December 10, 2015 

LAWT Staff Report

 

Community Leaders and members of the National Action Network’s Los Angeles Chapter are calling for L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey to step down in light of her decision not to file charges against a California Highway Patrol officer who was videotaped beating a homeless woman in 2014. Lacey said in her review of the evidence, officer Daniel Andrew used necessary force to protect himself and mentally ill homeless woman Marlene Pinnock who later won a million dollar settlement in the case. But community leaders called the beating , for which officer Daniel was eventually fired, “savage” and are citing the incident as one of several where Lacey has “failed” in upholding African American civil rights.

 

Community Activist and Executive Publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. said “this is unbelievable.  No one who has seen the video tape needed a bias report to determine that the beating suffered by Ms. Pinnock was criminal, it was clearly a use of excessive force, it was damn near attempted murder.  I am appalled and disappointed in the decision made by DA Lacey”

 

“Lacey has served as the district attorney of Los Angeles County since Dec. 3, 2012. Unfortunately, her tenure as D.A. has been a failure marked with cowardice and a disaster for the African-American community,” stated NAN in a press release.

 

“Lacey has turned a blind eye to police abuse and the unjust murders of African-American residents in the city by law enforcement.”

 

Caree Harper the attorney who represented Marlene Pinnock in her civil case that was ultimately settled by the state said “Today we saw a cowardice DA make a disgusting decision and she has not served the community well as it pertains to prosecuting officers who commit excessive force and people should remember that when she is up for reelection next year.”

 

The community also cited the Ezell Ford case where a Los Angeles police officer fatally wounded an unarmed mentally ill young man near his home as part of the blatant disrespect and devaluing of Black Lives as part of the problem.

 

“On June 9, 2015, the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners issued a ruling stating that [Officer Sharlton Wampler ] violated Ford’s civil rights by detaining him,” they said.

 

“The commission also rejected Chief Charlie Beck’s conclusion that Wampler had adhered to LAPD policy. The inspector general’s  investigation found Wampler in violation of policy in four areas (tactics, drawing of weapon, use of non-lethal force, use of deadly force).The community is still waiting on criminal charges to be filed by Lacey against Wampler…”

 

For her part in the Andrew case, Lacey said that the video didn’t show the events leading up to the violent confrontation.

 

"When looking at all of the evidence, and especially the medical reports and eyewitness accounts, it becomes exceedingly clear that the officer, who was alone and struggling with Ms. Pinnock precariously close to evening freeway traffic, acted within the law," Lacey said in a statement.

 

According to a written report on the incident, “there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the force he used was unreasonable or excessive…”

 

Daniel was fired shortly after the incident, which took place last July.

 

However, “fourteen months later this officer is still walking around a free man because Lacey has refused to prosecute him… but instead she continues to fail to protect the African-American community,”.

 

“Black lives don’t matter to her, but what does matter to her is continuing to be the black face and tool of a justice system founded and steeped in white supremacy.”

Category: News

December 03, 2015

 

By Jeff Baenen 

Associated Press 

 

 

Attorneys for three men accused in a shooting that wounded five black men during a protest outside of a Minneapolis police precinct denied Tuesday that their clients are racist and downplayed evidence.

 

A fourth man accused of firing the shots during the Nov. 23 attack didn't speak at the court appearance. The bail hearing for Allen Scarsella, 23, of Lakeville, was postponed until next month at his attorney's request.

 

The north Minneapolis precinct has been the site of protests headed by the local Black Lives Matter group since 24-year-old Jamar Clark was shot in a Nov. 15 confrontation with police. He died the next day.

 

A criminal complaint says the Nov. 23 shooting happened after some protesters tried to get the men to leave. Activists and court papers accuse the men of trying to disrupt the protest for racial reasons.

 

Attorneys for two men, Daniel Macey, 26, of Pine City, and Joseph Backman, 27, of Eagan, said their clients aren’t white supremacists.

 

“Mr. Macey is not a white supremacist. He is not a racist,” said Ryan Garry, the attorney for Macey, who is Asian. The other defendants are white.

 

An attorney for a third man, Nathan Gustavsson, 21, of Hermantown, said there’s no proof his client had a gun.

 

Prosecutor Judith Hawley said the charges are extremely serious and asked for high bail.

 

“There’s an immense public safety risk and danger that these defendants have shown in this case,” Hawley told the judge.

 

Hennepin County District Judge Hilary Lindell Caligiuri set bail for Scarsella, who faces five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of riot, at $500,000. She set bail for the other three, who also are charged with riot, at $250,000 each, but did allow conditional bail of $100,000 for Macey.

 

All four men are due back in court in January.

 

One of the five shooting victims, 18-year-old Wesley Martin of Minneapolis, attended the hearing. Martin was shot in the left knee and said his 19-year-old brother, Tevin King, is still in the hospital after being shot in the stomach.

 

Martin said he believes Scarsella “should have gotten charged with way more stuff,” but that he didn’t believe there was an intent of shooting to kill.

 

“He was shooting to make a point,” Martin said. “That basically black lives don’t matter.”

Category: News

December 03, 2015 

By Juliet Linderman 

Associated Press 

 

Jury selection for the first police officer to go to trial in Freddie Gray’ s death began Monday with a judge questioning potential jurors about their knowledge of the explosive case, which led to widespread protests and rioting and added fuel to the Black Lives Matter movement.

 

Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams conducted initial questioning in a courtroom but planned to interview at least 66 prospective jurors in a private conference room. The large pool of people suggested how difficult the selection process could be.

 

William Porter is one of six officers charged in the death of Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died April 19 of a severe spinal injury he suffered while in police custody.

