Merry Christmas!

 

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas this year. I had a quiet Christmas with my immediate family, and it was peaceful and heart warming. I worked on Christmas Eve, and working on Christmas Eve didn't bother me as much as the work itself. The legal work, I have to say, wasn't very interesting. We're doing well in my family.

I wished a number of people a more heartfelt Merry Christmas by quoting from John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." I mean the reason we have Christmas is because of Christ's birth, right? 

So, remember; Jesus loves you, and through the power of the cross, you can have a new life. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Manny Carrillo - Baldwin Park's Director of Parks and Recreation - Permits Accused Pedophile to Target Teenage Boys at the Boxing Gym

Manny Carrillo

Manny Carrillo, Director of Parks and Recreation, permits pedophile to groom children at the Baldwin Park Boxing Gym, despite warnings. A victim of the pedophile told me how when she was seven to ten, the pedophile sexually assaulted her. Despite repeated warnings, on Dec. 15, 2022 - Carrillo permitted  the pedophile to groom one of the minors at the boxing gym when the coaches were not looking. 

 

The accused pedophile ("pedophile") began his grooming activities several years ago. According to sources, he used to allegedly give the head boxing coach cash money years ago, when the current head boxing coach was low on cash and without a full time job. This then bought a relationship with the head boxing coach that would pay off now. It's customary in the City of Baldwin Park for city officials and employees to accept bribes.

Several months ago, the pedophile actively began talking to the head boxing coach for at least an hour - on the city's time on two separate occasions. The boxing coach should have been attending to the gym but neglected his duties at this time; instead, he was chatting with the pedophile.

Then, several days later, the pedophile purchased a gym membership. And with that, he started slowly leaving the gym area and creeping his way into the boxing area. I saw his pupils dilated, and he looked excited, as he started having new interaction with teenage boys. 

I told Carrillo there was enough probable cause to run a live scan on the pedophile to confirm his criminal history.

Instead of investigating the situation, Carrillo made a policy that minors under the age of 12 needed to evacuate the pedophiles space, when he came. A mother told me how upset she was, because this was the only time her child could come to the gym. Carrillo, thus, punished innocent children and parents to give the pedophile his preferences.

A competent director would have investigated. I told Carrillo this was not the correct solution and that an investigation needed to take place and that a live scan needed to be ran. Of course, Carrillo would rather give the pedophile his way and not do the commonsense thing.

 

I asked Carrillo what the written policy was for gym regarding convicted pedophiles. No response.

 

So on Dec. 15, 2022 - the pedophile came in around 6:30PM. He pretends to just use the gym area. But as soon as the coaches were not looking, he approached a teenage boy and started showing him what a great boxing coach the pedophile was. After I looked, the pedophile smiled at me (like he got away with a crime) and left.

 

According to criminal expert, James Gilligan, pedophiles need lifetime monitoring and treatment. Once the court orders treatment to stop - re-offense is inevitable.

 

This isn't a surprise. I've written up how Manny Carrillo is a money launderer and a child abuser. More can be read about Carrillo's corruption here.

 

Currently, the Department of Justice is investigating the City of Baldwin Park. It's very sad that I have to make this a public matter, but it's clear that the City is not doing enough to protect the children and citizens of this gym. Reform is required.

*The reference to pedophile is to "accused pedophile". A live scan needs to confirm the suspect's actual criminal history.

 

[Update: I saw Carrillo confronting the offender for an hour in a room. Although he hasn't been banned yet from the area, it appears the message was told to the accused pedophile that he wasn't permitted to be around children. (I later thanked Carrillo for taking my concerns about this matter seriously.)

 

After the confrontation, at night, in the parking lot, the accused was waiting for me ten feet from my car. He started screaming at me that I needed to watch my back. He also screamed how I could even think of attempting to reporting him to the FBI for kidnapping his son. I began recording him with my cell phone. And he screamed his name and said he had equal rights as me.

 

An anonymous caller called the police on my behalf. Whoever that was, thank you. It made me feel safer.

 

I have filed a police report against the offender regarding the criminal threats, which will be submitted to the district attorney's office.]

On Being as Wise as a Serpent, Innocent as a Dove

 

White Dove / Getty Images

Copyright: martinmystere

People have asked me how I figure problems out. So, I want to write on an overlooked command: Practice innocence. (This piece draws from the Bible and my understanding of God; so, if that's not your cup of tea, you can stop reading here.)

When I was a child, my uncle told me this verse. I clearly didn't understand the importance of it, until recently. Matthew 10:14-16 states, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (ESV). 

