UPDATE: Federal Trial Set before Judge Sylvia Rambo in the 2007 Prosecution of Neighborhood Block Party Organizer and Community Activist Diane F White
Special Report: Brutality Of Diane White, Associate, Managing Writer & Editor, Webmaster, Philadelphia Front Page News, VSP Foundation Harrisburg City Chapter President, DLighte House Ministry
Harrisburg - Finally, after 5 years Judge Sylvia Rambo will begin jury selection in the case involving the "unlawful arrest" of Diane White, a long time community activist and Associate Managing editor of the Philadelphia Front Page News.
The case centers around Diane White and the mostly women and children attending the block party in their neighborhood who were cleaning up after a day of fun and games. The kids were helping and the music had been turned down. When out of nowhere a Harrisburg Police Officer began shouting obscenities in the middle of the street. According to several witnesses, White was about a block away from Officer Todd Chance, when he arrived and starting screaming obscenities at whoever was closest to him. These same witnesses say that White went over to show the Officer the "Block Party Permit" and to ask him to stop using profanity in front of the children. Officer Chance told White to "walk over here.." and led White away from the crowd where he brutally assaulted her after telling White to "shut the fuck up".
The Harrisburg Patriot News falsely reported that White had spit in the Officer's face 2 times which White has consistently denied. White was charged with Assault on a Police Officer with Intent to Do Bodily Harm which carries a 2-5 year prison term. That charged was dropped at the Preliminary Hearing when the Police Officer changed his story on the stand. Unfortunately, the DA's office mysteriously lost the Official Transcript from the Preliminary Hearing and there is no record of the fact that Officer Chance lied under oath.
Now deceased, Judge Klienfelter ruled against White's "Motion to Dismiss Under Rule 600", when then, ADA Deborah Curcillo, now a Judge in Dauphin County responded to White's motion by citing an exception under the “Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act” alleging that the Officer had been ordered to active duty 365 days after the alleged charges were filed against White. Sources have secured documentation showing that Officer Chance was not on active duty. Curcillo, was granted the “Continuance” after being reprimanded by Judge Klienfelter for not providing explanations for the numerous "Continuances", all requested by the DA's Office.
It's now 2012 and the Harrisburg Police Department still has not acknowledged or investigated the formal complaint filed by White immediately, after being instructed to do so by the District Attorney's Office and DA Ed Marsico on September 5, 2007. The Internal Affairs Officer (Officer Bailey) who initiated the internal investigation of White's complaint was abruptly pulled off the case after a televised report to the city counsel on the status of all complaints filed against Harrisburg Police Officers by the citizens of Harrisburg in 2007 was broadcast on Channel 20. The same Internal Affairs Officer had contacted White and several of her witnesses, scheduled appointments for their sworn testimonies, only to make herself unavailable when the witnesses arrived for their appointments. According to reliable sources. the internal affairs officer has since been reassigned.
To no one's surprise to date Harrisburg City Council is yet to hold public hearings on the numerous complaints of police abuse in the City of Harrisburg, nor has the City released the Pa Human Relation Commission Report on the Harrisburg Police Department promised to NAACP President, Stanley Lawson.
White's trial date has been set for October 9, 2012 at the Federal County Courthouse in Harrisburg.
