The trumped up charges against Revok have reeked of suspicion ever since his arrest. From nabbing Revok in the first place for a parole violation and not a new crime, to the exorbitant $320,000 bail, to be sentenced to half a year in jail a day after the arrest, the whole thing seemed like there was something bigger going on.
The LAPD were clearly looking for someone to make an example of doing graffiti outside MOCA. But when they hadn't made an arrest on the streets after the first week, they wanted a high profile name to take down. There was probably a short list of high profile arrests, so short, there was probably only one name on it--Revok.
We think that the real reason that the LAPD went after Revok so viciously and in such an aggressive manner is because Revok has fought back against police brutality by posting stories of police abuse on his website, like this one describing how the cop (pictured above) had eventually been fired for raping a woman while on duty, but no charges have been pressed against him. And the woman was further abused by the system. After she had 'called 911 for help, when police arrived she was victimized repeatedly – sexually assaulted, mistreated by backup officers and then jailed on trumped-up charges when she refused to remain silent'. Since the mainstream media rarely touches real stories like this anymore and doesn't do investigative journalism, Revok dared to give the story some light. And because of his doing this, all indications seem to suggest that his arrest was not because of the violation, it was personal.
And now Revok has been abused by the system.
Regardless of how people feel about graffiti or vandalism, everyone should be alarmed about the way that this case has been handled, and the way in which Revok's rights to due process have been trampled. Being a graffiti writer, society might label Revok as a 'criminal', but it is clear from the way that this has been handled that the real bad guys are the ones who put him behind bars.
You can still show your support for Revok by helping raise money for his legal defense fund over on 1xRUN.
Greatest Post ever
ReplyDeleteF.H
Wow...FTP...Don't let the man get you down...
ReplyDeletedirty ass cops ruining it for the rest of them. here is another case in trial in NYC right now: http://gothamist.com/2011/04/15/cops_raped_me_left_me_in_a_pool_of.php
ReplyDeletei was thinking this the whole time. this whole ordeal seems very personal. if you follow Revok's blog you know he stands strong on dirty police work, which mainstream media seems to steer clear of quite often these days. great post M&F. looking forward to hearing more about this case as it unfolds. somethings been fishy about this thing the whole time and i think you guys nailed it on the head. praying for you jason stay strong!
ReplyDeleteMOCA is a hot spot right now, and I don not recommend putting stickers, writing, paste or anything up around the area. I just visited MOCA a week ago with my friend and I was putting a sticker up on that green electrical box near MOCA's parking lot and I got stopped by a undercover police who removed the sticker and told me to leave the area or I would be ticketed. Be safe you guys & be aware MOCA is hot spot right now.
ReplyDelete"Abuse of power comes as no surprise" Jenny Holzer @jennyholzer
ReplyDeletewww.andrewbrin.com
A woman was stabbed in the stomach on Melrose last week right around the corner from my house - no suspects. OJ gets less bail than Revok. WHAT CONSTITUTES CRIME IN THIS CITY? Great post, sad but true.
ReplyDeleteThe fact you think he violated parole shows you don't know what you are talking about.
ReplyDeletestand tall, stand proud don't let the system abuse you unless you're a little snitch
ReplyDeleteseriously? revok was busted because he has been caught several times,never paid what he owed on restitution and was trying to violate probation by leaving the country. no one cares about his website. He has burnt himself to a crisp.period
ReplyDeleteWant to know the real reason his bail is so high? You play you pay! Here it is from Revoks personal newspaper (The LA Weekly) that only writes about AWR/MSK:
ReplyDeleteAssistant L.A. City Attorney Anne Tremblay told us Revok's legal woes have nothing to do with the exhibition or any possible headline-grabbing crackdowns on the part of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. It was a coincidence that his case came up during the controversy over art-versus-vandalism.
(Actually, we were told Revok's been living in Detroit, and it appears he was here, at least in part, for the show, so that much might not have helped his case. Tracking him down was up to sheriff's deputies).
In fact, she says, Revok was due in court March 22 on a vandalism case from 2010, when he was famously arrested during his own exhibition at 33third gallery in Mid-City. Authorities tracked him down because they said they spotted his moniker all over town. Here's our account of that arrest.
Following a plea bargain after that arrest, Revok was supposed to check in and show the judge that he had paid $3,764.97 in restitution to victims as ordered under a plea agreement (he pleaded no contest to two counts of vandalism).
He also was supposed to have completed community service with CalTrans. In exchange, he wouldn't get jail time.
But Revok didn't uphold his side of the pact, Tremblay says: He did not pay up, did not schlep at the side of a freeway for CalTrans, and he did not show up for that court date.
And Revok was already on probation from a 2009 vandalism case stemming from some work he did during the Coachella festival in Indio, California.
His alleged lack of compliance with the deal he made in court -- specifically not showing up March 22 -- automatically triggered a warrant for his arrest.
The sheriff's department, as is customary, got the warrant and started looking. It sent in its MTA graffiti enforcement specialists. Deputies found him at LAX last week trying to board a plane to Ireland.
That, Tremblay says, is what triggered the City Attorney's request for a high bail amount, which she said was $300,000 and not the $320,000 we previously reported.
"He was arrested on a warrant while leaving the United States, getting on a plane," she told us. "That was part of the basis for the court's decision" on bail.
The rest, she says, including 180 days in jail, was in the hands of the judge.
Well Revok is out . I seen him on Melrose over the weekend. 180 days = L.A County overcrowded. Actually served like 8 days . hahaha.
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