An example of Federal Grand Jury harassment and payback to President Obama for correctly commuting Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence.  Outrageous and terrifying.

Excerpted from Politico 3.2.2019

Lawyers for convicted WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning are asking a federal court to block a grand jury subpoena she received in what her supporters believe is a federal investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Manning’s supporters said Friday they suspect the effort to question her is retaliation for President Barack Obama’s decision — days before leaving office in 2017 — to commute Manning’s sentence for leaking hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables, military reports, videos and other materials to WikiLeaks.

Manning’s attorneys filed the motion Friday morning in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., a spokesperson for Manning said. The motion was put under seal and no information about it was immediately available from the court clerk’s office.

In a statement Friday, Manning blasted the process and said she plans to fight the subpoena, which was first reported by The New York Times.

“The grand jury process, mired in secrecy, is troubling. The proceedings take place behind closed doors, without a judge or defense attorney, which makes them susceptible to abuse,” Manning said. “I have nothing to contribute to this case, and I will not endanger myself or the activist communities I’ve organized with since leaving prison. I stand in solidarity with all grand jury resisters, who have refused to participate in this predatory and deceitful practice.”

Obama triggered Manning’s release by reducing the 35-year prison sentence to a few months more than the six years she had already served. Republican lawmakers and some top national security officials opposed the commutation, but White House officials said the president thought the lengthy sentence a military judge issued after a court-martial was disproportionate to those imposed in other leak cases.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/01/chelsea-manning-grand-jury-subpoena-assange-1198777

March 2, 2019

A bizarre and other worldly 21 minute video is available for viewing through May 12, 2019 at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The artist, Kim Heecheon, created this black and white montage as he struggled to cope with the death of his father.  Kim’s father was killed in a bicycle accident in late 2014.

The video is very jarring at times,  a very unsettling piece of art and a visual statement which merits viewing. A close look makes it evident there is the use of Deepfakes technology throughout the film. See http://www.leesperspective.com  1.21.2019 for an analysis of “Deepfakes and the New Disinformation War.”

The film is available for continuous loop viewing on the second floor of the Asian Art Museum.

Lifting Barbells still photos by Lee Heidhues

http://www.asianart.org/exhibitions/lifting-barbells

March 1, 2019

The San Francisco Asian Art Museum held a tribute on March 1 for Jeff Adachi to commemorate his life as both an advocate for The People and as an accomplished visual artist.

A number of speakers recounted Jeff’s life. The tributes were followed by a showing of his 2017 documentary, “Defender.”  The 80 minute film explores Jeff’s advocacy for people wrongfully accused in the criminal justice system and the plight of immigrant families under the current Trump regime.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1168719/

All the tributes to Jeff come at a time when Mayor London Breed, shown above swearing in Jeff to his latest and sadly last term in office in January is pondering who to choose as a successor.

Should the Mayor choose a “political hack” as the San Francisco Chronicle noted on March 1, it would be a monumental political gaffe. The most qualified person and obvious choice is the current acting Public Defender, Matt Gonzalez. He was named Chief Trial Attorney by Jeff in 2011 and undoubtedly would best carry forward his legacy.

Should Matt not get the nod, it’s a sure bet the dogs will be unleashed to howl their dismay. One of whom sits below in front of the Asian Art Museum.

“Tribute” and Dog photo above by Lee Heidhues

February 28, 2019

I am thinking about this now as I listen to the soundtrack from the German TV series “Babylon Berlin.”

In the story there is an attempted coup in 1929 by disaffected German militarists to overthrow the Weimar government. It fails.

If Matt Gonzalez, pictured below, is not appointed San Francisco’s Public Defender by Mayor London Breed  the result will be a quiet coup d’état by law enforcement and those opposed to Jeff Adachi’s aggressive progressive agenda.

Jeff Adachi just started a four year term.  Jeff and Matt Gonzalez were so closely knit philosophically that if anyone but Matt is selected it will be an open repudiation of the will of the People. 

Translation. An executive Coup d’état.

Matt Gonzalez Photo by Lee Heidhues

This |Dog, Luke, certainly knows how to earn his room and board.

Deutsche Welle 2.28.2019

If you ever try to smuggle large amounts of cash through the Dusseldorf airport, you will most likely meet Luke, German custom’s money sniffing dog. The canine graduated in December and already made officials proud.

