Petition by Les Anderson
Elkhart, Indiana

When my son Zach met a girl through an online dating app, she said she was 17 years old and lived about twenty minutes away. The two decided to meet up and had consensual sex. Zach was a typical 19-year-old studying computer science at Community College — until he found out that the girl had lied about her age and was really 14.

Though the girl admitted to lying about her age and even her parents agreed the encounter was completely consensual and that Zach didn’t do anything wrong, Zach found himself convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charges. He’ll now have to be on a sex offender registry for the next 25 years.

He just finished serving 90 days in jail. Now he’s on probation for the next 5 years and he’s lost all of his work toward his computer science degree — part of his sentence is that he can’t use a computer or smartphone or live in a house with internet access. He can’t even talk to anyone under 17.

This has effectively ruined Zach’s life. And it’s clear to anyone who hears his story that he is not a sexual predator who needs to be on a sex offender list for 25 years. He’s a teenager who met another teen like so many others do, online.

In court, the girls parents didn’t just ask the judge to show Zach leniency, they called for the case against him to be dropped altogether.

Zach plead guilty but only because we were told he would be a candidate for Holmes Youthful Trainee Act status. The HYTA allows first-time offenders older than 17 but not yet 21 to avoid harsher penalties like the state-mandated 25-year listing on the sex offender registry.

But the judge refused to listen to us, Zach, or the parents of the girl.

Now Zach must live his life with a scarlet letter. He has to walk down the street and think: ‘Am I too close to a school? Is there a child who’s close to me? It’s not right and it’s not what the law was intended to do.

As parents, all we want is for our son to be able to pursue his dreams and ambitions in life. We want him to be able to live a normal life. So we’re asking that the Judge, the Prosecutor’s office and the MDOC to drop all charges or grant HYTA to Zach. And we need your help.

Please sign our petition to support Zach and say to the Judge, the Prosecutors office and the MDOC that the sentence given here is wrong, harsh, and unfair.

Meet Kristoffer Lewandowski — husband & father of three, former Marine, war veteran, and facing life in prison for growing six marijuana plants in Oklahoma. Our system is imprisoning a man who fought for our country because he was self-medicating with a plant. This should upset you.

Please Read Below & Share!

update: June 22, 2015, Monday, Orange Co. Calif. Judge approves extradition of Marine Kristoffer Lewandowski to possible life in prison in Oklahoma for less than an ounce — 1 ounce — of immature half dead cannabis plants. 6/18, Federal Marshals descended on his sons’ Laguna Beach preschool, guns drawn; Kris awaits imminent removal from his home state of California to Oklahoma, which must collect him within 30 days. Bail is set at $100,000, in Oklahoma.

Laguna Beach June 18, 2015……
Kristoffer Lewandowski, a multiple tour Iraq War Veteran, honorably discharged, 100% service-related disabled Marine, pulled into his son’s preschool, in a church in Aliso Viejo, California A conglomerate of unmarked random SUVs, trucks & cars followed fast; nine armed men, guns drawn, ran in, swarming around the family’s car as Whitney, Kris’s wife, exited to take their two sons, ages 2 & 4, to Laguna Parent Participation Preschool. Only after she protested being dragged away, panicking to get to her kids, did the man holding her show her a badge identifying him as a Federal Marshal.

Two more armed Marshals, parked on the street posing as landscapers, entered the scene. Finally, a police cruiser (the only marked vehicle or officers) arrived as well. Luckily no one — not the children, parents and teachers present, including the Lewandowskis, were shot, and Kris peacefully exited the car and surrendered — to what the family wasn’t yet sure.

So, what had Kris done; what crime must he have committed to require the federal government to send nearly a dozen law enforcement officers?? Murder, assault, a white collar crime? No. A year earlier, while still in the Marine Corp, stationed in Oklahoma, Kris had a bad reaction to his PTSD meds and their neighbor called for medical help. Instead, the police came. When Kris came outside as the officers demanded, they handcuffed him and entered his home, saying later they found several marijuana plants in his garage, inside an insulated box. Even after the lab weighed all roots & the soil with the vegetative matter, it came to less than 1— One! — Ounce. This is understandable as the “plants” were only a couple inches tall and at least one was dead.

