Transcript
"CALIFORNIA DEATH ROW ARTIST REMAINS IN HOLE FOR CREATING JEWELRY" ((Exhibit-A;Case Number #21-cv-00922-WHO)-James Phillip Anderson The most recent incident of San Quentin prison's abuses of authority, creating fraudulent state documents (which is prosecutable as a felony) and blatant retaliation against prisoners began in 2019, when East Block property officers Kevin Runge and L.Richardson literally "stole the majority of death row artist James P.Anderson's personal property. The theft included a collection of sixty-four(64) classic music CDs (many of which are now out of print), a music equalizer (which can no longer be purchased by prisoners due to East Block's constantly changing rules), electrical extension cords,ear buds and other miscellanious items, but perhaps most important were "ALL" of Andersan's art supplies; paints, brushes (some of which cost $12.00 each-made of sable), pencil sharpeners, glues, rules and various other "allowed items" needed to create his paintings. There have been a total of fifteen (15) newspaper and magazine articles published on Anderson's various art gallery exhibits since August 1985, beginning with the Bruni Sablan (Old Town Art Center) in Los Gatos, Ca. As a result of this theft, Anderson filed the usual "22 and 602 complaint forms" ,and as is customary, these grievance forms were "DENIED" at all three levels, including the highest level at CDCR's (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) Sacramento office. This "process" usually requires a full "YEAR" to obtain the final denial. Its at this point that Anderson drafts and submits a Civil Law Suit in the Northern District Court of California (Case Number '"21-cv-00922-WHO) which was filed on February 5,2021 an eighty-four (84) page document. This document includes Anderson's denied grievances, another prisoner's grievances, e-mails from noted former Sacramento Bee reporter "Charles Piller" (www.sacbee.com; May 9,10,11,12, 2010 racism/abusew series) and receipts for the stolen personal property. Its vi'ital that the public be informed that both Kevin Runge and L.Richardson's assignments to the positions of East Block's property officers was TERMINATED" in late January 2021 due to their attempting to "steal" ALL of another prisoner's boxes of property, by attempting to "hide it" in the 6th floor property room. This was discovered only due to the diligent efforts of another prisoner's wife (whom is an attorney) contacting the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and other social justice organizations, prisoner advocates,whom eventually contacted San Quentin's Warden's office to inquire about the status of the theft. This effort resulted in the Warden's office (or a Captain) actually phoning Runge/Richardson AT THEIR HOMES on a Saturday and ordering Runge/Richardson to return to East Block on Sunday (the next day),as ALL would search the property room to locate the "MISSING" property. It should be noted that Runge/ Richardson can only obtain the "key" to the property room from the Captain's office- meaning that no "OTHER" officers state had access to the property room and that both had "claimed” previously that they'd never seen or possed the prisoner's property. However, after 30 minutes of searching, someone noticed a number of boxes "HIDDEN. Two weeks later, both Runge and Richardson were "reassigned" to another position OUT OF EAST BLOCK (but not fired or reprimanded in any manner). Its been a Long time rumor that Runge or Richardson had been (by another corrections officer) at a Northern California swap meet/flea market "SELLING" prisoners' stolen property items;radios, T.V.s,CD players, CDs, ear phones, etc., but there's been 0 evidence (photographs or written declarations) offered to date. Another prime example of how the prison industrial complex's (PIC) administration's and staff "conduct their business" is that Anderson was escorted to what's called the "Institutional Classification Committee" (ICC) on March 24,2021 and issued a "MERD" (Minimal Eligable Release Date-from hole) of June 11,2021 "BEFORE" the RVRs (Rules Violation Report) were issued,investigated or any RVR Hearing(to determine innocence or guilt, or a less serious infraction). In short, Anderson was "AUTOMATICLY DEEMED GUILTY" and continued to be housed in the hole for ninety (90) days by the all white ICC members (CC1 Eberly, Vargas and a white male). It must be noted too that "after" Anderson was escorted out of the committee room,ICC members were over-heard discussing Anderson's case,stating, "he's been here over 40 years,he knew it could've been used as a weapon’. There's no doubt that this comment will NOT be included in the '128 Classification Chrono" that will eventually be placed in Anderson's central file, nor will it be mentioned that a simple sharpened pencil is more of a DEADLY WEAPON than the one prong domino etching tool that Was "perceived" as a weapon(supposedly?). A reasonably common sense person needs only to look at "how” the RVRs have been "worded" to see the obvious infrrences of "guilt before trial" related to the alleged weapon RVR-as corrections officer "C.Ramirez-Vilchis" didn't bother to mention there there were FIVE (5) different Etched Domino Pendants (in various stages of completion) hanging on their black twisted rope necklaces in the immediate areas that the alleged weapon was found(Ramirez- Vilchis could not have NOT SEEN the five pendants before locating the etching tool). Ironicly,(and "coincidentially")-keeping in mind the February 5,2021 ¢ civil suit filing in the Northern District Court)!! on March 25,2021 Anderson was issued not ONE-but THREE(3) different RVRs by Disciplinary Officer "R. Gonzalez: ,Gonzalez also informed Anderson the ""he" will be assigned as Anderson's "Investigative Employee" (which would be similar to a free world person being arrested by a police officer, and the arresting police officer acting as the arrested person's attorney in a court of law). This brings me to the illegal matters of "stacking” disciplinary reports, which is, a prisoner receiving "multiple RVRs" for an alleged "single" rules violation; i.e., a single cell search resulting in alleged multiple items of contraband being found-which should only be ONE (1) RVR. This is a tactic used to prolong/extend a prisoner's time in the hole, and can ultimately result in a prisoner being illegally classified as a "program failure” and