[Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] State's Attorney Rietz Participates In Cover-up Of Police Brutality

Sat Feb 2 17:57:21 CST 2008

Reitz...must go. She has been using both sides of the coin for the longest. First to begin with her long time boyfriend is a police officer and a republican. She has been using the Democratic party as a way of power, many of us in AWARE found that out during campaigning for Obama as Senator a few years back. She is really a wolf in sheeps' clothing! Let's get rid of her as fast as possible!
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Brian Dolinar 
  To: announce at communitycourtwatch.org ; AWARE peace ; stop at iresist.org ; coalition at iresist.org ; Jenny Putman ; Matthew Gladney ; Matthew Gladney ; Giraldo Rosales ; Melodye Rosales ; Ruth Wyman ; Public i ; Aghi, Shaleen ; Austin ; Claudia Lennhoff ; Cope Cumpston ; Carol Spindel ; tanya parker ; andrea carter ; Erik S. McDuffie ; cdbenson at uiuc.edu ; Jason Finkelman ; Joe Futrelle ; Joe Futrelle ; Jeremy Gipson ; Stephen Hartnett ; Anna Hochhalter ; Jacqueline Hannah ; Patsy Howell ; Rochelle Harden ; Alfred Ivy ; Imani Bazzell ; Amira ; Amira Davis ; Gene Vanderport ; Germaine Light ; Raymond Morales ; martin smith ; Chime Asonye ; Dave Roediger ; carl reisman ; mdp at uiuc.edu ; Jenny Barrett ; jrbarret at uiuc.edu ; Rory Thompson ; Jeffrey R. Thibert ; Tom Mackaman ; dmlarson at uiuc.edu ; Vern Fein ; Vacellia Clark ; briandolinar at gmail.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:28 AM
  Subject: [Peace] State's Attorney Rietz Participates In Cover-up Of Police Brutality

  Some may remember an incident on March 30, 2007 when Champaign police sent 17 year-old Brian Chesley to the hospital after an incident in Douglass Park. The claims of police brutality were dismissed by local officials, and quickly dropped by the mainstream media, but the case remains in court. State's Attorney Julia Rietz, currently up for re-election, is taking Chesley to court in a trial that could begin in March for a misdemeanor charge of resisting a peace officer. 

  Charges were filed five weeks after the incident on May 8, 2007, Chesley's 18th birthday, so he could be tried as an adult. The current prosecution by Rietz's office is clearly an attempt to stave off a civil suit against Champaign police for excessive use of force. Like the 2005 case of Sgt. Myers, a jail guard who was caught using a Taser to torture inmates, Rietz is once again placing the threat of law suits over the concerns of justice. This is an attempt to cover up another incident of police brutality.

  On March 30, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Brian Chesley was walking out of the Douglass Park gymnasium with two other youth, a 15 year-old and a 8 year-old, after playing basketball. The two older boys were walking the younger one home. Park programs continued until midnight and park signs (changed soon after) indicated the park was closed at 9:00 p.m. Champaign police said the park closed at dusk and they had probable cause to stop the youth. What happened afterwards is in dispute. Champaign police say Chesley youth ran. Chesley says he was grabbed by police, thrown up against a fence, beaten, and heavily pepper sprayed. An ambulance had to be called to take him to the hospital. 

  This occurred the same night as a Democratic fundraiser at the house of Gina Jackson, Champaign city council representative of District 1. Local kids came to her front door that night saying police had just beat up somebody. The alderwoman, with other members of the local Democratic Party, walked down the street to find a crowd of frightened youth, and young Chesley sitting on the curb obviously in pain.

  Community members went to Champaign city council the following Tuesday night to address what they said was police brutality. Martel Miller, of VEYA (Visionaries Educating Youth and Adults), brought Chesley and his mother to the meeting and pleaded for something to be done. Gina Jackson (who has endorsed Rietz's re-election) said that there must be "zero tolerance" for youth who do not obey authority. 

  Attorneys Bob Kirchner and Ruth Wyman have taken up Chesley's case and are currently representing him. The State's Attorney's office attempted to make an offer of adult diversion, which would have required an admission of guilt. Chesley refused the offer. The trial date will be set in the next hearing on March 3, 2008 at 3 p.m. in Courtroom E. 

  The Circuit Clerk web site clearly shows the offense date of 3/30/07 and charges filed 5/8/07, the 18th birthday of Chesley, 5/8/89: 

  https://secure.jtsmith.com/clerk/clerk.asp

  ***Don't miss the debate Wednesday night, January 30, 6 p.m.***
  University of Illinois Law School Auditorium
  Alfred Ivy, III, Julia Rietz, and Janie Miller-Jones.

  -- 

  Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
  303 W. Locust St.
  Urbana, IL 61801
  briandolinar at gmail.com 

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