This arrest in Oklahoma occurred in Geronimo June 1, 2014. Kris was still in the Marine Corp., although stationed at an Army base in Oklahoma for two years to teach, as he was disabled and going through the required Medical Board process to determine his disability percentage for his discharge. Kris had completed that process, found over 100% disabled (VA max out rated at 100%), and he was already scheduled to be discharged June 18, 2014. He and his wife and their 2 young sons were planning on leaving Oklahoma forever June 19, back to their home and families in Southern California, where they were from and had lived prior to the Oklahoma deployment. Kris also has a nine yr old son from his first marriage. On June 6th, as Kris was in Comanche County, OK, jail awaiting his bail hearing, his Marine detail came and honorably medically discharged him.

Kris’s bail was set at $40,000. Whitney had to visit a bail bondsmen and did not have the 10% ($4000.) The bondsmen told her to give $500 to lawyer Michael Corrales, who he pointed to across his same office, and he would get the bail reduced to $20,000. Otherwise, he said, Kris would “never get out.”

The Lewandowskis attempted to bring up to lawyer Corrales the facts that:

—the warrant to search their home was obtained 6 hours after the initial search at 8:30am, hours they were kept separately in police cars after being read their Miranda rights. Basically arrest first, then get a warrant. Kris was not booked until 1am, which is when he got his first phone call.

—The warrant that finally did come that Sunday was just a printer-paper warrant, in Whitney’s mother’s name. They can discover no reason this would be so, as the mother does not and has never lived with them, and told the police, who did seem concerned that the warrant was bad, but they searched the home anyway, and found the seedlings, charging Kris with felony manufacturing of a Schedule 1 drug.

[It is instructive to note that if Kris and his family were back home in California, if police had happened upon his “plants” they probably would have given the Veteran —whose very severe PTSD symptoms were helped with cannabis— some good growing tips, or perhaps even sign him up for a class at a local dispensary, as what Kris did, the dastardly Crime he committed in Oklahoma, is legal and accepted part of California and, as medical cannabis is legal in California, Kris would still have every access to VA health care — exactly the opposite in a non-medical cannabis state, where the VA could deny him all services.]

Lawyer Michael Corrales was not very interested in their illegal search & warrant facts, although these facts may have PREVENTED the need for a trial (as the evidence so obtained should have been thrown out) and instead demanded $4000 more, to go to trial.

Corrales did get Kris’ bail reduced to $20,000; Whitney gave the bail bondsmen 10%; and Kris was released. Kris had applied for and been accepted to college in California and the family was ready to prepare for civilian life, but the next five months in Oklahoma were not peaceful as the family was followed and harassed continually by the Geronimo and County police.

Whitney Lewandowski says at a “preliminary hearing,” in Oct 2014, Judge Tayloe (a different Judge than who signed the warrant and a different Judge than who determined that the case was sufficient to go to trial, but continued the date). “ shook my husband’s hand; thanked him for his service” and said go home and enjoy your family. This was in the Judge’s chambers so there is no transcript, but the Judge did have Kris sign papers stating it was okay to go back to California.

We cannot obtain those papers or any other records of the case — at this time— as Corrales has refused to release any of Kris’s file to his wife. This is of course unethical illegal and just plain mean—we are working to get this essential file now, before Kris gets extradited back to Oklahoma where he now (with a Fugitive warrant added to the original charge), is looking at potentially Life in prison. (Michael Corrales has been sanctioned and reprimanded on another matter, more info http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ok-supreme-court/1604410.html)

48 hours after the Preliminary Hearing in Oct 2014, the family was driving back home to Southern California. Whitney had never lived full time in Oklahoma; she went home to Calif. to have their baby, and was now looking forward to their new life, where she would also be accessing the GI bill and start school in the Fall to be a Certified Nurse Midwife and an IBCLC. Kris would start at Saddleback College right away in aeronautical engineering.

