Crosswalk confrontation: Harrisburg man suing over alleged abuse, retaliation by city cop | PennLive.com

Crosswalk confrontation: Harrisburg man suing over alleged abuse, retaliation by city cop | PennLive.com

Philadelphia man dies during 9-hour standoff with Harrisburg police | PennLive.com

BY MATTHEW KEMENY AND DONALD GILLILAND

A suspect who holed up in Harrisburg’s Hall Manor during a standoff with police that lasted more than nine hours was found dead in the apartment early today.

The body Abel Roman, 24, was found shortly before 12:30 a.m. with at least a shotgun and a “fair amount of ammunition,” Dauphin County District Attorney Edward M. Marsico Jr. said....Read more

The PATRIOT-NEWS Police prepare to send a robot into a home in the Hall Manor section of Harrisburg where a homicide suspect from Philadelphia was firing at them. 12/17/2012 SEAN SIMMERS, THE PATRIOT-NEWS

 

No Justice Today, Not in this PA Courtroom!

If you're looking for justice, don't waste your time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  As a matter of fact, its open season for white police officers who get a kick out of beating up on black women there.  Then again, there are also so-called brothers on "the force" who get a kick out of beating up on  black women.  Like the black LT  in Philly who punched the Latina in the face last week.

Philadelphia Police Lt. Who Allegedly Punched Woman On Tape To Be Fired

The difference in what happened in Philly and what happens in Harrisburg is the way these situations are handled.  In Philly, the situation was handled as it should be and handled swiftly.  In Harrisburg, the situation is never handled as it should be. In Harrisburg, there is a "boiler plate" , "profile" if you will. First comes the disrespect, then comes the beat down, then comes the charges, then come the threats and intimidation, then comes the loss of job or income.  Few if any of these women have the resources or the courage to pursue the issue in court, but those who do will find that the last thing to be found in the "kangaroo" courthouses of  Harrisburg, at any level, is justice.

Case in point. After enduring 7 years if harrassment and intimindation from the Harrisburg Police for filing a Federal Lawsuit against one its officers, justice was not to be found in Judge Sylvia Rambo's Federal Courtroom today, when an all white jury condoned the actions of Officer Todd Chance in the brutal beating of Community activist, Minister and Managing Editor of the Philadelphia Front Page News (FPN), Diane F White

Schimmel School "Neighborhood Back to School" Block Party 

"The writing was on the wall from the door.  When I turned around and saw the jury pool walking through the door, there was not a black or brown face in the crowd",. said White,   Even before the trial started, there where signs that the judge had every intention of giving the Police every advantage.  White had originally filed her case Pro Se.  The City of Harrisburg and their "high priced" attorneys from Philadelphia, paid by  Travelers, the city's insurance company, by way of the tax payers of Harrisburg,  failed to respond in time.  But of course  Judge Rambo gave them a pass.  In fact, Judge Rambo gave them every pass to be given every step of the way,  while blocking White at every turn.  She must be very proud of herself and what happened in her courtroom today.  You had to be there to believe it.

"You know its bad, when I step out of the Federal building during a  recess from Judge Rambo's courtroom and run into a woman who I have never met before, on her way to the federal post office.  We started talking and she ended up telling me how she had been beaten up by a Harrisburg Police Officer.  We keep talking and suspect that we are talking about the same police officer.  She went on to the post office and I went back upstairs to the courtroom.  A few minutes later the woman gets off the elevator, looks into the courtroom and come back out. yep that's him she says.  She was talking about Officer Todd Chance, the same officer who beat me down for no reason.", said White.  Officer Chance has a reputation for beating up on women in Harrisburg, disrespecting the community and getting away with it.

 There's an old saying,  "every dog has its day"   Officer Chance has done it it before and in all probability he'll do it again..  Either the Harrisburg Police Department and the Judicial system are part of the solution or part of the problem.  When it comes to police misconduct and the assault on women in general and black women in particular, in the City of Harrisburg, they are the problem.

The message was sent loud and clear today, We Protect Our OWN, even  when they make a mockery out of their oath, our civil rights and the constitution.  After all, justice is blind to the truth in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when it comes to black women.

