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Under the cover of darkness --The DMV and San Fernando Court defrauds the people of California?

2009-10-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

News from the front... Update: Wednesday November 11, 2009 my attorney and I will be appearing in the San Fernando Court house for a hearing regarding these acts of fraud, .... um, I mean mistakes?. The California DMV director George Valverde will then be personally notified by certified letter and ordered to comply with a court order to purge the record, or be held in "contempt of court". Read on to get the gist of what these criminals (who give themselves immunity) did, and yes --under the cover of darkness..

I've been truly blessed to have achieved some wonderful accomplishments in my lifetime. Recently the California Superior court has tried to destroy these achievements, by separating me from my money, my property, and my freedom. Of course they accomplished all three, just like a magic trick "poof" then they dismissed my case and the charges on April 23,2008 in the San Fernando California Superior court house. Notice the word superior, superior over whom is my question?

Funny thing is, for the past sixteen months it's been made apparent that officers of the court secretly snuck around under the cover of darkness and felt that I should have been convicted of all the original charges, charges that a Judge dismissed for lack of evidence, that these officers of the court then took it upon themselves using a court room computer, on a Friday night and conspired to alter the record without any evidence and then convicted me of a charge that I was never convicted of in a court room, without my presence in a court room, without the authority of a judge or a jury, and of course without telling me or notifying my attorneys.

Ultimately convicting me of "FIVE" made up misdemeanor traffic crimes, all with the same date of 4-23-08, over a sixteen month period... then they have the audacity to call it a mistake without striking the record? The old "we didn't do it, the computer must have done it routine" is not an acceptable explanation.

I went to work for United Parcel Service in Sylmar from 1985 to 1998 as a UPS package driver servicing the people of the community.

I delivered very important next day air packages to former President Ronald Reagan at his library in Simi Valley. I also delivered time sensitive court documents to the San Fernando court house for many years as a UPS driver. As a Teamster I was an alternate shop steward in which I'd deal in labor law grievance proceedings. I would often deliver 80 pound packages of bullets to the sheriffs department, in fact I was in charge of providing guns and ammunition to law enforcement. On my route I often delivered to the CHP's hanger at the Burbank airport. I was bonded for over a million dollars. I saved a families home from burning down on my route using the UPS trucks fire extinguisher to put out the flames. I was on the United Parcel Service safety committee for eleven years, and earned "Safe Driving Awards" from the transportation safety department.

At the age of 12 years old I shook the hand of Former President Gerald Ford during his "Days of Verdugo" speech in Glendale at the City Hall October 8, 1976. Thirty three years later on July 30, of 2008 I worked with the Honorable Walter E. Dellinger III, Kenneth W. Starr, and United States Supreme Court Justice Samual A. Alito, Jr. at Pepperdine University for an intellectual discussion regarding "Lawyering and the Craft of Judicial Opinion Writing".

I'd grow up to discover Gwen Stefani in 1989, and then in 1991 produce the now world famous video interview with her four years before she would become a world famous star as seen on you-tube with over 300,000 views. Scroll down to see this interview on this page.

In 1990 I would produced the world famous "Bad Religion riot" video at the El Portal theater in North Hollywood. In 1999 I would release this on the MVD label worldwide. Back in the early 90's i donated my video skills to the L.A. School district for the memorial Gymnastics Showcase for students with special needs. I worked for the Red Hot Hot Chili Peppers from 1988 to 1991 as their personal videographer capturing some really great moments before they broke into the mainstream.

In 2001 I worked closely with non-profit organization "Bridge Focus" and Anna Garcia in Pacoima to help get support from the community for a public skate-park at Sunland park to help better provide extreme sports for our youth, just like we had in the late 70's and early 80's. On April 4, of 2001 I made the cover of the Los Angeles Times "Foothill Leader" and was personally congratulated by X-games gold medalists Tony Hawk in writing for my efforts and success.

