Aaron Hernandez: Professional Timeline and Personal Tragedy

june 8, 2010 - aaron hernandez, a superb tight end from the university of florida, is drafted and signed to a four-year contract with the new england patriots.

july 16, 2012 - two men, daniel de abreu and safiro furtado, are shot to death in their car as they wait at a red light in boston's south end neighborhood.

august 27, 2012 - hernandez signs a five-year, $40 million contract with the patriots.

february, 2013 - alexander bradley, an associate of hernandez, is shot in the face in florida. bradley files a lawsuit alleging hernandez shot him after they argued at a strip club.

june 17, 2013 - the body of odin lloyd, a semi-professional football player, is found about a mile from hernandez's mansion in north attleborough, massachusetts. lloyd was dating the sister of hernandez's fiancee.

june 26, 2013 - hernandez is arrested on a murder charge in lloyd's death, and taken from his home in handcuffs. the patriots release him hours after his arrest. he later pleads not guilty.

may 15, 2014 - hernandez is indicted on two counts of first-degree murder - and other charges - in connection with the shootings of de abreu and furtado. his lawyers say he is innocent. 

may 28, 2014 - hernandez pleads not guilty to seven charges in connection with the deaths of de abreu and furtado. a prosecutor says hernandez was angry because de abreu accidentally bumped into him at a nightclub while dancing, spilling his drink.

january 9, 2015 - hernandez goes on trial for murder in lloyd's killing.

april 7, 2015 - prosecutors and hernandez's lawyers present their closing statements and the high profile case goes to the jury.

april 15, 2015 - hernandez is convicted of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole.

    



   

2015 NBA Official League Player Leaders

Points Per Game
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder       28.1
James Harden, Houston Rockets                      27.4
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers                   25.3
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans               24.4
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings              24.1

Rebounds Per Game
Deandre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers              15.0
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons                     13.5
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC                                 12.7
Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls                               11.8
Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks                    11.5

Assists Per Game
Chris Paul, LAC                                                10.2
John Wall, Washington Wizards                        10.0
Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets                               9.6
Russell Westbrook, OKC                                  8.6
Rajan Rondo, DAL                                           7.9

Steals Per Game
Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs                    2.3
Russell Westbrook, OKC                                 2.1
Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies                          2.1
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors               2.0
Chris Paul, LAC                                              1.9

Field Goal %
Deandre Jordan, LAC                                         71.0%
Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors                    57.2% 
Marcin Gortat, WAS                                           56.6%
Timofey Mozgov, CLE                                         55.5%
Tyler Zeller, Boston Celtics                                 54.9%

Free Throw %
Stephen Curry, GSW                                            91.4%
Jodie Meeks, DET                                               90.6%
JJ Redick, LAC                                                   90.1%
Jamal Crawford, LAC                                           90.1%
Chris Paul, LAC                                                  90.0% 

Three Point %
Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks                                 49.2%
Eric Gordon, NOP                                              44.8%
Stephen Curry, GSW                                          44.2%
JJ Redick, LAC                                                 43.7%
Klay Thompson, GSW                                       43.5%

Blocks Per Game
Anthony Davis, NOP                                            2.9
Serge Ibaka, OKC                                               2.4
Rudy Gobert, UTA                                               2.3
Deandre Jordan, LAC                                           2.2
John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks                           2.0

Stop and Frisk Practice in Chicago has Higher Rates than New York City

the american civil liberties union (aclu) of illinois completed a study in march of this year. the aclu found the chicago police department (cpd) is unlawfully stopping a "shocking number of people," and they single out (racially profile) black and brown people.  

the aclu's compelling report showed "chicagoans were stopped more than four times as often as new yorkers at the height of new york city's stop and frisk practice." last summer, the cpd made over 250,000 stops - none led to arrests. black people constitute about 33% of the city's population, yet they accounted for nearly 75% of all stops. 

the cpd has increased pedestrian stops under the eye of police superintendent garry mccarthy. he spent much of his career in the new york police department and was the former police chief in newark, new jersey. both cities received court challenges. the cpd does not collect systematic data on all frisks or stops resulting in an arrest or ordinance violation.

the aclu made some recommendations, in order to cultivate trust in the black and brown community. they suggest the cpd: 1) collect data on all stops and frisks, and make them public; 2) provide regular training on legal requirements for stops and frisks; 3) require officers to issue a detailed receipt for every pedestrian stop.  

