----- Original Message ----- From: Gary Zirin To: Easy Talk Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 2:30 PM Subject: Fwd: injustice for the blind Mr. Miller- Commissioner Dozier asked me to look in to the recent email you sent our office regarding Traffic Hearing Officer Gary Roberts. Unfortunately, Mr. Roberts is an employee of the judicial branch (the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court) and the Leon County Commission has no authority over him - the Circuit Court is independent branch of government. Though, I have forwarded your email with your concerns to Judge Charles Francis, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court. Thanks, Gary Gary Zirin Aide to Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier, District 5 (850) 606-5375 - Office (850) 264-5857 - Cell ZirinG@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Please note: Under Florida's Public Records laws, most written communications to or from county staff or officials regarding county business are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your email communications may therefore be subject to public disclosure.
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- From: "Easy Talk" <Easytalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <DozierK@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 11:56:57 -0500
Dear commissioner I hope you will please take the time to read the below information and assist me in having Mr. Garry Roberts relieved of his duties. This is a deliberate and blatent disregard for up holding the law which is his job. Thanks for your time Robert Miller Case #2013 TR 037367 Citation # 5067GYO or 0 Defendant: Wesley Truesdell Dear Hearing Officer Roberts: I am writing to express my dismay at your decision to dismiss charges in the above referenced case. Your decision has set a precedence that has caused a major injustice to blind citizens of Florida. If you will recall, I ask you to please read the White Cane Safety law before making your decision. Apparently, you did not do this, or you do not care about the safety of blind pedestrians, or you have no regard for the importance of the White Cane Safety law. It is also apparent that you, as most sighted individuals aren't aware of the many blind people that have been struck by vehicles in the state of Florida and in many cases, the drivers leave the scene. Can you give me any kind of justification for your decision after reading the White Cane Safety law? Based on the testimony given at the hearing and the White Cane Safety law, I can't think of any logical reason for your decision and question your ability to be a fair Hearing Officer who is supposed to uphold the laws of Florida. It is my intent to contact the local press and the Chief of TPD to make them aware of the injustice you are responsible for. I hope you will take the time to read the information below. Perhaps then maybe the next time a blind person is hit by a vehicle, you might be able to make a reasonable and informed decision that supports Florida law. Can you show me anything in the White Cane Safety law that justifies your decision? I believe that Officer Thompson should be reprimanded for not showing up for the hearing. It also amazes me that you are a Traffic Hearing Officer who is totally unaware of the vehicle and pedestrian problem in Tallahassee and Leon County. Within the last 9 months, there was an article in the Tallahassee Democrat that stated between 2010 and 2012, over 187 pedestrians were struck on Tennessee Street near FSU. Since I was hit in August, over 8 other pedestrians have been struck, causing serious injury and in some cases, death. If you continue to render decisions as you did in this case, the situation will only get worse. Shame on you! Robert Miller Ref: Aug 03 2013 when I got hit by a 18 wheeler at a audible traffic light, The defendant, Wesley Truesdell challenged the charge of violating the white cane law and Judge Roberts dismissed the charges against the driver. The police officer didn't show up for the hearing. I thought the judge was going to throw out the case since the officer kept saying I walked in to the truck. I ask the judge to please read the law before making his decision. Apparently the law isn't worth the paper it is written on. Robert _______________________________________________ fcb-l mailing list fcb-l@xxxxxxx http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/fcb-l Good morning All, As many may recall, Robert was struck by a semi truck while crossing a street here in Tallahassee, in August. The driver, doubtless, trying to save his commercial driver's license contested the charge and a non-jury trial was set for January 15 th. Three witnesses (including Robert BUT NOT investigating Officer Thompson who did not show up for court) testified at that trial about the events surrounding the incident. It was established by all witnesses during testimony that Robert was indeed obeying traffic signals. One witness stated, "The dog should have never left the curb". Defendant, Wesley Truesdell testified that Robert walked into the truck which he'd brought to a stop when he finally saw Robert. Presiding Hearing Officer, Gary Roberts seemed thorough and fair to me and I was hopeful that the right decision would be forthcoming, as he promised to read the White Cane Safety law. Unfortunately, I couldn't have been more wrong. Today when we went to the website for Leon County Traffic Court, we found that case #2013 TR 037367 against D efendant: Wesley Truesdell was DISMISSED. I amended to Robert's early August message which basically outlines events as they unfolded for him. I do not know if the White Cane Safety law has ever been challenged in court before but I am afraid that this will set precedence for a safe future for blind pedestrians. I am appalled at decisions made by law enforcers who are supposed to protect the rights, not privileges of citizens. I have, and will maintain that driving is a privilege, while walking (crossing streets) safely is a right. Any recourse is gone now, as re-charging Mr. Truesdell would be double-jeopardy. I could not feel more like a second-class citizen or less protected by authorities. What of the Mayor's White Cane proclamation in October? What of Sherman's medal of valor? How could someone "walk into a truck" and get a bruise on the area of the upper-arm as Robert had? What of Mr. Truesdell's change in story which caused Tallahassee Police personnel to decide to charge him after all? Is the investigating officer's absence (lack of testimony) representative that the police department actually believes Mr. Truesdell is not at fault? Is Robert's persistence in demanding that Mr. Truesdell be charged with the White Cane Safety law and upsetting Officer Thompson who wasn't going to charge Mr. Truesdell with a violation an excuse for not upholding the White Cane Safety law, clearly broken, even if Robert "walked into that truck"? Am I