For the record,  justice is not necessarily found in, for or by  white women in America either.  They too have been traumatized.  Don't forget many sat idly by while their husbands raped the slave men, women.and children.

No Justice in PA Federal Courtroom today!

If you're looking for justice, don't waste your time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  As a matter of fact, its open season for white police officers who get a kick out of beating up on black women.  Then again, there are so-called brothers on "the force" who get a kick out of beating up on  black women too.  Like the black LT  in Philly who punched the Latina in the face last week.

Philadelphia Police Lt. Who Allegedly Punched Woman On Tape To Be Fired

Philadelphia Police Lt. Who Allegedly Punched Woman On Tape To Be Fired

The difference in what happened in Philly and what happens in Harrisburg is the way these situations are handled.  In Philly, the situation was handled as it should be and handled swiftly.  In Harrisburg, the situation is never handled as it should be. In Harrisburg, there is a "boiler plate" , "profile" if you will. First comes the disrespect, then comes the beat down, then comes the charges, then come the threats and intimidation, then comes the loss of job or income.  Few have the resources or the courage to pursue the issue in court, but those who do will find that the last thing to be found in the "kangaroo" courthouses is justice.

Case in point. After enduring 7 years if harrassment and intimindation from the Harrisburg Police for filing a Federal Lawsuit against one its officers, justice was not to be found in Judge Sylvia Rambo's Federal Courtroom today, when an all white jury condoned the actions of Officer Todd Change in the brutal beating of Community activist, Minister and Managing Editor of the Philadelphia Front Page News (FPN), Diane F White

Schimmel School "Neighborhood Back to School" Block Party 

"The writing was on the wall from the door.  When I turned around and saw the jury pool walking through the door, there was not a black or brown face in the crowd",. said White,   Even before the trial started, there where signs that the judge had every intention of giving the Police every advantage.  White had originally filed her case Pro Se.  The City of Harrisburg and their "high priced" attorney's from Philadelphia, hired by "  Travelers"  failed to respond in time, but  Judge Rambo gave them a pass.  In fact, Judge Rambo gave them every pass to be given every step of the way,  while blocking White at every turn.  She must be very proud of herself and what happened in her courtroom today.  You had to be there to believe it.

"You know its bad, when I step out of the Federal building during a  recess from Judge Rambo's courtroom and run into a woman who I have never met before on her way to the federal post office.  We started talking and she ended up telling me how she had been beaten up by a Harrisburg Police Officer.  We keep talking and suspected we were talking about the same police officer.  She went on to the post office and I went back upstairs.  A few minutes later the woman got off the elevator, looked in the courtroom and can back and said, that's yep that's him. Officer Todd Chance.", said White.  Officer Chance has a reputation for beating up on women in Harrisburg, disrespecting the community and getting away with it,

 There is old saying,  "every dog has its day"   Officer Chance has done it it before and in all probability its only a matter of time before he does it again.  Either the Harrisburg Police Department and the Judicial system are part of the solution or part of the problem.  

The message was sent loud and clear today, We Protect Our OWN, even  when they make a mockery out of their oath, our civil rights and the constitution.  After all, justice is blind to the truth in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when it comes to black women.

For the record,  justice is not necessarily found in a white women either.  They too have been tramatized.  Don't forget many sat idly by while their husbands rape black slave women..

Woman Punched By Philly Cop Gets Apology From Mayor Nutter « CBS Philly

Woman Punched By Philly Cop Gets Apology From Mayor Nutter « CBS Philly

It took 5 days to resolve this issue in Philadelphia. In Harrisburg it been 5 years, and thousands of tax payer dollars, rather than a simple apology.


http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/10/04/mayor-nutter-responds-to-viral-video-of-philadelphia-officer-hitting-woman/#.UHOLNYmDM4w.blogger 

Federal Trial Set before Judge Sylvia Rambo in the 2007 Prosecution of Neighborhood Block Party Organizer and Community Activist Diane White

Renowned civil-rights attorney, Don Bailey to join the race for Attorney General in Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Pa - "The Citizen's Reform Center met with Attorney Don Bailey recently. This interview provides an intimate glimpse inside the mind of the renowned civil-rights attorney, covering his tremendous amount of service and dedication for this country, the Constitution, and its citizens over the years. The most decorated war veteran during the 97th U.S. Congress, Don Bailey discusses his days in Vietnam, his service in the U.S. House of Representatives, his time as Auditor General of Pennsylvania, judicial misconduct, corruption within Pennsylvania and the Federal Government, and what ultimately led him to practice law."