The Lewandowski’s whereabouts were never a secret or unknown to the authorities …he was required to check in with the bailbondsman weekly. The first court date, scheduled for the winter, was continued several times since the initial bond hearing in June 2014. The lawyer told them it was moved to May, and warned them they had better “come up with $4,000,” in addition to the $2000 they had already paid.

Kris had long since been diagnosed with severe PTSD, and was receiving counseling and medication. While at the VA on April 29 2015 he had another very bad episode and was transported to Long Beach VA psychiatric ward, where he was hospitalized until May 5 and diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, in addition to his PTSD. He was prescribed additional medications and released. It is a good thing the family went back to California where cannabis is legal; otherwise, Oklahoma VA may have discontinued all Kris’s care as cannabis is illegal there.

Kris continued to ride his bike to college and the family volunteered at their sons’ preschool. But by mid May, it was clear the new meds were not doing so well. Also in mid May, lawyer Corrales angrily texted Kris and told him that he quit the case, refused to go to trial without the money first. When the family said they did not have it all yet, he told court he quit the case.

On May 26, Kris’s response to his meds had further deteriorated, Kris called the VA and asked for adjustment/advice; the VA told him to come in immediately for a med adjustment and to be admitted. On the way there, concerned about Oklahoma court dates should the VA need to hospitalize Kris again, they called both the Comanche Co. court and the DA’s office. The phone was on speaker; they both heard the same thing. Both offices had already noted that Corrales had quit. The DA’s office said the case was not on the docket and was in limbo until Kris retained a new attorney, and to have the attorney then call in to get a new date. They called Judge Tayloe’s office; the judge was away at a convention and the clerk said that Kris’s case was not on the schedule. They gave Kris name and identifying information, including social security number and birthdate, to check and recheck, but they said that if a lawyer quits in the middle of a case, the courts just continue the date. Relieved, Kris concentrated on getting help.

The Long Beach VA readmitted Kris the morning of May 26 (the day after Memorial Day) for four days; with new meds, Kris went back to his family and life went on; Kris seemed better, was enjoying classes and his children were enjoying life with Dad, back from overseas deployment, defending the Freedoms all the Citizens of these United States enjoy. That’s why we are deploying these brave people. Right? To defend our Freedoms — but for Kris, among his Freedoms is apparently NOT the freedom to decide even on his medication to alleviate his War Wounds! He is scheduled to lose every single one of his Freedoms, possibly Forever.

At the time of his arrest on June 18, on a Fugitive Warrant issued by the same Judge Tayloe of Oklahoma, for $100,000 bail, Kris was just adjusting to his second try on an additional (to his PTSD meds) round of very strong psych meds. One does not have to be a doctor to understand how dangerous this is to Kris. If he is kept in jail, or worse taken back to Oklahoma, how will he ever get help. The answer to that question is obvious… he won’t.

After his arrest on June 18, Kris was taken to Orange Co. jail in Santa Ana where he was thrown into a padded cell —naked. He is 6’7’’ and 276lbs; the jail said they had nothing to fit him. They gave him a “safety garment” which didn’t fit either, but they told him to just tie it around his waist. He was not even given a cup for water, but told to use his (dirty as he was also denied soap) hands. Worst, possibly, the jailers WITHHELD HIS MEDS TIL SATURDAY! 3 days, locked naked in a padded cell without his meds. He kept calling on the supposed emergency phone all night during some bad episodes, but as Kris told his wife “I called and called and NO one EVER came”. Whoever thinks that this is how we should treat our country’s Veterans…

Kris is part of the local chapter of the Weed for Warriors Project, the Veterans group planning a Fall cross country bus trip to Washington DC to raise awareness of Veterans’ need for access to cannabis to combat their PTSD and other service connected injuries/illnesses. Cannabis has been proven, over and over again to alleviate both the physical pain these wounded Warriors are in, as well as the severe PTSD that this decades long war seems to generate so efficiently.