Two Congressmen Introduce Bill To Restore Voting Rights After Prison

u.s. senator ben cardin (d-md) and u.s. representative john conyers (d-mi) recently introduced the democracy restoration act. the bill intends to give every citizen the right to vote in federal elections, unless they are incarcerated for a felony at the time the election takes place.

according to information in the socially progressive bill, the variation in state disenfranchisement laws "leads to an unfair disparity and unequal participation in federal elections based solely on where a person lives." 

the bill also states about one in every 40 adults in the u.s. presently cannot vote as a result of their felony convictions. of the 5.8 million people are barred from voting due to a felony conviction. only 25% are in prison. 

marc mauer, executive director of the sentencing project says," you've done your time in prison, now you're living in the community. you're expected to abide by the rules of society, pay your taxes, get a job...it's counter-productive to the community-at-large for us to be essentially treating people like second-class citizens."

the bill also notes state disenfranchisement policies disproportionately impact people of african descent. currently, one in 13 blacks in the u.s. are barred from voting - a rate four times greater than non-black people.

senator barbara mikulski (d-md) said, "from suffragettes through civil rights, expanding access to the ballot box in america has always been a move in the right direction. disenfranchising former offenders does a disservice to the very idea of democracy. if an american citizen has paid their debt to society after committing a crime, our focus must be on the rehabilitation and full reintegration into society - voting rights and all."

conversely, last month, u.s. senator rand paul (r-ky) and u.s. senate minority leader harry reid (d-nv) introduced the bipartisan civil rights voting restoration act. this bill would restore voting rights only for people convicted of non-federal crimes.

  

2015 NBA Hall-of-Fame Class

the 2015 naismith memorial basketball hall-of-fame inductees are:

dick bavetta. john calipari. louie dampier. lindsay gaze. 
spencer haywood. tom heinsohn. john isaac. lisa leslie. 
dikembe mutombo. george raveling. jo jo white.

the induction ceremony is september 11 in springfield, massachusetts. 

UConn Women Wins 2015 NCAA Championship

uconn (38-1) beat notre dame 63-53 on tuesday to win the 2015 ncaa championship. the hard-fought victory was their third consecutive title, and tenth overall for the teams' storied franchise. they've never lost a title game, and dominated notre dame (36-3) by 20 points in last year's finals.

huskies coach geno auriemma tied ucla legend john wooden with 10 ncaa titles. "obviously it's a very significant number because that's the number that's been out there and people want to talk about it. i'll be the first to say i'm not john wooden and i got a bunch of friends who'd tell you i'm right, i'm not. as i said the other day i just think what we've done here in the last 20 years is pretty remarkable in it's own right," auriemma said.

uconn forward breanna stewart was named most outstanding player for the third straight year. the two-time ap player of the year became the first women to achieve that distinction. she finished with 15 rebounds, eight points and four blocks. "we had to work hard for this one. this is one of the hardest things we've had to do since i've been here," stewart said. her goal is to win four championships.

kaleena mosqueda-lewis and moriah jefferson led the huskies with 15 points each. both players earned all-american honors this year. the senior mosqueda-lewis set an all-time ncaa record with 392 three-point field goals in uconn's final four victory against maryland on saturday.

notre dame all-american jewell lloyd shot poorly and scored just 12 points. coach muffet mcgraw led the irish to the championship game two straight years, and four of the last five seasons: but they lost each one. notre dame won it's lone title in 2001. mcgraw said, "it was a great accomplishment to get here. it was disappointing we weren't able to play our game."    

the connecticut-notre dame matchup was just the second time in the history of the tournament the same teams played in two consecutive finals. uconn beat tennessee in 2003 and 2004. it was also the 55th meeting between the top two teams in the ap poll - the #1 team holds a 34-21 edge. notre dame beat uconn by 18 points earlier this season, but not last night, when it mattered most. 




