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According to a recent headline at Breitbart.com, confidence in police is at an all-time low of 52%. The numbers are from a new Gallup poll. The article continues that although trust has fallen 5% from its historical average, the public still believes they do more good than harm.
While recent reports of police overstepping the bounds or doing dreadful things have captured headlines, most see these incidents as committed by individual officers or precincts, and in general, believe they are unusual.
But are the public viewing this accurately? A recent wnd story noted that three supporters of Gov. Scott Walker had police storm their homes in the middle of the night, simply because they backed his collective bargaining reforms. It goes on to question whether America is becoming a police state, since these types of incidents are becoming more common. For instance, in the early 80s there were 3,000 swat raids yearly; today the number is 80,000.
It’s been said, “If you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear.” Under our justice system there always has been a presumption of innocence: a person is innocent until proven guilty. But as regulations multiply in every area of life, it’s possible for someone to violate one without even knowing it. And as the wnd story notes, police are becoming more militarized due to federal involvement with equipment and training. The motto from days gone by, “To protect and serve” has given way to a new mentality where ordinary citizens are referred to as “civilians.”
A former locksmith named David Merkatz knows about this first hand. He wrote the book, “Wrongly Charged,” to tell the world his story and to help others suffering a similar plight.
David shares that innocent people are wrongly accused of crimes every day in this country. And while there still are dedicated officers who want to do their jobs well, the police are people too, and sometimes they make mistakes – or worse.
“Wrongly Charged” is about one such “mistake.” It’s the true story of three locksmiths from Coconut Creek, FL who were wrongly arrested after being accused of major felonies. The police knew quite well that the issue was merely civil trademark infringement, but they proceeded anyway. Why? Because those men chose to name their Locksmith Services Company a name similar to the company the police department used to make their keys.
Did these men do anything to break the law? No. But did it cause confusion in the marketplace as to which locksmith was the company of choice for the “good ol’ boy” police department? Yes. But this is America, where a company like Apple can market an iPhone and another company can sell knock-offs called Droids. But they both co-exist.
Yet these three locksmiths suddenly found themselves in the criminal ‘justice’ system, enduring the indignity of an arrest and striving to prove their innocence, while lengthy prison sentences hung over their heads.
Best-selling author David Merkatz was one of the three locksmiths wrongly charged. He lets you in on the details of his wrongful arrest, criminal trial, and more. His mission is to show others that in the American legal system, you often aren’t truly considered “innocent until proven guilty.” Too frequently, when push comes to shove, you’re “guilty until proven innocent.”
“Wrongly Charged” is an excellent book for those interested in the criminal justice system – and a Must Read for others who have been wrongly charged or are at risk of being so.
Read “Wrongly Charged” by David Merkatz so that you aren’t the next victim wrongly charged in a local courtroom.
ABOUT DAVID MERKATZ:
Until 2013, David Merkatz made his living as a locksmith in Coconut Creek, FL. Life, he thought, was pretty good.
While there were some trademark issues with his business, he was making a living and enjoying his life. That all changed in August of 2013 when police arrested David and two of his fellow locksmiths, charging them with a host of crimes ranging from money laundering to petty theft.
That’s when David Merkatz learned that those lessons from high school civics class – that the United States protects the rights of the accused, that you’re innocent until proven guilty in a criminal trial, and that the innocent have nothing to fear – aren’t true any longer. He was plunged into a nightmare criminal trial after a wrongful arrest, and it was only thanks to his attorneys and his own dogged persistence that the three locksmiths came out all right.
Though not convicted, they were not unscathed. They still had to pay all bond costs, legal fees, and suffer through the agony of waiting to see how their cases would play out. Besides economic hardships, David suffered personal loss during the stressful ordeal when his wife divorced him and he lost his mother. This experience is what prompted David Merkatz to write the blockbuster book, “Wrongly Charged,” to show the increasing number of people who face similar problems, that they aren’t alone. He believes it’s time to stand for change in the American legal system.
As a result of his experiences, today David Merkatz has become a best-selling author.