A JUST QUESTION: Why is SJ Police Association Fentanyl Queen Treated Differently?

Latest

Former San Jose Police Association Executive Director Joanne Segovia faces federal charges for running an international drug ring. Illustration by Adrian Avila.

Editor’s note: Former San Jose Police Association Executive Director Joanne Segovia is facing federal charges for running an international drug ring for years. She was released without having to pay bail, and local law enforcement officials have been relatively silent about the alleged criminal activity, despite its size and scope. Writer Raymond Goins poses the question – why is she treated differently? His article below was originally published on April 20, 2023 at https://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/stories/a-just-question

As an individual who has been caught for committing several crimes in my life, and has served over 25 years of my life in some sort of imprisonment, I am confused as to why the Fentanyl Queen Joanne Segovia is not being treated like myself or a lot of my friends would have been if if we got caught playing with the fentanyl at a global scale. 

So I got some questions.

The first and most glaring question that I have is to Jeff Rosen and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. Why haven’t you, on the behalf of the people of Santa Clara County, charged her? If she would have been from the the economically challenged parts of San Jose, your office would have had a press conference with a big white board full of lines linking everyone that was involved with their name, age ,gang name, and real name next to color pictures. You would harass and embarrass our families and do all you can to tear them from the fabric of their families. 

She very well could directly or indirectly have had a hand in every fentanyl related death and crime that has happened in Santa Clara County. So how is she being treated like a white color criminal? She was even released without paying any bail. But I guess if you got money and connections I guess you don’t need bail. As the former Chief Executive Officer of the San Jose Police Association(SJPOA), I guess it helps to have the support of people in high ranking positions. It’s like I scratched your back, now I need you to scratch mine. 

People always talking about “justice” and “equal justice under the law.” So if you ever thought there is a such thing as equal justice, I hope that how this is playing out shows you that there are several standards of justice. And for older white woman who ran the SJPOA,  you can do what you want because grandfather (The Judicial System) will protect you.  

Comment from a reader on the De-Bug website: “Joanne Segovia should be locked up, with no bail. She is a high- risk criminal. I am a mother whom lost my child Chloe Harden age 18, one year ago in San Jose to fentanyl poisoning. I will not rest until she is locked up.”

+ Articles by this author

Raymond Goins is a columnist for Silicon Valley De-Bug. Silicon Valley De-Bug is a community organizing, advocacy, and a multimedia storytelling organization based out of San José, California.

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Journalist Says Why ‘I Can No Longer Work With Reuters’

A photojournalist says why it is impossible for her to maintain a relationship with Reuters "given its role in justifying and enabling the systematic assassination of 245 journalists in Gaza."

Abrego Garcia Detained Again, Could be Deported to Uganda

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant worker, was freed from detention in Tennessee Aug. 22 and then re-arrested by ICE on Aug. 25 in Maryland. The Trump administration is trying to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda.

An Open Letter to Mayor Matt Mahan of San Jose, CA.

From the San Jose CA Frontlines: Stop the sweeps. Unhoused people want a safe place to stay. All people should be respected, shown compassion, understanding.

Global Food Authority Declares Catastrophic Famine in Gaza

On Aug. 22, the world's top authority on hunger crises officially declared that a catastrophe-level famine in Gaza exists—a humanitarian disaster engineered by Israel's relentless blockade of food aid and other life-saving supplies.

Thousands of Texans Protest Trump’s Redistricting Plan To Get More Votes

The Texas capitol of Austin saw 5,000 people protesting Trump’s unconstitutional redistricting plan and other issues threatening our democracy.

More from the People's Tribune