Motorist (PCRL DJ) Takes Police To Court

SUNDAY MERCURY, FEBRUARY 11, 2001
MOTORIST TAKES				COURT AGAIN ... Driver Carl Josephs
POLICE TO COURT
Carl's been stopped 10 times since last legal row A BLACK motorist who sued West Midlands Police after officers stopped him 34 times in two years is set to launch a fresh civil action against the force.    Caterer Carl Josephs, 28, will use the new European Human Rights Act as a springboard for a landmark test case backed  by civil rights group Liberty.    Race equality campaigners were furious after a Birmingham County Court jury cleared West Midlands  Police of racially harassing  Mr Josephs, of Bromford Bridge, Birmingham, in 1999.    But they awarded him £1,000  for false imprisonment. Now the part-time disc jockey, who became so sick of being stopped that he publicly handed over his driving documents to the force  for "safekeeping", claims he is still being victimised."The police do not seem  to have learned anything since the last court case," he said. "They still owe me £1,000 plus interest since 1999. I have been stopped another BY AMARDEEP BASSEY     but I have never been charged with any offence. "The latest incident  came a day before I was giving I was giving evidence  to an inquiry into the death of the 'Most Wanted' suspect Damean Vernon.    "I was very disappointed with the outcome of the last court action, but I am confident that I  can get justice using the new Human Rights Act."      Chitra Karve, ethnic  human rights lawyer  for Liberty, said she had complied a  file of motorists in Birmingham who had been  "excessively" stopped 10 times since I brought my last action, by the West Midlands Police.  She said: It's likely that will be taking a group action against the West Midlands Police using the new European Human Rights Act which  came into force last October.    "The Act enshrines an individual's right that his privacy is respected and that he is not dis-criminated against.   We belive the police have vio-lated  this right over a sustained period of time and, although strictly speaking the Act only cov-ers any violations after October, we can still put forward the previous stops to demonstrate a pattern." Powers    Miss Karve said the court action would be a test case to challenge the  discriminatory stop and search powers of the police.   Mr Josephs, who ironically was stopped by the police the  night before he launched his last action, added: "I hold a clean driving licence and have no criminal record yet I seem to be a target for officers who I belive are picking on me because of my colour and persistent campaigning against racial harassment."    West Midlands Police declined to comment.

Motoring charges dismissed in a flash Apr 12 2004

By James Cartledge, Evening Mail  A black driver at the centre of an 11 year "police victimisation" row has seen four more motoring charges thrown out of court. Magistrates took less than a minute to dismiss the latest allegations against 33-year-old actor and DJ Carl Josephs. He claims to have been stopped by police 56 times since 1993 because of his colour and has even handed his driving documents to the West Midlands force in protest at his alleged treatment. Charges of having no insurance and MoT, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and failing to stop for police were dismissed when no evidence was offered against him. Speaking after yesterday's case at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, Mr Josephs, of Sundew Croft, Bromford Bridge, said his time and taxpayers' money had been wasted on a "futile" prosecution. He said: "I didn't even have time to take my coat off because the charges were dismissed so quickly. "In a way I'm disappointed because I was looking forward to defending myself and testing the evidence against me." No evidence was offered against Mr Josephs because two police officers failed to attend court to testify against him after he was pulled over on the Bristol Road in March. West Midlands Police has always denied officers have harassed Mr Josephs. A force spokesman said: "If Mr Josephs has any concerns about West Midlands Police he is more than welcome to discuss them with an officer."

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