In less than three months of service, German shepherd Luke sniffed out a total of €745,000 ($847,070) while patrolling the Dusseldorf airport in western Germany, German customs agents said in a statement.

The canine was recruited in February 2018, at two years of age, and then entered a lengthy program teaching him to track down large amounts of cash based on the bills’ scent. He graduated in December and made 12 successful busts before the end of February.

“Luke is a valuable helper in controlling cash smuggling,” customs spokesman Michael Walk said. “Considering his successful debut, we are excited to what his rate of success will be in the future.”

German laws prohibit bringing €10,000 or more in cash into the country, with visitors from outside the Europeab Union required to submit a written statement and travelers from within the bloc to declare the money verbally when questioned by the officials.

However, Luke’s nose sometimes works a bit too well — several times he discovered wads of money under €10,000 in value.

He is trained to sniff out euros, dollars, and pounds.

“The currencies have distinct scents, based on their paint and paper,” a customs’ representative was quoted as saying by the DPA news agency.

Luke and other sniffer dogs are a part of German authorities’ effort to curb illegal money transfers involving actors like drug traffickers or terror networks.

https://www.dw.com/en/german-sniffer-dog-luke-finds-745000-in-cash/a-47734022

February 27, 2019

Hundreds of folks  held a rally at the Public Defenders’s office and then marched with a robust SFPD escort through downtown San Francisco to City Hall on Wednesday evening to memorialize Public Defender Jeff Adachi. His untimely death at the age of 59 is a blow to those pursuing Justice in the criminal court system.

Liz Heidhues with Acting (and hopefully soon to be permanent) Public Defender Matt Gonzalez.

On the March to City Hall

The People in Front of City Hall 2.27.2019

Photos by Lee Heidhues

Deutsche Welle 2.26.2019

The international business of weapons sale and transfer is pervasive and goes unnoticed and unpunished in the United States. The German government, at least, shines a light on this evil business and tries to hold manufacturers accountable. See my recent Post (2.21.2019) on the weapons company Heckler & Koch.

German gunmaker Sig Sauer has been accused of illegally exporting 36,000 pistols to Colombia in violation of export regulations. Prosecutors have demanded the weapons manufacturer pays a €12-million ($14.8 million) fine.

Prosecutors said Sig Sauer manufactured at least 38,000 pistols in the company’s facility in the town of Eckernforde between 2009 and 2011. It then shipped the weapons to its US company in New Hampshire, which then completed the transaction with Colombia. 

Police reports aren’t public. When the police shoot and kill young people of color, their families can’t get those reports.

But when Adachi died in an apartment in North Beach, not only the reports but photos taken by the officers wound up on the TV news. Where do you supposed those came from? Why do you suppose they wound up with the sensation-driven TV stations?

The photos have been widely publicized with no context at all. There are photos of “an unmade bed” – a salacious innuendo with no relevance. There are pictures of liquor bottles – although there is no evidence or even suggestion that Adachi drank anything but two glasses of wine.

There is zero — zero — evidence of foul play. Everyone agrees with that.

The Medical Examiner’s Office called off the cops, saying there was no evidence of a crime – and there still isn’t. Instead, the cops showed up anyway (why is nobody investigating why that happened?) Are some officers at the SFPD trying to damage the reputation of one of the city’s heroes – before he’s been dead more than a day? Looks like it.

And the TV news is going along with this farce.

To its immense credit, the Chron has been much more circumspect, waiting – as a responsible news outlet should – for the actual facts to come in. Same with Channel 5, which is just reporting that the Medical Examiner is looking into the cause of death.

February 24, 2019

This seven minute unnerving documentary was nominated for an Academy Award. It did not win. Too much for the Academy to acknowledge. It actually happened here.

Attached is a link to the documentary

February 24, 2019

Jeff Adachi.  One of a kind.

The phrase “irreplaceable” is the only way to describe the loss of Jeff and what will be missed with his sudden departure from the scene.

Personally, I am devastated. 

I first saw Jeff Adachi speak in 1999 at the Golden Gate University Law School. I was totally swept away by his intelligence, knowledge and unwavering advocacy for his clients.

During the past 20 years I followed Jeff’s career, his zealous defense of his clients and his unabashed willingness to call out law enforcement for its inappropriate and, some time, illegal behavior.

One can only hope that whoever steps into Jeff’s position as Public Defender will bring a similar commitment to serving Justice and calling out law enforcement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Adachi