Revolution #189, January 17, 2010
Emergency Action Alert!
Send Emails to the State's Attorney in Rockford, Illinois:
Demand that the Criminal Contempt Charges against Eyewitnesses Shelia and Marissa Brown be Dropped and that their Testimony be Heard!
Grand jury let killer cops off in police murder of Mark Barmore!
Shelia and Marissa Brown are facing charges in retaliation for speaking the truth about the cold blooded assassination of Mark Anthony Barmore by the police. Mark Barmore was shot to death August 24, 2009 in the House of Grace daycare center, in front of a dozen children, in the basement of the church where Shelia and her husband Melvin are pastors. Shelia and her daughter Marissa were there, with the children, watching as Mark surrendered to the police and was shot down in cold blood.
Pastor Melvin Brown himself has played a key role in getting the community to stand up in the face of this outrage and demand justice for Mark Barmore. He has also continued to fight the official attempts to cover up the crime and to cool out the resistance of the people to it.
At 10 pm on December 23 the grand jury found the police were “justified” in the shooting of Mark Barmore. Their decision was made without hearing the testimony of the eyewitnesses.The investigation was delayed for four months before even starting to hear evidence in the case. Authorities twice cancelled appointments to hear the Browns' testimony. Finally, at the last minute, they subpoenaed the Browns, right before Christmas, at a time they were to be in Mississippi visiting the grandmother. When the Browns petitioned the court for a brief continuance so that they could tell the facts—after a four-month delay—this request for a few brief days by the eyewitnesses was summarily denied by Judge Joseph McGraw!
And this, in turn, meant that the grand jury never heard these eyewitnesses’ testimony—and the two cops walked!
Now, heaping outrage on top of outrage, and in a blatant retaliation against the Browns for speaking the truth, officials have brought charges of contempt of court against Marissa and Shelia.
The way it stands now, police killed this unarmed youth, in a church in front of the pastor's wife, daughter, and a dozen children. The courts let the cops walk and then brought contempt of court charges against the pastor's wife and daughter. The message is: “We can kill Black people anytime, anywhere and there's nothing you can do about it. And if people dare to stand up and resist this, we'll come after you too!”
We can't let them get away with this attack on the Browns! Take action now!
What you can do:
1. Post this email to your list serves. Spread the word everywhere!
2. Flood the authorities with emails from around the country!
Send emails to State's Attorney Joseph Bruscato: jbruscato@co.winnebago.il.us
Demand that the criminal contempt charges against Shelia and Marissa Brown be dropped and their testimony in the police murder of Barmore be heard.Send a copy of your letter to: (And for more information, and your ideas)
Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, Chicago Branch
c/o Revolution Books
1103 N. Ashland
Chicago, Illinois 60622
revbookschi@pobox.com
3. Call the State's Attorney at 815-319-4700
Demand that the criminal contempt charges against Shelia and Marissa Brown be dropped and their testimony in the police murder of Barmore be heard.
4. Attend the court hearing and show your support for the Browns:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Courtroom A, Winnebago County Criminal Justice Center
650 West State St., Rockford, Illinois
5. Read and spread Revolution newspaper coverage of the Rockford police murder of Mark Anthony Barmore: Rockford, Illinois: Outrage as Grand Jury Approves Police Murder; Reactionary Counter-Attack in Rockford, Illinois; Masses Rise Up Against Police Murder in Rockford, Illinois
6. Post comments at the Rockford Register Star to counter the many racist, hate-filled messages and lies! Go to www.rrstar.com
— Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, Chicago Branch
c/o Revolution Books, 1103 N. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60622
Revolution newspaper: revcom.us
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