   

Duke Wins 2015 NCAA Championship

duke beat wisconsin 68-63 on monday to win the 2015 ncaa championship. in a highly-competitive, thrilling game played in indianapolis between two number one seeds, the blue devils fought back from a nine-point deficit in the second half to earn longtime coach mike krzyzewski his fifth title.

freshman guard tyus jones was named most outstanding player. jones scored 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half. duke set a tournament record for most points by freshmen in the final game with 60. grayson allen ignited the bench with 16 points, justise winslow had 11 points and jahlil okafor scored 10 points, despite early foul trouble.

coach krzyzewski's five titles puts him alone in second place to legendary, hall-of-fame, ucla coach john wooden, who has 10 ncaa championship wins. in 1991, 'coach k' spurred duke to back-to-back victories. krzyzewski said, "they showed such grit tonight. our bench was spectacular, and like we said two months ago, eight is enough. eight is enough." 

okafor is expected to be the number one pick in the nba draft if he goes pro. his skills and talents are refreshing for a post-up college guy in a point guard pro league. but the center from chicago was outplayed by naismith college player of the year frank kaminsky. okafor said, "it was fun to watch my teammates do what they do. they have my back the entire season, it was no different tonight."   


wisconsin (36-4) upset kentucky (38-1) in the final four, a team which beat them by one point in the 2014 title game. kaminsky had 21 points and 12 rebounds, but duke's aggressive defense led to the badgers poor shooting: they shot just 41% - seven points off their season average. furthermore, the team had just two fouls in the first half, but 13 in the second half. 






    

President Obama Commutes 22 Drug Sentences

president barack obama commuted the sentences of 22 men and women on tuesday. eight of the 22 inmates graced with reprieves would have died behind bars with their life sentences intact. prior to this announcement, obama had only commuted the sentences of 21 people, and pardoned 64, out of thousands of applications received.

the individuals granted clemency reflects the president's broad approach - not exclusively leaning toward resourceful, white-collar criminals. each person was sentenced to jail for intent to distribute an illegal drug, with 14 of those cases involving possession or distribution of cocaine.    

white house counsel neil eggleston said, "had they been sentenced under current laws and policies, many of these individuals would have already served their time and paid their debt to society. because many were convicted under an outdated sentencing regime, they served years - in some cases more than a decade - longer than individuals convicted today of the same crime."

obama sent a letter to each of the commutation recipients, and he encouraged all of them to utilize their unexpected freedom as a vehicle to improve the quality of their lives. an administration official says this was the first time obama has sent such letters during his presidency.

obama's letter reads,"i am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around. now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity. it will not be easy, and you will confront many who doubt people with criminal records can change. perhaps even you are unsure of how you will adjust to your new circumstances."

"but remember that you have the capacity to make good choices. by doing so, you will affect not only your life, but those close to you. you will also influence, through your example, the possibility that others in your circumstances get their own second chance in the future," obama wrote.

the justice department expanded its criteria for clemency applicants last year, prioritizing defendants who would have likely been given a shorter prison term had they been sentenced today and who have served at least 10 years behind bars, have had good conduct in prison, have no significant ties to criminal enterprises and have no history of violence or significant criminal history.

advocates for greater clemency argued obama should have followed through on the core principles of the 2010 fair sentencing act. the president signed this document, which exponentially reduced the disparity in federal treatment of crimes involving crack cocaine and cocaine powder. 

four of the 22 commuted inmates were represented by the clemency project 2014, a group of lawyers offering pro-bono legal assistance to prisoners applying to have their sentences reduced. cynthia roseberry, the group's manager, held their anonymity. roseberry said, "the organization continues to submit petitions at an increasing pace and looks forward to more regular grants by the president."

