JUDGE AND BITTERMAN: BROWNNOSERS?

As we reflect on the tragic event that happened to Mr. Barry Deloatch, September 22, 2011, we can infer that the leadership in New Brunswick is very much flawed. The so-called leadership has given the community of New Brunswick a slew of empty promises. When you have flawed leadership when it pertains to "police brutality", you have a serious issues that remain dormant and still menacing in the community. Now New Brunswick Police have another victim (Victor Rodriguez) of "police brutality", that they can add on in their statistics of "Gestapo" like brutality.

All the while that police misconduct is happening; nobody in leadership has introduced an action plan to hold their police accountable in New Brunswick. What you have is law enforcement officials and politicians "scratching one another backs", even when their backs are not itching. It seems Mayor Cahill created a mirage of bridging the gap with his police and community. From my recollection, Mayor Cahill was to inform the community as to when his hearings on community policing were to take place. He released a statement to this affect and then abandoned the community forums after the first attempt. It appears that members of the community are frustrated and attend city council meetings to air their grievances, which they have a right to do.

Then you have alot of "conflict of interest" in the Barry Deloatch case. Attorney Lawrence Bitterman's daughter working as a Detective in the homicide unit with the prosecutor’s office, which is the same unit investigating the case. Another conflict of interest, are the top cops (Prosecutors Office) working in the same building as of the New Brunswick Police. So how can the people of New Brunswick community rest assure that there will be no potential "cover-ups", when police have to investigate their own? Another conflict of interest: in the wake of the Judge Travis Francis ruling in denying the Prosecutor’s Office request for “special grand jury”, which the main reason in calling for a special grand jury, is to minimize as much bias opinion in the case as possible, you have Bitterman boasting abot the endurance of their 30 year relationship.

For Judge Francis to deny the request raises eyebrows for the community. Lawrence Bitterman said, “I have known Judge Francis Both as a lawyer and judge for 30 years.”The questions that personally rise within me are, why Bitterman so blissful in Judge Francis ruling, denying the prosecutor’s request? Could it be the fact that Judge Francis and Bitterman, have had a working and personal relationship for 30 years? So is that the reason Judge Francis ruled against the Prosecutor’s Office? Judge Francis chose to not compromise his 30 year friendship with Bitterman. They say justice is blind. It is not so blind when the community and I can see that Judge Francis chose his friendship over ensuring that the Deloatch case receives fair treatment so justice can be served.

I thought Judge Francis took an oath; I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God. There is no real definitive reasoning on why Judge Francis denied the request. Judge Francis mentioned that he did not see any difference in this case than any other case.

There is a difference; the difference is that Judge Francis buddy, Lawrence Bitterman is defending Berdel and Mazan in this case which is clearly a conflict of interest. Bitterman is doing too much “brownnosing”, that is an injustice to not only sway the judge but also the potential grand jurors in this case. The community must step up their efforts, by way of creative protest to send a message to the justice system in New Brunswick, since they have already sent theirs!

Assistant City Attorney Charly Gayden, mention in an article, that people should come to the "table of reasoning" with solutions, instead of finger pointing. Well, I have solution. If Charly Hayden have been hired to "bridge the gaps" in the community, then she should encourage the prosecutor to present a strong enough case to indict Berdel and Mazan. That is one solution Mrs. Hayden can implement. Another solution, influence the people who works for the people of New Brunswick Community (City Council)., to endorse the letter requesting the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Divison to come in and investigate the Deloatch case, Rodriguez case as well as the New Brunswick Police Department.

Until that happens, like Fredrick Douglass said, "Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe."

Walter L. Hudson Sr.

Civil Rights Activist

Chairman/Founder

Community Awareness Alliance

Penns Grove, New Jersey

Black History Month: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

I am an avid reader of various reading materials. On February 5, 2012, I came across the Sunday's paper in "Today's Sunbeam." In the Editorial section in the paper, I became aware of a letter written by Senator Stephen Sweeney. In the letter, Senator Sweeney wrote about African-American History due to the fact of February is Black History Month. Senator Sweeney paid homage to the likes of Dr. Carter G. Woodson who is the founder father of Black History Month. He also made reference Harriet Tubman as being a champion of human rights. It was when Sweeney went on to mention Rosa Parks, who was considered "first lady of civil rights,” and how Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat on a public bus to a white passenger in 1955. That is when I felt compelled to write a letter to the editor, about knowledge I have come across studying and reading "African-American History" along with the "History of Slavery."

I hope that Senator Sweeney would come across my letter as I came across his letter. I want to enlighten and educate Senator Sweeney and others on black history facts that they may not know about. Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Through this association Dr. Carter G. Woodson wanted to give recognition to all African-Americans who have contributed and initiated movements that created revolutions for freedom, justice and equality in America.

