Justice or Just Us . . . You Decide: Sometimes the Truth Won’T Set You Free

Justice or Just Us…

You Decide

SOMETIMES THE TRUTH WON’T SET YOU FREE

Sasha Hood

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© Copyright 2013 Sasha Hood.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN:

978-1-4907-1915-3 (sc)

ISBN:

978-1-4907-1917-7 (hc)

ISBN:

978-1-4907-1916-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013920225

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DEDICATION

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO all my innocent brothers and sisters that have ever been racially profiled and their voices were never heard. In writing my book I hope to show the world that Justice or Just Us is something that is happening more frequently than the world could ever imagine. We are seeing more and more in the news and videos of how racially uneven the world is if you are of color. This is our time to take a stand and bring about changes that are desperately needed in the Judicial System for our future and our children’s future. One voice can start a chain reaction to get the wheels turning for change, and I am hoping my voice can be one that helps define And Justice For All.

It will no longer be a dirty little secret that is swept underneath the judicial rug of blind justice. I will fight for the equality of rights for every ethnicity and am asking you to let your voice be heard as well. If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes all of us to fight to uphold our constitutional rights. We can no longer stay silent. Justice or Just Us… You Decide.

How many times have you been stopped by the law as a person of color when you know that you were following the laws of the road? How many times were you found guilty when you have done nothing wrong? How many times did you think that the law was for everyone? How many times did you say to yourself how did I get here, when all your life you did all the right things? How many times did you fight in the courtroom for justice and knew that the cop was lying and all your evidence you had still did not hold up? How many times have you heard the police say I am judge, jury and executioner?

These are some of the things that I had to answer in my novel Justice or Just Us… . You Decide.

I gave so much of me,

That I didn’t have anymore left for me.

So what do I do now God?

All I can do is cry,

But all I want is to die.

Knowing my faith is too strong,

To know that I belong.

In a world that I don’t know

I guess I still need to grow.

God gave me the strength to survive,

To know I WILL stay alive.

And be all YOU chose ME to be,

To help ALL those that can not see!

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK God first for helping me endure such a traumatic experience and bringing me out a better person. God puts people in our lives for a reason. We may not know the reason, but the journey is so much fun to explore. Every person that crosses your path is a hand in God’s work. God has a plan for each and every one of us. Never question, never ask why, just know that God is in total control. God knows what He is doing! Always minimize yourself, and maximize God, cause without Him, there is n o you!

I would like to thank Evan and May at Trafford for all their assistance in helping me see my dream come true.

Donna, you are my world. Without you, my dream would have died. Thank you in being by my side through this and believing in me. I love you more mom! We’ve gone through Hell and back, and seen things most would never understand. But as always, we ALWAYS come out on top. I guess that’s just a family trait. Great strength comes from God and birth.

Todd, I will always love you for helping me see my dreams come to life and for always finding that loophole. You’re the best! You kept me going even when I did not have the strength or words to persevere. You had faith in me even when I wanted to give up. You gave me strength, hope, brilliant ideas to keep me strong. Without you in my path for this journey I would have been lost. You are Heaven sent. I love you Cricket!

David, you are my rock, my sounding board, my best friend, my confidant. I want to thank you for being the uplifting God fearing man you are, even when I don’t see the light, you seem to have that flashlight to see me thru the darkness. I love you David.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1   Background Information On Sasha Ford

Chapter 2   Devils Village Apartments Introduction of Becky & Jesus with Police Information

Chapter 3   Introduction to witnesses & Devils Village Staff

Chapter 4   Devils Village Apartment Reports

Chapter 5   Police Report & Altercation

Chapter 6   Introduction of Cameron, Hospital reports Jail

Chapter 7   Devils Village Reports

Chapter 8   Police Report on Altercation, Becky & Jesus’s statements

Chapter 9   Day after Jail & initial Court Proceedings

Chapter 10   Devils Village Notices and Letters, Anger Management Information

Chapter 11   Attorney Dick Pebble and witnesses Notes

Chapter 12   Devils Village Apartments Notes

Chapter 13   Termination of Dick Pebble

Chapter 15   The Trial

Chapter 16   The Verdict, Introduction to Appeals Sentencing & Franco Costa-Rica Attorney And the Hearing