 

    

Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Racist Chants Fuels University Suspensions

several members of sigma alpha epsilon on sunday were caught on video chanting supremacist views while riding on a charter bus. university of oklahoma fraternity white males, hands raised, fists pumped, in unison, sang, "there will never be a nigger in sae, you can hang them from a tree but they will never sign with me, there will never be a nigger sae."

university president david boren on monday severed the school's ties with the national fraternity. boren ordered its on-house campus be shuttered; members have until midnight tuesday to remove their belongings from the fraternity house. boren said frat members "violated all that we stand for."

boren attended a pre-dawn rally organized by students. he called the frat members involved "disgraceful," publicly admonishing their behavior as "irresponsible." at a mid-day news conference, he said, "this is not who we are. i'd be glad if they left. i might even pay the bus fare for them." 

the president, notably outraged with their bigoted remarks, also said the university's legal staff is exploring whether the students who initiated and encouraged the chant may have violated title six of the civil rights act, which prohibits racial discrimination.

national leaders of sigma alpha epsilon said late sunday their investigation confirmed members took part in the chant. additionally, they announced the local chapter will be closed, saying they were "embarrassed," by the "unacceptable and racist," behavior.

ou unheard, a black student group on campus, posted a link to the video after someone anonymously called it to the group's attention sunday afternoon. on monday, communications director alexis hall, a junior, said, "we immediately need to share that with the ou student body. for students to say they're going to lynch an entire group of people...its disgusting."

"i was shocked they were just doing it openly on the bus, like they were proud of it. from the chant you could tell they had done it before. it wasn't a first-time thing. and it was everybody. and the fist-pumping," said jared scarborough, a junior in construction science.

north mesquite (texas) high offensive tackle jean delance tweeted monday morning he has decommitted from oklahoma. delance, ranked in the scout 150, said he was impacted by the video's messages, and it played a role in his decision to begin looking elsewhere for his collegiate aspirations. 

similarly, atlanta-based rapper waka flocka flame aborted his upcoming concert at the school. according to his instagram post, flame said, "i'm disgusted and disappointed in the actions of the sae fraternity at university of oklahoma and i will be cancelling my scheduled performance for them next month. racism is something i will not tolerate." 

university of oklahoma sooners football coach bob stoops, who attended a morning rally on the campus, humbly cancelled the team's afternoon practice. the players and coaches walked into the practice with linked arms, gathered to say a prayer, then left.

located in the southern oklahoma city suburb of norman, the student population is about 27,000. less than five percent are black. sigma alpha epsilon was founded in 1859. their mission "is to promote the highest standards of friendship, scholarship and service for our members based upon the ideals set forth by our founders and as specifically enunciated in our creed, "the true gentleman." 

the greek system remains largely segregated. 



 







     







 

Civil Rights Voting Restoration Act of 2014 re-introduced by Senators Paul and Reid

u.s. senators rand paul (r-ky) and harry reid (d-nv) re-introduced the civil rights voting restoration act of 2014. this bipartisan piece of legislation was originally introduced by paul in the senate on june 26, 2014, read twice and referred to the committee on the judiciary of the 113th congress (2013-14).

the civil rights voting restoration act of 2014 declares the right of a u.s. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be abridged or denied because the individual has been convicted of a non-violent criminal offense; unless, at the time of the election, the individual is serving a sentence in a correctional facility or a term of probation.

the bill, known in congress as s.2550, restores the right to vote of an individual on probation: 1) on the date the term of probation ends, if such term is less than one year; or 2) one year after the date the individual begins serving the term of probation, if such term is one year or longer.

also, the bill directs the attorney general to determine and establish a list of the criminal offenses under federal and state law deemed non-violent criminal offenses. s.2550 provides for enforcement of, and remedies for violations of, this act. the bill also sets forth requirements for state and federal notification of individuals of their voting rights pursuant to this act.

moreover, s.2550 prohibits a state, local government, or other person from receiving or using federal grant amounts to construct or improve a place of incarceration unless that person has in effect a program under which each incarcerated individual is notified, upon release, of his or her rights under this act.       