When we talk about a person like Rosa Parks whom in fact was a true" pioneer" and "mother of the civil rights movement," we cannot forget to also pay homage and recognize a woman by the name of Claudette Colvin. Nine months before Rosa Parks refuse to give up her seat in Alabama, Claudette Colvin stood up segregation by refusing to give up her seat to a white woman. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People briefly considered using Colvin's case to challenge the segregation laws, but they decided against it because of her age. She also became pregnant around the time of her arrest, and they thought an unwed mother would attract too much negative attention in a public legal battle. She was only 15 years old at the time.

When asked why she is little known and why everyone thinks only of Rosa Parks, Colvin says the NAACP and all the other black organizations felt Parks would be a good icon because "she was an adult. They didn't think teenagers would be reliable." She also says "Parks had the right hair and the right look."
"Her skin texture was the kind that people associate with the middle class," says Colvin. "She fit that profile."

Although Rosa Parks receives the credit and recognition, we cannot forget about Claudette Colvin, without those two women where would we be as a people today living in the United States of America?
 “I knew then and I know now that, when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can't sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, This is not right."

—Claudette Colvin

YOU CAN NOT HAVE A FORUM WITHOUT THE PEOPLE AND KNOWLEDGE

On February 4, 2012, the Salem County NAACP conducted a forum dealing with resident complaints of police harassment. The problem was nobody really showed up, except myself and twelve others. The NAACP executive board mentioned several times, that if the people are being harassed, then why they are not here speaking about it? This is where the chapter NAACP leadership comes in at. Why would the NAACP expect for there to be a room full of people at the Saint Mathew Masonic Lodge, when leadership distributed the information the day of the event? Proper planning prevents poor performance. The forum was held on Saturday which is a day where families have already made arrangement of their day. That makes me think the chapter NAACP did not want a room full of people speaking against the Penns Grove Police Department. The information could have been conveyed well in advance if the leadership wanted full community participation.

During the forum, personnel from the executive board had said that many people complain about the Penns Grove Police yet when they look into the matter, they see that no complaint was ever filed. With my interaction in the community, I have gathered from the people, they feel as though, what is the use of filing a complaint when "nothing ever happens." A lot of the residents experience that when they do file a complaint against the police, the police step up their agitation against the people. I asked the NAACP Executive Board, "is there something they can do to look into the Penns Grove Police files, to determine who the problematic officers on the force are?" Mayor Washington who sits on the board said, "No, I will not allow outside organization to look into my police department." How does the chapter NAACP expect people to feel comfortable and come forward to file a complaint against the allege officer(s), when the leadership will not execute promoting police accountability?

A study was done by the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey (LLANJ). The statistics show Penns Grove Police rank number one in South Jersey in "Use of Force" and "Use of Force Complaints". Compared to Camden which is the biggest city in South Jersey and also has an 200 man police force, Penns Grove Police has 14 to 16 man force that accounts for 66% of the "Use of Force" and "Use of Force Complaints", which beat out Camden Police. Camden has a population of 77,344 people. I believe given the statistical data that warrants an investigation into the police department, to weed out the problematic officers who are imploring their "Gestapo" like tactics on the people. Also, there are four police officers from Penns Grove going to federal court now, for civil rights violation against a Hispanic family.  I am currently involved in a "police brutality" case in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where two police officers shot an unarm, African-American in the back, who had no guns, no drugs and no warrants. I co-organized a protest consisting of 300 to 400 people. After the intense march applied pressure on the New Brunswick Police, that next week a former Police Sgt., from Internal Affairs was indicted for mishandling 81 internal affair complaints.

Here you have a situation where the people were filing complaints, yet they were being thrown away or lost. It does not matter whether you file a complaint or not, if leadership does not hold their police department accountable for their actions, then the local provocation on the people by the people, who swore to protect and serve, will continue. Several times when the President and Vice-President were addressed with questions in regards to law of civil rights, they had no answer, and their only response was, "If we do not know we can get the answer."

That is strange in my opinion, because if the President and Vice-President receive a complaint and conduct their own investigation, are their findings in their investigation base off of their own assumption or is it base off actual knowledge of civil right laws? If the President and Vice-President have no true knowledge of civil rights laws, then how can they conduct a fair assessment investigation? In my opinion, I think the President and Vice-President of the Salem County Chapter of the NAACP, should have their legal personnel conducting the investigation, because their can actually be a legitimate civil rights violation in which may become overlooked because they are not trained in civil rights law. The President and Vice-President are just holding a position. When you do not have knowledge in an area of dealing with people and law, you cannot seek true justice and you are actually doing the people a disservice in making sure their rights are not compromised.

"We write because we believe the human spirit cannot be tamed and should not be trained."

Nikki Giovanni

ACTIVISM: BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND PEOPLE ARE STILL DIVIDED.

ACTIVISM: BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND PEOPLE ARE STILL DIVIDED.: In the month of February, as many people know is black history month. Though we are still faced with many different challenges in the United...