"False Reporting" Law Entraps Woman; Rapist Officers Barnes, Gillies Go Free

[annm4peace]

Source: Indymedia Twin Cities

What if you were raped and no one believed you? Now--what if you were raped by the police? What if their superiors failed to investigate the crime? What if instead of punishing the rapists, they charged you with the crime of lying about police "misconduct"?

This is what happened to Camille Williams, a black Twin Cities woman.** Raped by Minneapolis Police Officers Paul Gillies and Miquel Barnes almost two years ago, Williams was subsequently charged with the crime of falsely reporting police misconduct--a charge levied so that, audio recordings tell, the MPD could avoid a civil lawsuit. After a two and a half week trial, Williams was found guilty by a 6-person Hennepin County jury on Monday, despite allegations of jury misconduct (including one juror sleeping during the trial). On Tuesday, when Williams was scheduled to be sentenced, the defense successfully argued for a postponement until August 14 based on several pending motions aimed at overturning the decision.

"I didn't lie about a damn thing and here I am, accused of a crime!" Williams says. Gillies and Barnes, meanwhile, continue to walk the beat.

The prosecution's case - and the coverage from major media like the Star Tribune and KSTP - hinged on a squad car GPS device which purportedly showed Gillies' and Barnes' car away from what Williams identified as the crime scene. The GPS system is sold to police departments under the premise that it can help to avoid civil suits. That seems to be what it was used for here, though not necessarily because it uncovered the facts, say victim advocates.


Read more: http://www.tc.indymedia.org/2009/jul/false-reporting-law-entraps-woman-rapist-officers-barnes-gillies-go-free#comment-4810

[sasquatch]

1. My God that is disgusting

[paulsby]

2. you mean the article

that concludes the officers were rapists without even charges being filed, let alone a conviction in a court of law, where they have the right to due process, to confront their accuser, etc.

instead what you have is an article that assumes one side is telling the truth, and the other side isn't, despite the fact that the other side has the weight of a jury decision on their side, as well as physical evidence (the GPS system).

aaprently, some people are so bigoted that they can assume any cop that is accused of anything is automatically guilty, even if charges aren't filed AND the accuser is later found guilty by a jury of making false claims.

wow, how unbiased, fair minded and progressive.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

3. Stop and think...

Please don't automatically assume someone is bigoted because a case is presented and it appears not only unjust, but truly horrible.

We've seen cases go both ways. Just as crime goes both ways. We know there is abuse in police work. How much is another matter. We know there have been cases where some woman has claimed rape where it hasn't happened. And that is criminal.

Stop though and think about accusing a person, based on their opinion, of being a bigot. There is no proof of bigotry in believing a story like this could be true as reported. And there is reason to believe it may not be true.

Just stop and think. There's growing anger in the country. Some of it has to do with race. A lot of it is stoked by the right wing media. And much of it is being transferred over to the "birthers" movement.

The country which indicated so much promise on November 4, 2008 is becoming a distant memory - if we don't mind what we say and how we behave.

[LisaL]

5. Think about what?

That article should be removed.
What right does someone have to call these men "rapists" when they haven't been convicted of any crime, and in fact the person accusing them was convicted of false report?

[paulsby]

9. thank you

i agree. could they be rapists? sure. and they could be space aliens too. but there should be at least some good faith basis for concluding so, and this indymedia article doesn't provide said good faith basis. interestingly, alan dershowitz once said that rape is simultaneously the most underreported and overreported crime there is. it is the former because so many victims of rape decline to report it to authorities vs. other Part I crimes. it is overreported in that a higher %age of incidents are false reports than most other part I crimes, especially so in regards to cases where suspects are named. iow, false reports of burglary for insurance fraud are not uncommon. but false reports of burglary almost enver name suspects, whereas false reports of rape almost always do. fwiw, i was one of the few people who thought the duke rape case was bogus from the beginning. having investigated scores of rapes myself, there were just a bunch of red flags that i recognized from prior investigations as strong indications of a false report of rape. it just offends me that somebody could post such a RIDICULOUSLY biased article and just ASSUME that the 'victim' is all truth and light and stuff. just amazes me. cheers.

[whistler162]

See #13 but

according to the news articles/columns then and now. GPS evidence, sexual assault exam, and two seperate DNA exams show that the officers didn't do what they where accused of.

[whistler162]

14. double post

[SleeplessinSoCal]

4. "kill the pigs" ???

The "report" seems questionable. It is only stoking a fire which I'm observing is spreading rapidly.

We are heading into dangerous times I fear.