Still stunned and desperately trying to figure out what the heck happened, Whitney wrote to his Chapter, who contacted the President Kevin Richardson, who then contacted his Vice President Ricardo Pereyda, in Tucson AZ. Ricardo posted her letter and sent it to everyone he could think of for help. Ricardo had just been to Patients Out of Time’s Clinical Cannabis conference in Florida a few weeks earlier. He reached out to us, too. Patients Out of Time has an informal Legal Brigade; we started cutting edge legal seminars last conference and this our second, in Florida, was outstanding! Whether it is one of our attorneys, or another who sees this wherever you may be — we need you. With just the right touch, this nightmare for the Lewandowski family could be over quickly. If it draws into something larger, like a constitutional challenge on Equal Protection, the family is ready for that too.

Update: June 23, 2015
It is now known that the US Marshals followed them at least for the entire morning before making the dramatic arrest at the preschool with guns drawn, though they knew exactly where the Lewandowski family was since Kris had been in touch, as required, with the bail bondsman once per week. They observed Kris leave the home to ride his bike to college; observed Whitney leave the home with their 2 young sons to pick Kris up and sit in the college parking lot for 10 minutes talking over his class he was so excited about. The US Marshals then followed the family to breakfast, then to the church preschool.

Kris’s facebook page; https://facebook.com/pages/Free-KRIS/771606779624825

Outrageous and heartbreaking story of Kalief Browder, a young man who killed himself after spending three years in jail without being convicted of a crime.

This is yet another example of what a mess our justice system is.

Clear Tyrone Hood’s name, an innocent man.

After spending 21 years behind bars for a murder I did not commit, I walked out of prison a free man on January 12, 2015, after Illinois Governor Pat Quinn commuted my sentence. But even though I’m free and have proved my innocence to the Governor, I am still a convicted murdered in the eyes of the state of Illinois.

In 1993, when police approached me about the murder of Marshall Morgan Jr., I had no idea my case would be one of many impacted by well documented misconduct inside the Chicago Police Department at the time. Despite having no motive, I was convicted based on witnesses who later complained of police coercion, a lone witness discredited by science, and a set of fingerprints found among discarded rubbish.

My story gained national attention after a 2014 New Yorker article by Nicholas Schmidle exposed growing doubts about the case, including a re-investigation of the case by prosecutors. When the Exoneration Project brought my case before the Governor’s office to petition for clemency, I was joined by advocates all around Chicago, as well as the national Equal Justice Initiative and Alicia Key’s We Are Here Movement, in a plea to see justice done. The plea was granted.

Though I am no longer behind bars, I’m not at liberty to pursue the life I have dreamed of for so long: I’ve got to clear my name. I’ve got to walk free. This ankle monitor that has to be on my leg,–I got to get that off. I feel like I’m still locked up but in a different location. I just have to clear my name, and that is all I need. I’m just trying to get my life back.

After 8 years of investigation, my lawyers believe the real killer in this case is the victim’s father. After only being back in his son’s life for a few months, he took out a life insurance policy and collected over $44,000 after his son’s murder. Two years later he would collect over $100,000 after his then-fiancé was murdered. The two homicides were eerily similar. The father, now behind bars, caught his second murder conviction after the 2001 murder of his fiancé in a crime that fit the pattern he started to establish with his first murder conviction in 1977.

Please sign my petition asking the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to vacate my conviction.

Petitioning Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez

This petition will be delivered to:
Cook County State’s Attorney
Anita Alvarez

I was an armored guard, with plans to be a police officer until I got a felony conviction for having my legally owned service weapon in my glove box. Now my dreams of being a cop and providing for my family have been dashed. The only way I can get my life back on track is if Governor Christie grants me a pardon. Please help me tell the governor that an honest mistake shouldn’t ruin my entire future.

My name is Steffon Josey-Davis. I am a 24-year-old from New Jersey. As an armored car driver, I am legally permitted to own a weapon. On September 20th, 2013, I was planning to go to the gun range with a friend, and was in the garage checking my firearm when my 6-year-old sister walked in and surprised me. I have always tried to keep my firearm away from my younger siblings as to not spark their curiosity, so I quickly shoved it into my glove compartment before picking her up and taking her back inside the house.

