Eric Brandt is a white male in his late forties. He is 5’8” and 200 pounds, dressed in black shorts and a yellow shirt, with black font on it that reads “Fuck Bad Cops.” He is single and homeless. Eric is a former U.S Navy nuclear engineer. He has been to many countries and speaks four languages. Eric chose to leave his veteran house and be homeless so that another homeless veteran can have a place to live. After he left his housing, he rented a backyard from a lady in Westminster and worked as plumber, electrician, and, according to him, “a dumpster diver” to fund and feed the other homeless. “Since I decided to help the other people that the government failed to help, I got arrested forty two times!”
In February 2013, Eric …show more content…
They often assemble in the plaza area of Lindsey Flanagan Courthouse in downtown Denver. Occupiers protest for Jury Nullification and against Police Violence. Eric removed a piece of paper from his pocket entitled Ask Me About Jury Nullification and states “Jury nullification occurs when a jury returns a judgment of not guilty in spite of its belief that the defendant is guilty of the violation charged. The jury in effect nullifies a law that it believes is wrongly applied to the defendant whose fate they are charged with deciding”. Eric continues, “Jurors do not just decide guilt or innocence, but sometimes, the legitimacy of the law being enforced.” Eric states that the government brought in bad police officers to fight the protest, while they practice their First Amendment right. Eric feels like the police always discriminate against homeless people just because they are homeless. “We, the people of the United States get arrested for no reason. Just because we are practicing our rights.”
After multiple attempts with letters to the government that went unanswered, Eric and the other occupiers have resorted to protesting. “They should hear us, they should stop the police violence, and they should help the people of the United