OpEdNews - Page 2 of Article: Alex Sanchez Denied Bail

Alex Sanchez will have to show that he was not an active participant in any crime, that his presence on wiretapped conversations was not evidence of murderous intent and/or that multiple dangers precluded him from just hanging up. It is possible that the tapes themselves will unravel into garbled discussions proving nothing resembling a conspiracy. But the government will refuse to release the tapes for as many months as possible, while Sanchez remains locked away. In the end, the real conspirators may prove to be the LAPD and FBI elements who continue to blame Sanchez for causing them embarrassment in the Rampart scandal a decade ago, when they tried to imprison and deport him.

A movement to demand bail and a fair trial for Sanchez was announced immediately after the bail denial. Led by Homies Unidos activists, the defense committee released over 100 letters from Salvadoran community leaders, gang-prevention groups from across the country, and an array of clergy including Father Boyle, Rabbi Allen Freehling, Rabbi Steve Jacobs and Minister Tony Muhammad of the Nation of Islam, who attended the bail proceedings. The website wearealex.com is issuing regular updates on the case.

Tom Hayden is a former California state senator and author of Street Wars (Verso, 2005). more...

1 | 2