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NEWS & LETTERS, April - May 2009
Political persecution of Shelly Resnick
Shelly Resnick with her partner Acire Roche at the steps of the San Francisco courthouse on Feb. 23 challenging her persecution.
San Francisco--I am an activist for both Trans causes and sex workers causes. I have no trouble standing up in front of cameras saying what the police are doing is wrong. They will not come out and say they are going after me for my political activity, but it is awfully suspicious that on Nov. 5, 2008, the day after the election, after I did a lot of work on Proposition K, which would have decriminalized prostitution, SFPD claims that they received an anonymous complaint that I was sending out text messages to random numbers asking for sex. I flatly deny ever doing that. There is no evidence of any such message. It is political retaliation.
Then on Nov. 12 I got a call from someone who claimed to be from out of town, asking that I show them around. There is a tape recording of that conversation. At one point they asked if I am protected. I said I am always protected. They interpret that to mean condoms. They arrived at my apartment, I did not like the person I saw and I turned away. The person then identified himself as a police officer. They made a stink in my lobby, so I took them to my apartment where they seized my phone. The officer erased the log of my calls, specifically erasing the telephone number he called me from. He issued me a citation for solicitation.
On Jan. 7 the DA took it a step further. They claim that I took the officer to my apartment where prostitution was to occur and that I actually engaged in prostitution with him. Even the officer doesn't claim that. The DA filed charges against me for having sex with a cop, which is a waste of city resources. San Francisco has among the highest number of cops per 100,000 citizens, yet they are not prosecuting violent crimes. Just recently I was at a demonstration at the 24th and Mission BART station where a sister was kidnapped, brutally raped and murdered, her body thrown out on the street and they are not even investigating it! The message we get is that they don't care. It is easier for them to chase after girls who are trying to make some money than go after dangerous criminals who might fight back. Chasing girls is an easy beat.
--Shelly Resnick
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