Resistance

The Rigours of Defeat: Worse Case Scenario

2011-10-24T15:37:00.007-05:00

2011 No Better!? 2012 Worse! ~ Unless!~ Joint Motion all must reply

Former officer clears last criminal charge

Oct. 22, 2011, 1:15 p.m. CDT

AP

WINNFIELD, La. (AP) — Winn Parish prosecutors have dropped a malfeasance charge against a former Winnfield policeman in the death of a man who was shocked with a stun gun, and former officer Scott Nugent has agreed not to seek reinstatement or back pay.

Nugent's attorney, George Higgins, told The Town Talk (http://townta.lk/pQrixs) about the agreement Friday.

A jury acquitted Nugent last year of manslaughter in the death of Baron "Scooter" Pikes, who died in 2008 after being shocked eight times.

Higgins says the case is finally over.

However, there's still a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against Nugent and city officials. They asked Judge Dee D. Drell in September to dismiss it.

Latrina D. Thomas, the mother of Pikes' young son, has until Nov. 4 to file her response.

**all parties in the case in the Western District are required to reply by Nov. 4** LeSieur

Landrieu chastises Jindal for grant rejection

Oct. 19, 2011, 5:55 p.m. CDT

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said Wednesday she is "disappointed and concerned" that Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration refused to apply for a federal grant that could have brought $60 million in early childhood education funding to Louisiana.

Landrieu, a Democrat, said education experts across the state spent months working on a grant application to the Obama administration for the money earmarked to help low-income and disadvantaged children. She noted that one-third of children in Louisiana under the age of 5 live in poverty.

"Your decision not to even compete for these funds is one that will have a negative impact on thousands of children in our state," Landrieu wrote to Jindal, a Republican. "I hope your reasons for failing to apply for these funds are strong enough to justify these consequences."

The Jindal administration announced Tuesday that it would not seek the grant money, saying that the state's system for early childhood education is inefficient and mired in bureaucracy and that the grant wouldn't help address children's needs because it is one-time money for ongoing programs.

In response to Landrieu's letter, Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin said three state departments "completed a thorough analysis of this grant and determined that it is the exact opposite approach our state should take to help our kids."

"We need to streamline the governance structure, funding streams and quality standards in our early childhood system — and the grant would only make things worse by reducing flexibility and adding more micromanagement and regulatory obstacles," Plotkin said in a statement.

Landrieu said the decision is puzzling, and she asked Jindal to give her more details about how it was reached.

"I hope you will respond in some detail given the broad parameters and flexibility of this grant and the fact that nearly all the states have applied for the grant, making Louisiana the minority," the senator wrote.

Jones: Tough times ahead in the capitol
Outgoing District 17 Representative reflects on her tenure, offers advice for her successor

10/21/11
Robert K. Wright

Rosalind Jones

As election day approaches, candidates are making final pleas to voters for the House District 17 seat. The seat is currently held by Rosalind Jones, who has been in office since 2008. She announced earlier this year that she would not seek re-election. On Saturday, four candidates, Otis Chisley, Marcus Hunter, Brenda Shelling, and Billye Burns, are lining up for her seat. However, Jones said that the job they are applying for is not all fun and games.

Jones, who is a practicing attorney, said that she spent a lot of time away from her Monroe practice while in Baton Rouge during legislative sessions. Although legislators are compensated for their duties, she said that she lost money every year.

“You lose money every year. Because I wanted to stay close to the capitol, my entire per diem was used for room and board, not to mention gas and upkeep on my car,” she said.

Jones said that she was initially not prepared for the amount of time she would be away.

“It’s a full time job. I had misconceptions about the post. Even with dad (Charles Jones), I knew he had both roles as a lawyer and a legislator. But I was overwhelmed a little at the time I spent away from home,” she said.

So if being a public official costs so much, why did she do it?

“It was a wonderful opportunity to make a difference. I wouldn’t trade my experience for nothing in the world,” she said.

Jones said that the candidate who win’s Saturday’s election needs to be ready to hit the ground running. The ‘hitting the ground running’ idea’ has been a major focus of Hunter and Shelling. Hunter has lawyer experience and Shelling has many years of experience as an elected official.

But what is necessary to be successful in Baton Rouge? Jones said that being a lawyer, contrary to popular disbelief, matters in the legislature.

“Practicing lawyers understand implications of the law in real life settings. People who aren’t lawyers don’t share the same perspective. It’s not as easy as calling in a staff to get briefed on what’s going on. Your legislative staff is great, but they are not practitioners. Because I was a practicing lawyer, I felt more comfortable knowing how to read the bills that came before me,” she said.

Endorsing Hunter

This week, Jones sent out an official endorsement letter for Marcus Hunter to succeed her seat in the house. She is aware of the recent lawsuit filed against Hunter by Fourth Judicial District Attorney Jerry Jones. Hunter landed in court testifying that he did not live in the district he qualified for.

“I gave Marcus my word long before his residency came under question that I would support his bid for election. I am a woman of my word. Your word means a lot in this world. However, he needs to fix what needs to be fixed before he is sworn in as a House member, for any member of the House can challenge his residency,” Jones advised.

She said despite his residency dilemma, she believes he is the most qualified person to hold the seat in District 17 on the ‘sure base of ability.’

Tough times ahead

Jones said that whomever wins the election, they should be prepared to face a different House of Representatives unlike that of hers, her father, or that of former representative Willie Hunter.

“This new House will be very different from what my dad and Willie Hunter experienced. We’re entering a new phase in Louisiana politics,” she said.

Jones said that the legislature is nearing a majority republican presence (60/40) and that it is important for any democrat to be ready to fight for what they were sent there to accomplish.

“They (majority republican legislature) don’t really need one democratic vote to get done what they set out to do. New members of the House will find it tough as a democrat. That’s why its extremely important that we have someone in the seat that knows the rules, how to read a bill, amend it, or kill it if necessary. That person needs to be able to get in there and fight for District 17,” Jones advised.

Refusing to sell her soul

Jones said that she did not get to accomplish everything she set out to do. She said that there remains a lot of work in District 17.

“I could have brought back home more money and more opportunities for my district, but I refused to sacrifice my independence for a perceived benefit. Whomever wins the election, I would encourage them to not sell their soul to the governor for a cookie. Be independent. I could vote my conscious and explain to the body (House) why some policies were wrong, even if that meant my home base would not get the pennies the governor was handing out,” she said.

Novice candidates

Jones said that she thinks that novice politicans can still serve, if they are willing to learn the rules and play by the rules.

“I think everyone should have the opportunity to serve and once they get there they will find that there is a political process they must learn quickly,” she said.

Although Hunter is her choice for District 17, of the four, only Shelling has served in an elected capacity. For the novice candidates, Jones said that all who consider the post should be willing to learn the rules and procedures and operate within those rules.

“If you don’t know how to amend or kill a bill, you’re useless. There are a lot of rules and customs you have to operate within. What most novice politicians perceive is that they will go down there and make changes, but they have to come in and operate within the established rules,” she said.

Jones said that she has enjoyed her experience in the state legislature and will continue to serve her district in other capacities as they present themselves. “With the support of my colleagues, friends, and constitutents, I rose from a freshman legislator to the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in only three years. During this term, we have addressed education issues, criminal justice reform, and economic development within the district. Most importantly, we have created a second majority minority representative district in Northeast Louisiana to give a voice to those citizens who have been silenced in years past. Alas, there is more work to be done,” she wrote in a letter this week.

**A Run-off in the 17th is imminent. Burns-Hunter**

The State of Louisiana Justice in HealthCare, Criminal & Civil Actions, Education is dismal. The Conservative legislature doesn't have any thing to do with it. It is again, the racism. If the present activity continues, gross miscarriages of Human Rights will prevail, the public-at-large will outcry, as they are presently. The courts are arrogant in its deficiency to expend "justice". Poor, indigent defendants are at the mercy of an in fact disparaged system.

Louisiana Public Defender Board is allowing defendants to be summarily defended with only the "constitutional guarantee" being afforded. A defendant in the 4th JDC, represented by a public defender, was told to "just plea"; whether his former lawyer had secured a lesser sentencing "deal" with the DA's office didn't matter. This is not defense. This is perfunctory.

Reciprocity:~Re-Jena'd

2011-10-01T09:43:00.004-05:00

Reciprocity. Re-Jena'd! All of this time which has transpired, has left many in Jena, dejected an floundering. It is, however; the responsibility of the Civil Rights apparatus to "educate" the residue that remains in such a place as Jena, what they must watch for, in the ensuing years. September 20th 2012, will mark [5] five years since the Great March of 2007. That event, began with grassroot activist. Some believe it ended, with a plea deal. If that were true, the "Jena Boys" who are young men now, would not be interested in a "capitalist pig's" pretentious involvement as a so-called production rep. However, at midnight on September 19th 2012, the "people" of the Twenty-First 21st Century re-initiation of the Civil Rights Movement in America, will gather in Jena, Louisiana.
The operatives of 2007, are still alive. Some are behind bars! Some of trying, to just, make it! Some are lying , exaggerating and capitalizing on the Move of 2007. We the people caught rides, in the middle of the night, when things were challenging and demanding. Threats were made in '07, '08 thru '11. Lead grassroot activist were diminished. Stranger than strange occurred.
Richard Barrett Died.
As for the other man in this picture, that is another story. Maybe to be told at a later date. First, Jena must be "Re-Jena'd". I've heard many a activist say, we'll give you another Jena. Well, the "thing" that occurred was orchestrated, systematically at a certain point in each stage. At this very moment, we're in an other critical point. You see, 2oo7's Movement was a flashpoint, and we're there again. So, here we go. Brother Activist & Sister Advocate.

Now!! It Should Be Evident

2011-06-24T02:45:00.003-05:00

Now, it should be evident, that if an FBI agent comes to talk to you; that you should remain silent and request to be magistrated. Of course, you risk the possibility of being charged with Obstruction of Justice, by not answering their convoluted questions.
What really gets, me however; is that all of this is going on "under the color of law" while a sitting United States Attorney in Washington D.C., looks on with seeming approval.

This same, Eric Holder was called to D.C. while dealing with a wrongful conviction case in this same Louisiana!!

By BILL LODGE
Advocate staff writer
Published: Jun 22, 2011

There is no reason to suggest undercover FBI agents entrapped former New Roads Mayor Tommy Nelson during a sting operation that resulted in his indictment on racketeering and wire fraud charges, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Defense attorneys Page A. Pate, of Atlanta, and Michael A. Fiser, of Baton Rouge, argued that agents posing as corrupt sanitation service officials unfairly pushed bribes toward Nelson after he agreed their service would benefit city residents.

The garbage can cleaning service was known as Cifer 5000.

Earlier Tuesday, Pate and Fiser rested their defense of Nelson.

Chief U.S. District Judge Ralph E. Tyson dismissed the jury of five women and seven men for the rest of the day. The judge ordered all to return to his Baton Rouge courtroom Wednesday morning for final arguments in the nearly three-week trial.

Pate and Fiser asked that jurors be told Wednesday that they could acquit Nelson if they believed he had been entrapped.

The judge chose not to include that statement in the instructions he will give the jury on Wednesday.

Pate called one witness Tuesday — former FBI Special Agent Darin McAllister — who awaits sentencing in an unrelated criminal case in Nashville.

McAllister was convicted in December on 15 counts of wire fraud, involving $1.2 million in borrowed bank funds and three counts of false statements in his 2009 bankruptcy proceedings.

Jurors were not told of McAllister’s felony conviction. They were told that he no longer works for the FBI and is not employed.

“Yes, Mr. Nelson thought the Cifer 5000 was a good idea for his city,” McAllister testified during questioning by Pate.

Pate said one of the benefits undercover agents pushed toward Nelson was a free hunting trip.

“He did not take a hunting trip, did he?” asked Pate.

“No,” replied McAllister.

Pate then asked whether McAllister offered Nelson a silent partnership in the sanitation service and suggested it could be worth as much as $2 million.

“Yes,” replied McAllister.

Other FBI agents testified earlier in the trial that Nelson accepted the silent partnership.

Nelson, who lost a bid for re-election after he was indicted last year, is alleged to have accepted more than $22,000 in cash and other bribes from government investigators who posed as officials of Cifer 5000.

He did not testify.

FBI agents testified that Nelson received the $22,000 in return for his pledge to help the company obtain municipal business. Nelson, FBI agents testified, also received the money and other gifts in return for letters of support he wrote on behalf of Cifer 5000 to the EPA and Dallas residents he believed were Cifer investors.

Nelson believed those letters could mean as much as $4 million in federal grants and $3 million in new infusions of investor cash for Cifer, FBI agents testified.

FBI agents detained Nelson in May 2010 after the agents made video and audio recordings of Nelson’s acceptance of an alleged $5,000 cash bribe from an undercover FBI operative in the parking lot of a Starbucks Coffee shop in Gonzales.

FBI Special Agent Tonja Sablatura testified early in the trial that Nelson immediately surrendered the envelope containing that cash. She said Nelson then confessed that he had accepted bribes.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Jefferson, M. Patricia Jones and Corey R. Amundson played recorded telephone conversations in which Nelson could be heard asking for money.

In one conversation, Nelson demanded a $10,000 payment from one of the men posing as corrupt businessmen. In another, he bragged that he had received more money from other companies.

Cifer 5000 was a fictitious company used by the FBI in a sting known as Operation Blighted Officials.

Six other municipal officials in three other Baton Rouge-area cities also were indicted last year.

Former Port Allen City Councilman Johnny L. Johnson Sr. pleaded guilty to racketeering and bribery charges. Johnson has not yet been sentenced by Tyson.

Former White Castle Mayor Maurice Brown was convicted March 3 on felony charges. He has not yet been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson.

White Castle Police Chief Mario Brown, brother of Maurice Brown, was acquitted on all counts in the same trial.

Port Allen Mayor Derek Lewis and Port Allen Police Chief Fred Smith are scheduled for trial July 25 in Jackson’s court.

St. Gabriel Mayor George L. Grace is scheduled for trial Jan. 23 in Tyson’s court.

BREAKING NEWS

Jury: Nelson guilty on all counts

Posted: Jun 22, 2011 2:44 PM CDT Updated: Jun 22, 2011 3:43 PM CDT

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Former New Roads Mayor has been found guilty on all seven charges against him.

The jury deliberated for just over an hour before returning the verdict.

Nelson was found guilty of racketeering, wire fraud, making false statements and four counts of interstate commerce.

Defense attorney Paige Pate filed a motion for Judge Tyson to reconsider entrapment, but it was denied. Tyson instructed jurors to throw out entrapment and to not consider it.

Nelson was accused of taking bribes from undercover agents promoting a fake garbage can cleaning business. /end-WAFB story/jl

Fissured & Fractured Judicial Process

The Nelson Matter is forged in a "lacadaisical" nonchalant approach by the "civil rights" apparatus in Louisiana in particular, and America in general.

An action was anticipated with the forging of a recommendation arising out of the last state Convention of the NAACP . It is, as if the clientelle of an uncivil america; think that they can just walk in to court and everything is going to be fair. Without certain justice seeking appartuses involved, the pushers of paper will get the same results. The Six, would not be in the position there in now without those apparatuses in play in 2007.

Victoria Gosserand stands trial in the death of Terri Parker in a car accident days before Christmas last year. Judge Alvin Batiste set the trial for July 11, 2011. I still think it strange that Tommy Nelson wasn't indicted until after comments were made concerning the case of vehicular homicide of Terri Parker on a New Roads thoroughfare.

It should be stated the Louisiana Middle District US Atty, Donald Cazayoux and Gosserand Defense Attorney Rob Marionneaux are both former legislative co-horts. Can, Justice be Served in the Parker death under these circumstances. Should not Eric Holder, send a D. C., civil rights-justice department attorney AND a DOJ special prosecutor for the Gosserand matter. IT IS NOW EVIDENT, COMPLICITY IS A FACT OF LIFE IN THE JURISPRUDENCE IN AMERICA & Louisiana.

What federal operative is busy enticing you or yours to commit corruption?
The Post-trial battle immediately ensued with the 22 June motion filed in the Middle District has already begun.

"Prior to trial, the defense tendered a proposed Fifth Circuit patter instruction to the court
on the issue of entrapment. At the charge conference, the prosecutor objected to the instruction
urging that Mr. Nelson had not made a prima facie case warranting an entrapment instruction."

Where is Bobbi Bernstein, when you really need her?

