3-Strike Stories: Patrick Moore
August 21, 1998
Dear friends,
Thank you for your recent correspondence. In reply to your news letter it
is my wish to relate some thoughts of my own regarding today's administration
of justice. "Who's the Victim?" The injustice of the legal system is
not limited only to the Three Strikes issue. Case in point: I was chased by the
San Diego P.D. from one end of the town to the other; and threatened with jail
for sleeping in my car, subjected to searches and warrent checks constantly,
until finally they towed my car away in December of '96. During that same month
however, I was fortunate enough to find a part time job through the help of a
lady friend. And a place to live temporarily with my new boss who was good
enough to help me get off the streets. When the cops learned where I was
living, they came to the apartment and arrested me on phony charges of bank
robbery and selling drugs. I had been breaking none of their laws, but merely
trying to make an honest living and attempting to get back on my feet. yet,
these cops weren't satisfied; they threw me in jail on trumped up charges, told
my boss I was a thief, and even went to my place of employment and hung out
there, chasing away customers who say police everywhere, until finally the
districts manager of the store chain told my boss to get rid of me. When I got
out of jail three days later, never having gone to court as charges were
dropped, I returned to my boss's house only to be told I was fired, and was no
longer welcome there. Back on the streets I became ill with double pneumonia
and was subsequently admitted to the Veterans Hospital in La Jolla. After my
discharge from the medical center, I returned to the streets, having nowhere to
go. Then, three weeks later I was re-admitted to the VA hospital for a life
threatenting condition and received lung surgery. Two weeks later, back on the
streets. After seven days and nights of this, hiding at night behind trash
dumpsters in alleys from teh cops and being sick still, I went into a store and
took a $12.00 T-shirt, not because I wanted it, but because I wanted to die or
go to jail; I didn't care which -- I was too sick and depressed to care about
anything any more. I had tried desperately for three years to find a job and a
place to live; then when I finally did, the gestopo came and took it all away
from me for no reason other than cruelty. I had not been in any serious trouble
for over twelve years, and when my wife passed away in April '94, I could no
longer maintain living expenses and ended up in the car. I missed her terribly,
was lonely and depressed and just wanted to die. But instead of offering some
help, the cops only chased me around town, telling me to "get out of their
state," meaning California, and particularly San Diego, where I had grown
up and lived most of my life. At age 19 I was drafted into the U.S. Army where
I served during the Korean War and Viet-nam. And now, at age 60 I get a life
sentence merely for trying to exist in this world. My strikable priors were 30
years old, and I was never acused nor arrested for violence or weapons of any
kind. In fact, when I committed those burglaries back in 1969, I was mentally
ill, and was sent to prison for those offenses. Now, I must pay for them once
again. Here I sit in an 8 x 10' cell for life, just as if I had commited
murder. What this has taught me is to never again trust the badge of authority.
To me, the police are the enemy. They represent a callous and corrupt
government that singles out minorities for prosecution. My trial was a farce in
a kangaroo court. I was threatened my the judge as well as my court appointed
P.D. when I dared to question the wisdom of a forced jury trial, where I had no
one to defend me.
I had a P.D. who merely went throught he motions, and the judge himself
yelled at me in court when i expressed a desire for assignment to a different
court when I expressed a desire for assignment to a different court room and
for a non-jury trial. There was absolutely no one on my side, only prosecutors,
judge, destrict atty and Public Defender who himself was only an extension of
the prosecution. It was a done deal from the start, and that is why they
existed on a jury trial against my wishes; just to add weight to the
conviction. The jury was never informed of my delimma or my reasons for taking
the shirt. Nor were they told until afer conviction that this was a three
strikes case. This was just like the middle ages, the inquisition or the Salem
witch trials of 1692. This mass media hype returns today's society to those
earlier crimes against "selected individuals;" and I'm not the least
bit surprised at the foreign and domestic terrorism towards this country. Our
own government is responsible. In fact, I truly believe that this is only the
beginning of the end for the U.S. as a world power. Corruption is its won
enemy. I'm not a radical, but rather sadly disilluisned by a system in which I
once had some faith. I used to feel a sense of rightness, not necessarily
pride, in having been a veteran in the fight for freedom and justice throughout
the world. Now I see how naive I was, and sad to say that I no longer feel the
same about this country. It's all a big lie! And if I ever get out of prison, I
plan to leave this country and never return. I would sooner die in poverty
elsewhere than in prison here. I have lost my trust, my faith and my hope for
justice in this country. Call me what they will, I don't care, but I would not
wish to be in the shoes of our law makers come Judgement Day. Whatever wrongs
I've committed in my life, I'm paying them now. I don't believe that the judge
who sent me here can make any claims to innocense. We pay, all of us in the end
for the wrongs we do. That judge is no exception to the rule. No one is above
God's law. This country and all its criminals of oppression will pay.
If you wish to publish this letter in full or in part, please feel
absolutely free to do so. I have told the truth here and I do not exaggerate.
Also, if someone in your organization, anyone, would please take a moment to
respond to me, just to let me know that in fact you did receive this letter I
would be very grateful. It is so very important I feel, that people out there
are made aware of the injustices practised by all law enforcement agencies; not
oly the courts.
Thank you for your time and consideration in reading this letter and
please, if you can, a brief note letting me know this has reached you.
God bless all of you,
Sincerely,
Patrick Moore
K-78329 C5-132
P.O.Box 2900
Represa, CA 95671-0066
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Date last modified: 11/19/98.