From 2005 to 2008 I offered my professional transportation skills and safety methods for mobile television and started driving mobile television tractor trailers for ESPN, Fox Sports, Fox Sports West, Telemundo, and Pay Per View. I successfully drove through a Tornado on March 30, 2006 twenty miles west of Des Moines Iowa, traveling all over the country, at all hours of the day and night with no traffic accidents on an impeccable driving record.

In September of 2007 while driving home minding my own business in my private vehicle in the early morning hours I was seemingly chased down for a half mile in the city of Sunland by someone with their high beams on. It appeared to me that this unsafe driver while tailgating me with his brights on was trying to get me to swerve, crash and cause me personal harm. This went on at the high speed of 46 mph. I was shocked when the red and blue lights flashed on.

I pulled over and stopped, and was immediately yelled at with these words; "You can put the water bottle down nothing is going to help you now" and with those words and what was about to happen unknown to me at the time, I then claimed my 4th and 5th Amendment rights, immediately.

I knew that this was, and had become a set up lacking all probable cause, which in fact was invented by the unsafe actions of law enforcement, complete with double bright strategically placed High Beams, extremely dangerous tailgating methods, and the official road rage routine by a public servant. Law enforcement actually went out of their way to create probable cause where it did not exist to justify a stop. Inventing and creating their own reality into my reality.

I was then accused of going 60 in a 45 mph zone. Then accused of being under the influence of some random drugs or alcohol [?]. I requested to see a lawyer as I was forewarned that; "nothing was going to help me now" and with that I kept my mouth shut, and did not answer any questions. I refused to offer up any evidence that could be used against me. Remember this was a low speed traffic stop lacking all probable cause. Welcome to the world of illusions, and fantasy land make believe.

I was then arrested for remaining silent, then charged with allegedly driving under the influence of something. I hired an attorney and paid $14,000 for a jury trial at the San Fernando Court house. On Monday April 23, 2008 I appeared in court with my attorney ready for trial. The jury trial and my case was dismissed by the Judge, all alcohol drug related charges were dropped.

I would then agree to a reckless driving charge, a non alcohol-drug related offense and a $150 fine, allegedly I was going 60 in a 45 mph zone, where was the dash cam video of this horrendous crime? Lets welcome ourselves to fantasy land.

Of course during the pre-trial I requested the video tape of me being followed unsafely in the early morning hours of September 3, 2007, with this dash cam video we could show how law enforcement created and invented probable cause using unethical and unsafe driving methods, you'd then see me being tailgated with the blinding police high beams at 46 mph, then we would hear and see the threat by "law enforcement" after I had stopped that; "nothing is going to help you now", present this to a jury and you kind of get that Alice in Wonderland feeling.

Oh, but of course that dash cam video "magically disappeared". After all the State was trying to separate me from my money, my property, and my freedom, a video of this nature might cost the State a huge lawsuit, perhaps an investigation?, A few million dollars in settlements? No, we wouldn't want to expose their illusion with the truth of what is really going on here now would we?

I left the court house on Monday April 23, 2008 a little disheveled mentally like I had just been offered a product and a service at the barrel of a gun.

I had know idea then that perhaps the Judge, the court clerk, the DA and the whole Superior Court System in the State of California would give me, my family, my friends, my employers and insurers the appearance of fraud. In fact I was led to believe by the Judge, the court, the D.A, and my lawyers, that my case was dismissed and a reckless driving charge with a $150 fine is what we all agreed upon, justice was served or was it?

In June of 2008 two months after my jury trial was dismissed I would discover that in my police record, and my DMV record that someone other than the judge at the court house convicted me of a one DUI on April 23, 2008. I notified my attorney, my attorney's then acquired a court order from the San Fernando court house, on June 19,2008 a "minute order" to "strike the entire record".

The court then failed to remove or "strike" the DUI with the DMV and simply added a new fake charge, a "Wet Reckless" to the DMV, so now I have two convictions on my police and DMV record a DUI, and now an "additional" Wet Reckless [?] dated April 23, 2008. Two crimes that I was never convicted of by a judge or in any court of Law in the United States on this date.

