 Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 Guess Who's Snitchin'?! Criminal trials occasionally draw a few courtroom observers, but last month, during the attempted murder trial of Isaac Harden, Deputy District Attorney Eric Bergstrom played to a packed house. Now he knows why. Shortly before the trial, someone passed out fliers in Northeast Portland, where the crime took place, urging people to attend. The roguish leafleteer's aim wasn't to show support for the victim, Ralphieki L. Miller, who was shot in the elbow by Harden on April 12, 1997. Instead, the goal was to intimidate Miller and another witness, Aaron P. Walker, who gave information to police. "Guess who's snitchin??!!" the anonymous flier begins. It concludes with the date, time and place of the trial, and an exhortation: "Don't miss this for anything! Help keep snitches out of our community." Bergstrom says the "intimidation factor" is nothing new in gang cases, but he's never seen it carried out like this. "For that trial, the courtroom really was packed," he says. "It was kind of a who's who of thugs." So let's get this straight. The person who put up the flier--and some of those who heeded its call--want to keep gun-toting hoodlums in the community but the "snitches" out? It's this sort of roguishness that hurts entire communities, forcing them to live in fear. In this case, the tactic didn't work. Hardin was convicted of attempted murder and second-degree assault. He will be sentenced in March. Do you have a favorite rogue? Send your nominations to Rogue of the Week via fax ([503] 243-1115), e-mail (jschrag@wweek.com) or snail mail (822 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205).
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