Women attending FCI Dublin officer trial turn T-shirts around to avoid possible mistrial

OAKLAND, Calif. - A small group of women who were formerly incarcerated at FCI Dublin voluntarily turned their teal T-shirts around on Tuesday while attending the sexual assault trial of former correctional officer Darrell Wayne "Dirty Dick" Smith to avoid a possible mistrial. 

The shirts said "Our pain became our power," on the front and "Dublin Prison Solidarity Coalition" on the back. The shirts are teal in honor of sexual assault awareness month. 

Smith's defense team told U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers that they thought the shirts and their slogans might bias the jury against Smith, who is on trial facing 15 counts of sexual abuse while he was an officer at the now-closed all-women's prison. 

The judge told the women, most of whom were prisoners at FCI Dublin, that it was their First Amendment right to wear those shirts, but that it might be grounds for the defense to request a mistrial. 

"She said it was up to us, whether we wanted to change or not," said Kendra Drysdale, who was released from FCI Dublin in May 2024 just as it was shutting down. 

So, she and the others went into the bathroom to turn the shirts backward, so the lettering would not show. 

"We do not want the victims to go through this again," Drysdale said.

Drysdale attended the trial with Yvonne Palmore, Darlene Baker and Aimee Chavira, all of whom were incarcerated at FCI Dublin and survived sexual abuse there. 

The former FCI Dublin prison guards charged and convicted of sex crimes. 

Smith is the last of the eight correctional officers at FCI Dublin charged with sex crimes to go to trial. 

Five other correctional officers pleaded guilty and two others – including former Warden Ray Garcia – were found guilty by federal juries.

This is the second week of Smith's trial, where the prosecution rested on Tuesday, after putting on multiple witnesses who accused Smith during their testimony of peeling back shower curtains to masturbate, spanking women in their cells and withholding their mail if they wouldn't flash their breasts or have sexual encounters with him. 

Smith's defense team argued in opening statements that these women cannot be believed because they are felons and there is no physical evidence to support their allegations. 

During some of Tuesday's testimony, Smith's web browsing history was discussed, such as how many sites he looked at that included the words "anal" and "feet."

Defense attorneys Noami Chung and Joanna Sheridan also called Jose Lau, the vice president of the FCI Dublin correctional officers' union, to testify on Smith's behalf. 

Lau explained what his job entailed as a technician for the Special Investigative Systems, or SIS.

Near the end of the day, Lau started to explain how various wardens allowed "dress down" days at work, presumably to eventually give a possible reason why Smith was seen regularly wearing a cowboy outfit to work, instead of the standard-issued prison uniform. 

The defense team also outlined their future lineup of witnesses, which they said would likely end on April 3, when FCI Dublin union president Ed Canales is expected to testify. 

The other defense witnesses include former and incarcerated women and a few FCI Dublin employees. 

Smith's name was not on the defense witness list, which means, at this point, it is not the plan to have him take the stand.