Autism and The Law with NeuroClastic

Accessory to Justice

A conversation on systemic ableism.

What if we told you the mainstream conception of the Autistic experience is not accurate? What if we told you that these misconceptions pose genuine material danger for our Autistic community members?

Terra Vance and Kate Jones of NeuroClastic are here to lead the conversation surrounding law enforcement and Autism. Today we're discussing the School to Prison Pipeline, clearing the air on common Autistic behavior patterns, and conceptualizing a future that honors the differences of Autistic people. Get ready to take a critical lens to The Deficit Model, and celebrate the Autistic mind with this collaboration!

Autistic liberation is the future. Are you listening?

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As promised, here's the rundown of the case of a man named Matthew Rushin,

Matthew Rushin is a young Black man from Virginia Beach. Matthew is Autistic.

In 2019, Matthew was in a car accident, that severely wounded others. Police swarmed Matthew and deemed him guilty of intentional harm. To them, it appeared that Matthew was attempting to take his own life with no regard for others. This was not the case. In reality, Matthew experienced an autistic meltdown, emerging research likens these meltdowns to that of a seizure, rather than a Non-Autistic bout of distress. As you may imagine, a serious car accident is not a safe place, neurologically, for an Autistic individual.

Like in many cases, Matthew was offered a plea deal, i.e."Plead guilty, and we'll have mercy on you."

The negotiation tactics involved rely heavily on, what some may call, "reading between the lines"-- something that is not apart of the Autistic experience. His loved ones believe he was intentionally mislead for the sake of winning a conviction. Matthew just wanted to return home to his mother and sisters, so he accepted the deal. Matthew was sentenced to 50 years, 40 years suspended, 10 to serve.

In November of 2020, Governor Northam granted Matthew Rushin a condition pardon. Matthew returned home with the help of his post conviction attorney Miriam-Airington Fisher, with the guidance of Terra Vance, and Sen. McClellan's push for SB 1315 (now a law decriminalizing Autistic behavior). Matthew deserves an absolute pardon and his support network have not stopped trying to get him the justice he deserves.

Learn more under the #JusticeforMatthewRushin and AiringtonLaw.com

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All third part tracks licensed through Audiio:

Sober by VIBES, Excavate by Marshall Usinger, Grounded by Jameson Nathan Jones, You Said it, I Said it, We all Said it by Charlie Schafer, Stay Awhile by The Spacies

Thanks for listening! Find us on Instagram for more. @AccessorytoJustice
All third party audios licensed through Audiio.com.
Our show is purely for educational purposes and cannot replace official legal council.