The Louisiana We Know:SO WELL!!

2011-06-11T12:03:00.002-05:00

So Long to Justice!

Commonwealth's desire for a free moral society fizzling fast. When the final actionaries seized control of the "final five" justice was no longer a pre-requisite. Out the window went the mechinations of the Mauffray Court & other pacifications. Now, one by one the principal participating personages, of Jena are systematically being picked off, one by one!

Others, however have continued to pimp, prostitute and capitalize on the "movement that was Jena" in 2007, labelled the 21st Century rejuvenation of Mass Protest. Well, since then we've had some serious marches to occur. However, EVERYone Should read, Sammy Franklin's article on the Jumping Frogs. You may get a better understanding of what's going on!!

In Jena, some of the princpals have been in the "crazy house", alienated and suspiciously targeted with stranger than life scenarios. You wonder WHY the Tpartiers, supremacist, neo-cons, Republicans and conservatives are jumping up and down? The took advice from ground zero. The Jena Experience has been attempted to be 'scrubbed clean', but no such washings can undo, the facts. To, top it off; employment of every wicked device has been accomplished.

Some of these "principal players" in the Jena Experience, have the slightest clue as to why, things are happening the way they are!

The Louisiana Machine is rolling Lead Vehicle in the Republican attempt to oust Obama!

HOWEVER, it is official, 2012:September:Jena:Year5-BACK!!

Who Says, Nobody Cares?!! -Death of a Nation From the bottum up!

2010-10-29T19:41:00.008-05:00

Some things are just meant to happen the way they do.
However, the day to day horrors of society, tend to wear away at the heart of things.

Who say's nobody cares? When Chris Nevils said, he wanted to see a fair jury - he knew what he was talking about. Now it must be seen if the prosecutor, will appeal the verdict on the very grounds, that he laid.

Today, October 29th 2010; Scott Nugent was found not guilty in the death of Baron "Scooter" Pikes. What's strange though, in Shreveport another officer was laid to rest, killed on duty.

The tasing-death of Pikes occurred on Martin Luther King Day -weekend. And in this cruelest climate, Nugent's actions were vindicated on Halloween weekend. Both, incidents happened on a Friday. What will be, in the final analysis the understanding of what has, now become history. It is a familiar history.

A history, our children should not have to live in the twenty-first century. Well, we were already escalating our efforts to secure a brighter future for a tomorrow, which may never come. But we must "occupy until he comes." An awakening, will occur. All were so caught up in two senate candidates, slinging vulgar mud. The tea partiers, and the such like. Musing about a South Mississippi Democrat divulging he didn't vote for the POTUS, but for McCain.

We, who live in Dixie, call them dixiecrats. Whose so surprised. Maybe the non-know-it-alls of the varied "punditates". But we know! If we wake up one morning and can't recognize the state of affairs.

We Shouldn't be shocked surprised or
dismayed. We Should realize that time has caught
up with us. America -the south, all of America has got to come to grips with itself. Fast!
Well. Deliver us, from this task master. How is it so insisted upon, that we must accept, less than what is normal. Just because the powerful and the rich, exact prowess over the poor and impoverished; a reckoning day is coming. And who will be surprise, shocked or dismayed at its outcome.

Us people are destroyed, from a lack of Knowledge. And collusions with the very people, who destroy us. We, ain't gwine whistle dixie no mo'. Go 'head though "Whistle It" 'cause its yo' dixie too!

Former police officer found not guilty in Taser death trial in Winnfield

By Bret H. McCormick • bmccormick@thetowntalk.com • October 30, 2010

WINNFIELD -- Scott Nugent waited nearly three years for his manslaughter trial to begin.

Then, he waited about three weeks from the trial's start until closing arguments on Friday.

So, what were an additional three hours?

One of Nugent's attorneys, George

Higgins of Pineville, said the three-hour wait Friday afternoon while the jury deliberated was "gut-wrenching," but the jury returned with the two words Nugent wanted to hear: not guilty.

Nugent was a 21-year-old officer with the Winnfield Police Department on Jan. 17, 2008, when he arrested 21-year-old Barron "Scooter" Pikes (also known in Winnfield as Barron Collins Jr.). Pikes died in police custody, and Nugent was accused of causing the death by using excessive force -- specifically a Taser eight or nine times.

The incident between Nugent, who is white, and Pikes, who was black, caused racial tensions in the town of approximately 5,700 people, and those tensions were evident following Friday's verdict.

Several audible gasps were heard from friends and family members of Pikes' when the verdict was read, while Nugent began crying and shaking his head in relief.

Pikes' family members said the verdict would not be received well by members of Winnfield's black community.

"When it all boils down to it, the whole community is going to be outraged," said Nicole Collins, Pikes' cousin.

"The community is not going to be pleased by this verdict," Pikes' stepmother, Kayshon Collins, added.

Nugent and his team, however, were ecstatic at the news.

Nugent's family was released from the courtroom before anyone else and was unavailable for comment. However, Higgins couldn't hide his joy.

"We're thrilled that Scott was found not guilty," said Higgins, one of Nugent's three attorneys. "We're thrilled because we always thought Scott wasn't guilty."

Higgins said he also was happy for one of his fellow Pineville attorneys, Phillip Terrell, who also worked to defend Nugent.

"I know that this victory was especially meaningful for Phillip Terrell," Higgins said. "There is no bigger supporter of the police."

Terrell and Jerry Glas, a New Orleans attorney who specializes in Taser cases, both were unavailable for comment following the verdict.

*lesieur

Members of Barron “Scooter” Pikes’s family, including his stepmother Kayshon Collins (front center) and sister Lashanta Jackson (far right), exit the Winn Parish Courthouse Friday afternoon following the not guilty verdict in the manslaughter trial of former Winnfield cop Scott Nugent. Nugent was accused of using a Taser on Pikes on Jan. 17, 2008, and causing his death. (Bret H. McCormick)

Louisiana:-Still Denying Justice!?? Oil Well Blowout called Apocalyptic & Apoplectic | And we still don't get it!

2010-06-05T20:19:00.004-05:00

Louisiana is this your KINGDOM COME!!

The second moral virtue that comes from grace, as the fruit out of the tree, and ripens in the sunshine of confirmation is justice. Justice is a virtue that will give to everyone what belongs to him.

The court respects the rights of all before God

"Enlightened by prudence, justice supernatural foremost respects the rights of God. Indefeasible owner of everything, God has the right to any and everything, hence the cult inside and outside of man and society. Here, Justice is manifested by the virtue of religion, which includes worship, prayer, sacrifice, hope and the faithful fulfillment of precepts relating to the direct worship of the Creator ."

It respects the rights of the next

"It respects the rights of the neighbor, rich or poor, weak or strong, lower or higher.

To her the world must end the exploitation of man by man, the murder of children, slavery, despotism brutal, which weighed on all peoples before the redemption, and which still hangs over all foreign nations the benefits of the Gospel.
It teaches man to respect himself, his soul and his rights, his body and his family, his life, his death and to his grave.
She tells him, finally, to respect the creatures in the governing justly, that is to say according to their end, In a spirit of dependence, as a property of others with fear, as to account for the use he has made.

Imagine what would happen to the world under the dominion of supernatural justice!

Apoplectic & Apocalyptic
Coastal tent cities are about to rise to house the workers and contractors minimizing the damage, while barge-like floating hotels for a total of about 800 workers are being readied at three locations off Louisiana. Sand banks and barriers are being built. But the consensus around the Gulf Coast is turning more apoplectic and apocalyptic. This is, people are starting to say, a generational event -- tragic to this generation, potentially crippling to the next.

On Thursday June 3rd Louisiana's Legislature offered HCR 214 directed to Ken Salazar the Secretary of the Interior. Rep. Ernest Wooton took to the podium on the floor of the Louisiana House & assailed the Obama Administration. How dreadful.!. Wooton said two years ago he [President Obama] could do anything. There is a lot of hate fomenting in state legislatures. A very heated debate ensued in Senate Committee Judiciary C, on HB617-Requiring at least twenty percent of recipients of cash [welfare] assistance to be drug tested prior to receiving benefits.

But Louisiana, still doesn't get it! Wooton even said the President should stay up in D.C.!! So, an oil man from Texas allowed the regulations on oil production to become lax. And now, a Hawaiian is saying, stop all drilling until we fix the regulating arm of gov't, stopping all drilling. While Pelicans are drenched in blood, I mean oil. Or, bloody looking oil. This is the link of Wooton going off. His comment's are behind Rep. Dove's explanation of the Resolution.

This is the kind of rhetoric that is fueling the "militia militancy" against Obama. An oil-producer, in a mad-rush for profit, split the earth, changed drill bits; disregarded a blowout preventer and charged straight ahead into the abyss.

?What is the correlation to this drilling & the recent earthquakes in the Caribbean & Central/South American Region?

Is any one realizing this is a green President. And this type of fiasco is this man's worse nightmare. Imagine that, toxic oil pollution in an endangered ecological wetland. And now, it's hurricane season. Yet still, who are they fooling. Haiti proved the WORLD let lone the USA are ill-prepared for catastrophe. It is especially so, one behind the other!! '09 Financial debacle. '10 Haiti Earthquake April 2010 Oilwell Blowout.

Come on People. Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi & all total 13 states had filed suit against Healthcare. Somebody's sure 'nough gonna need it now!!

USF researchers find new underwater plume from gulf oil spill

By Craig Pittman and Katie Sanders, Times Staff Writers
In Print: Friday, May 28, 2010

The sight of an oil slick spreading across the surface of the Gulf of Mexico is bad enough. But now scientists from the University of South Florida have found signs that a 6-mile-wide plume of invisible oil is snaking beneath the surface, in the deepest recesses of the gulf.

The thickest concentration, they found, was more than 2 miles beneath the surface — a mile deeper than where the Deepwater Horizon well has been spewing oil for the past month — and about 20 miles northeast of the collapsed rig.

The plume of dissolved oil stretched 6 miles down, said David Hollander, a USF chemical oceanographer and lead investigator for the project. This is the second oil plume to be discovered by scientists, and it marks the first time such plumes have been detected after a spill, Hollander said. He compared them to streams of lava flowing out of an undersea volcano.

While the fudgelike goo coating Louisiana's marshes is getting lots of television coverage, the two undersea plumes show damage is also occurring where no one can see it: deep in the gulf, miles from land, where marine life has always been abundant and yet largely unobserved.

The USF research vessel Weatherbird II was dispatched Saturday to take samples in the DeSoto Canyon, a deep valley that cuts through the continental shelf south of the Florida Panhandle. In the canyon, an upwelling of nutrient-rich water means far more fish and other species swim there.

The scientists' big concern, Hollander said, is whether the oil they found is concentrated enough to be toxic to marine life. It could affect the whole food chain, he said.

The canyon area is a popular destination for local fishing boats, said Bob Spaeth, owner of Madeira Beach Seafood, the area's largest seafood house and home dock for many longline boats, because "it is pristine. It has great habitat.''

The fishermen are willing to make the day-and-a-half journey because they know they will catch bluefin tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and grouper, Spaeth said. If toxic levels of oil have contaminated the fish there, Spaeth said, "that's a disaster.''

The fish are not the only potential deep-sea victims of the spill. It could affect everything from the 10-foot-long giant tube worms rooted to the floor of the gulf to the sea turtles, sharks, whales and dolphins that spend their lives far from shore, say the experts.

"I would be worried about every marine species that swam through that plume," said John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, based in Tarpon Springs.

Currently federal officials have closed about 22 percent of the gulf to both commercial and recreational fishing. USF College of Marine Sciences Dean William Hogarth promised that if the area where the plume was found wasn't already covered by that ban, it will be by today.

A big question is where the plume will go next. It could continue spreading until it gets onto the continental shelf and is pushed close to shore. Another USF oceanographer, Robert Weisberg, warned congressional representatives this week that if subsurface oil gets lifted onto the shelf it could reach west Florida's wetlands and beaches, which he called "a very serious concern."

There is no ongoing government monitoring program for what's going on in the gulf, Weisberg said. The USF voyage cost $850,000 — funded by the state — and at this point there is no money for a follow-up trip.

The USF ship, scheduled to return today, went out after scientists from several universities working aboard the research vessel Pelican told the New York Times of finding plumes of oil 3 miles wide and 10 miles long beneath the gulf's surface. That plume was spreading southwest of the rig.

Computer models run by Weisberg had predicted the location of the southwestern plume found by the Pelican, Hollander said. Weisberg's model also suggested there could be a similar plume headed northeast, he said, so that's where the USF ship went.

The scientists aboard the ship — some from USF, some from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg — discovered the plume on Tuesday. What's not known is the role that chemical dispersants play in the plume. BP has been spraying the dispersants both on the surface slick and directly on the gushing wellhead in the deep ocean, something never before attempted. The dispersants, being used in unprecedented quantities, are supposed to spread the oil so it will evaporate and degrade more quickly. That could be what has created the plumes, Hollander said.

The concern is that the dispersants are simply holding the oil below the surface, where it is harder to clean. So far, tests by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have found no signs that the dispersants are harmful to sea life, but the EPA has ordered BP to look for a less toxic version.

Once the Weatherbird II returns to port, scientists will conduct further tests to determine whether the plume is made of weathered oil droplets or oil linked to dispersants, Hollander said.

The one piece of good news: Tests conducted by the Weatherbird II between the loop current and the Florida coast showed clean water, no weathered oil on the surface and no sign of oil beneath the waves. But that doesn't mean it will stay that way.

Rowan Gould, acting director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has predicted the spill "will affect fish and wildlife resources … for years to come, if not decades."

Times staff writers Stephen Nohlgren and Alex Leary contributed to this report.

[Last modified: May 28, 2010 06:51 AM]

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Copyright 2010 St. Petersburg Times Story

New, giant sea oil plume seen in Gulf stretching toward Mobile Bay

By The Associated Press

May 27, 2010, 12:10PM

NEW ORLEANS -- Marine scientists have discovered a massive new plume of what they believe to be oil deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico, stretching 22 miles from the leaking wellhead northeast toward Mobile Bay, Alabama.

The discovery by researchers on the University of South Florida College of Marine Science's Weatherbird II vessel is the second significant undersea plume recorded since the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20.

The thick plume was detected just beneath the surface down to about 3,300 feet, and is more than 6 miles wide, said David Hollander, associate professor of chemical oceanography at the school.

While the researchers used Mobile Bay as a reference point, the area they are exploring is the DeSoto Canyon, which one researcher described as an "abyss" that falls off from the Florida shelf due south of the Florida-Alabama state line.

The canyon begins more than 100 miles off the Alabama coast with depths of more than 5,000 feet.

Hollander said the team detected the thickest amount of hydrocarbons, likely from the oil spewing from the blown out well, at about 1,300 feet in the same spot on two separate days this week.

The discovery was important, he said, because it confirmed that the substance found in the water was not naturally occurring and that the plume was at its highest concentration in deeper waters. The researchers will use further testing to determine whether the hydrocarbons they found are the result of dispersants or the emulsification of oil as it traveled away from the well.

The first such plume detected by scientists stretched from the well southwest toward the open sea, but this new undersea oil cloud is headed miles inland into shallower waters where many fish and other species reproduce.

The researchers say they are worried these undersea plumes may are the result of the unprecedented use of chemical dispersants to break up the oil a mile undersea at the site of the leak.

Hollander said the oil they detected has dissolved into the water, and is no longer visible, leading to fears from researchers that the toxicity from the oil and dispersants could pose a big danger to fish larvae and filter feeders such as sperm whales.

"There are two elements to it," Hollander said. "The plume reaching waters on the continental shelf could have a toxic effect on fish larvae, and we also may see a long-term response as it cascades up the food web."

(Associated Press Writers Jason Dearen and Matthew Brown authored this report, which was clarified by the Press-Register at 12:47 to better state the location of the undersea oil.)

More Oil 100 miles off Alabama Coast in 5000 ft CANYON

Justice Denied:-Still in Louisiana

2010-03-04T21:03:00.004-06:00

The indigent defense system is steadily falling apart & the Louisiana Legislature has still failed to launch, an initial action to revamp the judicial process in the state of Louisiana. In particular Louisiana's 4th Judicial District has indigent defense attorneys, who are typically lax in their representation of impoverished defendants.

Public Defender Office-La. 4th JDC is currently covering a case involving three defendants, one of which has federal charges. Already, two of the defendants are lanquishing in the system, because of maneuvering by the federal defendant.