 

Porter, who is also black, is accused of failing to get medical help for Gray during several stops made by the police van that carried Gray on a 45-minute trip. At the end, officers found Gray unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital and died a week later.

 

The officer is being tried first in part because prosecutors want to use him as a witness in the trials of several other officers. He is charged with manslaughter, assault, misconduct and reckless endangerment.

 

The judge asked 75 potential jurors whether anyone had not heard about the case, the citywide curfew imposed after Gray’s death or the settlement paid to his family. No one responded.

 

By standing in response to the judge's questions, 12 jurors indicated they had family members in law enforcement. Thirty-eight indicated they had been a victim or a suspect in a crime, had been to jail or had charges pending against them.

 

Twenty-six people indicated they had strong feelings about the charges against Porter.

 

Williams read aloud more than 200 names of possible witnesses, a list that included more than 100 Baltimore police officers, lawyers and prosecutors.

 

A small group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse. Their chants of “All night, all day, we will fight for Freddie Gray,” could be heard throughout the morning proceedings.

 

One prospective juror was taken to a hospital after tripping on courthouse stairs. Court spokeswoman Terri Charles said the woman suffered a knee injury.

 

A verdict is likely to set the tone for the city. If Porter is acquitted, there could be protests and possibly more unrest. A conviction could send shock waves through the city’s troubled police department.

 

“Everything is at stake. The future of the city is at stake,” Police Commissioner Kevin Davis has said.

 

The first group of 75 possible jurors was sent home Monday night and court spokeswoman Terri Charles said that some would be notified before Wednesday that they had been dismissed. A new panel of about 75 potential jurors will be called into court Tuesday.

 

The judge said he expects the trial to wrap up by Dec. 17.

 

Two other officers are black and the three additional officers are white. They will be tried separately beginning in January. Their trials are expected to last until the spring.

 

Gray was initially handcuffed. Later during his van ride, his legs were shackled and he was not put in a seat belt, a violation of department policy, prosecutors have said.

 

Porter told police investigators that arresting Gray “was always a big scene,” according to a pretrial filing by defense attorneys. Porter indicated that he knew of a previous arrest in which Gray allegedly tried to kick out the windows of a police vehicle.

 

“You know, so he was always, always, like, banging around,” Porter said in the statement excerpted in the filing. “It was always a big scene whenever you attempted to arrest Freddie Gray.”

 

Defense attorneys say that helps explain Porter’s actions during Gray’s arrest.

 

For several days after Gray died, the demonstrations were mostly peaceful. But on the day he was buried, looting and rioting started, and businesses were burned down. The unrest resulted in millions of dollars in property damage.

 

The turmoil forced an incumbent mayor to drop out of a re-election campaign and toppled the career of a reform-minded police chief who was unceremoniously fired. The homicide rate soared, and the blood continues to spill on Baltimore’s streets at a pace unseen in decades.

 

Davis stepped in as police chief in July amid a crime spike that saw 45 homicides in a single month — a 43-year high.

 

An independent review of the police response to the rioting revealed “major shortcomings,” and painted a portrait of an overwhelmed and under-prepared de­partment.

 

Hours before Police Com­missioner Anthony Batts was fired in July, the police union issued its own scathing report. Its president called for Batts to “step up.”

 

The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a probe into the department stemming from allegations that officers hassled people and used excessive force.

 

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said Monday that Maryland has been preparing for any disturbances related to the trials ever since he called in the National Guard to help restore order in April. He said his administration’s security team has been meeting on an almost weekly basis.

Category: News

November 26, 2015 

By Amanda Scurlock

 

Renata Simril, a civic and business leader in Los Angeles, has been named the next president and chief executive officer of the LA84 foundation.

 

LA84 benefits from the surplus funds from the 1984 Summer Olympics that took place in Los Angeles, according to Simril. The mission of the foundation is to fund youth sports programs in Southern California.

 

“I’ve transitioned through different careers: politics, real estate, sports, business, it’s all been under the arc of civic engagement,” said Simril. “I’m really passionate about the city of Los Angeles; I’m really passionate about helping those less fortunate and really the opportunity to leave this place better than I found it.” 

 

Simril will succeed Anita L. DeFrantz, an Olympic bronze medalist in the 1976 Summer Games. DeFrantz served as one of the original members LA84 and has been president for 28 years. DeFrantz also was the first female vice president of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  

 

“On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, I want to thank and applaud Anita DeFrantz on her visionary leadership of the LA84 Foundation and congratulate Renata Simril on her appointment to take the helm of this important organization,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “It is a testament to the success of the 1984 Summer Games that it continues to benefit new generations of young Angelenos.”

 

Simril has held many leadership positons in Los Angeles. She worked to reconstruct the city after the 1992 Uprising. The offices of Mark Ridley-Thomas and the Hahn Administration were political arenas that Simril occupied.

 

Simril, a third generation Angeleno, has experience creating programs for youth. While being the Senior Vice President of External Affairs for the LA Dodgers, Simril assisted in creating the Kids For Dodgers Baseball program, where the franchise offered free baseball games to disenfranchised youth. The program served around 10,000 youth per season, according to Simril.

 

“We provided them transportation, their ticket to the game, food voucher and a baseball cap and a t-shirt,” she said. “There’s a lot of kids in South LA and East LA that have never been outside their community. We would bring kids for the holidays to Dodger Stadium and it was their first time.”

 

While working with the LA Dodgers, Simril worked with DeFrantz. Simril considers her to be a mentor and a friend.

 

“When I first started with the Dodger under the new ownership, one of the first people I reached out to was Anita,” said Simril. “The LA84 foundation is [a] longtime partner with the Dodgers.”

 

A wide variety of experience has prepared Simril for the position, she will begin her tenure at LA84 on January 4, 2016.

Category: News

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