This past April 2009 my lawyers go back to court, we get a second "minute order" dated April 23, 2009 (one year to the date of my appearance in court back in 2008} to "strike the record" again, we wait and on May 26, 2009 the DMV sends me, through my attorneys a "record request response" stating that the "court" made this mistake to the DMV on Friday April 27, 2008.[?]

So we have to ask some really hard questions; Did mysterious unknown court officers "Usurp' the judge and the courts order to dismiss the case? Did these mystery court officers without any legal authority create their own conviction absent a Judges order? What occurred on Friday April 27, 2008 at the San Fernando Court house under the cover of darkness? Who, at the court house waited until Friday night (five days after I appeared in court) to report a DUI to the police and DMV, then calling it a "mistake" after it was uncovered two months later?

Who tried to fix this mistake by not removing the first mistake, and adding a new charge?, Who's the mysterious unknown character in the court house making determinations that the fake DUI should now become a fake wet reckless? Who's the mysterious character adding these fake convictions to my personal Police and DMV records causing me two unfounded convictions? How do we find out the names of these mystery court officials?

In July of 2009 I contact the Supervising court clerk to try and help her "REMOVE and ERASE" these two "fraudulent" convictions off of my police and DMV record she said; "it has been corrected". Exactly what has been corrected?

Sixteen months have passed since I discovered these two "fake alcohol related Convictions" that I've never been convicted of. They report on my DMV and police abstracts as convictions dated April 23, 2008.

On October 7, 2009 I go back to the DMV to get my DMV printout I asked the DMV clerk; "how is this possible?" She tells me; to fight this, that the DMV makes it impossible to remove or repair the record in hopes that you will just give up and go away [?] That the DMV can only report what the "Courts" are sending them, that the DMV has no idea of these convictions until the court clerk sends them to us".

She hands me my DMV printout and asks me for $5, to my utter shock and amazement I now have "FIVE" convictions all reported as conviction dates of April 23, 2008. One DUI, One Wet Reckless, and three Reckless Driving convictions.

The following is an excerpt from a letter I sent certified to my attorney last week on October 8, 2009.

"At this time I personally feel violated and that criminal offenses against me have been committed by "Public Servants" in a court room on April 23, 2008 and by the State of California, the Superior Court in San Fernando, Judge Martin R. Gladstein, Court Clerk Laura Hildago, Joan La Vally (REP) and Melissa Hilario (CA). I feel as if these people, officers of the court "CONSPIRED" against me under the cover of darkness and on Friday April 27, 2008 they all altered the record, as the DMV reports in a written document dated May 26, 2009.

My Family and I feel that we've been "DEFRAUDED" by the State, the courts, the judge, the court clerk and the DMV? This is an "INSULT TO OUR INTELLIGENCE"

--My lawyers are now in the process of taking care of this by going back to court to get an order to "PURGE" the DMV record. I've been unemployable for sixteen months, I'm also uninsurable by any employer at this time, I can not travel to other countries with a record like this, my reputation has been destroyed, my credit, I'm bankrupt, and the loss of property, job, and ability to earn a living has been severely compromised by the DMV and the San Fernando Superior court as a direct result of their ineptitude, incompetence, or dereliction of duty. [?]

With all of this information, here are some more really bold questions: Does the DMV purposely do this to make it impossible to fix fake convictions fabricated by the court? Does the San Fernando Court house know that the DMV purposely makes it impossible to fix the fake mistakes their court clerks send them?

Does the Courts mystery employees send "intentional false convictions" absent a judges ruling, under the cover of darkness, as a tacit form of punishment because the court somehow still think that "we the people" are guilty, even after a judge dismisses a case, then try to wiggle out of it by claiming that it was just a "Mistake"?

I'm a proud American Patriot, I don't have any "REAL" criminal record. I know for a fact that I've been defrauded by the San Fernando Court house under the cover of darkness, and of course I can't see and don't know who did it to me. I'm still waiting sixteen months and counting for my police and DMV record to be cleared. Who did this? Who is to be held accountable?

Meanwhile our Governors wife Maria is driving around yapping on the phone. I'd bet that she is going to get "professional courtesy".