In New Orleans public defenders are to the point of possibly not taking on any new cases.

Should this not be the final signal, of the impending doom of the collapsing judicial process in Louisiana.

North Carolina has a commission in force that looks in to criminal convictions for possible mistakes even after all post-conviction remedies are exhausted! The Commission, considers claims of innocence from convicts or anyone else with pertinent information. It has reviewed hundreds of claims by prisoners and brought only three to a hearing.

If the commission agrees that a claim has merit, it refers cases to a three-judge panel, which has happened only once except for a recent case, [Gregory Taylor] and the argument in the other case was rejected.

BR man charged in corruption case

Published: Mar 17, 2010

Robert L. Stevens is the 10th person charged in the continuing federal investigation of corruption in Baton Rouge city and state district courts.

Each of the prior nine defendants has pleaded guilty to one or more felony counts. To date, none has been scheduled for sentencing.

Stevens, 61, of Baton Rouge, was charged Tuesday with conspiracy in aid of racketeering. That charge was filed in a bill of information by Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Patricia Jones and Corey R. Amundson after Stevens waived his right to have the case sent to a grand jury.

“We’re not aware of any job that Stevens has right now or what (type of work) he did in the past,” U.S. Attorney David R. Dugas said.

Stevens is accused of soliciting and obtaining “cash and other things of value from individuals with criminal and traffic matters pending” in Baton Rouge City Court, the bill of information states.

In return for those bribes, the bill of information alleges, defendants were promised their charges “would be dismissed, reduced, or otherwise ‘fixed.’ ”

Stevens participated in the conspiracy in 2008 and for at least the first nine months of 2009, prosecutors said in their charge.

In April and May 2009, Stevens is alleged to have had multiple telephone conversations with Flitcher Bell, who was at that time a senior city prosecutor.

Bell pleaded guilty in the case late last year after prosecutors announced the continuing investigation, dubbed Operation Illegal Motion.

Thus far, the investigation also has produced convictions against two former Baton Rouge police officers, the former chief investigator for the local public defender’s office, several people outside the court system, and several former state and city court employees.

The charge against Stevens carries a possible five-year prison term and fine of $250,000.

Louisiana's Disarrayed Justice continuum ad infinitum

2010-02-15T15:51:00.007-06:00

Woman from Pointe Coupee Parish not guilty on first DWI

By Chris Nakamoto
Source: WBRZ
Updated: February 3, 2010 5:47 PM

Woman from Pointe Coupee Parish not guilty on first DWI By Chris Nakamoto
Source: WBRZ WAFB

Officials postpone deadly crash grand jury trial

Feb 11, 2010

It took ten minutes for Judge Alex Wall to find 23-year-old Victoria Gosserand "not guilty" of first offense DWI in Baton Rouge.

In a separate case of DWI in Pointe Coupee Parish, Gosserand faces more serious charges. Investigators say she was three times over the legal limit when she caused a crash that killed 23-year-old Terri Parker and injured vehicle's driver.

Even though the first case doesn't involve Parker's family, they were in court to seek justice.

"If the courts would have taken care of the first DWI, she wouldn't have gotten the second DWI," Parker's mother, Debra Cushionberry said.

In court, the Baton Rouge police officer who pulled her over told a packed courtroom that after he arrested her, the smell of alcohol was so strong he had to crack a window in his police unit.

The executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving told News 2 she was concerned there wasn't enough evidence to convict Gosserand.

"We're not always winners," Donna Tate said. "The details of every case are different. In this case, there was not an opportunity to have a field sobriety test done because of the defendant's refusal and no blood alcohol test."

A grand jury in Pointe Coupee Parish will decide next week whether to formally charge Gosserand for the crash in New Roads.

Officials postpone deadly crash grand jury trial

Posted: Feb 11, 2010 6:12 PM CST Updated: Feb 12, 2010 5:36 PM CST

By David Spunt - bio | email

NEW ROADS, LA (WAFB) - A grand jury trial in New Roads scheduled for Friday was postponed after two judges have openly recused themselves from the case of a deadly crash involving a woman who failed a field sobriety test.

District Attorney Ricky Ward said Judge James Best and William DuPont have recused themselves. According to a source, DuPont said he has already been assigned a civil lawsuit in the matter. Best admitted he recused himself.

"It is much too personal to me to preside over this case, as my son was a classmate of both Victoria Gosserand and Kyle Riviere," Best said. "It would put me in an awkward position."

Ward said the case will be reassigned to either Judge Robin Free or Alvin Batiste. He expects the grand jury to hear evidence either next week or the following week.

Teri Parker's father says he is upset about the delay.

"I'm frustrated because my daughter has been taken from me and it's made me feel like nothing has been done about it," said John Parker.

Two days before Christmas, Teri Parker, 23, was killed as she drove home from work. Police have charged Tori Gosserand, 23, in the case. Records show Gosserand had a .30 blood alcohol level at the time of the accident. In Louisiana, the legal limit is .08. Kyle Riviere was riding with Teri Parker. He survived the crash. Story-wafb.com

Officers cleared in Monroe shooting

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

February 11, 2010
Officers cleared in Monroe shooting
MICHELLE BATES, Editor

The two officers involved in the shooting death of Bernard Monroe Sr. have been cleared.

Late Thursday afternoon, the Claiborne Parish Grand Jury handed down a no true bill, which means no criminal charges will be filed against former Homer Police Officers Tim Cox and Joseph Henry, in a case that turned the community of Homer upside down.

When the results were handed down, the only officer that might have faced criminal charges was Cox. According to the report filed with the Claiborne Parish Clerk of Court, Cox could have faced a charge of first degree murder, second degree murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide.

According to Assistant Attorney General John Sinquefield, the grand jury met two full days and worked overtime on the case. The 12 member jury heard 21 witnesses, including 12 civilians, meaning non law enforcement witnesses. They reviewed dozens of items of evidence and returned the no true bill, he said.

“I think they did a very thorough, very complete investigation involving the death of Mr. Monroe,” Sinquefield said. “They did a very good job in reviewing the evidence. All the witnesses, all the police personnel, and all the governmental officials in Homer cooperated 100 percent with us in our investigation, and on behalf of the attorney general’s office, we’d like to thank all these people.”

He extended his thanks to Second Judicial District Judge Jenifer Clason, Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey, Homer Police Chief Russell Mills and all the police jury personnel for their full cooperation and accommodations during the grand jury proceedings – held at the Claiborne Parish Police Jury Complex in Homer.

“Judge Clason was very helpful and available, and took our report and showed us every courtesy of the court, and we’d like to thank her,” he said.

Rob Moore, of the Moore Law Firm in Arcadia, the attorney representing Henry, said his client is glad it’s over.

“We’re just relieved that it’s over,” Moore said. “Joey loves this town and wishes the best for Homer.”

Henry declined comment on the matter at this time, as did Homer Police Chief Russell Mills. Mills declined comment under the advisement of Town Attorney Jim Colvin, pending a civil suit.

Attorney Morris Dees, of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, representing the Monroe family, said they are disappointed in the outcome of this incident.

“They are extremely disappointed that no indictment was returned,” he said, “and they intend to file a civil lawsuit in the near future with the opportunity for a jury to hear the factual determination in the death of Mr. Monroe – something that did not take place with the grand jury.”

Dees indicated that a suit will be filed within the next 10 days as of Friday, February 5.

Bernard Monroe Sr., 73, was shot and killed by Cox on Friday, February 20, 2009, at his home. He was transported to Homer Memorial Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. He later passed away at the hospital.

According to police, they were pursuing Monroe’s son, Shawn, on foot, and the chase ended at his residence where Monroe allegedly engaged the two officers with a loaded handgun. Witnesses at the scene say he did not have a gun, but rather a sports drink bottle.

The Rev. Willie Young, president of the Claiborne Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said the members of his organization were disappointed in the outcome.

“We’re disappointed, and we have to accept the results whether I like them or not,” he said. “You live in the real world and there’s two sides to every story.”

He said they prepared themselves for the outcome either way, and it was time to move forward.

“The grand jury has spoken and we move on from here,” Young said.

The tragedy has spurred unrest and many questions by members of the community from all sides. The U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the ACLU and the Louisiana State Police have investigated the case from several different aspects, including any possible civil rights violations as well as the investigation into the incident itself.

The Rev. Al Sharpton was in Homer last year saying that he would not rest until justice was done for Monroe. The NAACP also conducted its own investigation just weeks after the incident.

Ex-officer's attorneys: Taser not cause of death

Robert Morgan • rmorgan@thetowntalk.com • February 11, 2010

Defense attorneys for former Winnfield Police Officer Scott Nugent said they plan to contest claims that a Taser stun-gun caused the death of Baron "Scooter" Pikes in 2008.

Nugent had been set for trial on a manslaughter charge Feb. 9, but the date was postponed until June 14 by state Judge John Joyce.

Nugent is accused of causing Pike's death while he was in Winnfield police custody by shocking him nine times with a Taser.

Pineville attorneys George Higgins and Phillip Terrell said the defense will challenge the science the prosecution intends to introduce.

Despite a finding by Winn Parish Coroner Randolph Williams that Pikes died as a result of the Taser shocks, Higgins said, "We contend that a Taser cannot cause the death of a human being."

"The Taser is a non-lethal weapon. That's precisely why it's used," he said.

Terrell said a report from forensic pathologist Joel Carney of Lafayette declares that the cause of death is "inconclusive."

Carney, who examined the body the day after Pikes died, issued a report saying Pikes had sickle cell anemia and an enlarged heart, either or both of which could have contributed to his death, according to portions cited by Terrell.

The report does not cite the Taser incident as a cause of death, he said.

Taser darts only go under the skin and cannot impact internal organs, the attorneys said.

"As we've contended from the beginning, Scott Nugent did not cause the death of the deceased," Higgins said.

The Disarray of Louisiana Justice

2010-01-12T12:26:00.013-06:00

Legislative action needed.
Gosserand|Ricky Ward,Parker,La.AG|Kevin MacDonald-DA| MADD-Louisiana
|2thead-Victoria Jean Gosserand| D'Aguila-Rose Parker-Donna Tate| Family asks DA to recuse himself|Pointe Coupee Victims Assistance Will Justice Prevail in New Roads, La.

The disarray of justice in Louisiana, has now manifested itself in a physical form. Its affects have in effect placed the judicial process in further jeopardy. Not only has Jelpi Picou, formerly with the Capital Appeals Project; siphoned at least $100k from a state-funded program, the Legislature has still not convened any committee(s); joint or sub, to research or gain needed information on the current debacling circumstances.

To begin with, increasing the public's confidence in the system; which, in turn would aid in decreasing the 2009 spike in crime in some areas. Recent events of youth violence is approaching epidemic. Citizens in one NE La. Legislative district are preparing a citizen optioned covert operated response to end the spike.

All the while, in federal court a state legislator's brother began trial on Hobbs Act violations. Although, no one has been nominated yet, the US Atty for the same district has tendered his resignation,effective on MLK day. A US Supreme Court decision is holding back a trial of the same individual on other charges in which a DA is also involved.

Not to mention, the state AG has taken on a 2009 police killing in Claiborne parish, for which no dates have been set. A Jan 2009 taser-death "stun-drive" case is scheduled to begin February 9th 2010 in a rural parish. In July '09 a Colfax man was killed by police. And the Calcasieu parish public defender system is back in court for a repeat. But now with, the recent upheavels in the 19th JDC-PDO and the recent revelations of case fixings for pay, it should be evident the system needs a thorough going over.

Does any body really care.
The current United States Attorney General was involved in a wrongful conviction case at the time he was nominated by the POTUS. That case, subsequently settled with the exoneree receiving millions. But there are others, who are trapped in this jurisprudence gone awry. Beyond the personal objectives and agendas, there is still opportunity to begin the real work of evolving into a better position. There is no giving up in this fight. All the signs are there to let the sighted know, what must be done. As citizens. May the parties in position respond to this appeal.

In a 2008 resolution, the Louisiana Legislature's LLBC was requested to convene hearings on the justice apparatus in the state. The then chairman of the LLBC agreed. A house concurrent study resolution was authorized, and nothing has come to fruition. 2010 is here. Yet it is not too late, to do the right thing. Although, there is a new chairwoman, who will take this endeavor on?

Someone has to make a move! It has to happen, now. Are you the one?

Justears! Louisiana Backwater

2009-10-25T21:58:00.004-05:00

Injunctive Relief Needed in present court systems | Failed Justice | Louisiana Appellate Project | '08 La. Legis. House Concurrent Study Resolution [HCSR-1] approved - no action taken

[ JP resigns] Several accounts have been made relating to a justice of the peace in south Louisiana. Some who retold the story state the JP denied a marriage license to the couple. Not true.

The state official refused to perform the ceremony. The two individuals have now filed suit for civil rights violations in the federal courts. Great.

This could be a perfect storm to make the state's highest court do it's job. In forcing the high court to act, it could very well alter the face of the system, finally. The new chief justice, has a few things to prove in her role. The civil rights suit has nothing to do with actions of the judiciary commission. The commission, is already however wanting to get around it's efficacy. A spokesperson from the judicial administrators office told a national news outlet, the process could take as much as a year. However, the chairman of the commission can cause the body to act, sooner than later if it so desires.

The commission's legal counsel, should already have begun compiling her information to present to the commission, on how the JP's defense may seek to defend him. Truly, the inner workings of the process is hard to unravel. Within the process, the commission's legal counsel will advise the commission on the possible routes the JP's defense may take. The office of disciplinary counsel will make the formal accusatory declaration to the JP. That person is the interim special counsel.

The former special counsel left the commission last year. In 1994, he went to work for the judiciary commission where his primary responsibility was to investigate complaints against judges and hand recommendations for discipline to the commission, a panel of three citizens, three judges and three lawyers appointed by the state Supreme Court. Once the commission settles on a sanction, it's the special counsel's job to persuade the justices to adopt the recommendation.

If, in the function of his office, a state official violates the law it is malfeasance. If, under the color of law an official violates the law and denies a person civil rights the public integrity section of the justice department can pursue criminal charges.

The Public Integrity Section oversees the federal effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of elected and appointed public officials at all levels of government. The Section has exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of criminal misconduct on the part of federal judges and also monitors the investigation and prosecution of election and conflict of interest crimes. Section attorneys prosecute selected cases against federal, state, and local officials, and are available as a source of advice and expertise to other prosecutors and investigators. Since 1978, the Section has supervised the administration of the Independent Counsel provisions of the Ethics in Government Act.

And what if prior state attorney's general were indeed aware of a JP's violative interpretation of their elected office? Who is now liable? The State? Is the state in need of expertise and advice from federal sources? Recusals of local US Attorneys are also a part of the public integrity sections operation. Would the state supreme court be found deficient? Would other areas of the state's judicial apparatus be subject to purview? Perhaps.

On, another note; the state's director of indigent defense, functioning under Act 307 passed by the 2007 regular session has admitted to media the system is broken. The Judiciary has the role of making sure proper judicial process is carried forth. Indigent defendants are routinely wrongly convicted through ineffective assistance of counsel. Is it unimaginable, the mere refusal to honor an officially obtained license from a clerk of court could evolve in to a full scale re-aligning of the system?

The Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, recently finished an investigation into the Orleans Parish Prison. Released 9-11-09 it outlined deficiencies with the facilities operation. The final paragraph says in part - "We are obligated to advise you that, in the event that we are unable to reach a resolution regarding our concerns, the Attorney General may initiate a lawsuit pursuant to CRlP A to correct deficiencies of the kind identified in this letter"... .. .. .. . . .

Memphis to Massachusetts

2009-07-30T18:32:00.005-05:00

It is Not a time to be silent! America is a Police-State. Martin|Memphis|& Profiling. If you think the system is not edged against us. Consider this, who is next?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Police investigating officer-involved shooting
July 25, 2009

The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Alexandria Field Office is investigating a Friday shooting in which a Colfax Police officer fatally shot a man.

The shooting happened around 2:45 p.m., according to a State Police release. According to that release, Colfax Police Officer Stephen Merchant witnessed a physical altercation between Harold Phillips, 54, of Colfax, and an unidentified person on Chester Street while on patrol. As Merchant approached the two, Phillips fled on foot.

The foot pursuit led Merchant to Ash Street, where a physical altercation occurred between Officer Merchant and Phillips. It was at that time that Merchant shot Phillips, according to the report.

The Colfax Police Department requested that the State Police investigate the incident. The Grant Parish Sheriff's Office is assisting in the investigation.

