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Free Mumia Abu-Jamal!
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hahahahah. where are you reading this? www.kkk.org?
AFFIDAVIT OF ARNOLD BEVERY
I, ARNOLD R. BEVERLY, state that the following facts are true and correct:
I was present when police officer Daniel Faulkner was shot and killed in the early morning hours of December 9, 1981 near the corner of Locust and 13th Streets. I have personal knowledge that Mumia Abu-Jamal did not shoot police officer Faulkner.
I was hired, along with another guy, and paid to shoot and kill Faulkner. I had heard that Faulkner was a problem for the mob and corrupt policemen because he interfered with the graft and payoffs made to allow illegal activity including prostitution, gambling, drugs without prosecution in the center city area.
Faulkner was shot in the back and then in the face before Jamal came on the scene. Jamal had nothing to do with the shooting.
Before the shooting, I was shown a picture of Faulkner and told that Faulkner was supposed to check something at Johnny Ds (at 13th and Locust) sometime in the early morning hours of December 9.
Two of us were hired for the shooting so that either of us could take the opportunity to make the hit, get the job done, and leave. The other guy gave me a .38 caliber policeman’s special and I was also carrying my own .22 caliber revolver.
I waited at the speedline entrance at the north east of corner of Locust and 13th at the parking lot, I was wearing a green (camouflage) army jacket. The other guy waited on the south side of Locust street east of 13th Street towards Camac Street.
While I was waiting at the speedline entrance for Faulkner to arrive at the location, I saw police officers in the area. Two undercover policemen were standing on the west side of 13th north of Locust. Also a uniformed police officer was sitting in a car in the corner of the parking lot, They were there while the shooting of Faulkner took place. I was not worried about the police being there since I believed that since I was hired by the mob to shoot and kill Faulkner, any police Officers on the scene would be there to help me.
After a while I saw Faulkner get out of a small police car parked behind a VW parked on Locust Street, east of 13th St. Faulkner was alone. He got out of the police car end went up to the vw.
I heard a shot ring out coming from east on Locust Street, Faulkner fell on his knee on the sidewalk next to the VW. I heard another shot and it must have grazed my left shoulder. I felt something hard on my left shoulder. I grabbed at my shoulder and got blood on my hand.
I ran across Locust Street and stood over Faulkner, who had fallen backwards on the sidewalk, I shot Faulkner in the face at close range. Jamal was shot shortly after that by a uniformed police officer who arrived on the scene.
Cop cars came from all directions. Foot patrol also arrived. I saw a white shirt getting out of a car in the middle of the 13th & Locust intersection just as I was going down to the speedline steps.
I left the area underground through the speedline system and by pre-arrangement met a police officer who assisted me when I exited the speedline underground about three blocks away. A car was waiting for me and I left the center city area.
The foregoing is stated subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. Section 4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.
ARNOLD R. BEVERLY
6-8-99
I, ARNOLD R. BEVERLY, state that the following facts are true and correct:
I was present when police officer Daniel Faulkner was shot and killed in the early morning hours of December 9, 1981 near the corner of Locust and 13th Streets. I have personal knowledge that Mumia Abu-Jamal did not shoot police officer Faulkner.
I was hired, along with another guy, and paid to shoot and kill Faulkner. I had heard that Faulkner was a problem for the mob and corrupt policemen because he interfered with the graft and payoffs made to allow illegal activity including prostitution, gambling, drugs without prosecution in the center city area.
Faulkner was shot in the back and then in the face before Jamal came on the scene. Jamal had nothing to do with the shooting.
Before the shooting, I was shown a picture of Faulkner and told that Faulkner was supposed to check something at Johnny Ds (at 13th and Locust) sometime in the early morning hours of December 9.
Two of us were hired for the shooting so that either of us could take the opportunity to make the hit, get the job done, and leave. The other guy gave me a .38 caliber policeman’s special and I was also carrying my own .22 caliber revolver.
I waited at the speedline entrance at the north east of corner of Locust and 13th at the parking lot, I was wearing a green (camouflage) army jacket. The other guy waited on the south side of Locust street east of 13th Street towards Camac Street.
While I was waiting at the speedline entrance for Faulkner to arrive at the location, I saw police officers in the area. Two undercover policemen were standing on the west side of 13th north of Locust. Also a uniformed police officer was sitting in a car in the corner of the parking lot, They were there while the shooting of Faulkner took place. I was not worried about the police being there since I believed that since I was hired by the mob to shoot and kill Faulkner, any police Officers on the scene would be there to help me.
After a while I saw Faulkner get out of a small police car parked behind a VW parked on Locust Street, east of 13th St. Faulkner was alone. He got out of the police car end went up to the vw.
I heard a shot ring out coming from east on Locust Street, Faulkner fell on his knee on the sidewalk next to the VW. I heard another shot and it must have grazed my left shoulder. I felt something hard on my left shoulder. I grabbed at my shoulder and got blood on my hand.
I ran across Locust Street and stood over Faulkner, who had fallen backwards on the sidewalk, I shot Faulkner in the face at close range. Jamal was shot shortly after that by a uniformed police officer who arrived on the scene.
Cop cars came from all directions. Foot patrol also arrived. I saw a white shirt getting out of a car in the middle of the 13th & Locust intersection just as I was going down to the speedline steps.
I left the area underground through the speedline system and by pre-arrangement met a police officer who assisted me when I exited the speedline underground about three blocks away. A car was waiting for me and I left the center city area.
The foregoing is stated subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. Section 4904 relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.
ARNOLD R. BEVERLY
6-8-99
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
MUM IA ABU-JAMAL, ) NO. 99 Civ. 5089 (YOHN)
Petitioner,
-vs-
MARTIN HORN, et al., )
Respondent.
DECLARATION OF LINN WASHINGTON
I, LINN WASHINGTON, declare:
This is an account of events that transpired on the morning of December 9, 1981. This account is my true and accurate recollection of these events.
I submit the following account understanding the federal and state laws pertaining to perjury and submission of false information.
This account principally examines two areas: (1) the unusual of police presence at the 13th and Locust Sts. crime scene site of the shooting of Officer Daniel Faulkner and (2) events at Thomas Jefferson Hospital, where Officer Faulkner and Mr. Abu-Jamal were taken for treatment.
My name is Linn Washington. I am currently a columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune newspaper. Further, I am a freelance journalist for publications nationwide. I write extensively on matters involving the criminal justice system and racism. Additionally, I am an Assistant Professor in the Journalism Department at Temple University in Philadelphia. I hold a Master Degree from the Yale Law School and a B.S. in Communications from Temple University.
At the time of the events detailed below, I was working as a reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News. My assignment for the Daily News then was a municipal beat reporter assigned to cover the 17-member City Council in Philadelphia. I was assigned to the City Hall Bureau of the Daily News. I had worked as a full time newspaper reporter in the city of Philadelphia since October 1975. As a reporter, I covered a variety of assignments including police beat/crime reporting and investigative reporting. By December of 1981, I had received awards for some of my journalistic coverage.
On December 9, 1981, I knew Mr. Abu-Jamal professionally and personally. I knew Mr. Abu-Jamal as a fellow journalist whom I had worked closely covering a variety of assignments including news events involving allegations of abusive misconduct by members of the Philadelphia Police Department. Additionally, I knew Mr. Abu-Jamal as a friend, having first met him nearly seven years earlier at WRTI-FM, the radio station for Temple University, the college where I completed my undergraduate studies.
On the morning of December 9, 1981, when I awoke, I turned on Philadelphia's all-news KYW radio station. Tuning into KYW when I awoke was my reportorial practice at the time. I did this to become acquainted with the major news of the respective day.
The lead story on December 9 when I turned on KYW sometime after 6AM was the shooting of Officer Faulkner.
This news item immediately caught my attention for two reasons beyond the tragic shooting of a police officer.
First, the KYW report declared that police had apprehended journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal at the scene. I knew Abu-Jamal, as stated above.
Second, the KYW report declared that when the first officers responded to reports of a shooting at 13th and Locust, they found one man "spread eagle" on a building wall and another man slumped on the curb.
The man on the wall, KYW reported, was William "Billy" Cook, the brother of Abu-Jamal. I thought it was unusual that Cook was spread eagle on the wall before being ordered to do so by arriving police.
I knew William Cook as Abu-Jamal's brother. I also knew that Cook was a street vendor in downtown Philadelphia. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Philadelphia Police frequently harassed Black Street vendors, incidents that I had reported on as a journalist. I first met close friend of Cook's, Kenneth Freeman. Cook and Freeman were constantly together, leading me to initially think that they were relatives.
I met Kenneth Freeman in the mid-I 970s when he came to the offices of The Philadelphia Tribune after receiving an alleged beating at the hands of Philadelphia police. I then worked as a reporter for the Tribune.