Perhaps in every civilization that I know of, people are interested in attaining wisdom. The story that comes to mind is of the Norse mythology of Odin - the Chief of all gods. When his kingdom is rotting and in decline, he realizes that he doesn't have enough wisdom to solve the problems destroying and perplexing him and his empire.

So, he visits a pool of water called Mimir's Well. The water spirits promise him wisdom, if he rips his eye out and throws it into the pool. Odin agrees. It's a trade required and the price has to be paid. He gouges out his eye and sacrifices to the spirits of Mimir. Odin drinks from the water and obtains the precious wisdom he seeks out. (Too bad for him, it doesn't prevent his daughter from destroying his kingdom, in the apocalyptic event called Ragnarok, when she burns down Valhalla.) 

I want to highlight two points in this story. Obviously, the Norse are valuing wisdom by esteeming Odin's sacrifice. They believed that Odin did the right thing to sacrifice his eye. The Norse are also stressing that one should not hesitate to sacrifice something valuable in pursuit of wisdom. Two, Odin had to lose his external sight to gain insight.

The Jewish people place equal value on the obtaining of wisdom. Solomon tells us in his Proverbs - "Wisdom is worth more than silver; it brings more profit than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you could want is equal to it. With her right hand wisdom offers you a long life, and with her left hand she gives you riches and honor." (Pro. 3:14-16). 

So important was wisdom, that the Queen of Sheeba took the grueling trek with her wealth to visit King Solomon to ask the questions confounding her. The Scripture says that "When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed." (1 Kings 10:5-6).

So - why am I telling you this pagan Norse myth, and adding in Proverbs, and Solomon, when explicating how to be as wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove? Because, seeking knowledge and wisdom, as far as I've studied, has been universally declared as necessary and a noble quest for all those who seek it. And, I don't think I need to stress to my readers or others that seeking wisdom is necessary in order to accomplish the mission in front of you. It's important for the pagans, the gentiles, the Jewish, the Christians, and all other peoples.

It's the second part of Jesus' words that needs emphasis. But be "innocent as doves." 

As far as I've studied, only the Christian god adds that in fighting off evil, who are symbolized as wolves, you also need to be innocent. It's only the Christian god that makes clear - wisdom alone is not sufficient.

The more experience I gain, I realize it's only half the battle to have the wisdom of a snake, and to strike and bite with venom - a venom that can destroy. In other words, it's not really praiseworthy to behave this way.

The reason is because executing the serpent's strike limits a person and makes her no better than the enemy. Remember; snakes are limited in their sight. And becoming like a snake will also limit one's sight. Snakes are almost blind, and although they have an extraordinary sense of the environment through other receptors, they still lack external vision.

Nietzsche sums the risk best, when he said, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."

So; how does a trait like innocence, enhance sight and wisdom? I can imagine Odin, the chief and warrior king of the gods, scoffing at such an illogical, and seemingly passive concept. 

But Jesus states it so clearly in his beatitudes, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8). 

I think we shouldn't miss the point. Seeing as God sees is powerful. Seeing like God, will also give you divine insight to accurately behold the problem as God sees it. And as a natural consequence, a God-like solution should also follow. So, being innocent is more valuable than it appears on the surface. (That's not to say, I haven't fallen into the temptation of retaliation too.)

From experience, I tell you this. One of the challenges in practicing purity, is that when you understand the way of the evil enemy, the temptation materializes in front of you to use his or her venomous tactics that you've just learned or learned previously. The temptation is now always there. Perhaps - that's why it was better that Adam and Eve never ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because once you learn of that evil - it's with you forever.

Self-control is absolutely necessary. To give into this temptation, and return evil for evil, will make one like the enemy - and create the same blind spot that snakes indeed have. This will handicap the strategist and ultimately limit one from achieving the quest at hand.

How does one obtain innocents? It's two steps. 

The first one is to admit you and I cannot do it alone. The source of goodness, wisdom, and purity has to fill and guide one. For this reason King David wrote in the Psalms - "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalms 51).

The second step is given in the New Testament with a letter Apostle Paul wrote. He said - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23).

As the late minister Derek Prince points out in his one of his talks, trees need to be cultivated for good fruit to be produced. Cultivation requires work, such as tilling, fertilizing, pruning, watering, nurturing, patience, and waiting for the season of harvest. It takes work, sometimes a lot of work.

Hopefully, this helps. It's an article long overdue.

