UPDATE: No Bail. Not shocked. Much drama. Judge Real is….an intriguing character, shall we say. More in a while.
Right now, however, I’m getting ready to be on KNBC’s The Filter with Fred Roggin. (More about that in a while too. You can watch me live at 7:30 p.m. on digital 4.2 or right here.)
The next—and presumably the final—bail hearing for Alex Sanchez will be held today at 1:30 p.m. at the downtown federal courthouse on Spring Street, with Federal Judge Manuel L. Real presiding.
The hearing should be dramatic on a multiplicity of levels. For one thing, Judge Real has asked to hear the recordings of the wiretapped conversations on which the FBI has purportedly built its case.
Yet, the most dramatic moment could come when Sanchez’s attorney, Kerry Bensinger, presents some brand new information to the court.
It is information that has at least the potential to be a game changer.
It is also information that, without an excellent explanation, could blow a substantial hole in the prosecution’s credibility.
FIRST LET’S RECAP THE BACK STORY: Alex Sanchez is the El Salvadoran-born, former MS-13 gang member who transformed his life to become a nationally respected gang intervention leader. Sanchez founded and is the executive director of Homies Unidos, and has been praised in cities across the country as someone who has helped turn around the lives of many, many young men and women.
Then this past June, Alex was arrested by the FBI as part of a federal racketeering indictment and accused of plotting the murder of another gang member among other charges. It was not that the Feds accused Sanchez of shooting anyone himself, or personally dealing in drugs and guns. Worse, the indictment maintained that Sanchez is a shot caller—AKA a leader—of a particular clique of MS-13 who ordered such things done. He was, said the Feds, leading a double life and had successfully pulled the moral and psychological wool over the eyes of his myriad friends, admirers and supporters.
Although prosecutors say they have informants who paint Sanchez as a shot caller, the heart of the case is based on four wiretap conversations. the transcripts of which many law enforcement experts—like D.C. based organized crime and terrorism maven, Tom Diaz—considered to be quite damning.
The conversations are in Spanish, and many of the most significant statements in the recordings are ambiguous and/or couched in colloquial gang argot. As a consequence, in addition to the Spanish/English translation, they also required a sort of gangster cultural interpretation in order to determine how damning the recordings actually were. The latter interpretation was provided by LAPD Detective Frank Flores who is considered to be one of the department’s resident experts on Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13. It was Flores’ conclusion that, without a doubt, Sanchez was a dangerous shot caller who had ordered a murder.
Observers like like D.C. based organized crime and terrorism maven, Tom Diaz found the transcripts quite damning. Diaz, who knows several law enforcement sources close to the case, and is himself an attorney, gives his interpretation of the transcripts here.
In short, it seemed that things were looking grim for Alex Sanchez.
THEN THIS PAST WEDNESDAY, AN INTERESTING THING HAPPENED: Sanchez’s lawyer, Kerry Bensinger filed with the court a new formal statement by Homeboy Industries founder and director Father Greg Boyle on behalf of Alex Sanchez.
The statement came about after Kerry gave Father Greg and some others the transcripts of the wiretap conversations. The idea was that they would read the lengthy things and give their opinions on what they read.
Several who read the material, like Tom Hayden, admittedly a strong Sanchez supporter, felt that, counter to what Flores and the Feds said, the 1500 pages of transcript backed Sanchez’s claims of innocence.
But, as a fluent Spanish speaker and a gang expert of nearly a quarter century duration, Greg Boyle went much further. He didn’t just review the English translations and Detective Flores’s interpretations, he went upstream and listened to, analyzed—and, in some crucial sections, re-translated—the underlying recordings themselves.
This yielded some intriguing results.
I talked to Greg yesterday, and he told me that, when he listened to the raw recordings, his analysis of what was said varied substantially from what the FBI’s translations combined with the analysis of LAPD Detective Flores had concluded.
But that isn’t the most important part of what he found. In reviewing the recordings, Fr. Greg also notice that that there was one significant section of the conversation that the feds and the LAPD had curiously left completely off the transcript—an omission that basically tosses a live grenade smack in the middle of the Fed’s case against Sanchez.