Throughout the 1 970s, Philadelphia police frequently beat Black men in general and Black street vendors in particular, as amply documented in numerous official reports during that era conducted by federal authorities and local monitoring agencies.
After hearing that KYW report when I awoke on December 9, 1981, I called the City Desk at the Daily News to see if the editors had a specific assignment for me regarding this story. I was given a typical generic assignment of getting 'whatever information you can' and report that information to editors on a periodic basis.
When I left home sometime around 7:30 AM, in route to downtown Philadelphia, I decided to visit the Jefferson Hospital. Jefferson, as stated above, was the medical facility where Officer Faulkner and Mr. Abu-Jamal were taken.
When I arrived at the 13th and Locust crime scene, the first thing that struck me was the absolute absence of any police. When I arrived at the scene around 8:30 AM, there were no police officers in sight. There were no uniformed officers, no detectives, no special detail officers (like crime scene investigators) at the location of the shooting.
I found this total lack of police presence at a crime scene to be highly unusual.
As a veteran of much police beat reporting then, I knew it was generally standard practice to at least assign a uniformed officer to guard the crime scene. I found it highly unusual that no police were maintaining the integrity of this crime scene, particularly since this incident involved the shooting of a police officer. I had covered previous shootings, including some non-fatal shootings of police officers, where police kept the crime scene cordoned off from the public for days.
However, while the lack of police presence was unusual, it was not unprecedented. I had observed Philadelphia police do unusual things with crime scenes in a few prior instances. Most notable was the police destruction of a crime scene on August 8, 1978 a few short hours after the shoot-out between members of the MOVE organization and Philadelphia police that resulted in the death of Officer James Ramp.
Police razed the compound that MOVE members occupied during the shoot-out within three hours after the last MOVE member surrendered. During the surrender, MOVE members climbed out of the compound's basement that had been flooded with water and tear gas by police to force their surrender.
It is my belief that police destroyed this MOVE crime scene before the passage of sufficient time to conduct a reasonably thorough investigation. Police personnel were in the darkened (no electricity) ramshackle MOVE compound for less than two hours before a demolition crane leveled the property.
Questions about the sufficiency of the police investigation of the August 1978 crime scene arose repeatedly during the contentious trial involving the MOVE members charged with Officer Ramp's death. During this era, questions frequently arose about the adequacy of police investigations into incidents of alleged abuse by police. I feared that the lack of police presence at the December 1981 13th and Locust Sts. crime scene would have an adverse effect on the sufficiency of the police investigation involving the charges against Mr. Abu-Jamal.
At 13th and Locust Sts. on the morning of December 9, 1981, I visually inspected the crime scene. I wanted to familiarize myself with the scene, gathering as much visual data as I could. Yet I wasn't looking for anything in particular because details of events regarding the shooting were sketchy at best then.
Billy Cook's VW was still at the crime scene. The car was unlocked. I opened the passenger side door and looked inside the parked VW. It is my recollection that I saw a few drops of blood on the floor in the back behind the driver's seat.
My inspection of the VW was brief. However, during the time that I remained at the crime scene, no police arrived.
From the unguarded 13th and Locust Sts. crime scene, I traveled to Jefferson Hospital. I think this was shortly before 9:00 AM.
I proceeded to the Emergency Room at Jefferson. Philadelphia police and hospital security blocked access to the Emergency Room from inside the hospital. Other reporters were milling around the hallways outside the Emergency Room. My recollection is that police/security were denying access to the Emergency Room even to some hospital personnel, presumably those not specifically assigned ER tasks at that particular time.
I then tried to gain access to the Emergency Room from the outside entrance but that too was blocked, by a bevy of Philadelphia police. This police cordon prevented even walking up to the ER's outside door to look inside.
Sometime after arriving at Jefferson, I have a recollection of seeing a hospital worker who knew me as a reporter and this person said that police were beating Mr. Abu-Jamal in the ER. I had no way of confirming this allegation, being denied access to the ER and the unavailability of police or hospital spokespersons. However, that allegation of assault did not surprise me given the pattern and practice of abusive acts by Philadelphia police repeatedly documented by federal government and local media investigators at that time.
While at Jefferson, I eventually made my way to an atrium type area, where food was served. While getting food, I saw two other reporters that I knew.
It is my recollection that during a conversation with them one stated that he had talked with a person he knew in the hospital who told him of having seen police assault Mr. Abu-Jamal in the ER. This account was consistent with the account I had received from the hospital worker who approached me with information about a beating.
I remember staying in Jefferson for another hour, awaiting reports from hospital press information spokespersons. I don't remember receiving any reports from hospital spokespersons.
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
MUM IA ABU-JAMAL, ) NO. 99 Civ. 5089 (YOHN)
Petitioner,
-vs-
MARTIN HORN, et al., )
Respondent.
DECLARATION OF LINN WASHINGTON
I, LINN WASHINGTON, declare:
This is an account of events that transpired on the morning of December 9, 1981. This account is my true and accurate recollection of these events.
I submit the following account understanding the federal and state laws pertaining to perjury and submission of false information.
This account principally examines two areas: (1) the unusual of police presence at the 13th and Locust Sts. crime scene site of the shooting of Officer Daniel Faulkner and (2) events at Thomas Jefferson Hospital, where Officer Faulkner and Mr. Abu-Jamal were taken for treatment.
My name is Linn Washington. I am currently a columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune newspaper. Further, I am a freelance journalist for publications nationwide. I write extensively on matters involving the criminal justice system and racism. Additionally, I am an Assistant Professor in the Journalism Department at Temple University in Philadelphia. I hold a Master Degree from the Yale Law School and a B.S. in Communications from Temple University.
At the time of the events detailed below, I was working as a reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News. My assignment for the Daily News then was a municipal beat reporter assigned to cover the 17-member City Council in Philadelphia. I was assigned to the City Hall Bureau of the Daily News. I had worked as a full time newspaper reporter in the city of Philadelphia since October 1975. As a reporter, I covered a variety of assignments including police beat/crime reporting and investigative reporting. By December of 1981, I had received awards for some of my journalistic coverage.
On December 9, 1981, I knew Mr. Abu-Jamal professionally and personally. I knew Mr. Abu-Jamal as a fellow journalist whom I had worked closely covering a variety of assignments including news events involving allegations of abusive misconduct by members of the Philadelphia Police Department. Additionally, I knew Mr. Abu-Jamal as a friend, having first met him nearly seven years earlier at WRTI-FM, the radio station for Temple University, the college where I completed my undergraduate studies.
On the morning of December 9, 1981, when I awoke, I turned on Philadelphia's all-news KYW radio station. Tuning into KYW when I awoke was my reportorial practice at the time. I did this to become acquainted with the major news of the respective day.
The lead story on December 9 when I turned on KYW sometime after 6AM was the shooting of Officer Faulkner.
This news item immediately caught my attention for two reasons beyond the tragic shooting of a police officer.
First, the KYW report declared that police had apprehended journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal at the scene. I knew Abu-Jamal, as stated above.
Second, the KYW report declared that when the first officers responded to reports of a shooting at 13th and Locust, they found one man "spread eagle" on a building wall and another man slumped on the curb.
The man on the wall, KYW reported, was William "Billy" Cook, the brother of Abu-Jamal. I thought it was unusual that Cook was spread eagle on the wall before being ordered to do so by arriving police.
I knew William Cook as Abu-Jamal's brother. I also knew that Cook was a street vendor in downtown Philadelphia. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Philadelphia Police frequently harassed Black Street vendors, incidents that I had reported on as a journalist. I first met close friend of Cook's, Kenneth Freeman. Cook and Freeman were constantly together, leading me to initially think that they were relatives.
I met Kenneth Freeman in the mid-I 970s when he came to the offices of The Philadelphia Tribune after receiving an alleged beating at the hands of Philadelphia police. I then worked as a reporter for the Tribune.
Throughout the 1 970s, Philadelphia police frequently beat Black men in general and Black street vendors in particular, as amply documented in numerous official reports during that era conducted by federal authorities and local monitoring agencies.
After hearing that KYW report when I awoke on December 9, 1981, I called the City Desk at the Daily News to see if the editors had a specific assignment for me regarding this story. I was given a typical generic assignment of getting 'whatever information you can' and report that information to editors on a periodic basis.
When I left home sometime around 7:30 AM, in route to downtown Philadelphia, I decided to visit the Jefferson Hospital. Jefferson, as stated above, was the medical facility where Officer Faulkner and Mr. Abu-Jamal were taken.
When I arrived at the 13th and Locust crime scene, the first thing that struck me was the absolute absence of any police. When I arrived at the scene around 8:30 AM, there were no police officers in sight. There were no uniformed officers, no detectives, no special detail officers (like crime scene investigators) at the location of the shooting.