[sasquatch]

36. The whole thing is, I think the court is right to do what they did

That woman has set back police accountability for ALL AMERICANS, I hope she rots.

[bjobotts]

6. My God, this is not surprising after watching the convention in MN

[bjobotts]

7. MN is exhibit A of a police state where they can get away with murder and apparently rape too

[AllHereTruth]

8. Reaction without evidence makes you...ignorant

How does this story make it to the front page, Top and center.

Is it to incite hatred and fear from the progressive bunch? Is it to garner an extreme reaction? What are we, progressive thinkers or right-wing fear mongering nuts.

Honestly, this story has no facts to back up any of its accusations. And for you bjobotts to call the entire state of Minnesota, which i live in, a 'Police State' where Police can rape and murder at will is a farce. It is based on no actual facts. Based on no evidence. Its is low and classless and you should know better.

I expect to see comments like the above, and stories like the one posted all over right wing blogs. But for DU to stoop this low, For its members to accept it and cry 'RACISM. MURDER. RAPE.' is bullshit.

Since when have we become people to see a headline, read a bogus article, and say LOOK IT MUST BE TRUE. Since when have we become reactionary nuts.

Reaction without evidence makes you...ignorant

[azurnoir]

11. Yes just who does he think he is right

but now your going to hear it from someone who currently lives in St Paul and lived in Mpls for 35 years prior to that not a wealthy Right leaning out lying suburb like Plymouth
I too have had dealings with the Mpls police as a crime victim and trust me they are fully capable of what is being described in the article not to mention this is hardly the first coverage this story has gotten it has been going on for 2 years so my reaction is hardly reactionary and what was not mentioned in the article is that Camille Williams was also a prostitute and false report is not the first charges leveled against her in this case, MPD has been weaving and dodging on this quite some time-if anything the story was not nearly complete enough

eta you do know that in past few years MPD uniform officers have shot 2 non-white uncover officers one Asian and one Black

[BlueJazz]

12. I lived in Minneapolis for 6 years and I understand what you're saying.

Correct me on this but my impression of Minnesotans is that they are a bit naive when it comes to law-enforcement and courts.
I witnessed several cases being tried in court there. (My Girlfriend was a court Reporter) ..and it seemed like:
"If a Policeman says something, It MUST be true" was the general feeling.

In several cases I watched, the Juries always sided with the Police...even if common sense said WHAT!!!

[PatrynXX]

10. which is why Palawnty and Norm Coleman needed to go

why complain about China, when it's all in Minnesota

[whistler162]

13. Help me figure this out....

GPS data shows the officers weren't where the victim said it happened.

http://mplscrimewatch.blogspot.com/2007/08/charges-filed-in-false-report-against.html

"The officers arrived at 2101 Vincent Avenue North at 6:19 a.m. and cleared from that location at 6:31. At 6:42 a.m., the officers conducted a traffic stop at 29th Avenue North and Oliver Avenue. During the eleven minutes after the officers left Farkarlun near 2101 Vincent Avenue North and before they began the traffic stop, their squad car was in continuous motion. At no point during that time was the squad in the area of Golden Valley Road and Vincent Avenue where Farkarlun stated she was sexually assaulted. After the first traffic stop was completed, the squad car was again in continuous motion until a second traffic stop was initiated at 7:03 a.m. "

No evidence of a violent sexual assault, on either the victim or officers -

"In the statement, Farkarlun described the sexual assault noting that the officers pushed her to the ground in the alleyway and held her down while she struggled and fought. Farkarlun identified the officers as the same two officers who responded to the call at 2101 Vincent Avenue North. The investigators examined Farkarlun’s clothing and found no signs of dirt or other evidence consistent with a physical struggle on the ground. During the sexual assault exam, the nurse documented redness on Farkarlun’s neck and a small bruise on her inner thigh. No genital injuries could be detected."

"Farkarlun arrived at North Memorial Medical Center at 6:59 a.m. according to the time on the hospital parking stamp. The investigators also met the two accused officers and examined their outer garments and appearance for possible evidence; no dirt, damage or injuries were observed."

Two different DNA samplings show the officers are innocent -

http://mplscrimewatch.blogspot.com/2009/07/sentencing-in-false-rape-charge-against.html

"Of note in this case is that as if the GPS and MVR evidence was not enough, Officers Gillies and Barnes twice provided voluntary DNA samples to prove their innocence, first to to BCA and the second time to an independent lab selected by defense attorney Jill Clark."

http://www.startribune.com/local/51311252.html

[brendan120678]

21. Don't bring facts into this...

They are pig-nazi-racist cops!!