In the San Fernando courts own words off of their website: Integrity - Protect individual rights and liberties and protect the confidentiality of court participants as required by law; develop employees who conduct themselves ethically and professionally.

Note: I cannot be certain as to what is going on at the San Fernando court house. I can only share my exprience as it happened to me. I was lied to, blinded, cheated and deceived by these government public servants who used illusions, smoke and mirrors designed to steal my money. After sixteen months, I do know that this alleged mistake made by the officers of the court gives my family and I the appearance of some kind of questionable acts of fraud, only after this mistake magically morphs into five convictions leaving all of us with some very serious concerns. --It's not the "justice system" it's the "legal system".

By the way, I was never given a citation for allegedly traveling 60 mph in a 45 mph zone.

"It is the responsibility of the patriot to protect his country from its government."
- Thomas Paine

A Dance of Diplomacy

2009-10-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

I started working for UPS in 1985 at the Van Nuys Hub. I was 20 years old. A guy named Larry Fagan hired me.

I walked into the Van Nuys hub after just getting back from surfing at the beach, my shorts were still
wet, I had sand all over my feet, salt all over me, and I was sun burned wearing a tank top and flip flops.

I was in the human resources office where I filled out an application for employment with a black pen, and was given an interview on the spot and told I could start in the next few months. This meant becoming a member of the Teamsters union. I landed the job and went to work as a loader, I was quickly promoted to a sorter, and in 1991 I went next day air driving averaging 29 stops per hour.

In 1994 I was getting familiar with the internet. I built my first website in 1995 using adobe page mill 2.0 Go here to see my very first website designed in 1995:

http://home.earthlink.net/~laaccess/index.html

I suggested to my UPS managers that I could help them with a new thing called a website where I could be in charge of developing this for our soon to be internet customers, that this was gonna be the wave of the future. And we should make UPS available online for for the world.

I was laughed at and told to get to work and think only about delivering packages, to not be thinking about "imaginary internet projects" or my personal creative endeavors on the job.

Well look at UPS today in 2009, they are online, and my imaginary Idea to help UPS get started is in full implementation just as I had suggested to them in 1994.

I constantly brought UPS innovative Idea's as a UPS driver and I was constantly told to stop creating and start producing in my deliveries of packages per hour to the customer. I was hoping that UPS would hire me, you know?, their in house policy?; the "we hire from within" routine? It never happened.

In 1995 I mentioned to my UPS managers that we should implement a driver and sponsor a car to race in NASCAR
I asked; how come we don't sponsor a UPS car for NASCAR? I was again looked down upon and told or reminded that I'm "just" a driver, to get back to work. Well, look what UPS does now, for the past 10 years, they race in NASCAR. What a great Idea guys, could it be that this was one of your package driver's idea's?

In that same year I mentioned to my UPS mangers that we should modify the UPS package car and race it down a drag strip, and again I was told to stop creating imaginary Ideas and get back to work delivering. Only this time I was told that UPS is not in the business of drag racing package cars or sponsoring a racing team in NASCAR.

Well lets just look and see what UPS has done they modified their package car and race it down the race track. Only thing I think they came up with on their own with out my help was to put flames on the side of the package car.

I left UPS in 1998 they caused me a work related injury and denied it ever happened. It was apparent that they were never gonna hire me from within, that I had way to many creative and innovative idea's.
I wonder if they had the Managers office wired with a tape recorder every time I gave them a suggestion?

Hey UPS, whatever happened to the "we hire from within" routine you guys got going on there?

Discovering Gwen Stefani

2008-08-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

Catch a glimpse of the world famous interview of 1991.

An excerpt from the upcoming book,

"In the Blink of an Eye,
--the polarization of a musical revolution".

"Discovering Gwen Stefani"

So It goes like this;
Circa 1989, we were both backstage together in the
Hollywood Hills, immediately after one of her
performances. She was all hot and sweaty when I met her.
I was really enlightened and very turned on by her
essence. So I put my hand on her sweaty hot shoulder
and asked her; "Gwen would you like to go out for coffee?"

