Ep. 32 - Law for Liberation ft. Tia Haywood & Jesús Vargas

BrownTown kicks back with Tia Haywood and Jesús Vargas of the
Haywood Monte Law Offices to discuss the role of the legal
system, public opinion, and grassroots activism in holding the
criminal justice system accountable while working within its very
framework. The gang examines recent Chicago cases and breaks down
how narratives and precedents can shape the path for future
equity, for better or for worse. Originally recorded February 18,
2019.


 


The American political climate has been largely and saliently
polarized with the Trump administration’s legal decisions and
executive orders while Chicago has also been highly visible for
legal controversy in the Jason Van Dyke trial and the proceedings
and activism surrounding it. Tia and Jesús help BrownTown better
understand the ins and outs of the criminal justice system and
immigration law through their roles in the very legal
institutions that govern us. The Coalition to Dump Matt Coghlan
campaign  successfully unseated the problematic Cook County
judge in November 2018. Tia and Jesús harp on the importance of
court watching and attending public meetings to gather first-hand
information about criminal justice operatives (lawyers, judges,
etc.) and elected officials that continuously make real decisions
that effect so many lives. Tia dives into the world of
immigration law and immigration rights, explaining that
immigration courts are all too similar to criminal courts yet
without certain protections. As the group dives into the
particulars of systematic procedures, BrownTown and Jesús discuss
how dominant, problematic narratives sway how criminal justice
operatives can and will apply laws and precedents selectively
(see Brock Turner vs. Meek Mill). In regards to the unpoliticized
or those, at-the-moment, unscathed by problematic laws and/or
enforcement of such, Tia alludes that these forces don’t affect
you…until they affect you, adding that by the time you need
support and resources for a situation you never thought you would
be in, it’s too late to act (see “First They Came” poem).


BrownTown grapples with what true justice for Laquan McDonald
looks like in practice and in policy. Beyond the bureaucracy
itself, through personal narratives and stories of both the most
and least marginalized, how do we use law and bureaucratic
institutions to challenge the root causes of systemic issues?
With a "broken" and complicated system, how do we not only
imagine a different world but practically work towards it? Here’s
BrownTown's take.


Mentioned:



Read related SoapBox article "Chicago
at a Crossroads"

Kwame Raoul’s review of the sentencing

Chicago Police Department's code of silence case

#NoCopAcademy



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GUESTS
Tia Haywood, born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, is the
Managing Attorney and Solo-Practitioner of Haywood Monte Law
Offices and consultant to Shiller Preyar Law Offices mainly
specializing in immigration, civil rights, and criminal defense.
She graduated from Howard University (undergraduate), Case
Western Reserve University School of Law, and Comillas Pontificia
Universidad (Masters of Law). Tia has volunteered with Centro Sin
Fronteras as a Lead Attorney, First Defense Legal Aid, Chicago
Community Bond Fund, and countless other groups.


Jesús Vargas, raised on the Northwest side of Chicago, is a
21-year-old paralegal at Haywood Monte Law Offices, who has
previously volunteered with ALSO (Alliance of Local Service
Organizations) and CeaseFire. From a young age, he was active in
the community, attending and participating in numerous marches
and protests dealing with criminal justice reform and
immigration.


Visit Tia and Jesús at the Haywood Monte Law Offices at the
Westside Justice Center!


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CREDITS: Intro/outro song Winter in
America by Gil Scott Heron. Audio engineered by Genta
Tamashiro. Episode art and Bourbon 'n BrownTown logo by Desirae
Gladden.


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