Phillips was transported to Rapides Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation is ongoing and, at the conclusion, the case will be forwarded to the Grant Parish District Attorney's Office.
The Town Talk

Couple Sues Police Over Dog's Death, Abuse In Raid
Yes, this involves cops threatening children with machine guns
By JIM NEWELL
Updated 6:31 AM EDT, Wed, Jul 29, 2009

The Hendersons' story spread like hotcakes in January 2008 after a Howard County SWAT team entered their Columbia home, late at night, brandishing a warrant for a major drug-dealing operation -- for some other home down the street: "a nearby house the police raided later that evening more closely matched the warrant’s description, and contained marijuana, a pair of scales and large sums of money." All they found drug-wise in the Hendersons' home was some pot and a bowl belonging to their house guest, who was immediately arrested for possession. Couple Sues

Officers involved in fatal La. shooting resign
(AP) – 1 day ago

HOMER, La. — Two white police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a 73-year-old black man in northern Louisiana have resigned from the force.

The Feb. 20 shooting of Bernard Monroe Sr. sparked protests and at least two investigations.

Officer Tim Cox, who shot Monroe in his yard, and Officer Joey Henry, who was present at the time of the shooting, have decided to pursue other employment, said Homer city attorney Jim Colvin.

"Tim Cox told me he is moving to St. Tammany Parish and I think will be training canines for police departments," Colvin said. "I don't know what Joey Henry is going to do."

Both officers had been on paid administrative leave after the shooting, which is still under investigation by the FBI and state police.

"They should have been gone," said Rev. Willie Young, head of the Claiborne Parish NAACP, on Wednesday. "I don't think taxpayers should have been paying their salaries all this time."

Monroe, who was mute after losing his larynx to cancer, was cooking on a grill in his yard with relatives and friends when the police officers arrived. In a report to state authorities, Homer police said Cox and Henry chased Monroe's 38-year-old son, Shaun, from a suspected drug deal blocks away to his father's house.

Witnesses disputed that account, saying the younger Monroe was talking to his sister-in-law in a truck outside the house when officers arrived.

There was a scuffle between the officers and Shaun, in which Shaun was shocked with a Taser. Police said the elder Monroe then pulled a gun on them and Cox fired his weapon. Witnesses claim Bernard Monroe was unarmed as he walked toward his porch.

State police said in February that a loaded gun was found on or near Monroe's body. But friends and relatives suggested police planted a gun Monroe owned next to his body.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana is studying arrests and traffic citations by Homer police as part of an investigation of racial profiling complaints against the department.

Reached by phone on Wednesday, Police Chief Russell Mills refused to comment.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Supreme Court & Indigent Defense - Louisiana Spotlight

2009-05-26T23:01:00.010-05:00

Splitting 5-4, the Supreme Court on Tuesday overruled its 23-year-old ruling in Michigan v. Jackson on the rights of a criminal suspect in police custody who has asked for a lawyer. The Court did so in Montejo v. Louisiana (07-1529), in an opinion written by Justice Antonin Scalia. After Scalia announced the decision, Justice John Paul Stevens spoke orally for the dissenters — a somewhat unusual gesture. Stevens was the author of the 1986 decision that was cast aside; he was the only member of the Court then who is still sitting. Michigan v. Jackson overrulled in Montejo v. Louisiana

Sotomayor
Louisiana Public Defender Board Staff. The Spotlight is steadily glaring on the state of Louisiana. Within the boundaries of today's SCOTUS decision is a blatant 5 to 4 conservative response in answer to an already vulgar criminal justice apparatus in Louisiana & America.

Brief of AMICI CURIAE the Louisiana Public Defenders Association in Support of Petitioner JESSE JAY MONTEJO V. STATE OF LOUISIANA - rendered 26 May 2009.

The Sixth Amendment provides a right to counsel at each “critical stage” of a criminal proceeding. This case addresses whether a defendant must affirmatively accept the appointment of counsel to receive the protections of that right, particularly the protection not to be interrogated by the state without counsel’s presence or consent.

INDIGENT DEFENSE IN NORTHEAST LOUISIANA Both expenditures and revenues for the 4th Judicial District have increased over
the years under study. Because the data collected in the previous study is in a
different format than the data collected for the last two years, the individual line
items are not directly comparable; instead, focus should be placed on the total
revenues and expenditures when making comparisons. In addition, the 2003 and
2004 totals represent 11 month totals (January through November); the 2006
figures are full-year totals. The 4th Judicial District is unique among the four under study here as it is the only Judicial District that has a formalized on-going training program for public defenders who handle felony cases.

This training occurs monthly and is open to
all public defenders from other Judicial Districts. The 4th Judicial District is also
working to prepare a training manual that can be easily distributed, as well as
expanding the training program to include public defenders who handle
misdemeanor cases and one for those how handle juvenile cases. These
subsequent training courses will also be open to all public defenders from other
judicial districts.

Effective August 15, 2007, the Louisiana State Legislature enacted a new law (R.S.
15:146-184) revising the Louisiana Indigent Defense Assistance Board (LIDAB)
and creating the new Louisiana Public Defender Board (LPDB). This new law
provides that the LPDB shall have “all regulatory authority, control, supervision,
and jurisdiction, including auditing and enforcement, and all power incidental or
necessary to such regulatory authority, control, supervision, and jurisdiction
over all aspects of the delivery of public defender services throughout the courts
of the state of Louisiana” (R.S. 15:147). What was known as “indigent” defense
has since become “public” defense. The adage “the name has changed but the
game remains the same” certainly applies.

Indigent Defense Services Task Force

Louisiana Public Defenders Association

NACDL Indigent Defense Recent Developments In the spring of 2003, the Louisiana State Bar Association passed a resolution in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Gideon decision that called into question the adequacy of adult indigent defense services in Louisiana and urged the state government to establish a “Blue Ribbon Commission to develop a strategic plan for indigent defense system reform and set a timetable for implementation.”

LASC Rule XXXI (3) Private Practice of Law. A staff attorney of a district indigent defender board, who is a permanent, full-time employee of the district board, shall not engage in the private practice of criminal law in the same jurisdiction in which he or she serves as a staff attorney. The said attorney, however, may be permitted by the district board to have a private civil law practice in the same jurisdiction in which he or she serves as a staff attorney, provided such practice does not conflict with or otherwise adversely affect the duties owed by the attorney to his or her indigent clients.

What's the matter with this picture? Already the "wheel of justice" rolled when the news article showed the "leading" photograph of this 19 year old accused suspect, as he was being transported to OCC.
The 40 something year old trigger-man is the real culprit. Video surveillance doesn't show the 19year old in the store. The 19 year old doesn't admit to knowledge of the crime, before leaving Morehouse Parish. Will the Indigent Defense system of the 4th Judicial District provide adequate assistance of counsel.

IN DEFENSE OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO JUSTICE
To recognize the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 83 S.Ct. 792, 9 L.Ed. 2d 799 (1963), and to rededicate the State of Louisiana to the promise of equal justice for all, regardless of income, in accordance with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System, by creating the Louisiana Task Force on Indigent Defense Services.
WHEREAS, 2003 marks the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Gideon.. .

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court stated in Gideon the "obvious truth" that "in our adversary
system of criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer,
cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him"; and
WHEREAS, the Supreme Court has consistently extended the right to counsel to critical
stages of criminal proceedings and any case that may result in the potential loss of liberty,
including: direct appeals -- Douglas v. California, 372 U.S. 353 (1963); custodial
interrogations -- Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966); juvenile proceedings resulting in
confinement -- In Re Gault, 387 U.S. 1 (1967); preliminary hearings -- Coleman v. Alabama,
399 U.S. 1 (1970); Louisiana Justice Coalition

Obama:European Capitalist Venture

2009-04-03T22:27:00.008-05:00

NATO Host Cities protest rallies.

STRASBOURG, France — President Barack Obama laid down a tough new line on America and Europe Friday morning, saying both were to blame what he called the "drift" in the trans-Atlantic alliance in recent years.

"In America, there's a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world," Obama said, boldly taking aim at the country that just elected him last November. "There have been times where America's showed arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive."

Of Europe, Obama looked directly at a few thousand German and French students in a town hall in Strasbourg, France, and told them that the continent had showed "an anti-Americanism that is at once casual but can also be insidious."

"There have been times when Europeans chose to blame Americans for much of what is bad," he said to a crowd that had been elated at Obama's entry but then turned silent after his remark.

"So," he continued, "I've come to Europe to renew our parternship."

The tone of Obama's rhetoric changes in Prague!

Nuclear Disarmament

Before Turkish Parliament

Turkish News - Hurriyet

In the Final Throes

2008-12-31T22:47:00.023-06:00

Seated

April 15, 2009 - Anarchy & they don't even Know It!
Knoxville, Tenn April 15, 2009 - The Original Knights of the KKK were established in Jackson, Tennessee. They are requiring all military, veterans, law officers & those who took the oath to "protect & serve", "to defend the Constitution of the United States of America", "against enemies foreign & domestic" to stand against the policies of this present GOVERNMENT. This will no doubt bring about violence-these are fighting words. Boehner of Ohio & Cornyn of Texas are the main proponents of this coup attempt. Cornyn wore his Texas Lawman hat on Inauguration Day & Boehner had the subversive glare.

Oath Keepers aka Tea Party
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Crawford, Tx.,Iconocast[lonestaricon.com]Current Issue-Oath Keepers
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Seattle Action Network LibertyBelle w/Rick Santelli
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The Chicago Tea Party
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Now, the signification is, we're in the final throes. Don't believe it? God, forbid if something would happen to 44.
Re Oathed?!----------------------------------------------------------------
January 21, 2009, 7:53 pm
Oath Is Administered Once Again
By Jeff Zeleny
WASHINGTON – President Obama was re-administered the oath of office on Wednesday evening by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., one day after the two men stumbled over each other’s words during the inauguration.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Roberts stood in the Map Room of the White House at 7:35 p.m. and recited the oath before a small group of advisers and a handful of reporters.

Robert Gibbs, a spokesman for the White House, said the oath was re-administered out of an “abundance of caution” because a couple of words were out of place on Tuesday. The White House Counsel’s office thought the original oath was proper, Mr. Gibbs said, but Mr. Obama did a second oath anyway.
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The final painful struggle out of the past, into the "New Day" is signified in the current media frenzy about "the defendant left hanging" in the noose incident of 2007 that some say spark a new civil rights era.

Now some want to say, the proverbial - see there, I told you. What occured on that dawn of autumn day concerned the travesty of a weighted system. The indivduals, were themselves, mere "vehicles" to cause to occur, what must.

But, we find our selves in the final throes. A painful struggle is in process. It is only the beginning.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The organisms of disorganization, should be prepared to experience chaos.

Re Oathed?!

Saturday 11July09

Ghana Slave Port tour

Obama Recounts African Roots

Go Back To Jena!

2008-11-04T00:22:00.016-06:00

--UNEQUAL JUSTICE REIGNS STILL!!

--Guantanamo On the Bayou!!

Melissa Bell Held by Jena Justice System!!! $100,000.00 Bond. "When saw we thee in Prison" It's Still UNEQUAL JUSTICE in Jena, Louisiana in 2008!!

Mauffray to retire from the Bench in December! - His brand of UNEQUAL JUSTICE will remain in force.

Jindal Visits Jena!! - Introduced at church service by Reed Walters.

Bush Visits Alexandria just prior to killings!!!

Black Mother & two (2) daughters run over & KILLED IN ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA. Driver of Vehicle had history of DUI's & other vehicular related incidents!!! FREE ON $30,000.00 BOND - The DRIVER of the SUV is a white guy.

21 year old, white guy kills 3 BLACKS - $30,000.00 Bond *** Melissa Bell alledgedly assaulted 2 with shovel $100,000.00 STILL IN JAIL!!!
Alexandria, Louisiana is 30 minutes from Jena, Louisiana: Remember - you all took the ride just over a year ago!!
* * * * * * * U N E Q U A L - - - - - J U S T I C E * * * * * * *

3 pedestrians killed in Alexandria
10/24/2008, 9:13 p.m. CDT
The Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — A woman and her two, teenage daughters, were killed Friday when a car ran into them as they walked on the shoulder of Louisiana Highway 1.

The driver was seriously injured when the car went off the road about 3:45 p.m. and into a ditch after hitting the trio, police said.

The victims' names were not released.

Witnesses say the victims were on the shoulder of highway on the southbound side when a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox, veered off the road, hit them and continued into a ditch or culvert. Police say two of the pedestrians were pronounced dead at the scene; the other died at an area hospital.

Driver charged in Alexandria accident that killed mother, two daughters on La. Highway 1
Town Talk staff • October 25, 2008

A Lafayette man faces three counts of negligent homicide after he veered off the side of La. Highway 1 and hit three pedestrians Friday, killing a mother and her two teenage daughters, authorities reported.

The wreck happened around 3:40 p.m. Friday on the shoulder of the southbound lanes of La. 1 near Henry Street, in front of the Louisiana Machinery Co. dealership.

The victims were identified by police as Joann Isaac, 33, and her daughters, Brittany Isaac, 15, and Nyeisha Dumars, 13, all of Alexandria. Dumars died at Rapides Regional Medical Center while the other two were dead at the scene, authorities said.
The driver of the vehicle, Justin Brouillette, 21, was also charged with failure to maintain control and driving with a suspended license, Alexandria Police reported.

Brouillette was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox south on La. 1 (North Bolton Avenue) when the vehicle went off the roadway and hit the pedestrians, police reported.

It does not appear that Brouillette intentionally hit the pedestrians, police said, and the investigation into the cause of the wreck is continuing. More charges could come as officers continue to look into what caused the wreck.

Brouillette was seriously injured when his vehicle hit a culvert after hitting the pedestrians, police said. He was reported to be hospitalized in stable condition Friday night, and although he has officially been charged, he hasn’t yet been booked into the Rapides Parish Jail.

Brouillette graduated from Marksville High School and is a former Alexandria resident, according to profile information on a personal Web page.

Southbound traffic on La. Highway 1 was closed for a few hours following the wreck as police gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses. Northbound traffic in that area was reduced to one lane for a while.

Personal belongings were scattered along the roadway and in a nearby ditch.

Some police officers investigating the wreck were visibly shaken by the scene.

An accident-reconstruction team tried to piece together what had caused Brouillette to leave the roadway, police said. The team stayed on the scene until dark and will return today for additional investigation.

Reporters Abbey Brown and David Dinsmore contributed to this report.
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Driver in fatal wreck had DWI conviction

Associated Press - October 28, 2008 5:14 PM ET

ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - The 21-year-old man accused of killing a woman and her two daughters as they walked along a highway had at least six speeding tickets and a drunk driving conviction in the three years before that accident.

Justin Paul Brouillette, of Lafayette, was booked Sunday, after he was released from a hospital. He was released on $30,500 bond - $19,000 in property and cash and $11,500 recognizance.

The charges against him are careless driving, driving after his license was suspended and three counts of negligent homicide.

The accident Friday killed 33-year-old Joann Isaac, 15-year-old Brittany Isaac, and 13-year-old Nyeisha Dumars, all of Alexandria.

Brouillette does not have a listed phone number.

The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office says he pleaded guilty to DWI when he was 18.

Police Report

Nonviolent Resistance

2008-04-05T22:16:00.020-05:00

May 7, 2008

Taylor Branch is the author, most recently, of “At Canaan’s Edge,” the third volume in his history of the modern civil rights era. This article was adapted from a speech he gave on Monday at the National Cathedral.

The Last Wish of Martin Luther King--By TAYLOR BRANCHRev. Bernice King-Memphis 040408

One Last Time.
The Op-Ed piece by Taylor Branch is placed in the midst of the posted story below on STALLED legislation to fund a special DoJ investigative section on 60's era civil rights MURDERS.

Bell Protest Closes Manhattan & Brooklyn Bridges
May 7, 2008 Brooklyn, NY
Law enforcement sources told WNBC.com that an NYPD task force and precinct officers are prepared to arrest anyone blocking traffic or snarl the evening commute.

Anyone with warrants or past records will go to jail, sources told WNBC.com, while others get a summons for disorderly conduct.

Chopper 4 was overhead as a several protesters were being arrested near the 59th St. bridge around 4:10 p.m.