Here’s how Tom Diaz put it. (It was Tom who first alerted me to the filing):
Father Boyle points out a troubling omission from the transcript in the government’s case — namely, the statement of one of the gangster’s that pretty clearly appears to say (in so many words) “butt out, Alex, you are no longer one of us.”
….If you indict Mother Teresa, you better be able to prove her guilt slam dunk style.
[SNIP]No doubt, the government will have an answer [to the filing].... If it does not have a zippy and persuasive reply to the following, you won’t be able to count the ruined careers on all your hands and toes.
Here is the relevant part of Greg’s statement. [Declaration of Father Greg Boyle Filed in Support of Defendant Sanchez’s Application for Review of Detention Order, United States v. Alfaro, United States District Court for the Central District of California, Docket No. CR-09-00466-R-22.]
(NOTE: “Rebelde” is Alex Sanchez’s street nickname. Camaro is the now-dead gangster who was, it seems, spreading rumors that Sanchez was an FBI informer. Camero is also the man whose murder in El Salvador, Alex is accused of plotting in his role as secret shot-caller.)
12. I am fluent in Spanish and I have listened to the tapes of the four recorded calls. I have read and considered the government’s Memorandum of Points and Authorities as well as the Declaration of Detective Flores. Based upon my experience, history and qualifications as a gang expert, I believe the government’s conclusions and Detective Frank Flores’s opinions are mistaken and are based upon a misinterpretation of the language and meaning of these four calls. Similarly, the government and Detective Flores have misconstrued Alex Sanchez’s role in these calls, his purpose in participating in these calls and the import of his statements.
13. Before I discuss my review of each of the calls, it is important to highlight the fact the government and Detective Flores completely omit and ignore one of the most important — if not the most important — sections in these calls: the clear and unequivocal statements by participants in the calls that Mr. Sanchez is not an active gang member. This omission, in and of itself, raises concerns in my mind about the balance and fairness of the government’s and Detective Flores’s presentation. It is unlikely, if not impossible, the government and Detective Flores overlooked this part of the calls. More likely, they did not make mention of these statement because the recorded statements undermine their conclusions.
14. Unlike many of the potentially ambiguous statements lifted from the calls by Detective Flores, there is no ambiguity in the statement made by Camaron, during the third call, that Alex Sanchez is not an active member of the MS-13 gang. Camaron states:
CAMARON: Listen man! And-and-and-and I don’t know why you [stutters] come … you know, and you get involved in things, when you are not longer active, man! You see? Better yet, what you should do is to be careful with the “United Homies” and not-not to get involved in our things, you see? [Call breaks] [UI] with us, because you are no longer active, see what I mean?
REBELDE: If you told him — If you told Boxer that I’m working with the FBI, then you know what, you are getting me involved!
15. Camaron does not mince words. He says Mr. Sanchez should have no voice in the conversation because he is not part of the gang. From Camaron’s perspective, Mr. Sanchez is an outsider and should not get involved in “our things” because he is “no longer active.” There is no way to reconcile this statement — that Mr. Sanchez is not an active gang member — with the government’s and Detective Flores’s position; in fact, it turns their argument on its head. If Mr. Sanchez is not an active gang member, he is certainly not a “shot caller.” No one can be a shot caller if they are not an active gang members. It is that simple.”
What possible legal and ethical explanation can there be for leaving that information out?
If there is a reason, we need to hear it. Quickly.
We do not expect those who are tasked with seeking justice to start shaving the dice. When they do, we are forced to wonder if it is justice that they seek at all—or just the outcome they have decided they must have. Facts and justice be damned.
POST SCRIPT: In reaction to Diaz’s posting about Father Greg’s filing, a very indignant former Sheriff’s Department “gang expert,” Sergeant Richard Valdemar, had a ready reply to the news of Fr. Greg’s filing.
His statement opens like this:
Father Boyle may yet be a Catholic priest, but he has no credibility with this Catholic. His actions in the past have been very anti-police in nature and I believe this comes from his own personal issues and prejudices. I believe his conduct in the past in protecting wanted gang members was immoral and unethical. I believe that he was sanctioned in the past by the Catholic Church. He has a political agenda and his support of Alex Sanchez and Homies Unidos has become an embarrassment…..
Like I said above….
