After Danbury landlord Joe DaSilva was sentenced to 18 months incarceration for causing the death of Ecuadorian immigrant Luis Encalada Bueno, I had a chance to speak to the prosecutor in the case, Assistant State's Attorney Sharmese Hodge, to get her take on the judge's decision.
During the brief interview, Hodge responded to one of the concerns many people in the immigrant community had regarding the case, the reduction of charges against DaSilva as well as the judge's emphasis of DaSilva's lack of truthfulness to the police in the matter and how that impacted his case. At first, I planned to do a write-up on Hodge's remarks but decided later decided to just to post the audio from the interview so you can hear Hodge in her own words…
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
