A Guide to the Entrapment Operations in San Antonio Parks Collection, 1993-2005

Biographical Note

Michael McGowan resides in San Antonio and worked as an activist with the city's LGBTQ community. McGowan served on the board of directors of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center San Antonio, as the Political Action Coordinator for the San Antonio Equal Rights Political Caucus, and as President of the San Antonio chapter of Log Cabin Republicans.

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Scope and Content Note

The Entrapment Operations in San Antonio Parks Collection was brought together by Michael McGowan while serving on the board of directors of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center San Antonio. The collection is comprised of printed materials that chronicle entrapment operations of San Antonio police and park rangers in the city's parks during the 1990s through the early 2000s. Also in the collection are records covering efforts by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center to stop entrapment actions and assist some of those arrested during park undercover operations.

Highlights of the collection include San Antonio park ranger incident reports for hundreds of men arrested during entrapment operations. Internal memoranda from the San Antonio Police Department, the mayor's office, and local officials cover park ranger training, citizen complaints about illicit activities in San Antonio parks, and efforts by local officials to stop these activities. Also included are court records from individual cases that received assistance from the Liberty Legal Defense Fund founded by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center San Antonio. The collection has been arranged into the following series: correspondence, court records, Liberty Legal Defense Fund, San Antonio Police department records, newsclippings, and assorted materials.

Selected material in this collection has been digitized and is available in our digital collections.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Original audiovisual materials and electronic media cannot be handled directly by patrons. Please contact Special Collections to request access to these materials, which may require the creation of digital copies.

This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the Collections Request Form.

Use Restrictions

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Entrapment Operations in San Antonio Parks Collection, MS 415, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Materials were donated by Michael McGowan in June 2013 (Acc. 2013-031).

Processing Information

Processed by Melissa Gohlke, Library Assistant, July 2013.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Correspondence

Series includes correspondence between Michael McGowan and City of San Antonio officials, local politicians, attorneys, and United States government officials and agencies.

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1

Political, 1998-2003 and undated View Contents

With enclosures on homosexual conduct law in Texas,1999 View Contents

Park ranger instruction, 1999-2001 View Selected Items

Open records requests,2000 View Contents

Criminal District Attorney Susan Reed,April 2000 View Contents

Assorted agencies and organizations, 2000-2001 View Contents

San Antonio City Manager,2001 View Contents

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Court Records

Lawrence vs. State of Texas was a landmark case in which the United States Supreme Court struck down the sodomy law in Texas. The Vasquez and Renick cases involved men arrested in San Antonio parks by undercover park rangers on charges of indecent exposure.

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1

John Geddes Lawrence and Tyron Garner vs. the State of Texas, amended brief of appellants,1999 View Contents

Roman Espinoza Vasquez vs. the State of Texas, opinion on appellee's motion for rehearing,1999 View Contents

State of Texas vs. Brink Coleman Renick, motion to suppress,July 12, 2000 View Contents

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Liberty Legal Defense Fund

Liberty Legal Defense Fund was founded by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center San Antonio to assist some individuals arrested during entrapment operations who chose to fight the charges against them.

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1

State of Texas vs. Alfaro Frausto, memos from SAPD to park ranger Chief Bonn, 1997-2005 View Selected Items

State of Texas vs. Alfred Mojica, 2000 View Contents

Assumed name certificates,2000 View Contents

Alfred L. Mojica appeal, misconduct charges against Judge Michael E. Mery,2001 View Contents

Newsclippings,2000-2001 and undated View Contents

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San Antonio Police Department Records

Series consists of citizen complaints about illicit activities in San Antonio parks and responses to these complaints by city officials. The bulk of the records are comprised of offense and incident reports documenting arrests of men in local parks.

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2

Interoffice correspondence regarding park ranger training, undercover operations,1994-1997 View Contents

Complaints about illicit activities in San Antonio parks,1995-1999 View Contents

Sex offense "38" report,1997 View Contents

Statistical arrests for Olmos Park,1997 View Contents

Incident reports, 1998-1999

Incident report-man protesting entrapment operations, 1999

Offense reports, 2001

Covert operations procedures, undated View Contents

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Assorted Materials

Box

1

Comments by Mayor Howard Peak, 1993-1996 View Contents

Uncivil Rights: selections from the Christian Coalition Siege on the San Antonio City Council, videocassette produced by the San Antonio chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, January 29, 1998

Timeline and overview of SAPD and park ranger operations, 1993-2001 View Contents

Press release: LAPD lewd conduct arrest records, ACLU pocket card on police encounters,1999-2000 View Contents

Assorted printed materials,2000 View Contents

"Addressing Police Misconduct" brochure, undated View Contents

Notes on arrest statistics, undated View Contents

"Notes on FBI interview," undated View Contents

Travel advisory put out by the GLCCSA, undated View Contents

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