Brett Mandel

Brett Mandel

Brett Mandel is the Executive Director of Philadelphia Forward, an organization formed to build a constituency for change to promote the policies that can move Philadelphia forward. Philadelphia Forward's efforts on behalf of tax reform won the "Golden Dot" award for the best local internet campaign of 2005 from the Institute for Politics, Democracy & The Internet, a "Pepperpot Award" from the Public Relations Society of America, and a "Pollie" from the American Association of Political Consultants. Brett has been awarded The Council of Georgist Organizations' Henry George Award Tax Reform Champion Activist Award, the Young Involved Philadelphia Civic Bulldog Award, and the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the PA Institute of CPAs Outstanding Achievement in Tax Reform Award. But, more important, Philadelphia Forward changed the way people think about how they can be involved in the civic life of this city. Walt from Mayfair wrote:

"I have lived in Philadelphia all my life, but I never felt I had the ability to make a difference, until now. Your organization has shown me that even the smallest candle can burn bright in the dark."

Philadelphia Forward's work has not just changed the terms of debate. Our efforts created positive results. Thanks to legislation passed by City Council and signed into law by the Mayor in July 2004, the city will now dramatically reduce the Wage Tax over the next decade, bringing it below 3.0 percent by 2015 (saving the average worker more than $3,000 over the next decade while attracting and retaining jobs in Philadelphia) to a level where it will no longer represent an insurmountable barrier to growth. Additional legislation has deepened reductions for to the job-killing Business Privilege Tax. The push for ethics reform resulted in a change to the City Charter to prohibit major campaign contributors from receiving no-bid contracts from City Hall and a subsequent Charter change that established an independent Board of Ethics to maintain integrity in city government.

Previously, Brett served as Director, Financial and Policy Analysis, in the City of Philadelphia Office of the Controller where he managed the efforts of the Financial and Policy Analysis Unit and oversaw consideration of a wide variety of issue areas relating to municipal governance, budgetary policy, and city government operations. Brett received his B.A. from Hamilton College, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude, and his M.G.A. from the Fels Center of Government of the University of Pennsylvania.

Brett is the author of Is This Heaven? The Magic of the Field of Dreams (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002) a book that brings readers along on the continuing pilgrimage to the Field of Dreams Movie Site where life imitates art and everyday people find redemption and reconciliation in an Iowa cornfield. He is also the primary co-author of the City Controller's Office book, Philadelphia: A New Urban Direction (Saint Joseph's University Press, 1999), a vision of Philadelphia's likely future without change and a comprehensive plan designed to make Philadelphia a preferred place to live, work, and visit. The book received the National Association of Local Government Auditors Special Project Award for 1999. Another book, Minor Players, Major Dreams, (University of Nebraska Press, 1997) was written from Brett's perspective as an author, signed to a minor league baseball player's contract to tell the inside story of minor league life.

In 2006, Brett was selected as one of the Philadelphia region's top 101 "connectors" by the LEADERSHIP Philadelphia Connector Project, and one of the Philadelphia Business Journal "40 Under 40."

Brett is a product of the Philadelphia public schools (Northeast High School graduate), an active weekend athlete, and a passionate sports fan. A lifelong Philadelphia resident, Brett serves as Commissioner of the Greater Philadelphia Men's Adult Baseball League and as a Board Member for the Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse. He is active in numerous community organizations. Brett lives in the Fitler Square neighborhood of Philadelphia with his wife, Laura Weinbaum, daughters Rose Mandel Weinbaum and Ariel Mandel Weinbaum, and son Sidney Weinbaum Mandel.

Brett Mandel

Executive Director

Philadelphia FORWARD

1700 Market Street, Suite 3130

Philadelphia, PA 19103

215.563.3881 (phone)

215.563.1566 (fax)

www.philadelphiaforward.org

HoopGurlz: Speed to Rutgers

HoopGurlz: Speed to Rutgers

C. Vivian Stringer jumped into the 2008 recruiting class in a big way, as Nikki Speed (left) decided to go to Rutgers all the way over from Southern California.

Speed, of Pasadena, Calif., is one of the nation's top point guards and ranked No. 27 overall in the HoopGurlz Hundred for 2008.

Her FBC club teammate, Jasmine Dixon, of Long Beach, Calif., will visit Baylor next week and make a commitment decision afterward. The No. 26 prospect in 2008, Dixon could join Speed at Rutgers, or tap UCLA. She also has made visits to Arionza and Arizona State.

The aptly named Speed chose Rutgers over Duke. One of the fastest high-school guards in the country with the basketball, Speed showed a vastly improved jump shot this past summer. She also is a top-notch defender and distributor off penetration. Speed can grow considerably in Stringer's disciplined program as one of her few weaknesses was a tendency to try too much and commit turnovers.

Meanwhile, several of Speed's club teammates also recently have verballed. Kristen McCarthy, a 6-1 wing from West Corvina, Calif., chose Temple over Cal, LSU, Rutgers and Washington. Courtney Clement, a 6-1 wing from Long Beach, chose Arizona over Louisville, LSU and San Diego State. Sherrie Session, a 6-foot wing from Downey, Calif., committed to Rhode Island; she also considered Colorado, Liberty, Long Beach State and Oregon.

Previously, Rebekah Gardner, a guard from Fontana, Calif., committed

Peoplehood: An All-City Parade and Pageant

Peoplehood: An All-City Parade and Pageant
Click here to see pictures from the 2006 Peoplehood Pageant!
Click here to see pictures from the 2005 Peoplehood Pageant!

Saturday, October 20th 2007
Rain or Shine!
Parade: 1 PM beginning at the Paul Robeson House, 4951 Walnut Street
Pageant: 2:30 PM at Clark Park, Chester Ave. between 43rd and 45th Streets

Click to see a map of the parade route

Peoplehood: An All-City Parade and Pageant, our annual grand parade and pageant, brings together, through workshops in communities, more than 3000 people, in six delegations from throughout the city, to celebrate community, diversity and the challenges and triumphs of life in Philadelphia and its neighborhoods.

