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KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 07:18 PM Jun 2016

Black Lives Matter Activist Convicted of "Felony Lynching": "It's More Than Ironic, It's Disgusting"

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/2/black_lives_matter_activist_convicted_of

In Pasadena, California, Black Lives Matter organizer Jasmine Richards is facing four years in state prison after she was convicted of a rarely used statute in California law originally known as "felony lynching." Under California’s penal code, "felony lynching" was defined as attempting to take a person out of police custody. Jasmine was arrested and charged with felony lynching last September, after police accused her of trying to de-arrest someone during a peace march at La Pintoresca Park in Pasadena on August 29, 2015. The arrest and jailing of a young black female activist on charges of felony lynching sparked a firestorm of controversy. Historically, the crime of lynching refers to when a white lynch mob takes a black person out of the custody of the police for the purpose of extrajudicially hanging them. In fact, the law’s name was so controversial that less than two months before Jasmine was arrested, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law legislation removing the word "lynching" from the penal code. We speak with Richards’ lawyer, Nana Gyamfi, and Black Lives Matter organizer Melina Abdullah. "Her conviction is not only about punishing Jasmine Richards, but also is the lynching," Abdullah says. "So it’s really disgusting and ironic that she’s charged and convicted with felony lynching, when the real lynching that’s carried out is done in the same way it was carried out in the late 19th, early 20th century, where it’s supposed to punish those who dare to rise up against a system."


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Black Lives Matter Activist Convicted of "Felony Lynching": "It's More Than Ironic, It's Disgusting" (Original Post) KamaAina Jun 2016 OP
She mercuryblues Jun 2016 #1
Probably 1939 Jun 2016 #3
The terms "lynching" and "lynch law" pre-date post Civil War violence against blacks 1939 Jun 2016 #2
Two things gollygee Jun 2016 #4
The word in some areas came to have strong racial associations. Igel Jun 2016 #7
.... imari362 Jun 2016 #5
Thank you for the historical origins of the Lynch law. raging moderate Jun 2016 #6
No, she wasn't. Nye Bevan Jun 2016 #8
That is not correct. AtheistCrusader Jun 2016 #9
Thanks for the detailed explanation (nt) Nye Bevan Jun 2016 #10
You're welcome, and I went back and edited my subject line for less inflammatory-ness. AtheistCrusader Jun 2016 #11

mercuryblues

(14,491 posts)
1. She
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 07:31 PM
Jun 2016

was arrested for trying to de-arrest a peaceful protester. I would call that interfering with a police officer, not lynching.

I agree with this quote: "Her conviction is not only about punishing Jasmine Richards, but also is the lynching,"

It was to delegitimize her and BLM. People hear the term lynching and jump to hanging. Because that is what this law was for. Many people will not bother to read the article to see she was trying to protect a fellow protester.

1939

(1,683 posts)
3. Probably
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 07:35 PM
Jun 2016

the law was there to allow prosecution in a lynching case since it would be easier to ID the people who took the prisoner from the jail than to ID responsible members of the mob that did the hanging.

1939

(1,683 posts)
2. The terms "lynching" and "lynch law" pre-date post Civil War violence against blacks
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 07:32 PM
Jun 2016

They describe "mob justice" or "vigilante justice" administered prior to the arrest of a suspected criminal and to such violence committed after arrest and detainment by mob action to wrest the suspected criminal from legal custody.


from Wiki:

"In the United States, the origin of the terms lynching and lynch law is traditionally attributed to a Virginia Quaker named Charles Lynch. Charles Lynch (1736–1796) was a Virginia planter and American Revolutionary who headed a county court in Virginia which incarcerated Loyalist supporters of the British for up to one year during the war. While he lacked proper jurisdiction, he claimed this right by arguing wartime necessity. Subsequently, he prevailed upon his friends in the Congress of the Confederation to pass a law which specifically exonerated him and his associates from wrongdoing. He was concerned that he might face legal action from one or more of those so incarcerated, even though the American Colonies had won the war. This move by the Congress provoked controversy, and it was in connection with this that the term "Lynch law", meaning the assumption of extrajudicial authority, came into common parlance in the United States. Lynch was never accused of racist bias, and indeed acquitted blacks accused of murder on three separate occasions, as dictated by the facts brought before him."

