ACT Before 4/25 Hearing! Drop Racist Frame-up Charges Against Larry Hales! Fight Police Brutality!
Justice for Larry Hales
justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com
Sun Apr 13 20:19:30 EDT 2008
*Post Widely -- FLOOD THE COURT WITH SUPPORT in advance of the Pretrial
Hearing 4/25
*
*FRIDAY 4/25 PACK THE COURT!*
*10 AM - courtroom 151P in the Denver County Court, 1437 Bannock St,
Denver, CO 80202
*
*Drop the Racist Frame-up Charges Against Larry Hales NOW!
Sign Online Petition <http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html>,
and get everyone else you can to sign it (email friends and listservs)!
*
*Sign Online Petition*
<http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html>
(http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html)
*Go to http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales
<http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales>
**Solicit and fax support letters from prominent individuals and union
leaders <http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/index.html#actioninfo>
*(http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/index.html#actioninfo)*
* *Read Article on Community Press Conference*
<http://www.workers.org/2007/us/denver-1213/index.html>
*See pdfs of actual support letters, facebooks, articles
<http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support.html>
*(http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support
<http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support.html>.html
<http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support.html>)
*Shareef Aleem, Larry Hales and Melissa Kleinman at Dec. 3 news conference.
*
*O*n Nov. 30, 2007 African-American police brutality and anti-war
activist Larry Hales was arrested after 10 cops illegally busted into
his home without a warrant and without permission, physically attacked
him and handcuffed his partner to a chair. He is facing frame-up charges
of "interfering with the police" and faces extended jail time for being
the victim of a police attack.
Hales has been a primary organizer of a number of anti-imperialist and
anti-racist events in Denver. He is a leader of the youth group
FIST--Fight Imperialism, Stand Together; a founder of Colorado United
Communities Against Police Brutality; and an organizer with the
International Action Center and the Troops Out Now Coalition.
Hales is also a principal organizer in the Recreate 68 Committee, which
is planning protests to counter the Democratic National Convention to be
held in Denver in August.
At the time of the police attack, Hales and his partner Melissa Kleinman
were housing a survivor of police brutality who was on parole. The man
had been shot in the back by police and had filed a civil case against
the Aurora police department. Hales had previously agreed to house
visits by the man's parole officer, but only when the man was home.
However, when Hales told the police officers at his door on Nov. 30 that
the parolee wasn't home, and asked to see the business cards that
because of a city ordinance Denver police must carry and surrender upon
request, he had badges stuck in his face and told that they didn't have
to give him their cards. Hales told them that they didn't have
permission to come in, that the parolee was not home and that he wanted
their cards. One of them scoffed and pushed the door open and him out of
the way.
The cops charged into his apartment and ransacked his house. When Hales
expressed concern that his cats would escape, he was shoved. When he
asserted his rights, the police told him to shut up and violently
attacked him, twisting his arm, grabbing him by the back of the neck,
ripping out several of his dreadlocks, throwing him against the wall,
and tearing off his shirt. He was pushed down the stairs of his
apartment building, against the wall and railings and out into the cold
night with a half-ripped shirt, socks and thin sweat pants. One officer
squeezed his cuffs and the two had an exchange, where the officer
remarked that more could be done and that Hales could end up face down
on the ground, then he was hit in the stomach and thrown into the car.
The officers rolled the front windows down, left Hales in the car, told
him he looked like he might hurt himself and that he would be booked as
a "John Doe" and have to spend 72 hours in jail before anyone could find
him. He spent the night in a freezing jail cell.
Police brutality is rampant in Denver, and this attack is part of the
ongoing attacks on Black youth, from the Jena 6 to Sean Bell and
countless cases of police brutality and repression throughout the country.
In addition, the police violence against such a well-known activist can
only be seen as part of a continuing attempt to stifle political
dissent. At a press conference in the days following the attack, Denver
police brutality activist and survivor Shareef Aleem noted that police
were attempting to neutralize activists related to the DNC protests. He
stated: "In the last couple of years many of us involved in police
accountability work have been attacked by the police and we know that
when it happens we all have to stand up."
Hales now faces a pretrial hearing on April 25 and trial on May 21 on
police "interference" charges. For the City Attorney to continue to
prosecute these charges would constitute a serious miscarriage of
justice and state harassment, standing jutice on its head by blaming the
victim of police misconduct and brutality. It could be seen as an
illegal, politically motivated abuse of process to chill political
protest both against police brutality and at the upcoming DNC.