I had absolutely no reason not to ask her out. She paused
and smiled looked at me and said; " I'm sorry, my dad is on
his way up from Orange County to take me home"
I smiled back at Gwen and said; "maybe next time"
Gwen smiled back, fluttered her eyes and said; "maybe".

Gwen Stefani never once stopped to tell me she
was seeing someone or that she had a boyfriend.
A beautiful young starlet always leaves her options open.

TSOL:Live from O.C. (Back Story)

2008-08-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from the upcoming book;

"In the Blink of an Eye,
--the polarization of a musical revolution"

"I lift up the casket and fiddle with the dead?" I first heard
Jack seething those words in 1981 on KROQ's Rodney on the Roq
show. Back then, KROQ and Rodney were on the cutting edge of
new music and TSOL was often in the rotation. I remember
finding those lyrics and the punk/gothic sound so compelling
that I was sometimes entranced by them. Punk rock was a new
discovery for many people in the early 80's and I was clearly
hooked. Needless to say, it was bands like TSOL, Bad Religion,
The Circle Jerks, and other punk rock gods that helped
cement my tastes in the genre.

It went like this: A 1991 reunion show under the name,
Superficial Love? The original TSOL was not legally allowed to play as TSOL?
They even went under the name L.O.S.T? This show was shot, and
produced over a decade ago. This video production took Producer
Richard A White a total of 11 years to finally put together.
Legal issues with the band, licensing, post production, editing,
graphics, and timing. It was never intended for release on Dvd, as
Dvd in 1991, did not exist. With todays new technology, and being
that punk rock is socially acceptable now, the producer, and T.S.O.L
management, agreed that this should be released as a concert video.

Release date May, 21 2002.MVD/L.A.Access Video.

This TSOL DVD is currently being re-released in 2009
with new concert and skateboard footage.

Bad Religion Riot of 1990 (the Back Story)

2008-08-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from the book, "In the blink of an eye,
-- The polarization of a musical revolution".

By Richard Alan White © 2008.

contact: raw420x@earthlink.net

Now before I begin you have to remember that
back in 1990 there were no cell phones, video cell phones,
digital, internet, blog spots, youtube, Facebook, myspace
or itunes. Only a few skilled cameramen were out shooting
the guerilla type style of filmmaking in the early pre multi
media stages, and there was no instant world wide vehicle
for posting or sharing your concert films or any other
creative film works or endeavors you might have.

Only the traditional distribution methods were in place
and it was extremely difficult to get distribution in
"the blink of an eye" so that the whole world could see it literally
overnight.

You only had the traditional brick and mortar media as an outlet.
If you were lucky to capture any news worthy footage you'd go to
ABC, NBC, CBS, or CNN. There was no guarantee that the
networks would use your news footage, and if you had silly
home made movies, comedy, short skits or the likes there
was nowhere to show em to the world over night.

So with this story, I'm writing in retrospect going back
in time using the internet and todays technology,
sharing a true life story about myself, and how one
skateboarder, musician, filmmaker and cameraman,
in 1990 would provide world wide publicity for one of
my favorite bands.

In 1990 at the El Portal theater in North Hollywood,
I utilized the ABC network news media and then ultimately
provided a publicity vehicle for a small Independent record
label, which would eventually give Epitaph records, Bad Religion
and Brett Gurewitz, the kick start they needed to share their talent,
their message, and their music, world wide and become one of
the biggest most successful music conglomerates in the world.

So here we go, and I hope you enjoy my story.

Rewind circa 1980, "I remember this great band
called Bad Religion, I was riding my skateboard at
a cement skate park called “The Boogie Bowl” in
Glendale California. I know, that is a real silly
name for a skate park by todays standards but
remember, it was built in July of 1977 and
the disco thing was really happening".