housed in the hole indefinately. A class action law suite was filed in courts for 10-15 Latino death row prisoners whom had been held in the Adjustment Center for years using this tactic,and were FINALLY released to the general population in 2018. This is the current status of Anderson's dilemma, even though "Charles Piller'( now a journalist for Science Magazine(.org) e-mailed Lieutenat Samuel Robinson and Robert gardea (Samuel.Robinson2@cder.ca.gov and Robert.Gardea@ eder.ca.gov) on March 16,2021 with concerns as to "how and why" Anderson had been placed in the hole for possession of a domino etching tool (that MANY death row corrections officers-at least TEN) had known and SEEN Anderson using (while etching dominos in his cells for many years) the etching tool. It should be noted too that Anderson has designed,completed and gifted many of his domino pendants to numerous charities,non-profit organizations, family and friends over the years, most recently, on January 28,2019 an auction /benefit was held by "Rebuilding Alliance" ( a pro-Palestinian organization based in Burlingame,Ca.) at which an Etched Domino Palestinian Flag pendant was purchased for an amazing '"$1,000.00"(see: "www.save-innocents.com/savejames- anderson.html), Rebuilding Alliance received ALL of the auctioned item's funds. Another circumstance that deserves attention is the hypocritical double standards applied to prisoners ( by the prison's administration and staff) compared to that which is applied to the prisons staff. Case in point, is corrections officer "D.Cortez”(pern# 124580) whom on January 6,2021(Washington insurrection day) wrote 16-20 FRAUDULENT disciplinary reports on death row prisoners in East Block for allegedly "REFUSING A DIRECT ORDER!’ (to be rehoused to "the other hole"-The Adjustment Center- for the purpose of Covid- 19 tracking). On January 13,2021 RVRs were issued to 16-20 death row prisoners (‘Refusing a Direct Order" being a SERIOUS disciplinary report. But the TRUTH of this matter is that D.Cortez had actually asked the 16-20 prisoners if they'd VOLUNTEER" to be rehoused to the Adjustment Center for the Covid- 19 tracking (as opposed to being "ORDERED/TOLD" to be rehoused;RVR #7055012; Rule Violation #3005(c)). As a result of a moral corrections’ officer being immediately present when D.Cortez asked the prisoners to "volunteer" to be rehoused, on January 19,2021 the fraudulent disciplinary reports "magicly" disappeared and the tier officers simply walked each tier informing the prisoners "on the list" that there won't be any RVR hearings for the January 6,2021 RVRs-they've been DISMISSED". Needless to say, some of the prisoners (if not all) would've suffered punishments of one kind or another (not to mention those that could've been deemed "program failures")had the "moral" corrections officer NOT came forward, but absolutely ‘'NOTHING" (not even a verbal reprimand) has been given to D.Cortez by the administration or East Block's supervisors. There's a possibility that a "Citizen's Complaint(along with the fraudulent RVR,RVR Supplement; Report and 22 Forms of January 7 and 19,2021) were mailed to the Sacramento Northern Region Office at the end of Januacy by an attorney(whom refused to include a letter of inquiry and simply mailed the documents). If the Citizen's Complaint and related documents were infact mailed to the Region Office, the complaint will remain in D.Cortez's file for five (5) years;(916)255-1301;0ffice of Internal Affairs-for those interested in reviewing or obtaining a copy of the complaint,etc, It may also be of interest to some individuals and prisoner activist organizations to know that Anderson had written two(2) articles/essays that reflect the substance of this writing, as well as other insights, feel free to review these at your earliest convenience at ‘www.prisonskill.wordpress. com"..........and continue to WEAR YOUR MASKS,etc. for all concerned. April 5,2021 Update: The assigned "investigative employee" (R.Gonzalez) issued Anderson his investigative report of April 1,2021 which contains NUMEROUS obvious failsified statements and responses from corrections officers that were "allegedly" interviewed to support the reality of the etching tool. All ten(10) officers' answers were/are "IRRELEVANT". It is literally IMPOSSIBLE for ten(10) different corrections officers(that work in different Units Of the prison) to have given Gonzalez the "EXACT' same one-word response). It appears, that Gonzalez was instructed and directed to create a falsified report, in an effort to justify and substantiate that the etching tool was a weapon,all to "cover-up" the retaliation for Anderson filing the civil law suit for the theft of his property. Additionally, Gonzalez's including false information related to a "corrected" RVR of FOURTY YEARS PAST(40)-1981,for an alleged weapon,which corrections officer "Crowder” now a Lieutenent or Captain in her institution) confirmed IN WRITING that a simple "paper staple" was used to make holes for staples FOR LEGAL DOCUMENTS/PETITIONS TO THE COURTS FOR DEATH PENALTY APPEALS(as paper staplers were NOT readily available to death row prisoners in 1981). There are obvious and direct contradictions in Anderson's responses in Gonzalez's report to the question "would you like to have anyone(witnesses) present at the RVR Hearing?", one answer is "no" ,while another answer to the exact same question is "yes". Anderson has actually s of the "witness corrections officers" whom have conveyed that they infact informed Gonzalez that Anderson has infact been Creating the etched domino pendants for many years, and that the etching tool was NOT a weapon of any kind. Again, a death row corrections "officer" has INTENTIONALLY falsified a document,but there will be no reprimands or addressing this ongoing problem until the courts order an investigation and have the opportunity to review the documents which resulted in many death row prisoners(and others) being illegally housed in Administrative Segegation at San Quentin Prison. James P.Anderson C-11400;2D23 March 31,2021 *** April 6,2021; RVRs heard by Senior Hearing Officer(SHO) "R.Feston" Anderson found "guilty" of all alleged offenses(even though Anderson presented photographs of twenty-one(21) Etched Domino Pendants,as well as a January 28,2019 e-mail which confirmed that an Etched Domino Pendant sold at a charity event for $1,000.00).All funds were donated to the charity.