Prisons Foundation: Sad note from our director about his arrest

In his note below, our director Dennis Sobin expresses gratitude for your support, but also reveals a sad new development. From Dennis Sobin, Director, Prisons Foundation: Thank you so very much for the dozens of phone calls and emails I've received following my arrest at a public hearing in city hall, Washington, DC. They range from a supporter in Hawaii (who is contacting her own congressional representatives as well as Washington city officials to express outrage) to a local NPR radio reporter who is doing a story. The support I've gotten has been good, but it's also produced a bad reaction from government prosecutors. My charge was amended yesterday to include additional counts based on my visits to city hall LAST YEAR to attend and give testimony at other public hearings. My attorney is worried about this stacking. Instead of facing six months in jail, I now face two years. Plus the thinking of the judge may be colored. I am not entitled to a jury trial because these are all misdemeanors. Insisting on my right to a speedy trial, it will take place quickly: Tuesday, June 24, before Judge Jose Lopez in Courtroom 117, DC Superior Court, 500 Indiana Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001. Please feel free to attend to lend your support. In the meantime, here are the names and contact information of city hall officials who can transfer my son Darrin away from city hall so that I can visit these officials before my trial without fear of further arrest. Adrian Fenty, Mayor 202-724-8876 [email protected] (Mayor) 202-724-5556 [email protected] (Mayor's advisor) Vincent Gray, City Council Chairperson 202-724-8032 [email protected] (chief of staff) Jack Evans, City Councilmember (new phone #) 202-724-8058 [email protected] Phil Mendelson, Chair of Judciary Committee 202-724-8064 [email protected] ************************************************************* Below is the original email that the Prisons Foundation sent with details of the arrest of our director Dennis Sobin at a public hearing at city hall in Washington, DC Dennis Sobin, Director of the Prisons Foundation, went to City Hall to testify at a budget hearing on the priorities of the Attorney General's Office. This is routine for our director as these hearings represent important opportunities to advocate for alternatives to incarceration and the need for prosecutors to focus on serious crimes rather than non-violent offenses. One of those prosecutors happens to be Dennis Sobin's son, Darrin Sobin. He and his father have not seen eye to eye for some time. Last year the younger Sobin, Darrin, flexed his muscle as a government attorney by getting a stay away order to keep his father a set number of feet from him. Now he has gone the next step by having his father arrested for stepping foot in City Hall because Darrin has moved into an office in that building. When Dennis arrived for the hearing, his son knew of his presence because Dennis was on the witness list to testify. Dennis never got to testify because his son had him whisked out of the building in handcuffs and put in jail before a judge could release Dennis. By then the hearing was over. The building security officers who arrested Dennis have acknowledged that they were pressured to take this action by Darrin. They even went so far to try to appease Darrin, short of arresting his father, by offering to accompany Dennis to the City Council Chambers where the hearing was taking place and stay with him throughout his testimony. But Darrin rejected this. Darrin has let it be known that if his father returns to city hall for any reason, the same fate awaits him. It is therefore URGENT that the following officials at city hall be called TODAY to let our outrage be known. Says Dennis, "I don't want my son fired. That would be too extreme and a particular hardship for his children, my grandsons Alexander and Tristan." We are requesting that Darrin Sobin be relocated to the Attorney General's headqurters a few blocks away. That way our director Dennis can conduct Prisons Foundation business at city hall. Here are the names and phone numbers of officials at city hall who can make this happen. Please call them TODAY to get their assurance that this will indeed occur without delay. Even if you are not a resident of Washington you can demand action as a visitor who is shocked that such a thing could happen in the nation's capital. Adrian Fenty, Mayor, 202-724-8876 (This is Adrian's private number so please be brief when talking to him and please do not retain this number for any other purpose. He has been a supporter of the Prisons Foundation ever since his childhood friend Donald Thomas ended up in prison and needed our help.) Vincent Gray, City Council Chairperson, 202-724-8032 (Next to the mayor, Vincent is the most powerful person in city hall and has a reputation as a no-nonsense official. Dennis worked for his campaign and helped get him elected in 2006.) Jack Evans, City Councilmember, 202-724-8058 (As chair pro temp, Jack is number three in power at city hall. He also happens to be the councilmember representing Dennis in Ward 2. Still, Dennis cannot visit him at city hall as long as Darrin Sobin is there.) Phil Mendelson, Chair of Judciary Committee, 202-724-8064 (Phil is an at-large councilmember who chaired the hearing at which Dennis was set to testify and is reportedly upset at what happened there. He can bring about Darrin Sobin's transfer in the interest of justice and democracy.) On a personal note, Dennis is in good spirits and continues to meet his responsibilities daily as our director. He will be on hand at our fundraising prison art auction and reception being held at the Prisons Art Gallery this Friday, June 20 at 6 to 8 pm, and will also serve the next day, Saturday, June 21, 10 am to 4 pm, as one of the presenters at our Prison Artist Mentoring Workshop taking place at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. Thank you for calling the above city hall officials and demanding that action be taken TODAY. Please call us at 202-393-1511 or email [email protected] if you need further information. Thank you for your help and support in this crisis.