| Home | Bookmark | Tell | Active petitions in over 75 countries | Follow GoPetition |
Petition Tag - witness
1. Release and Acquitt James Mills 
Many innocent Americans are held in jails across the country for crimes they did not commit. Some are released but many are forced to spend years, if not their entire lives, behind bars for someone else's crimes.
Most are convicted as a result of mistaken identity and/or botched investigations. Our mission is to prevent such an outcome in this situation.
There are many reasons why video recording ALL witnesses statements would be beneficial to all concerned and remove the element of doubt as to whether or not someone said what it is reported they have in their statements. In this day and age with even traffic wardens using digital cameras on their hats to record events, there is no justifiable reason as to why it shouldn't be the case.
However the case for video recording witness statements is fundamentally more compelling with regard to the most precious people in our population, our children. Not only is it important to be accurate over what is said and not said, but the manner in which comments are made by both child and interviewer alike. With both prosecution and defence counsel in possession of such a recording no further doubt could remain as to the circumstances in which child evidence is acquired. I feel it is important to note that this is not simply an opinion of my own, but any of you who have read the guidelines on child witnesses will also be aware that the need to have video recordings of child & other vulnerable witnesses is covered within the report.
For me this means that these measures should already be in place, guidelines do not exist for no reason and it should not be at the whim of an investigating officer as to whether they are complied with or not, they should be mandatory and the statement in it's entirety inadmissible should the protocol not be followed to the letter. Our children deserve that they are treated properly and video recordings will ensure that they are, not only of the statement itself but of all required phases in the procedure that are necessary to ensure their well-being is preserved. This would include recording the planning phase which is required before any interview even takes place to ensure that views expressed by all professionals concerned with a minors best interests are noted and adhered to. After all, if nothing untoward is going on, why would anyone object? These video's could then also be admitted in court rather than subjecting the child to further unnecessary stress if no further questions are necessary.
3. OMSFAK - Ocoee Middle School Falsely Accused Kids
This petition is to help support OMS children’s rights.
4. Villages of Benning: rules for the care of children
July 2006
The school year is about to begin again, but if you aren't walking your children under the age of 12 to, and from, the bus stop every day, you could be issued a violation from housing.
It has recently been brought to my attention that the company in charge of post housing (Pinnacle) plans to enforce rules that do not comply with post rules the military police enforce.
They will enforce these rules regarding the care of your children while playing outside by issuing violation letters and calling the MPs to pick up your children. These are the exact words used by Mary Frances DeRivera, community manager.
The following is from a letter dated 7-14-06 I received:
Paragraph 6.2 Care of Children "Any children/youth under the age of 12 will not be left unattended by parents or guardians. This includes allowing a child/youth to remain unattended in a yard or playground while the parent, guardian, baby sitter or person is absent from the premises, or such child is out of sight of the adult. Children/youth under the age of 12 must be under direct supervision of a legal guardian..."
However, according the the military police here on Fort Benning, their rules are as follows:
Children aged 4-6 must be in immediate access and in sight of the child.
children aged 7-9 must be with in access and the sponser must know the exact location of the child.
Children aged 10 & 11 must be within access and the sponser must know the general location of the child.
Currently, The Villages of Benning need no documentation or proof to issue a violation to you. If someone calls them to complain, they do not have any rules in place which require them to document the phone call. In addition, when someone places an annonymous complaint, they are not required to follow up on the issue themselves to prove the violation is valid, and not just hearsay.
Right now there is nothing to stop an angry neighbor from having violations sent to your house.
James R. Hathcock, born March 5, 1967 is a son, husband, father, family man, good provider, gainfully full time employed, and considered to be a hard working individual... that is, until being raped by a failed judicial system, wrongly convicted of incest and sentenced to spend six years in prison forcing him to become a victim for a crime that he did not, could not, would not, and is not capable of having committed.
He is accused of a crime that never happened. A crime that is physically and humanly impossible for him to have committed.
Rather than justice having been performed on behalf of the victim, Shana, a grave injustice has been done to James Hathcock, his wife, son, family, and his childhood dream career (which he had accomplished) all of which have been made to become victims by a failed judicial system.
After a jury trial lasting 5 days, three (3) of his witnesses were allowed to testify on his behalf, false testimony was given by some of the State witnesses, no DNA evidence, no physical evidence, witnesses and evidence on his behalf were withheld, one state witness has come forward.
In a letter written willingly on October 5, 2004, a state witness has admitted that she knows the victim was lying and that she (state witness) did not like getting up there (witness stand) and talking about s_ _ _ that did not happen.
6. Asians treated unfairly by Mr. Albert
Mr. Albert made certain contradictions to his "promises" to treat Asians differently or make harsher consequences. In one case, he had excluded Asian witnesses unreasonably to make the Asian victim's case more difficult. After the Asian victim, alone without the witness, was harrassed and mocked in racial discrimination toward Chinese, she was not given a right to speak in the office. The two other students bullying her did not get a consequence because they lied to him, telling a false story and the Asian girl ended up being the one to apologize.
In another case, saying he didn't see someone make a physical offense, the student was left without a consequence. When an Asian student was accused for pushing another student due to racial discrimination, he was suspended without Mr. Albert witnessing the situation. Saying he did not witness the situation before this, there was no consequence for the student making a physical offense.
In the racial discrimination issue, he stated again he did not see the situation, but the Asian student was suspended. After telling his side of the story about racial discrimination treated toward him regarding Asians, Mr. Albert made a phone call to the parents suggesting anger management courses. Respectively, the Asians in these cases did not deserve the harsh treatments given by Mr. Albert.
7. Crack Down on Domestic Violence Restraining Order Offenders
In far too many instances do Domestic Violence Restraining Order Offenders get away with the crime that says they will be arrested if he/she breaches the restraining order. Example: I have had a domestic Violence restraining order on someone since Feb 2000, and in that time he has done nothing but harass, threaten my life, stalk me, and well breach the restraining order, all breaches are reported, and like other domestic Violence victims, the offender gets away with it..NO JAIL, just a little chat with a police officer. I can not leave my home without fearing for my life, wondering if he is watching me, wondering if he is hiding behind something waiting to knock me over the head.
This problem is Australia wide... far too many times does the victim feel unsafe and victimised with no way to protect themselves because the police and court system are not doing what they say they will do... which is put the offender in jail, and far too many times does the offender get away scott free, with a warning. I was told by a police officer that before they would do anything to stop this man from breaching the restraining order, he would have to physically abuse me...too bad if i am dead before i can contact the police. I was told by the police that i need to have a witness...he breaches the order and i have a security door man of a hotel as my witness, but he still got away with it.
I was told by the judge who granted my restraining order that if he was to breach the order he would be arrested, then when i go to have my order altered to prevent him coming anywhere near my home, I was treated like the villain and was not granted the protection i required. The way it is right now, I have no life and the authorities are allowing him to continue ruining my life.