POST-POST SCRIPT: To date, Sanchez supporters have raised over $2.5 million in sureties and property deeds for Sanchez’ bail. Plus the court has been given more than 120 letters of support from a list of gang experts, clergy, academics, and others including former assistant U.S. Attorney and federal prosecutor, Robert Garcia, and past co-director of LA’s FBI office, Tom Parker.
More after the bail hearing.
Oh brother Celeste. This is the best you/Alex could come up with? Father Greg Boyle’s take on things? This is laughable.
PS
Prosecutors consider Boyle gullible and a softie when it comes to gangsters. He’ll always take the word of one his homeboys over that of the cops. And there is wrong with that, they say. They understand where he’s coming from and what he’s trying to do for the community. But he has no credibility with prosecutors.
CLF, This isn’t about anybody’s “take” on things, it’s about the actual, concrete, you-can-hear-it-with-your-own-ears fact that the prosecutors, the FBI and Frank Flores left out a crucial piece of evidence.
Please read a bit more carefully before you start lobbing water balloons.
But, hey, I understand. Facts are so, you know, inconvenient when they don’t match one’s preferred thesis.
I think it is important to note that Father Greg Boyle has quite a bit of credibility among prosecutors. And no less than Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich asked Father Greg to serve as part of his transition team. I also served on that team, which was led by Martin Vranicar. Mr. Vranicar is an honorable and ethical man who no one could accuse of being “soft” on crime. He led all of our team in outlining important goals for anti-gang strategies in Los Angeles — and Father Greg was a thoughtful, intelligent and objective participant. The rumors of Boyle’s lack of credibility are ill-informed and counter-productive to all of us working to end the presence of gangs in Los Angeles.
Yes, I read it Celeste. Relying on Father Greg Boyle for translation services. Brilliant defense!
You’ve drunk the Kool-Aid. It’s becoming clear that your defense of Alex is unwavering, despite any evidence the government may present. In your eyes Alex is a political prisoner with false charges trumped against him by the government.
As for Carmen Trutanich asking Father Greg to serve on his transition team: It’s politics. And Father Greg Boyle represents a certain segment of the community (and yes, he does some good things) and should be included. (Btw, typo in my original comment. I should have written “there is NOTHING wrong with that.”) The city attorney’s office can only prosecute misdemeanors. Trutanich’s office does not pursue the big gang felonies.
Celeste – I may have missed your take on this in your earlier discussions of the case, but what do you think is the reason that the Justice Department is going after Sanchez if the evidence really is flimsy? Do you think someone in the FBI who has it out for Sanchez and also has the clout to push a weak case through to prosecution?
Wow. More twists and turns. Interesting stuff – we’ll have to see what happens. Some of the comments here make me feel like folks are oddly invested in Sanchez’s guilt (Conversly, I can understand perfectly why one would be invested in a friend’s innocence!). I get why people would passionately want a double-living (is that a term?) gangster to go to prison (and I’m definitely on board). I just don’t know why some are staking their pride on the proposition that Sanchez is such a guy. Let’s keep our eyes open and see what the evidence points to.
Thanks for the reporting.
Alex, I think they honestly believe he’s guilty. And everything begins with that frame.
Many, many people, like me, are having trouble believing in his guilt for a whole host of reasons. And so are beginning from the possession of innocent until proven…..etc.
So, far, I ain’t seen the proof. But it still may be there. Yet what appears to be deliberately leaving out crucial evidence is….troubling.
I’m running off to the hearing but will have more tonight.
I think the vitriol at the fact that an obviously significant revelation regarding the content of these tapes has been publicized is telling. What I’m reading from Valdemar and CLF is ad hominem attack, not a counter-explanation of Boyle’s analysis derived directly from what’s on the tapes. I have no idea regarding the rational for Sanchez’ involvement in conversations with these gang leaders, but it’s obvious that what Boyle brought forward is important evidence in determining whether there is any basis for a criminal prosecution. To simply attack Boyle’s motives signals weakness. From what Celeste has posted here, we’ve got Boyle bringing forward material that a lawyer could easily present in court to raise reasonable doubt, at the very least. What we get from those attacking Boyle (and Celeste) is cheap shots that have no standing outside of the sandbox of blog comments and grasping at PR straws by some ex-cop.
