Monday, November 16, 2009

Grapski in Hot Water


My good friend Charles Grapski was found guilty of 2 out of five charges in court and it's becoming very likely that he will serve hard time in state prison. Grapksi led the independent movement in the 1990's and won a six-figure lawsuit against a secret society that has influenced (to put it mildly) our University's Student Government for decades - no closing in on a century. This secret society still has a huge chunk of reps and senators in Florida's Congress, not to mention the United States House of Representatives.

Whatever your campus politics may be (b/c at UF SG stays w/ us for a lifetime... it's undeniable that Grapski left a huge mark on the scene and influenced countless student leaders to take up positions of leadership, public service, and social justice not only in Gainesville, but abroad. Grapski is a friend to the GDI Movement and we wish him only the best.

1 comment:

Truth Teller said...

Charlie Grapski has been the victim of a politically motivated conspiracy to deprive him of his rights - and his freedom - since April 2006.

This conspiracy was perpetrated by Alachua city officials, using city staff and members of the APD as accomplices in their attacks on Grapski. The State Attorney's Office knowingly assisted this misconduct and abuse of power by Alachua officials.

Grapski's conviction on two counts of battery resulted from lies told by APD officers who themselves committed battery against Grapski, as part of their illegal arrest on August 13, 2007.

On two occasions prior to the August 2007 arrest, Grapski was falsely arrested by Alachua Police officers and charged with felonies. The first bogus arrest was on May 1, 2006 and the second was on February 12, 2007.

When neither of the first two false arrests - both of which involved perjured statements by Alachua officials and APD officers - resulted in a successful prosecution, Grapski was set up on a third round of felony charges.

Grapski's conviction last week was not a victory for justice and truth.

Shame on the City of Alachua for letting this farce go on, and for allowing city and police officials to be used as a goon squad to silence a law abiding citizen whose only crime was to hold public officials accountable to the law and to expose their corruption and misconduct.