softheart
08-17-2004, 02:24 PM
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Aug. 19, 2004
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
FREED FROM DEATH ROW, AARON PATTERSON FACES NEW
FRAME-UP
By Louis Paulsen
Chicago
On Aug. 5, Chicago police and federal agents arrested
Aaron Patterson--
one of Chicago's best-known activists who was released
from Illinois
death row in January 2003--on charges of selling drugs
and receiving
guns from an informer known as "Fox." Two others were
also charged.
"Fox" had other charges dropped and was paid $6,000
for setting up
Patterson. At his arraignment, Patterson charged that
he had known "Fox"
was an agent, and had been working with reporters and
a film crew to
make a documentary about police corruption.
Patterson was one of the victims of Jon Burge, Chicago
police lieutenant
and torturer who used techniques like suffocation and
electric shock to
extract "confessions" from African-American men.
Patterson was convicted
of murder in 1986 and sentenced to die on the basis of
one such
statement. Although Burge was fired in 1993, Cook
County States Attorney
Richard Devine has refused to admit responsibility for
as many as 100
torture cases.
In a news conference, Devine called Patterson's arrest
a "remarkable
joint effort between federal and local prosecutors."
But Patterson is a
conscious political activist who the day after his
pardon spoke to a
demonstration of 2,000 against the invasion of Iraq.
(See WW, Jan. 23,
2003) Since that time he has been a tireless opponent
of war, injustice
and police brutality, and has run for Congress.
Patterson was arrested the day after Burge was ordered
to testify in
Patterson's lawsuit against the city for damages. Jo
Ann Patterson,
Aaron's mother said: "Aaron has been trying to correct
the criminal
justice system. He'd never be caught with any drugs or
guns. I just see
this as a whole revenge thing. They're trying to throw
the lawsuit out
the window."
Patterson is not the first to be hit with drug charges
after exposing
the Chicago police. In March of 1998, Jeremiah
Mearday, who had been
beaten by racist police and charged with "resisting
arrest," had his
charges dropped under public pressure. Two weeks
later, he was framed on
drug charges. He was acquitted only after a three-year
battle.
Two months ago, May Molina, a leader of Families of
the Wrongfully
Convicted, was arrested on questionable drug charges.
She died in police
custody after being denied her prescription medicines.
Reprinted from the Aug. 19, 2004
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
FREED FROM DEATH ROW, AARON PATTERSON FACES NEW
FRAME-UP
By Louis Paulsen
Chicago
On Aug. 5, Chicago police and federal agents arrested
Aaron Patterson--
one of Chicago's best-known activists who was released
from Illinois
death row in January 2003--on charges of selling drugs
and receiving
guns from an informer known as "Fox." Two others were
also charged.
"Fox" had other charges dropped and was paid $6,000
for setting up
Patterson. At his arraignment, Patterson charged that
he had known "Fox"
was an agent, and had been working with reporters and
a film crew to
make a documentary about police corruption.
Patterson was one of the victims of Jon Burge, Chicago
police lieutenant
and torturer who used techniques like suffocation and
electric shock to
extract "confessions" from African-American men.
Patterson was convicted
of murder in 1986 and sentenced to die on the basis of
one such
statement. Although Burge was fired in 1993, Cook
County States Attorney
Richard Devine has refused to admit responsibility for
as many as 100
torture cases.
In a news conference, Devine called Patterson's arrest
a "remarkable
joint effort between federal and local prosecutors."
But Patterson is a
conscious political activist who the day after his
pardon spoke to a
demonstration of 2,000 against the invasion of Iraq.
(See WW, Jan. 23,
2003) Since that time he has been a tireless opponent
of war, injustice
and police brutality, and has run for Congress.
Patterson was arrested the day after Burge was ordered
to testify in
Patterson's lawsuit against the city for damages. Jo
Ann Patterson,
Aaron's mother said: "Aaron has been trying to correct
the criminal
justice system. He'd never be caught with any drugs or
guns. I just see
this as a whole revenge thing. They're trying to throw
the lawsuit out
the window."
Patterson is not the first to be hit with drug charges
after exposing
the Chicago police. In March of 1998, Jeremiah
Mearday, who had been
beaten by racist police and charged with "resisting
arrest," had his
charges dropped under public pressure. Two weeks
later, he was framed on
drug charges. He was acquitted only after a three-year
battle.
Two months ago, May Molina, a leader of Families of
the Wrongfully
Convicted, was arrested on questionable drug charges.
She died in police
custody after being denied her prescription medicines.