TRIBUTE: First Amendment hero and businessman Jim Adkins dies

Businessman James “Jim” Adkins, who successfully sued the Guam Police Department for violating his civil and First Amendment rights, died Tuesday.

Mr. Adkins, a respected entrepreneur and philanthropist along with his wife Rosita, transformed police conduct, when he stood up for his constitutional and civil rights, disobeyed illegal police demands, was arrested, and fought the government. On October 4, 2009, he stopped his car to video record the scene of a car accident.

Police officers harassed him, demanding that he stop recording and then confiscating his phone against his will. They dragged him out of his car, arrested him, and imprisoned him for four hours.

Mr. Adkins sued the government of Guam and the police officers in their individual capacities. In January 2014, the lawsuit was settled to Mr. Adkins’s satisfaction after GPD admitted its fault and instituted major reforms.

“The Guam Police Department has learned important lessons from the case and as a result they have developed comprehensive, mandatory training policies to protect the First and Fourth Amendment constitutional rights of Guam residents,” then-chief of police Fred Bordallo stated in a news release following the settlement.

We, at Kandit, hold our candles up to this man, a giant and a hero in our eyes. He did more for the fight against corruption than most citizens. His courage in the face of abusive power, and his care for the common people is, in our view, unchallenged on our island.

May he rest in the peace of our Lord.

According to his daughter-in-law, Dr. Alexandra Perez, his funeral will take place at St. Anthony Church on February 23.