Sharpton, Nicole Paultre Bell Arrested
Sharpton and Nicole Paultre Bell were both arrested in downtown Brooklyn near the Brooklyn bridge. “Somehow, someone will be held accountable for what happened to Sean,” Paultre Bell said on Tuesday. “No one’s held accountable. Sean died for no reason, and everyone walk away from it fine.”
Sharpton, shooting survivors Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman and Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre bell, lined up and peacefully put their hands behind their backs as police put plastic handcuffs on them. Sharpton and Bell were placed in a police vehicle. Arrests! Nicole,Benefield,Sharpton,Guzman & others.

Keeping America in the Dark

2008-03-06T06:06:00.008-06:00

.Sharpton response to [Germany's] Prince Frederic von Anhalt Click the Title of this post and listen to von Anhalt's statement! Week of May 15, 2008 in America the great democracy gone awry, as the president panders to the shiekhs for relief!!

Legislation to beef up investigations into unsolved murders from the civil rights era looked like it would breeze through Congress. The House passed it 422-2 this summer. Its Senate sponsors included some of the most senior Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., right, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security subcommittee speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill with Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., in Washington in this Arpil 6, 2006 file photo. Coburn is blocking legislation to beef up investigations into unsolved murders from the civil rights era

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., right, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security subcommittee speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill with Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., in Washington in this Arpil 6, 2006 file photo. Coburn is blocking legislation to beef up investigations into unsolved murders from the civil rights era

But the bill has stalled since the House vote in June. Its supporters acknowledge that prospects are slim this year with just days left on the legislative calendar. The breakdown offers a case study in how even the most popular legislation can get caught up in Washington gridlock.

"The bill should have passed a long time ago," said Rita Bender, widow of Michael Schwerner, who was killed in Mississippi in 1964 along with fellow civil rights organizers Andrew Goodman and James Chaney. "Every indication is that if it were brought to the floor and voted on there would be enough votes to pass it."

The bill is named after Emmett Till, a black teenager who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman. His killers were never convicted.[continued below-after the interrupt]

April 6 Interrupt-jl
The Last Wish of Martin Luther King
By TAYLOR BRANCH
Published: April 6, 2008
FORTY years ago on March 31, at the National Cathedral, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered what would be his last Sunday sermon, on his way back to Memphis. That same night in 1968, President Johnson shocked the world by announcing that he would not seek re-election.

I was a senior in college. My mother was visiting four nights later when all conversation suddenly hushed in a busy restaurant. A waiter whispered that Dr. King had been shot.

Civil rights, Vietnam, Dr. King, Memphis — these are historic landmarks. Even so, this year is a watershed. Because Dr. King lived only 39 years, from now on, he will be gone longer than he lived among us. Two generations have come of age since Memphis.

This does not mean that our understanding is accurate or complete. A certain amount of gloss and mythology is inevitable for great figures, whether they be George Washington chopping down a cherry tree, Honest Abe splitting a rail or Dr. King preaching a dream of equal citizenship in 1963. Far beyond that, however, we have encased Dr. King and his era in pervasive myth, false to our heritage and dangerous to our future. We have distorted our entire political culture to avoid the lessons of Martin Luther King’s era.

He warned us himself. When he came to the pulpit that Sunday 40 years ago, Dr. King adapted one of his standard sermons, “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.” From the allegory of Rip Van Winkle, he told of a man who fell asleep before 1776 and awoke 20 years later in a world filled with strange customs and clothes, a whole new vocabulary, and a mystifying preoccupation with the commoner George Washington rather than King George III.

Dr. King pleaded for his audience not to sleep through the world’s continuing cries for freedom. When the ancient Hebrews achieved miraculous liberation from Egypt, many yearned to go back. Pharaoh’s familiar lash seemed better than the covenant delivered by Moses, and so the Hebrews wandered in the wilderness. It took 40 years to recover their bearings. Dr. King has been gone 40 years now, but we still sleep under Pharaoh. It is time to wake up.

Dr. King had been in Memphis marching in support of sanitation workers. Two of them, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, had been crushed in a mechanical malfunction; city rules forbade black employees to seek shelter from rain anywhere but in the back of their compressor trucks, with the garbage. But looting had broken out from Dr. King’s march, for the first time.

When he showed up in Washington that Sunday morning, he was scarcely the toast of the United States. Headlines in Memphis called him, “Chicken à la King,” with accusations that he had run from his own fight. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat called Dr. King “one of the most menacing men in America today,” and published a wild-eyed minstrel cartoon of him aiming a huge pistol from a cloud of gun smoke, with the caption, “I’m Not Firing It — I’m Only Pulling the Trigger.”

So Dr. King stood in the pulpit a marked man, scorned and rebuked, beset with inner conflicts. Yet as always, he lifted hope from the bottom of his soul. He urged the congregation to be alive and awake to great revolutions in progress. “I say to you that our goal is freedom,” he cried, “and I believe we’re going to get there because —however much she strays from it — the goal of America is freedom!”

We face daunting precedent in history. Our nation has slept for decades under the spell of myths grounded in race. I grew up being taught that the Civil War was about federalism, not slavery. My textbooks even used a religious term, the “redeemers,” to describe politicians who restored white supremacy with Ku Klux Klan terrorism late in the 19th century. Modern Hollywood was founded on the emotional power of that myth as portrayed in “The Birth of a Nation.” Progressive forces advocated racial hierarchy with a bogus science of eugenics.

More than once, the dominant culture has turned history upside down to make itself feel comfortable. And when a civil rights movement rose from the fringe of maids and sharecroppers, making it no longer respectable to defend racial segregation, wounded voices adapted again to curse government as the agent of general calamity. We have painted Dr. King’s era as a time of aimless, unbridled license, with hippies running amok.

The watchword of political discourse has degenerated from “movement” to “spin.” In Dr. King’s era, the word “movement” grew from a personal inspiration into leaps of faith, then from shared discovery and sacrifice into upward struggle, spawning kindred movements until great hosts from Selma to the Berlin Wall literally could feel the movement of history.

Now we have “spin” instead, suggesting that there is no real direction at stake from political debate, nor any consequence except for the players in a game. Such language embraces cynicism by reducing politics to entertainment.

Democratic balance has slept for 40 years, and we face a world like Rip Van Winkle run backward. We wake up blinking at Tiger Woods, Condoleezza Rice and Barack Obama, while our government demands arbitrary rule by secrecy, conquest and dungeons. King George III seems reborn.

Please resist any partisan connotation. Our problem is far too big for that. Indeed, I think the most pressing challenge for admirers of Dr. King is to recognize our own complicity in the stifling myths about civil rights history. Battered, long-suffering allies of Dr. King discarded him as a tired moderate long before the reactionary campaign to make the word “liberal” a kiss of death for candidates across the country. Similarly, forces called radical and militant turned against liberal governments for taking so long to respond to racial injustice, then for the Vietnam War. Only a convergence of the political left and right could cause such lasting erosion for the promise of free government itself.

Many of Dr. King’s closest comrades rejected his commitment to nonviolence. The civil rights movement created waves of history so long as it remained nonviolent, then stopped. Arguably, the most powerful tool for democratic reform was the first to become passé. It vanished among intellectuals, on campuses and in the streets. To this day, almost no one asks why.

We must reclaim the full range of blessings from his movement. For Dr. King, race was in most things, but defined nothing alone. His appeal was rooted in the larger context of nonviolence. His stated purpose was always to redeem the soul of America. He put one foot in the Constitution and the other in scripture. “We will win our freedom,” he said many times, “because the heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.” To see Dr. King and his colleagues as anything less than modern founders of democracy — even as racial healers and reconcilers — is to diminish them under the spell of myth.

Dr. King said the movement would liberate not only segregated black people but also the white South. Surely this is true. You never heard of the Sun Belt when the South was segregated. The movement spread prosperity in a region previously unfit even for professional sports teams. My mayor in Atlanta during the civil rights era, Ivan Allen Jr., said that as soon as the civil rights bill was signed in 1964, we built a baseball stadium on land we didn’t own, with money we didn’t have, for a team we hadn’t found, and quickly lured the Milwaukee Braves. Miami organized a football team called the Dolphins.

The movement also de-stigmatized white Southern politics, creating two-party competition. It opened doors for the disabled, and began to lift fear from homosexuals before the modern notion of “gay” was in use. Not for 2,000 years of rabbinic Judaism had there been much thought of female rabbis, but the first ordination took place soon after the movement shed its fresh light on the meaning of equal souls. Now we think nothing of female rabbis and cantors and, yes, female Episcopal priests and bishops, with their colleagues of every background. Parents now take for granted opportunities their children inherit from the Montgomery bus boycott.

It is both right and politic for all people, including millions who are benign or indifferent toward the civil rights movement, or churlish and resentful, to see that they, too, and their heirs, stand with us on the shoulders of Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer.
Dr. King showed most profoundly that in an interdependent world, lasting power grows against the grain of violence, not with it. Both the cold war and South African apartheid ended to the strains of “We Shall Overcome,” defying all preparations for Armageddon. The civil rights movement remains a model for new democracy, sadly neglected in its own birthplace. In Iraq today, we are stuck on the Vietnam model instead. There is no more salient or neglected field of study than the relationship between power and violence.
We recoil from nonviolence at our peril. Dr. King rightly saw it at the heart of democracy. Our nation is a great cathedral of votes — votes not only for Congress and for president, but also votes on Supreme Court decisions and on countless juries. Votes govern the boards of great corporations and tiny charities alike. Visibly and invisibly, everything runs on votes. And every vote is nothing but a piece of nonviolence.

SO what should we do, now that 40 years have passed? How do we restore our political culture from spin to movement, from muddle to purpose? We must take leaps, ask questions, study nonviolence, reclaim our history.

What Dr. King prescribed in his last Sunday sermon begins with the story of Lazarus and Dives, from the 16th chapter of Luke. Told entirely from the mouth of Jesus, it is a story starring Abraham the patriarch of Judaism, set in the afterlife. There’s nothing else like it in the Bible.

Dr. King loved this parable as the text for a fabled 1949 sermon by Vernon Johns, his predecessor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery. Lazarus was a lame beggar who once pleaded unnoticed outside the sumptuous gates of a rich man called Dives. They both died, and Dives looked from torment to see Lazarus the beggar secure in the bosom of Abraham. The remainder of the parable is an argument between Abraham and Dives, calling back and forth from heaven to hell.

Dives first asked Abraham to “send Lazarus” with water to cool his burning lips. But Abraham said there was a “great chasm” fixed between them, which could never be crossed. In his sermon, Dr. Johns drew a connection between the chasm and segregation.

But according to Dr. Johns, Dives wasn’t in hell because he was rich. He wasn’t anywhere near as rich as Abraham, one of the wealthiest men in antiquity, who was there in heaven. Nor was Dives in hell because he had failed to send alms to Lazarus. He was there because he never recognized Lazarus as a fellow human being. Even faced with everlasting verdict, he spoke only with Abraham and looked past the beggar, treating him still as a servant in the third person — “send Lazarus.”

Dr. King’s sermons drew more layers of meaning from this parable. He said we must accept the suffering rich man as no ordinary, nasty sinner. When refused water for himself, he worried immediately about his five brothers. Dives asked Abraham again to send Lazarus, this time as a messenger to warn the brothers about their sin. Tell them to be nice to beggars outside the wall. Do something, please, so they don’t wind up here like me.

Dr. King said Dives was a liberal. Despite his own fate, he wanted to help others. Abraham rebuffed this request, too, telling Dives that his brothers already had ample warning in Torah law and the books of the Hebrew prophets. Still Dives persisted, saying no, Abraham, you don’t understand — if the brothers saw someone actually rise from the dead and warn them, then they would understand.

Jesus quotes Abraham saying no. If the brothers do not accept the core teaching of the Torah and the prophets, they won’t believe even a messenger risen from the dead. Dr. King said this parable from Jesus burns up differences between Judaism and Christianity. The lesson beneath any theology is that we must act toward all creation in the spirit of equal souls and equal votes. The alternative is hell, which Dr. King sometimes defined as the pain we inflict on ourselves by refusing God’s grace.

Dr. King then went back to Memphis to stand with the downtrodden workers, with the families of Echol Cole and Robert Walker. You may have seen the placards from the sanitation strike, which read “I Am a Man,” meaning not a piece of garbage to be crushed and ignored. For Dr. King, to answer was a patriotic and prophetic calling. He challenges everyone to find a Lazarus somewhere, from our teeming prisons to the bleeding earth. That quest in common becomes the spark of social movements, and is therefore the engine of hope.

END INTERUPT - [Dr. King's death was an assassination! Conspired by the government and the ruling class of that era. Malcom X-Identified the Southern White Co-conspirators in the speech the labelled the "Ballot or the Bullet" - jl]-The legislation is held up to continue the cover-up.

The legislation would authorize $10 million annually over 10 years for the Justice Department to rejuvenate its prosecutions of pre-1970 civil rights murders. It calls for another $3.5 million annually for Justice to provide grants and other help to local law enforcement agencies.

The man most responsible for obstructing the measure is Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican. Coburn says he supports the cause but feels the FBI can pursue the cases with existing resources.

A spending hawk, Coburn has put a hold on the legislation and dozens of other bills that would increase the federal budget without offsetting costs elsewhere.

"It's absolutely outrageous that one senator and one senator only appears to be blocking us from passing this piece of legislation," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Of course, Coburn alone can't stop the bill. He can only hold it up by forcing time-consuming debate and registering his opposition.

If the measure is so important, he asks, why not bring it to the floor?

So far, Senate leaders have declined to do that. The process could eat up several days and require a series of votes on procedural motions. It also could open the measure to amendments that could weaken the bill.

Senate Democrats say Coburn is blocking about 90 bills, and working around him on all of them would take months — leaving little room for other work.

Coburn's spokesman, John Hart, acknowledged that Coburn would try to amend the Emmett Till bill by cutting its cost. But if his efforts failed, Hart said, Coburn would simply vote against the bill and let it go.

Hart said no one — including the bill's Senate sponsor, Chris Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat who is running for president — has personally approached Coburn about a compromise for floor debate.

"It doesn't make sense for the majority leader to blame a freshman Republican for scheduling problems," Hart said. "(Coburn's) intent is not to tie up the Senate for days on this."

Democrats dismissed the suggestion that they haven't made the bill a priority. Dodd's office insisted that he tried to bring it up three times, only to be thwarted by Coburn.

Dodd's spokeswoman, Justine Sessions, said the bill is "critically important" to the senator and he will "hit the ground running" to pass it early next year if it doesn't pass before Congress adjourns this month.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Jacked Up
| April 23, 2009 |
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Credit Card

Noose Displays must Go!!

2008-02-13T18:59:00.004-06:00

Feb 12, 4:53 PM EST
Bush calls noose displays 'deeply offensive

By DEB RIECHMANN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Tuesday that recent displays of nooses are disturbing and indicate that some Americans may be losing sight of the suffering that blacks have endured across the nation.

"The era of rampant lynching is a shameful chapter in American history," Bush said at a black history month event at the White House, which began with serious comments about prejudice and ended with music performed by The Temptations.

"The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice," the president said. "Displaying one is not a harmless prank. Lynching is not a word to be mentioned in jest."

As a civil society, Americans should agree that noose displays and lynching jokes are "deeply offensive," Bush said.

"They are wrong," the president said, referring to such displays and jokes. "And they have no place in America today."

For decades, the noose was a symbolic part of a campaign of violence, fear and intimidation against blacks, the president said. Sometimes, he added, it was orchestrated by the law enforcement officers charged with protecting them. Bush also said the noose was a tool for intimidation and killing that conveyed a sense of powerlessness to millions of blacks throughout the country.

"Fathers were dragged from their homes in the dark of night before the eyes of their terrified children," he said. "Summary executions were held by torchlight in front of hateful crowds. In many cases, law enforcement officers responsible for protecting the victims were complicit in their deaths."

The Justice Department says it is actively investigating a number of noose incidents at schools, work places and neighborhoods around the country.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who was at the White House, said he was pleased that Bush addressed the issue.

Sharpton helped organize a massive rally in September in Jena, La., to protest what marchers believed to be the unfair treatment of six black students charged with beating a white student at Jena High School. The beating came months after three other white students were suspended, but not criminally charged, for hanging nooses in a tree at the school.

"I am encouraged that the president addressed the issue that caused me to bring 30,000 marchers to Jena, Louisiana, in September and 50,000 marchers in front of the U.S. Department of Justice on November 16th," Sharpton said. He said he hoped the president has discussed specific legislation to address the rising tide of hate crimes and increasing displays of nooses.