Later that day, having been distracted by a chain of events, I got in my car, with my gun still in my glove compartment. I was pulled over shortly after for a routine traffic stop. Immediately I realized my mistake; in NJ a loaded weapon must be carried in a locked trunk. I alerted the officers that I had a weapon in the car. They confiscated and told me I would be able to pick it up later that week, and I thought that was the end of it.

When I arrived at the police department, I was informed that I had been charged with weapons possession, a second-degree felony. Instantly my life changed. I was facing a ten year prison sentence for trying to keep a firearm away from a child. I was horrified by the thought of spending ten years in prison, away from my family, my girlfriend and the dreams that I hoped to one day achieve, so on my lawyer’s recommendation I took a plea of one year probation.

But I am still a convicted felon. Now I can’t vote, am disqualified from most jobs, and my future has been derailed. I am a law abiding citizen, with hopes of one day becoming a law enforcement officer myself. Yet, because of my felony conviction I may never be able to become the person I had wanted to be.

I am asking you, from the bottom of my heart, to please support me and ask Governor Christie to grant me a pardon so that I can continue to follow my dreams.

To learn more about my story please click here and here.

Sign Steffon’s petition

It was already one of the worst days of my life. I, my two children and my friend Jamal jumped into the car to get to the hospital to visit my mother, who was near death. In the rush, I didn’t think to put on my seatbelt and was pulled over by Hammond police officers. I offered my license, insurance, etc. to the officers, and Jamal provided a recent ticket with his identifying information since he didn’t have an ID with him. They refused to take Jamal’s information, and that’s when things quickly took a turn for the worse.

For no reason at all, the officers drew guns on us and the kids in the back seat. I was afraid for my life and called 911. Jamal asked the officers to call a supervisor. After being terrorized for nearly nine minutes, the police officers further escalated the situation without cause by smashing in the passenger side window, spraying glass all over the children in the back seat and tasing Jamal. The officers pulled Jamal out of the car, threw him to the ground and falsely arrested him for “resisting law enforcement.”

Was that kind of response necessary for simply requesting a supervisor to the scene? No. That’s why I’m asking for a public investigation of this case and for the false and unjust charges against Jamal to be dropped.

The Hammond Police Department does not have the best record. One of the officers in this incident was involved in three other excessive force lawsuits (which were settled), and another officer was involved in another excessive force lawsuit. Hammond continues to send a message that excessive force is acceptable. But isn’t a police officer’s job to protect and serve, not to ridicule, attack, and terrorize?

In the wake of recent police brutality cases, we were unsure what would happen to us if we got out of the car that day. Nothing that we did that day deserved to be met with the excessive force used against us. Please sign this petition if you want to take a stand against police brutality.

Drop the unjust charges against Jamal Jones and open a federal investigation into the Hammond Police Department

Lisa Mahone
Hinsdale, IL

Petition by Sabri Najafi
Welsberg, Italy

Soheil Arabi is a 30-year-old photographer and blogger with a 5-year-old daughter. In November 2013, Soheil was arrested for posting insulting Facebook comments about Prophet Muhammad and few Iranian politicians. He now faces imminent execution after receiving a death sentence via hanging — just for stating an opinion.

I call on the Iranian authorities to suspend his death penalty in compliance with international human rights laws. Death penalty can be exercised only for the most serious of crimes, but certainly not for an opinion crime.

Soheil was in a poor psychological state when he wrote the comments. And he has publicly apologized for his actions. According to the Islamic law, if a person apologizes for his declarations, the sentence can be reduced to 74 lashes. The Iranian court has repeatedly disregarded his claims despite the fact Soheil has acknowledged his mistakes.

And now, the Iranian security service has started to spread false accusations alleging that Soheil would be in prison for having raped a woman, which is not true. This accusation can be easily dispoved by the condemnation letter.

I spent most of my youth in Iran. I left the country for Italy (where I live now) because I was so frightened by Khomeini’s regime measures. Since then, I have always fought for gender and human rights and for people like Soheil. And I need your help.