LA Times Reports on How Baldwin Park Council Members Solicited $250,000 Cash in Paper Bags; Reform Required to Put Corruption in Check.

The LA Times reported on how Baldwin Park city officials asked for $250,000 in cash bribes to be put in paper bags to approve marijuana licenses. Regarding Baldwin Park, here's what the Times says:

Baldwin Park leaders saw cannabis as a financial boon for their struggling community in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley.

But from the start, pot licensing stirred allegations of corruption.

One of the licenses approved by Baldwin Park gave the exclusive right to distribute cannabis in the city to a local business, Rukli Inc. The city required other licensed weed businesses to use Rukli as their sole distributor. The arrangement prompted another cannabis business to file a lawsuit accusing Rukli of engaging in a conspiracy to secure an illegal monopoly and racketeering, including bribery and kickbacks. Rukli denied wrongdoing. The lawsuit was eventually dropped after Rukli pulled out of its exclusive deal.

Before the end of Rukli’s exclusive arrangement, a Baldwin Park police lieutenant visited the firm’s distribution center to make sure it was complying with the city’s requirements for securing the property. Lt. Chris Kuberry told The Times one of the firm’s partners mentioned paying $250,000 in cash to city officials.

Kuberry said that the comment was “certainly suspicious” and that he had heard the FBI was investigating possible corruption in the city. But he didn’t inquire further, file a report or contact the FBI. He said his department of about 50 officers was rife with complaints of retaliation and he feared for his job if he raised any questions.

 “To be honest, [it was] out of self-preservation,” said Kuberry, who retired shortly after.

In a lawsuit the city brought against its former police chief, Kuberry said in a sworn declaration that pot operators complained to him about “questionable business practices which included paying as much as $250,000 cash in a brown paper bag to city officials.” His declaration did not name the firms or their owners, but Kuberry told The Times he was referring to Rukli.

Scott Russo, an attorney for one of Rukli’s partners at the time, said the company never paid a bribe. He declined to comment on whether any city officials solicited bribes, citing an ongoing federal investigation.

“There’s a process [the FBI] would appreciate I respect,” he said.

A source who is cooperating with the FBI told The Times he was present when Ricardo Pacheco, then a member of the Baldwin Park City Council, asked that Rukli pay him $250,000 in cash to ensure the city would approve a license for the firm. . . . [And you can read the rest on the Times].

The Times argues that legalizing marijuana "unleashed corruption in California." I don't know if it unleashed corruption as it just ramped up what was already there.

50% of California cities declined to open their cities up for marijuana businesses. An analysis should be done as to the demographics and average income of residents as to which cities engaged with marijuana and which ones didn't.

Also, if you haven't noticed, corruption appears rife in Californian government. Not only does the Times article point to a number of politicians that solicited bribes for cannabis licenses, but the Times just reported on a pay-to-play scheme with a USC Dean and a current LA City Council Member.

The question is, how come are checks and balances are not working? Why is that only the federal government, and not the Sheriff, or other local law enforcement agencies pop these cities? 

Long time readers of my blog will know that I've often had to take Baldwin Park to court for open records. But the City then lies to the court and says - "We gave out everything." Or, "We don't have anymore records." And then the judge just believes them. In short - the public records act doesn't work. If it did, would our residents and citizens be cheated this much by our politicians?

As I've been saying over and over again, our law needs reform, so that it's easier for citizen journalists to investigate and hold accountable these politicians. Are current checks and balances are failing.

Baldwin Park City Council Wants Tax Hike to Pay for Their Salaries, Which is 400% of Other Cities.

A. Alejandra, D. Damian, M. Garcia, P. Hernandez (from left to right) 

Baldwin Park City Council wants to raise its sales tax from 9.5% to 10.25%, hoping to bring in another $6 million in revenue, at a time when gas and food prices are skyrocketing with its proposed Measure Baldwin Park. Clearly, the City Council and Administrators want to take more of our money to keep up their outrageous salaries and continue with their corruption.

For instance, the City Council and Mayor make $41,295.37. That's for 2 meetings a month. Imagine making $3,441 for working four hours a month! In Alhambra, the City Council makes $11,000.30. The per capita income in Alhambra is $32,589. 

So the people in Baldwin Park make 37% less than Alhambra, and the City Council make 400% more. In short, this is what you call corruption.

Let's look at the following table for 2020 salary comparisons of Baldwin Park and Alhambra.