The FBI reported in November that hate-crime incidents in the United States rose in 2006 by nearly 8 percent. Police across the nation reported 7,722 criminal incidents in 2006 targeting victims or property as a result of bias against a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin or physical or mental disability. That was up 7.8 percent from the 7,163 incidents reported in 2005.

At the event, Bush honored Rep. John Lewis, the Georgia Democrat who was a leader of the civil rights movement and organized freedom rides, sit-ins and voter registration drives; and William Coleman, the first black American to be a clerk on the U.S. Supreme Court and who served as President Ford's transportation secretary. Coleman thus was the first black to hold a Cabinet post in a Republican administration.

Bush also recognized Ernest Green, one of the nine black students in Little Rock, Ark., who were escorted into the city's all-white Central High School following the historic Brown vs. Board of Education of the mid 1950s, and Otis Williams, a leader of the "The Temptations."

After the president's remarks, his podium was replaced with five microphones and the members of the group, sporting gray suits trimmed in black, got the packed East Room clapping in time to their music. By the end of the eighth tune, "My Girl," the group had the audience standing and singing along.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Make Up Your Mind:Where will you be January 21, 2008

2008-01-03T05:36:00.000-06:00

"We have found no security or justice:we must speak to Hagar's children!"
January 6, 2008 1400 hours

Barker Parents denounce Barrett! Jena will become Ground Zero for HATE!!!

1524 hours January 6 2008

Jan 5, 6:59 PM EST
Another telephone conference scheduled Monday

JENA, La. (AP) -- There is no settlement between Jena and a white separatist group that wants to march through town on Martin Luther King Day, but another conference is scheduled Monday, attorneys say.

Richard Barrett, an attorney for the Nationalist Movement, Walter E. Dorroh Jr., who represents the town, and U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell conferred by telephone on Friday.

"The settlement talks did not work out. And there is a settlement conference on Monday that covers several issues," Dorroh said Saturday evening.

He did not comment on Barrett's statement that town attorneys asked to have the case postponed from 1:30 p.m. Tuesday the following Tuesday - six days before the Monday holiday.

"We don't want a continuance, but as a courtesy when one side asks for a continuance, the judge will usually give it to them and the other side goes along with it," Barrett said Friday.

The Nationalists plan a "Jena Justice Day" rally in response to the thousands who rallied Sept. 20, supporting six black teens who have become known as the "Jena Six," who were initially charged with attempted murder of a white student who was attacked at Jena High. All charges have since been reduced to aggravated second-degree battery or second-degree battery.

The Nationalists want rulings that the town cannot impose a $10,000 bond, ask them not to bring firearms, change the parade route by one block, or require a "hold-harmless" clause exempting the town from liability.

The Nationalists say those rules governing public demonstrations are invalid and unconstitutionally over-broad.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Jena event may occur as planned
Louisiana Gannett News

A favorable ruling by a federal judge could mean the Nationalist Movement can hold its "Jena Justice Day" rally and march without the town of Jena's proposed revisions, attorneys say.
The Nationalist Movement, a group that describes itself as "pro-majority" but is widely reported to be a white supremacy organization, will be in Alexandria's federal court on Tuesday along with representatives from the town of Jena for a hearing regarding a temporary restraining order.

The Nationalists allege the town's ordinance requiring a $10,000 bond along with the parade route change and ban on firearms are unconstitutional.

"I don't believe in having a price tag for constitutional rights," said Gregory Aymond, the local attorney for the group based out of Learned, Miss.
Aymond, who has admitted past membership in the Ku Klux Klan, said he doesn't share the Nationalists' racial views but does support their rights of freedom of assembly, speech and expression and their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms.

Richard Barrett, an attorney and member of the Nationalist Movement, said Aymond's past had nothing to do with his selection as the group's attorney. Barrett said he called more than a dozen attorneys seeking local counsel but that all were unwilling to "become involved in the controversy."

A few of the attorneys recommended Aymond, he said, saying he was an "eclectic" person.

The proposed rally
"Jena Justice Day" is planned for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 21, partly to protest celebration of the civil rights leader's birthday, Barrett said, and also in response to the thousands who rallied in Jena on Sept. 20 in support of the "Jena Six."
The town's ordinance requiring proof of a $10,000 bond for possible damage is the main problem for Aymond, said Barrett.

The two attorneys said they tried to get a bond from several bonding agents but were refused.

"Whether or not we agree with the Nationalist Movement's statements or not, we do agree with their right to express (those views) and say them publicly," Aymond said.

'Willful and reckless conduct'
"I'm surprised that the town and the mayor have not dropped their objections (to the event) because the law is so clear, and the expense for the town and the mayor are potentially considerable," Aymond said.
In the past, the group has sought only court costs and attorney's fees, but in this case the Nationalists may seek additional relief in the form of punitive damages, Barrett said.

"When you are dealing with settled law, law in effect for over 15 years, that could be considered willful and reckless conduct by the town and the mayor," Barrett said, speaking of the town sticking to its ordinance.

Barrett has been down this road before and won, he said. He fought similar cases against Morris County, N.J., and York, Pa., and York currently is paying the organization about $100,000, Barrett said.

If the judge rules in Barrett's favor, the event will go on as planned, he said.

And if the ruling goes another way or is delayed with an appeal, the rally at the courthouse will go on without question, as the only issues in question are the bond required for the parade, the parade route itself and banning firearms, Barrett said.

Walter Dorroh, attorney for Jena Mayor Murphy McMillin and the town, declined to say much about the case pending the hearing.

"We're going to comply with the law," he said.
gssc
Jena will become Ground Zero for HATE!!!

Sharpton Leads Protest in Shooting Case
Barker Parents denounce Barrett!
The Real Nationalist Deal: Government sponsored terrorism!!-Barrett wants approval from the courts to bring firearms!!

Louisiana Statewide Civil Rights Conference & Forum:NE La. Symposium planned

2007-12-25T08:10:00.001-06:00

Louisiana Statewide Civil Rights Conference & Forum
Bishop J L George
Founder
-------------
Khalid al-Sharif
special assisting liaison
one.louisianajustice@1lajustice.net

The Louisiana Statewide Civil Rights Conference & Forum met in October of 2007 at Bethel AME Church in Alexandria, Louisiana. This is a report of its findings as to the status of the civil rights apparatus in the state of Louisiana.
1.) - There is not a continuity of involvement from all areas of organized
entitites.

Solute: Advocacy Training.

2.) - The legal community is very slow in accepting certain prima fasci cases
involving the government of the state, where breeches of the law are
evident.

Solute: Self-supported Civil Law Suits filed by the victims of family
of person so victimized.

3.) - The appearances are such that, it may be that the judiciary, the prose-
cution & the defense are basicly colluded in the mass imprisonment of
all parties, across racial lines, and gender; but specifically so amongst
black males & black male youth categorically! A genocide is in place.

Solute: Civil Suits against known party(s). State Legislative hearings.

4.) - The federal government, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the State
Police of Louisiana, the Louisiana Supreme Court et al; have abandoned
the poor to fend for themselves in a untra-conservative, neocon eviron-
ment of fascist, nazi-ist white supremacist controlled society. Case
in point the McZeal-noose incident in Ruston, Louisiana; where the
government flipped the accusation against the victim-McZeal, in which
the FBI accused McZeal of planting the Noose in his locker himself. The
FBI agents in charge were out of Monroe. Mr. McZeal, along with his
mother & others turned himself in, in late November to be charged with
theft over 500 dollars: in which such, he was given at the early Novem-
ber interrogation the opportunity to confess, that he planted the noose
in his work locker himself.

Solute: Congressional Investigations

*WHO THEN NOW WOULD WANT TO TALK WITH FBI ABOUT ANY CONCERN OF A PERSON ABOUT HATE CRIMES, IF; YOU ARE A BLACK MALE!!

5.)- The Louisiana State Penal System is a serious problem that must be
addressed immediately. Inmates are being beaten, left to die in the
case of Lawrence Cole of Calcasieu parish;- in the case of Greg
"Lil Greg" Wilkins in North-central Louisiana was, now sick from
food poisoning that led to seizures. Lawrence Cole died of seizures,
that culminated
in an aneursym, that killed him! The incident occurred January 27th 2007,
in Calcasieu Parish Prison.
*Michael Jarvis Cobb remains in Angola State Penitentiary.

Solute: State Legislative Hearings in to the Penal System.

6.)- Lekeithen Shondell Harris of Glenmora represents the quintessential
problem with the so-called criminal justice system. In 2004 an attorney
"entered into an alledged stipulation with the prosecution in this case,
and the alledged stipulation apparently had the affect of waiving some
his rights, as provided for in the code of criminal procedure and/or the
criminal code itself, . . ..."
This deceitful act is in play all over the state of Louisiana. The
Louisiana Supreme Court, evidently is aware of it. The Office of
Disciplinary Counsel is the entity to curtail such actions.

This defect was in the Mychal Bell Case, in the 28th Judicial District
is possibly ongoing in the Michael Newton Jr., case of Coushatta and was
apparently practiced in the Michael Jarvis Cobb case of Pointe
Coupee's 18th Judicial District.

Solute:- Legislative Hearings pursued by the Louisiana Legislative
Black Caucus, Katrina Jackson - Executive Director; State
Legislator Juan LaFonta - Chairman
*A bill sponsored by a legislator in the Governor-elects upcoming
Special Session on Ethics.

7.)- Statewide will pursue a new cabinet level position enacted in to law, to
specificly handle Judicial Oversight from the Executive Branch. In parti-
cular, Ville Platte, Louisiana has received the purview of the US
Attorney. News accounts relate that, DoJ's CRS, will become involved.
1LaJustice is in Ville Platte, with the Laurence Wilson sentencing on
8 (eight) rapes for 35 years. A Pastor's son was shot in the face,
murdered; as the assailant pleaded down to 25 years. The Pastor's
sons murder is black on black. The 8 rape case in black on white and
decades old.

*The disparity is such that no one can deny the absolute. The Jena
situation continues with the arrest of juvenile Justin Purvis, the
boy who originally asked the question of sitting under the tree.
A 9 (nine) year old boy was brow beat, to the point of mentioning
Justin Purvis' name. There is a connect to the Jena Six
Travesty.

*This is the* December 30th final Draft of the findings of the Louisiana Statewide Civil Rights Conference & Forum - Bishop J L George Founder -&- Khalid al-Sharif special assisting liaison for global affairs & Deputy Adjutant of One Louisiana Justice.

------------------->Desperate determination------->

Queriza Lewis Convicted as Habitual Offender in Crack Case in the infamously unjust Louisiana Courts! In addition, threats have been made against his life in the notorious Angola State Penitentiary. Mr. Lewis's Mother & family are extremely aware of the disparities in the judicial process, as is the family of Michael Cobb of New Roads & the family of Michael Newton, Jr., of Coushatta. The Spears family of Bunkie, Louisiana are also aware of the desparities of the so-called, "Justice System". All of these individuals & families are held captive by a corrupt process.

-Determination-

CRACK VS. POWDER COCAINE ANALYZED:Disparity central
By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press Writer
Tue Dec 25, 2:33 AM ET

BOSTON - During some of the bloodiest years of the drug wars of the 1980s, crack was seen as far more dangerous than powdered cocaine, and that perception was written into the sentencing laws. But now that notion is under attack like never before.

Criminologists, doctors and other experts say the differences between the two forms of the drug were largely exaggerated and do not justify the way the law comes down 100 times harder on crack.

A push to shrink the disparity in punishments got a boost last month when reduced federal sentencing guidelines went into effect for crack offenses. Then, earlier this month, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which sets guidelines for federal cases, voted to make the reductions retroactive, allowing some 19,500 inmates, mostly black, to seek reductions in their crack sentences.

Many think the changes are long overdue.

Crack, because it is smoked and gets into the bloodstream faster than snorted cocaine, produces a more intense high and is generally considered more addictive than powdered cocaine.

But experts say that difference does not warrant the 100-to-1 disparity that was written into a 1986 law that set a mandatory minimum prison term of five years for trafficking in 5 grams of crack, or less than the amount in two packets of sugar. It would take 100 times as much cocaine to get the same sentence.

"There's no scientific justification to support the current laws," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Many defense lawyers and civil rights advocates say the lopsided perception of crack versus cocaine is rooted in racism. Four out of every five crack defendants are black, while most powdered-cocaine defendants are white.

While powdered cocaine became the drug of choice for middle- and upper-income Americans in the 1970s, crack emerged in the early 1980s as a much cheaper version of the same drug.

In the mid-1980s, powdered cocaine was typically sold by the half-gram or gram for $50 to $100, while crack was sold as small rocks that cost as little as $5 to $10. Crack became popular in poor, largely minority urban areas, and it developed an image as a drug used mostly by violent, inner-city youths.

"You had politicians manipulating fear, and instead of being seen as a more direct mode of ingestion of a very old drug, it became a demonic new substance," said Craig Reinarman, a sociology and legal-studies professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz who edited the 1997 book "Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice" about the rise of crack in the 1980s.

When crack first became popular, there was an increase in murders and other crimes associated with the drug. But the bloodshed was not necessarily the result of something inherent in crack.

Instead, most of that violence was typical for what happens when any illegal drug is introduced and drug dealers with guns compete for new markets, said Dr. Alfred Blumstein, a professor of urban systems and operations research at Carnegie-Mellon University.

Although there was already a great deal of concern about crack by 1986, the death of basketball star Len Bias in June of that year is seen as the pivotal event that spurred Congress to enact the much tougher sentences for crack offenses.

Bias was a star at the University of Maryland and had just been drafted by the Boston Celtics when he died. Initial news reports incorrectly said Bias died after using crack. It wasn't until months later that one of Bias' teammates testified that he had actually snorted cocaine the night be died.

By that time, the harsh penalties for crack crimes had already been passed by Congress, with a push from House Speaker Tip O'Neill of Massachusetts, whose Celtic-fan constituents were up in arms about Bias' death.

"Len Bias' death symbolized just how terrible this drug was," said Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project, a criminal justice research and advocacy group based in Washington. "Here you had this promising young man on the verge of a very great basketball career and his life is taken away by the evils of crack cocaine."

The crack scare was also fueled by medical professionals who worried that pregnant women who used the drug would give birth to a generation of babies with severe neurological damage. But the "crack babies" theory has been largely debunked.

Dr. Harolyn Belcher, an associate professor of pediatrics at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, said there is no evidence that crack is biologically more harmful than powdered cocaine to the fetus or developing child.

"If I had a well-to-do family whose wife was at home snorting coke versus someone who is a mother who is out on the street using crack, the babies would look very similar," Belcher said.

Belcher said children who were exposed to crack or powdered cocaine in the uterus may be at slightly higher risks for language delays and attention deficits, but she said recent studies have shown that alcohol is far more devastating to the fetus.

John Steer, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, said the commission first said in 1995 that the disparate punishments for crack and powdered cocaine defendants were not justified.

"The bottom-line conclusion is that for punishment purposes, they should be treated much more similarly than they are now. That's based upon the fact that in the real world, they are not as different overall as was initially thought," Steer said.

The reductions in the recommended sentences for crack offenses went into effect Nov. 1, but the guidelines do not affect the minimum mandatory sentences, which only Congress can change. House Judiciary pdf/file on the "state of the American Democratic Republic"ng/jl

;submitted on behalf of the AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION to the SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND CIVIL LIBERTIES COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY of the U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES on the hearing on “OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE LEGACY OF THE TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE” DECEMBER 18, 2007Gulf South Systems, Louisiana Justice Foundation, One Louisiana Justice

Resist the Power??

2007-11-03T20:30:00.000-05:00

>Resistance Dec. 3rd 2007 Houston area

Tanya "Little Feather" Smith held captive by Clem.
This travesty in Bastrop, Louisiana leaves a woman charged with murder in the death of two municipal police officers. Tonya Smith was held captive, by the murderer, Clem. What Supremacist, doesn't want to subjugate its captives?

The real crime, is the continued destruction of our children by this government. The government is destroying black children, every which way. Juvenile Court. Leap Test. Stadium Pimps. Unreasonable thoughts of equality, thoughts of the races not at odds. Poor innocent children caught up in a web of adult deceit. Vendetta-ism by the elitist ruling class. What will Bobby do! More of the Same, only a different player.

Remember, this government is killing Our Kids!
irml

Changes recommended in LEAP tests for eighth graders

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Local Louisiana educators have recommended that eighth-graders who fail a key standardized test should get new options for advancing to the ninth grade.