Don Bailey is a fighting back. He is currently running for Attorney General and is not afraid to take on the DemoPublicans. He is running as an Independent and has been under attack by the powers that be. Why settle for the "lesser of 2 evils" when there is someone out there who stands for the principles espoused by the US Constitution? He is the only choice for Attorney General if the people of Pennsylvania even begin to stand a chance at achieving justice for all.

Publish Post

UDATED 10/5/2012: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 F 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 permit and to ask him to stop using profanity in front of the children.  The Chance told White to "walk over here" and led White away from the crowd and brutally assaulted her.

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 was ordered to active duty 365 days after the alleged charges were filed against White. and sources have secured documentation that Officer Chance was not on active duty yet Curcillo, was granted the “Continuance” after being reprimanded by Judge Klienfelter for not providing explanations for the numerous Continuances previously requested by the DA's Office. 

It's now 2012 and the  the Harrisburg Police Department still as not acknowledged or investigated a formal complaint filed by White immediately, after being instructed by the District Attorney's Office and DA Ed Marsico on September 5, 2007.  The Internal Affairs Officer who initiated the 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 who gave that televised report had contacted several of White's witnesses and scheduled appointments for their sworn testimony, 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 the Harrisburg City Council to date has not held public hearings on the numerous complaints of police abuse nor have they ever released a 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.

DLIGHTE HOUSE: Civil Rights being DENIED by Corrupt Officials

Assault on Community Activist Diane F White by Harrisburg Police Officer Todd Chance during "Back to School Block Party" held in S. Allison Hill Neighborhood on September 1, 2007.

Here We Go Again; Judge Klienfelter Grants the Commonwealth continuance in spite of Rule 600's 365 day limitation

Special Report: Brutality Of Diane White, Associate, Managing Writer & Editor, Webmaster, Philadelphia Front Page News

Even though I have been ready to go to trial since January 2008 and have never authorized any continuances on behalf of my defense, on February 10, Judge Klienfelter granted the Commonwealth's motion to continue my case until September 14, 2009, a full 2 years and 12 days after the alleged charges were brought against me stemming from an ACORN supported "Back to School Block Party" in my neighborhood in September 2007. This ruling comes after the Commonwealth had been trying to threaten and intimidate me into a plea agreement and continuing the case for over a year for no other reason than abusing their power and attempting to intimidate me into copping a plea to bogus charges. The prosecutor to date has never had to justify any of their continuances, they just continued and blamed it on the defense. At times I was wondering whose side my attorney was on.

I had made it perfectly clear to my attorney from the door that I wanted no parts of any deal. Yet he just let the DA keep blaming the continuances on us without being challenge by my attorney. Isn't that an ethics violation? In fact my attorney was hired under the condition that he defend me, not play let's make a deal. That's another chapter, not only is it unethical he forfeited my civil rights in the process and billed me for it.

The officer filed a false police report and lied under oath twice. I am willing to bet that we did not go to court because the officer did not want to continue to perjury himself or take the fall for a mistake that he had already admitted to making. The officer filed a false report and he perjured himself during the so-called internal affairs investigation(Another thing that disappeared along with Officer Bailey, the internal affairs officer who conducted the investigation. Rumor has it that she has been demoted to security at the high school.) and again at the preliminary hearing. He casually stated that he had been on the Harrisburg Police force for 3 years and had responded to many calls and made many arrests. Then he actually said under oath that he had never encountered anyone in the community during that time who was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He said he had just assumed the same about me until he got downtown and realized that I was not under the influence of anything. He even went on to say that he sprayed me in the face while I was on the ground trying to run while holding onto a fence, what sense does that make? To top it all off, the officer admitted under oath that I had not spit on him as previously reported in the Patriot News. When he made that statement under oath, the DA jump up out of his seat and immediately asked that the felony assault charge against me be dismissed. Yet, I was still bound over for trial by District Justice LaVon A Postelle, a black man, even though no evidence whatsoever was presented against me regarding any of the charges and no other police officers or witnesses testified for the prosecution, just Officer Chance and he was getting so caught up in all the lies that he broke down and told the truth.