Since when is spanish such a difficult language to translate, I don’t need Father Boyle or anybody else to translate the transcripts for me. The majority of people in many parts of Los Angeles speak and read spanish, let us translate for ourselves
If Alex Sanchez was involved in a conversation in which a murder was discussed it doesn’t take an expert translator to understand that.
What’s up with Alex throwing up gangs signs with his homies? Is that part of the gang intervention?
http://tinyurl.com/ylmpehk
“If Alex Sanchez was involved in a conversation in which a murder was discussed it doesn’t take an expert translator to understand that.”
And if Sanchez was involved in some such conversation in which he was being told, in effect, to butt out because he has no standing, it won’t take an expert defense lawyer to show reasonable doubt that he’s guilty as charged. Sanchez may have terrible judgement, he may be having some identity crisis that will damage his reputation in the anti-gang community, he may have been involved in some dance or ploy with old comrades that is extremely difficult for an outsider to fathom – but it’s hard to see this case sticking as anything other than an embarrassment to those who brought it based on the Boyle translations that had been withheld.
Father-G should not interfere with this on-going federal court trial. The defense can hire a neutral spanish interpreter. Having Father-G put his two cents in it doesn’t help anyone – specifically Homeboy Industries, its now looking more like a repeat of “PardonGate”. Father-G has enough problems with gang members posers, dirty undercover Mexican Mafia carnales, and financial headaches.
I just hope not to find out later through my sources that Father-G had some asshole EME shotcaller reached out and “touch” him – forcing Father-G to stand up for this idiota.
Which I will probably be right with my assumption……..
Re: “””I just hope not to find out later through my sources that Father-G had some asshole EME shotcaller reached out and “touch†him – forcing Father-G to stand up for this idiota.”””
WHAT espionage film are you acting in? Do you expect that this kind of comment to illumanate anything, or add anything productive or intelligent to the discussion? Who can I get to translate this?
Here it comes….my comment is getting quick cry baby rebuttals….my assumptions seem to be heading in the right direction….
“quick cry baby rebuttals” ? No, just LOLs.
Reg,
Why dont you find a blog that has nothing to do with the City of Los Angeles.
Aside from making stupid off based comments and sounding like the biggest internet pussy, there is nothing good that comes out of your mouth. I think that if you laid a fart – people would have a more enjoyable sensational smelling it than listening to your mouth rattle.
And the “expert” former LA Sheriffs Sergeant Valdemar has no credibility with this Catholic. He should concentrate on his Minuteman associated vigilante group “Veterans for Secure Borders†working with the likes of Sheriff Joe Arpaio on the Arizona border with the other wacko’s, or on his other job with Light Security Consultants “Protecting Your House of Worshipâ€.
Valdemar seems to be an expert on all things if one reads his bio on the Internet, even satanic rituals and Michael Jackson videos like “Thrillerâ€.
I think I’ll listen to a real advocate of the people, justice, and democracy, that is the great Father Greg Boyle and leave the Valdemar’s to the reactionaries and right wing stooges.
“Richard Valdemar
Security Consultant
Richard was also featured on Fox News Channel national broadcast “American Gangs: Ties To Terror?†with Newt Gingrich, and segments for MSNBC Scarborugh Country and Fox News Hannity & Colmes on the subjects of “Gangs in the Military†and “Gangs and Illegal Immigrationâ€, National Geographic as well as the Technical Advisor for The History Channel’s Gangland Series. Richard is currently working on books and articles about the early days of the OSS gang unit, Terrorism and Police Gang Training. He is an active volunteer in several civic and police organizations and continues to pursue activities to benefit Law Enforcement and the American people.â€
Gee whiz! Could it be Valdemar has an axe to grind or some dinero at stake?
I have a few questions Celeste. Have you ever gone to the lengths you’ve gone to for Sanchez or any other gangster for a cop that’s been the victim of gang reatliation be it by false complaints or actual attacks on them? I mean justice is for cops as well as your friends right? Could you point me in the direction I need to go to see where you’ve done that?