"Bad Religion had a certain style, a unique
sound, I think Jays bass playing for one, and
Pete Finestone’s drumming. Pete hitting lots
of cymbals did it for me. Pete would crash and
ride his cymbals and play his drums like he
had 4 hands, and Greg had a perfect punk rock
singers voice next to that of Lee Ving from the band
FEAR. I also think Jim Mankey the sound engineer
had something to do with it".

--Richard White

Fast forward to 1996,
From the "Bad Religion Riot DVD" as transcribed by Yurika Lin Szabo;

...December 29, 1990 -- My brother, Brian, just
phoned- “Get your ass down here and film!"
NOFX and Pennywise are opening up for Bad Religion!
Eric (of NOFX) says it’s cool. My friend, and I arrive at the El Portal
theater in N. Hollywood a little before 5:00 p.m. No hassles
from security--they've been expecting us. The theater is relatively
empty...except for the members of Bad Religion.
They see us, we all nod our heads, “what's up”?
They're ready for their sound check; I start taping.
We're the only cameramen to film the
Bad Religion Riot of 1990 from first beer
bottle thrown to the last...

--Now Brian was the drummer for our punk rock skate
band called No Apparent Reason. He would have Eric,
drummer of NOFX over on many occasions. NOFX
played one of their first shows in our parents garage
back in 1984. So this is how I got the call and the heads
up to get down there with my camera and roll some
footage. You just didn't pull out a pocket sized cell
phone and start recording video in those days.

You had to get permission. Now at the time I was
working freelance for Goldenvoice productions, they
were the concert promoters that put on all the early
punk rock shows. Kevin Lyman, Paul Tollett, and
Rick Van Santen were my contacts, "my go to guys" these
were the guys I went to, to get permission to bring in a video
camera and shoot proprietary performances. They are an
important part to my story, helping me leverage my
vision of this rock n roll revolution exploding before
our very eyes.

Now, what I would do is, once I was cleared by
Goldenvoice it was now my job to get permission
from the bands and or their management. This was
very tricky and required a little wisdom, skill,
and finesse, and nice teeth for that smile at the end.
I simply leveraged my professional management
skills and made it happen. Based on a hand shake
and my good word everyone involved agreed.
It was punk rock.

So December 29, 1990. The El-portal theater was 64 years old.
Built in 1926 and located in North Hollywood. My grandmother
went there to see movies when she was a little girl.
In 1990 Pennywise, NOFX and Bad Religion are now on the roster.
Pennywise opens the show and gets almost 3/4 of the way through
their set before the power is pulled. I captured their last song
"Bro Hym". NOFX and Bad Religion are shut down completely.

Kroq 106.7 a local radio station promoted
a contest for this show for their listeners behind
the orange curtain way down in Orange County.
Kroq provided the transportation on a Bus.
The fire marshal shut down the show because
they claimed it was over capacity, that all the
aisles had to be clear and all the concert
goers had to be seated. In the video I shot
you can see that the aisles are clear and
everyone is seated as they should be according
to the fire marshal.

So why then did this show get shut down? Why did a riot
break out causing some $25,000 in damages to the the
theaters seats, glass windows and most important the
ticket booth that had remained in it's original state
for over 60 years?

I'll tell you my opinion, the fire department conspired
with the police department to trump up a bogus safety issue
after the concert promoters already acquired the proper
permits for the show. The North Hollywood Police department
in 1990 simply did not want it's private citizens to attend what
was labeled as a "punk rock" show in their city, yet at the same
time they provided the costly permits for this show.

So what did the police and Fire department do? They promoted
their own show. I like to call this "reverse public servant-ism"
if there is such a thing. The best way to describe this would be
like "reverse racism". Why not? It was a freezing cold
December night, there were no fires burning, all the criminals
were home staying warm all except for the mean bad
scary punk rockers.

I had my video camera rolling when Brian Meckleberg one of the
concert promoters broke the news to this eager christmas crowed of
punk rock fans, most were in attendance to see Bad Religion.
The crowed started booing they started thumping on the chairs,
finally one angry fan ripped a set of chairs out and it was on, it was a riot.
Lots of breaking glass, and the El Portals 64 year old ticket booth was
damaged. A guy sliced his arm up really bad.