The Parish Superintendents’ Advisory Council, which advises the state’s top school board, approved on Thursday the idea that was first recommended by state education officials. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education could make a final decision on the issue in early December. Changes would take effect with tests given in the spring.

The exam, the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, is designed to ensure that fourth- and eighth-graders master basic skills in math and English before they are promoted to the fifth and ninth grades.

Under the state plan, eighth graders who fail the test in the spring, attend summer school and fail again would have additional ways to advance to the next grade, through a new appeals process. The change would not affect fourth graders.

Critics say the proposed change would water down state education standards.

To advance to the ninth grade, eighth-graders are supposed to pass the test in the spring or summer, and meet other course requirements.

But new passage rules are needed in part because too many overage eighth-graders remain in middle school because they flunk the test, said Scott Norton, assistant state superintendent for student and school performance.

LEAP results fall into five categories: advanced, mastery, basic, approaching basic and unsatisfactory.

Students are supposed to achieve at least basic in math or English and approaching basic in the other for promotion.

Under one proposed option, students who achieve basic in one subject and fall within 20 points of the cutoff for approaching basic, and meet other rules, would be eligible for promotion.

Students who score basic in math would normally have to earn a score of at least 269 out of a possible score of 500 in English to achieve the state standard for approaching basic. The new option would allow them to win promotion with a score of basic in math and 249 out of 500 in English, or 20 points less than the current cutoff.

Nearly 25 percent of eighth-graders failed LEAP earlier this year.

The proposed LEAP change next faces review on Nov. 28 by another panel of educators that advises the state school board.
irml

WASHINGTON - The State Department promised Blackwater USA bodyguards immunity from prosecution in its investigation of last month's deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians, The Associated Press has learned
The immunity deal has delayed a criminal inquiry into the Sept. 16 killings and could undermine any effort to prosecute security contractors for their role in the incident that has infuriated the Iraqi government.
"Once you give immunity, you can't take it away," said a senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.
The Race Baiting Immigration Executives!

The White Tree, White Supremacy & Black Power

The tree is uprooted. White Supremacy lives on. Black Power is a Myth. If there was really black power as in the New Black Panther Party, Rev. Brian Moran wouldn't have had the altercation in Jena in the first place. The movement of Huey P. Newton & Eldridge Cleaver was about the right to bear arms. Why would a 25 year old negro preacher in 2007 have to carry some sort of weapon to fend of the attacks of a white-man kicking rocks at his Cadillac? If Black Power was real, this man would have been secured in his person by those who are professionals. Instead, he was left alone, to walk alone; as the parents of the 6 met at the church he Pastor's.

All the while, the white supremacist, who the Jena Times insisted didn't exist, during the time Rev. Raymond Brown, spoke vehemently against the element. The paper and its co-conspirators, cringed at the thought of Brown taking an offering & getting a pizza, before returning three hours south to New Orleans.

But that was before the real rape began, by white folk, lawyers and organizations. Organizations like Color of Change taking up over $200,000.oo and at one point at the suggestion of King Downing; splitting the Jena Six Defense Fund between the parents for their individual use. That was before the alledged Mos Def donation & the now infamous David Bowie donation, both of which no one knows what happened to them. And please let us not forget, Tory Pegram & ACLU, Friends of Justice & Alan Bean; both of whom in their own way help to corrupt the original idea of the "Jena Six Parents" - Jena Six Defense Committee Fund. And please, let us not forget the guy from Monroe, taking up presumably bond money, when there was no bond in the picture on Sept 20: all the while right up under the courthouse low-shadow. But that's 14th St., mentality for you in 2007. They say, it went to the lawyers. When is enough, ever enough!

And please, please let's not forget the infamously outrageous tree, that has been cut down, & now the stomp-root is being sold by the peice. [What's a brother to do] And please, let us not forget the 6, and the seventh; and Mychal Bell; locked down illegally in a probation violation, with completely new charges, eased in to edit the situation to the advantage of the ??supremacist? Who, didn't exist!! Or so the Jena Times, wanted us to believe.

And now, the tree! Was it ever the Tree! No! It was the Nooses on the tree. Many trees over the years have seen much strange fruit dangling from the proverbial poplar. So, the Uprooting of the tree in Jena; leaves the tree a battle in the mind! So, this battle is spiritual. Didn't you know it; ALL THE WHILE!! WHITE FOLKS BURNING CROSSES IN THE WOODS. Come on people wake up. I don't care how much black you wear, how much marching is done, how much talking and screaming & hollering is done!

WE must go back to a cotton field work; and work a spiritual work on this enemy that no devil can resist. We moaned & prayed out of the cotton field. We must work the Psalms, go in instant & constant prayer,until there is a spiritual battle so strong that torndaoes and Hurricanes pop-up in the right places at the right times, out of nowhere! After all Mychal Bell is still in Jail!! Who is next! You!!! Will some white guy kick rocks at you, in Jackson Tennessee tomorrow. Why wait. Let's do the Spiritual Work, workers!! Over & out.The Race Baiting Immigration Executives!

The Move is On! Stop Wrongful Convictions.

2007-08-12T06:08:00.000-05:00

9-9-2007 3pm JENA
Jackson Says Tug of WAR

The Process by which MISUSE is done!

Local Media begins its new PLOY!
>The Monroe Report!!
Why you want to PLAY us, so bad.
Governor Speaks-out with the Proverbial! Rhetoric!!!!

Post-conviction Bond denied. 24August2007
Judge J. P. Mauffray denied Mychal Bell a post-conviction bond on Friday in 28th Judicial court. Twisted Judgement not Justice at All!!!

Get prepared for the untold story of 50 YEARS of un-solved murders & disappearances in LaSalle Parish!! UNEQUAL JUSTICE RAMPANT IN LaSalle Parish.
Governor Speaks-out with the Proverbial! Rhetoric!!!! Stop the Democratic Party's persecution of BLACK CHILDREN!! The governor may not be running, but her political war chest will support a democratic candidate. Vote 'em Out, if no official of this government will intervene, vote them all out.

[original-12 August 2007-post]
When Martin Luther King, III comes to Jena on Tuesday, it will mark a new day in the annals of Louisiana History. Never in my life, and in the life of some seniors older than I, has this much high-profile civil rights figures visited our area of the state.

Yes, the Nation and the world is watching, but we should be watching our selves. How we are conducting our selves matters the most. While talking to an Islamic brother, I reminded him of how the Sisters in the Church of God and Christ & the Nation of Islam wore their white garb, and we as a people walked with a certain dignity; of which dignity must return, and as it appears, presently is occurring in the immediate term, right now.

Since, the coming of the rights' persons, we've had to reach out for help to secure the persons of these individuals, so much so that the Ministers of the Nation of Islam of our cities in this state have provided unprecedented support for this move of God. While the opposition has mounted attack after attack, the Nation of Islam has been there for the "One" who "sees" the threat and knows the oppositions tactics.

It all came to the head the other day, when we began to recieve calls form a 203 area code, in a threatening manner. On Thursday night and Friday morning, individuals were contacted, by a now unknown figure, who proceeded, firstly to attack the Louisiana NAACP State Conference President Dr. Ernest Johnson, Sr., of which verbal attack was immediately shutdown and denounced by the One who sees. However, on Friday morning two others reported similar contact via the telephone from the same 203 area code. At which point the authorities were contacted.

In the meanwhile, the announcement was made over KAYT from Rev. B. J. Moran, the pastor of Antioch Baptist Church. This announcement was unknowingly a slap in the face of the purveyors of the dis-information & veiled threats.

It did not work!

It took from mid-morning Friday, August 10th; to late evening [the US Gov't was briefed at 2245 hours as the person in charge landed in an adjacent state regional airport] to get the situation handled. So much so; that the level of threat enhanced to a statement of a "KLAN Party" in Jena, Louisiana to plan for the Klan's next move, whether a rally or a materials hand-out function in one the area's gathering places.

Governor Speaks with the Proverbial!! Rhetoric! [j.leSeiur] read below

Sharpton, M.L. King III to speak in Jena Tuesday
By Abbey Brown
abrown@thetowntalk.com
(318) 487-6387

Another national civil rights leader will be coming to Jena to lend his voice in support of the "Jena Six" -- Martin Luther King III.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, King, son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., and the Rev. Al Sharpton will be preaching at Antioch Baptist Church, the church's minister, the Rev. B.L. Moran, said Friday evening. After the service, King and Sharpton will facilitate a Town Hall meeting that Moran hopes will help bring the community "unity, peace and strength."

Sharpton traveled to Jena last week, and Sunday he spoke at Trout Creek Baptist Church to a standing-room-only crowd. He also was able to meet with still-incarcerated Mychal Bell, 17, the first of the six black students who have become known as the Jena Six to face trial. Sharpton met with the other defendants -- Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis, Theo Shaw and an unnamed juvenile -- and their families as well.

The Jena Six were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit attempted murder after a Dec. 4 incident at Jena High School that left white student Justin Barker unconscious. Barker was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and was released about three hours later.
LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters reduced Bell's charges to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery just before his jury trial in June. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 20 and faces as many as 22½ years' imprisonment.

Bell fired his public defender, Alexandria attorney Blane Williams, and has a team of defense attorneys from Monroe working on his appeal pro-bono -- Louis Scott, Bob Noel, Lee Perkins, Peggy Sullivan and Carol Powell-Lexing, Noel said. The attorneys are all members of the 4th Judicial District Indigent Defenders Board.

Although Bell's case and coverage of the Jena Six have captured headlines and airtime across the world in both alternative and mainstream media, Noel has said he hopes all that has no effect on Bell's case -- positive or negative. He wants the outcome to be based "solely upon the law as it applies to this case."

Governor responds to questions from The Town Talk

A number of petitions have been circulating on the Internet, many addressed to Gov. Kathleen Blanco. She issued a statement explaining why she hasn't, and won't, be able to intervene with the case, as she has been requested to do.
"I have received hundreds of calls, letters and e-mails from citizens concerned about the situation involving the case of the high school students in Jena, La.," Blanco said in the statement. "As Governor, as a citizen of the State of Louisiana and as a mother, without rushing to judgment, I condemn racism in any form, and I fully expect that those involved in this case, including all parties, will act with fairness and in complete good faith.

"I must clear up a widespread misunderstanding of my authority in this case. Our State Constitution provides for three Branches of State Government -- legislative, executive and judicial -- and the Constitution prohibits anyone in one branch from exercising the powers of anyone in another branch. This issue is currently a matter in the Judicial System, and should those involved in this case suffer any defects, it is their right to address them in that system through the appeals court."

Blanco went on to say that oversight with the entire case -- from arrest to prosecution -- is in the hands of the justice system, and she has contacted Attorney General Charles Foti and Donald Washington, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. She said Foti has been speaking with Washington and other members of the justice system about the case as well.

"... Regardless of the outcome of this case, the Jena community has much healing ahead of it, and I urge all those citizens to come together for the common good of their community and their state," Blanco said. "Our children deserve nothing less."

Governor Speaks-out with the Proverbial! Rhetoric!!!!Twisted Judgement not Justice at All

The Saga Continues

2007-08-01T13:06:00.000-05:00

What was said in Jena on Tuesday

"I would like to thank everyone that has come from far and near in support of our kids, because at the end of the day we are just crying for justice for our kids."

Tina Jones, of Jena, mother of "Jena Six" defendant Bryant Purvis

"Our unity is more powerful than an atomic bomb, and we can accomplish much more together than we can divided."

Rev. Lawrence Muhammad, of Monroe, representing the Nation of Islam
"Nobody has made the sacrifices that these young men who are going through this and their families who are going through this have. Because of that, we recognize that the families are number one and primary. We take their direction. They tell us what they need, and we do it."

King Downing, of New York, National Coordinator for the American Civil Liberties Union's Campaign Against Racial Profiling

"We can be loud. We can make some noise, but we also want to do this in a positive manner."

Caseptla Bailey, of Jena, mother of "Jena Six" defendant Robert Bailey Jr.

"When things happen like that, children will fuss and fight, but they will come back and grow up and meet each other and play again. But when adults come with hearts of hatred, it will bring this, and this is where we are now. I just think the only way it will come out is when we come and reason with each other and really look at the whole thing. Without cooperation and without sitting and talking to each other, nothing will be solved."

Janice Finister, of Jonesville

"They cut down the tree, but they can't cut down the push for justice. And they have tried to cut down the 'Jena Six' the same way they cut down that tree, because that's how they think they are going to stop this problem, but they're not."

King Downing, of New York, National Coordinator for the American Civil Liberties Union's Campaign Against Racial Profiling

"I'm disturbed really of what's going on in the school system in this parish. The things that's going on, the racial spur that's going on in Jena, LaSalle Parish, I'm really disturbed by it. I have some grandkids in the school system, it hurts me, it really hurts me."

Rev. Curtis Gardner, of Jena

"Work from your heart. Do not lose your sincerity. Do not let the cameras and the flashing lights and the microphone take you away from that which we have to focus on. We have to focus on freedom for these political prisoners here in the racist town of Jena, Louisiana."

Rev. Deric Muhammad, of Houston, representing the Nation of Islam

"This is another legalized lynching that they are trying to attempt on our brothers, but we're not going to stand for it. We're fired up, we're not going to take it anymore."

Krystal Muhammad, of New Orleans, representing the New Black Panther Party

"Where there is no justice there cannot be any be peace. The problem is not with the tree. The problem is not with the noose that was placed on the tree. The problem is with the mind-set of the racist society."

Rev. Rasheed Muhammad, of Baton Rouge, representing the Nation of Islam

"When I first came (to Jena) in January I went around the courthouse, and I could already see all you all standing out on the lawn. In fact, I just didn't' see ya'll, I saw about four times as many people standing out here, 1,000 people covering the entire lawn. And that's what we're going to have to do if we are going to bring justice to this situation."

Rev. Alan Bean, of Arlington, Texas, and founder of Friends of Justice

"God, we need you to bless this place. God, we need you to bless this day ... that we will remember all the other days that are yet to come, that pass where we are going to have to assemble ourselves again and speak of justice and speak of truth and speak of righteousness. I can hear Dr. (Martin Luther) King saying, 'We've got some difficult days ahead.'"

Rev. J.L. George of Sicily Island

I didn't get an answer out of jena6fan. How about you, ty? What do you think would be justice in this case? How would YOU handle it.

Posted by: observer on Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:07 pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<>

Isn't that what the LaSalle Parish School Board said about those "lasso pranksters"?? Aww...they're just kids....let's send them home for three days instead of expelling them.

What kind of message does THAT send? It certainly doesn't scream impartiality to me. It says, "What's the big deal? THEY WAS LASSOS!"

I know...I know...NO ONE WAS HURT. And...HURT FEELINGS DON'T COUNT."

But they DO matter. And the threat DOES count....to anyone with half a conscience and a respect for all of humanity.

Posted by: tyjemison on Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:23 am

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If people would teach their children to love and respect their elder or their friends and punish them when they do bad things this situation wouldn't have taken place!
Thats correct sir.ALL children.
But in reality,We know thats not the case.

Posted by: jena6fan on Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:19 am

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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:59 am Post subject:

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Quoting Martin Luther King? I think he would probably be more disturbed than anyone about this case and not for the reasons they are enumerating. King advocated judging people by the content of their character. He advocated nonviolence. Unfortunately character has not been an issue in this case. I think it would be better for these demonstrators if they left God and Martin Luther King out of it. I don't think either one of them would want to be here.

I didnt read anything about the Justin barker fight in that post.

Posted by: jena6fan on Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:16 am

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I wish that also for the people of JENA.Situations like that are never good.My heart go out to them.God fearing people shouldnt have to suffer for the sin's of others.But then Jesus suffered also for the sins of man.his glorious appearance is close at hand.Then there will be peace.The devil's advocates will be dealing with their real judge that day.

Posted by: jena6fan on Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:13 am

Hundreds in Jena protest conviction of Michael Bell
Associated Press

JENA — Hundreds of people gathered in this little central Louisiana town on Tuesday to protest the conviction on one black student and the indictments of five others in an attack on a white schoolmate.
About 300 people spent an hour Monday morning listening to speakers from a number of organizations, then marched around town in support of the group that has become know as the "Jena Six."

Six young black men were charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit attempted second-degree murder after a white student, Justin Barker, was beaten and knocked unconscious at school.