In September 2008, after a year of continuance after continuance by the DA's office and blaming it on the defense, and trying to intimidate me into plea agreement knowing full well that I wanted no parts of it, (I was ready to go to trial. My witnesses had been subpoenaed to testify at least 3 times in addition to testifying the preliminary hearing.) Officer Chance was ordered to Iraq on active duty. The transcript from the preliminary hearing had mysteriously disappeared. According to the Public Defender who was initially assigned to my case by Dauphin County, the transcript was destroyed in the flooded basement of the court reporter in December 2007, yet I received a message in January 2008 that I needed to send the Court Reporter $200 for a copy of the transcript. I was told in March 2008 when I met with the public defender that I didn't have to pay the $200, "...that's one of ours," he said you don't have to pay for that, I can get it. That Public Defender walked out of the office and came back about 5 minutes later to tell me that the transcript had been destroyed and that the police officer who assaulted me was going on active duty to Iraq, "I can give you ARD", he said. I said, ARD for what? To that question he had no reply. I told him no thanks, I think I need to hire a lawyer. When the Public Defender said the Officer was going to Iraq I assumed he would be leaving in April or May, so I knew I needed a lawyer right away. According to the ADA Officer Chance did not leave until some 6 months later. He didn't leave until September 2008.

If the DA's office wanted the Officer's s testimony why didn't they bring me before the court before he left? Now that the Officer has been deployed and we have file a Motion to Dismiss under Rule 600, the DA filed for a Continuance, using the Soldier's and Sailors Relief Act as a pretext for the fact that they have no case. The fact that the Officer has been ordered to active duty in Iraq is not the the reason the case has not gone forward, its the fact that the DA's office is violating the spirit of the act in the name of a pretext. Our motion to dismissed is denied and the DA's continuance is granted. What's up with that? Inquiring minds want to know. Rumor has it that a certain Ass't DA is running for a vacant Commonwealth Judge seat in the upcoming election. Could it be that someone is looking for a notch on her gun?

I pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial at my arraignment in January, 2008.

Looking back over the sequence of events I recall coincidentally it was DA Ed Marsico who I ran into in the hallway when I walked into the courthouse that Tuesday, two days after the assault. Merely five minutes after leaving city hall where Harrisburg Police Captain Ritter, had referred me to the DA's office when I told him I wanted to file charges against the Officer Chance with the Harrisburg Police Deptartment. Captain Ritter was unable to file charges against a Police Officer and he referred me to the DA's Office to file charges against a police officer. Needless to say I was given the boiler plate treatment in the DA's office by someone that Marsico had referred me to. After having to listen a tall tell about another Black Woman who I didn't know, but was supposed to have known, who had beaten up 6 police officers singlehandedly, I finally told that the Harrisburg Police Department had to conduct an internal investigation first and at the conclusion of that investigation the DA's office would be called in by the police department if warranted. I left the DA's office immediately and returned to the Harrisburg Police Department the next day and filed the complaint with Captain Ritter who had already given me the form during our meeting.

I filed the complaint with the Harrisburg Police Department and the investigation was started but never concluded. It was sweep under the rug and I was never notified of the results of the investigation. For some strange reason DA Marsico took a special interest in my case after the preliminary hearing. Apparently, the decision was made in the DA Office that I would be denied a fair and speedy trial in a court before a jury of my peers. Instead my attorney relayed to me that he had been told in no uncertain terms by someone in the DA's office that before they would allow a jury trial the DA would drop all the charges necessary for a jury trial and prosecute me on the drug charges before a judge and give me jail time. If I don't accept the ARD (As far as I am concerned, ARD is an admission of guilt and the paying of thousands of dollars to be in a drug program even though my drug test have all been negative, and forfeiting my right to file a 1983 Federal Civil Rights suit. ARD however would not prevent me from filing a charge of Excessive Force. I'm definitely not trusting that in light of the fact that nothing they have done so fare resembles the truth and there is no excessive force if they are allowed to get away with the cover-up.) they are going to take me before Judge Klienfelter (Due to retire December 31, 2009) and give me 90 days in jail, period.