	Baldwin Park	Alhambra
City Council and Mayor	$41,295.37	$11,000.30
City Manager (Shannon Yauchzee)	$443,459.30	$365,532.35
Finance Director (Hong Fang aka Rose Tam aka Hong Tam)	$321,361.90	$237,871.99
Parks and Recreation Director (Manny Carrillo)	$286,143.24	$211,926.42
Chief of Police (Robert Lopez)	$267,597.90	$378,817.73

Besides the Chief of Police, everyone should be seeing a pattern that Baldwin Park pays outrageous and corrupt salaries to its City Council and administrators. I want to repeat: Why does the Mayor and City Council get paid $1,600 to attend one meeting? They attend two meetings a month, which makes their salaries come out to $41,295.

 The City Council has been putting out propaganda, stating that the tax increase is to beautify the City. But this is far from the truth. The $6 million will be co-mingled with the general fund, which will be used to pay the outrageous salaries of the council and administrators, which right now cannot be sustained. Don't forget that these salaries will be paid out for the lifetime of these people through their pensions.

Also, the City has been engaged a number of lawsuits, because of the corrupt acts that it's been engaged in. This has ranged from unlawful firing of staff to withholding public records. The legal fees have been astronomical, especially for its City Attorney, Robert Tafoya, who is currently being investigated by the FBI. The City Council refuses to fire him, even though he's been a cause of a number of these lawsuits.

But take for instance Lili Hadsell's lawsuit, in which a judgment of over $9 million was levied against the City. Once again, this was the corrupt decision of previous council members; City Attorney, Robert Tafoya; and the former Chief of Police - Michael Taylor.

The current Chief of Police, Robert Lopez, overspent an estimated $1 million. He ordered 15 patrol cars, when there's only 5 patrol officers at a time. Who was enriched by this money?

On top of all this, because of the corrupt practices of the Council and administrators, 5,000 people have left, decreasing the revenue stream of the City.

The solution to fix Baldwin Park's problem is transparency, the cutting of these outrageous salaries and pensions, and honest and fair conduct practices that stop causing lawsuits. Instead, the City Council lies to us. For example, they say that if they don't raise the tax, LA County will. I investigated with a number of Californian tax agencies and LA County. This isn't true.

I'm proposing that the City may even have to file bankruptcy to mitigate it's unsustainable pension liabilities.

Sadly - we have greedy and incompetent people in power in Baldwin Park. We're already suffering enough with rising gas and food prices. The last thing we need is to lose money to these people; so that they live the high life of working 4 hours a month, off our hard work. So vote "NO!" on Measure Baldwin Park at the ballot to the raising of the sales tax. And tell the City Council and administrator that the corruption has to stop.

Former Baldwin Park Police Chief, Michael Taylor, Resigns Only After Five Months in Public Office

Disgraced Police Chief - Michael Taylor

On May 28, 2022 - former Baldwin Park Police Chief, Michael Taylor, resigned as a board member of West Valley Water District, only five months into his new term of being reelected. In November of 2021, another board member, Kyle Crowther also suddenly resigned. On May 19, 2022 - Shamindra “Rickey” Manbahal, also resigned as district general manager. The sudden resignations follows the same pattern as the City of Bell - where the council members and administrators resigned after the LA Times exposed how public servants were stealing millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Those close to Taylor have stated that Taylor has not been seen in months following his resignation. I suspect that Taylor's entered a plea deal with the FBI, which required him to resign from public office. The Department of Justice said it would not comment on whether this is true. 

Taylor has sold his home in Rancho Cucamonga. Sources state he now Rogers, Arkansas. The potential street address is 1122 W Cypress St.

Michael Taylor's been a controversial and corrupt figure in the City of Baldwin Park. Taylor was problematic even as a captain, and several times former Chief, Lili Hadsell had attempted to fire him.

While as Captain, former employees stated that Taylor would work 20 hours a week, while earning about $250,000 a year. Taylor often went  home early to drink at bars and would show up drunk the next day. Taylor was known to be a notorious alcoholic.

Nonetheless, after new council was elected, Taylor plotted to overthrow Lili Hadsell as chief. Taylor succeeded by scheming with Pacheco. Hadsell was fired. The new council appointed him as the new police chief. Council Member Pacheco and Chief Taylor developed a close working relationship, in working together to take as many bribes and taxpayer money as possible by abusing their government authority.

Kyle Crowther, potential son of Taylor

Taylor's most notable scandal was accepting kickbacks for approving marijuana license in Baldwin Park. Imagine a police chief funding his own public office with drug money. After Taylor received this drug money, he laundered that money through a political action committee (PAC), which funded his campaign for a board seat in the West Valley Water District. This was known as TaylorGate.

