Dragon Sleeves and Brady

Before the Occupy Houston protests, most had never heard of a dragon sleeve. What is it? It is a tube made of PVC pipe that protesters locker their arms inside. The idea is that, when protestors are linked together with dragon sleeves, it is harder for the cops to easily remove the restraints while clearing protesters.

So why is this important now? Because in Harris County Texas, criminal defense lawyers have contended that Austin, Texas, Police Department detectives infiltrated the protestors’ group in Houston and urged protestors to use the dragon sleeves. One undercover detective, named Dowell, even purchased and constructed the lock boxes for the group

"One of the things Dowell especially was doing, he would pull people aside from the general conversation and say debating isn't really the answer. We need to escalate the tactics and move to action," said Austin protester Ronnie Garza. "That's the kind of character we're dealing with it."

Garza and six others now face trial on felony charges in Harris County after Houston police arrested him and 19 protesters on December 12, 2011, as they tried to block an entrance to the Port of Houston during an Occupy demonstration.

So how does Brady enter the picture? Brady is a case that the Supreme Court decided in 1963 holding that prosecutors must turn over helpful evidence to the defense.

The judge in Garza and the other’s cases ordered the undercover police files to see what helpful information they contain under Brady.

What is truly scary is that Harris County prosecutors told the judge they had no idea the Austin Police Department evidently planted cops in the movement.

"Had we realized that an undercover officer was involved" and had participated in the construction of the dragon sleeves, "that is clearly Brady material," Harris County prosecutor Colleen Barnett said in an interview. "Had we known that, we would have turned it over to the defense."

Houston police were also kept in the dark. Austin police to inform Houston police about the ongoing undercover investigation before the arrests here in Houston. The judge questioned the safety of HPD officers and the public, citing a scenario where a bomb could have been assembled by the undercover agents and handed over to protesters.

So how did this information about the undercover cops come to light? Well, one of the cops bragged at dinner about being involved, and someone who overheard the conversation called defense lawyers.

What would have happened if none of this was discovered? How would you feel if you were the defendant? Would that be justice, fairness, integrity and truth? You know the answer, and in all likelihood it would have resulted in an innocent person being convicted of a crime that the undercover cops—not the defendant—committed.

Once again, the defense lawyer—and a judge who cares enough to get at the truth—put the brakes on a prosecution that was going off the tracks and almost surely would have ruined the lives of the seven charged protesters.

What is truly scary is that Harris County prosecutors told the judge they had no idea the Austin Police Department evidently planted cops in the movement.

"Had we realized that an undercover officer was involved" and had participated in the construction of the dragon sleeves, "that is clearly Brady material," Harris County prosecutor Colleen Barnett said in an interview. "Had we known that, we would have turned it over to the defense."

Houston police were also kept in the dark. Austin police to inform Houston police about the ongoing undercover investigation before the arrests here in Houston. The judge questioned the safety of HPD officers and the public, citing a scenario where a bomb could have been assembled by the undercover agents and handed over to protesters.

So how did this information about the undercover cops come to light? Well, one of the cops bragged at dinner about being involved, and someone who overheard the conversation called defense lawyers.

What would have happened if none of this was discovered? How would you feel if you were the defendant? Would that be justice, fairness, and truth? You know the answer, and in all likelihood it would have resulted in an innocent person being convicted of a crime that the undercover cops"not the defendant"committed.

Once again, the defense"and a judge who cares enough to get at the truth"put the brakes on a prosecution that was going off the tracks and almost surely would have ruined the lives of the seven charged protesters.

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