by Crimethinc. Workers' Collective
Available in 284 free installments
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Next, you need a legal aid number?this is the number those arrested will call using their single jail-allotted phone call. The person who receives their calls at the legal aid number will then call the lawyer and inform him or her where arrestees are, so he or she can spring into action on their behalf It is important that this number not be used for anything else?^you don't want to be in jail, struggling to reach the legal aid number, getting a busy signal because it's tied up by phone calls from affinity groups trying to figure out which of their members have been arrested or where they can get a good burrito. To answer such queries, another number should be set up and distributed in advance, the legal information number: the person receiving calls at the legal aid number can ^29
Legal Flow Chart |
I STAY I -< WARNING
COOPERATION -* ARREST *- NONCOOPERATION
LEAVE
-*- You're outta there;
*- BOOKING
You're free!
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COMMUNITY SERVICE ] | FINE | | PROBATION | |JAIL
call this number periodically, passing on the names of arrestees, and people can call the legal information number to ask if their comrades have been arrested.
The legal aid number should be written in marker on a hidden part of the body of anyone risking arrest, perhaps with numbers inverted or coded?it's important that this number doesn't fall into the hands of anybody who might want to jam it, since the legal support of all arrestees depends on its staying open. Such provisions notwithstanding, the police will have the number as soon as it is dialed from their premises, and may investigate it or even raid its location. For this reason, it's important that the site of the legal aid number be prepared for trouble, so the number will work come what may. Sometimes security matters will necessitate that the number not be connected to any individuals, lest they be investigated; for such actions, the number could be a public phone of some kind?say, a payphone in the middle of nowhere that takes incoming calls, flanked by scouts who can announce incoming police. The drawbacks of this approach are obvious, so don't employ tighter security precautions than your action warrants.
If potential arrestees plan to do "jail solidarity," tying up the penal processing system by not revealing their identities, the group handling legal support should have a secret list of the identities and aliases of everyone risking arrest. Arrestees who call the legal aid number will give their aliases, and their true identities can then be passed on secretly to their affinity groups, lawyers, and families. There's little reason to try jail solidarity tactics unless you actually have enough people to tie up their system, so be conservative when considering this tactic; if the authorities are expecting a demonstration or similar event to result in arrests, they may be prepared to jail hundreds of people without difficulty.
It will happen that people will be arrested when no support structure has been prepared. In this case, the first challenge is for possible supporters outside to find out that people have been arrested, and where they are. If you are being arrested and you don't mind identifying yourself publicly, call out your name and a contact number to any-
In the event of arrest, especially during massive demonstrations or other chaos, you can withhold your identity from the police for a few hours, thus increasing the likelihood that they will lose track of what your charges are, who your arresting officer was, or other crucial information.
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You can refuse to answer any
questions by police officers,
other than giving your name and
address?and there is no reason you
would ever benefit from answering
their questions, or questions from
federal agents or other law enforcers,
no matter what they tell you, so keep
quiet and insist that you won't speak
until you've spoken with a lawyer.
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