I found this total lack of police presence at a crime scene to be highly unusual.
As a veteran of much police beat reporting then, I knew it was generally standard practice to at least assign a uniformed officer to guard the crime scene. I found it highly unusual that no police were maintaining the integrity of this crime scene, particularly since this incident involved the shooting of a police officer. I had covered previous shootings, including some non-fatal shootings of police officers, where police kept the crime scene cordoned off from the public for days.
However, while the lack of police presence was unusual, it was not unprecedented. I had observed Philadelphia police do unusual things with crime scenes in a few prior instances. Most notable was the police destruction of a crime scene on August 8, 1978 a few short hours after the shoot-out between members of the MOVE organization and Philadelphia police that resulted in the death of Officer James Ramp.
Police razed the compound that MOVE members occupied during the shoot-out within three hours after the last MOVE member surrendered. During the surrender, MOVE members climbed out of the compound's basement that had been flooded with water and tear gas by police to force their surrender.
It is my belief that police destroyed this MOVE crime scene before the passage of sufficient time to conduct a reasonably thorough investigation. Police personnel were in the darkened (no electricity) ramshackle MOVE compound for less than two hours before a demolition crane leveled the property.
Questions about the sufficiency of the police investigation of the August 1978 crime scene arose repeatedly during the contentious trial involving the MOVE members charged with Officer Ramp's death. During this era, questions frequently arose about the adequacy of police investigations into incidents of alleged abuse by police. I feared that the lack of police presence at the December 1981 13th and Locust Sts. crime scene would have an adverse effect on the sufficiency of the police investigation involving the charges against Mr. Abu-Jamal.
At 13th and Locust Sts. on the morning of December 9, 1981, I visually inspected the crime scene. I wanted to familiarize myself with the scene, gathering as much visual data as I could. Yet I wasn't looking for anything in particular because details of events regarding the shooting were sketchy at best then.
Billy Cook's VW was still at the crime scene. The car was unlocked. I opened the passenger side door and looked inside the parked VW. It is my recollection that I saw a few drops of blood on the floor in the back behind the driver's seat.
My inspection of the VW was brief. However, during the time that I remained at the crime scene, no police arrived.
From the unguarded 13th and Locust Sts. crime scene, I traveled to Jefferson Hospital. I think this was shortly before 9:00 AM.
I proceeded to the Emergency Room at Jefferson. Philadelphia police and hospital security blocked access to the Emergency Room from inside the hospital. Other reporters were milling around the hallways outside the Emergency Room. My recollection is that police/security were denying access to the Emergency Room even to some hospital personnel, presumably those not specifically assigned ER tasks at that particular time.
I then tried to gain access to the Emergency Room from the outside entrance but that too was blocked, by a bevy of Philadelphia police. This police cordon prevented even walking up to the ER's outside door to look inside.
Sometime after arriving at Jefferson, I have a recollection of seeing a hospital worker who knew me as a reporter and this person said that police were beating Mr. Abu-Jamal in the ER. I had no way of confirming this allegation, being denied access to the ER and the unavailability of police or hospital spokespersons. However, that allegation of assault did not surprise me given the pattern and practice of abusive acts by Philadelphia police repeatedly documented by federal government and local media investigators at that time.
While at Jefferson, I eventually made my way to an atrium type area, where food was served. While getting food, I saw two other reporters that I knew.
It is my recollection that during a conversation with them one stated that he had talked with a person he knew in the hospital who told him of having seen police assault Mr. Abu-Jamal in the ER. This account was consistent with the account I had received from the hospital worker who approached me with information about a beating.
I remember staying in Jefferson for another hour, awaiting reports from hospital press information spokespersons. I don't remember receiving any reports from hospital spokespersons.
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
_
M1JMIA ABU‑JAMAL )
)
Petitioner, )
) Case No. 99 Civ. 5089 (YOHN)
‑vs‑ )
MARTIN HORN, Commissioner, )
Pennsylvania Department of Correction, )
and CONNOR BLAINE, Superintendent of )
the State Correctional Institution at Greene, )
Respondents
AFFIDAVIT OF DONALD HERSING
AFFIDAV1T OF DONALD BERSING
STATE OF NEW YORK)
)
COUNTY OF KINGS
ss.:
Donald Hersing, being duly sworn, deposes and says:
I. My name is Donald Hersing. From May 1981 through November 1982I was employed as a confidential source of information (CSI) for the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI), within an investigation relative to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Police Department, which involved among other things police extortion of payoffs for the purpose of allowing prostitution and other vice‑related activities to take place in Philadelphia's Center City area.
2. In February 1983, based largely on my testimony consequent to my work as a CSI, the Federal Grand Jury indicted former Central Division inspector} Jobn DeBenedetto and six other, former officers; John Smith, Abe Schwartz, Vincent McBride, and Larry Molloy, on charges relating to conspiracy, bribery and the extortion of money, and other considerations, to protect prostitution and vice activities. James CarGni, tbe former Headquarters Inspector in charge of the homicide &vision, was named as an 'bain&cted co‑conspirator." In May 1983 the five indicted men were tried and I was a central prosecution witness against them. AU five were convicted. The investigation in which I participated led to further, additional corruption in&ctments and to the convictions of about two dozen other Philadelphia police officers, inclu&ng former Deputy Commissioner John Martin, and former Inspector Alphonso Giordano, for corruption during the early 1980s.
3. Before assisting the FBI in Philadelphia in the police corruption investigation, I previously had worked as a private investigator, and had served in an investigative and CSI capacity for law enforcement agencies in other areas, and relative to other mauers. I also worked with sophisticated police equipment and was very familiar with sophisticated eavesdropping and countermeasures (de‑bugging) equipment. For many years I sold sophisticated eavesdropping and countermeasures equipment to governments in the Caribbean region and in Latin America.
4. In the time frame from 1981 through 1982 I was involved with the FBI in the operation of "modeling studios" at 1245 Vine Street and 2209 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, which were in realty houses of prostitution. I was also involved in the operation of an after‑hours club called the "Morning Glory" on 1437 Vine Street in Philadelphia. During the course of the investigation, the FBI set up cameras outside the Morning Glory in order to video all those who entered the club. Central Division police, including Inspector DeBenedeno, his Lieutenant John Smith, vice officers and uniformed officers received monetary payments and other considerations from me for protection of these activities and operations. Central Division police officers also sought and received free sexual favors from the prostitutes. It was known to me that Central Division police collected similar payoffs and received similar considerations throughout the Center City from prostitutes, pimps, and owners of heterosexual and homosexual clubs and bars.
5. In May 1981 I offered to provide services as a CSI to the FB1, with regard to payoffs to Philadelphia police personnel. I began working as an FBI CSI, under the direction
of the United States Attorneys Office. Working for the FBI from June 1981 to July 1982, I provided monetary payments and other considerations to various Philadelphia police officers in order to protect the prostitution and other vice activities at the "studios" and after‑hours club I operated. With my cooperation, the FBI made audio and video recordings of conversations between myself and corrupt police officers, documenting payoffs which I made to the corrupt police officers. I also provided source information and was debriefed on a frequent and regular basis by FBI agents concerning all aspects of my contacts and communications with Philadelphia police personnel. The primary FBI agents I reported to were Mike Thompson and Andy Lash. Other FBI agents also worked on the case including George Sherwood.
6. During this time frame I further became aware that there were also, at minimum, two other ongoing investigations of Philadelphia police personnel concurrent to the investigation I was involved in, one of which focused on police extortion of payoffs from homosexual, "gay" bars in Philadelphia's Center City area. The other investigation focused on police extortion of payoffs from video gambling machines in bars and clubs.
7. Inspector John DeBenedeno took over as Comman&ng Officer of the Central Division of the Philadelphia Police Department on about June 1, 1981. I first met DeBenedeuo in August 1981. At that meeting DeBenedeno personally told me that when he took over the Central Division in June he had gathered his officers together and informed them that ffom that point on all payoffmoney was to be passed up to him
(DeBenedetto) whereupon he would retum to each vice squad member a sum of
money, about $50. During this conversation, DeBenedetto asked me if I had been making payments to any of his officers. When I infommed him that I had been paying $soo a month to a vice officer, George Woods, DeBenedetto became outraged because Woods had not been delivering that money to him (DeBenedetto), and DeBenedetto said he would "take care of'Woods because he (Woods) had been &sloyal. A few days later DeBenedetto told me he had demoted Woods to the status of a unifommed officer and had transferred him to another district. I continued making payments to DeBenedetto during the fall of 1981 and the spring of 1982 via his Lieutenant, John Smith. The payments stopped on July 27, 1982 when Lt. Smith came to my apartment and told me that the police personnel would not be doing business with me any more.
