Concerns have resurfaced about the safety of a young woman who filmed the moments after a white ex-Dallas cop shot Black PwC associate Botham Jean following the death of another witness in the case. Joshua Brown, a Black 28-year-old man, was shot to death Friday at his Dallas apartment complex 10 days after he testified Sept. 25 that he saw Amber Guyger on the phone in the hallway moments after she shot Jean. Continue reading
I was sickened by Botham Jean’s murder, the police cover-up, the protection of Amber Guyger, then to top it off, Judge Tammy Kemp’s totally inappropriate actions, despite Dallas County sheriff’s policy prohibiting contact with defendants. Now Ronnie Babbs is living the same kind of hell, panic, and horror Joshua Brown did, and his fears came to fruition.
My 1st thought was the Witness Protection Program, but after extensive research, I’m not sure if this would be the right choice for her; cut off from family and friends, the life she knew and knows. Do I have an answer? No. You can’t trust the police, the police murdered Botham and they probably murdered Joshua. Look what happened to the Michael Brown witnesses. Two young men were found dead inside torched cars. Three others died of alleged suicides.
Who will protect Ms. Babbs. #NBPP?
Ms. Babbs is a terrified young woman, and the exploration of the Witness Protection Program… ‘To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism, to steal from many is research’ the following information is based on several articles and not solely limited to the 3 links below.
When a witness decides to enter the Witness Protection Program (WITSEC), U.S. Marshals immediately arrive at the home to whisk witness away. Parents, spouses, children, siblings, and even mistresses are all taken to an orientation center. Some witnesses are prepared and wait for the Marshals with small bags; other surprised families leave pasta sauce still simmering on the stove. Administrators keep witnesses from taking anything which reveals their identity: family albums, diaries, even pictures and notes drawn by their kids.
WITSEC relocates witnesses to a place where they’d be comfortable, find employment and take care of their health and safety needs. Administrators work to make a new person exist. Families get legally sealed name changes and receive new social security cards, birth certificates, and drivers’ licenses. The program also works with doctors and school administrators to transfer medical records and report cards. Once a witness is relocated under their assumed name, their primary point of contact is a special U.S. Marshal known as a Witness Inspector who helps them ease into the new location, assisting them in establishing a credible-yet-concocted “history” for them through front companies and other bogus entities used to appear legitimate.
Relocated families receive a few thousand dollars a month stipend for a family, phased out after witnesses have time to look for a job. They also get temporary funding for housing and other basic expenses, which is only enough for a basic apartment and a used car. Since the government refuses to provide a fake credit history, witnesses struggle to secure products and services when companies demand financial information.
Witnesses’ memories are off-limits in their new life. They’re coached on how best to change the topic when people ask about their past. Unable to share anything honestly, witnesses struggle to make friends. A number of witnesses describe talking with family, who know their full identity, and the rest of the world, which does not, as switching between two different worlds. Some talk about themselves under their prior name in the third person.
Also, it’s not ordinary these days for adults or children not to use social networks, however, the risk is amplified by the increasing number of digital traces our lives create. In addition, companies and organizations now have much higher expectations for finding a paper trail / digital record for any individual, making it harder to create a credible new identity.
Life for relocated witnesses has proven remarkably safe, however, they experience the burden of constant lying and missing family events. Yes, the Marshals Service occasionally facilitates communication between relocated families and a few of the friends and family left behind, but for the most part, they’re completely cut off from family, and only in exceptional circumstances do people ever see them. Nor can witnesses ever return home. Many witnesses live in fear of being discovered and worry about a child letting their identity slip. Yet the hardest part of witness relocation is the way it seems to permanently alienate witnesses from both the rest of the world and themselves.
Citations:
https://tinyurl.com/yxcdmnp6
https://tinyurl.com/y4pk37td
https://tinyurl.com/y28kpeez
Kristeen Irigoyen-Hernandez
Human Rights Advocate, Researcher/Chronological Archivist and member in good standing with the Constitution First Amendment Press Association (CFAPA.org)
Kristeen Irigoyen-Hernandez aka Lady2Soothe Follow @OurVoicesEcho
Let Our Voices Echo 