Georgette Chalker
Urban Video Journalist

Open Letter from Community Leader Diane White on the issue of police brutality in Harrisburg, PA

News Video: Community Leader, Diane White raises the issue of police brutality in Harrisburg, PA

First of all I would like to take this opportunity to thank those individuals who have been supporting me financially, morally and spirituality. Our collectively energies and faith in all that is good and righteous will truly triumph over the evil which abounds us. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. -Isaiah 54:17

My preliminary hearing has been set for November 27, 2007@ 9:15 at the Dauphin County Prison. To date there has been no action taken on the Citizen's Complaint filed against the Harrisburg Police department. I remain on pre-trial supervision. I am unable to return to work, I continue to receive treatment for my spinal and ankle injury. I still have a knot on my right temple and I am financially unable to pay my bills. My witnesses and neighbor have informed me that they are being harassed by Officer Chance. I am reliving this experience of what happened to me every morning when I wake up and turn on my TV, the women being tazed, woman dying at the airport, the 15 year old being sprayed and punched. Every time I leave my house I hear more horror stories about police beating women and getting away with it. There is no doubt that my life is endanger from these men who get pleasure out of abusing women.

The individuals who have been involved in the McCormick Island incident have already gone to court and yet my preliminary hearing will not occur for another month. Now that those individuals have had their day in court, I will be asking the ACLU to reconsider taking on my case. Those people involved in the McCormick Island incident have money and the financial resources to deal with a system which is already sympathetic to them, I do not. I have been attempting to contact legal aid, however they have not returned any of my calls. I will continue to my calls. I have also registered with the public defenders office. However, no one has been assigned to my case.

Harrisburg City Councilwoman, Patty Kim says she thinks we need a Citizen's review board and has placed the issue on the agenda for the October 25 @ 5:30 meeting. I trust that she is seeking input from agencies like the NAACP, the ACLU, PA Human Relations Commission, The DOJ Taskforce, Former Police Officers, ACORN and other citizens who have been the victim of abuse. I personally have not heard from her, nor have I heard from anyone else who has a vested interest in the outcome of such a meeting. Patty Kim's website has been taken down and there is no mention of her desire to involve the public in the media. I trust that those of you who are in a position to help with this issue have remained vigilant. I am also trusting that you will be in attendance at the October 25, Public Safety meeting and I hope that you will be submitting your request to speak and present evidence beyond the 2 minute time limits we are routinely given.

As I listen to Anita Hill being interviewed by CNN, I can only reiterate what she is saying, Its hard enough to stand up for your rights without having to deal with the chilling affect of those in positions of power who want to delay and deflect the truth.

If nothing else, keep me in your prayers as I will keep you in mind as we continue in this struggle for social justice, not only for me, but for the over 50 complaints against the Harrisburg police this year, not to mentions all the complaints before mine that have not been investigated or resolved. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

How you can help!

Peace,

Diane F. White

537 S. 16th Street

Harrisburg, PA 17104

(717) 232-1722

Green Party Candidate for City Commissioner Lewis Harris Jr. addressed and received a warm welcome in the sunday morning services at Mt.Pisgah

Green Party Candidate for City Commissioner Lewis Harris Jr. addressed and received a warm welcome in the sunday morning services at the famous Mt.Pisgah AME church 41st and Spring Garden St. in west philly, seen in The 1980's/90's Tv sitcom "Amen" staring Cliffton Davis and Sherman Hensley, Lewis far right was joined By Elder Patterson far left Pastor of Hickman Temple AME, Pastor of Mt. Pisgah Jay B. Broadnac center left and Executive Director of the Mayors Faith Base initiative Rev. Margaret Handy. Pastor Broadnac was asked by the Philadelphia Black clergy to address the dilemma of Security Workers Ind. employee's low pay and non-benefits status this Wednesday Sept. 4th, 12:00 noon Temple University at the Bell, 11th and Berks.

" Lewis Harris Jr. Candidate for City Commissioner over voter's registration, greets Pastor Glenn Spalding of The Deliverance Evangelistic Church 21st

" Lewis Harris Jr. Candidate for City Commissioner over voter's registration, greets Pastor Glenn Spalding of The Deliverance Evangelistic Church 21st & Lehigh Ave. after a rousing sermon, Pastor Spalding supports Harris's plan to better educate voters about the electoral process If he should win this November 6th. Harris will address the Deliverance Church Family this Sunday October 14th at the 11:00 am Service.

" Lewis Harris Jr. Candidate for City Commissioner over voter's registration, greets Pastor Glenn Spalding of The Deliverance Evangelistic Church 21st & Lehigh Ave.

Mr. Lewis Harris Jr. met the Pastor and expresses how inspiring his sermon was. Mr. Lewis Harris Jr., is currently running for City Commissioner over voter registration. He feels that what he brings to the community will be to educate Philadelphia to how important The City Commissioner of Voter Registration is and the electoral process holistically. Mr. Harris has a plan to re­educate community by community about why it is important to register to vote, two, to inform the voters how they are allowed to vote for people in general elections and not just by party. He will reduce voter fraud, by investigating the thousands and thousand of vacant lots, illegal ghost registered voters. He wants people to know that unlike Florida where the cheating at the polls was obvious and blatant Philadelphia has a Florida type problem that goes un-notice. The Pastor talked about a passage in the Bible that said put the whole armor on, to defend you when it comes to evil, sins, and injustice. Well Lewis Harris Jr. feels that he will help us on Election Day with a new and complete armor to protect the integrity of our vote.

Lewis Harris Jr., to Launch Talk Radio Show On WURD 900; Nutrition

Snacks for Kids. Above are: "Roger Robbie," the "Hip-Hop Raccoon," and Superstar sports Role model, Julius "Dr.J." Erving. "Power Snack" is encouraging kids and teachers to let everyone make their own snack. It's the latest plan the non-profit, VSP Foundation is promoting to fight street crime using "Street Nutrition" and education. Roger Robbie's goal is to hook kids into thinking before making snacks and eating them. Think nutrition.

Lewis Harris Jr., to Launch Talk Radio Show On WURD 900; Nutrition

by Van Stone vspfondation@yahoo.com (215) 747-8746

In Philadelphia not since AM talk-radio, WHAT and WDAS, came in first in the mid 1970’s, programming the Jocko show, has a community AM radio station been a serious threat in a national radio broadcasting competition. In fact, since political activism seems to be the number 1 reason why AM radio is so successful, having loyal ethnical listeners being a steady close second reason, it’s little surprise that Philadelphia civic activist, Lewis Harris Jr., is talking about starting a talk show on AM radio beginning sometime the end of this month. But why is Harris Jr., a novice in radio broadcasting, seriously considering to converse out civic issues on WURD 900 AM instead of say a FM band?