Never mind the fact that Officer Chance admitted during the preliminary hearing among other things, that he responded to me the way he did because he assumed that I was drunk when I walked over to him. The fact is I was only walking over to where Officer Chance was to find out what was going on. The music had been lowered because the DJ had blown a speaker earlier, it was 9:00pm and although we had a permit to continue until 10:00pm were winding down; cleaning up and showing video's on the wall for the little kids to keep them out of the street while we finished cleaning up. We weren't doing anything to warrant Officer Chances actions or behavior. He just walked up out of no where and started snapping out.

"Shut it down, shut this shit down now, I'm tired of this shit. This is the 4th time I have been out here, I could be somewhere else doing something important and I am out here for this shit, shut it down, shut this shit down right now goddamit."

Officer Chance was not responding to a complaint about me or any activities that were taking place at the block party, he was responding to a traffic from a lady who wanted to turn the corner a block away from where we were. Either Officer Chance took it upon himself to shut us down or someone from downtown told him to do it. All I know is he was standing in the middle of the street yelling obscenities at the children. (He also admitted to using profanity under oath at the preliminary hearing.) The kids started calling me and I went to see what was going on, after all I was the responsible party and I had the permit. When I asked Officer Chance what was going on and why he was talking to the kids like that he said...

"Shut the f@#k up right now before I take you downtown for "Drunk and Disorderly"

I was totally shocked and amazed by his comment. I was exhausted and I told Officer Chance that. I told him that I had been out with the kids all day and that I had not had anything to drink all day and asked him what his problem was. That was it, he snapped. First he grabbed my left arm and put it in a chicken wing slapping a handcuff on and squeezing it until I screamed, then he put me in a choke hold with my arm behind my back and still squeezing the hand cuff on my one arm and choking me at the same time until I started gagging, then he move his arm and tried to turn me around my my left shoulder, with left arm still behind my back and still squeezing the handcuffs, I grabbed the fence with my free hand to keep from falling. With my left arm still twisted behind my back, he tried to pull me keep when from grabbing on to the fence with my right arm. At that, point he decided to pull out the pepper spray an spray it directly into my eyes, one long bust that blinded me immediately. At that point I was was in a blinded semi-conscious state. I just just went with the darkness and allowed him to sling me back and forth, kicking me first in my left ankle to take my feet from under me then kneeing me in my back as I was going down and then finally one last knee in the back before coming to rest on my back. My left hand was still behind my back, with the cuff on it and my right hand was under my body across my chest, as I had landed on my arm, which luckily prevented my face from smashing into the concrete sidewalk. The force of being thrown down and him coming down on my back shattered a pin I had on my chest and I could barely breathe. At that point I just laid there in the darkness trying to maintain my breathing g while Officer Chance sat on my back and radioed for assistance. I think he called in a 10-78. Another officer arrived a few minutes later maybe 5-7 minutes later. It seemed like forever, I was focusing on breathing with him on my back. I could tell by the sound of the other Officer's voice that someone else had arrived. This person was different. He was calm. He asked me for my other arm and I gave it to him. He cuffed my other arm behind my back and he picked me up off the ground. I was asking him to make sure that the other officer didn't touch me again. He told me the other Officer was not there and he helped me up off the ground and carefully guided me to the police car. I kept asking him what his name was, I knew he was not the officer who had assaulted me and he told his name was Bates. "My name is Bates, Officer Bates". He said, "I am going to have to search you before I put you in the car", then he asked me if I have anything in my pockets. Before I could answer him, to my amazement I heard the voice of the Officer who had just assaulted me, he said something about paraphernalia. I had no idea what he was talking about. All I wanted was for him to stay away from me. I don't know what he was talking about and I did not see anything, because had been blinded by the pepper spray. Officer Bates patted me down, he may have went in my pockets I'm not sure, I just wanted him to get me away from that Chance and my face was burning really bad. Officer Bate put me into the me in the car and they took me to the station where I sat blindly with my face on fire.

