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LATEST NEWS
Protestors come out against red light cameras
LAKELAND, Fla. -- They're been called a cash cow and unconstitutional.
Lakeland Ledger | Read More 10 Connects.Com
Protesters Take Red Light Cameras Battle to the Streets

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A group of motorists across the state spent Saturday
protesting red light cameras in four Florida cities.
Read More CFNews 13,
News Press
Family says Deputies fired 133 rounds at Torey Breedlove

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Family members of a suspect shot and killed last
month by the Orange County Sheriff's Office's auto trap unit said it's
unreasonable that more than 100 rounds of bullets were fired at the man,
and they're suing.
Read more Orlando Wesh 2 News
Judge Rules Red Light Cameras illegal in one Florida City

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A state circuit judge has put the brakes on red light
cameras in one South Florida city - the same cameras that have been
considered in Duval and St. Johns counties.
Read More First Coast News
GROUP: Justice Department will review complaint about FHP

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The U.S. Department of Justice will review a complaint
alleging a Florida Highway Patrol officer engaged in racial profiling before
he was fired, according to an Orlando group. Last year, The Florida Civil
Rights Association complained to the federal agency about former FHP
Trooper Richard Dill, who has pleaded no contest to stealing money from
drivers he has stopped. (
Read more Orlando Sentinel)
TSA Orlando Office Investigated

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Another thing that gives travelers pause in the use of full
body scanners in airports was the recent investigation into a TSA air
marshal field office in Orlando.  A Jeopardy-style game using derogatory
terms for gays, lesbians and minorities, prompted the investigation.
(
Read more CFNews 13)
Martin Luther King Parade Participates March For Haiti

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando’s annual parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., took on a different meaning for some participants this year. Many
of them were native Haitians, and marched Saturday to help with relief
efforts. (
Read more CFNews 13)
Racial profiling complaint filed against FHP

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A man and his lawyer taking on the Florida Highway
Patrol after one officer took the fall for stealing cash. (
Read more FOX
News 35)
Group wants police, deputies ticketed for accidents
Orlando Police no-ticket practice unconstitutional   

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A local civil rights organization is calling on Orlando
police to stop giving special treatment to officers who cause traffic
accidents.

The Florida Civil Rights Association cited an Aug. 4 accident caused by an
Orange County deputy not on a call. Five people were injured. Orlando
police opted not to issue the deputy responsible a ticket.
(Read more WESH 2 News)
Civil Rights Group Investigating OCSO Taser Use
US Justice Department Previously Looked Into OCSO Taser-Related Deaths

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Civil Rights Association said Thursday that
it wants to know more about local deputies and how often they use
Tasers. It has been a year since the U.S. Department of Justice released
a 25-page report on the Orange County Sheriff's Office's use of Tasers.

"The Orange County Sheriff's Office is the first law enforcement agency in
our nation who has been targeted for this federal investigation in regards
to Tasers," said J. Willie David III, president of the Florida Civil Rights
Association.  
read more > WESH 2 News | Orlando Sentinel
Potential post office closings rankle Orlando patrons

The protesters were few -- just four -- but people coming to use the post
office at 440 South Orange Blossom Trail were shocked and upset Friday
morning to learn that the branch may be closed sometime after Sept. 30.

Patrons signed a petition and lamented the possible closing of the Arthur
"Pappy" Kennedy branch, which they appreciate both for its convenient
location and the fact that it was named after a prominent former city
commissioner beloved by many in Orlando's black community.  
read more > Orlando Sentinel | Fox News 35
Civil Rights Group Asks If Deputy In Crash Was Distracted

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A civil rights organization says it wants to know if an
Orange County deputy who ran a red light and caused a crash was talking
on the phone, texting or using his laptop before the accident. Deputy Scott
Stephenson ran a red light at Gore Street and Orange Blossom Trail
Wednesday, causing a four-car crash.

J. Willie David of the Florida Civil Rights Association said the facts in the
crash need to be revealed to do justice to the people in the three other
vehicles and Stephenson.
read more > WESH 2 News
DNA Bill Sparks Controversy in Florida
TALLAHASSEE - Florida Governor Charlie Crist has signed into law a bill
requiring those arrested for or charged with a felony to give up a sample
of their DNA to authorities.

The bill, known in the Senate as SB 2276, will be executed on a statewide
basis. It is expected to expand over a ten year period.
Florida will join twenty other states that follow this model. With any piece
of legislation however, there are critics. “Florida’s new DNA testing law is
a bad law in the eyes of justice.” says J.Willie David, President of the
Florida Civil Rights Association.

David also says that “DNA is not like a fingerprint, since getting it is more
invasive and it holds information beyond mere identification.”