8. I was introduced to DeBenedetto through an East Division ddective named Abe Schwartz and through the headquarters inspector in charge of the homicide division (and other &visions), James CarGni. I had met. Schwartz independently of the FBI investigation, through my personal accountant. I became ffiendlly with Schwartz and provided him with favors of various types, and had the manager of my Vine Street "modeling stu&o" arrange a private party with prostitutes for Schwartz and his ffiends, inclU&ng Carlini. It was Inspector CarGni who vouched for me to DeBenedetto and helped me fomm my relationship with DeBenedetto.
9. In the course of running my business and my &rect contact with Inspector DeBenedetto, I leamed that the in&vidual street prostitutes were also run and controlled by the police who demanded money, sexual favors and information from them in order for them to continue to work the streets with less ffequent arrests. I heard about a prostitute called Cynthia White, known as Lucky, who worked the streed and also went into a rival stu&o run by a woman named Tracy.
10. Prior to meeting DeBenedeno, during the summer of 1981, I had been making payments of $500 or more per month to a Central Division vice officer named George Woods. Despite my payments to George Woods, he demanded that I allow vice officers to make perio&c arrests at the Vne Street studio in order to keep up the appearance of law enforcement. Woods would provide me advance waming of the planned arrests. I would offer a prostitute up to be arrested. Woods further demanded a payment of $75 to speed up the booking of the prostitutes, telling me he would use this money to bribe the booking officer and court personnel to expedite the process and shorten the time the prostitute would spend in jail.
11. Although Philadelphia prosecutors rardy prosecuted prostitutes seriously, the mere fact of the arrest and bookmg procedure was a serious harassment for the prostitute because it interfered with the prostitute's abiGty to make money, having been removed ffom the opportunity to do so for a period of time. I made payments to the police to speed up the booking process. While the owners of the brothels provided cash protection payments, the in&vidual girls were expected not only to have sex but to provide infom~ation about in&viduals. If in&vidual girls &dn't pay up, they would be run into jail. These women had to pay and when the police needed a human sacrifice for a particular club, they got a human sacrifice.
12. In addition to these regular payments to high‑ranking Central Division officials and the vice officers, we also made payments of $75 per week to uniformed Central Division police officers to let the Morning Glory continue serving alcohol after 3:00 a.m., which was the mandatory termination time for the sale of alcohol by state law. Unifommed officers would perform routine "club checks" at the Morning Glory and other after‑hours clubs to count the number of people at the clubs. The purpose of collecting this information was to help them detem~ine how much of a payoffthey should demand. Officers would also park outside of my Vine Street "modeGng studio" to count the number of customers entering the estabGshment, so they could detem~ine whether business was good or bad. On occasion when I complained to DeBenedetto and other Central Division officers that my business was slow, they infommed me that they knew this was not true, because they were surveilling my businesses.
13. Throughout my work as a CSI, the officers who were receiving payoffs expressed concem about possible FBI wiretaps and surveillance regar&ng their activities. It was clear they suspected that FBI investigations were being conducted. The officers were sometimes reluctant to physically enter my apartment or to &scuss the payoffs and related business there, and often iosisted on meeting in restaurants or in their own cars io order to conceal their activities. Once, during a meeting with George Woods in June 1981, I mentioned that I had been to a bar called the Waiting Room and Woods got very upset and told me that the "Feds" had the Waiting Room "so f‑cking wired it ain't funny." Woods told me to stay away from that bar. The police often accused me of talking about tbeir taking of pay off money and other favors. At ~h DeBenedetto in March 1982 he accused me of mentioning his name in three city bars and stated I had a "big mouth." In this same discussion he told me that he was not going to leave messages on my aoswering machine. On several occasions when the FBI wanted me to wear a recording device (a "wire") to meetings with Central Division police, I did not do so because I was affaid I would be searched. In fact, I was searched on one occasion by vice Officer Larry Molloy prior to a meeting with Lt. John Smith in March 1982. Present during this meeting also were John Smith and DeBenedetto, and I was physically searched by Smith prior to this March 1982 meeting. It was clear to me I would be in serious physical danger, possibly even killed, if my role as an FBI CSI was revealed.
14. At the beginning of December 1981 the FBI agents instructed me to stop making my monthly payment to the Central Division police. They wanted to step up the investigation to get more evidence &rectly Gnking John DeBenedetto to the corruption and were ffustrated that DeBenedetto was usiog a middlleman, Lt. John Smith, to pick up the payments. The agents thought that if I stopped making payments it would lure DeBenedetto into approaching me directly and incriminating himself. I was also upset that despite my payments the morals squad had actually made arrests at my "studio."
15. On about January 13, 1982, Abe Schwartz told me that the problems of the recent arrests stemmed ffom a recent murder in the center city area. On approximately January 29, 1982, Schwartz told me that he was concemed that the FBI was "tapping" (placing listening devices on) public phones. He told me that two FBI agents had been spotted by police in the vicinity of 19~ and Market Streets. Schwartz told me that
"everyone" was worried about the federal officers and their investigations,
16. Schwartz asked me to help him conduct a "sweep" (a countemmeasure or "debugging" iospection) of the East Division for "bugs." I went to the East Division headquarters and while there saw a police Inspector named Alphonso Giordano. I knew Giordano personally because he often went to the Morning Glory after‑hours club. He was part of a group of police officers who were "all &rty"‑‑ engaged in corruption activities.
When Giordano saw me at the East Division, he became upset and told Schwartz that he (Schwartz) shouldn't have brought me there, that "he [11 probably works for the f_cking FBI."
17. I began making payments to the police again the spring of 1982 after a meeting with DeBenedetto, in which he made very incriminating statements, which the FBI agents and I recorded. In July 1982, Lt. John Smith told me the police wanted to stop doing business with me and I stopped making the payments.
18. I reported all my conversations and activities with Philadelphia police officers during this period of time to the FBI agents who ran the investigation,
DONALD HERSING
Swom to before me
this (2~day of May 1999.
____________________________
Notary Public
RACHEL WOLKENSTEIN
l~ny P~; State of New York
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned attorney hereby certifies that on Mav 4. 2001, pursuant to 28 USC 2241 and 2254 et seq., a true copy of the foregoing pleading was served on all parties by placing the same in a sealed envelope with first‑class postage fully prepaid affxed thereto and addressed as follows:
Lynne Abraharn, District Attorney
Hugh Burns, Jr., Acting Chief, Appeals Unit
Donna Zucker, Chief, Federal Litigation
Ronald Eisenberg, Deputy District Attorney
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
1421 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
J. MICHAEL FARRELL
Attorney‑at‑Law
718 Arch Street, Suite 402 South
Philadelphia, PA 19106
l
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
_
M1JMIA ABU‑JAMAL )
)
Petitioner, )
) Case No. 99 Civ. 5089 (YOHN)
‑vs‑ )
MARTIN HORN, Commissioner, )
Pennsylvania Department of Correction, )
and CONNOR BLAINE, Superintendent of )
the State Correctional Institution at Greene, )
Respondents
AFFIDAVIT OF DONALD HERSING
AFFIDAV1T OF DONALD BERSING
STATE OF NEW YORK)
)
COUNTY OF KINGS
ss.:
Donald Hersing, being duly sworn, deposes and says:
I. My name is Donald Hersing. From May 1981 through November 1982I was employed as a confidential source of information (CSI) for the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI), within an investigation relative to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Police Department, which involved among other things police extortion of payoffs for the purpose of allowing prostitution and other vice‑related activities to take place in Philadelphia's Center City area.
2. In February 1983, based largely on my testimony consequent to my work as a CSI, the Federal Grand Jury indicted former Central Division inspector} Jobn DeBenedetto and six other, former officers; John Smith, Abe Schwartz, Vincent McBride, and Larry Molloy, on charges relating to conspiracy, bribery and the extortion of money, and other considerations, to protect prostitution and vice activities. James CarGni, tbe former Headquarters Inspector in charge of the homicide &vision, was named as an 'bain&cted co‑conspirator." In May 1983 the five indicted men were tried and I was a central prosecution witness against them. AU five were convicted. The investigation in which I participated led to further, additional corruption in&ctments and to the convictions of about two dozen other Philadelphia police officers, inclu&ng former Deputy Commissioner John Martin, and former Inspector Alphonso Giordano, for corruption during the early 1980s.
3. Before assisting the FBI in Philadelphia in the police corruption investigation, I previously had worked as a private investigator, and had served in an investigative and CSI capacity for law enforcement agencies in other areas, and relative to other mauers. I also worked with sophisticated police equipment and was very familiar with sophisticated eavesdropping and countermeasures (de‑bugging) equipment. For many years I sold sophisticated eavesdropping and countermeasures equipment to governments in the Caribbean region and in Latin America.