Please sign this petition so we can Save Soheil

Sabri Najafi

Letter to
Head of Supreme Court of Iran Hojatoleslam Hossein Karimi
Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamene
Head of the Judiciary, Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sadegh Larijan

Petitioning San Diego County Superior Court Judge David Gill

My brother Brandon is a good person, a loving father with another child on the way. He has no criminal record and has worked hard to provide for his family as well as pursue his passion of making music. He even recently wrote and distributed his own rap album – I was so proud of him for setting a strong example as a parent who never gives up on his dreams.

But because he wrote that album, my brother is now facing life in prison, just for writing rap lyrics about gang violence. 

The prosecutor in San Diego County, where we live, is twisting an obscure California law to say that just because Brandon wrote rap lyrics about the street gangs in our city, he is somehow part of a “conspiracy” to commit gang violence. This is terrifying, absurd, and a clear violation of my brother’s right to free speech.

Brandon is in jail awaiting his trial, which is set for February 9. Please sign my Change.org petition calling on Judge David Gill to drop the charges against my brother.

The law the prosecutor is using to charge my brother says that anyone who “willfully promotes, furthers, assists, or benefits” gangs can be charged with conspiracy. My brother is in no way involved with gang violence – even the prosecutor admits that. California needs to fix this vague, dangerous law, but in the meantime my brother waits in terror every day knowing he could spend his life in prison for crimes he had absolutely nothing to do with.

Artists like Eminem, Dr. Dre and Lil Wayne rap about the violence they’ve seen in the tough neighborhoods they grew up in. My brother did the same thing, and now he could be taken away from his family forever. The thought that my brother will spend the holiday season in a jail cell just for writing rap lyrics absolutely sickens me.

But there is still hope for Brandon. Petitions like mine have helped families from being torn apart by a sometimes flawed criminal system. I know that together we can create the public pressure needed to free my brother from this terrible nightmare. Please take a moment to help our family if you can.

Click here to sign my petition calling on Judge Gill to dismiss these unfair charges against my brother, who is in jail simply for writing rap lyrics.

Thank you,

Kisa Moore
San Diego, CA

90-year-old homeless advocate along with two Christian ministers arrested for feeding the Homeless

It’s illegal to feed homeless people in public in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Earlier this week 90-year-old Arnold Abbott was arrested and now faces 60 days in jail for offering food to the homeless with his church. Ft. Lauderdale police should drop the charges against Mr. Abbott and repeal the law against feeding homeless people in public.

My children and I were homeless for 6 years. It wasn’t easy, but luckily I had the kindness of strangers to lend me a hand from time to time. They would buy me meals, give me hope, sometimes stop to see how I was and it showed me that I wasn’t alone and that although I was homeless, I wasn’t invisible. It was in large part because of them that I got off of the streets and can now proudly say I have a place to call my own,  a husband and 5 beautiful children.

I remember my time on the street often. Thats why I was so upset when I learned that not even a 30 minute drive from where I live, 90-year-old homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, along with two Christian ministers were arrested for violating a new Ft. Lauderdale ordinance that virtually bans public feeding of the homeless. Now Mr. Abbott and his companions each face 60 days in jail and a $500 fine! It’s outrageous to think that someone’s kindness could land them in jail.

As an ex-homeless person I take every chance I get to repay the goodwill strangers afforded me. I give what I can to those in need and I teach my children treat others as they wish to be treated and that means being compassionate and understanding. I’m sure many of you do the same. Just imagine being arrested and thrown in jail for 60 days for buying a sandwich for a person in need!

I want the Ft. Lauderdale City Council to repeal this disgraceful ordinance and drop all charges against Mr. Abbott and his companions.  All of us deserve to be treated with kindness whether or not we have a home. City officials should encourage it rather than ask us to turn a blind eye.

If this ordinance is allowed to stand and the charges are not dropped, many homeless will lose a vital source of support and precedents could be set for other cities to follow suite.

Join me in signing this petition and demand that Ft. Lauderdale repeal this cruel ordinance and drop the charges against all those involved.

Tell the Ft. Lauderdale mayor what you think about them persecuting this 90 year old man – (954) 828-5003