Black Lawyer Dressed In Dashiki Told ‘He Wasn’t A Lawyer’ Tased and Tackled In California Courtroom
A California lawyer was arrested after a incident started inside a San Bernardino courtroom last year where he was tased and tackled to the ground. In September Jaaye Person-Lynn was convicted of a misdemeanor from the January 2019 incident inside the courtroom at the San Bernardino Justice Center.
The 37-year-old Los Angeles County attorney threatened a bailiff and ignored two deputies’ orders when they attempted to stop him from approaching a courtroom clerk. A jury found Person-Lynn of obstructing a peace officer, a charge that has a maximum one year sentence. Person-Lynn denies the allegations and maintains the deputy pushed him and then arrested him for not being dressed in traditional courtroom attire.
“They just didn’t believe I was an attorney,” he told Atlanta Black Star. “I told them, they just didn’t believe me.”
Person-Lynn’s conviction gained the attention of national civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who said courtroom officers racially profiled Person-Lynn, because they didn’t recognize him as an attorney because of how he was dressed.
“Usually POC (people of color) are profiled because they ‘fit a description,’” Crump wrote. “Jaaye Person-Lynn did NOT fit the description (aka stereotype) of a lawyer. Kicked out of court, tased, tackled AND arrested because officers did not believe Jaaye was a lawyer. There are 2 justice systems in America!!”
According to the State Bar of California, Person-Lynn is listed as a Howard University law school alum and has been a licensed lawyer in the state since 2010. Person-Lynn and advocates have been outspoken for several months, demanding the charges against him be dropped. Along with charges to be brought against the officer that tased him.