The law was signed into effect by Crist on Jun.16 at the Florida
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at their headquarters.
There were also four other bills that were signed by Crist under the
moniker of “public safety laws”.
Read more >
King of Pop Michael Jackson is Dead
FCRA President issued statement

LOS ANGELES (AP) Michael Jackson, the moonwalking former child star
who became known the world over as the "King of Pop" before his life and
career deteriorated in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday, a
person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. He
was 50.
Read more >
Civil Rights Chief: Praised President Bill Clinton's
appointment as UN Special Envoy to Haiti

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - Florida Civil Rights Association President, J Willie
David, III today praised UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's appointment
of former United States President Bill Clinton as the United Nations
Special Envoy to Haiti. Read more at
Miami Herald
Civil Rights Groups wants red light cameras banned

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - The Florida Civil Rights Association and the
National Motorists Association want the state to do away with red-light
cameras, which they say violate citizens' constitutional rights. Read more
at
Orlando Sentinel
Group calls for Ban of Police Use Laptop While Driving

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - A group is calling for a statewide ban on
police use of laptops after investigators say a Jacksonville Sheriff's Officer
was looking at her laptop before getting into a crash. Read more at
FOX
News 30 | News 4 Jax | CBS News 47
Civil Rights Chief helps Homeless Woman at President Obama's Town
Hall Meeting

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA -On Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 FCRA
President Willie David, III and FCRA State Secretary Marsha Watson
travelled to Fort Myers Florida as special invited guests to participate in
President Barack Obama 2nd town hall meeting since taking office.  This
historic moment would be the President's first trip to Florida to address
the economic crisis in one of the country’s hardest hit home foreclosure
cities. {
Read More} {Henrietta Hughes' Interviews} | Chasing Henrietta |
Immigrant Advocates calls for end to raids

WASHINGTON, DC - January 22, 2009 - Several hundred immigrant
supporters and religious leaders from across the country marched to the
Southwest Washington headquarters of the U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement agency yesterday, strumming guitars, beating
drums and waving colorful homemade banners exhorting President
Obama to halt immigration raids and promote legislation offering illegal
immigrants a path to citizenship.
Read More | Article photo  | New America
Media
School Bus Driver May Sue Over False Arrest
POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA - Jean Chery was arrested by Haines City Police
Department and held in jail by the Polk County Sheriff's Office on a New
York City arrest warrant for a white female fugitive with the same name as
Jean Chery.  Read more
Tampa Bay 10 | The Ledger 1 | News Chief | The
Ledger | TBO.com | Tampa Bay | Associated Press
Central Florida News 13
FCRA President
RELEASES

APRIL 2010

04-16- FCRA, National Motorists
Association, and banthecams.org
to protest the City of Lakeland's
Red Light Camera Program


MARCH 2010

02-05 - FCRA President Kick-Off
Florida's First Statewide Red Light
Camera Day of Protest in Temple
Terrace, near Tampa, Florida

FEBRUARY 2010

02-23 - FCRA calls Miami-Dade
Circuit Court Judge ruling against
Red Light Cameras a Major
Victory for Florida Motorists

02-04-2010 Justice Department to
review federal complaint against
FHP, says FCRA President

02-01-2010 FCRA wants Justice
Department to investigative TSA
Air Marshal Orlando Office

JANUARY 2010

01-15-2010 FCRA President to hold
a moment of silence at MLK
Parade for Haiti Earthquake
Victims

2009 END

NOVEMBER 2009

11-23-09 FCRA Attorneys to Sue
and file Federal Complaint against
FHP for Racial Profiling

11-13-09 MEDIA ADVISORY FCRA
and NMA hold Sign Waving Rally
protesting Orlando Red Light
Ticket Cameras

11-10-09 The National Motorists
and the Florida Civil Rights
Association seek public records
of Orlando Red Light Ticket
Cameras

OCTOBER 2009

10-15-09 FCRA Tells OPD Chief to
end policy exempting officers from
getting traffic tickets

SEPTEMBER 2009

09-12-09 FCRA says, Caribbean
Health Summit to educate
minorities on Swine Flu Virus

AUGUST 2009

08-20-09 FCRA files Public Records
Act Request OCSO Taser use

08-10-09 FCRA calls on Postmaser
General not to close historic post
office named after Orlando's First
Black Commissioner

08-06-09 FCRA calls for Deputy
crash investigation to focus on on
driving while texting or using police
laptop

JULY 2009

07-30-09 FCRA seeks Justice
Department to investigate
Hollywood police crash cover-up
07-01-09 FCRA Says, New DNA Law
Gateway to Racial Profiling

JUNE 2009

06-25-09 FCRA Mourns the death of
Michael Jackson

MAY 2009

05-19-09 FCRA President issue
statement on former US President
Bill Clinton's appointment as UN
Special Envoy to Haiti

05-06-09 Complaints of Public
Records Violations filed with
Attorney General and State
Attorney's gainst Polk County
School Officials

05-04-09 Red Light Cameras
defeated over Florida Lawmakers'
greed

APRIL 2009

04-20-09 Red Light Cameras to
increase Foreclosures and
Unemployment

04-15-09 Flawed Red Light
Cameras wrongfully accusing
innocent drivers

MARCH 2009

03-05-09 FCRA to represent Polk
County School Bus Driver Jean G.
Chery at today's employment
termination hearing.

03-03-09 FCRA calls for statewide
ban on police use of laptops while
driving

03-02-09 FCRA Files Public
Records Act Request to Require
Polk County Public Schools to
Disclose all Confidential Settlement
Agreements, Complaints and
Lawsuits of Discrimination