TX - Sandra Bland, 28, found dead in jail cell, Waller County, 13 July 2015 #3

[JeannaT]

Unless you and your best bud, the criminal defense attorney, are already very tight, I think you start with a public defender. They are right there and the system will assign one to you. Even if Sandra knew an attorney in Texas, it would take time and $$$ before transfering her case over (unless someone takes you pro bono). Neither of which she had.

Obviously I don't know what she was thinking. I believe she was heartbroken that no one rallied to her aid with bail money and just plain support.



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No. If you are charged with a felony, you have a hearing where the judge determines that you are indigent and can't afford your own attorney, and in that case, you will have a public defender assigned to you.

That's not done until you have been formally charged with a felony, and you have a chance to prove your poverty status.

 

[Night-owl]

The issue is the choices she made when stopped.

Why is it OK for others to do things that are not right, but she is horrible for what exactly? Not accepting being pulled out of her car and having her head slammed on the ground? Silly woman. Sounds like a good time to me

See, this whole head slamming thing...where were those contusions in the autopsy report again? And that broken arm?

Not saying her head didn't hit the ground. A couple days later though, no bruises.

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[Night-owl]

No. If you are charged with a felony, you have a hearing where the judge determines that you are indigent and can't afford your own attorney, and in that case, you will have a public defender assigned to you.

That's not done until you have been formally charged with a felony, and you have a chance to prove your poverty status.

Not sure with Texas and misdemeanors. Bail had been set, so think she was charged. You're certain you can't get a public defender to help with a misdemeanor in that state or county?

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[kimlynn]

See, this whole head slamming thing...where were those contusions in the autopsy report again? And that broken arm?

Not saying her head didn't hit the ground. A couple days later though, no bruises.

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Well we know BE threw her to the ground. During his conversation with his Sgt he says he didn't just throw her to the ground he tried to de-escalate first.
I don't know why he didn't take her up on her offer to sit herself down. IMO

 

[arkansasmimi]

She did not ask for a lawer. She willfully disobeyed a legal order to step out of the car. LINK regarding the legality of his making this request upthread. Then she told, not asked, the officer she was calling her lawer. Which I suspect was bs as she likly didn't have a tx lawyer since she had just arrived the day before.Her IL lawyer, if she had one and did not use a public defender, would not be licensed in TX.

BBM, there are some lawyers who are licensed in multiple states. Still catching up on the last release of videos. So have we heard if she contacted her lawyer on one of those phone calls from Jailers desk that they allowed her to use? JMHO I have the feeling she was saying that so it would be on her cellphone video. Which IIRC they were looking into what she had recorded on her phone. I would be interested in seeing any that she video from inside the car.

 

[Night-owl]

Well we know BE threw her to the ground. During his conversation with his Sgt he says he didn't just throw her to the ground he tried to de-escalate first.
I don't know why he didn't take her up on her offer to sit herself down. IMO

On the ground.... yes.

Head hit the ground...probably.

Head slammin', arm breakin', old fashion beat down.... wouldn't that show in the autopsy?

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[kimlynn]

Would this story have ANY legs at all, had she not killed herself after no one in her family responded to her calls to get her out of jail?

I think no. No, this wouldn't be a story if she hadn't tragically committed suicide, after attempting it before. And her family abandoning her.

More than likely BE would have been free to carry on or been given a talking to (if that) if SB hadn't died. Swept under the rug as they say. IMO

 

[Cubby]

Mo

I am curious as to when she got her TX DL and TX ID that she had. And why she still had her IL DL. I know in AR, they confiscate your old lic when you transfer from another state. Wouldn't having a TX DL and TX ID make her a Texas Resident at time of traffic stop?

IIRC, I read that her IL DL was scheduled to be suspended on July 31st for unpiad court fines, which would explain why she got a TX dl and id so soon after arriving in TX.

IDK about the residency requirements.

I am unable to add links due to this dang tablet, but there is a chicago tribune article which mentions having her DL suspended 3 times due to no insurance and was scheduled to be suspended again July 31 for no insurance.

maybe someone can fin and post it, or I will go through my old posts and look for it. I did post ut in one of the SB threads

 

[kimlynn]

On the ground.... yes.

Head hit the ground...probably.

Head slammin', arm breakin', old fashion beat down.... wouldn't that show in the autopsy?

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Maybe they missed any swelling but yes I would think there would be something. I still can't understand why he felt the need to do what he did. She offered to sit and he said no.

 

[Night-owl]

Maybe they missed any swelling but yes I would think there would be something. I still can't understand why he felt the need to do what he did. She offered to sit and he said no.

I'd agree, doesn't seem necessary to put someone on the ground. I suppose that is something officers are trained in, when it's appropriate or not. But they are supposed to be trained in conflict resolution too, and we've seen how well THAT worked.

