National Lawyers Guild Chicago Chapter

The Libby Scooter:

These "KYR!" teach-ins are a local service of the National Lawyers Guild, Chicago chapter. Along with the Legal Observer Program and the Mass Defense Committee, the KYR teach-ins are part of a comprehensive system of legal support to enable people to express their political views as fully as possible, without unconstitutional disruption or interference by the government, and with the least onerous consequences from the criminal justice system. On October 15, 2005, the NLG Chicago chapter and DePaul law student chapter hosted a KYR! teach-in at DePaul University School of Law's downtown Loop campus. Fifty activists from a wide variety of nonviolent protest movements and groups attended. The Guild attorney presenters were James Fennerty (past president of NLG Chicago), Janine Hoft of the People's Law Office and Melinda Power of the West Town Community Law Office (773-278-6706). Jim has an established criminal defense and civil rights practice. Melinda has defended people arrested at the antiwar demonstrations on March 19, 2005. Jani is one of the attorneys suing the City of Chicago on behalf of those arrested on Michigan Avenue on March 20, 2003, protesting the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. A previous KYR event, on May 14, 2005, is pictured. NLG Chicago attorneys informed local activists about police tactics, arrests, criminal court procedure and special concerns for people who are not United States citizens. Presenters were Jani, Melinda, and (at podium) Susan Compernolle of Rubman & Compernolle, a local attorney specializing in immigration law. If I Get Arrested What Might I Expect? -- Melinda Power's presentation materials with practical information for demonstrators on the Chicago Police Department's arrest and booking procedures. (You will need Acrobat Reader to view the document) Crowd Control -- Special Response Team Training -- The Chicago Police Department's training materials on crowd control. (Editorial note: Sound boring? Au contraire. Who would have thought that Chicago's finest are taught to imagine themselves as Spartans oiling themselves for the fight to the death before the climactic battle at Thermopylae? Or as part of the massive Macedonian phalanx confronting Darius' Immortals at Issus? Liberal education is not dead, certainly not at the CPD. Also, if you've attended a demo lately, see which participant category you fall into on page 11: "'Single-issue' terrorist," "Emotionally Repressed," "Criminal Opportunist" or "Swept-in Bystanders & the Curious.") In the wake of the Area 2 torture scandal, the Illinois Legislature passed a law that police interrogations of suspects in custody must be recorded. The lawyer for the Chicago police superintendent wrote a memo about the new procedure. What to Do if Questioned by Police, FBI, Customs Agents or Immigration Officers -- general information from the National Lawyers Guild National Office and Bay Area Chapter in English, Spanish, Arabic, Farsi and Punjabi. This information does not deal specifically with the rights of demonstrators. (You will need Acrobat Reader to view the documents.)