WURD 900 AM has a system designed that allows inexperienced radio communicators to pay into their own radio education by purchasing airtime. But you have to be polished and knowledgeable of your topic and format. Certainly, there are few like Lewis who has both the life experience and driven tested mileage of participation in Philly politics. Not once or twice, but to many times, I would have to say, has Harris Jr., faces the ugly arm of threats, bombings and debates that goes along with the territory of street civics. And now he’s preparing to take Philly civics to the level of talk-radio creating a very interesting mix dealing with education improvement in city government. About a theme?

During Rizzo’s era in Philly civics major parties had high ratings. Today, Harris Jr. is interested in opening the eyes of key groups in the community such as Muslims and Christians to possibilities what third-party candidates and independent parties may do to make a difference in Philly by district versus citywide. Right now, in the Councilman Clarke era, both major parties get low ratings yearly. And I believe that a third party could have a huge impact in 2007 the Philadelphia election, since the circumstances are similar to 1975. For a third-party candidate to be competitive, he or she needs a certain amount of facts about what’s happening with the voting commissioner seat. And from what I understand, at least one of Harris JR’s topics will be the corruption-case dealing with Carlos Matos, Camden courthouse on Wednesday, September 26, 2007.

The North Philly Democratic ward leader, Matos, faced sentencing on corruption charges before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler. Kugler sentenced Matos to 36 months in prison. Kugler also fined Matos $50,000, citing his net worth of about $3million. Philadelphia Chief Deputy City Commissioner Renee Tartaglione and Matos are married. There is a Tartaglione running as incumbent voting commissioner, Philadelphia. It’s been said that voting commissioner Tartaglione has had the seat longer than certain Philadelphia Mayors have held office, combining a 5-term tenure. How will Lewis host?

Harris Jr. plans to use a team of leading civics experts from the Philly and Harrisburg area creating solutions dialogued for the improvement of Muslims and Christians dealing with violence and deadlock politics in Philadelphia. In other news: Creating Snacking.

Before school restarted I shared with my readers a fun and healthy way of getting kids to eat more. Roger Robbie and Julius “Dr.J.” Erving After-School programs featuring “Power Snack.” “Street Nutrition” is “Roger Robbie’s” way for a nutritious party whenever friends are over. This is a cool group activity for kids. You will need: Fresh fruit and veggies cut into bite-size pieces. Examples are apples, pears, carrots, cucumber, broccoli, zucchini, and green pepper. If you are interested in more snack recipes check the school or public library for kids’ nutritious cookbooks. Or visit my foundation at www.frontpagenews.us to learn how to make healthy snack

Reporting While Black

Chris Keane for The New York Times

ARE YOU IN A GANG? Officers Travis Childs, left, and Ted Castano last month on patrol at the Timber Ridge Apartments in Charlotte, N.C.

Published: September 30, 2007

THE police officer had not asked my name or my business before grabbing my wrists, jerking my hands high behind my back and slamming my head into the hood of his cruiser.

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Chris Keane for The New York Times

NIGHT SHIFT Outside a known gang house in Charlotte, Officer Castano checked an ID.

“You have no right to put your hands on me!” I shouted lamely.

“This is a high-crime area,” said the officer as he expertly handcuffed me. “You were loitering. We have ordinances against loitering.”

Last month, while talking to a group of young black men standing on a sidewalk in Salisbury, N.C., about harsh antigang law enforcement tactics some states are using, I had discovered the main challenge to such measures: the police have great difficulty determining who is, and who is not, a gangster.

My reporting, however, was going well. I had gone to Salisbury to find someone who had firsthand experience with North Carolina’s tough antigang stance, and I had found that someone: me.

Except that I didn’t quite fit the type of person I was seeking. I am African-American, like the subjects of my reporting, but I’m not really cut out for the thug life. At 37 years old, I’m beyond the street-tough years. I suppose I could be taken for an “O.G.,” or “original gangster,” except that I don’t roll like that — I drive a Volvo station wagon and have two young homeys enrolled in youth soccer leagues.

As Patrick L. McCrory, the mayor of Charlotte and an advocate of tougher antigang measures in the state, told me a couple of days before my Salisbury encounter: “This ganglike culture is tough to separate out. Whether that’s fair or not, that’s the truth.”

Tough indeed. Street gangs rarely keep banker’s hours, rent office space or have exclusive dress codes. A gang member might hang out on a particular corner, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, but one is just as likely to be standing on that corner because he lives nearby and his shirt might be blue, not because he’s a member of the Crips, but because he’s a Dodgers fan.

The problem is that when the police focus on gangs rather than the crimes they commit, they are apt to sweep up innocent bystanders, who may dress like a gang member, talk like a gang member and even live in a gang neighborhood, but are not gang members.

In Charlotte’s Hidden Valley neighborhood, a predominately African-American community that is home to some of the state’s most notorious gangs, Jamal Reid, 20, conceded that he associates with gangsters. Mr. Reid, who has tattoos and wears dreadlocks and the obligatory sports shirts and baggy jeans, said gangsters are, after all, his neighbors, and it’s better to be their friend than their enemy.

Sheriff’s records for Charlotte-Mecklenburg County show that Mr. Reid has been arrested several times since 2004 for misdemeanors including driving without a license, trespassing and marijuana possession. Despite his run-ins with the law, Mr. Reid said he had never been in a gang and complained that the police had sometimes harassed him without a good reason.

“A police officer stopped in front of my house and told me to come to his car,” he told me. “I said, no. They got out and ran me down. They did the usual face-in-the-dirt thing.”

Maj. Eddie Levins of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said that officers are allocated to different areas based on the number of service calls they receive, so high-crime areas are likely to get more police attention.

“Where there are more police, expect more police action,” Major Levins said. “Some people think ‘I can just hang out with this gang member as long as I don’t do any crime.’ Well, expect to be talked to. We can’t ignore them. In fact, we kind of want to figure out the relationship between all these gang members and their associates.”

Major Levins said that his fellow officers aren’t perfect and that he was aware of occasional complaints of harassment, but he said that most residents would like to see more police officers on the streets, not fewer.

Even Cairo Guest, a 26-year-old who complained he was handcuffed in his backyard, acknowledged that gang members in his neighborhood were “out of control.”

“There are a lot of guys out here doing stuff they shouldn’t have been doing,” Mr. Guest said.

