I'm currently organizing legal representation and will be raising funds for this. If you know good 4th amednment and criminal defense attorneys in San Mateo County, CA, or want to contribute funds, please contact me by PM.
Background:
While walking back from work and towards her home a few blocks away, "Jane" a single mom in her fifties, crossed the street. Before reaching the other side, a police car pulled up on the sidewalk in front of her and two officers emerged. As they approached they said something to the effect of "it's illegal to cross the street there where there is no sidewalk, do you have ID?". Jane said "I don't have ID on me", at which time, without further words or any struggle, she was turned around and her hands were cuffed behind her back and she was put inside the patrol car. For several minutes, as they drove her further away from home and out of the area she asked several times "Where are you taking me?". She only got mocking laughter from one of the officers in response.
She was taken to a station, booked, slammed against a wall, and generally roughed up a bit, leaving her with bruises (I have asked her to take photos). She was held for 12 hours, with no phone call, no lawyer, no nothing. Finally, just before 5am, she got home after a horrific night, with a charge of PC148(a)(1) of obstruction/resisting and her promise to appear to face that charge in court in a few weeks.
If you're poor and don't speak good English, jaywalking can land you in jail for 12 hours, with your family frantically searching for you, while you are roughed up and then released with trumped up charges.
I'm furious and I'm not letting them get away with it.
[EDIT UPDATE: 12pm PT Sunday:
Some information in response to comments:
* Important detail: There are NO other charges as far as I know. Just obstruction/resisting.
* There is no media story (yet). I am a friend of the family, this happened 24 hours ago
* The lady is white. She is an immigrant from Eastern Europe.
* The area is industrial (SFO airport vicinity), which is why it is cheap to rent and full of poor immigrants. There are few cars, few sidewalks and few pedestrians.
I have no further information or knowledge about the case for now. As many have pointed out, there may be many additional facts not know. What I know so far stinks of injustice.