4. In the time frame from 1981 through 1982 I was involved with the FBI in the operation of "modeling studios" at 1245 Vine Street and 2209 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, which were in realty houses of prostitution. I was also involved in the operation of an after‑hours club called the "Morning Glory" on 1437 Vine Street in Philadelphia. During the course of the investigation, the FBI set up cameras outside the Morning Glory in order to video all those who entered the club. Central Division police, including Inspector DeBenedeno, his Lieutenant John Smith, vice officers and uniformed officers received monetary payments and other considerations from me for protection of these activities and operations. Central Division police officers also sought and received free sexual favors from the prostitutes. It was known to me that Central Division police collected similar payoffs and received similar considerations throughout the Center City from prostitutes, pimps, and owners of heterosexual and homosexual clubs and bars.
5. In May 1981 I offered to provide services as a CSI to the FB1, with regard to payoffs to Philadelphia police personnel. I began working as an FBI CSI, under the direction
of the United States Attorneys Office. Working for the FBI from June 1981 to July 1982, I provided monetary payments and other considerations to various Philadelphia police officers in order to protect the prostitution and other vice activities at the "studios" and after‑hours club I operated. With my cooperation, the FBI made audio and video recordings of conversations between myself and corrupt police officers, documenting payoffs which I made to the corrupt police officers. I also provided source information and was debriefed on a frequent and regular basis by FBI agents concerning all aspects of my contacts and communications with Philadelphia police personnel. The primary FBI agents I reported to were Mike Thompson and Andy Lash. Other FBI agents also worked on the case including George Sherwood.
6. During this time frame I further became aware that there were also, at minimum, two other ongoing investigations of Philadelphia police personnel concurrent to the investigation I was involved in, one of which focused on police extortion of payoffs from homosexual, "gay" bars in Philadelphia's Center City area. The other investigation focused on police extortion of payoffs from video gambling machines in bars and clubs.
7. Inspector John DeBenedeno took over as Comman&ng Officer of the Central Division of the Philadelphia Police Department on about June 1, 1981. I first met DeBenedeuo in August 1981. At that meeting DeBenedeno personally told me that when he took over the Central Division in June he had gathered his officers together and informed them that ffom that point on all payoffmoney was to be passed up to him
(DeBenedetto) whereupon he would retum to each vice squad member a sum of
money, about $50. During this conversation, DeBenedetto asked me if I had been making payments to any of his officers. When I infommed him that I had been paying $soo a month to a vice officer, George Woods, DeBenedetto became outraged because Woods had not been delivering that money to him (DeBenedetto), and DeBenedetto said he would "take care of'Woods because he (Woods) had been &sloyal. A few days later DeBenedetto told me he had demoted Woods to the status of a unifommed officer and had transferred him to another district. I continued making payments to DeBenedetto during the fall of 1981 and the spring of 1982 via his Lieutenant, John Smith. The payments stopped on July 27, 1982 when Lt. Smith came to my apartment and told me that the police personnel would not be doing business with me any more.
8. I was introduced to DeBenedetto through an East Division ddective named Abe Schwartz and through the headquarters inspector in charge of the homicide division (and other &visions), James CarGni. I had met. Schwartz independently of the FBI investigation, through my personal accountant. I became ffiendlly with Schwartz and provided him with favors of various types, and had the manager of my Vine Street "modeling stu&o" arrange a private party with prostitutes for Schwartz and his ffiends, inclU&ng Carlini. It was Inspector CarGni who vouched for me to DeBenedetto and helped me fomm my relationship with DeBenedetto.
9. In the course of running my business and my &rect contact with Inspector DeBenedetto, I leamed that the in&vidual street prostitutes were also run and controlled by the police who demanded money, sexual favors and information from them in order for them to continue to work the streets with less ffequent arrests. I heard about a prostitute called Cynthia White, known as Lucky, who worked the streed and also went into a rival stu&o run by a woman named Tracy.
10. Prior to meeting DeBenedeno, during the summer of 1981, I had been making payments of $500 or more per month to a Central Division vice officer named George Woods. Despite my payments to George Woods, he demanded that I allow vice officers to make perio&c arrests at the Vne Street studio in order to keep up the appearance of law enforcement. Woods would provide me advance waming of the planned arrests. I would offer a prostitute up to be arrested. Woods further demanded a payment of $75 to speed up the booking of the prostitutes, telling me he would use this money to bribe the booking officer and court personnel to expedite the process and shorten the time the prostitute would spend in jail.
11. Although Philadelphia prosecutors rardy prosecuted prostitutes seriously, the mere fact of the arrest and bookmg procedure was a serious harassment for the prostitute because it interfered with the prostitute's abiGty to make money, having been removed ffom the opportunity to do so for a period of time. I made payments to the police to speed up the booking process. While the owners of the brothels provided cash protection payments, the in&vidual girls were expected not only to have sex but to provide infom~ation about in&viduals. If in&vidual girls &dn't pay up, they would be run into jail. These women had to pay and when the police needed a human sacrifice for a particular club, they got a human sacrifice.
12. In addition to these regular payments to high‑ranking Central Division officials and the vice officers, we also made payments of $75 per week to uniformed Central Division police officers to let the Morning Glory continue serving alcohol after 3:00 a.m., which was the mandatory termination time for the sale of alcohol by state law. Unifommed officers would perform routine "club checks" at the Morning Glory and other after‑hours clubs to count the number of people at the clubs. The purpose of collecting this information was to help them detem~ine how much of a payoffthey should demand. Officers would also park outside of my Vine Street "modeGng studio" to count the number of customers entering the estabGshment, so they could detem~ine whether business was good or bad. On occasion when I complained to DeBenedetto and other Central Division officers that my business was slow, they infommed me that they knew this was not true, because they were surveilling my businesses.
13. Throughout my work as a CSI, the officers who were receiving payoffs expressed concem about possible FBI wiretaps and surveillance regar&ng their activities. It was clear they suspected that FBI investigations were being conducted. The officers were sometimes reluctant to physically enter my apartment or to &scuss the payoffs and related business there, and often iosisted on meeting in restaurants or in their own cars io order to conceal their activities. Once, during a meeting with George Woods in June 1981, I mentioned that I had been to a bar called the Waiting Room and Woods got very upset and told me that the "Feds" had the Waiting Room "so f‑cking wired it ain't funny." Woods told me to stay away from that bar. The police often accused me of talking about tbeir taking of pay off money and other favors. At ~h DeBenedetto in March 1982 he accused me of mentioning his name in three city bars and stated I had a "big mouth." In this same discussion he told me that he was not going to leave messages on my aoswering machine. On several occasions when the FBI wanted me to wear a recording device (a "wire") to meetings with Central Division police, I did not do so because I was affaid I would be searched. In fact, I was searched on one occasion by vice Officer Larry Molloy prior to a meeting with Lt. John Smith in March 1982. Present during this meeting also were John Smith and DeBenedetto, and I was physically searched by Smith prior to this March 1982 meeting. It was clear to me I would be in serious physical danger, possibly even killed, if my role as an FBI CSI was revealed.
14. At the beginning of December 1981 the FBI agents instructed me to stop making my monthly payment to the Central Division police. They wanted to step up the investigation to get more evidence &rectly Gnking John DeBenedetto to the corruption and were ffustrated that DeBenedetto was usiog a middlleman, Lt. John Smith, to pick up the payments. The agents thought that if I stopped making payments it would lure DeBenedetto into approaching me directly and incriminating himself. I was also upset that despite my payments the morals squad had actually made arrests at my "studio."
15. On about January 13, 1982, Abe Schwartz told me that the problems of the recent arrests stemmed ffom a recent murder in the center city area. On approximately January 29, 1982, Schwartz told me that he was concemed that the FBI was "tapping" (placing listening devices on) public phones. He told me that two FBI agents had been spotted by police in the vicinity of 19~ and Market Streets. Schwartz told me that
"everyone" was worried about the federal officers and their investigations,
16. Schwartz asked me to help him conduct a "sweep" (a countemmeasure or "debugging" iospection) of the East Division for "bugs." I went to the East Division headquarters and while there saw a police Inspector named Alphonso Giordano. I knew Giordano personally because he often went to the Morning Glory after‑hours club. He was part of a group of police officers who were "all &rty"‑‑ engaged in corruption activities.
When Giordano saw me at the East Division, he became upset and told Schwartz that he (Schwartz) shouldn't have brought me there, that "he [11 probably works for the f_cking FBI."
17. I began making payments to the police again the spring of 1982 after a meeting with DeBenedetto, in which he made very incriminating statements, which the FBI agents and I recorded. In July 1982, Lt. John Smith told me the police wanted to stop doing business with me and I stopped making the payments.
