Phantom Justice. Young Boone's Koo
Second Day at RDC
From early morning, they started to feed us in sequence by the floor, and when we came back from the chow hall, an officer walked into our cell and took my cellmate to move him to another retail store as his new home for the next so many years, where he would be getting free checking-up, feeding, and housing.
The advantage of being incarcerated was that prisoners did not have to worry about their living expenses — housing, food and clothing — for the next many years. I lay down and was thinking unthinkable things including the reason for the existence of the DOC.
Soon, they called me for the medical checkup. They gave me the HIV test, followed by the dental checkup and complete physical, and then took my chest X-ray.
After lunch, my new cellmate, Glen Harry, moved in. As soon as he walked in, he started to smoke continuously. Quickly my nose started to pick up his smoke and it made me cough.
Letter from Mr. Van Bokkelen
During the first week of September, while I was at Lake County jail, I wrote letters to my new appeal counsel, Mr. Van Bokkelen, pertaining to the charge itself and with information on how my trial attorney, John Breclaw, had represented me during the trial and also why Mr. Breclaw did not object to the admission of the evidence presented by the state and never discussed the defense strategies with me.
I told him that the alleged offense occurred on March 30, 1989 but only two years later did the state make a charge, and in the meantime, the police did not investigate and nothing was done to ensure the allegation was looked into by the police or the prosecuting office.
I also emphasized that the State suddenly filed charges and brought the case to the court without interrogating, investigating, or obtaining any evidence from me for them to present to the court. In addition, I indicated the temporary Judge Edward Page’s personal interests in my case and asked why Page took my passport during the trial.
I could not comprehend why Page confiscated my passport before the jury decision, but the trial attorney, John Breclaw, ordered me to comply, so I did. The order was not from the prosecuting office, but it was interestingly by Page for himself. I was confused when I knew of Page’s interest but had to be patient.
Somehow, it made me believe Judge Page knew I was going to be convicted in accordance with his prejudiced calculations and discretions. It was not what I had anticipated from the beginning of the trial even as an alien, so I asked Mr. Van Bokkelen why this kind of law was prevailing in this democratic country, particularly in Lake County, Indiana. Mr. Van Bokkelen answered my letter.
October 7, 1992
Dear Dr. Koo:
I have reviewed the five letters which you sent to me. As we prepare the appeal, your comments will be reviewed along with the transcript of the evidence and other matters.
In the passport matter, I cannot speak for the routine practice in State criminal cases concerning passport, as I have indicated, it is a routine practice in Federal Court to take the passport until the conclusion of the trial.
With regard to the conduct of Magistrate Page, as I have indicated to you on a number of occasions, I would have strongly objected to his hearing the trial, in that he is neither a constitutionally or statutorily appointed Judge.
We are concerned about the grave injustice that was exemplified by the state of Indiana’s court system in the case of Dr. Young S. Koo. After accusation, the prosecutor and the judge seemed to have leaped at this opportunity to convict a doctor for rape, which would be the first time of such an occurrence in the state’s history. Their determination to convict Dr. Koo was successful. But the drawback was that the whole process was accomplished politically and at the price of Dr. Koo’s right to a fair trial.
There were many circumstances during and after the trial which leads us to believe that there was something strange going on internally. For example, the judge’s keen interest in matters after trial, such as his presence in the appellate court hearing and the prosecutor’s announcement on running for public office immediately following the trial. There are other such matters as well.
Unfortunately, we have no bureaucratic muscle to investigate such matters, but we do feel that such occurrence does give rise to suspicious activity within the system. It could be as simple as racial discrimination, or something more complex. Nonetheless, we feel there was injustice done, and the injustice should be corrected.
We hope that you will consider this situation worthy of further review. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Truly yours,
Joseph S. Van Bokkelen.
Third Day, Saturday
After the 7:30 count, they let us watch TV, but newcomers were not allowed, so we skipped.
For the first three days there was nothing going on except keeping us in cells for teaching and brainwashing about the meanings of reception by the DOC. My cellmate, Gary, was taken away one morning. It was a quick auction procedure. He did not know who bought him.
New Bunkie Robert Perry
In the afternoon I got a new cellmate, Robert Perry. He was thirty-five years old, white and medium built, and smoked too much. He said he married at eighteen, got involved in a robbery and was imprisoned for four years. While he was in prison, his wife took off and disappeared. After his first imprisonment, or “bet” in prison lingo, he became a roofer. He made good money, but because he issued a bad check he went to prison again in 1988. He was sent to jail yet again in 1992, but this time it was due to dope charges.
He used to spend over 200 to 300 dollars per month for weed. But now he told me that he was certain he would stay clean and away from drugs and weed. He said he had a new girlfriend who was supporting him sincerely, and he confided in me that he didn’t want to lose his girlfriend. I prayed for him. I certainly hoped that he would keep his promise this time not to touch street drugs and keep his relationship with his girlfriend in good faith.
October 20, 2 p.m.
Shakedown
The officers quickly came inside our cell, handcuffed us, and then shook us down. I could not imagine why but just watched them doing their so-called duties. They checked where they wished to inspect, then they walked away. I thought it was probably because of my cellmate Perry’s drug charges that they randomly shook us down.
October 23
From the morning, the new arrivals began to see the counselors for their retail store destinations with regard to their sentences and type of felony classifications, and then the counselor gave a recommendation depending on each inmate’s qualifications.
October 26
Mallet Sound
The sound of a mallet pounding cell bars disturbed me all the time. First thing in the morning, what I would hear was the mallet sound. One officer would begin to hit the bars with a mallet so its sound echoed inside the prison, then the echo would travel to my ears and then make me upset.
I was thinking that if society and government could keep checking people’s lifestyles or individual lives the way the cops were hitting the bars here, perhaps society would never have to worry about crime.
I still did not understand why the officers had to hit the bars twice a day. I knew they were checking up on inmates and the security of the area, but what in the world did they have to hit the bars for, so hard as to make those steel bars bend? Anyway I hated the mallet sound.
Everyday I was fearful of visible dust from having the blanket all the time on the floor, as it might cause cough and sneezing. I believed each blanket contained millions of bugs and drugs so I wondered why they did not hit our blankets then.
October 28
In the morning, an officer called me so I followed. He took me to the psychologist, Dr. Jim Huston, who was a behavior specialist, mid-fifties, and white.