Media Links

The case I was writing about below has been the focus of heavy media attention in Houston. The life sentence, chosen over a death sentence, has caused an outcry in one of the most conservative parts of America.

Here are some media links to check-out:

The Houston Chronicle (the local paper) - pay attention to the comments at the bottom




KHOU - the local CBS television station -
Immigration and Crime story -
Footage of the Sentencing -

ABC13 - the local ABC television station -
Story on the Punishment phase -
Victim Impact Statement, done after the sentence -
ABC's take on the sentencing process -

You can run a search for 'Quintero' in any of those sites.

After 3 months of incredibly intense work the interns at GRACE are off to New Orleans this weekend. A post should follow...

Two Sets of Tears

I haven't posted here for a long time. All this time I have been investing all I can into a trial that could mean life or death for a man. The intensity has been one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life. From the small, cluttered but never lifeless corridors of the Gulf Region Advocacy Centre (GRACE) in Houston, Texas, a team has brought together the defense of a man that would seem indefensible. A few minutes, 8 bullets and circumstance that should never have happened on September 21, 2006, brought us all here. But they did happen. The question for all our human dignity was what response should come.

There has been no life between my for me since my last post and this moment, 1 hour after the final punishment phase. Juan Leonardo Quintero Perez was convicted of the murder of Officer Rodney Johnson, of the Houston Police Department (HPD), on 8 May 2008. Since then the process of saving a person's life came into full swing. The culmination of 18 months work by devoted people. All the conflicts, late nights and cans of red bull had to come together for something. In between being in the office and living with other interns, there has only been dinner and drinks with the same people. The intensity has been blinding.

Harris County, the home of Houston, is known as the Capital of Capital Punishment. It alone executes more people than all other counties in Texas and the County alone executes more people than any state in the USA; a fact that makes many Houstonians very proud. It's a very wealthy place, filled with oil and resource money, and can afford the huge expense of capital trials and their lengthy appeals. In Harris County if you are convicted of killing a Police Officer you get executed. It's a rule of thumb basically.

But today Juan Leonardo Quintero Perez will not contemplate his death at the hands of other humans, but instead will be considering what can be made of life behind bars without parole. It could be hollow success if not for knowing the worth of a life, even when that life will continue to be struggle in a place no one would freely chose to be.

The Harris County District Attorneys Office put on an impressive show. They argued for death with full force. Here in Texas a trial looks just like it does in the movies, no joke. With all the walking around the room, aggressive cross-examinations and grand opening and closing speeches. The overriding feeling is the undisguised desire for retribution. A reminder for the jury that the 'community is watching you'; send that message. On 20 May 2008 a message was sent. The value of life is more important than vengeance and retribution. 12 jurors made a decision no one could honestly predict with full confidence. A decision that brought out the true anger and hate in the hearts of so many Houstonians that treat you with a daily smile and kind word. It's a contradiction that must be experienced to be believed.

There are no words to describe the feeling of what has been achieved. The Johnson family have been through an experience that no-one could imagine or compare. Their tears flowed and their pain could be seen all through the three week trial. Juan Leonardo Quintero Perez will suffer as a result of all these events, his life the subject of public spectacle and now public containment. No one act will bring closure. But as we returned to the office there were tears streaming down the faces of the Quintero family that came from Mexico to Houston to be their kin. Those tears were matched with smiles, the first I had seen on them since they arrived. It was not elation, probably not even happiness, only they could know the depth of that feeling. But in that moment on the steps of GRACE it all came together for me.

Fired Up? Ready to Go!

Last night I attended the Barrack Obama Rally in Houston. I missed the Clinton Rally last week because she held it out in the suburbs and there was no way that I could get there and get back with the bus system here. Pity, because I wanted to see both. (No photos either b/c my camera is stuffed until I get it fixed, hopefully by next week. Sorry!)

A political rally here truly is an all American experience. I didn't have a ticket, so queued for 1.5 hours in the standby queue, but there was enough space. The recent publicity of people waiting outside Obama rallies because they coudn't get a ticket is quite artificial; there was MORE than enough space yet they seemed to only sell enough tickets before hand to look like it was in high demand. The room was full of energy and excitement. There were people screaming throughout the rally, a hand shaking process at the end and a mad scramble to get the signs passed around. Outside they sold badges for as much as $5 (Aus$6) each. You coundn't give Kevin07 away to a non-party member.

What was truly noticable about the crowd was the density of African Americans. There were some whites, a few Hipanic people, but the crowd was dominated by young African American people. This is incredibly racist analysis, but it follows analysis of EVERYTHING HERE. Criminal record cards, school reports; everything comes with an identifier of race. Fast food joints, cleaners, adminstrative roles; they are all staffed by Hispanic and African American people. It's just life in Houston; people really think nothing of it, or are totally resigned to it. What would be interesting to know is just how many people would not have been involved in the institutional political process had Obama not been a serious contender in the race.

For a cynic the whole thing can seem a little empty. He truly is a rhetorical leader. The rally focused on some policy detail, but so much of it comes off contradictory and difficulty to digest. Obama's economic plan details tax breaks for lower income earners, tightening of tax loopholes (a suitably undefined area of economic restriction) and heavy investment in the private health insurance industry to reduce the cost of insurance...AND...bring Democracts, Independents and Republicans together. The fact that his policies are squarely left of most Democrats (let alone Republicans) does not seem to bother his agenda to bring people together...how do you deliver both? He really speaks to the core of my beliefs in most things until he sells out the pro-worker stance by saying he will work with and modify his policies for people who are a polar opposite to him. I don't want what he speaks about to be negotiated with oil magnate elected Republicans from Texas.