Second question. Why didn’t you print all of Valdemar’s statement? Are you part of the defense team that will do anything and everything it can to keep out anything that might put Sanchez away? Below is Valdemar’s entire statement which anyone whose worked gangs would be in total agreement with.
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Alex Sanchez, Crime, drug trafficking, FBI, LAPD, Latino gangs, Latino Street Gangs, Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13, Sgt. Richard Valdemar, street gangs, Title III, Transnational Latino gangs
A Gang Cop’s Reply to Latest Post On the Alex Sanchez Case
In Crime, Drugs, Gangs, Informants and other sophisticated means, Latino gangs, RICO, RICO indictments, Transnational crime, bad manners on October 18, 2009 at 6:38 am
As Fairly Civil expected, the previous post on Father Greg Boyle’s filing for the defense in the Alex Sanchez MS-13 case (see here) provoked …um… strong reaction from some members of the Southern California law enforcement community.
One of the more outspoken was the following communication from retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Richard Valdemar:
I worked the Metropolitan FBI Gang Task Force which targeted the Mara Salvatrucha gang (1994-2004). Father Boyle may yet be a Catholic priest, but he has no credibility with this Catholic. His actions in the past have been very anti-police in nature and I believe this comes from his own personal issues and prejudices. I believe his conduct in the past in protecting wanted gang members was immoral and unethical. I believe that he was sanctioned in the past by the Catholic Church. He has a political agenda and his support of Alex Sanchez and Homies Unidos has become an embarrassment, which can be corrected if Alex Sanchez is somehow acquitted.
There could be several valid explanations for the conversation and they do not necessarily mean that Sanchez is not a member of Mara Salvatrucha, or a Shot Caller;
The Los Angeles Mara Salvatrucha gang is made up of sub-groups or cliques. Each of these cliques supposedly operates with some autonomy from the gang in general, while at the same time holding to the identity and goals of the whole gang. These cliques have de-facto charismatic leaders and vote within the clique in matters that do not necessarily involve the whole Mara Salvatrucha. If a MS member, no matter how influential, tried to interfere in the activity of a clique which he was not a member of, he would be rebuked by clique members and leadership that were members of the particular clique who held voting power. Thus you might hear…
CAMARON: Listen man! And-and-and-and I don’t know why you [stutters] come … you know, and you get involved in things, when you are not longer active, man! You see? Better yet, what you should do is to be careful with the “United Homies†and not-not to get involved in our things, you see? [Call breaks] [UI] with us, because you are no longer active, see what I mean?
But I believe the best explanation is that Alex Sanchez (a MS shot caller), by becoming a leader of Homies Unidos, the “respectable†political arm of the Mara Salvatrucha, and associating with the likes of LA Sheriff Leroy Baca, California Senator Tom Hayden and radical political Catholic Priest Greg Boyle, Sanchez insolated himself from the MS cliques and gang street soldiers who now consider him “inactive†in the daily criminal business of the gang. Alex Sanchez was a MS shot caller when I retired in 2004, and I am sure he has not been “jumped out†of the gang or Camaron’s words would have been much more threatening. What Camaron is telling him is, you take care of the Politics and we will handle the dirty business of killing. But they are still part of the same criminal gang.
By the way, did Alex Sanchez (the supposed ex-gang member) upon learning of Camaron’s evil plot, run and inform his mentor, the good Father Boyle, who of course contacted the police so that the crimes could have been prevented? …Never Happened did it?
Sergeant Richard Valdemar
LASD Major Crimes Bureau (retired)
Power serve.
———–
As you’ve already said Celeste…”But, hey, I understand. Facts are so, you know, inconvenient when they don’t match one’s preferred thesis.”
Guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens in court.
By the way, before Reg and Mavis have heart attacks, I realize there’s a link but what you provided here were words that didn’t get to his in depth analysis instead you said above his words..
We do not expect those who are tasked with seeking justice to start shaving the dice. When they do, we are forced to wonder if it is justice that they seek at all—or just the outcome they have decided they must have. Facts and justice be damned.
And below it…
Like I said above.
Valdemar laid his thoughts out well and neither you or your pals her said anything about it excelpt your cheap shot which was total b.s. Your desired outcome has nothing to do with the truth far as I can see, just what you hope it is for a gangster thug you admire.