Still, some civil rights advocates complain that the definition of a gang member is vague. Gang researchers find that most active members usually cycle out of their gangs within about a year. Even active participants might only be marginal members, drifting in and out of gangs, said Kevin Pranis, a co-author of “Gang Wars,” a recent report on antigang tactics written by the Justice Police Institute, a nonprofit research group.

Harsh penalties could actually reinforce gang membership by locking peripheral gangsters in jail with more hardened criminals, he said.

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Probe of Justices and Jehovah’s Witnesses

Probe of Justices and Jehovah’s Witnesses

by Van Stone, Baittank Downing, and Gerald McNeil
vspfoundation@yahoo.com (215) 747-8746

Philadelphia, PA, and MEDIA COURTHOUSE- The Tenth Amendment alleges that powers not given to the federal administration by the Constitution belong to the states or to the people. Amendment number 10 is voiced to keep the federal government from becoming too forceful.-Family Courts must obey too. Protection of rights of ones gender, man or a woman is final.

But not so today. "If you’re a Philadelphian male appearing in Media Courthouse," says John Coleman, "especially a Black man, you cannot speak out against your Judge’s limits without fear of detainment or even possible arrest." In Media, the positive man’s right to challenge is blocked.

More serious allegations are being made by victims of abuse of power that, males are illegally detained or arrested and may be kept in jail at the George Hill Correctional Facility for months without being told why they were detained or arrested. A person spoke on condition of anonymity about alleged ongoing racial and discriminative overtones by 4 Judges and 1 Master presiding at the Media Courthouse, Delaware County.

But the West Philadelphia Jehovah’s Witnesses Presiding Judge Elders are participating in unfairness too, according to the complainers. Both set of Judges are intertwined, publicly, in at least one case of Unfair Conduct. The case is about whether a father of 2, Accused and Judged of Indirect Violation of a Protection From Abuse Order, is really the dirty work of bigots and offenders governing as Justices.

Coleman, Special Investigator, involved within Petitions and Complaints of Community Family Issues,-a Public Watchdog group, is drawing on most recent allegations within the intertwined Media Courthouse District Court Official’s bench and the West Philadelphia Jehovah’s Witnesses Elder’s Bench conducting abusiveness to its members.

New fact findings, uncovered evidence by Coleman, details the bizarre real possibility that certain Media Judges are targeting Philadelphia Black males to jail at the Delaware County Prison. He says that, "the anonymous lead person, a married father, is the primary victim. Dad was actually in the fleeing stage from an abusive relationship with his Jehovah’s Witnesses wife, a Marcia Brown." A person with first hand knowledge of the rocky marriage confirmed to Coleman that, the father with their 2 small children tried to end their marriage and was granted a Temporary Protection From Abuse Order in 2002 by Honorable Judge Barry C. Dozer, Media Courthouse Judge. The Courts can do only what is listed in the rules for the Judicial Branch.

The Dad and Brown are still married. Coleman, citing an unidentified source, reported that the Dad who was also caring for his brothers 2 children was suddenly punished in cruel and/or unusual ways, such as torturing him by both the Media Delaware County Family courts and the West Philadelphia Jehovah’s Witnesses courts. The Bill of Rights protects all Americans from such abuses. It appears that some Officials who preside at the Media Bench are promoting the growth of Sectionalism: They are loyal to sections and not to the whole state. Meanwhile, JW’s judicial officials pass rules to force everyone who is a member to live according to JW’s control.

According to reports and Court records, Judge Dozer, ignored testimony that, together Brown and her attorney, Pauline Manos, Esquire, Philadelphia, abused the dad by directly violating the PFA order, committing fearful acts of: making threats, stealing a weapon. With the stolen 357 magnum, Brown took their children while being prohibited from having any contact with them during the PFA and misrepresented the facts to East Lansdowne Police Department. There Manos and Brown filed a false police report indicating that the dad had made threats to harm Brown, using a stolen gun. "The father is never once implicated" as, "accused of abusing their children, says Coleman. "Not on any legal record," he said. "Only the mom is alleged of child abuse," according to statements made by an unnamed Upper Darby Police Officer. Allegement’s and ongoing strong safety concerns are at the school records.

Brown admitted to all of the above offences of having attacked the father in the presence of their small children using a butcher knife, and verbally abusing the children. She also admitted to Regina Wilson’s involvement, her aunt who is also a Jehovah Witness, by hiding the gun for over 5 days while they (Brown, Wilson, and Manos) hatched out a deadly plan to use the gun against the dad.-The Dad filed for Divorce. But the admittances is on record at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where according to an unnamed source, Brown confessed to JW’s Judge Elders, John Overton Sr., and George Smith, who presided over the hearing. "This confession was done voluntarily without the presence of the father," says Coleman. "The Jehovah’s Witness Elders, Carmichael and Vernon Brown , evidently told her to use the gun- lie in Media, and say that she was abused by the dad," he said. "No discipline for Brown’s loose conduct," he said.

"We heard first hand the tape," an unknown source said. Evidently a conversation of alleged abuse was taped. "Brown and her aunt were laughing about abusing the kids. They sounded intoxicated. She was yelling at the daughter," an unidentified source said. The aunt is Regina Wilson, West Philadelphia resident. According to sources Brown did not ever admit, to the Judicial Elders, about having a secret affair with her attorney Manos, as the father had accused. "The dad himself accused the wife of having the lesbian affair only to the JW’s Elders-not on court proceeding transcripts," said Coleman. Both judicial tribunal’s concern was more about her being embarrassed by such statements. The criminal acts that the wife, the attorney and aunt were alleged to have committed were ignored. Judge Fitzpatrick sent the Dad back to jail based on the (secret same sex partner relationship) insinuation alone. "We see no violation," Coleman says. Media courts ripped the dad’s children away from him, put him in jail, and additionally misrepresented power by ordering the dad to obtain psychiatric treatment for almost 2 years. "2 Adult Board Certified Psychiatrist disagreed with the Judge’s rulings and authority," he said.