18. I reported all my conversations and activities with Philadelphia police officers during this period of time to the FBI agents who ran the investigation,
DONALD HERSING
Swom to before me
this (2~day of May 1999.
____________________________
Notary Public
RACHEL WOLKENSTEIN
l~ny P~; State of New York
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned attorney hereby certifies that on Mav 4. 2001, pursuant to 28 USC 2241 and 2254 et seq., a true copy of the foregoing pleading was served on all parties by placing the same in a sealed envelope with first‑class postage fully prepaid affxed thereto and addressed as follows:
Lynne Abraharn, District Attorney
Hugh Burns, Jr., Acting Chief, Appeals Unit
Donna Zucker, Chief, Federal Litigation
Ronald Eisenberg, Deputy District Attorney
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
1421 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
J. MICHAEL FARRELL
Attorney‑at‑Law
718 Arch Street, Suite 402 South
Philadelphia, PA 19106
l
Darktooth said:
yes, i know tons of my friends would admit to murder just so i got off.
i'm also sure tons of cia and fbi informants are willing to risk their lives and 'lie' about how corrupt the philadelphia police were back then.
you are a moron. go back to facethejury.com and get your rocks off.
Darktooth said:Ok, but why would Mumia say this?
"Cook [Mumia] bragged to emergency room staff that he had shot the "pig", and that he hoped he was dead."
For what reason? Why?
Unless that whole cop page is feeding bogus information
he never said he 'shot the pig'. as for the latter statement, id sure as fuck hope a cop was dead if i just got shot too.
some of america's most intelligent people (jello biafra) have been avid defenders of mumia's case for the last decade. in fact, when biafra ran for president he chose mumia as his running partner. search on whichever file sharing program you use and type in...jello biafra mumia...and listen to his spoken word piece on this.
smokinghawk
New member
I think there's no doubt Mumia had a terrible trial--but a lot of that was his own fault.
I also think he's guilty. Should he be retried? Sure. Freed? Nope. I think he did it.
Leonard Peltier--now THAT man is as innocent as they come, by such overwhelming mountains of evidence...I'll back Peltier with every ounce of my energy, but not Mumia.
I also think he's guilty. Should he be retried? Sure. Freed? Nope. I think he did it.
Leonard Peltier--now THAT man is as innocent as they come, by such overwhelming mountains of evidence...I'll back Peltier with every ounce of my energy, but not Mumia.
smokinghawk said:
I can live with that statement. If you think mumia is guilty of killing the cop, fine, but at least view both sides before making an opinion. Darktooth read some shit on a biased website and formed an opinion based on it. freemumia.com/org may be biased but they have court filed affidavits as evidence from people who have no reason to be biased.
let's say he did kill the cop. if i saw a close relative getting beaten with a nightstick by a cop for a simple traffic violation i'd blow his head off too.
fuck all the crooked cops and fuck america's crooked government officials. they should all have their heads blown off.
Darktooth said:
no, they should be put in prison for x amount of time deemed necessary. (assuming the crime they commited was worthy of this)
i've been put in jail before. do i have any vengeance for the cop? no. i commited a crime that deserved to put me in jail. he did his job and a good one at that. i'll be getting off since theres so many damn loopholes in today's law but any cop who arrests someone who commited a crime that was unjust is doing good work.
Darktooth said:
let's not change the discussion to drugs. but if you can show some scientific proof marijuana in moderation is worse for me than all these people taking psych. meds, etc. please do. since you can't, back to the subject at hand.
it's pretty hypocritcal you have the closed minds... as a signature considering both things we've argued about in this thread are opinions you let others form for you.
by the way, do me a favor and visit a patient at the nearest hospital thats prescribed to medical marijuana for glaucoma and tell him/her that it's bad for them.
you're a college student, right? i assume you drink. if not, then ignore this. but how many crimes are commited because of influence from drinking? how many different diseases can you get from drinking? how many lives and family's are ruined because of alcohol?
so why isn't alcohol illegal? tax profit for the government. same with tobacco. it's bullshit and everyone knows it.
just like back in the early 30's (i think it was 32) when they had prohibition. the local cops would take bribes from bar owners to allow them to stay open. that's exactly what it is today only on a much larger scale.
so why isn't alcohol illegal? tax profit for the government. same with tobacco. it's bullshit and everyone knows it.
just like back in the early 30's (i think it was 32) when they had prohibition. the local cops would take bribes from bar owners to allow them to stay open. that's exactly what it is today only on a much larger scale.
Darktooth said:
I formed my opinion from affidavits submitted to court and factual evidence presented in court. The corruption and racism in the Philly PD (including faulkner) back then was so extreme I wouldn't put any of this past them. Also, you have an ordinary citizen admitting to the murder. He had no ties to mumia yet still admits to the murder. Why would he make it up?
Like I said earlier, let's say he did do it. You're telling me that if you had a gun (licensed to carry because he was a taxi driver) and you saw your brother getting beaten with a nightclub by a police officer (they've prooved this with bloodstains in the car and he was admitted to the hospital) you wouldn't shoot the cop?
As for marijuana, if you don't smoke it, don't let the law influence your opinion on it, and have no evidence that it causes harm in moderation, why do you think it's bad for you?
F
Frackal
Guest
Some decent points made by that guy, but ALOT of fucking idiotic ones... he's got to be kidding with at least 1/2 of what he said.
W
Warik
Guest
The question is, if he has already been found guilty of murder, WHY IS HE STILL ALIVE?
SofaGeorge
New member
Warik said:
Mumia was a journalist... and he and supporters have used the media to create an extensive smoke screen to try to obscure the facts of his case.
He was caught cold.
Unfortunately, people like MyLife have limited experience in investigating these types of cases first hand. He is forced to rely on the information presented/fabricated by supporters of a man who convicted murder and is trying desperately to get his conviction overturned.
I've reviewed his case and documentation extensively. I've seen NOTHING credible that supports any claim of innocence.
Mumia supporters also neatly ignore the overwhelming evidence that lead to his conviction.
Doktor Bollix
New member
I agree. The best article I've read about Mumia
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/12/21/mumia/index.html
"Mumia Abu-Jamal may be a symbol of racism to the celebrity set, but to most black people, he's just a scary character who probably got what he deserved."
Supporting this guy is a fashion statement, that's all. If you are seriously concerned about injustice, he should be way down the list of priorities.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/12/21/mumia/index.html
"Mumia Abu-Jamal may be a symbol of racism to the celebrity set, but to most black people, he's just a scary character who probably got what he deserved."
Supporting this guy is a fashion statement, that's all. If you are seriously concerned about injustice, he should be way down the list of priorities.
F
Frackal
Guest
I've browsed through a book of his my sister owned...I didnt get the impression he was innocent of the crime either...
Puc
Banned
darktooth is really stupid.
reading a police propoganda website and taking it as gospel.
lol....
i have read through both sites, and neither seems reliable. i'll trust sofageorges analysis of the evidence, though. so, i will surmise that he is guilty.
see how i did that darktooth? it is called THINKING. learn how to do it sometime. it is a bit more challenging than blindly following the cool kids, but much more rewarding, too...
reading a police propoganda website and taking it as gospel.
lol....
i have read through both sites, and neither seems reliable. i'll trust sofageorges analysis of the evidence, though. so, i will surmise that he is guilty.
see how i did that darktooth? it is called THINKING. learn how to do it sometime. it is a bit more challenging than blindly following the cool kids, but much more rewarding, too...
SofaGeorge said:
I've read both sides. My opinion is that he is innocent. Am I positive? Hell no. That's why I've never made the 3 hour trip to any rallys or put any effort towards trying to help him out.
Whether or not he is guilty, I don't think he should get the death penalty since the reason he shot him, if he did, was to protect his brother from being beaten.
I'm not seriously concerned about this subject. I just found it hilarious Darktooth was basing his opinion off a police website and made posts for the 'other side.'
lol. it probably does come off like that. like i said above, this isn't an issue for me, i just gave my opinion.
Puc
Banned
lol... drugs fry your brain.
that is fine analysis. you might have learned that from a fucking government sponsored commercial.
and no, darkandgay, you made your opinion after reading only the police site. You also failed to qualify your opinion. You did not say "I don't have all the facts, but..." Instead, you spouted that crap as gospel.
I said I SURMISE he is guilty.
go to www.dictionary.com and look this word up. then come back and talk to me.
that is fine analysis. you might have learned that from a fucking government sponsored commercial.
and no, darkandgay, you made your opinion after reading only the police site. You also failed to qualify your opinion. You did not say "I don't have all the facts, but..." Instead, you spouted that crap as gospel.
I said I SURMISE he is guilty.
go to www.dictionary.com and look this word up. then come back and talk to me.