Maybe the old compadre of the veteranos of Highland Park can enlighten us to any inside chisme about Alex Sanchez. The viejo had some inside chisme about the cover-up of deaths during the last Chino prison riots.
You “member” D.Q. come on you “member”. (George Lopez)
Yea Celeste, are you also a secret gang shotcaller? You seem to admire Father Greg aka G Dogg, who is probably a secret shotcaller too. Hmmmm, are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party or a pinko ComSymp?
It’s a United Nations plot to poison our sacred bodily fluids! Drink only distilled grain alcohol and withold your essence,Please!
Surefire – you’re truly a whining bastard looking for love in all the wrong places. And the comments you posted by Valdemar are nothing more than speculation. I’m waiting to see what would happen if he was called as a witness and tried to sell that commentary in a court of law. The more you post here, the more I’m disinclined to think you have a clue about what constitutes evidence in a legal sense. Beyond that, it’s all opinions. Sanchez could be the devil incarnate for all I know – but this case is looking shaky, at best.
Poplock – More LOL.
You guys are a couple of far-right wing-nuts with lousy attitude and remarkably thin skin. Zero chance I’ll “have a heart attack” reading your weak shit – just a laugh.
Irony Alert:
“We do not expect those who are tasked with seeking justice to start shaving the dice. When they do, we are forced to wonder if it is justice that they seek at all.”
That’s kind of the point of our host’s interrogation of this case, isn’t it ? But most of what she gets in response are some slimy accusations that have zero bearing on the information in the post.
Ooops – apologies to Surefire – Yes!
I didn’t realize he was quoting Celeste. His remarks directed at Celeste were for sure still pretty slimy, but I misread the context and made an incorrect assumption about that “shaving the dice” line being his.
Slimy to a cop hater like you means my comments were on target. All you do is look to attack, your post shows it again, I don’t care old man.
Valdemar’s experience goes beyond anything Celeste or Father G have to say, but of course you’d carry them to the grave as gospel like the cop hater you are.
You’re pathetic, Surefire. The self-pity just reeks. You’re weak and a disgrace. Come back when you can do better than vomit on the rest of us.
(in out-stretched arms)
C-C-A-N’T WE ALL GET ALONG
Ms. Fremon – you need to take down that picture of Alex Sanchez standing behind that podium with the City of Los Angeles’s emblem – A disgrace to every City’s employee and tax paying citizen – specifically LAPD.
All I see standing in the background are a handful of dirty political smoke screen criminals.
Look at the idiot right behind him….Tony Cardenas and his San Fernando “cholote” fat friend- gangster jive turkey man- fat ass professional ex-kickboxing burrito eating Clown in Show Business-ring leader Blinky Rodriquez (A guy who only only likes a black person when its connected to his bullshit political activist image). That photo is a straight Circus Vargas “dog and pony show” of all the greatest undercover City’s crooks.
In the orginal picture, who is the LAPD officer standing a few feet away from Alex’s right side???? Is that Chief Paysinger??? If that’s him, please advise, I want to be careful talking to him and keep my distance – he might be dirty too.
If that is indeed Assist. Chief Earl Paysinger, now I see why these jackasses want him to be our next Police Chief – he rubs booty ass with all the city’s finest crooks.
I bet he will be at the bottom of the candidates for the Chief’s spot.
On other note-how can Assist. Chief Earl Paysinger stand next to a bunch of brown racist anti-black assholes?
I ‘m going to jump in here because I really would like to hear what the judge said at today’s bail hearing, instead of uninformed comments flying back and forth.
Father Greg Boyle may be an idealist, but he’s also a realist. He knows he faces an uphill battle in trying to encourage young men out of the gangster lifestyle. I like the fact that he has the guts to stand up and give another interpretation of the Spanish conversation that seems to be at the core of Alex’s guilt.
Unfortunately, as many who have actually tried cases where an interpreter is involved know, nuances of speech are lost in literal translations. This is often more frustrating for prosecutors than it is for defendants as usually it is the statement of a victim or witness that loses all the nuance of live testimony when the translator simply says the words that the witness speaks, without being able to impart the emotion of the testimony, As a result the stresses placed on certain words are lost, and the jury is deprived of fairly evaluating the testimony.