On September 21, 2016 - the Council fired Taylor without cause. as police chief. Mayor Lozano informally commented that Taylor wasn't pro-Mexican enough.

After winning his board seat, Taylor needed to put in corrupt people that would enable the stealing of public water agency funds. So Taylor fired the human resources manager, finance director, and general counsel, shattering the lives of those who formerly held those positions. And instead, he put in his own finance director; human resource manager; Robert Tafoya (Baldwin Park's City Attorney); and Ricardo Pacheco (Baldwin Park's Council Member).

Shamindra “Rickey” Manbahal

A year later, around December 15, 2017 - Pacheco needed to rehire Taylor as chief. Taylor requested Tafoya draft him an employee contract that stated that as chief of police, he could only be fired if Taylor committed a felony. It appears Pacheco needed Taylor to be in charge of cannabis licensing, so that the cash kickbacks could keep coming. Taylor, in return,was chief again, this time with a bullet proof contract and an even more extraordinary pay.

During Taylor's tenure at West Valley and Baldwin Park - a number of corruption cases began to surface. For instance, the new HR Director and her wife pleads guilty to felony tax evasion. The State Controller's audit finds rampant corruption in West Valley - for example contractors were overcharging the district (presumably also giving kickbacks with that overcharge), and public officials and administrators were buying hotels, cigars, and steak dinners of a public credit card. West Valley's former manager

The General Manager Taylor hired, Manbahal, admitted to stealing money from the City of Hawthorne. He gave himself a $25,000 secret "loan" (which he presumably didn't have to pay back), and kept cooking the books for the City Council. (Rose Tam, the finance director of Baldwin Park, appears to be doing the same in the City.)

And although the years of stealing public funds went on, the beginning of the end finally came for the disgraced police chief, when a sting was set up for Council Member Ricardo Pacheco. Pacheco requested $37,900 in cash to be put in brown paper bags. An informant marked the cash. And feds busted Pacheco. Pacheco agreed to be an informant. Pacheco also agreed to plead guilty to corruption charges. As part of the condition of pleading guilty, Pacheco had to resign from public office. Pacheco's been snitching on Taylor, ever since.

Taylor's sudden resignation from public office follows the same pattern as Pacheco's, indicating that he may have already pled guilty in exchange for a more lenient sentence.

Personally, Taylor is one of the most evil persons I've ever met. Recent sources have confirmed that it was Taylor, who fired the former head boxing coach, who complained that it was wrong to give him a forty cent an hour raise after 20 years. (Contrast that with all the money Taylor's been stealing.) Allegedly, Taylor also ordered the officers to arrest and strip search me for booing a public official. Then, when that didn't work, Taylor allegedly ordered Tafoya to file a restraining order against me, which also failed. Also, Taylor has been accused of pedophilia.

Taylor's arrest makes the corruption scheme clearer. For years, activists and citizens believed that Tafoya was the mastermind behind all the outrageous corruption in Baldwin Park and West Valley. Only recently has one source told the Legal Lens that it was actually Michael Taylor who was teaching everyone how to steal as much as possible and get away with it. (Well, at least Taylor thought he could get away with it.)

8 years later, since Taylor started his looting of public funds, he's finally been popped. Martin Luther King Jr. was right - "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Sometimes, it's very long.

The Real Michael Taylor

Celebrating Jubilee - Reconciliation First.

 

Freedom by Vesna Martinjak

For my friends, family, and myself, it feels like an entire year of celebration. In fact, I just told a judge on Friday that there's too many painful moments we experience, but we need to really seize the beautiful days we have, like today. Friday was a beautiful day. And I spent the afternoon and evening at Santa Monica, enjoying the sun, sea, and sand. It made me think about how this is Jubilee year. Just a few weeks ago began the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

What's Jubilee? The secular definition is a celebration of an anniversary. Hence, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee is the celebration of her 70 years of rule. 

But the Torah gives us a much more specific definition. In Hebrew - Jubilee means "ram's horn" - which was blown to announce the start of the Jubilee year, an awesome year. It's also related to the Hebrew word for "release" and "liberty".  

According to Leviticus, Jubilee was celebrated after seven cycles of a sabbatical year, which occurred once every seven years. A sabbatical year was a commandment by God to rest and to do no work and to let the fields lie fallow. If you think about it, it's pretty radical that God would say stop working for an entire year and not make any money. 