 

  

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders Wins $825K Suit against the team

a group of tampa bay buccaneers cheerleaders settled for $825,000 after winning a lawsuit against the team. former bucs cheerleader manouchcar pierre-val filed a class action lawsuit against the team last may. she alleged they paid the cheerleaders just $100 per game - nothing for practice, and only limited money for other team events.

the suit states, "the squad makes approximately 300 community appearances every year for both non-profit organizations and corporate events. the ladies are actively involved in the community relations activities and programs generated by the organization. additionally, the team is invited to serve as ambassadors for the nfl across the country and overseas on various military tours, bringing smiles to the men and women who valiantly serve the united states."

additionally, the suit contends, "the cheerleaders are required to attend at least four (4) to fifteen (15) hours of mandatory practices per week, arrive approximately four (4) hours prior to home game start times, and are required to perform at least forty (40) hours of community appearances, but they do not receive any compensation for this time."  

pierre-val, on behalf of herself and 93 other bucs cheerleaders, was demanding $661,000. she received $825,000 after settling with her former employer. after $264,000 goes to the lawyers, the cheerleaders will divide $561,000. each woman should expect to net about $6,000. pierre-val started with tampa bay in 2012, and also worked full-time as a registered nurse.





         
 

TGI Fridays sued by Black waiters

nearly all of the black waiters at a tgi friday's in manhattan were replaced by "light-skinned" workers - mostly hispanic - when the chain closed a busy midtown location and opened a new store. according to a lawsuit filed thursday in bronx supreme court, just one black staff member was rehired after being fired.

when the workers protested, a restaurant manager told one of them he preferred hispanic workers because they "work harder," the class action discrimination suit alleges. one of the plaintiffs, lisa baker, said, "it was their opinion that black people are lazy." the 48 year-old waitress also said, "we weren't even given a chance."

managers openly referred to the old location as the "ghetto store," or the "black friday's," and wanted to rid themselves of that reputation, the suit contends. former employees said they were promised an equal opportunity to work at the new restaurant, a 15,000-square-foot franchise on 34th street, but never heard from their employers.   

"they knew exactly what they were doing," said tony pringle, 42, another plaintiff. he earned $850/week and was not rehired. pringle said, "they were basically not hiring blacks." one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, matthew bilt said, "the only reason these people are not working right now is because of their skin color. heck, this isn't the 1950's."

a spokesman for tgi friday's owners, national restaurants management inc. - a family-run business known as the reise organization - said the company "is proud of its 75-year tradition of positive employee relations with a diverse workforce." their spokesman pat smith asserted, "the restaurant in question has a workforce, including managers, that is more than 80% non-white." 

lawyers for the former waitstaff are seeking $500,000 for each of the 10 fired employees. the $5 million suit pursues "loss of wages, emotional distress and punitive damages."      
 

Timeline for Melissa Alexander's Legal Case

august 1, 2010 - nine days after giving birth to a premature daughter, marissa alexander was attacked by her estranged husband in their home - while his sons were present. alexander writes, "in an unprovoked jealous rage, my husband violently confronted me while using the restroom. he assaulted me, shoving, strangling and holding me against my will, preventing me from fleeing all while i begged for him to leave." she retrieved her lawfully registered gun and fired a warning shot upwards into a wall to prevent him from killing her. no one was injured by her weapon.

february 10, 2011 - alexander began her incarceration.

august 17, 2011 - alexander was denied stand your ground immunity from prosecution.

may 11, 2012 - alexander was found guilty of three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. she received a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

july 10, 2013 - alexander was denied bond, pending her appeal of the guilty verdict.

september 26, 2013 - alexander successfully appealed the 2012 trial, the guilty verdict was overturned, and she was given the right to a new trial. the appellate court ruled the jury instructions put too much of a burden on her. a three-panel judge ruled, "the defendant's burden is only to raise a reasonable doubt concerning self-defense. the defendant does not have the burden to prove the victim guilty of the aggression defended against beyond a reasonable doubt." the appellate court did not overturn the 2012 court decision to deny alexander stand your ground immunity from prosecution.

october 31, 2013 - alexander's re-trial was scheduled for march 31, 2014.

