The Brooklyn 4: Going to Trial - June 16, 2009
Now…more than ever…all the brothers and sisters must come together…all the brothers and sisters everywhere, must feel that the time is in the air… - Bro. Gil Scott Heron
As you may know, many of the students known as the “Bushwick 32″ recently sued New York City and won a settlement of nearly $260,000. That was a victory we all shared and rejoiced over.
BUT THE STRUGGLE IS NOT OVER. Recall that while in court supporting the Bushwick 32, several community members, youths and students were racially profiled and wrongfully arrested IN THE COURT HOUSE. These victims, known as the BROOKLYN 4, are slated to go to trial on June 16th, 2009. Once again, we will need to call on YOU - THE COMMUNITY - to show that we WILL NOT STAND BY while injustice is done to those who work on behalf of our people.
What: PACK THE COURT HOUSE FOR TRIAL
When: TUESDAY JUNE 16, 2009 @ 9:30 AM
Where: 120 SCHEMERHORN ST., BROOKLYN, NY
Please take some time to review the articles below which describe the BUSHWICK 32 ordeal and information giving you the latest status of the BROOKLYN 4.GOING TO TRIAL:Black and Latino Teachers & Activists Racially Profiled & Prosecuted For Attending Their Student’s Court Proceedings.
What: PACK THE COURT HOUSE TO START TRIAL
When: TUESDAYJUNE 16, 2009 @ 9:30 AM
Where: 120 SCHEMERHORN ST., BROOKLYN, NY
On November 30, Brian Favors, teacher and director of Sankofa Community Empowerment and member of MXGM, Jesus Gonzales, community organizer with Make the Road, NY, Nkululeko Sechaba, President of the Queens chapter of InPDUM, and Mario Cox, an honor roll student at Bushwick Community High School, were all attending court proceedings in support of the students known as the “Bushwick 32,” when they themselves were racially profiled in open court, assaulted and placed under arrest.Community supporters had gathered in court once again to support the Bushwick 32 on November 30, 2007. Supporters were shocked at the terrible representation the students received from their appointed attorneys.
During recess, their teacher and long-time supporter, Brian Favors, discretely urged several defense attorneys to competently represent the students. One defense attorney became irate at Mr. Favors. She went back into the court room to convey her anger to a Court Security Officer (”CSO”) with whom she has a personal relationship and parents a child. She told the CSO that she did not like the way Mr. Favors questioned her and that she wanted the “Black man with dread locks” ejected out of the court room.After court resumed session, the CSO, angered by his wife’s story, racially profiled Mr. Sechaba and mistakenly identified him as the “Black man with dread locks” in question and shouted for him to leave the court room b/c he had threatened the attorney. Mr. Favors then informed the CSO that he had identified the wrong “Black man with dreadlocks” and that no one had been threatened. Mr. Sechaba requested the CSO’s badge number so he could report the racial profiling incident. The CSO, angry and embarrassed, refused to provide his badge number, shoved both men into the hallway and yelled for fellow officers to “cuff” them. Mr. Favors and Mr. Sechaba were then surrounded and violently assaulted as other CSO’s rushed to place them under arrest.
Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Cox asked why the supporters were being treated this way when they had done nothing wrong. They were also surrounded and pummeled by the CSOs and they too were arrested. At their arraignment, the community packed the court house so full that they had to shut down the building and stopped admitting people into the court building. The Brooklyn 4 were released on their own recognizance. They originally faced charges of assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and obstruction of governmental administration.
However, due to the AMAZING community support in the court room and the overwhelming weakness in the district attorney’s case, most of the charges have been reduced and/or dropped. The Brooklyn 4 NOW FACE A SINGLE CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED ASSAULT. This is both a GOOD thing and a BAD thing.At the LAST court date, the Brooklyn 4 thought they were headed to the Bronx for a JURY trial. HOWEVER, when the district attorney decided to reduce the charges to one charge, they also ELIMINATED THE BROOKLYN 4′S RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.
The Brooklyn DA’s office is now planning to bring in a NEW judge from another borough and force the Brooklyn 4 to have a bench trial in Brooklyn.
What: PACK THE COURT FOR TRIAL
When: TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2008 AT 9:30 AM
Where: BROOKLYN CRIMINAL COURT, 120 SCHEMERHORN ST.
In response to this incident, City Councilman Charles Barron stated “First the police terrorize us and arrest our youth in the street. Then the court officers terrorize us again and deny our constitutional right to enter a court room and support our youth at their trial. If this is not fascism I don’t know what is. I support these brothers 100% and they should be set free.” Community members insist that this is only the latest example of the targeting of people of color by the NYPD and the criminal justice system. In 2006, 90% of stop and frisks citywide resulted in no summons issuance or arrest.
YOUR VOICE MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE BUSHWICK 32.
WE NEED YOUR VOICE TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE BROOKLYN 4.What: PACK THE COURT FOR TRIAL.
When: TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2008 AT 9:30 AM
Where: BROOKLYN CRIMINAL COURT, 120 SCHEMERHORN ST.
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