It goes beyond the literal translation, where words are capable of multiple interpretations. In one case I recall, the issue was the description of the clothing worn by the defendant; the interpreter’s translation was “Corduroys ” instead of “Jeans,” but, under the rules of court, the certified spanish language interpreter’s translation is unimpeachable.
In this case, based on Father Boyle’s interpretation, Alex may be the victim of the reverse of the problem generally facing prosecutors – his words lost their context and meaning when translated.
The argument over bail appears to be lost, but Alex’s defense attorneys now have had the chance to hear the evidence against him and prepare to properly confront it at trial. When they put Alex on the stand, he will have the chance to explain what he meant, and perhaps also offer Father Boyle’s interpretation.
Some of us want Alex to be proven to be the person many believe him to be, others are too quick to write him off as yet another gang member playing the system. I haven’t got an opinion on which is correct, and I hope the crucible of truth that should be what a trial is, will answer the question.
SF, the only time your sure firing, is when your on top of your throne (toilet). Your ilk has started dying out with Parker and Gates, pal. Your a dying breed thank God. You came on this blog like a vulger pig, insulting a courages and fair minded lady. Notice how she doesn’t respond in kind?
Gin drunk, creed drunk. You fat slob. Your BS from the start has set off everyones baloney detectors here. You need to get out in the sun quickly.
Kelvin – in LA County there are a handful of gang experts that can provide a translation to what is being said – wheather its Mexican Spanish, Calo-Chicano Spanish, Spang-English or Salvadorian slang Spanish.
The issue that I have is that you can not have a one sided intrepretation of what was said on these audio recordings.
If anything, a neutral gang expert – a person who has a record of not taking sides – non-prejuiced – just calling it like it is, do the translation. But, I see that both sides will bitch and cry on selecting who is going to do that intrepretion.
I personally know Father G and I am in great disagreement that he put himself in this situation of defending Alex Sanchez. But, like always, you cannot stop Father – G, he has always had a mission of trying to save a soul – guilty or not.
In what I’m hearing – Father G has not reviewed all the evidence either…..
SMS, yet you have to keep changing your name like the true low-life you are. You, Reg and mavis are weaklings.
What did Sanchez mean when he said this.. REBELDE: If you told him — If you told Boxer that I’m working with the FBI, then you know what, you are getting me involved!
Think he was just a little bit upset? Of course he didn’t have anything to do with Camaro getting murdered later, how could anyone think that?
poplockerone, I think your basic point that a neutral party should do the translation is correct. I wouldn’t argue that Father Boye’s version should be the only referred to, but it does seem that he has pointed out some important flaws in the prosecution’s transcript. We’re at a point where the matter needs further investigation – neutral parties sound right to me.
Also, what’s your beef with Paysinger? I know hardly anything about him but your assessment, that he’s dirty no less, seems way off the conventional wisdom. Care to explain?
It’s good to see my friend Sally joining this blog, I hope Conchita joins the blog, she is unique and original. Nobody is can be like my friend Conchita.
Oh wait Sure Fire thinks Sally it’s actually another regular person on this blog, maybe D.Q. can tell us who it is? We all know what a lousy detective Sure Fire is.
Mario Corona another poster child for reformed gang intervention specialist from Communities In Schools of the San Fernando Valley will be a character witness for Alex Sanchez. This will be the Game Changer, with Mario by his side Alex is a free man.
http://www.the-tidings.com/2007/031609/mario.htm
I’m deliberately not wading into any of this.
But, on a mostly unrelated matter, poplockerone, in answer to your question, that’s Herb Wesson to Alex Sanchez’s right, with Minister Tony Muhammad behind and to the left of Wesson.
Your insinuation about Earl Paysinger is totally bizarre.
Melvis and Ms. Fremon – Look at the original picture…I believe Assist Cheif Paysinger is in it….I believe thats him. If it is, he should have been briefed by LAPD on a handful of shady criminals standing in that crowd.
I’m just being a jack ass over the issue that Earl Paysinger would associate or support certain SOB-people that I identified standing in the background – in the original pic. Your pic only shows a partial shot.
