Following Arrest of Where Do We Go Executive Director, Lawsuit Filed against Cal-Trans For Illegal Eviction.
Oakland, CA – Following the arrest of Where Do We Go Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel Andrea Henson this morning, a Temporary Restraining Order has been filed against Cal-Trans on behalf of a small community of elderly and disabled tenants residing on Cal-Trans property at a lot adjacent to 3441 Louise St. In Oakland California.
Because they had leased the property, The Plaintiffs: John Cardone, James John Cardone, Kristy Cardone, Joaquin Beza and Martha Santos have alleged that Cal-Trans violated their Fourteenth Amendment due process rights to notice, grievance and appeal of the termination of tenancy.
Henson was arrested for refusing to move after locking herself to a fence at the property in question. Her demand was simply for Cal-Trans and CHP to allow her the time needed (which she estimated at a couple of hours) to file the lawsuit. Instead she was arrested and the suit was filed by her fellow Civil Rights attorney Osha Neumann.
“Cal-Trans is not above the law, They need to provide proper notice” stated Henson as she was surrounded by CHP officers.
“Cal-Trans was required to go through the court process to carry out an eviction and they didn’t do that, instead they blatantly ignored the law” Says Civil Rights attorney Osha Neumann.
This comes on the heels of an executive order by Governor Gavin Newsom to remove all homeless encampments in the State of California. Here, no outreach was done so attorneys discovered that these were tenants. Newsom’s reign of terror begins when Caltrans and State Agencies are instructed to sweep and remove individuals without speaking to them. If the government refuses to do outreach then anyone can be swept, removed and have their property seized. The most vulnerable in our state are protected by the United States and California Constitution. Caltrans cannot be allowed to be above the law and conduct removals however they see fit without following the law.
Full video and pictures from the arrest, Court Filing Documents, and The Lease in question can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1acovwm6giGCrbCwCUha1Fc2p0lPxB4gZ?usp=drive_link
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