It's Time WE Stop Police Brutality
The Ferguson tragedy, the deaths of Mike Brown, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner, the indictment of 18 Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies by the FBI for excessive force, the resignation of L.A. Sheriff LeRoy Baca in the wake of countless police brutality charges, the imprisonment of L.A. Sheriff's deputies for interfering with police brutality case witnesses... There are far too many instances of rights deprivation, excessive force, police brutality and cover-up. We've chosen to take a stand, and, just as importantly, we've identified how to do it effectively. Please stand with us.
If not us, who?
The Problem (until now)
Police brutality is a wide-reaching issue in the United States and throughout the world with deep roots in economic and racial inequity, militarization of federal and local law enforcement agencies, the increasing use of law enforcement to collect revenue for bankrupt states and a bankrupt nation, and a house-of-cards economy that is showing signs of collapse--with the poorest among us the first to fall. No crowdfunding campaign can solve the entire issue. However, we've identified a specific problem where a little capital can effect significant impact on the greater issue.
The specific problem we seek to overcome with the Bad Cop No Donut campaign is the financial barrier to entry for victims bringing suit against police brutality offenders. Even if a lawyer takes a case on contingency basis and the victim/plaintiff is eligible for a low income waiver of court costs, there are still hard costs of suit that often cannot be paid. Expert witnesses and depositions primarily. Expert Witnesses cost $5-10,000, and court reporters for depositions are about $2,000 a day. So even if a victim of police brutality is willing to stand up, which is rare enough, the case dies if he or she doesn't have the $10-20,000 to cover the hard costs inherent in the discovery phase of any successful lawsuit. Thus the majority of offenders escape accountability... and they and their fellow officers continue to believe they can get away with excessive force... and the beatings go on... and the problem grows worse every day nationwide and throughout the "free" world.
The Solution
This campaign creates a not-for-profit private express trust and trust fund specifically to pay legal costs necessary to check the encroaching police state, demand accountability from public servants who use excessive force, and help stop the rampant police brutality problem. We start by financing one specific case currently in U.S. Federal Court, Ninth District: Alexander Vago v. County of Los Angeles et al, Case # 2:13-cv-00868-DMG-RZ. We believe this is a winnable case. How large the judgment or settlement will be, no one knows, but any judgment or settlement will include a recovery of costs of suit, which includes the funds raised here. When we recover the costs through settlement or judgment, we will then use the same money to fund other cases again and again. If we raise more here than required for the Vago case, which we hope to do with your generosity and assistance by spreading it through social media and the press, we will also fund other cases in parallel to the Vago case. And if this campaign is successful, we will use it as proof of concept and run a bigger campaign next in order to fund as many cases as we can and make a significant impact on this growing problem.
The Impact
Police brutality is on the increase for a number of reasons: 1) growing disregard for the unalienable rights of the people, especially minorities and people without money, 2) dehumanization that takes place based on economic status and/or race, 3) belief by many law enforcement officers that they can get away with excessive force, and 4) too many instances where the offenders do get away with brutal acts because it's too difficult and costly for the average man or woman to successfully punish them through the court system.
Bad Cop No Donut starts with successfully punishing offenders in order to regain a respect for our rights. In order to bring successful law suits to hold the offenders accountable, many victims need the type of financial resources we are creating with this private trust fund so they can successfully prosecute the offenders. If we, with your help, financially support the victims to prosecute the offenders, removing the financial hurdle that quashes most police brutality cases in favor of the offenders, we take away the ability of the offenders to get away with their offenses. As we successfully prosecute offenders, we also reduce the perception that offenders can get away with the use of excessive force. As this perception changes in the wake of increased threat of just retribution, the rights of the people will once again become primarily important to law enforcement officers, as they should be. If nothing else, officers will at least know they risk losing their career and livelihood if they don't respect your rights.
Where Your Dollars Go & What They Will Do
Financial details:
- The first order of business is to win one important case. After that, we'll use the same money (plus additional funds raised), to fund more and more cases.
- To win the first case identified for this effort, Alexander Vago v. County of Los Angeles et al, Federal Court Case # 2:13-cv-00868-DMG-RZ, we will need $13,000, as follows: $5,000 for a professional witness and $2,000 each for 4 court reporters to record the depositions of 4 witnesses. Every cent up to the $14,000 goal, after Indiegogo fees, will go directly to Mr. Vago to cover these costs.
