Saturday, November 20, 2010

More on Vigansky

Another case Berrien County's Gerald Vigansky prosecuted last summer involved a 17-year-old Benton Harbor high school student who had a boyfriend, but no idea that a warrant for his arrest had been issued. She was arrested at school while rehearsing for graduation (typical technique used in these parts to instill "group fear" - in how many towns would cops wait until a teenager was in school to arrest them?) She innocently told police that she had been in a motel with her boyfriend, so they arrested her for aiding and abetting a fugitive. She had never been in court before, and was like a lamb going to slaughter with Vigansky vigorously attacking her, prosecuting her like a pit bull in a hearing where he forced her to plead guilty.

Like so many BH residents before her who's lives and liberty have been stolen from them by the Berrien County authorities, she will have a lifetime record preventing her from getting employment, entering college, and receiving grants. Or at least making these things much more difficult.