november 27, 2013 - alexander was released on bond the night before thanksgiving. she spent 1,021 days in prison. she is currently under house arrest with special conditions, which include: posting a $200,009.00 bond; remaining under the supervision of the pretrial service program at all times; subject to 24/7 electronic monitoring, and remaining in home detention until her case is  completed.



january 7, 2014 - state prosecutor angela corey filed a motion to revoke alexander's bond release, claiming alexander violated the condition of her release. alexander's legal team filed a response to the motion, stating the correctional staff supervising her bond release confirmed she complied with all of the conditions of her bond release and is not in violation of her bond. the hearing is scheduled for january 10, 2014.

january 10, 2014 - corey's motion to revoke alexander's bond release was denied. alexander remains under home detention - and, with more restrictive conditions.

january 30, 2014 - alexander's trial was postponed to july 28, 2014.

march 1, 2014 - the florida times-union reported corey seeks a 60 year sentence for alexander if she is found guilty in her 7/28 trial. corey argued the mandatory minimum statute required alexander to serve three 20 year sentences consecutively, not concurrently, tripling the mandatory minimum.

march 14, 2014 - alexander's legal team filed a motion requesting a new stand your ground hearing.

may 16, 2014 - judge james daniel did not issue a ruling on alexander's motion for a new stand your ground hearing. judge daniel said he would rule in june, and is accepting written arguments through the month of may.

june 10, 2014 - judge daniel postponed alexander's trial to december 8, 2014. jury selection begins on december 1. the judge - and her defense team - wanted more time to see how the recent changes in the stand your ground law will impact her case. alexander's next court date is scheduled for august 1, when the judge expects to decide if she will get a new stand your ground hearing. 

june 21, 2014 - changes to florida's stand your ground law went into effect. one of the changes expands the law to cover warning shots. alexander's case is cited as an inspiration for the reform.

july 21, 2014 - alexander was denied a new stand your ground hearing. she will not receive immunity from prosecution and must defend herself again in a new trial, scheduled for 12/8.

november 24, 2014 - alexander accepted a plea deal with the state of florida. the plea deal includes time served (1,030 days); an additional 65 days in duval county jail, beginning today; and two years of probation serving house detention while wearing a surveillance monitor. she will be in jail until january 27, 2015 - the date of her next hearing.

january 27, 2015 - alexander was released from prison today. the state attorney's office tried to add two years probation to her (plea deal) sentence, but they failed. alexander intends to go to school and become a paralegal. 

 

 

 


 

 


 
    

West defeats 163-158 in 2015 NBA All-Star Game

the western conference held on to defeat the eastern conference 163-158 and emerge victorious in the 2015 nba all-star game. held at madison square garden in new york city for the first time since 1998, amidst frigid temperatures, fans were treated to a showcase of the game's elite players.

russell westbrook, the dynamic, explosive and fiery point guard of the oklahoma city thunder was named most valuable player. westbrook finished with 41 points - one shy of the all-time record set by wilt chamberlain in 1962. he set an all-star game record with 27 points at halftime. "it's amazing. it's a blessing to be here in new york city," he said.

james harden of the houston rockets had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the west. lebron james of the cleveland cavaliers led the east with 30 points. "don't get no better, man. you play in the garden in front of these fans," james said. kyle korver, in his first all-star appearance at age 33, hit seven three-pointers. three of his atlanta hawks teammates also played. korver leads the nba with a 52.3% three-point field goal percentage.  


pau gasol of the chicago bulls and marc gasol of the memphis grizzlies became the first brother duo to start in the game's history. san antonio's tim duncan played in his 15th all-star game, three behind abdul-jabbar's record of 18. kobe bryant of the los angeles lakers, anthony davis of the new orleans pelicans and blake griffin of the los angeles clippers were voted in as starters for the west, but injuries prevented them from playing. 

several other records were tied or broken last night. both teams combined for 165 points at halftime, which tied a previous mark. westbrook hit 11 field goals in the first half, tying the old record. the west's 163 points tied a record. both teams' combined 321 points is a new record. the west shot 25-for-68 in three-pointers, both records. both squads were 68-for-133 in threes: another record.

