Redress for break-in of April 13, 1994

The computer was never returned, nor compensation paid.

I have occasionally been asked what redress I might seek for this crime. Some have suggested that there are legal remedies I might pursue. It have discussed that with several persons, and they all agree that there is no way to get redress, because the only way to prove what was done would be to get the federal agents involved to confess under oath, and they wouldn't do that, claiming absolute immunity as agents, and their right against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment.

There was more than the break-in, however. There was also a slander of me to the San Antonio Police, and interference with the business relationship with my then client, which cost me the $70,000 I was still owing on the work I had done for the client.

But what would I accept as redress? Here is what I demand:

1. Admission of the act by the agency, and full disclosure of all the details.
2. Successful criminal prosecution of all the persons involved.
3. Effective reforms to prevent any such offense being done to anyone else in the future.
4. Reimbursement for the loss of the computer and contract.

The replacement cost of the laptop computer was $3600.00. There was also about $2000 worth of un-backed-up work product on the computer at the time that was lost or had to be re-created.

But we must also figure a reasonable rate of interest on the debt. I will figure 10 percent. Assuming reimbursement around April, 2004, that would be a factor of 2.

The above figure does not count slander of me to members of the San Antonio Police Department. For that I would be satisfied for them to conduct a briefing in which they admit they lied about me in their earlier briefing.

In fairness, however, I must say that I benefited in several ways from the incident:

First, it confirmed to me that I was on the right investigatory track. Just as in the children's game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, where a blindfolded player tries to pin the tail on the image of a donkey on a wall, and other children yell "warmer" or "colder" to guide the player's hand, so the repressive responses of government agents are a fairly reliable source of information concerning whether one's efforts to expose their criminal wrongdoing are getting closer to the mark. One can even just guess at what the truth is, and their actions will assist one in seeking the evidence and exposing the truth.

Second, it helped motivate me to pursue the cause of defending the Constitution nearly full-time, what I now think to be my life's mission. I will be eternally grateful to them for sending me on this quest, even though that was the opposite of what they intended.