But, according to sources, at one time during the torture, the dad had a good attorney, Pat O’Neal, Esquire. It was during her representation period that Judge Dozer was overheard referring to the dad as, "that black guy." "Trust me, I know about them," says Dozer, when O’Neal startled Judge Dozer about his direct breaking of the Law. O’Neal believed the Judge approved another PFA for the violent Brown against the dad for personal reasons. In September, 2004, Judge Fitzpatrick supported Dozer’s PFA against the dad: sources tell that Fitzpatrick was overheard responding to the dad’s attorney, Robert B. George’s, inquiry about a possible appeal to her decision to imprison the dad again for an Indirect Violation of Brown’s PFA, she said, "I want that N-----‘s ass in jail." "Don’t bother to appeal," Fitzpatrick related through her assistant. Credible? Maybe. The News Council team and myself, the lead Philadelphia Police Clergy, have forwarded this case to the American Civil Liberties Union. This is a Pennsylvanian concern. It affects males in Chester and Darby too, sources say. Email Officer Coleman at chapelfirepolice@yahoo.com if you have a tip about-Media Courthouse or JW’s abuse.

Welcome to the CAA

Jamie Harris

Welcome to the CAA

by Brian Crownover and Bill Martin

College basketball season is now less than two months away. As we close in on the season, many fans want to know how they’ll replace graduated players and where their incoming freshmen will fit into the mix. After watching many of the incoming players last year with their high school and AAU programs, CAA Insider will take a look at some of the newcomers to the CAA this season (Please note, this is only players that we have personally seen).

Expected to contribute right away:

New York City has produced its fair share of guards over the years. Three of the city’s best from the Class of 2007 are expected to have an impact early on in their careers. The Hofstra Pride are losing two players from the three headed scoring machine that was their backcourt last season. All CAA guard Loren Stokes will undoubtedly be the most difficult player to replace. One player who will have the task of trying to replace Stokes and teammate Carlos Rivera is incoming freshman Nathaniel Lester. Lester comes in with a nice resume, including being rated by most among the Top five players in NYC. Lester is more of a rugged, physical guard rather than the flashy guard New Yorkers are used to. Lester should see plenty of time on the court early on in his career. Fellow incoming New York guard, Devon Peterson, is now headed the JUCO route so even more playing time will be available for Nathaniel. Look for the talented guard to make a run at the CAA Rookie of the Year award.

Another backcourt decimated by graduation was that of the Drexel Dragons. The Dragons went up north to the Big Apple and snatched another couple of talented guards. Replacing four-year starter Bashir Mason and long-range bomber Dom Mejia won’t be easy, but the two young guards hope to be up to the task. Jamie Harris isn’t flashy, but rather a steady hand at the point guard position. He looks to pass first and often makes his teammates better. The undersized guard can put the ball in the hoop too. While Jamie’s game doesn’t provide much flair, the opposite can be said about super quick combo guard Gerald Colds. He’s a quick guard who can hit from nearly everywhere on the court. He was hot and cold when we’ve seen him but he’ll have to be more consistent to have a big impact early. Hopefully that’ll come with repetition. Early reports are that both of these guards have a good work ethic. The toughest thing for both will be trying to replace Mason on the defensive end. He was a four time all defensive player. Another guard who could contribute early is the much bigger guard from Canada, Adrian Hynes-Guery.

Canadian Pipeline:

Besides Adrian Hynes-Guery, the CAA will have two other freshmen players from Canada this year. Etoile Imama and Valeriu Lazarescu both played for Champlain St. Lambert in Quebec. Etoile should provide depth at the point guard position right away for Old Dominion. He excels at taking care of the ball and running an offense, so he should be able to step right in and provide some error free basketball. Big time scoring however should not be expected from him. He is not very aggressive on offense, and his jumper needs to be more consistent. Lazarescu is an athletic wing with a decent offensive skill set, who will be suiting up for William & Mary. His jump shot is solid and he can hit out behind the arc. His pull up mid range jumper is probably his most dangerous ability. What Valeriu really has to work on is his ball handling and the mental aspect of the game. He lacks ball-handling moves, so when he drives he does so with one hand and simply tries to blow by his man. Valeriu has all the physical tools to be successful in the CAA, but his decision-making needs serious improvement. He throws the ball away way too often, and does not do well with pressure defense. There is not much playing time available for Valeriu, so he should have time to develop a year before he needs to be counted upon.

Biggest Upside:

When people use the word “upside” as has been described of incoming VCU freshman Larry Sanders, you typically think of someone with no offensive game. The scary part is that Larry does have some offensive game already and yet still has plenty of “upside”. He is extremely long and athletic and built similar to former Drexel Dragon Chaz Crawford. Much like Chaz, Larry is a very good shot blocker. In our brief viewing, he does appear to be farther along that Chaz was coming into the CAA from an offensive standpoint. Larry has excellent hands and some ability to play towards the perimeter. He does need to work on developing more low post moves, but he possesses a soft touch, which should really help him in that area. Like most incoming big men, Larry does need to add strength. With the Rams veteran frontcourt, Larry should be able to develop properly while providing some depth. He still has quite a ways to go offensively, but it wouldn’t shock us at all to see Larry playing in the NBA one day.

Biggest match up problem:

Just a few short years ago, center Kevin Pittsnogle (West Virginia) was wreaking havoc during the NCAA tournament with his long range shooting ability. Perhaps this inspired George Mason to pickup Vlad Moldoveanu for their frontcourt. Vlad is a very skilled forward who is proficient from behind the arc. He also can go inside and score with his back to the basket in the post. Vlad can put the ball on the floor and hit the mid range jumper too. This versatile play should lead to some early playing time and cause headaches for opposing coaches who are trying to match up with him. Vlad does need to get stronger and his defense could improve, but his skills should get him on the court early and cause trouble for the rest of the CAA throughout his career.

Most underrated:

When you play in a state not known for its high school basketball, it becomes easy to be overlooked. Such may be the case with Sanford, Delaware product Edwin Santiago. Edwin led his team a state championship title game appearance and was first team all state yet rarely is he even mentioned among the top incoming CAA players. He didn’t play on a high profile AAU team like some of Delaware’s other more high profile prospects. There’s no doubt though that Edwin can play. The lanky guard can do a number of things well. He’s very smooth with the ball in his hands and can pull up from the perimeter or drive to the goal and use his length to finish in traffic. Edwin is also pretty athletic and looks to get his teammates involved too. He may not be an instant impact player, but don’t be surprised if this University of Delaware player becomes a household name down the road. With his versatility, Edwin could end up seeing some playing time at either guard spot.