Practicing the Sabbatical and Jubilee was really a practice of obedience and trust in God. It was a declaration that doing what was right, like letting the land rest, or redeeming someone's freedom, or letting the poor eat off your land, was more important than earning a profit. And the Jewish people had to trust God would provide during that year and some time after, for practicing active rest, celebrating, and honoring a good God.

Incidentally, followers of my blog will remember, I actually took a year and 3 months off of a sabbatical. Finances were tough on my return. But looking back, no regrets. Taking a sabbatical was like removing the string of the bow of my mind and restringing to make it sharp again. I was mentally more agile because I took a year off, gave work a rest, and made no money in that year.

Well; Jubilee was even more radical. On the 50th year (49 years for 7 cycles of sabbath), the Hebrew people were commanded to forgive all debts, free all slaves and prisoners, and return all ancient lands to their property owner. It was a year, in which Heaven could be experienced on Earth. Some Rabbi scholars actually argue that Jubilee required two years of rest: the 49th year and the 50th year, meaning that God's people actually had to really have faith that provisions would be made.

In any event, Jubilee was and is a year of celebration, because we're celebrating the fact that all debts have been paid, and we're free. It was also a future foreshadowing of how God would one day reunite his people to him one day by forgiving all sins and clearing the slate free for all of us to bring us back to Him, because as Numbers says (which I've been reading and enjoying thoroughly): "In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now." (Numbers 14:19-21).

One scholar says that the Jews never practiced Jubilee, perhaps because they refused to forgive everyone's debt. (Lester L. Grabbe, A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period, Vol. 1, p. 223; Bloomsbury, 2006). Sadly, that also meant that the people didn't receive the full blessing and benefit of the greatness of debt forgiveness.

In any event, even if we can't fully practice all the regulations of Jubilee this year, I do ask we try to make this year about reconciliation with family and friends. Leviticus clearly commands that if a family member becomes a slave, that the family has to repurchase his freedom back during a Jubilee year. How often is this happening in our society today? Often.

People fall into gambling debt. People fall into drug addictions. Families are split up and broken by greed and seductive but empty affairs. Leviticus never says the person isn't to blame for her poor choices that brought her into bondage. It says despite that person falling into slavery, we who have more and are more fortunate, are commanded to get them out of slavery and reconcile them back to family. God commands us to do this, because He does it for us. And that's at the core of God's heart.

This year, I had to help free two people who were imprisoned into slavery by their bad choices. Both times, I was really upset that I had to do so. I also felt like it was really unfair for me to carry such a heavy burden alone, both financial and emotional.

But I manned up. I owned the responsibility. I told myself my motivation is to do the right thing. And I'm going to do it. Looking back, I can say, there's nothing like having relationships restored.

So - this Jubilee year - I'm asking everyone to make the goal of restoring relationships more important than making a profit. The next one will be 50 years from now. So, let's practice and celebrate an awesome year together.

We're here to set the captive free. Then we can celebrate the freedom we both experience. Not only is the person in bondage free, but letting go of money (and our faith in it) to purchase someone else's freedom also frees those who have wealth and privilege.

I end with the last two verse from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. “‘My son,’ [the more privileged one] the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:31-2, NIV).

Rembrandt's Prodigal Son.

Be Salt; Be Light

 

I'm sorry I haven't wrote in awhile again. Because again, my family's had health issues. Several weeks ago my father had a fall. While this happened, I was also working on his elder abuse case. His girlfriend and family appear to be the culprits.

Then, after the fall, my father was hospitalized last week and nearly died. He was in a coma and his body was convulsing violently. Very sad to see.There were all sort of complications and details that I won't discuss. I will say it was a very frustrating and painful ordeal. 

In any event, he's recovering and doing much better - though he's not out of the woods yet.

What did I learn from all this? At one point, I felt tired from dealing with all this, especially when these duties weren't assigned to me. Family issues are tough. 

But I asked a former pastor of mine for counsel, and I was encouraged by it. He told me, "I'm glad you're doing everything you're doing. As a Christian - you're duty is to expose and fight evil, and shine a light on it." Those words helped me confirm that I was doing the right thing, even when other family members told me otherwise. (That's family for you, and as the Chinese say: "Matters of the heart are complicated.")

I'm glad I stuck with it, and persevered. I'm blessed to have great counselors, especially older ones who respect fathers. It helps to have a coach in your corner, who has experience with darker people and knows how to sort them out.

