Hello Baristas,

I recently visited Seattle for the first time. Unfortunately, I was there for a tragic reason, however, being in the U.S. espresso mecca, coffee was my one true comfort.

I went to Seattle to attend a murder trial. If you live in or near Seattle, you may be familiar with the case. My brother, Noel Lopez, was viciously beaten to death (for four hours with boards and steel construction equipment) by two men associated with a group known as the "Downtown Juggalos". If you have ever walked through downtown Seattle, particularly the Westlake Mall area, you have seen Juggalos loitering on the streets. Although these transient youth gather in groups and call each other "family" they are difficult to monitor as a gang, because they are not organized in the typical gang criminal activities such as drug dealing, prostitution or car theft. Their primary unifying factor is simply a lust for violence.

I believe the Juggalos to be a real threat to public safety. If you'd like to see Seattle be a safer place, I hope you will sign this petition in favor of a life sentence for the murderers of Noel Lopez.

I post this here because, as a 10 year barista, I know the coffee community to be comprised of concerned and compassionate people, willing to get involved in their neighborhoods and the world at large.

Thank you for being part of such a caring community.

Best wishes,

Lita Lopez