Most ready for the college game from a physical standpoint:

Time and time again when writing about high school players we use the phrase “must get stronger.” While many players are not ready for the physical nature of the college game, incoming VCU freshman Myk Brown is an exception to the rule. The well-built wing looks more like a linebacker or fullback than he does your typical basketball player. The Rams lose a physical guard in Jesse Pellot-Rosa who actually tried out for the Jets. Myk certainly can physically fill the role of the departed Pellot-Rosa. Myk also is a solid perimeter shooter and showed flashes of athletic ability when we saw him in action. VCU is losing two starters from the backcourt and is bringing in several other high profile recruits including Ed Nixon and Joey Rodriguez from Florida. The Rams may elect to go with some of those players as replacements, but if they want another physical player in the backcourt Myk Brown is their man.

With 9 of the 15 all conference players from last year lost to graduation, there will certainly be plenty of opportunities for the incoming players to make an impact. How well these freshmen can fill the void remains to be seen. Their development throughout their college careers will be needed to keep the CAA among the top mid major conferences in the country.

NE Playaz & DC Assault win 2007 Fall Jam Fest

Gold Division - New England Playaz (12th Grade Division Champions)

NE Playaz & DC Assault win 2007 Fall Jam Fest

By Theo Rabinowitz (Ballers All-Star Report)The championship game of the 12th grade division at the Hoop Group Fall Jamfest at Rutgers University featured the NE Playaz, coached by former Celtics coach John Carroll, against the Jersey Shore Warriors, a team comprised of several quality outside shooters. The game was tight throughout, with the Playaz leading most of the way. The Warriors weren't able to get over the hump, as the Playaz made several key stops down the stretch en route to a 72-58 victory.

The Warriors were lead throughout the game by Dalton Pepper, a highly competent floor general who led his team in scoring with 18 points. Pepper a junior PG, boasts offers from the likes of West Virginia, Villanova and Virginia Tech. Junior, Will Barrett also contributed to the scoring attack for the Warriors, chipping in with 13 points, including 3 three-pointers.

Despite the efforts of Pepper and Barrett, the New England Playaz were able to use their height advantage to beat the Warriors with their low-post game. The major contributor was Eric Murphy, who finished with 22 points, most of which came within 8 feet of the basket. Nate Lubbick, who also did damage in the low post, contributed with 16 points. 11th Grade Championship Game:The DC Assault were able to top the Playaz Basketball Club in a close match to win the 11th grade championship game 78-73. Joshua Hairston, a sophomore for the DC Assault scored a team high 24 points. The Playaz Club, comprised of players from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area were lead by Fuquan Edwin, who also led his team with 24 points.

Daryl Bryant

MVP Daryl Bryant (above) recorded 24 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Usual Suspects to an 88-85 victory over Team Hersh in the championship game of the Funsport Brooklyn HS Classic at Jefferson HS.Usual Suspects expanded their 39-35 halftime lead to double digits when Kemba Walker swished a left-corner three- pointer that made it 54-44 with 2:28 left in the third quarter. Team Hersh quickly recovered as David Coley scored 10 points in a 19-8 run that carried over to the fourth quarter. Eric Troche climaxed the spurt with a driving layup and Team Hersh suddenly had a 63-62 lead with five minutes remaining.

Patrick Jackson got that one back with a layup at the other end for Usual Suspects, who then regained control and rebuilt their double-digit margin at 80-70 on a three-point play by Jackson with 2:45 to go. Team Hersh would start another comeback but they simply ran out of time as Erving Walker and Bryant ran down the clock.Erving Walker chipped in with 20 points while Kemba Walker added 18 points and Jackson finished with 15 for the winners, who posted their second straight triumph over an unbeaten pool winner, having stopped defending champ Starrett City 90-87 a day earlier in the semifinals. In that game, Bryant led five Usual Suspects in double figures with 20 points, followed by Jackson (17), Erving Walker (15 with 7 assists), Marquis Grant (15 and 12 rebounds), and Kemba Walker (13). Starrett City received 24 points each from Vance Kelly and Devon Elliott while Sam Obetoh added 18 points and 10 boards.Team Hersh's Coley, who established himself as one of the city's top rising sophs in this tournament, garnered Sportsmanship honors with his team-high 21 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Another soph, Joel Wright, tallied 16 points and 14 rebounds for Team Hersh, which also got 15 points from Keith Spellman, 14 points from Troche, and 13 points with 10 rebounds from Allan Marshall.

Will Harrisburg Mayor be Forced to Come Clean?

Former Harrisburg Mayor since 1982, Stephen Reed

by Diane F. White, Frontpage News.us

Harrisburg - Eric Papenfuse, one of the newly appointed members of the board overseeing the Harrisburg Authority, says documents show Mayor Reed may have illegally used the money to purchase 30 million dollars in Civil War and Wild West artifacts, and that some of those artifacts are nowhere to be found.

There are also rumors regarding the misuse of Harrisburg School District funds, The sale of the Harrisburg Senators, McCormick Island and money being diverted from the Harrisburg Incinerator creeping around the Harrisburg "grapevine" as well. When the news hit the airwaves about these allegations just like the artifacts alleged to be missing, the Mayor was no where to be found, he was conspicuously missing too.

In a statement, "Acting" Mayor, Harrisburg Business Administrator, Linda Lingle called the accusations false, adding "There have been no illegal expenditures and all of the artifacts have been accounted for and are being prepared for sale at public auction."

However, Papenfuse says he has documents that prove otherwise. After digging into the Mayor's records for about month now, Papenfuse estimates Reed spent close to 30-million dollars on artifacts for the Civil War Museum and the now defunct Wild West Museum. Papenfuse says the missing money is no mistake, claiming records and receipts for the artifacts were purposely deleted by the Mayor and his office. A system of corruption Papenfuse says went on for years, and those who didn't play along didn't play at all. Papenfuse says he plans on meeting with the state attorney general's office sometime within the next two weeks.

Harrisburg City Council woman Linda Thompson, elected school board members who refused to give Reed and his "Board of Control a "blank check", Harrisburg ACORN members, Harrisburg Incinerator opponents, community leaders, small business owners and private citizens, have been battling the Mayor for years while he arrogantly misused his position, taxpayer money and the courts to keep up his charade as he drained the life out of city residents leaving us in a pool of debt for our children to pay.

Armed with guts, effort and her strong faith Thompson is calling for everyone to join the fight. “And I mean everyone. From the Attorney General, the Federal Attorney General to the Auditor General, everyone on that Authority board, even citizens. Join the chorus, and call for a major investigation.” says Thompson.