After I put my father in a safe place, I saw a strange sign. (From time to time, this happens in my life.) Our cat, "Jeh Pan", (Trial)), killed and brought me several lizards as presents. I told him, "Jeh Pan - the lizards eat the insects. Stop doing that." But he looked at me in a way that told me he wasn't going to listen.

Later that day, Jeh Pan jumped on the house's official chair. From there, he watched all the various fish in the aquarium and made it clear he was now in charge. I smiled and said, "Sah Jah (Lion) - you are way too spoiled for your own good." But we spoil him, because we love him.

The day after, at around 1am, I saw a pack of dogs chase my cat. Taking advantage of the darkness, he ran and hid underneath a car. The dog was still prowling out on the street, but after my run, I found him in a hiding spot and picked him up and took him home. He was happy. Now he acting like the king of the block.

Anyways, last year, I wrote that the verse of the year was  Hebrews 12:14. (GNT): "Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it."

Finally - the theme of my year has come to me. “You are salt for the earth. . . . You are light for the world. . . . [L]et your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven." Matt. 5:13-16 GNT. Remember; salt and light are not incidental elements; they have the power to destroy disease.

If you're not that into the New Testament, I think that the Jewish Scripture equivalent is as follows. "No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God." Micah 6:8 (GNT).

OpEd Published - Private Criminal Prosecution: Contracting our constitutional due process rights to the ultra-wealthy

My opinion editorial was published yesterday in the Argonaut News - a local paper for Marina del Rey, Venice, and Santa Monica. It hasn't been uploaded on the site yet, but I appreciate them publishing my article. I've copied and pasted it below for you guys. They published it here.

Private Criminal Prosecution: Contracting our constitutional due process rights to the ultra-wealthy

Judge Loretta Preska sentenced environmentalist lawyer, Steven Donziger to 6 months of imprisonment for a criminal contempt misdemeanor for withholding confidential information. Donziger has already served 787 days under house arrest. The UN human rights council declared that the house arrest violated international human rights law. Judge Preska ignored the decree.

Chevron began its campaign to war against Dongizer after he obtained an $18 billion judgment against Chevron for dumping toxic waste in the rivers of the Amazon rainforest. The dumping harmed at least five indigenous communities, whose livelihoods depended on this water.

After the judgment, Chevron filed a racketeering suit (a type of charge generally reserved for mobsters). Without a jury, the court found against Donziger. Then, the New York Bar revoked Donziger's license to practice law. The court ordered confidential communication to be released. For refusing, the court ordered one of the longest house arrests in American history. To find Donziger guilty of criminal charges without a jury trial, the court appointed a private law firm, which previously profited from Chevron, to criminally prosecute Donziger.

Although it appears that numerous legal errors were committed here, the purpose of this opinion is to stress the hidden, illegal and trending unconstitutional practice of contracting out criminal prosecution to contractors. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee that the government cannot “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”. As Donziger’s case proves – without due process – a person’s life and reputation can be ruined.

One of the core rights of due process is that a defendant is entitled to have a prosecutor who is fair and neutral, because of the heavy, scarring, and maiming impacts of a criminal conviction. For instance, a criminal record is a bar to a number of employment opportunities.

There are three rights that a defendant is entitled to from a fair and neutral prosecutor. One, a defendant has the right to decide whether the government should spend its resources in filing the case. Two, the defendant has a right to a fair plea bargaining deal. Three, the defendant has a right to a fair sentence by the prosecution.

Prosecutors are paid on salary. Therefore, since profit is not the reason she is making government decisions, neutrality is presumed. But a contractor, who profits off a case, has every reason to prolong a criminal case, or file a frivolous one, or recommend punitive sentences, which a party like Chevron may want.

There are three ways that contractors can profit from the accused. This happens when they get paid by the hour, are paid more for prevailing against the defendant, or execute decisions with an eye for future contracts with the government. Here, the Department of Justice, the government’s default prosecutors, declined to file charges against Donziger. Because Chevron wanted to circumvent the government’s decision, it hired a law firm that profited by all of the above factors.

 In 1987, in Young v. United States ex rel. Vuitton et Fils, 481 U.S. 787 (1987) the U.S. Supreme Court found the practice of private prosecution to be repugnant to due process.  It stated, “That state official has the power to employ the full machinery of the state in scrutinizing any given individual. Even if a defendant is ultimately acquitted, forced immersion in criminal investigation and adjudication is a wrenching disruption of everyday life. [S]uch an [interested] attorney is required by the very standards of the profession to serve two masters.”

