A conversation with Beth Shelburne on ‘Blood Money'
Journalist Beth Shelburne spent over a year investigating the Alabama Department of Corrections, pulling court documents, financial records and internal documents to track settlements over excessive force and what happened to those involved. In 'Blood Money,' a four-part series that ran on the Alabama Reflector last month, Shelburne revealed the state had spent tens of millions of dollars to settle litigation alleging assaults on inmates that led to hospitalizations, brain damage or death. Most of that money went to attorneys for corrections officers. Some officers at the center of multiple allegations excessive force received promotions afterward.
Shelburne discussed the series with Louisiana Illuminator Editor Greg LaRose on the Illuminator's podcast, 'The Light Switch.'
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2 days ago
Colorado deputies disciplined for helping federal immigration agents
DENVER -- Two Colorado deputies have been disciplined for violating state law by helping federal agents make immigration arrests, and their sheriff says officers from other agencies have done the same. One of the deputies, Alexander Zwinck, was sued by Colorado's attorney general last week, after his cooperation with federal immigration agents on a drug task force was revealed following the June arrest of a college student from Brazil with an expired visa. Following an internal investigation, a second Mesa County Sheriff's Office deputy and task force member, Erik Olson, was also found to have shared information. The two deputies used a Signal chat to relay information to federal agents, according to documents released Wednesday by the sheriff's office. Zwinck was placed on three weeks of unpaid leave, and Olson was given two weeks of unpaid leave, Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell said in a statement. Both were removed from the task force. Two supervisors also were disciplined. One was suspended without pay for two days, and another received a letter of reprimand. A third supervisor received counseling. The lawsuit and disciplinary actions come as lawmakers in Colorado and other Democratic-led states have crafted legislation intended to push back against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Since Trump took office, pro-immigrant bills have advanced through legislatures in Illinois, Vermont, California, Connecticut and other states. The measures include stronger protections for immigrants in housing, employment and police encounters. Trump has enlisted hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies to help identify immigrants in the U.S. illegally and detain them for potential deportation. The Republican also relaxed longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools, churches and hospitals. Zwinck was sued under a new state law signed by Gov. Jared Polis about two weeks before the arrest of the student from Brazil. It bars local government employees including law enforcement from sharing identifying information about people with federal immigration officials. Previously, only state agencies were barred from doing that. It's one of a series of laws limiting the state's involvement in immigration enforcement passed over the years that has drawn criticism and a lawsuit from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey, alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws. Zwinck and Olson told officials they thought they were operating according to long-standing procedures. However, the internal investigation found they had both received and read two emails prior to the passage of the new law about previous limits on cooperation with immigration officials. The most recent was sent on Jan. 30, 2025, after an official for Homeland Security Investigations, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had asked state and local law enforcement officers at a law enforcement meeting to contact HSI or ICE if they arrested a person for a violent crime who was believed not to be a citizen, the investigation documents said. The email said not to contact HSI or ICE. Zwinck said he didn't know about the new law and was not interested in immigration enforcement. 'When I was out there, I wanted to find drugs, guns and bad guys," Zwinck said at a July 23 disciplinary hearing. "And sending that information to HSI they provided the ability to give me real time background information on the person I was in contact with,' he said. Olson, who said he had been with the sheriff's office 18 years, testified at his disciplinary hearing that it was 'standard practice' to send information up to federal agents during traffic stops. "It was routine for ICE to show up on the back end of a traffic stop to do their thing,' Olson said. 'I truly thought what we were doing was condoned by our supervision and lawful.' A lawyer at a law firm listed as representing both deputies, Michael Lowe, did not immediately return a telephone call or email seeking comment. Rowell said drug task force members from other law enforcement agencies, including the Colorado State Patrol, also shared information with immigration agents on the Signal chat. The state patrol denied the claim. The sheriff faulted Attorney General Phil Weiser for filing the lawsuit against Zwinck before a local internal investigation was complete. He called on the Democrat, who is running for governor, to drop it. 'As it stands, the lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office sends a demoralizing message to law enforcement officers across Colorado — that the law may be wielded selectively and publicly for maximum political effect rather than applied fairly and consistently,' he said. Weiser said last week that he was investigating whether other officers in the chat violated the law. Spokesperson Lawrence Pacheco said Weiser was presented with evidence of a 'blatant violation of state law' and had to act.
