美國又一葫蘆僧判葫蘆案,新州地方法庭五月十日出判決,買iPhone被警察電擊 李曉潔非法入侵指控不成立,但是拘捕指控成立。
【僑報周末特約記者李強波士頓報道】去年12月11日在新罕布希爾州的一家蘋果店購買iPhone時,遭到兩名男警察電擊槍(Taser)電擊的李曉潔女士5月10日在新罕布希爾州州拿西華(Nashua)市的一家地方法院出庭面對兩項指控。
法官在聽取了多位證人的證詞和控辯雙方律師對證人的盤問之後,宣判李曉潔非法入侵蘋果店指控不成立,而拒捕的指控成立但不做處罰,3年之後如果李曉潔不再違法,拒捕的指控也將從李曉潔的記錄中消除。記者在法庭現場,聽了多位蘋果店員工和一名警察作證。蘋果店員工主要是證明曉潔曾經在去年11月23日和12月8日到該店買過iPhone。一位女經理作證說她12月8日懷疑李曉潔在該店錄像,而口頭上告訴李曉潔今後不要再到該店來,不過沒有給書面通知。當12月11日,這位女經理又看到李曉潔在該店排隊時,於是認為曉潔違背了她的口頭通知,讓李曉潔離開,她並不知道李曉潔已經在網上訂了貨,當天是來取貨的。她說李曉潔一直問她「Why」。李曉潔的辯護律師盤問多位蘋果店的店員,他們能夠記得起的曉潔說的英語都非常簡單。法官判李曉潔非法入侵的指控不成立應該在預料之中。
關於拒捕的指控,也有控方多位在場證人作證,主要是為警察辯護。其中有一位白人女士事發的第二天自己到拿西華警察局為警察作證詞,說他們沒有過分的行為。在警察作證的時候,李曉潔的辯護律師讓警察先看一個李曉潔在蘋果店外被電擊的錄像,在警察確認錄像屬實之後,法官也看了這個錄像。陪同李曉潔一同從麻州牛頓市前來出庭的三位教會的朋友本來應該出庭作證李曉潔的英語能力很差,但後來沒有被法官叫上法庭。
李曉潔對記者表示她只是想給在中國的親戚買幾個iPhone,但被這家蘋果店告知每次只能買兩個。當她看到有人在該店的後面一次性購買幾十台iPhone時,心裡感到有些不滿。蘋果店的經理來了,吿訴她什麼,但她聽不明白。因為英語不好,從中國上海來美國三年多的李曉潔前兩年除了去教會之外很少出門。
「我那天包裡帶了不少現金,是想給在國內的妹妹購買一些名牌貨。我還以為要抓我的人是蘋果店的保安,怕他拿走我的包。警察是執法者,在中國要出示逮捕證,我對這個國家太不了解了,」李曉潔在宣判之後告訴記者。法庭當場把300多元保釋金退還給李曉潔的舅舅蔣桂林。蔣桂林來美有20多年了,目前在拿西華市中心經營一家中餐館。他表示既然非法入侵的指控不成立,李曉潔本來就不應該被逮捕,拒捕的指控應該被撤銷。
李曉潔感謝過去5個月來給她支持和幫助的朋友們,以及為她一度非常嚴重的恐懼和憂鬱症提供心裡輔導的塔夫茲醫療中心的徐醫生。「我在出庭之前心情已經非常平靜了,把一切都交給主,」李曉潔說。當記者問她有沒有考慮告警察執法過當以及蘋果店時,李曉潔表示有親友提過這樣的建議,不過她自己還沒有考慮過。
看看新州的報道,看得出偏向警察
Woman found guilty of resisting arrest in mall incident
Defense says language barrier caused misunderstanding
那些跟貼也明了,兩種觀點爭鋒相對:
Civicminds Logan G Goodwin • 16 days ago She was under arrest for Trespass. She was further charged with Resisting when she tried to fight the Officer. She ended up being convicted because she lied to the Court by saying she didn't understand English when she does. Logan G Goodwin Civicminds • 16 days ago The court found not guilty of criminal trespass. Which mean she should have not been arrest in the first place. So she did not resisting arrest. Would you pay a service charge on something you did not buy? Samething Uck Craig Logan G Goodwin • 15 days ago
It doesn't work like that. Being found not guilty does not nullify your arrest. She was still legally arrested for trespassing and she still resisted that arrest.
sbsbcb • 15 days ago Good. I guess no one fell for that I can't speak/understand English excuse. Sean Ford • 15 days ago Who cares. If one of those that "protect and serve" cant restrain a 44 year old Chinese woman without using a tazer... sorry, that's sad... Bill L • 15 days ago More to all this that is going to come out here. Understood the language and money well enough to repeatedly try to buy too many iPhones, apparently. Got English loss of memory as soon as the cops showed up, ahem. Can't quite fathom why some Apple Store clerk has the right to make a decision about her not coming back, tho.