We demand that ALL charges be dropped immediately against Larry Hales,
and that there be an immediate investigation into the police misconduct
and violation of Larry Hales' and Melissa Kleinman's rights.
*What you can do:*
* Add your name to the petition
<http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html> to drop the
charges, available at
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html.
* Contact City Attormey David R. Fine, Judge Larry Bohning and
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and tell them you want the charges
against Larry Hales to be dropped.
City Attorney David R. Fine Judge Larry Bohning Mayor John
Hickenlooper
email: david.fine at denvergov.org
<mailto:city.attorney at denvergov.org>
larry.bohning at judicial.state.co.us
<mailto:larry.bohning at judicial.state.co.us>
MileHighMayor at ci.denver.co.us <mailto:MileHighMayor at ci.denver.co.us>
phone: (720) 865-8600 (720) 865-8610 (720) 865-9000
fax: (720) 865-8796 (720) 865-8250 (720) 865-8787
address: Office of the City Attorney
1437 Bannock, St., Room 353
Denver, CO 80202 Judge Larry Bohning
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202 Mayor John W. Hickenlooper
City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street, Suite 350
Denver, CO 80202
* Fax letters on your organization or union's stationery or on your
official letterhead, and send a copy to the National Justice for
Larry Hales Committee at the address below. If possible, scan the
letter and email it to justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com
<mailto:justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com>. We will post as many
letters as possible on this site.
* Solicit organizations and leaders in your community to do the same
* Send posts to contacts and listservs with links to
http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/ urging action
* If you are in the Denver area, pack the courthouse on April 25 and
May 21. Come to courtroom 151P in the Denver County Court, 1437
Bannock St, Denver, CO 80202
* Donate <http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml>to the Justice for
Larry Hales campaign, to help with legal defense and support
campaign costs. http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml . Checks
should be written to Justice for Larry Hales/IAC, and sent to the
address below.
*Sign the Online Petition
<http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html>*
Send email to the Judge, the City Attorney and elected officials -
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html.
DONATE NOW <http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml>
to help the Justice for Larry Hales campaign
http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml
*Sign up for updates <http://troopsoutnow.org/updatesform.shtml>*
from the Troops Out Now Coalition
http://troopsoutnow.org/updatesform.shtml
*National Justice for Larry Hales Committee
c/o Solidarity Center*
55 W. 17th St. #5C
NY NY 10011
www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales <http://www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales>
justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com
<mailto:justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com>
212.633-6646
-------------- next part --------------
Post Widely
-- FLOOD THE COURT WITH SUPPORT in advance of the Pretrial Hearing 4/25
FRIDAY 4/25 PACK THE COURT!
10 AM - courtroom 151P in the Denver County Court, 1437 Bannock St, Denver, CO 80202
Drop the Racist Frame-up Charges Against Larry Hales NOW!
http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html Sign Online Petition
, and get everyone else you can to sign it (email friends and listservs)!
http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html
Sign Online Petition
( http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html
)
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales Go to http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/index.html#actioninfo Solicit and fax support letters from prominent individuals and union leaders
( http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/index.html#actioninfo http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/index.html#actioninfo
)
http://www.workers.org/2007/us/denver-1213/index.html
Read Article on Community Press Conference
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support.html See pdfs of actual support letters, facebooks, articles
( http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support.html http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/support.html .html
)
[A] http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/denver-1213.jpg
Shareef Aleem, Larry Hales and Melissa Kleinman at Dec. 3 news conference.
O
n Nov. 30, 2007 African-American police brutality and anti-war activist Larry Hales was arrested after 10 cops illegally busted into his home without a warrant and without permission, physically attacked him and handcuffed his partner to a chair. He is facing frame-up charges of "interfering with the police" and faces extended jail time for being the victim of a police attack.
Hales has been a primary organizer of a number of anti-imperialist and anti-racist events in
Denver
. He is a leader of the youth group FIST--Fight Imperialism, Stand Together; a founder of
Colorado
United Communities Against Police Brutality; and an organizer with the International Action Center and the Troops Out Now Coalition.
Hales is also a principal organizer in the Recreate 68 Committee, which is planning protests to counter the
Democratic National Convention
to be held in
Denver
in August.
At the time of the police attack, Hales and his partner Melissa Kleinman were housing a survivor of police brutality who was on parole. The man had been shot in the back by police and had filed a civil case against the Aurora police department. Hales had previously agreed to house visits by the man's parole officer, but only when the man was home.