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Colorado deputies disciplined for helping federal immigration agents
DENVER (AP) — Two Colorado deputies have been disciplined for violating state law by helping federal agents make immigration arrests, and their sheriff says officers from other agencies have done the same. One of the deputies, Alexander Zwinck, was sued by Colorado's attorney general last week, after his cooperation with federal immigration agents on a drug task force was revealed following the June arrest of a college student from Brazil with an expired visa. Following an internal investigation, a second Mesa County Sheriff's Office deputy and task force member, Erik Olson, was also found to have shared information. The two deputies used a Signal chat to relay information to federal agents, according to documents released Wednesday by the sheriff's office. Zwinck was placed on three weeks of unpaid leave, and Olson was given two weeks of unpaid leave, Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell said in a statement. Both were removed from the task force. Two supervisors also were disciplined. One was suspended without pay for two days, and another received a letter of reprimand. A third supervisor received counseling. State laws push back against Trump crackdown The lawsuit and disciplinary actions come as lawmakers in Colorado and other Democratic-led states have crafted legislation intended to push back against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Since Trump took office, pro-immigrant bills have advanced through legislatures in Illinois, Vermont, California, Connecticut and other states. The measures include stronger protections for immigrants in housing, employment and police encounters. Trump has enlisted hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies to help identify immigrants in the U.S. illegally and detain them for potential deportation. The Republican also relaxed longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools , churches and hospitals. Zwinck was sued under a new state law signed by Gov. Jared Polis about two weeks before the arrest of the student from Brazil. It bars local government employees including law enforcement from sharing identifying information about people with federal immigration officials. Previously, only state agencies were barred from doing that. It's one of a series of laws limiting the state's involvement in immigration enforcement passed over the years that has drawn criticism and a lawsuit from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey , alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws. Officers say they were following established procedures Zwinck and Olson told officials they thought they were operating according to long-standing procedures. However, the internal investigation found they had both received and read two emails prior to the passage of the new law about previous limits on cooperation with immigration officials. The most recent was sent on Jan. 30, 2025, after an official for Homeland Security Investigations, part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had asked state and local law enforcement officers at a law enforcement meeting to contact HSI or ICE if they arrested a person for a violent crime who was believed not to be a citizen, the investigation documents said. The email said not to contact HSI or ICE. Zwinck said he didn't know about the new law and was not interested in immigration enforcement. 'When I was out there, I wanted to find drugs, guns and bad guys,' Zwinck said at a July 23 disciplinary hearing. 'And sending that information to HSI they provided the ability to give me real time background information on the person I was in contact with,' he said. Olson, who said he had been with the sheriff's office 18 years, testified at his disciplinary hearing that it was 'standard practice' to send information up to federal agents during traffic stops. 'It was routine for ICE to show up on the back end of a traffic stop to do their thing,' Olson said. 'I truly thought what we were doing was condoned by our supervision and lawful.' A lawyer at a law firm listed as representing both deputies, Michael Lowe, did not immediately return a telephone call or email seeking comment. Rowell said drug task force members from other law enforcement agencies, including the Colorado State Patrol, also shared information with immigration agents on the Signal chat. The state patrol denied the claim. The sheriff faulted Attorney General Phil Weiser for filing the lawsuit against Zwinck before a local internal investigation was complete. He called on the Democrat, who is running for governor, to drop it. 'As it stands, the lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office sends a demoralizing message to law enforcement officers across Colorado — that the law may be wielded selectively and publicly for maximum political effect rather than applied fairly and consistently,' he said. Weiser said last week that he was investigating whether other officers in the chat violated the law. Spokesperson Lawrence Pacheco said Weiser was presented with evidence of a 'blatant violation of state law' and had to act. 'The attorney general has a duty to enforce state laws and protect Coloradans and he'll continue to do so,' Pacheco said. ___ Brown reported from Billings, Montana. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. 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San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland Palestinian cafe responds to antisemitism lawsuit from Trump administration