Darktooth said:
Oh yeah, about the drugs... No, they don't fry your brain at all, they do nothing to your brain
That's why I walk over bums on the sidewalk with needles sticking out, and they're passed out on the ground with rolled back eyes and drool coming out. That's why I see drug addicts screaming and yelling at nothing. That's why I see addicts who are so far out there that nothing in the world matters to them anymore except for their next high. They are all fucked up in the head, all of them. They have no where to go and they can't do shit because all of those drugs fucked them up. Their brains got fried.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that drugs fry your brain... So maybe when you stop doing those cocktails of drugs, you will see a little more clearly.
i don't think anyone here is a heroin junkie.
earlier i asked you this...
As for marijuana, if you don't smoke it, don't let the law influence your opinion on it, and have no evidence that it causes harm in moderation, why do you think it's bad for you?
will you answer it? i'm only talking about cannabis, nothing else. i've never dabbled in any other drug or researched anything on them but i've seen what you're talking about 1st hand and it is pretty sick.
Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users.
Pope HG Jr, Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Huestis MA, Yurgelun-Todd D.
McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
BACKGROUND: Although cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States, its long-term cognitive effects remain inadequately studied. METHODS: We recruited individuals aged 30 to 55 years in 3 groups: (1) 63 current heavy users who had smoked cannabis at least 5000 times in their lives and who were smoking daily at study entry; (2) 45 former heavy users who had also smoked at least 5000 times but fewer than 12 times in the last 3 months; and (3) 72 control subjects who had smoked no more than 50 times in their lives. Subjects underwent a 28-day washout from cannabis use, monitored by observed urine samples. On days 0, 1, 7, and 28, we administered a neuropsychological test battery to assess general intellectual function, abstraction ability, sustained attention, verbal fluency, and ability to learn and recall new verbal and visuospatial information. Test results were analyzed by repeated-measures regression analysis, adjusting for potentially confounding variables. RESULTS: At days 0, 1, and 7, current heavy users scored significantly below control subjects on recall of word lists, and this deficit was associated with users' urinary 11-nor-9-carboxy-Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations at study entry. By day 28, however, there were virtually no significant differences among the groups on any of the test results, and no significant associations between cumulative lifetime cannabis use and test scores. CONCLUSION: Some cognitive deficits appear detectable at least 7 days after heavy cannabis use but appear reversible and related to recent cannabis exposure rather than irreversible and related to cumulative lifetime use.
PMID: 11576028 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Preliminary observation with dronabinol in patients with intractable pruritus secondary to cholestatic liver disease.
Neff GW, O'Brien CB, Reddy KR, Bergasa NV, Regev A, Molina E, Amaro R, Rodriguez MJ, Chase V, Jeffers L, Schiff E.
Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida, USA.
Pruritus due to cholestatic liver disease can be particularly difficult to manage and frequently is intractable to a variety of medical therapies. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) for intractable cholestatic related pruritus (ICRP) that has failed conventional (and unconventional) remedies. Three patients were evaluated for plasmapheresis because of ICRP. All 3 patients had previously been extensively treated with standard therapies for ICRP including: diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, cholestyramine, rifampicin, phenobarbital, doxepin, naltrexone, UV therapy, and topical lotions. Even multiple courses of plasmapheresis were performed without any benefit for the intractable pruritus. All patients reported significant decreases in their quality of life, including lack of sleep, depression, inability to work, and suicidal ideations. All patients were started on 5 mg of delta-9-THC (***active chemical in marijuana((() at bedtime. All 3 patients reported a decrease in pruritus, marked improvement in sleep, and eventually were able to return to work. Resolution of depression occurred in two of three. Side effects related to the drug include one patient experiencing a disturbance in coordination. Marinol dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg in this patient with resolution of symptoms. The duration of antipruritic effect is approximately 4-6 hrs in all three patients suggesting the need for more frequent dosing. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol may be an effective alternative in patients with intractable cholestatic pruritus.
Treatment of Tourette's Syndrome with Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): A Randomized Crossover Trial.
Muller-Vahl KR, Schneider U, Koblenz A, Jobges M, Kolbe H, Daldrup T, Emrich HM.
Department of Clinical Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School. [email protected]
Anecdotal reports in Tourette's syndrome (TS) have suggested that marijuana (cannabis sativa) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), the major psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, reduce tics and associated behavioral disorders. We performed a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover single-dose trial of Delta(9)-THC (5.0, 7.5 or 10.0 mg) in 12 adult TS patients. Tic severity was assessed using a self-rating scale (Tourette's syndrome Symptom List, TSSL) and examiner ratings (Shapiro Tourette's syndrome Severity Scale, Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, Tourette's syndrome Global Scale). Using the TSSL, patients also rated the severity of associated behavioral disorders. Clinical changes were correlated to maximum plasma levels of THC and its metabolites 11-hydroxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) and 11-nor-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH). Using the TSSL, there was a significant improvement of tics (p=0.015) and obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCB) (p = 0.041) after treatment with Delta(9)-THC compared to placebo. Examiner ratings demonstrated a significant difference for the subscore "complex motor tics" (p = 0.015) and a trend towards a significant improvement for the subscores "motor tics" (p = 0.065), "simple motor tics" (p = 0.093), and "vocal tics" (p = 0.093). No serious adverse reactions occurred. Five patients experienced mild, transient side effects. There was a significant correlation between tic improvement and maximum 11-OH-THC plasma concentration. Results obtained from this pilot study suggest that a single-dose treatment with Delta(9)-THC is effective and safe in treating tics and OCB in TS. It can be speculated that clinical effects may be caused by 11-OH-THC. A more long-term study is required to confirm these results.
Cannabinoids and brain injury: therapeutic implications.
Mechoulam R, Panikashvili D, Shohami E.
Dept of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Medical Faculty, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. [email protected]
Mounting in vitro and in vivo data suggest that the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, as well as some plant and synthetic cannabinoids, have neuroprotective effects following brain injury. Cannabinoid receptor agonists inhibit glutamatergic synaptic transmission and reduce the production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and reactive oxygen intermediates, which are factors in causing neuronal damage. The formation of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol is strongly enhanced after brain injury, and there is evidence that these compounds reduce the secondary damage incurred. Some plant and synthetic cannabinoids, which do not bind to the cannabinoid receptors, have also been shown to be neuroprotective, possibly through their direct effect on the excitatory glutamate system and/or as antioxidants.
PMID: 11815270 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMID: 11951146 [PubMed - in process]
Pope HG Jr, Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Huestis MA, Yurgelun-Todd D.
McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 115 Mill St, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
BACKGROUND: Although cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States, its long-term cognitive effects remain inadequately studied. METHODS: We recruited individuals aged 30 to 55 years in 3 groups: (1) 63 current heavy users who had smoked cannabis at least 5000 times in their lives and who were smoking daily at study entry; (2) 45 former heavy users who had also smoked at least 5000 times but fewer than 12 times in the last 3 months; and (3) 72 control subjects who had smoked no more than 50 times in their lives. Subjects underwent a 28-day washout from cannabis use, monitored by observed urine samples. On days 0, 1, 7, and 28, we administered a neuropsychological test battery to assess general intellectual function, abstraction ability, sustained attention, verbal fluency, and ability to learn and recall new verbal and visuospatial information. Test results were analyzed by repeated-measures regression analysis, adjusting for potentially confounding variables. RESULTS: At days 0, 1, and 7, current heavy users scored significantly below control subjects on recall of word lists, and this deficit was associated with users' urinary 11-nor-9-carboxy-Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations at study entry. By day 28, however, there were virtually no significant differences among the groups on any of the test results, and no significant associations between cumulative lifetime cannabis use and test scores. CONCLUSION: Some cognitive deficits appear detectable at least 7 days after heavy cannabis use but appear reversible and related to recent cannabis exposure rather than irreversible and related to cumulative lifetime use.
PMID: 11576028 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Preliminary observation with dronabinol in patients with intractable pruritus secondary to cholestatic liver disease.
Neff GW, O'Brien CB, Reddy KR, Bergasa NV, Regev A, Molina E, Amaro R, Rodriguez MJ, Chase V, Jeffers L, Schiff E.
Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida, USA.