I don't know what Officer Chance found or where he found it because he never searched me. What he did do was verbally and physically assault me, spray pepper spray directly into my eyes, choke me, slammed me into a fence and then a car and drop kicked his knee into my back three consecutive times before finally sitting on on my back and calling in a 10-78 "Officer needs assistance", while I was doing everything I could do to maintain my breathing. I thought I was going to die.

As is typical in most police abuse cases, the department and the DA is attempting a full and complete cover up of the entire incident, and they want me of all people, former Captain in the AG Corp and Adjutant General (In charge of MP's) in the Army, former state police, former Affirmative Action Officer, former Civil Rights Compliance II Office, former Airport Security, former Hospital Security, and current elected official and public servant to play this game. How little regard for the institution of justice. What ever happened to integrity.

It's obvious that the DA is attempting to drag this whole thing out so that the statute of limitation runs out on me, thwarting any planned civil suit that I might be contemplating. The DA and unfortunately my attorney are trying to convince me that I don't need to bring in the Feds, on an unlawful arrest and gross civil rights violations. I disagree, they want to pee on me and tell me its raining. Like I am that stupid. Well I'm not, I know the deck is stacked against me and I am not dealing with honorable people, but there is always a higher power.

Officer Chance is not exempt from the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) or Federal Civil Rights Statutes. When Chance assaulted me he assaulted a law abiding citizen, a superior officer, an elected public official and a minister. The judge may have granted the DA's continuance but all is not lost. This whole thing may end up right where it was supposed to be in the first place, outside of the Police Department, District Attorney's Office and the Commonwealth's jurisdiction.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | Mel's World: A Message From Cynthia McKinney About Police Brutality

"...I'm also told that in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania another incident, this time involvidng a woman, Diane White, was beaten and maced by cops, after having been pulled away and out of site of the Festival she had organized for neighborhood children. This happens in the midst of two unthinkable incidents: the Jena 6 situation in Louisiana with the imbroglio that has resulted from black teenagers sitting under the "white tree" in the Jena High schoolyard and the situation in West Virginia where a 20-year-old black woman was kidnapped, raped, and tortured amid racial epithets and the Feds decide yesterday that it's not a hate crime!..." Read more

In more recent developments, "the fix" is on with Diane White, she is being told by the assistant DA handling the case if she does not accept ARD for the trumped up charges being brought against her, stemming from the "Back to School Block Party incident, a technicality will be used to deny her a jury trial and she will be brought up before a Judge who will give her jail time for "trumped up" misdemeanors.

In more recent developments, the fix is on with Diane White, she is being informed by her attorney that the assistant DA handling her case has given her an ultimatum, either she accepts the ARD or they will take drop the resisting arrest charge and take me before a judge without a jury trial and give me jail time for the trumped up charges of disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana even though there is no evidence or witnesses to convict me. She has been assigned to a judge who has a 20 year history in Dauphin and York County of working for the DAs office and ignoring the rules of evidence when it comes to the police. Unlike the infamous McCormick Island incident, this case is will fly under the radar of the public.

In the meantime, the police officer who beat Ms White is on military leave, the court reporter who recorded the transcript from the pre-preliminary hearing is claiming that the transcript was destroyed in the basement of an office that got flooded in December 2007 and there are no copies available. Yet the attorney who represented Ms. White at the preliminary hearing received a message from the court reporter in January 2008 telling her to send $200 for a copy of the transcript. During his testimony at the preliminary hearing the police officer admitted that Ms White did not spit on him as initially reported in the Patriot News, that in fact it was he who used profane and abusive language in front of the children and those attending the block party when addressing Ms White contradicting the initial report as well. Finally and most importantly, the police officer casually stated that he had been a police officer in Harrisburg for four years and at no time in those four years did he encounter a person who was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Therefore he just assumed Ms White was on drunk, when in fact Ms White had not been drinking at all. He further testified at the preliminary hearing that when he got downtown he realized that he was wrong. According to Ms White she sat in the police station for over 45 minutes in pain, cuffed, shackled and blinded, while the police officers went through the books trying to figure out what to charge her with. She was not allowed to contact a lawyer until they could figure out what to charge her with and even then all they gave her where the numbers to the statutes. Ms What stated that she was not aware of her charges until she got in front of the DJ who sentenced her without so much as a police report or any statements from the police officer. In fact according to Ms White, the police did not say anything during the arraignment, it was the DJ who did all of the talking, making derogatory jokes and comments about Ms White of a personal nature.

