What did he say, Billy-Bob?

Speak Ebonics? The DEA Wants You

Federal agents are seeking to hire Ebonics translators to help interpret wiretapped conversations involving targets of undercover drug investigations.

Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Michael Sanders said the agency recently sent memos asking companies that provide it translation services to help it find nine translators in the Southeast who are fluent in Ebonics.

[Thanks to Radley]

Update: More perspective here.

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9 Responses to What did he say, Billy-Bob?

  1. darkcycle says:

    What…..do you mean to say that the DEA has a problem recruiting young African American men willing to help entrap, arrest and imprison other young African American men? Who wouldn’t be willing to build a career enforcing rascist drug laws targeted specifically at one’s own friends and family? Why not become the latest to serve in the fine rascist, xenophobic Harry Anslinger tradition? I find this hard to believe…..NOT!

  2. Bruce says:

    Cops search the Freak Brothers methane powered VV;
    D’don’t go in there,,, the shit’s in there, man!
    Well, hey, shit, hmmmm must mean drugs,,, eh?
    search, search, gloppp, eeeeeew..
    LOL

  3. darkcycle says:

    Kant! That’s it! They need Barbera Billingsly!

  4. Bobby Jo "Skeeter" McDougal says:

    The old gal in the movie Airplane could speak jive, she may have passed on. The Po-Pos should Listen to rap music to figure out the code words, but they are busters and won’t get it.

  5. Brucem says:

    Our tax dollars at waste. This is so disingenuous because the dea always lies about its wiretap translations even when they are in plain English. They get a dea agent to testify in court that he is a “certified dea linguistic expert” and everything the suspects say on the recording, no matter how innocent sounding, is “code” for buying/selling drugs. I’ve seen what they do with innocent plain English conversations… I dread what they will say about the secret criminal codes inherent in everything black people say. We’ll hear testimony like:

    “Based on my training and experience as a federally certified DEA linguistic expert with additional DEA certifications in criminology, anthropology, rocket science, and quantum physics, when the African American suspect tells his child to brush his teeth and go to bed within ten minutes, he is using Ebonics street code which translates as go sell ten pounds of crack and bring me all the money… When he says good night he is using more African American Ebonics street code to tell his drug mule to keep an eye out for law enforcement.”. The dea is notorious for this and sadly, juries tend to believe this perjury … Based on the ground that a law enforcement officer wouldn’t break the law. I say go for bench trials and waive your right to a jury trial.

  6. darkcycle says:

    Lawyers get Judge’s robes because they were good toadies. They get judges robes because thier biases match those of their masters. Lawyers get Judge’s robes because they have no problem with sending people to long prison sentances for non violent crimes, and they never let their conscience out from under it’s rock. Prosecutors become judges. You want THAT in charge of deciding your innocence or guilt? I’ll take a jury, thank you very much.

  7. BruceM says:

    Only prosecutors become judges. In most state courts where judges are elected, “judge” is the highest position in the DA’s office. In federal court, being a prosecutor is a prerequisite for any appointment, all of which are made by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate. Every supreme court justice has been an AUSA at one point (at least in recent years), and every lower court/intermediate court judge has also been an AUSA (i.e. federal prosecutor). The worst is in state court elections, where anyone who has been a criminal defense attorney won’t get a single vote, if they can even get on the ballot in the first place. Not “tough on crime”. Nobody can get a fair trial in this country, but as bad as the judges are, juries are even worse. More people should be seeking bench trials instead of going for a jury trial by default. Especially in federal court. The acquittal rate for federal bench trials is actually higher than you’d think. Juries will always settle on guilty by default. The presumption of guilt is impossible to overcome unless one of the state’s witnesses breaks down on the stand and admits that HE is the one who committed the crime and/or framed the defendant. If the prosecution has not proved guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury will convict just to be safe – don’t want a possible criminal out on the streets with our precious children… better to lock up an innocent person than have a guilty guy coming after our fat, greasy, but oh so precious children.

    The most flattering thing most people have to say about their children is that criminals want to rape them because they’re so cute. Being scared of criminals coming after their precious children is the most flattering, enjoyable, complimentary form of fright there is.

  8. Duncan says:

    In Virginia the Commonwealth has a right to a jury trial just like the defendant.

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