Whether an investigation into these allegations, which will undoubtedly turn up even more dirt, will happen, is the million dollar question. It took 14 years for the Philadelphia Phillies it to get back to the play-offs. The Harrisburg City Council hit a "grand slam", when they got the appointments to the Harrisburg Authority, now its time for the mayor to step up to the plate. Just like Brent Myer's third strike curve ball right down the middle left the batter standing there looking dumbfounded as the umpire called, "strike three", a fair and impartial investigation into these allegations will translate into a victory for the citizens of Harrisburg too.

NEWS VIDEO:

Artifacts Investigation - CBS 21 Secret spending, intimidating employees, one Harrisburg official is making some very big ... Copyright 2007 Clear Channel...

Time for Mass Resignation From the Democratic Party; QUIT THE PARTY!

QUIT THE PARTY!

By DAVE LINDORFF

Cynthia McKinney is doing it. It's time for you to do it too.

Have you, like many Americans, found yourself wondering why President Bush, over and over again, would hand the Democrats in Congress the weapon needed to bring him down?

Just look at the list:

Last year it was the nominations of John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Then, in the new Congress, it was a $120-billion supplemental funding request for continuing the hugely unpopular war in Iraq, followed by a bill to legalize the very National Security Agency spying program which he has been running illegally for the past half decade, and that has had people of all political stripes in an uproar. To top that off, knowing that the Democrats were gunning for his Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, Bush made sure to have the NSA spying bill put Gonzales in charge of the operation! And now this same president is coming to Congress to ask for another nearly $200 billion for his Iraq War!

At first glance, you have to wonder, why on earth would he do this?

But then look what happens:

In every instance, with the exception of the latest Iraq War funding bill (and we know what's going to happen with that), the Democrats have folded and given the president exactly what he wanted, causing apoplexy among the Democratic and independent voters who put them in charge of Congress last November. After all, Democrats ran for office last year saying they would stand up to the president, defend the Constitution, and end the war. Now each time Bush taunts them and they fold, public support for the Democratic Congress slumps further, to the point that today, they are even less popular that Bush-quite an accomplishment!

This is a truly impressive strategy-surely the brainchild of Bush's Rasputin, the dearly departed (to Texas) Karl Rove, who long ago understood that the Democrats would not have the courage and strength of conviction to stand against even a president as profoundly despised and distrusted as Bush.

So all Bush has to do to promote a Republican victory in the 2008 elections is keep putting forward outrageous bills, keep expanding the war, perhaps to include Iran, and keep undermining the Constitution. The Democrats will enable or sign on to each horrible act in turn. And with each such shameless action taken by the Democratic Congress, they further enrage 2008 voters.

The Democrats, under Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (surely two of the sorriest excuses for leaders that Congress has had in modern history), simply don't get it. They don't realize they're being played for suckers and losers. And they don't even realize that they are alienating their base.

Which brings us to what needs to be done.

The Democrats in Congress, and at the head of the party, need to receive a serious wake-up call. Since they're clearly too dumb or too out of touch to realize what's happening, we need to send them a message they can't ignore-the political equivalent of a car bomb.

I'm talking about mass resignations from the Democratic Party, with every person who resigns and becomes an independent or who changes their registration to a third party sending a message to the DNC explaining why he or she is quitting.

It starts small with a few people here and a few people there, but as Arlo Guthrie once put it, pretty soon we're talking about a movement, and you can join it right here!

A couple of months back, I set up an email address for people to register at, and listed it on my website. To date, over 600 people have mailed in saying they are quitting the Democratic Party until Democrats in Congress begin impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney, and until they cut of all funding for the Iraq War.

Now it's time to really kick this campaign into high gear.

A few days ago, Cynthia McKinney, the gutsy and outspoken former congresswoman from Georgia who filed the first and so far only bill of impeachment against George W. Bush in the waning days of the last Congress, called me at home to say she wants to sign on. That's a nice start to the campaign!

You read it first here: Former Rep. McKinney Quits the Democratic Party!

So how about you? Think about it: If you were to accept the official line, George Bush won the presidency in 2000 by capturing the state of Florida by 537 votes. And this movement has already got more than that number of people who are no longer going to be Democrats! If we could get 537 people in each state of the union to sign on and drop their party affiliation in protest, the Democratic leadership would have to start contemplating how many close states they are going to lose next year because of their abject failure to act on principle and with courage in Congress.

Better still, if we could get 100,000 or 500,000 people to drop their party affiliation nationwide, that would send a really powerful signal.

The beauty of this plan of action is that it is easy to do. And Democratic officials, from the DNC to local officeholders and county committees watch those registration totals like hawks, so they'll spot any de-registering trend really quickly. In fact, if registrations start to drop, you'll see local party officials start pressuring their Congressional representatives to take action and do something to stem the flow. For one thing, if you deregister, you're off their mailing lists. That means they can't hit you up for money, and they can't target you for get-out-the-vote drives. (Meanwhile, in many states, you don't even forfeit your right to participate in Democratic primaries by dropping your party registration, so you can still vote against Hillary and the rest of the warmongers in the party.)

Oh, you say, we can't just quit the party and let the Republicans win again!

Really? And just what have we gotten for our support for the Democrats in 2006? The war is still fully funded, and in fact has gotten worse, with 30,000 more troops in the country, not counting the 100,000 or so private mercenaries. Spying on Americans here a home has been legalized, with the help of the Democrats. (Nancy Pelosi can use threats of party discipline to prevent members from moving on impeachment, but she won't crack the whip to make them protect the Bill of Rights, or to defund the war?) And Bush is still issuing those signing statements, so any bills of consequence that Democrats have tried to pass have either been killed by Republican maneuvering, or vetoed.

And public support for the Democratic Congress is in the teens.

Clearly the only way to save the Democrats from themselves is to make it clear to them that they have to change or die.

And the way to do that is to join the "I Quit the Party" movement!

So click here and be a quitter. (Remember to get a voter registration form and follow through by canceling your Democratic Party affiliation!)

After you quit, then go to Dem.org, where Steve Fornier is trying to help organize people who have left the Democratic Party, but still want to be democrats. To learn more about Fornier's idea, read his recent CounterPunch article.

Note: You can also help build the movement by sending this article and link to every progressive person and progressive website you can think of. It's time to take quitting the party viral.

Dave Lindorff is the author of Killing Time: an Investigation into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. His book of CounterPunch columns titled "This Can't be Happening!" is published by Common Courage Press. Lindorff's newest book is "The Case for Impeachment",
co-authored by Barbara Olshansky.

