 |
When I discovered that I was being victimized by judicial corruption, I decided to fight.
I am not an attorney, and I am not giving legal advice.
This is the fifth in a series of articles that detail the things that I have done in fighting judicial corruption.
Most of this applies to fighting any form of government corruption….
Document Everything — Take Notes — Put it in Writing
“The shortest pencil in the world is better than the longest memory.” That means: WRITE IT DOWN!
I tried to keep notes of everything — phone conversations, research efforts, you-name-it. I became especially diligent when speaking to the office of the clerk of the court. I got names; dated every note; wrote down exactly what happened. I discovered the corruption extends to the clerks’ offices, so I came to realize that I had to document everything.
When you have a telephone conversation, follow it up with a confirmation letter. I sent every letter that I could by fax as well as mail, and I saved the confirmation of the successful transmission of the fax, and I stapled it to the fax. I learned that the opposing attorneys will lie as do the judges, their staff, and the clerk’s office staff. So, DOCUMENT everything. Put everything in writing.
I found that paper files were a nightmare, so I converted to electronic files. I have a combination fax/printer/copier/scanner with a 50-page sheetfeeder. I scanned everything and saved it as pdf files. I used a consistent naming system and always ended every document with a date in yyyy-mm-dd format so I could always sort and easily find the latest version of documents. I uploaded everything that I scanned to my website server so there would always be a copy of my files in a separate safe place (one that gets backed up regularly).
I set up a legal folder on my computer, and then I set up a sub-folder for each issue, motion, etc. A place for everything, and every thing in its place.
Also remember to get witnesses every chance you get. If something important happens and there are witnesses, get their name and contact information. Always try to have someone with you whenever you will be in a situation that might result in proof (such as any time you go to the courthouse for anything). ALWAYS, always have courtwatchers in the courtroom whenever you have a hearing. Don’t let court personnel see you with them. Have them sit in the back row with a pad and pen as if they were reporters. Have them pay close attention to what happens.
Always file a motion requesting permission to audio record every hearing.
Among our many challenges in battling government corruption and judicial corruption is that we are dealing with pathological liars.
Since I have learned that Georgia law allows me to record conversations as long as I am a party and consent, I’ve got my recorders operating whenever and wherever I can get incriminating evidence or proof of lies.
Now, once you get your recordings, keep them secret until you need them. You don’t want the liars to be able to hear what you have on them. And remember: the fear that you have a recording is probably even more valuable than actually having a recording.
Here is a Report from the Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press:
Federal law allows recording of phone calls and other electronic communications with the consent of at least one party to the call.
A majority of the states and territories have adopted wiretapping statutes based on the federal law, although most also have extended the law to cover in-person conversations.
Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia permit individuals to record conversations to which they are a party without informing the other parties that they are doing so. These laws are referred to as “one-party consent” statutes, and as long as you are a party to the conversation, it is legal for you to record it. (Nevada also has a one-party consent statute, but the state Supreme Court has interpreted it as an all-party rule.)
Twelve states require, under most circumstances, the consent of all parties to a conversation. Those jurisdictions are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington. Be aware that you will sometimes hear these referred to inaccurately as “two-party consent†laws. If there are more than two people involved in the conversation, all must consent to the taping.
Regardless of the state, it is almost always illegal to record a conversation to which you are not a party, do not have consent to tape, and could not naturally overhear.
Federal law and most state laws also make it illegal to disclose the contents of an illegally intercepted call or communication.
Here is a state-by-state report.
CHECK YOUR STATE’S CURRENT LAWS as this report is from 2006.
Attribution: Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press
Recording Equipment
Amazon.com has a great selection of spy recorders. The Flash Drive looks good.
But the best is probably already in your hand — your cell phone. Seeing someone carrying their cell phone is just as natural as can be — they are almost invisible. The iPhone has an app called “Voice Memos.” Just press the red button to record. I just sit the phone on the table right in front of me. Cell phones are accepted at courthouse scanning stations.
Record a conversation using a computer with a built-in microphone. This is only possible if your telephone has a speakerphone option. Although this may seem a little primitive, it is a cost-effective solution. The basic setup is that you open a recording program on your computer (most modern computers come with a built-in microphone and recording program) and set your telephone to its speaker mode. As the conversation is transmitted through the speakerphone, the computer is recording the voices. This is good idea for an impromptu recording on the move or when you don’t have all the excess equipment to hand: just turn on your computer and speak away.
If you have a tape recorder, here is an inexpensive device that connects the telephone line to the recorder. There are also call loggers available that will record all of your calls so you don’t have to be on your toes and remember to turn on the recorder.
Your goals in “writing everything down” are (1) so you “remember” everything that proves to be important, and (2) so that you have proof of everything that happens.
How to Fight Judicial Corruption and Government Corruption — A Step-by-Step Procedure
Part 1 in this series is “Go in with Your Eyes Open.”
Part 2 in this series is “Fire Your Attorney.”
Part 3 in this series is “Establish a Support Network.”
Part 4 in this series is “Know How Judges Commit Crimes.”
Part 5 in this series is “Document Everything — Take Notes – Put it in Writing.”
Part 6 in this series is “Always abide by the Rules.”
Part 7 in this series is “Prepare Everything Very Carefully.”
Part 8 in this series is “Get Your Facts and Evidence Together.”
William M. Windsor
I, William M. Windsor, am not an attorney. This website expresses my OPINIONS. The comments of visitors or guest authors to the website are their opinions and do not therefore reflect my opinions. Anyone mentioned by name in any article is welcome to file a response. This website does not provide legal advice. I do not give legal advice. I do not practice law. This website is to expose government corruption, law enforcement corruption, political corruption, and judicial corruption. Whatever this website says about the law is presented in the context of how I or others perceive the applicability of the law to a set of circumstances if I (or some other author) was in the circumstances under the conditions discussed. Despite my concerns about lawyers in general, I suggest that anyone with legal questions consult an attorney for an answer, particularly after reading anything on this website. The law is a gray area at best. Please read our Legal Notice and Terms.
{jcomments on}