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
4. Two things
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 07:35 PM
Jun 2016

A) She wasn't trying to take someone to lynch them.

B) The word "lynch" has strong associations with race in this country, and for good reason. Yes, people other than African Americans were lynched, but lynching was a big part of terrorism during Jim Crow days.

Igel

(35,197 posts)
7. The word in some areas came to have strong racial associations.
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 08:46 PM
Jun 2016

That spread later, to areas without those associations.

She wasn't trying to take somebody to lynch them. She was lynching them (using the word as defined in the statute) by trying to take them. You define your term, you use your term. It's fairly standard practice in some disciplines.

The American SW had lynching. They came to be called (thanks to Westerns) "necktie parties." Same thing. We confuse words for things or assume that strings of sounds are inherently meaningful, and are the poorer for it because it blocks communication and dialog as people bicker over what form a thought takes and think they're arguing over thoughts. Words can only mean, and must mean, what we think they mean; other communities of speakers need to only comply with us, not contest our definitions.

Getting students to accept that languages and subgroups within languages conventionally map meanings to phonetic forms and that those conventions are exactly that, those agreed upon by communities of speakers, is a tough row to hoe. But it's necessary in standard "Introduction to Language" classes.

raging moderate

(4,281 posts)
6. Thank you for the historical origins of the Lynch law.
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 07:59 PM
Jun 2016

You are right to bring this historical information into the discussion. A perceptive reading of this information only deepens the understanding of the outrage that is being perpetrated against Jasmine of Black Lives Matter. Truly, we face a conspiracy of sadistic narcissistic white racists, who twist the law to entertain themselves and their fellow demonic spirits.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
8. No, she wasn't.
Fri Jun 3, 2016, 08:58 PM
Jun 2016

She was convicted of attempting to unlawfully remove a suspect from police officers.

http://www.coveragemail.com/news/jasmine-richards-felony-of-attempting-to-remove-suspect-from-custody/

The name of this offense was changed before she was even arrested. Weird how people are insisting on using the word "lynch" when that word does not appear in the law she was charged under.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
9. That is not correct.
Tue Jun 7, 2016, 05:46 PM
Jun 2016

The name of the offense change was signed by the governor on July 02, 2015.
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB629


The offense was allegedly committed on August 29, 2015.

A statute enacted during a regular session of the Legislature takes effect on January 1 of the following year, unless a later date is specified in the statute. An urgency statute, which must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote in each house of the Legislature, can take effect immediately after it is signed by the Governor and chaptered into law. Any measure passed by the Legislature, signed by the Governor, and chaptered into law during a special or extraordinary session of the Legislature takes effect 90 days after the special or extraordinary session is adjourned, unless a later date is specified. An urgency statute that is adopted during a special or extraordinary session of the Legislature takes effect immediately after it is signed by the Governor and chaptered into law. Statutes calling for elections, providing for tax levies or appropriations for the usual current expenses of the state, and urgency measures go into effect immediately upon their enactment. Every concurrent and joint resolution takes effect upon filing with the Secretary of State. (Government Code section 9600)


The bill was not passed in 'urgency' mode. Even if it had been, the alleged crime would have been committed 32 days prior to the law change taking effect.

Please stop spreading misinformation on these highly contentious issues when race is involved. You are hurting everyone involved.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
11. You're welcome, and I went back and edited my subject line for less inflammatory-ness.
Tue Jun 7, 2016, 06:02 PM
Jun 2016

Sorry about that. I wasn't actually yelling.

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