An Oakland coffee shop accused by the U.S. Department of Justice in a civil rights lawsuit of antisemitic discrimination is pushing back against allegations its employees and owner harassed and denied service to Jewish people. Jerusalem Coffee House owner Abdulrahim Harara decried the lawsuit, as well as another related suit, at a Wednesday morning press conference. 'These lawsuits and campaigns to silence and destroy us are an effort to fracture our community. They will not succeed,' he said before a crowd of media and supporters at a meeting space in the same building as his cafe. He did not answer questions. A Palestinian coffee shop and events space, Jerusalem Coffee House has been an outspoken voice against Israel's military attacks on Palestinian territories. The business opened in late 2023, serving tahini-date lattes and pastries infused with Arab flavors like za'atar and rose water. Last year, it received criticism for releasing a new menu on October 7 that included a juice named 'Sweet Sinwar.' Owners said the name was not related to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and that the timing was coincidental. The DOJ lawsuit was filed in June by Attorney General Pamela Bondi in the Northern District of California. It cited two incidents of alleged antisemitism, as well as the shop's iconography and drinks like the Sweet Sinwar. (Under the Civil Rights Act, it's illegal to refuse service to customers on the basis of race or religion.) The DOJ lawsuit states the first episode occurred around June 10, 2024, when Michael Radice of Los Angeles was asked by a man identified as an employee of the coffee shop if he was 'a Jew' and 'a Zionist,' and accused him of being complicit in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip. The lawsuit states Radice was wearing a hat with a blue Star of David and a message meaning 'the people of Israel live' during the interaction. Weeks later, Radice allegedly returned to purchase a cookie and was told to leave. On Oct. 26, Oakland resident Jonathan Hirsch ordered a coffee at the shop and sat down to play chess with his son, according to the suit. The lawsuit alleges that owner Harara asked Hirsch, who was wearing a ballcap with the Star of David, if he was a Zionist before ordering him and his son to leave. Hirsch filmed part of the interaction which was shared on social media. A police report states the confrontation 'is being documented as a hate incident.' Hirsch also has a history of making confrontational videos and courting controversy. The Brandeis Center, a civil rights group advocating for the rights of Jewish people, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hirsch against Jerusalem Coffee House in March, seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages. The case is ongoing. Glenn Katon, the attorney representing Harara, told the Chronicle that the government's lawsuit was a political stunt with no real merit. He said the business is being attacked for being a voice for Palestinian human rights under the guise of antisemitism. 'It is a cut-and-paste job of the two bogus private lawsuits,' Katon said. 'DOJ appears to have done no independent investigation.' A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the suit, which is ongoing. That suit doesn't seek monetary damages. Under the part of the Civil Rights Act it's invoking, it can't. Instead, the department seeks an injunction, which would amount to a court order barring the shop from its alleged discrimination. 'These are two kind of bizarre incidents that we believe are not born out of antisemitism at all, but whatever they are, they are not the type of institutional discrimination that these laws were designed to address,' the attorney said. But the cost of the lawsuits could be a blow, Katon said. Even if there is no punitive action from the DOJ, the cost of the lawsuits can affect the business, which is fundraising to offset those costs. It had raised more than $18,000 of a $100,000 goal as of Wednesday. Speakers standing with Harara included members of activist groups Jewish Voice for Peace, a group advocating for an end to Israeli attacks on Palestine, and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. They condemned Israel's war in Gaza: Gaza's Health Ministry said this week that more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed. 'When the government tries to silence Palestinian voices we stand with them,' said Rabbi Cat Zavis of Jewish Voice for Peace.
