Legal Funding & Support For Crystal Starr
Donation protected
On the morning of August 8, 2019, as I was driving to work in Taos N.M., I was pulled over for speeding by a New Mexico State trooper. I immediately provided her with my driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance, but when she returned to my car, she demanded that I get out. Knowing my credentials were up to date, I calmly asked the officer why I should get out of my car. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked.
She refused to provide an answer, and so I remained in my car. Without my consent, she opened the driver’s side door and violently pulled me out of my seat, ripping my clothes in the process. Before I knew it, I was sitting handcuffed in the back of a police car, with no idea as to why I had been detained.
I spent a full night in jail, and only then did I find out that the officer who had assaulted me had in fact charged me with assault, battery, and resisting arrest. I had to spend the next 18 months defending myself from these baseless charges, and on April 2, 2021, a jury acquitted me of all charges.
Between my arrest and eventual acquittal, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were murdered at the hands of police, and a racial justice movement swept across America. Meantime, I was advised by my lawyer to not go public with my story, as it could jeopardize my defense. As a writer and the host of a weekly radio show in Taos, it was not easy to maintain my silence.
In the process of defending myself, I incurred significant financial debt. The total cost of my criminal defense attorney was more than $30,000, half of which I have paid thus far. I am asking for your support in righting this wrong, and helping me to regain my financial footing, as well as my emotional and mental health.
Your contributions will go to fulfill the remainder of my legal debt, as well as provide me the time and space to heal from this trauma. I also plan to seek justice and pursue legal action for violation of my civil rights.
Thank you for your love and support,
Crystal Starr
She refused to provide an answer, and so I remained in my car. Without my consent, she opened the driver’s side door and violently pulled me out of my seat, ripping my clothes in the process. Before I knew it, I was sitting handcuffed in the back of a police car, with no idea as to why I had been detained.
I spent a full night in jail, and only then did I find out that the officer who had assaulted me had in fact charged me with assault, battery, and resisting arrest. I had to spend the next 18 months defending myself from these baseless charges, and on April 2, 2021, a jury acquitted me of all charges.
Between my arrest and eventual acquittal, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were murdered at the hands of police, and a racial justice movement swept across America. Meantime, I was advised by my lawyer to not go public with my story, as it could jeopardize my defense. As a writer and the host of a weekly radio show in Taos, it was not easy to maintain my silence.
In the process of defending myself, I incurred significant financial debt. The total cost of my criminal defense attorney was more than $30,000, half of which I have paid thus far. I am asking for your support in righting this wrong, and helping me to regain my financial footing, as well as my emotional and mental health.
Your contributions will go to fulfill the remainder of my legal debt, as well as provide me the time and space to heal from this trauma. I also plan to seek justice and pursue legal action for violation of my civil rights.
Thank you for your love and support,
Crystal Starr
Organiser
Crystal Starr
Organiser
Williamsburg, NM