[Peace] From NAACP's Rev. Chambers

[Brian Dolinar]

Chesley's Last Stand: The State vs. Just Us
(Justice)<http://naacpcc.org/news/?p=16>

Commentary by Rev. Jerome C. Chambers

If ever the phrase "Them and Us" has been contextual, it is readily seen in
the course of a court case that took a year of incubation. One must have
sharp eyes, infinite hearing and a clear head to determine if the verdict
rendered against Brian Chesley is fair. "I didn't do anything," he said in
his testimony. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Now the public must consider what truth is or which side of the badge and
uniform makes the most sense. The platform for another call of *racism* will
not escape the judgment of those who care about the meaning of "with liberty
and justice for all." The testimonies of the children that were subpoenaed
"to tell the truth, the whole truth" were properly disregarded, as other
testimony and evidence appeared to be, and sanitized for the good of the
"State."

Sometimes justice is blind in one eye. Although she is depicted as wearing a
blindfold, she really cannot see. That is why there are laws, statutes,
edicts, and regulations one must be well versed in to understand what one
can or cannot do. In this case, two young teen-agers were just walking
"Jay-Jay", an eight-year-old home from a basketball game in the gym at
Douglass Park on Champaign's north side. What could be wrong with that?

If the definition of justice is impartiality and fairness, why does the
public have to choose sides? The verdict of the all-White, mostly senior
citizen jury, from the out-lying areas of Champaign County, was: "Guilty on
both counts," the foreperson announced. Count number one was resisting a
policeman. Count number two was obstructing a policeman. It really means a
police officer asked or demanded that a young Black seventeen year old (now
eighteen) male to "Stop!" He continued walking. Is that resisting? If he was
to be arrested, what did he do, but fail to stop? Walking away from a
policeman is not a criminal offense; perhaps, it was not the best judgment,
but to be guilty of going home is a travesty of justice.

Secondly, he (Chesley) allegedly refused to give his one free wrist to the
empty handcuff, although three officers were on top of him after he was
allegedly thrown to the ground. Another officer (per his testimony) left his
cruiser, proceeded toward the action, and wrenched the youths' arm from
under him and the deed was done. Now, what could be wrong with that? Was
this obstruction? Did it take four officers to subdue a slightly built youth
of seventeen (now eighteen)? Is there a message here? If so, what is it?

This is America, "land of the free and home of the brave." Watching the
basketball tournaments for the past, few weeks can make one wonder: Have any
of these young men and women had similar experiences, "walking while
Black?" How
many times were any of them "profiled," perhaps entered into a database just
in case? What do we tell the young children that were also in the park; that
testified to what they saw? Is 'guilty' the verdict for just us?

Since 'hizzonor,' the judge ruled that a goodly amount of testimony and
evidence would later become inadmissible; it is clear as mud, that the
defense had no real chance of making its case. Likewise, young Chesley, who
probably should have taken the adult diversion alternative, contrary to
popular belief, could have had this over and done with last year. However,
we are all victims of our choices. One of Chesley's supporters exclaimed,
"You got a raw deal!" Deal or no deal, what will this misdemeanor mean for
yet another Black youth.

Emotionless, Brian walked out of the courtroom with his attorneys and the
rest of us, who had waited, "with bated breath," relieved that that portion
of humiliation had ended. The young prosecutors who scrambled into the
courtroom to hear the verdict appeared to be as stunned; yet, relief
prevailed, not justice. Justice delayed, in truth, is justice denied. The
all-Black jury rests its case too.

Rev. Jerome C. Chambers
President of the Champaign County
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
217-398-6738
P. S. The NAACP has disseminated an educational pamphlet to the schools,
etc. what to do if you are stopped by the police. This action was undertaken
by the Education Committee of the local branch of the NAACP. The Champaign
County Police Department has copies of it as well. It was also documented in
Steve Bauer's article last year.

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