But nearly 35 years later, the practice rears its ugly head again to prosecute protesters,  the poor, and civil rights attorneys. In a case I litigated, the City of Baldwin Park contracted a private law firm for $25,000 to charge an 80 year old man for putting up a sign that criticized a politician of being corrupt. The problem was that the City filed charges against the father of the alleged offender and not the person who put up the sign. And get this: the corrupt politician actually and eventually pled guilty to bribery in federal court.

Three years ago and also in California, in “Coachella and Indio, the law firm Silver & Wright has repeatedly filed criminal charges against residents and businesses for public nuisance crimes—like overgrown weeds, a junk-filled yard or selling popsicles without a business license—then billed them thousands of dollars to recoup expenses” reported the Desert Sun. One woman was even charged $6,000 for violating the chicken ordinance.

For all these reasons, private prosecution must clearly be prohibited. Our constitutional rights cannot be decided by corporate interests. Doing so ultimately concentrates powers and rights in the hands of the ultra wealthy, at the expense of the citizen. Having money shouldn't entitle the rich to be able to criminally prosecute people they don't like, just because they have money. For this reason, even Chief Justice Roberts recognized: “A basic step in organizing a civilized society is to take that sword out of private hands and turn it over to an organized government, acting on behalf of all the people.”

 

 

 

On Fasting

 

I've been on a modified fast now for 44 days. It's been tough but rewarding. (By modified, my fast is more like the style the Muslims practice during Ramadan. I eat once a day in the evening.) I decided to fast to lose some weight, but I continued for spiritual reasons.

In general, I practice a dry fast once a year during Yom Kippur. I started this in 2015. For those of you who don't know, Yom Kippur is the holiest Jewish holiday of the year. For about 24 hours, you don't eat or drink or put anything into your mouth. Along with other practices, you repent (or say you're sorry) for all the things that you've done wrong that year. You make peace with all your relationships during that time. And, after it's all over, you're forgiven by God. (Before this, I only fasted once in high school.) Then the New Year begins. Great way to start the New Year on a clean slate.

Of course, it's a tough holiday, not like our American ones of feasting and indulgence. Not only are you not eating or drinking, but you're thinking about all the things you've screwed up during that year. 

So, one year I didn't do it. Why? Too hard. Too inconvenient. And the consequences weren't good. My year really didn't go as well.

Back to my current fast. I probably had two times that were really painful. The first moment came the first three days into it. I had terrible and incredible and sharp hunger pains. It made me realize I was addicted more to food than I realized. But I endured.

The second time came around the third week. The sharp pains left. But I was fatigued often and feeling cold. And I asked why I was doing all this? I also hit a weight loss plateau. I was ready to end the fast.

But I continued during this time, because I thought if the Muslims can do this for 30 days, I can do this too for 30 days. I was impacted by my trip in Istanbul in 2015. I came during Ramadan, and I watched an entire country fast for weeks. I remember the festivities after Ramadan was over.

I was also influenced by my time in Mauritius (an island off the African continent, literally on the other side of the world of Los Angeles) in 2018, when the owner of my apartment fasted for Ramadan. I remember asking him if he was happy the fasting time was over. And he said, "No. I'm sad. It was a reflective time." The response left me somewhat puzzled. I thought he would be happy to eat again and feast. But I understood probably into Day 30 of my own fast, what he meant.

I found fasting important, because it made me realize that I'm more than just my body and that I'm not subjected to my appetites and desires. The New Testament for this reason states, "'Food for the stomach and the stomach for food'--but God will destroy them both." (1 Cor. 6:13). It means that we're more than just flesh and bones and a need to consume food. Hence, we need to subject our appetites and desires to self-control.

Both the Old and New Testament command humbling one's self before God. The Prophet Ezra said, "I proclaimed a fast...that we might humble ourselves before our God" (8:21). Thus, the most practical easiest way to humble one's self before the Lord is to fast. (Incidentally, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, would disqualify candidates from ministry who didn't fast.) There's so much talk in the Christian church but not enough practice of actually humility in fasting.

Now, I know that I have a lot of atheists and agnostics who read my blog. And if you got this far, then, thank you.

One last hero that fasted often was Gandhi. He led the entire Indian nation in a fast, which helped in destroying the power of the British Empire without ever firing a gun back at them. The power of a national fast against the oppressor awakened the spirit of hope.

During this time - I realized the importance of saying No to the excess we have in the West. Fasting has and continues to teach me the power in conquering myself, who is my own worst enemy often.

For this reason, Saint Augustine once said, "Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity."