Date: Sun, 16 Jun 1996 13:20:06 GMT
Subject: CANDY WALKER BACK IN JAIL AMID CHARGES OF MISTREATMENT
From: riki@nyc.pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins)

CANDY WALKER BACK IN JAIL 
AMID CHARGES OF MISTREATMENT  
============================= 
 
Sources/Contacts:  
Shirley Bushnell, Shirley@earthlink.net 
Cathy Walker, Cathy@west.net 
 
 
 
[VENTURA, CA - June 15, 1997] 
 
      Candy Walker, who had been released on her own  
recognizance and $20,000 bail, is back in jail today amid charges  
of mistreatment reportedly coming from her, her mother, her  
lawyer and local members of the Transexual Menace.  She had been  
convicted following a brief trial on charges of Carrying a  
Concealed Weapon, after a cane in her possession was found  
to contain a small blade. 
 
 
Charged in Her Own Shooting 
--------------------------- 
 
       Ms. Walker had been  charged in a bizarre shooting incident  
in which she was shot and wounded by her own father.  Her father  
had sought to evict Ms. Walker  from the family's home after she  
came out as transexual, Christmas Day, 1995.   3 days later, Ms.  
Walker returned to her home to collect some of her belongings  
and her own father shot her, the second bullet wounding her in  
the head.   
 
       Ms. Walker survived her gunshot wounds only to find herself  
charged in the shooting with First Degree Burglary.  Justifying  
her arrest in a statement apparently lifted directly from Kafka,  
District Attorney John Vanarelli declared, "I am concerned about  
the safety of the community.  Candy provoked a violent and most  
likely justified reaction from her father, whose gun shots caused  
extreme risk of injury or death to people in community."   
 
 
Carrying a Concealed Weapon 
--------------------------- 
 
       In addition, Ms. Walker's cane was discovered later to  
contain a small blade.  Carrying a concealed weapon (CCW) was  
subsequently added to her charges and  D.A. Vanarelli intially  
requested and received a bail of $250,000, a figure more  
commonly associated with first-degree murder.   He was allegedly  
overheard to say by Cathy Walker (no relation) of Menace -  
Central California, "At least that will keep him [sic] off the streets  
in a dress for while."  
 
     Ms. Walker's bail was eventually reduced and she was allowed  
out pending her trial.  However, Candy apparently showed up late  
for hearings and court appearances, and finally almost missing  
her own trial and effectively prejudicing her case.  She was  
convicted and sentence to 6 months in the Ventura County Jail on  
the weapons charge. Right before she was due to begin her  
sentence, Ms. Walker obtained breast augmentation surgery.  
 
 
Mistreatement and Rights Violations 
----------------------------------- 
 
       Although Ms. Walker has been living as a female and has  
changed her name, she has been held in the Men's wing of the  
Jail.  In addition, she has been confined to solitary as a  
punishment for refusing to surrender her bra, which she claims  
gave her necessary breast support following the implants.  The bra  
was eventually taken from her, reportedly causing her great pain  
and her stitches to begin bleeding.   
 
      The Jail infirmary has refused to give Ms. Walker pain  
medication or female hormones (estrogen), and Ventura County  
Jail officials have rebuffed all requests by her lawyer, Mr. Allan  
Sigel, for Candy receive proper medical treatment.  Dismayed at  
the unnecessary abuse of his client at the hands by jail officials,  
Mr. Sigel has requested the local Menace chapters and friends  
stage a public action to focus attention on Candy's mistreatment. 
[END]