But then there's the clincher, no matter waht perspective you are coming from; all we need is HOPE. "Yes, we can." Whether the campaign is honestly grass-roots or not, the one message that can defy any cynicism is the message of hope. It blasts through every negative thought and puts to bed all doubt whether his dreams are achievable or not. It makes the campaign feel like home to people who are despondent, don't care and are simply tired (whether by politics or life in general). He speaks with a connection to every member of their audience and calls for support in 2, 4 and 8 years time. He pleads to have hope, leads with a strong voice. "What are we without hope?" It's a great question...It's powerful, VERY powerful. I feel very privileged to see this before the realities of decision making water down the intensity.The cheering, the energy, the power.

The real feel here in Texas is of an unstoppable campaign, and in many senses it deserves to be so. The Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com) had them level at 45% (Obama) and 46% (Clinton), with a margin of error at about 3%. The polls always narrow when the Obama bandwagon rolls into town, a sure sign of the campaign's unbelievable door-to-door direct campaigning strength. I still do not prefer one candidate over the other, Obama promises much and the message of hope is inspiring but he could be leading America to one of the greatest dissapointments in political history (failing in office or, worse, losing the general election).

Hillary Clinton has been mocked for mocking Obama's positive take and angle on everything, taking the more cynical edge. Her realistic stance is lost in a time when people are deparate to hear that everything will change, whether it is achievable or not. It's a shame because few seem able to articulate their issues with Clinton beyond broad sweeping statements about lies and inconsistency over Iraq. There is something truly disturbing when three people at the rally said they would vote McCain over Hillary, with total honesty. I am not supporting one way or another (but definitely feel reactionary to the Obama bandwagon, although last night I understood the power and it is truly affecting) but switching party votes so easily makes American politics a truly scary game.

Obama should win the nomination but whatever the outcome it is interesting to be in the middle of a campaign with honest differences and perspectives. It really is exciting, something missing from institutional politics for so long.

Would you like some lard with that?

See the pic; that's in the Houston airport (the painfully titled George Bush Intercontinental Airport). I saw at least 5 of them on my way through to the baggage claim. I guess one of the many 'curvacious' people could go down at any moment. Located next to that sign was an I-pod...wait for it...vending machine. In case you have a spare couple of hundred on you when heading away.

I spent 4 hours trapped in Pheonix Airport because US Airlines stuffed my connecting flight. That's 4 hours of JUNK FOOD. Fast food joints I had never heard of, apparently there are world renowned cinammon scrolls that the rest of the world has never heard of. I settled for a pan-fried personal margerita pizza from Pizza Hut, a 'US tradition'?!? Unspeakable things happened to my bowels after that and 14 hours of air-line food.

Settled now in Houston. Living in the 6th disctrict which is an ungentrified area about 15 minutes walk from the city centre. Of course the city centre has nothing but a business district, the rest of the life is 2 hours walk away. But I'll figure out something to do somehow.

A less rendom post coming soon.

Just can't leave it behind...

Well,

I open the Houston Chronicle (local paper) website for first time today and what do I find. Overtime abuse by Starbucks in Houston. The fun begins:

Feb. 22, 2008, 10:04PM
Starbucks settles Houston overtime lawsuit
Assistant manager's case included about 350 other workers

By CRAIG HARRIS
Seattle Post-intelligencer

SEATTLE — Nearly three years after a Starbucks assistant manager in Houston alleged that he was forced to work off the clock, the Seattle-based coffee giant has settled an overtime wage case with the former employee and roughly 350 other workers.

The settlement comes as Starbucks is fighting at least two other major lawsuits in which employees allege they were not legally compensated.

Starbucks and James Falcon earlier this month agreed to end the Houston case just before it was headed to trial in U.S. District Court. Terms of the settlement, which needs the court's approval, were not disclosed. The next hearing is March 4.

"This resolution will hopefully provide fair compensation to the participants," Martin Shellist, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said Friday.

Shellist said the case covered 356 assistant managers from around the country who had joined the suit and worked at Starbucks after March 11, 2002. Those who had not previously joined the suit are not eligible to receive any settlement money.

Starbucks and its attorney did not return calls, and Falcon could not be reached.

The legal battles coincide with a massive reorganization at Starbucks, where Chairman Howard Schultz has recently returned to run the daily operations. Starbucks has said it would close 100 underperforming stores as it works to resuscitate a flagging stock price.

The Houston case was filed in March 2005, when Falcon alleged he worked beyond 40 hours a week but was not paid for logging the additional hours.

Falcon, in the suit, said he was entitled to overtime pay — time-and-one-half for each hour worked beyond 40 hours — because Starbucks in late 2002 reclassified its assistant store managers and paid them on an hourly basis instead of a salary.

He claimed that while he did perform some managerial duties, the majority of his time was spent doing the work of baristas, hourly employees who wait on customers, make drinks or clean the store.

The case was dismissed Feb. 11, after the parties had negotiated a settlement.