Last month, Mychal Bell was found guilty of second-degree aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit second-degree aggravated battery after the charges were reduced. Bell is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 20 and could get up to 22 years in prison. A group of Monroe, La., lawyers have taken on his appeal, however.
The other five defendants are Theo Shaw, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis and an unnamed juvenile. They are still facing the more serious charges.

Members of Tuesday's protest also presented an almost two-foot high stack of signatures on petitions asking Gov. Kathleen Blanco to intervene in the case and accusing district attorney Reed Walters of not pursuing the case impartially.

"Five or six family members and members of the community presented the petitions to an assistant district attorney," said James Rucker, executive director of colorofchange.org, which spearheaded the petition drive. Rucker said more than 45,000 signatures were collected. [irml]

The Rev. Al Sharpton to speak in Jena
Louisiana Gannett News

The Rev. Al Sharpton will speak at Trout Creek Baptist Church, 12680 U.S. Highway 84 West, in Jena at 11 a.m. Sunday, his office confirmed today.

He is expected to make other appearances while in Jena.

There had been a rumor that Sharpton might show up at Tuesday’s rally in Jena on behalf of the "Jena Six" defendants, but he was not there.

The Rev. Raymond Brown, New Orleans chapter chairman of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, has said he feels there has not been justice in the case of the Jena Six.

Brown has said his group would continue to persevere until the charges against the defendants are either dropped or downgraded to misdemeanors.

The Jena Six case has stirred racial tensions in Jena. The defendants, who are black, were charged in connection with a Dec. 4 attack at Jena High School. They are accused of beating white student Justin Barker.

The Jena Six are Robert Bailey Jr., Mychal Bell, Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis, Theo Shaw and an unnamed juvenile. All were charged with attempted murder in the case.

Bell was convicted in June of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit that crime. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20. Bell could face 22 years in prison.

A rally for the Jena Six on Tuesday at the LaSalle Parish Courthouse drew about 300 residents.

The "Jena Six" saga:We've only begun to Fight!

2007-07-06T03:18:00.000-05:00

16 Jul '07-0930 cst
.Mychal Bell is Lawyered Up! Attorney Louis G. Scott of Monroe,La., has put together a Legal team!
In the words of Dr. King; "We're on the Move Now", but "There's some difficult days ahead."jl
Apartheid Museum Nooses in Johannesburg in 2001
Jena Six Defense Committee
P.O. Box 2798
Jena, Louisiana 71342
jena6defense@gmail.com

This is the address to send money to help with the cost of attorneys fees for the Jena Six.
In a meeting of the NAACP last night in Jena, Louisiana the attorney who has enrolled in the “Jena Six” case, as legal counsel for Theo Shaw stated that he was already working the case, and that a fee for such a case would cost at least $20,000 dollars for this client. The Jena Six Defense Commitee, PO Box 2798, Jena, Louisiana 71342 has set up a fund to pay this cost for the attorneys. Theodore McCoy, Shaw’s father was there and a strong move is on to get Shaw out of jail. A special collection was taken up to defray bonding cost. The property is now up to $55,000 dollars. So, with what was taken up last night; $1500 dollars more would get Theo Shaw bonded. Send it to the Defense Committee, mark it for the bond.

As of tonight, Mychal Bell still doesn’t have an attorney. Attendees from Monroe, Louisiana said they would reach out to attorneys on their return to Monroe to secure pro bono help for Mychal Bell. In the mean time, Rev. Al Sharpton has said his organization the National Action Network would help with attorney fees and also seek to secure an attorney for Mychal Bell. Bell’s father, was on sharptontalk.net this Wednesday. After, the Black America Web story, a larger national community concern has evolved. I’d personally like to thank the Beans for their concerted work. A resolution was passed by the local NAACP to secure full support from the state & national NAACP. Branch President Caseptia Bailey, was on NPR Thursday. Her son Robert Bailey, Jr. is one of the “Jena Six” defendants, Attorney Sam Thomas of Tallulah, Louisiana is his attorney.

As for Mychal Bell, attorneys from as far way as Florida, and investigators in Hawaii have inquire about the case. Unless someone has called, Marcus Jones this morning, its 2:18am cdt, Bell still needs an attorney.

Forty years ago, Mychal Bell's conviction would have been automatic and the trial a mere formality. His lawyer, Blaine Williams, was comfortable with the jury's makeup, noting the difficulty in finding black jurors in LaSalle Parish. The population is only about 12 percent black.

The jury found Bell guilty Thursday of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit the same.

While one can hope that in 2007, such a verdict would be based on evidence and not on the defendant's color, it would do us well to remember what Atticus Finch told his children: “In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins.”

Shy and humble by most accounts, Harper Lee isn't likely to take credit for America's change toward fairness in our courts. Still, it is likely that some of the millions of people who've read her novel, seen the movie adaptation or attended a play have learned to judge based on facts and not on color.

While Atticus and other characters offer plenty of wisdom in Lee's novel, Scout may give the best assessment of why “To Kill a Mockingbird” remains an important part of America's culture, and why we have to keep trying to nullify race as a reason to help one and hurt another:

“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.”

Woodrow Wilkins is managing editor of the Delta Democrat Times. Mychal Bell is Lawyered Up! A team is in place! Records are being gathered at this very moment from LaSalle Parish Courthouse. 16 Jul 2007 10:39am cst jl

Jena Six:The Nifong Effect

2007-06-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

28June2007 4:28pm CST

Louisiana Teen Convicted in Jena, Louisiana?!

Bell convicted
JENA -- Mychal Bell, one of the "Jena Six" on trial in LaSalle Parish, was convicted this afternoon on charges of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery.

Bell faces 30 years in prison at sentencing.

The trial had resumed this morning at 9:30 in the courtroom of 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. Following closing statements, which lasted an hour and a half, the jury -- five women and one man -- was charged and retreated to weigh the evidence.

The jurors were told that in addition to the charges Bell faced, they also may consider the lesser and included charges of aggravated battery, second-degree battery, simple battery, or acquittal.

At 11:21 a.m., the jurors notified the judge that they wanted a written definition of the lesser charges, but the judge informed them that the attorneys were not in unanimous agreement on that accord. Instead, he brought them back into the courtroom and again told them the definitions of the charges.

Bell is the first member of the "Jena Six" -- the name given to the six boys charged in connection with the fight -- to go on trial. On Monday, District Attorney Reed Walters reduced Bell's charges from attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit the same -- charges the other boys still face.

If convicted on the original charges, Bell could be sentenced to as many as 30 years in prison.

If convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit the same, he faces as many as 20 years; second-degree battery, 10 years; and simple battery, a misdemeanor, 1 year.

During the day, [27Jun2008] potential witnesses, members of the media and family and friends milled about. A planned lunchtime demonstration by members of the American Civil Liberties Union and other supporters of the Jena Six was canceled after a ruling from Mauffray stated that they were not to protest anywhere he would be able see them.

All white jury selected for first 'Jena Six' trial; no minorities report for jury duty
By Abbey Brown
abrown@thetowntalk.com
(318) 487-6387

JENA -- Some cried foul Tuesday afternoon after an all-white jury was selected in the first trial of one of the "Jena Six" -- the name given to the six black students charged in a Dec. 4 fight at Jena High School that, according to court records, left Justin Barker, a white student, unconscious.

Mychal Bell, 17, is charged with aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to do the same after LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters reduced his charges Monday from attempted second-degree murder.

"There should have been at least one black if not more on the jury," Bell's grandmother Rosie Simmons said after court was dismissed Tuesday. "I know they are going by procedure, but I just think more blacks should have been called to serve."

The court summoned 150 people for the jury pool, but only 50 showed up, court officials said. All of the 50 who reported for jury duty were white. Some of the 100 who didn't show up -- excused or unexcused -- were black, said Bell's attorney, Blane Williams.
"I'm always disappointed when minorities don't show up," he said. "There were minorities on that list that just didn't show up."

Williams said he doesn't blame parish officials at all, that they are following all procedures. This is the first time, though, that Williams hasn't seen at least one minority in the jury pool, he said.

"Jury duty is one of the best things anyone can do," Williams said. "I encourage everyone to do their duty. It is the only way for us to safeguard the judicial system."

LaSalle Parish Clerk Steve Crooks said the jury pool for every potential jury is selected randomly by a computer system that doesn't know the race of the potential juror, keeping it random and free from prejudice. The system pulls names two different ways -- from voter registrations and the motor vehicle office.

"The venire is color blind," Crooks said of the list of 150. "The idea is for the list to truly reflect the racial makeup of the community, but the system does not take race into factor."

After the venire is generated, it is published in the Jena Times newspaper. Summonses are sent out to each of the 150 people. Those potential jurors are expected to appear at the courthouse on the noted date unless they call the clerk's office ahead of time and get an excuse approved by 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr.

Once the trial is called, names from the venire are randomly drawn by a court official. One by one, they are questioned by Mauffray to ensure their qualifications to serve and then questioned by the prosecuting attorney -- Walters in this situation -- and defense attorney -- Williams for this trial. The attorneys have a predetermined number of strikes that can be used to not accept a juror.

After the right number of jurors have been approved by both the prosecution and defense, the entire jury is sworn in and the case can proceed.

Bell's case calls for a jury of six that all must agree on the verdict. His jury is made up of five women and one man. The alternate is a woman.

Questions asked of the jurors by Mauffray included their address, occupation, previous experience with the judicial system, acquaintance with Bell or one of the more than 40 called to testify, if they'd ever been a victim of a crime and their understanding of their responsibility as a juror and the law.

Walters' questions to the jury focused on the difference between "reasonable doubt" and "shadow of a doubt," their understanding of the definition of the crimes Bell has been charged with and their ability to vote for a guilty verdict if the evidence merits it.

During Williams' questioning, he focused on the potential jurors' opinions about what a dangerous weapon could and couldn't be, their definition of serious bodily injury, the degree of exposure they had to the facts of the case and what they thought about fighting.

Bell's parents, Melissa Bell and Marcus Jones, weren't allowed to talk with the media, as they had been selected as potential witnesses. But they did express their unhappiness about being ordered to leave the courtroom when told to do so Tuesday morning along with the other potential witnesses, as is required by law. But Barker, who is also a potential witness, was allowed to stay in the courtroom because state law says victims are allowed to view all court proceedings.

Barker spent most of the day sitting in the back of the courtroom while his parents, David and Kelli Barker, sat a few rows in front of him.

During the day, potential witnesses, members of the media and family and friends milled about. A planned lunchtime demonstration by members of the American Civil Liberties Union and other supporters of the Jena Six was canceled after a ruling from Mauffray stated that they were not to protest anywhere he would be able see them.

The trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. today with instructions for the jury and opening statements.

______________________

JENA, La. -- An all-white jury was seated Tuesday, to hear the case against the first of the "Jena Six" _ a group of black youths accused of beating a white fellow student amid racial discord at a central Louisiana high school.

Five women and a man will hear opening arguments Wednesday morning at the courthouse in LaSalle Parish, where the black population is only about 12 percent.
Justin Barker
The approaching trial had led to allegations of racism from parents of the accused, who said the original charges _ attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder _ were out of proportion to the crime. The charges carry a combined sentence of 80 years.

However, prosecutors on Monday reduced the charges for Mychale Bell, the first of the teens to go on trial, to aggravated second-degree battery, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years, and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery, which carries a maximum sentence of 7 1/2 years.

It is unclear when or whether prosecutors intend to change charges for the other defendants _ four still facing attempted murder and conspiracy charges, and a juvenile whose name and charges have not been made public. LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters has refused to publicly discuss the case.

Aggravated second-degree battery involves use of a dangerous weapon, according to state statutes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jury selection begins in Bell trial
Town Talk staff
JENA -- Jury selection began this morning in the trial of Mychal Bell, one of the six Jena High School students charged in the Dec. 4 fight at the school that, according to court records, left the victim unconscious and in a hospital emergency room.

As jury selection began, authorities forced the handful of protesters holding signs to stand across the street and not on the courthouse lawn so as not to interfere with witnesses reporting to the trial in the courtroom of 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr.

More than 35 witnesses were expected to be called in the trial of Bell, 16, who on Monday had his charges reduced from attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit the same to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit the same.

Among the trial witnesses are Bell's parents, Melissa Bell and Marcus Jones, who said they were upset that because they could be called to testify, they could not be in the courtroom with their son. They said they also were upset that another potential witness, victim Justin Barker, was allowed in the courtroom.

State law, though, does allow crime victims to attend the trials of their accused. Inside the courtroom, all of the seats were filled as 50 to 60 potential jurors were questioned.

Outside, bystanders and media -- including a truck and crew from CNN Live -- milled about. Jury selection was expected to continue through the early afternoon, and witnesses were told to report back to the courthouse at 3 p.m. If convicted on all charges, Bell could be sentenced to as many as 30 years in prison.

- - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - Mychal Bell's attorney Blane Williams enters the LaSalle Parish Courthouse in Jena, La., Tuesday, June 26, 2007. Prosecutors reduced charges against a black high school student a day before he was to go on trial Tuesday in the beating of a white student amid escalating racial tensions. Mychale Bell and four other black students faced up to 80 years if convicted of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the December beating.

JENA, La. -- Caseptla Bailey describes this north Louisiana town as quiet _ but with an inescapable undercurrent.

"This is a good town to live in for things like no crime, it being peaceful," Bailey said on Sunday. "But it's very racist and they don't even try to hide it. It's like, stay in your place or else.

Bailey's son is one of five black students facing attempted second-degree murder charges for beating a white student in December, the climax of weeks of racial tension that included nooses hanging from a tree in a school courtyard. Two of the black students were to go on trial Tuesday on the charges, which supporters say are way out of line. "The detective investigating told me it would be simple battery," Bailey said. "My son has never been in trouble before. He's never done anything wrong, now he's facing this. How can that be?"

The five students, plus a juvenile whose name and charges have not been made public because of his age, have been dubbed the "Jena Six."

The two facing trial this week are Theodore Shaw and Mychale Bell.

Robert Bailey Jr., Bryant Purvis and Carwin Jones face trial on the same charges, but no date has been set. Shaw and Bell, have been jailed since their arrests, unable to make $90,000 bond.

Jena is a town of 2,900, with about 350 black residents. Last August, a black student at Jena High School, Kenneth Purvis, was told by the school principal that he could sit in the school courtyard under a tree traditionally used by white students.

The following morning, three nooses were hanging in the tree when students arrived at school. Whites in the little town may have dismissed it as a tasteless prank, but in the black community it had far more gravity. "It meant a lynching," Bailey said. "Everyone knew what it meant." Jena High School's principal recommended expulsion of the three students who hung the nooses. But they ended up serving a suspension instead. "That just set all the black kids off," said John Jenkins, father of Carwin Jones. "Wasn't that a hate crime? If anyone was going to be charged, shouldn't they have been?"

The racial tension led to a series of fights between white and black students, Bailey and Jenkins said. On Dec. 4, Justin Barker, who is white, was attacked at school by a small group of black students. District attorney Walter Reed and school officials did not return calls for comment. "I don't know what's going on," said Bryant Purvis, father of Billy Purvis.

"I know the election is coming up. Looks like they are playing politics with our kids lives." Jones, who played football, basketball and track, had enough credits to graduate, Jenkins said.

He was not allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony, however. Jones is working now, Jenkins said. He had several offers of athletic scholarships for college, Jenkins said. But those disappeared when the charges were filed. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Charges reduced against Bell
Town Talk staff - 25 June 2007

JENA -- LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters this afternoon reduced the charges faced by Mychal Bell -- one of the six Jena High School students charged in a Dec. 4 fight at the school -- to second-degree aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit second-degree aggravated battery. He, along with five other students charged in the fight -- together called the Jena Six -- had faced charges of attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder.

Earlier this morning, a plea agreement for a lesser charge was turned down by another member of the Jena Six, Theodore Shaw, who is on trial this week in the courtroom of 28th Judicial District Court Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr.

Shaw's attorney, Tim Shumate, tried to persuade him to plead guilty to aggravated assault, a felony, against the wishes of Shaw's father, Theodore McCoy. "We are confident to go to trial," McCoy said.

"They are trying to avoid trial because they don't have a case." Standing, from left, John Jenkins, Melissa Bell, Tina Jones and Marcus Jones talk before entering the LaSalle Parish Courthouse in Jena, La., Monday, June 25, 2007. Jenkins' son, Carwin Jones, is one of five black students facing attempted second-degree murder charges for beating a white student in December.Louisiana Teen Convicted

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