- Any amount raised above and beyond the goal of this campaign will be forwarded to a private trust fund to be managed as a private not-for-profit trust by the trustees of the Global Trust Education Network (GTEN.org, see our information below). Other court cases will be immediately considered for assistance, vetted and researched, and the funds will benefit other plaintiffs with strong police brutality cases.
- If we fall short of the stated goal of at least $14,000, the Trustees of GTEN have pledged to assist in making up the shortfall to assure the success of this first important case win, so no donation will go to waste.
- Every successful plaintiff, starting with Mr. Vago, will not only return the principal to the trust fund from recovery of court costs (to be used again and again) but will also pledge a portion of his or her awarded judgment or settlement to the trust fund to increase the trust fund value to help future victims. The trust fund will grow with every victory in court.
- Your one-time contribution will fund an ever-increasing number of court cases, for an ever-increasing number of brave individuals to stand up for ALL of us and protect our unalienable rights in the face of the encroaching police state we are experiencing today.
- If this crowdfunding campaign is successful, we will launch another campaign in the coming year to increase the capacity of the trust fund. We will seek, with your help and the help of others, to put a stop to police brutality across the United States of America and around the "free" world. We intend that the next campaign will also include fund raising for the re-education of law enforcement personnel regarding the unalienable rights of people. If anyone selects the $20,000 contribution perk on this present campaign, we'll already have a jump on this education initiative.
The Vago Case
The first case we've identified for this effort, Alexander Vago v. County of Los Angeles et al, Case # 2:13-cv-00868-DMG-RZ, is a Federal Court civil rights and excessive force case arising from egregious police brutality perpetrated by two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies. We have fully vetted and researched this case and conclude on examination of the facts that it is a winnable case which presents an opportunity to set an example for law enforcement officers everywhere, hopefully just the first of many to come.
Selection of this first case was very different from the selection of future cases. This case was brought to our attention and gave us the idea to create this campaign and its resulting trust fund. We didn't know Mike Brown or Tamir Rice. We didn't know Alexander Vago either, but Mr. Vago came to us for help, and we decided to help. Then we chose to turn it into something bigger. The next victims we assist, once we have the funds to help and once we're a known source of assistance, will come from all over. The trust fund will financially enable anyone, regardless of economic status, to hold law enforcement officers accountable in court, helping to assure nobody can be profiled by police as a non-threat to their jobs and dehumanized because of economic status. And we see this as a path to economic justice and its direct and inextricably connected relative, racial justice.
Alexander Vago was an hourly wage worker in a natural foods store, an ordinary guy, who is now unable to work and on disability since the incident described below. He was probably profiled as a low income nobody, and the Sheriff's deputies thought they could get away with dehumanizing and brutalizing Mr. Vago based on his economic status.
Summary of the facts alleged in the case:
On May 15, 2011, Alexander Vago was brutally beaten by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputies Brent Bunch and Doug Duvall at a routine traffic stop for a minor traffic infraction. Mr. Vago was merely a passenger in the back seat of a car. He was unarmed and had no criminal record. There are multiple witnesses who will state under oath that he was calm and didn't pose any threat to the officers or anyone else. He never lifted a hand to fight back or even to defend himself. He didn't move. Nevertheless, the two deputies took turns tasing and stunning him in the head and neck about a dozen times until he keeled over in his seat half unconscious, then they maced his eyes at immediate range. Then they beat him with batons, meanwhile making jokes like, "Did you see him kick me?", as they proceeded to beat him in feigned retaliation for the mock acts they invented in their jokes. They beat him repeatedly in the head, the torso and the legs with batons. The attack was so severe that Mr. Vago was hospitalized, the injuries still persist today, and he is now physically and mentally unable to work and dependent on state disability coverage.
The photos below were taken of a few of Alex Vago's injuries three days after he was tased, stunned, maced, beaten and falsely imprisoned by L.A. County Sheriff's deputies and after having been treated at two hospitals for his injuries.
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This civil rights action seeks compensatory and punitive damages for deprivation of rights and serious injuries received by Mr. Vago resulting from the May 15, 2011 roadside traffic stop. It is the Plaintiff's highest intention that the Defendants will compensate Mr. Vago and pay punitive damages and that the two offending deputies will never work again in law enforcement.
The full court complaint is available here: http://GTEN.org/forum/bad-cop-no-donut-forum.