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[Confusion]

Not sure with Texas and misdemeanors. Bail had been set, so think she was charged. You're certain you can't get a public defender to help with a misdemeanor in that state or county?

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I know in most states, and I thought it was in all of them, you can get a public defender to help with any charge that could result in jail time. That would include misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors & felonies, but not petty misdemeanors.

 

[JeannaT]

Not sure with Texas and misdemeanors. Bail had been set, so think she was charged. You're certain you can't get a public defender to help with a misdemeanor in that state or county?

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Well, here's a link that discusses requirements for being assigned a public defender in Texas. First, you have to be charged with a "serious criminal offense" and it has to carry the possibility of incarceration upon conviction. There is no way a traffic stop argument, for which she was eligible to be bailed out right away would fall into that category. It's becoming sadder and sadder to me that her family ignored her until she killed herself. Honestly, as this conversation goes on, I'm developing more sympathy for her. How awful to sit there and sit there because she was arrested for refusing a cop's requests, and her family ignored her. Sincerely I really feel her despair.

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-rights/are-you-entitled-to-a-court-appointed-attorney.html

 

[kimlynn]

I'd agree, doesn't seem necessary to put someone on the ground. I suppose that is something officers are trained in, when it's appropriate or not. But they are supposed to be trained in conflict resolution too, and we've seen how well THAT worked.

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If that's the case I'd better be good because I imagine that would be painful and at least hurt for a few days if not longer.IM0

 

[Montjoy]

How awful to sit there and sit there because she was arrested for refusing a cop's requests, and her family ignored her.

Do you have a link to substantiate the claim that her family 'ignored' her? I'm thinking you must, as you've said this more than once.

 

[Night-owl]

Well, here's a link that discusses requirements for being assigned a public defender in Texas. First, you have to be charged with a "serious criminal offense" and it has to carry the possibility of incarceration upon conviction. There is no way a traffic stop argument, for which she was eligible to be bailed out right away would fall into that category. It's becoming sadder and sadder to me that her family ignored her until she killed herself. Honestly, as this conversation goes on, I'm developing more sympathy for her. How awful to sit there and sit there because she was arrested for refusing a cop's requests, and her family ignored her. Sincerely I really feel her despair.

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-rights/are-you-entitled-to-a-court-appointed-attorney.html

She wasn't in jail for the traffic stop. Believe she was charged with assualt of a public servant? Suspect that this has potential jail time, since, well hell, she was in jail already.

Otherwise, pretty sure they just hand you a ticket and you get a summons if you are going to argue that you were not driving wrong.

So yes, a lawyer will not be by to help me argue that the radar gun has no record of calibration, and even if it did, 168 mph is way above its operating range.

If I'm in jail, I think I would be entitled to a lawyer from PD, if I could not afford a private one. I could be wrong.

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[TorisMom003]

He must have been so scared.

Not too scared since he put his arm into the car where the "weapon" was, not to mention his face.

MOO

 

[arkansasmimi]

Keep listening, that wasn't a transcript of the full video.

As volatile as she was, the cigarette could have been used as a weapon blowing smoke in his face to interfere with his vision or poke him in the face with the lit end of the cigarette. It's not unheard of for abuse or assault victims to have burn marks on their body.

She didn't start cussing until she got out of the car and he told her to put her phone down ~ as he was fixing to handcuff her.

 

[TorisMom003]

Well we know BE threw her to the ground. During his conversation with his Sgt he says he didn't just throw her to the ground he tried to de-escalate first.
I don't know why he didn't take her up on her offer to sit herself down. IMO

To assert his authority? To show that he was in charge and she would do as he wanted, when he wanted? Because he hadn't taken someone to the ground yet and wanted to do it? So many possibilities.

MOO

 

[Cubby]

BBM, there are some lawyers who are licensed in multiple states. Still catching up on the last release of videos. So have we heard if she contacted her lawyer on one of those phone calls from Jailers desk that they allowed her to use? JMHO I have the feeling she was saying that so it would be on her cellphone video. Which IIRC they were looking into what she had recorded on her phone. I would be interested in seeing any that she video from inside the car.

AFAIK there has not been any confirmation any of the calls she made were to an atty. A few were to the friend she was staying with and some to her family.

 

[JeannaT]

Do you have a link to substantiate the claim that her family 'ignored' her? I'm thinking you must, as you've said this more than once.

It was a jailmate, who said she became despondent after her family refused to take her calls. Sorry, I don't have time right now to go back through all the links to find the exact quote.

I do have this. Apparently her mother was called immediately, and nothing happened with that.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...bail-before-allegedly-committing-suicide.html