Of course they are guilty.

How dare you take their side?



(purposely leaving off the sarcasm tag because it is over-used and if people can't detect it without the help of a cutesy little picture, then they are idiots)

[itsrobert]

15. Unrecommending this Bullshit

you are welcome

[Odin2005]

17. So you are defending the fucking COPS? WTF?

:puke:

[itsrobert]

18. When the facts are on their side

Yes.

[Odin2005]

19. Yep, sure, blame the rape victim.

:eyes:

[brendan120678]

22. Blaming the alleged rape victim...

when all of the evidence points out that those accused did not rape her at all.

Either she misidentified her attackers, or else she is a lying POS.
Either way, these two officers are being unfairly treated here.

[Odin2005]

23. Rape victims are always dismissed as liars, sluts, "she wanted it", etc.

My friend who was raped earlier this year was initially dismissed by many as a lying attention whore, so EXCUSE ME for being sensitive when rape victims are called liars. :eyes:

[NickB79]

33. Read post #13

The evidence does not support her contention that the officers raped her.

[Odin2005]

16. Fucking evil bastards. Evil, pure evil.

I want that police officer's head, and the heads of all the people protection him, on the ends of pikes! :grr:

[Dr. Strange]

29. Off with their heads!

Put 'em right next to the Duke Lacrosse team and Bill Clinton!

[brendan120678]

20. Unreccomending...

Calling the police officers "rapists" numerous times in the title and body of the story is unconscionable.

This article is disgusting and should be removed.

[Odin2005]

24. Sucking up to rapist police officers is unconscionable.

[NickB79]

34. What evidence supports the accusation that they are rapists? nt

[tkmorris]

38. You have any evidence at all?

I am usually one of the first to criticize an out of control police force but I can't find any reason here to believe they are guilty. On what basis do you assume they are?

[reflection]

25. Look on the bright side.

If she goes to prison and gets raped there, then it's all good. Because prison rape is no big deal, right?
:sarcasm:

[chrisa]

26. It's walking a dangerous line where...

Police officers can commit even the most horrible of crimes, and then charge anybody else with a crime who tries to get justice for it.

That's called a police state.

[TrogL]

27. Read the entire article

I question its journalistic integrity.

[Prophet 451]

28. Oh boy...

On the one hand: I'm pretty sure that some police really are evil enough to do stuff like this.

On the other hand: The evidence does not support the accusation and if we uncritically believe every accusation of rape (which many people do), we hand a very powerful weapon to any woman amoral enough to use it (and don't kid yourself, there's a lot of them). And because of the way that even a patently false accusation can destroy someone's life, I have always believed that false accusations should have consequences, albeit I never worked out how that could be done without discouraging genuin victims from coming forward.

[negativenihil]

30. unrec'ed due to facts - see post #13 n/t

[kiva]

31. Unrecommended for an incredibly biased article.

Despite the fact that there is no evidence that 'Williams' was raped by either defendant, the author has made her/himself judge and jury. Evidence? Don't need evidence, in fact ignore the fact that the evidence points to the fact that the men are innocent.

The actual jury convicted Williams? Doesn't matter because one juror "didn't pay attention" and another juror seemed upset at the verdict because "it appeared extremely likely he did not believe Williams was guilty, but that he caved under intense pressure to return such a verdict." So a juror appeared to be upset and the writer of this article creates an entire scenario to explain the perceived emotion.

We complain because the media is biased, and then we are ready to embrace (and recommend) this nonsense?

[anonymous171]

32. I have a better solution: Make both parties anonymous and keep it that way

unless a "guilty" verdict is delivered.

[NickB79]

35. The gullibility of some posters on this thread leaves me gobsmacked

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[Thothmes]

37. I am not sure why it should surprise you.

Remember the case of the Duke lacross team here about 3 or 4 years ago. Look at the feeding frenzy that went on over that.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

39. The evidence of the officers' innocence looks convincing, but that doesn't prove she was guilty.

While the GPS system could have been disconnected, it would have shown the car to be stationary if it were, and it actually showed it to be moving; and the fact that DNA didn't match is also compelling.

It appears that not merely is there reasonable doubt that they did rape her, there isn't even very much doubt that they didn't.

But it's a far cry from saying "those officers didn't rape her" to "she wasn't raped, and deliberately made a false accusation.

From the little I've read, it looks as though the balance of probabilities is that she wasn't raped, but ruling out reasonable doubt that she was, and just misidentified her attackers seems fairly extreme at first glance (although obviously, I only have media testimony, not first hand evidence, to go on)