Sexual Assault Victim Arrested for Recording Officer Misconduct
Twenty-year-old Tiawanda Moore went to Chicago Police Headquarters to report being fondled by an officer. But Internal Affairs didn't want to take her complaint. After asking for new investigators and being refused, Moore turned on her Blackberry recorder to document this second instance of police misconduct. When the investigators realized they were being taped, they promptly arrested Moore for eavesdropping, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 15 years.Meanwhile, as Moore awaits trial in May, no disciplinary action has been taken against the officer who groped her. (Not to mention the officers who refused to accept her complaint. Moore's lawyer, Robert Johnson, reports that officials " investigation the claim not is>promptly arrested Moore for eavesdropping, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 15 years.
Meanwhile, as Moore awaits trial in May, no disciplinary action has been taken against the officer who groped her. (Not to mention the officers who refused to accept her complaint. Moore's lawyer, Robert Johnson, reports that officials "claim the investigation is not completed" -- even though it's been over half-a-year since Moore attempted to make her complaint. As the "investigation" drags on for no apparent reason, the police officer has not been temporarily suspended, and is free to continue assaulting and harassing other women.
The Chicago Taskforce on Violence against Girls and Young Women has taken up Tiawanda Moore's cause and launched a petition on her behalf on Change.org, calling for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to drop the eavesdropping charges and for the police sexual misconduct investigation to be undertaken in a timely manner.
Moore didn't know that by turning on a recorder she was committing an illegal act, and the idea that attempting to document misconduct by police would put you away for 15 years is ludicrous. On a broader level, a law such as this one is designed to protect law enforcement at the expense of the people they're supposed to serve, fuels a culture deeply opposed to transparency, and puts victims in jail while giving corrupt officers a free pass.
In addition, the law in question has a pretty key exception: it doesn't apply to an individual who holds a "reasonable suspicion" that they're about to be victim of a crime. Given that Moore was a subject of police misconduct at the time she turned on her cellphone, it seems pretty clear that the charges against her are bogus. The arrest and her pending trial seem more results of a vendetta by people caught in the act of doing wrong than a reasonable response to her actions -- by people who know Moore is a vulnerable target without the resources to fight back against a cover-up by some bad Chicago cops.
Unless you help her. Join with the Chicago Taskforce in calling for the ridiculous charges against a sexual assault victim to be dropped and for a real investigation to hold the perpetrator accountable. If you live in the Chicago area and are interested in attending Moore's trial (tentatively scheduled for May 3), you can email chitaskforce@gmail.com for more info.
Photo credit: Honou
Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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