Should image influence a jury's decision?
They say that Lady Justice is blind. But in Los Angeles, Lady Justice also has a keen sense of fashion.
Richard Rodriguez, the gang member who was kicked in the head by an El Monte police officer after a televised car chase, has filed a $5-million legal claim against the city. But before he appears in court, he'll possibly be undergoing a serious makeover.
Rodriguez's attorney, Nick Pacheco, has suggested that his client ditch his thuggish look (seen in his mug shot on the left), in favor of a more conservative -- albeit less eye-catching -- visage (seen in the photoshopped version on the right).
In the booking photo, Rodriguez's head is shaved, and the name of his gang hangs over his lip. Tattoos climb his neck. In the "after" rendition, he's wearing a black suit with a metallic gray tie, neatly combed hair and a lush mustache.
Pacheco hopes Rodriguez's makeover will allow the jury to be sympathetic to Rodriguez, who claims to suffer headaches and blurred vision as a result of his arrest.
"People get past looks when you put on a suit and your hair is grown," said Pacheco.
What do you think of Pacheco's strategy? What does it say about our justice system when a plaintiff feels he or she must disguise certain physical features in order to receive a fair trial?
-- Brendan Bigelow
Photo: Richard Rodriguez, who was kicked in the head by an El Monte police officer, has been advised to cover his tattoos and grow hair to look like the Photoshop image at right. Credit: Law Offices of Nick Pacheco
Stop wasting our money and send the person to prison and make the attorney pay for the trial.
Posted by: IHL | July 24, 2009 at 07:47 PM
The El Monte Police Department is an embarrasment to the law enforcement community. They should prosecute the Police Officer and stop looking like idiots.
John Smith LAPD
Posted by: Officer Smith | July 24, 2009 at 08:11 PM
I think if you want to commit crimes, join a street gang and run from the police, you are going to get what you deserve. Quit waisting our tax dollars. This state is so screwed up. I give it another year before this ship sinks. There are more people voting for anything that they can get for free than there are voters who actually contribute. The tipping point has already occured. Atlas will Shrug......
Posted by: WakeUpAmerica | July 25, 2009 at 09:38 AM
The officers screwed up and should have not kicked the guy when he was already down on the ground surrendering.
The gang member was a wuss when he gave up and the cop was a cowboy and now the citizens of El Monte will be paying for his bad judgment.
Posted by: Dan Jorge | July 25, 2009 at 09:32 PM
It's nothing other then disgusting that this SCUM gang member is trying to get $5,000,000.
He deserves to be executed publicly for his disgusting lifestyle.
This case should be thrown out immediately.
I am so sick of these ACLU B.S. cases.
Posted by: Anton | July 26, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Love the comments. A doomsayer, a policeman with a conscious and an angry "taxpayer" that more than likely never paid a dime to the system. Guilty until proven innocent, yeah?
God Bless America.
Posted by: Rich | July 26, 2009 at 05:44 AM
A piece of crap is still apiece of crap.
Posted by: joel grossman | July 26, 2009 at 09:53 AM
This is exactly why I moved out of California. When the day comes that the defense attorney's have to pay for the trial when they lose then maybe we won't get so many screwed up criminals like this along with his attorney in court wasting the court's time and money. He's probably an illeagl alien anyhway, send him back to Mexico I'm sure he'd get a fair trial there. The Mexican prison guards may kick him some more though.
Posted by: Frank W. New Mexico | July 26, 2009 at 10:40 AM
yea. he should do the make-over. and then? wow. get into the movies maybe! after all he's in LA, and with all that money he can buy a new life. good idea.
Posted by: El | July 26, 2009 at 10:48 AM
I wish there would have been goalposts and two referees and the officer would have kicked a fieldgoal with this guys head. It's Good !!!
Posted by: K | July 26, 2009 at 11:23 AM
The fact that Richard Rodriguez broke the law or has a criminal history is irrelevant to the fact that he was battered by the police (who supposed to uphold the law).
The police has no rights to commit battery among others, unless is self-defense or in protection of others. Rodriguez showed no signs of imminent threat.
Posted by: Angeles | July 26, 2009 at 06:37 PM
What would have been great if the El Monte police would have kicked him in the head again.
Maybe it would have knocked some sense into this less than human scum bag.
What was the parole board thinking putiing this gang banger back on the streets?
Posted by: ScottyDop | July 27, 2009 at 11:01 AM
What was that quote from Obama about Gov Palin? " you can put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig"
You can put a sweater on two kids who murdered their parents and they're still murderers.
You can dress up a thug and he's still a thug. El Monte will pay and Nick Pacheco will get his 40% contingency fee and the money this punk gets will go up his nose or into his arm. Hopefully his homies will rob his butt when he's passed out.
Posted by: Sinecure | July 28, 2009 at 09:03 PM
We should not judge on the way a person looks. Just look at the aledged crime wiegh all of the evadence and convict or not on the evedence not on the way a person looks.
Posted by: Jay Rau | July 30, 2009 at 04:59 PM
His "before" look is practically a plea for getting his head kicked. What a moron!
Posted by: pj | August 09, 2009 at 08:18 PM
This entire thing makes me sick to my stomach.
Here is the lawyer trying to make a gang member look like main stream society mainly so the jury will be "fooled".
These gang members should not have the right to sue anyone when they are caught in the middle of a crime.
What the devil is wrong with our Wonderful lawmakers in Sacto? They can spend this State into oblivion but cannot protect the citizens or these cities from stupid lawsuits like this one. Too bad the cops didn't just shot this guy when they had the chance. It would have saved the City of ElMonte a lot of money. I'm sick of these gang members taking the "rights" away from the citizens with all their malice, i.e., drive-bys, etc. then when they get caught, they sue us. What's wrong with this picture? WHEN DO I THE CITIZEN WHO PAYS FOR ALL THIS STUFF HAVE ANY "CIVIL RIGHTS"?
Posted by: Sharon | August 14, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Being conned by a con.
The cop was way out of bounds and should be fired and prosecuted. As we would be.
The punk gangster, plea deal. NO law suit and L.A. will only give you 5 years instaed of 10.
Next...
Posted by: mattersnot | August 18, 2009 at 01:37 AM