Chapter 17   Motion for a new Trial & Appeals

Chapter 18   Appeals Process

Chapter 19   Appeals Decision

Chapter 20   Restitution, Jail, Home Monitoring Anger Management

CHAPTER 1

I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS SHIT is happening to me at age 42. I never had a problem in my adult years or record with the Police or Courts. I was in upper management for over 12 years of my life in healthcare. I worked for over 18 years in healthcare. I took in other peoples’ kids and raised them on my salary alone. I was a model citizen. I donated my time, clothes, shoes, purses, furniture, computers, dvd’s, cars, money and self to homeless charities, 3 rd world countries, neighborhood friends, neighborhood kids and family and was on top of the world. I never imagined in a million years that I was facing jail time for a crime I did not c ommit.

I lived my life above the law and respected Police and the Judicial System. Hell my brother is a District Attorney for Christ sake. I hung out with Police, Judges and Attorneys practically all my life. When I lived in the Anytown, California for over 35 years of my life, everyone knew everyone. No discrimination, no racial profiling, it was all about the Benjamin’s’ (money). If you could afford to live there then the color of your skin was obsolete. I was raised to respect the law and abide by it at all cost. This was imbedded in my brain. If you respect the Police, then you would never have any problems… BULLSHIT!

I had a condo in Anytown, California that I shared with my husband and other people’s kids for years. I took in my niece Teri starting from the end of the 8th grade up until the first semester senior year from High School. I had taken Brandon, my other brother’ son, in from the 10th grade to graduation. I also took in his best friend Austin at the same time so Brandon would feel more comfortable. Along with my teenagers, ALL of their friends accompanied them to my home.

I gave the kids a safe haven as well as protected, provided, taught, and helped them and their families through all the rough patches of growing up as a teenage in this day and age. In their yearbook pictures they made captions about Party at Auntie Sasha’s House. I thought that was cute. The parents were okay with the living situation for I met most of them and they knew either someone from my family or me. All school events I would have the parents of the kids at my home and we would all get together for pictures and just talk. I explained to the parents that their kids would come to me and talk about all types of personal issues they could not talk to their parents about. I reassured each and every one of them that I would take care of the little issues, but if it was something I felt that the parents needed to know, then either the kid or I will get them involved. I had parents calling me asking me to talk to their kids for they felt there was something going on and the kids would not talk to them. I explained that I would talk to them but whatever is said to me I will have to keep it confidential unless it is something that needed to involve them. I had to allow the kids to feel like whatever they said to me was confidential. Each parent was fine with this.

All the kids that hung out at my house graduated High School. They would be there everyday. I had them on strict schedules for homework. They knew no play until the work was finished. I even acted like a teacher and went over every piece of their schoolwork before I would allow them to do anything else.

I worked at a Hospital as a Director in Finance and Manager of the Pain Clinic. I had 4 cars, over 300 suits, expensive purses, more shoes than Imelda Marcos, lots of diamonds and jewelry, every electronic known to mankind, over 1500 DVD, s, new furniture every 2 years, name it, I had it. I was living the American dream. I made sure I surrounded myself with the finer things in life. That’s all I knew. I was raised with the finer things in life and expected that for myself once I grew up.

My husband did not work for several years and felt that a woman should work and take care of him. For 8 years of my life, that was not a problem since I was no Susie homemaker. He took care of the house and all the honey do list that I would leave for him. He had champagne taste and caviar dreams. Everything he wanted I got for him.

I took in my family’s kids, and other people’s kids since I could not have any of my own. I was living a plush life. Everything I ever wanted God gave it to me.