Although the the Harrisburg police and the DA have absolutely no evidence to support there actions, White is being to forced into a situation where she either accepts the ARD , leaving her no chance for a civil suit against the police department and the City for an unlawful arrest and the opportunity to recover damages for medical bills incurred and the loss of income and her security clearance as a result of the incident. This is the game that is played all too often in our community, resulting in the incarceration of hundreds of innocent people. “With the threat of a police record and jail time being dangled over their head, many people have succumbed to compromising their constitutional rights, said White. The War on Drugs is an ace in the hole for police brutality and unlawful arrests in poor, black and Latino communities. Exercising ones 4th amendment right by speaking out against an injustice in many cases one will find oneself being pepper sprayed, beaten and subjected to an illegal searches , and thrown in jail. The Drug War gives law enforcement the easy out, and ace in the hole so to speak. No matter what happens they can always use the drug laws to justify their actions.

“I sat in the court room time and time again watching folks walk away with ARD for embezzling money, DUIs and molesting children. I watched as some folks with drug violations as they joked with the judge about whether or not their favorite football team is going to have a good year or not walked away with $50 fines and a year’s probation, said White. It’s already been over a year, and I have not even gone to trial yet, now I am being told to take ARD or go to jail, go figure.

Take it or leave it, Harrisburg, PA is another one of those places in America where there are two sets of laws, one for the common good “all” and one for, “just us”.

“The Drug War was meant to be waged not won.”

UPDATE: Special Report: Brutality Of Diane White, Associate, Managing Writer & Editor, Webmaster, Philadelphia Front Page News

Special Report: Brutality Of Diane White, Associate, Managing Writer & Editor, Webmaster, Philadelphia Front Page News

Harrisburg, PA - Just to give everyone an update. The assault charge filed against me was dropped at the preliminary in hearing in November. However I remain on pre-sentencing supervision and I am still unable to return to work. I was arraigned on the 3 remaining misdemeanor charges at the Dauphin County courthouse on January 24, 2008 @ 8:30 am. I pleaded not quilty to all charges and selected trial by jury.

The Harrisburg Police Department still has not informed me of the results of their investigation and the Officer who was investigating my case Officer Bailey has been reassigned.

My trial date has been set for Tuesday, March 4, 2008 @ 8:00 am at the Dauphin County Courthouse.

Once again I wish to thank everyone for their prayers and support. Those prayers and support have nurtured me through this ordeal so far, and I am confident and blessed in the fact that the positive energy will continue to light my way.

I am not guilty of the charges which have been brought against me and I have faith in the fact that I am loved and blessed by the "Most High". "No weapon formed against me shall prosper". So please keep me in your prayers. I am still not working and would appreciate any contributions or donations to help with my defense. I have secured the services of Anthony T McBeth a local attorney who has been working with me in spite of my lack of funds. Contributions can be sent directly to him to be place on the books for my defense by mailing a check or money order to Anthony T McBeth, Attorney at Law, 407 North Front Street, First Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (717) 238-3686 or 1-800-227-6916 Fax:(717) 238-3575 E.mail:atmlaw1@verizon.net

You direct contribution would also be greatedly appreciated as I am also facing foreclosure on my home because I have fallen behind in my mortgage payments. Until this situation has been resolved I am not able to return to work due to security clearance requirements. I also have over $6000.00 in medical expenses as a result of back injuries sustained from the direct assault by the Harrisburg City Police Officer who instigated this entire incident. To make a direct contribution please donate at the button below. Again, keep me in your prayers and thank you all for the love and support that I have been receiving over the last 5 months. - Diane F White