just north of Pine City.

Olthoff is being held in the Ramsey County Jail on a supervised released violation. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday and is also wanted for questioning in connection with a series of recent armed robberies.

Authorities started a massive manhunt in a corn field in the North Branch area, which was assisted by the Pine County Canine Unit and the Minnesota State Patrol.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Terrance Maurice Fomby was arrested without incident Tuesday in the Frogtown area of St. Paul.

Detroit police were seeking him on a warrant for felony murder, armed robbery, carjacking and weapons violations. He and William Fomby are accused of killing a motorist with a shotgun while trying to steal a car at a gas station last month.

The victim’s name isn’t known. A message was left Tuesday night with Detroit police.

Terrance Fomby is in the Ramsey County Jail, which gives his age as 18.

Thirty-five-year-old William Fomby is being held in the Wayne County Jail in Detroit.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The 21-year-old was booked into the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) on a misdemeanor charge.

According to police, a St. Paul woman reported that Mbakwe posted a message on her Facebook page Sunday, which was a violation of a current Harassment Restraining Order out of Dakota County.

St. Paul Police then notified the University of Minnesota Police, who arrested Mbakwe without incident at a home on the 1000 block of 29th Avenue SE in Minneapolis at about 7 p.m. He was transported to the LEC and turned over to St. Paul Police.

His bail is set at $500.

Twenty-one-year-old John Matthew Jose Pickard was booked into the Ramsey County Jail on Friday.

He was wanted on charges of fifth-degree domestic assault and disorderly conduct. Prosecutors say he punched his 19-year-old girlfriend during an argument in April.

The St. Paul woman was three months’ pregnant at the time. The criminal complaint says the fetus was found dead later in the day, although a medical investigation couldn’t conclude the death was caused by the assault.

Defense attorney Daniel Adkins says he and Pickard are refraining from comment.

Pickard’s bail has been set at $10,000.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

**UPDATE**

Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar
Released After Illegal Arrest at RNC

Goodman Charged with Obstruction; Felony Riot Charges Pending Against
Kouddous and Salazar

ST. PAUL--Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and producers Sharif Abdel
Kouddous and Nicole Salazar have all been released from police custody
in St. Paul following their illegal arrest by Minneapolis Police on
Monday afternoon.

All three were violently manhandled by law enforcement officers. Abdel
Kouddous was slammed against a wall and the ground, leaving his arms
scraped and bloodied. He sustained other injuries to his chest and back.
Salazar's violent arrest by baton-wielding officers, during which she
was slammed to the ground while yelling, "I'm Press! Press!," resulted
in her nose bleeding, as well as causing facial pain. Goodman's arm was
violently yanked by police as she was arrested.

On Tuesday, Democracy Now! will broadcast video of these arrests, as
well as the broader police action. These will also be available on:
www.democracynow.org

Goodman was arrested while questioning police about the unlawful
detention of Kouddous and Salazar who were arrested while they carried
out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the
Republican National Convention. Goodman's crime appears to have been
defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and
Salazar were arrested on suspicion of rioting, a felony. While the three
have been released, they all still face charges stemming from their
unlawful arrest. Kouddous and Salazar face pending charges of suspicion
of felony riot, while Goodman has been officially charged with
obstruction of a legal process and interference with a "peace officer."

Democracy Now! forcefully rejects all of these charges as false and an
attempt at intimidation of these journalists. We demand that the charges
be immediately and completely dropped.

Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this
action by Twin Cities' law enforcement as a clear violation of the
freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.

During the demonstration in which the Democracy Now! team was arrested,
law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion
grenades and excessive force against protesters and journalists. Several
dozen demonstrators were also arrested during this action, including a
photographer for the Associated Press.

Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists
in the United States. She has received journalism's top honors for her
reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The
arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and the subsequent criminal
charges and threat of charges are a transparent attempt to intimidate
journalists.

Democracy Now! is a nationally-syndicated public TV and radio program
that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.

Video of Amy Goodman's Arrest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ
--------------------

ST. PAUL, MN— Goodman was arrested while attempting to free two Democracy Now! producers who were being unlawfully detained. They are Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar. Kouddous and Salazar were arrested while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention. Goodman’s crime appears to have been defending her colleagues and the freedom of the press. Watch the video at (Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told Democracy Now! that Kouddous and Salazar were being arrested on suspicion of rioting. They are currently being held at the Ramsey County jail in St. Paul.

Democracy Now! is calling on all journalists and concerned citizens to call the office of Mayor Chris Coleman and the Ramsey County Jail and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar. These calls can be directed to: Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman’s office at 651-266-8535 and the Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0).

Democracy Now! stands by Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar and condemns this action by Twin Cities law enforcement as a clear violation of the freedom of the press and the First Amendment rights of these journalists.

During the demonstration in which they were arrested law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force. Several dozen others were also arrested during this action.

Amy Goodman is one of the most well-known and well-respected journalists in the United States. She has received journalism’s top honors for her reporting and has a distinguished reputation of bravery and courage. The arrest of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar is a transparent attempt to intimidate journalists from the nation’s leading independent news outlet.

Democracy Now! is a nationally syndicated public TV and radio program that airs on over 700 radio and TV stations across the US and the globe.

Video of Amy Goodman’s Arrest:(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjyvkR0bGQ(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)(Embed)