reading the White Cane Safety law incorrectly to believe that the driver is at fault for entering the intersection while a blind pedestrian was in process of crossing with a guide dog? Sila ----- Original Message ----- From: Easy Talk To: Kirk Harmon; Mike Ulrich Cc: fcb-l@xxxxxxx Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 5:49 AM Subject: Re: [fcb-l] Fw: [tabi] Blind Tallahassee Man Has A Brush With DeathAt An Intersection Just getting law enforcement to be aware of the White Cane law would be a major step and more important is getting them to have the right attitude. In both cases where I was hit I had to demand that the driver be charged with violating the White cane law. As soon as you ask the officer if they are aware of the law, they get defensive and cop the attitude that you are trying to tell them how to do there job. The first time I was hit, the officer did charge the driver but when I got home, I got a call from the officer and he told me he was going to resend the ticket since the driver of the car behind the one that hit me saw me push the wrong button. In my most recent situation, the officer told me she wasn't going to site the driver since he was driving a semi and they take more room to make a turn and he was already making his turn when I started to cross the street which was a lie. The street I was crossing was 3 lanes and I was almost across the second lane and approaching the third lane when he made a rolling left turn on green. at which point when Sherman stopped, I was about 18 inches from the truck, As I was cursing the driver, a blinker sticking out about mid ways of the trailer hit me on the back of my right arm and knocked me down since I had Sherman's leash in my right hand. At some point I transferred Sherman's leash to my left hand and as I was falling, Sherman pulled me back and to the left which is what kept me from going under the truck. The first thing the driver said when he got out of his truck was, I didn't see you man, I'm sorry. By the time the officer arrived on the scene the driver figured out, it wouldn't be a good thing to tell the cop he didn't see me so he told her he saw me waiting to cross the street but he was already making his turn and basically I walked in to the side of his truck. When I tried to explain all this to the officer, she was having no part of it and kept saying what the other witnesses said of which there were 3 other than the driver and the 3 witnesses certainly didn't say to me what the officer was saying so I ask her what witnesses she was referring to and she said she was talking about the driver of the truck. I ask her what about what I was telling her, that I was a witness and I was there and I was still alive. I certainly got the impression she thought since I couldn't see I wasn't a credible witness. This pissed me off and so I told her, lets look at the evidence and explained to her based on where I was hit by the blinker and where I was in the road there is no way the accident could have happened the way the driver said it did. After standing out in the sun for 45 minutes while the cop was in her car talking to her sergeant and dispatch, she came back and I ask her if she had read the white cane law she said yes. I then ask her if she was going to site the driver and she said no. She said I was free to go. I told her she hadn't heard the last of this and when I got home, I called the police department and spoke to SGT Simms and explained basically what I have posted here and he backed the officer's decision and even inferred for some time she didn't even know I was blind and the driver didn't either. I informed SGT Simms they would be hearing from my attorney. I called back a few minutes later to request a copy of the police report and by that time things had changed and I was informed that the driver had been sited for violating the White Cane law but they weren't going to site him for violation of the pedestrian safety law. Until we get the legislation passed we have been trying for the last 3 years each incident will be your own battle but isn't going to do anything to change things state wide. If you want to read how screwed up what some sighted people think about blind people and the White Cane law, go to wctv.tv and open the link to the article and then hit space bar on the like button. the comments start after the third header on the page. Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: Easy Talk To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2013 7:58 AM Subject: [tabi] Blind Tallahassee Man Has A Brush With Death At An Intersection Blind Tallahassee Man Has A Brush With Death At An Intersection 8-3-13 11pm By: Bailey Myers August 3rd, 2013 Tallahassee FL - A blind Tallahassee man had a brush with death Saturday at the intersection of Killearn Center Boulevard and Village Square. Robert Miller explained, "If it wasn't for him...um...you would be doing a different story." It's a story about his seeing eye dog, Sherman, who saved his life. Robert Miller has been blind since he was born, and has depended on his seeing eye dogs since he was seventeen, but on Saturday that bond between man and dog was tested. "He lunged to the left and back, pulling me away from the truck," Miller said. Miller also said Sherman stopped him in the middle of the cross walk before a semi-truck rounding the corner was able to fully hit him. Instead it only hit his right arm, knocking him over in the middle of the intersection. "And I've been hit twice at that intersection, and it could very well have cost me my life," said Miller. Both Miller and his wife Sila, who is also legally blind, take that walk every day. Hoping that people obey the traffic laws. Particularly one law, Florida's White Cane Law, which states: "Whenever a pedestrian is crossing... guided by a dog guide or carrying in a raised or extended position a cane... the driver of every vehicle approaching the intersection...shall bring his or her vehicle to a full stop. " The difficulty is, it doesn't seem like many people know about the law. When asked, 'Have you ever hear of the white cane law' one passerby said, "No I've never hear of that." Eyewitness News Reporter Bailey Myers asked more than a dozen passersby, and they all had the same answer, 'No, I don't know it.' According to Miller even the police officer who arrived after he was hit didn't know about it either. Robert's wife Sila Miller said, "It's very frustrating when your independence is compromised like that by someone just being in a hurry or not paying attention." Both of the Millers have been hit by a car at that intersection. Now, they just hope Florida's Legislature addresses the issue and work to get the word out about the White Cane Law. _______________________________________________ fcb-l mailing list fcb-l@xxxxxxx http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/fcb-l _______________________________________________
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