Pruritus due to cholestatic liver disease can be particularly difficult to manage and frequently is intractable to a variety of medical therapies. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) for intractable cholestatic related pruritus (ICRP) that has failed conventional (and unconventional) remedies. Three patients were evaluated for plasmapheresis because of ICRP. All 3 patients had previously been extensively treated with standard therapies for ICRP including: diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, cholestyramine, rifampicin, phenobarbital, doxepin, naltrexone, UV therapy, and topical lotions. Even multiple courses of plasmapheresis were performed without any benefit for the intractable pruritus. All patients reported significant decreases in their quality of life, including lack of sleep, depression, inability to work, and suicidal ideations. All patients were started on 5 mg of delta-9-THC (***active chemical in marijuana((() at bedtime. All 3 patients reported a decrease in pruritus, marked improvement in sleep, and eventually were able to return to work. Resolution of depression occurred in two of three. Side effects related to the drug include one patient experiencing a disturbance in coordination. Marinol dosage was decreased to 2.5 mg in this patient with resolution of symptoms. The duration of antipruritic effect is approximately 4-6 hrs in all three patients suggesting the need for more frequent dosing. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol may be an effective alternative in patients with intractable cholestatic pruritus.
Treatment of Tourette's Syndrome with Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): A Randomized Crossover Trial.
Muller-Vahl KR, Schneider U, Koblenz A, Jobges M, Kolbe H, Daldrup T, Emrich HM.
Department of Clinical Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School. [email protected]
Anecdotal reports in Tourette's syndrome (TS) have suggested that marijuana (cannabis sativa) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), the major psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, reduce tics and associated behavioral disorders. We performed a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover single-dose trial of Delta(9)-THC (5.0, 7.5 or 10.0 mg) in 12 adult TS patients. Tic severity was assessed using a self-rating scale (Tourette's syndrome Symptom List, TSSL) and examiner ratings (Shapiro Tourette's syndrome Severity Scale, Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, Tourette's syndrome Global Scale). Using the TSSL, patients also rated the severity of associated behavioral disorders. Clinical changes were correlated to maximum plasma levels of THC and its metabolites 11-hydroxy-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) and 11-nor-Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH). Using the TSSL, there was a significant improvement of tics (p=0.015) and obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCB) (p = 0.041) after treatment with Delta(9)-THC compared to placebo. Examiner ratings demonstrated a significant difference for the subscore "complex motor tics" (p = 0.015) and a trend towards a significant improvement for the subscores "motor tics" (p = 0.065), "simple motor tics" (p = 0.093), and "vocal tics" (p = 0.093). No serious adverse reactions occurred. Five patients experienced mild, transient side effects. There was a significant correlation between tic improvement and maximum 11-OH-THC plasma concentration. Results obtained from this pilot study suggest that a single-dose treatment with Delta(9)-THC is effective and safe in treating tics and OCB in TS. It can be speculated that clinical effects may be caused by 11-OH-THC. A more long-term study is required to confirm these results.
Cannabinoids and brain injury: therapeutic implications.
Mechoulam R, Panikashvili D, Shohami E.
Dept of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Medical Faculty, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. [email protected]
Mounting in vitro and in vivo data suggest that the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, as well as some plant and synthetic cannabinoids, have neuroprotective effects following brain injury. Cannabinoid receptor agonists inhibit glutamatergic synaptic transmission and reduce the production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and reactive oxygen intermediates, which are factors in causing neuronal damage. The formation of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol is strongly enhanced after brain injury, and there is evidence that these compounds reduce the secondary damage incurred. Some plant and synthetic cannabinoids, which do not bind to the cannabinoid receptors, have also been shown to be neuroprotective, possibly through their direct effect on the excitatory glutamate system and/or as antioxidants.
PMID: 11815270 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMID: 11951146 [PubMed - in process]
Puc
Banned
darkclit...
i have tried many drugs. mostly because i am inquisitive and experimentation is in my nature. the only ones i have ever used regularly are ephedrine and ghb.
how are either of these going to fry my brain?
as mylife just posted, how is pot going to fry his brain?
you are a twat. you have to make things up to flame me. all i have to do is read the incoherent diatribes you post. that is all the ammunition i need.
i have tried many drugs. mostly because i am inquisitive and experimentation is in my nature. the only ones i have ever used regularly are ephedrine and ghb.
how are either of these going to fry my brain?
as mylife just posted, how is pot going to fry his brain?
you are a twat. you have to make things up to flame me. all i have to do is read the incoherent diatribes you post. that is all the ammunition i need.
smokinghawk
New member
mylife said:
Sure, but I have read about his case, from both sides. I know why the evidence against him is either questionable or quite good, depending on which source is giving it. I just think he did it.
It's just too much coincidence: the guys drives by RIGHT as he sees his brother getting arrested, pulls his taxi over, and then the cop ends up shot. Mumia's found sitting beside him, his own gun laying on the ground, with bullets missing but cases in the chamber still, himself bleeding from a defensive wound.
Then he insists on defending himself, and spends the whole trial acting like a fool by insulting the jury, judge, police, and everyone who will listen. But his followers protest, "He has a bad trial!" Of COURSE he did.
I can't figure out how he became the celebrity cause he is, when we've just released our 100th innocent person from DEATH ROW. Those guys were innocent, too--and proven such by DNA. Where were their rallies, fundraisers, and celebrity efforts? How did a weird, nonsense-babbling bizarro get a reputation for being "the voice of the voiceless?" (especially when Pam Africa's voice is shrill and loud, and she's a nutcase too).
Mumia seems to be all sensdationalism, with very little substance--at least not enough to make him anything more relevant than the hundreds of other innocents people in prison--and I don't even think he's innocent.
It just proves that so-called activists are really more cliquish than they want to think: they still rally around the popular people, not around the issue itself.
VicTusDeuS
New member
Throw mumia back in to the jungle with the rest of his bushmen
mylife said:
Biafra's
Autonomy Party Position Paper Fifty Three
Autonomy Party Paper Fifty Three
Salvation from Alcohol and Drugs
by Andrew Bushard
We choose compassion when it comes to drugs. We choose compassion
when we urge the destruction of alcohol culture. We choose compassion when we decide it's best not to treat addicted people meanly.
We also choose compassion when we support the establishment of state sponsored drug and alcohol addiction clinics to aid suffering addicts. We truly need these clinics, for it will be a mighty job to get all the former addicts back on track.
Humanity will soar, that is for sure, when addicts are guided with patience and care to emancipation. We believe a life free of drugs is the best life. We also believe humans can overcome tremendous obstacles. When our state sponsored clinics sprout up everywhere, no one will have an excuse to neglect treatment.
One of the greatest pains of human existence are drugs and alcohol. One of the greatest liberations is sXe. We will bring this beacon of light to the masses.
After all those rotten taverns are shut down, alcoholics and the addicts will need therapy. This way we can rebuild humanity. The helping hand is our plan, we shall save humanity from the burning building of alcohol and drugs.
I think society's purity will start to flourish again. We offer the hope the nation needs. Our aim is removing the disaster of alcohol in so many ways.
Our love of health demands that we promote the germination of human actualization. Life and culture has experienced a great amount of deprave circumstance due to the immoral actions of drug and alcohol peddlers. We are the ones who will fix the damage and encourage a profound rebuilding of society and culture. State sponsored addiction recovery clinics will do the addicts very well and such clinics are a necessary service of a caring state.
The justice of love is the result when clinics guide people to a more satisfying existence. We intend to pull humanity up. We intend to destroy the tools of evil like alcohol and drugs that inhibit the most profound potential. The clinics will lift our species up. The
reality will be truly amazing when it is unfolded.
Clinics are exactly the need for recovery. Alcohol and drug culture is a sick menace that will be overcome when we steer the reigns.
Join this fine party to see people's health rebound from the shackles of drugs and alcohol. Human society and health will flourish when the autonomy party reigns over every town.
[email protected]
http://bushard0.tripod.com/autonomyparty/
Andrew Bushard
I18
175 Briar Gate Road
Mankato, MN
56001
Personally I think this guy is a jackass
smokinghawk said:
I know you have. That's why I said I respect your opinion. The portion of my statement If you think mumia is guilty of killing the cop, fine, but at least view both sides before making an opinion. was directed towards everyone, not just you. I guess that came out wrong.
I don't mind if anyone here thinks he's guilty as long as they have a well formed opinion. The reason I jumped up darktooth's ass was because he was quick to judge before siding. Like I said before, this isn't an issue I actually care about. The 2 things I'd like to see are 1) a retrial and 2) taken off death row.
Puc
Banned
Darktooth said:
okay, so you HAVE NO IDEA how drugs could fry either of our brains.
So, why make the assumption that they are? media propaganda?
If you are curious as to my acumen, just trust it is greater than yours. if you want me to post copies of standardized tests, graduate exams, iq tests, and collegiate transcripts i will be glad to. Personally, i have found peoples posts, even if they are nothing more than chat board fodder, are elucidating also...
if your only claim that cannabis is bad is that it is inhaled, then is it okay if i just make brownies and cannabutter?
all you are doing is making yourself look stupid, darkgoob. Do you honestly think you can come on a STEROID board and make blanket statements like "drugs are bad" and not back them up?
i doubt you will find any sympathizers amongst those of us who have actually gone to the trouble to research the subject.
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