I saw Tony Muhammad – he is not one of the crooks that I’m talking about.
There is a handful of SOBs in that picture that are connected and supportive to racial gang motivated attacks against blacks (behind close doors).
Thats all i’m saying…here.
Even if I tried to explain my comments, the majority of what I will say will make no sense to anyone here. I’ll leave it as that….
I know I sometimes get on your nerves Ms. Fremon. But honestly speaking, I really truly wish in my heart that Los Angeles had many more community organizations that indeed focuses on saving gang members from violence and jails.
For example, I love SEA Charter Schools – they do a hell of a job trying to save our children – They dont even bullshit kids about God and Religion. SEA actually loves these kids to the fullest. There focus – education and life skills – I love them.
Father-G -Homeboy Industries- Getting a yound man/women a J.O.B.-honest organization trying to get a homie a job – H.B main focus- trying to retire-out a homie from active gang banging. I love it! Every penny goes to a mission statement.
Can I say this about all organiztion – NO
Blinky Rodriguez/CIS is not one of them.
Alex Sanchez/Homies Unidos is not one of them.
(But they do a great ass licking job at making everybody and their mother’s believe otherwise.)
Just to complete this: I looked at the original and didn’t see Paysinger. (The guy in the hat looks a little like him. But ain’t him.)
Thank God……I’ll make some phone calls and find out by tomorrow.
What was the dispo on the federal court’s bail proceedings?
Find out which LAPD officer that was…probably a media spokesperson
P. Didn’t see you posted again before mine.
All that about the different programs requires a much longer discussion.
There are a number of people about whom we likely would not agree. But we certainly agree on the matter that there are quite a few gang programs in this city whose founder/directors have managed to curry favor with the right people, but who do….very, very little with the money they are given.
Valdemar seems to be an expert on all things if one reads his bio on the Internet
LOL, that’s funny comming from Don Q. You should read some of Don Q’s internet stories.
He was detained. Don’t know the whole story but talked to a fed friend who told me that much.
“•that Sanchez appeared in a 2000 photo taken at a gang peace conference in San Francisco, smiling with an associate and posing with gang signs. Attorney Bensinger noted that millions of young people, including his own kids, sometimes throw gang signs without such behavior being criminal.”
****this is such bullshit of a defense on part of Sanchez’s Lawyer.***
“• Judge Real denied Father Gregory Boyle, one of the leading gang experts in the country and the Executive Director of the largest gang intervention agency in the country, the opportunity to speak to the contents of the government’s wiretaps and the explanation of Alex’s role as a peacemaker within these conversations. Judge Real deemed his analysis as “irrelevant” and did not allow him to even speak.”
***Excellent Ruling*****
The fact that there was no bail was updated above yesterday afternoon, guys. Full story tomorrow morning.
I’m bogged down with teaching and other matters right this minute.
[…] WitnessLA.com » Blog Archive » The Arrest of Alex Sanchez – Part 5: A Game Changer?- UPDATED – “FIRST LET’S RECAP THE BACK STORY: Alex Sanchez is the El Salvadoran-born, former MS-13 gang member who transformed his life to become a nationally respected gang intervention leader. Sanchez founded and is the executive director of Homies Unidos, and has been praised in cities across the country as someone who has helped turn around the lives of many, many young men and women. Then this past June, Alex was arrested by the FBI as part of a federal racketeering indictment and accused of plotting the murder of another gang member among other charges. It was not that the Feds accused Sanchez of shooting anyone himself, or personally dealing in drugs and guns. Worse, the indictment maintained that Sanchez is a shot caller—AKA a leader—of a particular clique of MS-13 who ordered such things done. He was, said the Feds, leading a double life and had successfully pulled the moral and psychological wool over the eyes of his myriad friends, admirers and supporters…” […]
[…] Bensinger told the judge that he would like to call to the stand Father Greg Boyle. The intention was to have the priest (who is frequently called as an expert witness in both state and federal trials) talk about the elements of the four wiretap conversations central to the prosecution’s case that he noted were discrepant from what the feds had said was on the recordings. Most importantly, Boyle would speak about the crucial section about Sanchez no longer being an active gang member that the prosecution had conveniently omitted from their filing. [Details here.] […]