The entire case file is public in the Federal Court, Ninth District, Case No. 2:13-cv-00868-DMG-RZ. The parties are presently engaged in discovery proceedings. Mr. Vago will need $13,000 to complete discovery, as itemized above, or else the case will not proceed and these offenders will walk away without reprimand or accountability for their actions. Please help us ensure this will not happen this time.
The GTEN Trustees
The money raised from this campaign goes directly to Alexander Vago to fund his case. If we reach our goal in time, he will have what he needs to proceed with discovery and depose witnesses and the offending officers. All excess funds raised in this campaign, as well as costs of suit recovered after trial and additional funds pledged by Mr. Vago from the award of judgment or settlement, will be forwarded to a private trust fund managed by the Trustees of the Global Trust Education Network (GTEN).
GTEN is a private not-for-profit trust organization comprised of a network of individuals serving the common good through trusteeship of private and charitable trusts organized for educational, literary, scientific and spiritual purposes, to lessen the burden of governments, to defend and promote rights and freedom, and to actively assist in the sound, sustainable, enlightened evolution of mankind for a world that works for all life.
Risks & Challenges
Nothing is certain but death and taxes. Judges are like a box of chocolates; You never know what you're going to get. We're well aware that anything can happen in court. However, what's been happening to date is that only well-off individuals can afford to bring suit and cover the hard costs of discovery, so the cops routinely get away with police brutality. That needs to end, we see a way to significantly curtail it, and with your help we believe we can make a real impact.
The fact is... we need to win this first case. If we lose this first case, we may not have much of a trust fund for other cases. That said, we like our odds in the Vago case. We don't believe the offenders in this case can wiggle out of what they've done. Their lawyers have already tried repeatedly to get the case dismissed over the past two years, and they now realize it is not going away. We intend to hold the offenders and their employers fully accountable.
Other Ways You Can Help
This is an important issue and a timely campaign. Please help us spread the word through:
- Social media
- The Indiegogo share tools
- Your email contacts
- Your website
- Your social groups
- The press
The GTEN Trustees, Alex Vago, future victims of police brutality who will receive benefit from this trust fund, and the community at large thank you for your help in restoring liberty and justice for all by helping us hold law enforcement officers accountable for their actions.
FAQ
Is my contribution tax deductible?
Maybe, though not necessarily. For a number of reasons we've chosen to establish a private not-for-profit trust and trust fund for this effort rather than create a public 501(c)(3) non-profit. So donations do not receive tax-deductible receipts in the way a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization could offer. However, expenses for books and education are tax deductible. Depending on the perk offered at your donation level, you may be able to deduct for education costs. To be sure, consult your tax preparer.
Why is this campaign establishing a not-for-profit private trust rather than a 501(c)(3) non-profit?
Given the nature of this undertaking, we feel it's best to keep this effort private in order to protect the privacy and safety of our donors, to curb political agendas, and to avoid political malfeasance. Since we are gearing up to "fight city hall", it's best that city hall doesn't control the organization, as would be the case with a US franchise entity such as a 501(c)(3) charity.
Will I be able to track the progress of the Vago case and future cases?
Yes! We've set up a section of the GTEN Forum at GTEN.org to update our contributors and the public on the ongoing status of the Vago case and the greater goals and achievements of this project beyond the Vago case. You'll find this at http://GTEN.org/forum/bad-cop-no-donut-forum.
What was the source of information for the dollar amounts needed to cover hard costs in the Vago case and future cases?
Mr. Vago filed his complaint pro se (without an attorney) and has now brought a lawyer on board to litigate the case on a contingency basis. His attorney informed him of the hard costs for a professional witness and court reporters. The GTEN Trustees verified these costs with our attorneys who have no part in the Vago case.
How do I submit a case for funding consideration?
If you would like us to consider your police brutality, excessive force or deprivation of rights case for funding assistance, please email us using the 'contact us' tab on the website header at http://GTEN.org.
What next?
Thanks for reading. Thanks for contributing. Thanks for helping us spread the word. Our truest intention is to raise not $14,000 for one case, but rather $100,000, $200,000, a million or three million. $14,000 brings two bad cops to trial. If we raise a million instead, we can assist about 70 victims at once. We're prepared to be in the not-for-profit business of assessing cases and assisting victims full-time to create meaningful change in police behavior, should such an opportunity arise by your will, your trust and your generosity.