However, when Hales told the police officers at his door on Nov. 30 that the parolee wasn't home, and asked to see the business cards that because of a city ordinance Denver police must carry and surrender upon request, he had badges stuck in his face and told that they didn't have to give him their cards. Hales told them that they didn't have permission to come in, that the parolee was not home and that he wanted their cards. One of them scoffed and pushed the door open and him out of the way.
The cops charged into his apartment and ransacked his house. When Hales expressed concern that his cats would escape, he was shoved. When he asserted his rights, the police told him to shut up and violently attacked him, twisting his arm, grabbing him by the back of the neck, ripping out several of his dreadlocks, throwing him against the wall, and tearing off his shirt. He was pushed down the stairs of his apartment building, against the wall and railings and out into the cold night with a half-ripped shirt, socks and thin sweat pants. One officer squeezed his cuffs and the two had an exchange, where the officer remarked that more could be done and that Hales could end up face down on the ground, then he was hit in the stomach and thrown into the car.
The officers rolled the front windows down, left Hales in the car, told him he looked like he might hurt himself and that he would be booked as a "John Doe" and have to spend 72 hours in jail before anyone could find him. He spent the night in a freezing jail cell.
Police brutality is rampant in
Denver
, and this attack is part of the ongoing attacks on Black youth, from the
Jena 6
to Sean Bell and countless cases of police brutality and repression throughout the country.
In addition, the police violence against such a well-known activist can only be seen as part of a continuing attempt to stifle political dissent. At a press conference in the days following the attack, Denver police brutality activist and survivor Shareef Aleem noted that police were attempting to neutralize activists related to the DNC protests. He stated: "In the last couple of years many of us involved in police accountability work have been attacked by the police and we know that when it happens we all have to stand up."
Hales now faces a pretrial hearing
on April 25
and trial
on May 21
on police "interference" charges. For the City Attorney to continue to prosecute these charges would constitute a serious miscarriage of justice and state harassment, standing jutice on its head by blaming the victim of police misconduct and brutality. It could be seen as an illegal, politically motivated abuse of process to chill political protest both against police brutality and at the upcoming DNC.
We demand that ALL charges be dropped immediately against Larry Hales, and that there be an immediate investigation into the police misconduct and violation of Larry Hales’ and Melissa Kleinman’s rights.
What you can do:
Add your name to the http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html petition
to drop the charges, available at http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html
.
Contact City Attormey David R. Fine, Judge Larry Bohning and Denver
Mayor John Hickenlooper and tell them you want the charges against Larry Hales to be dropped.
City Attorney David R. Fine
Judge Larry Bohning
Mayor John Hickenlooper
email:
mailto:city.attorney at denvergov.org david.fine at denvergov.org
mailto:larry.bohning at judicial.state.co.us larry.bohning at judicial.state.co.us
mailto:MileHighMayor at ci.denver.co.us MileHighMayor at ci.denver.co.us
phone:
(720) 865-8600
(720) 865-8610
(720) 865-9000
fax:
(720) 865-8796
(720) 865-8250
(720) 865-8787
address:
Office of the City Attorney
1437 Bannock, St., Room 353
Denver, CO 80202
Judge Larry Bohning
1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202
Mayor John W. Hickenlooper
City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street, Suite 350
Denver, CO 80202
Fax letters on your organization or union's stationery or on your official letterhead, and send a copy to the National Justice for Larry Hales Committee at the address below. If possible, scan the letter and email it to mailto:justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com
. We will post as many letters as possible on this site.
Solicit organizations and leaders in your community to do the same
Send posts to contacts and listservs with links to http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/ http://troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/
urging action
If you are in the Denver area, pack the courthouse
on April 25
and May 21. Come to courtroom 151P in the Denver County Court,
1437 Bannock St, Denver, CO 80202
http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml Donate
to the Justice for Larry Hales campaign, to help with legal defense and support campaign costs. http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml
. Checks should be written to Justice for Larry Hales/IAC, and sent to the address below.
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html Sign the Online Petition
Send email to the Judge, the City Attorney and elected officials -
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html http://www.troopsoutnow.org/larryhales/petition.html
.
http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml DONATE NOW
to help the Justice for Larry Hales campaign
http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml http://troopsoutnow.org/donate.shtml
http://troopsoutnow.org/updatesform.shtml Sign up for updates
from the Troops Out Now Coalition
http://troopsoutnow.org/updatesform.shtml http://troopsoutnow.org/updatesform.shtml
National Justice for Larry Hales Committee
c/o Solidarity Center
55 W. 17th St. #5C
NY NY 10011
http://www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales www.TroopsOutNow.org/larryhales
mailto:justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com justice4larryhales at safewebmail.com
212.633-6646
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