RESISTING TRIAL
A woman burned on her kitchen stove last June during a forceful
encounter with police was due to stand trial for resisting arrest on
Monday, January 14, but has had her trial delayed for a fourth time.
Kemisha Samuels, 25, originally faced trial for resisting arrest last
July, and now her hearing is scheduled for February 11. “It’s
ridiculous,” she says. “It’s holding me back from moving on with my
life.” Samuels filed a tort claim with the city on October 9, 2007,
announcing her intention to sue for excessive force. “Our client is
eager to see this case brought to justice,” says Samuels’ civil
attorney, Benjamin Haile. “And she is frustrated by these numerous
state setbacks.” MATT DAVIS
RENT-A-COPS GET NEW TRAINING
Portland’s rent-a-cops will get a two-hour training on homelessness,
as part of ongoing negotiations on better oversight for the firm
Portland Patrol, Inc. (PPI). Street Roots, Sisters of the Road,
and the Oregon Law Center met with PPI boss John Hren last Thursday,
January 10, and agreed that Street Roots would create the
training for the PPI officers. The session—which would include an
overview of homelessness—would establish an ongoing strategy so
that someone is talking to security guards about laws affecting people
on the streets, specifically park exclusions, on an ongoing basis.
MD