The angry crowed left the theater on a rampage the perfect
end result that the "reverse public servants" conspired
to create on this cold December night. The Battalion chief
of the Los Angeles fire department gave the okay to hose
down these concert goers in freezing cold weather.
I would later find out in 1998 from a high school friend
who is now a Los Angeles fire chief that the Battalion chief
on call in 1990 was later reprimanded and demoted for doing
this. I personally feel that the city was the cause and provoked
a calculated response from the upset concert goers.

After the riot CBS news showed up based on reports of a
punk rock riot in North Hollywood. The CBS cameraman
noticed me rolling tape, he asked me how long I had been
there, I told him "from the beginning" I captured all of
it, he told me to stay with him, that CBS needs that footage
for their 11 o'clock "Breaking News". So I followed him
around as he captured some aftermath shots inside and out.

After about 5 minutes Perry Tollett, brother of Paul Tollett
approaches the CBS cameraman and accidently pushes
him causing him to lose his balance and somehow causes
the camera light to fall off the camera and crash to the floor.
The CBS camera man starts yelling for help and has Perry
handcuffed by the L.A. Police, and is ready to press assault charges.
The Police are now asking the CBS cameraman what he wanted to do?

Now Perry and his brother Paul are part of the reason I'm there
capturing all this madness. The CBS cameraman already told me
that CBS needs my footage and here is the CBS guy having my
friend handcuffed and now arrested and potentially charged
with a felony. Perry was seconds away from being hauled off
to jail. So I told CBS that; "if you press charges, I'm going to
ABC news with my footage" CBS agreed to not press any
charges, Perry was released on the spot.

About 20 minutes pass and I'm now in the CBS news van
headed down to the CBS news room to make a transfer
of my footage. In those days I shot on a Panasonic pv 420
half inch format. The CBS guy and I arrive at the CBS news
room around 10:45 pm, just in time for CBS to transfer tape,
cut and edit it for their 11 pm news broadcast. About 10
minutes pass and the assignment desk editor says they
can't match the signal from my tape to theirs.
They're sorry they can't use the footage.

I laughed, thought about Perry, then called the ABC
news desk and spoke to the assignment desk editor Jay Eckstein.
Jay asked me what I had, I told him I had the "Bad Religion Riot"
beginning to end, Jay told me to get myself down to
the news room, and make it snappy! I show up and meet
with Jay, hand him the tape, they transfer it and offer me a
licensing fee for it's use. The Bad Religion riot was broadcast
on ABC's local news December 31, 1990 and reported by ABC
news man Marc Brown. A news report was also broadcast on
ABC's World News Tonight with the late Peter Jennings, but
reported by Forrest Sawyer, as Mr. Jennings was on vacation.

A month passes and Bad Religion decides to have a make up
show at the Hollywood Palladium February 1, 1991.
Kroq 106.7 announces this and the band honors the tickets
sold for the canceled El Portal show. I show up
early to meet with Brett Gurewitz. Brett sees me
comes up and puts his arm around me and says; "thank you
for the publicity". I said; "you're welcome, you guys deserve it".
Brett told me that the ABC news footage gave him a spike in
record sales, and that he'd license the footage from me
if he ever needed it.

I later spoke with Bad Religions "spiritual advisor" the
late Henry Hanoi Kuzdak. He had the biggest smile and
said the news publicity helped Epitaph and Bad Religion
sell tens of thousands of records, Henry said; "it put them
over the top". As we chatted the Palladium lowered their
big screen I handed a VHS copy of the ABC news report to
the in house video engineer, he broadcast the ABC news
story on the Hollywood Palladiums big screen to some 3,500
Bad religion fans as the band entered the stage, the
crowed went wild, and Bad Religion began their set.

Fast forward to 1996, I decide I'm gonna put together a
20 minute video of the "uncut" riot footage, include a
few songs from their 1988 "suffer tour" which I shot at
Devonshire Downs from the 1988 show and see what happens.
I meet with Brett at his Epitaph office on Sunset in the
Silver lake area December of 1995. I gave a video
presentation. During the presentation we
had a little misunderstanding.

