Texan couple to fly helicopter into New Mexico for dream wedding

On Tuesday, April 29^th, Texas couple Jeff Robertson and Jeremiah Pyant of Houston, TX will board a helicopter in Texas, where marriage for same sex couples is illegal, and cross into New Mexico where the ACLU’s case Greigo v. Oliver established the freedom to marry for same sex couples in December, 2013. Jeff and Jeremiah are one of five couples nationwide selected to receive $5,000 towards the wedding of their dreams as part of the “My Big Gay (Il)legal Wedding” contest, the ACLU’s campaign to raise awareness regarding inequality in states where same-sex marriage is not yet legal.

After meeting on an airplane, the couple catapulted to national awareness when the video of their surprise engagement went viral. Because of Jeremiah's job as a flight attendant, he could literally be recognized as a legally married man one minute—and not the next—as he flies from state to state.
 
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZRHwRXCkeo&feature=youtu.be
 
 
 

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has released its findings after an exhaustive investigation into whether the the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) engages in a pattern or practice of constitutional violations. The full report is available online here. A summary of the top-line findings of the report are as follows:

Findings
The Justice Department found reasonable cause to believe that the Albuquerque Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Justice Department specifically found three patterns of excessive force:

• Officers too frequently use deadly force against people who pose a minimal threat in situations where the conduct of the officers heightens the danger and contributes to the need to use force;

• Officers use less lethal force, including Tasers on people who are passively resisting, non-threatening, observably unable to comply with orders, or pose only a minimal threat to the officers; and

• Encounters between Albuquerque Police officers and persons with mental illness and in crisis too frequently result in a use of force or a higher level of force than necessary.

 
The Albuquerque Journal has further developing coverage

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 4, 2014
 
CONTACT: Micah McCoy, (505) 266-5915 x1003 or [email protected]
 
ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Today the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico responded to Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry’s announcement that he had asked the Department of Justice to release their findings and install a federal monitor to implement the reforms in the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). The following statement can be attributed to ACLU of New Mexico Executive Director Peter Simonson:
 
“Mayor Berry’s call for federal intervention in Albuquerque’s troubled police department is a good first step towards reducing the excessive use of force and officer involved shootings in our city. It is a shame that the City’s leadership took so long to respond with aggressive action. Indeed, we might not be witnessing this action today if the Boyd shooting had not been captured by an officer-worn camera and made public. This fact makes one thing perfectly clear: body-worn cameras are an essential part of restoring transparency and accountability to our police department. Going forward, the City must set forth a policy of zero tolerance for any officer who fails to properly use a body-worn cameras to record encounters with civilians. Every single interaction between APD and the public must be recorded and preserved with serious consequences for officers who fail to do so. We furthermore urge the City Council to quickly adopt the recommendations put forward by the Police Oversight Task Force to overhaul the POC and establish meaningful, effective civilian oversight of law enforcement in Albuquerque.”
 

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