September 27, 2007

He can be reached at: dlindorff@yahoo.com

http://www.counterpunch.com/lindorff09272007.html

Harrisburg City Councilwoman Patty Kim calls for the formation of "Citizen's Police Review Board"

by Diane F White

Yesterday Harrisburg City Councilwoman Patty Kim announced that she would be be holding a Public Safety Committee meeting on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 5:30 pm, in Council Chambers to discuss the formation of a Citizen's Police Review Board. "I believe we need a citizen's review board. I think we need to communicate, educate and cooperate", said Kim.

This meeting is long overdue. Community leaders in Harrisburg have been calling for a Police Review Board to no avail, for over 10 years. As citizens and taxpayer we have failed in our civic responsibility to hold our elected official accountable. For years residents have been complaining about heavy handed police officers and nothing has ever been done about it. In the last month there have been at least 4 incidents of "excessive force" being administered by male officers against women. A recent broadcast on CNN of a woman being "tazered" multiple times while handcuffed and defenseless is no surprise to those of us who have suffered similar attacks at the hands of "out of control" police officers, playing with their toys. "Boys will be boys", said Nancy Kuhn, a retired supervisor from the Comm Center of the Harrisburg Police Department. She went on to describe an incident where three female police officers were dispatched to a call for a man with an AK47, while the male officers are reserved for calls involving black women. All women should be outraged at the recent avalanche of "police brutality" towards women.

Now that Patty Kim has stepped up to the plate, its up to each and every one of us to support her efforts.

City residents should make plans to attend this meeting and come prepared to offer solutions. In fact they should make sure to attend every Public Safety Committee meeting until this issue is resolved and we have a NON-PARTISAN, proportionally represented, Citizens Review Board, accountable to the citizens of Harrisburg.

If you have a complaint about the actions of a police officer make sure you have put it in writing. Complaint forms must be signed and notarized before being turned into Capt Pierre Ritter, Supervisor of the Uniformed Patrol. I would highly recommend turning in witness statements that have been sworn and notarized along with your complaint to expedite the investigation process. At the very least record the name, address, phone number and the best time for the investigator to contact your witnesses.

If your case is already in the court system Patty Kim nor any other member of city council can interfere with the internal investigation once your complaint has been filed. However, the task before us as concerned citizens and taxpayers will be to ensure that the constitutional rights of each and every citizen are not being violated by the Harrisburg Police department or any of its police officers.

To contact Patty Kim email:pattykim@hotmail.com her site: http://pattykim.com has been shut down.

Largest Black Radio Group in Talks to Return to D.C.

Largest Black Radio Group in Talks to Return to D.C.

The country's largest radio group for black listeners may soon bring its headquarters back to D.C. Radio One, which moved to Lanham in 1997, is in talks with the city to move to a 330,000-square-foot development atop the Shaw-Howard Metro station on Seventh Street, Northwest. But the proposed deal would mean the city has to provide $22 million in public financing. Deputy mayor for planning and economic development Neil Albert says that if the council approves the deal, it would bring the 70-station urban radio group "back to its district roots." The development would include the Radio One offices, shops and 180 apartments. Officials and developers say that the benefits of the $115 million project would outweigh the cost to the city, and that it will be a jump-start to the revitalization efforts near Georgia Avenue, Northwest. -- Information from: The Washington Post

Roanoke white supremacist says FBI is monitoring his website because of posted addresses of Jena six families.

Roanoke white supremacist says FBI is monitoring his website because of posted addresses of Jena six families.

Even though the FBI is reviewing his web site, a Roanoke man says the agency will never shut him down.

Bill White is a white supremacist. He lists five of the six addresses for the Jena 6 defendants on his web site. The FBI is now looking to see if White violated any federal laws.

On his web site White essentially called for the lynching of the six black teens accused of beating a white student in Louisiana. He says he hasn't broken any laws.

Bill White has turned heads and raised eyebrows with his protests and literature since his arrival in the Star City nearly four-years ago.

Now, the neo-Nazi is garnering national and FBI attention by listing the addresses and phone numbers of the Jena gina 6 and asking for retribution.

White said today, "There's a big difference between them reviewing something and me doing something wrong. They have been reviewing, reviewing and reviewing it for years and years and years. We have been publishing. We will continue to publish."

White, who is the commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party, says the FBI has not contacted him.

He says he decided to post the addresses to show people that his group is "not going to tolerate black on white racial crime."

Meanwhile, as communities around the country have rallied around the Jena 6, locally the NAACP says it's surprised how people have reacted to the situation in Louisiana and Bill White represents a small segment of the public.

Daniel Hale Jr. is the president of the local NAACP. He said, "It demonstrates in our society that we have people who spew hatred and still demonstrate hatred in some type or form."© 2004-2007 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot in Front of Kids

Click on picture to watch video

Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot in Front of Kids

A man suspected of killing his pregnant girlfriend in front of her two children as they were driving in Watts surrendered Monday at a police station. The woman's two children were witnesses to the murder. The two sons ages 4 and 14 watched as their mother was shot to death Sunday night in Watts. The suspect was the woman's boyfriend 33-year-old Stephen Picart.

"It's unbelievable," said William Broom, the victim's Stepfather. "I mean, this happens to everybody's family but yours. I mean this never happens to your family."

The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. Sunday. The victim, identified as Sharon Carter, was driving on the 9600 block of Compton Avenue with her boyfriend and two kids. Carter's 14-year-old son was in the passenger seat and her 4-year-old was in the backseat with Picart.

Police say Carter and Picart got into an argument, and that's when Picart shot and killed her. Picart allegedly fired four rounds from the backseat as Carter was driving. Carter died at the scene.

"The hardest thing is to tell a 4-year-old child that they will never see their mother again. That is a nightmare, a traumatic experience that a child will have to go through. Counseling may never fix that," said Christi Antwine, the children's aunt.

According to investigators, the victim's 14-year-old son had to steer the car to the side of the road as his mother slumped to the side. Police say Picart then got out off the car and took off on foot. The victim's two sons were left in shock after watching all of this happen.

The victim's extended family say the couple had no history of domestic violence, they can't think of why Picart would do this. Adding to the tragedy, the woman was two months pregnant with Picart's baby.

Picart gave himself up at the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Station and will be booked for murder in the death of Sharon Carter, according to the LAPD.All material © 2007 KABC-TV, Inc. & 2004-2007 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Story posted 2007.09.24 at 08:17 PM PDT