During that same year Pennywise released a VHS video
called "Home Movies" on the Epitaph label.
In this video the producer included footage of my riot
that had not been cleared. I held an exclusive with ABC news.
Back in 1991 Brett told me he'd "license" my work if he
ever needed it. So during this meeting it got a little heated,
actually really heated as a colleague of mine at the time was
really making things difficult for everyone. Voices
were raised and fists were pounded on the table. It was
a beautiful thick oak table too. Brett told me
I could release the riot footage on my own and that
he would not provide me with Distribution.

That was it, the presentation was over we were
asked to leave, Brett had his head buried in his hands.
I walked up to him and said "no worries Brett, it will
all work out" We both shook hands I told him I
I'd be releasing the "Bad Religion Riot" on my own.
I was later contacted by Fletcher Dragge guitarist of
Pennywise on behalf of Brett Gurewitz at Erik Melvins'
(of NOFX) coffee house on Melrose.

Now it goes like this, I'm a 5'11" skateboarder, skinny
and thin, I'm the bass player of skate punk band called
"No Apparent Reason" which we started because of NOFX
playing in our garage back in 1984. We are a total underground
punk band. Fletcher is 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide he's huge
and could kill me if he wanted to. But he didn't he was one of
the coolest and nicest guys I've ever met. He took care of this
misunderstanding like a gentleman and a great businessman.
Fletcher was also real good with my brother Brian during all
the shows they'd meet at. Fletcher and I shook hands and
everything was restored at Melvins Coffee house in 1996.

After this meeting, I quickly went to work as my own distributor,
under the L.A. Access Video Label. I had made my first vhs graphic
on pre cut vhs insert covers using stickers printed from my computer.
Using the internet in 1996 for ads, my computer printer for sticker
graphics, I'd make VHS copies. I started getting orders from all over
the USA about 3 a week on average and a few in Italy and England.
I'd mail em out, all online orders. I was a UPS driver at the time and
was delivering to American Sound and Video in Burbank. They could
duplicate VHS, a library jacket, and shrink wrap in bulk.

After meeting with American Sound and Video I'd produce 250 units
at a time. With this I'd travel to all the independent record stores
including Tower records in Glendale and Las Vegas. I'd sell 20 to 50
units a week, plus online sales. I would later send out letters to all
potential distributors in which I received some of the best rejection
letters ever written.

Four years of this self distribution would finally pay off for me.
In July 1999 Amazon.com reported that the VHS
Bad Religion Riot was in the top 500 out of two million
movie titles. Not bad for a home made production, I was
blown away by this. In the months following I was
contacted by a guy named Ed Seaman with a
distribution company called MVD (music video distributors)
he offered distribution, and a new format called "DVD"
it was a 5 year contract it was a no brainer. It took me five
years to make this video, and ten years to get
world wide distribution for it.

Today in 2008 all you have to do is Google the "Bad Religion Riot"
it's sold around the world for future generations to see.
I hope that by writing this back story I can share the dream,
vision, and relentless determination it takes, with new
filmmakers, students, musicians, artist, and fans, that if
you fight hard and long enough you really can
control your destiny...

In 1990 at only 25 years old my finesse, skill, and wisdom was key to making it happen.

Continued from the Bad Religion Riot DVD...

...The Fire Marshall's decision to cancel the gig incited
an over-capacity crowd of 1,000 Bad Religion fans into
an angry mob. Rocks & Beer bottles went flying causing
an estimated $25,000 in damages. Paramedics rescued
the injured, firemen hosed the masses, and police "escorted"
the diehards. You've seen "The Riot" footage when KABC-TV
aired it internationally on ABC World News Tonight and when
Pennywise used it in their 1995 Epitaph release
"Pennywise: Home Movies." Now you can see it live and
uncut in its entirety. Bad Religion: The Riot - a piece of punk rock history." -Richard White

Contact: Richard Alan White

raw420x@earthlink.net

www.youtube.com/raw420x