19 year-old rookie zach lavine of the minnesota timberwolves electrified the crowd and won the slam dunk contest. stephen curry of the golden state warriors won the three-point shooting contest. patrick beverley of the houston rockets won the skills challenge. hawks legend dominique willkins, chris bosh of the miami heat and swin cash of the new york liberty won their third straight shooting stars contest.  

Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic Win 2015 Australian Open Singles Titles

world #1 serena williams of the u.s. on saturday defeated world #2 maria sharapova of russia 6-3, 7-6 to capture the 2015 australian open women's singles championsip. williams now has 19 major singles titles, one more than hall-of-fame legends chris evert and martina navtrailova. steffi graf of germany holds the record in the open era with 22 major wins.

williams' record in grand slam majors is 19-4, the best in the open era. this was her sixth title down under - another record. she won her first major as a teenager in 1999 at the u.s. open. today, at age 33, she became the oldest woman to win a major championship. furthermore, williams beat sharapova for the 16th consecutive time: modern tennis' most one-sided rivalry.

"i never thought that i would be sitting and having this discussion," williams told a small group of reporters after the match. "before i just had a dream and a racket and two wonderful parents who supported me. a part of me thinks, wow, i really have a chance to create history, and a part of me thinks, wow, i've done so much, this is amazing. i just try to look at both sides of it," she said.

williams struggled in her early matches, twice coming back from a set down. a recurring cough lingered in her chest for much of the fortnight. in fact, she vomited off court during a rain delay in the second set. sharapova elevated her game and forced a dramatic tiebreaker - saving two match points with powerful forehand winners. but williams, undaunted, intensely smacked an ace - her 18th of the match - to emerge victorious.

world #1 novak djokovic of serbia defeated world #6 andy murray of great britain 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0 to become the 2015 australian open men's singles champion. djokovic now joins andre agassi, jimmy connors and ivan lendl with eight major titles apiece. he won his fifth trophy down under and improved his career record at melbourne park to 5-0.

"there were a lot of turning points in the match. regardless of the record i have here, we both knew we had equal chances to win. it was a cat-and-mouse fight, it always is with us," djokovic said. at the end of the match, he threw his racket into the crowd at rod laver arena. several aussies - former champions - were present, including rod laver, roy emerson, ken rosewall and margaret court.

djokovic won the grueling first set tiebreaker. the second set was delayed for about five minutes after the seventh game when a court invader protesting australia's refugee policies was removed by security after jumping out of the stands and onto the court. other spectators in the stadium unfurled a political banner. organizers said two people were arrested, and the matter was dealt with swiftly.

after two and a half hours of physically demanding tennis, the match was tied at one set apiece. it appeared murray had the momentum, but when djokovic broke his serve in the third set, he never looked back, despite enduring a bruised hand and leg ailments. a new husband and father, djokovic is adored internationally. some serbian fans yelled, "adje nole," which is serbian for "come on nole," his increasingly popular nickname.         

2015 NBA All-Star Team

the 64th nba all-star game will be played sunday, february 15, 2015 at madison square garden in new york city. according to nba game time, the game will be seen by fans in 215 countries and territories, and will be heard in 47 languages. tnt will broadcast for the 13th consecutive year.

nba commissioner adam silver will select the replacement for any player unable to participate in the game. if the injured player is a starter, the head coach of that team will determine who replaces him in the starting lineup. it was recently announced kobe bryant - voted as a starter - will miss the rest of the season due to an injury which could sideline him for nine months.

the 14 reserves were chosen by the 30 nba head coaches. they were asked to vote for seven players in their respective conferences: two guards, three frontcourt players and two players regardless of their position. they were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.

the east and west all-star coaches and coaching staff were determined by the best record in the conference through games played on sunday february.1. atlanta's mike budenholzer and his staff will coach the east. golden state's coach steve kerr and his staff will coach the west.

western conference starting roster:

guard - kobe bryant, los angeles lakers
guard - stephen curry, golden state warriors
center - anthony davis, new orleans pelicans
forward - marc gasol, memphis grizzlies
forward - blake grifffin, los angeles clippers

western conference reserves:

lamarcus aldridge, portland trailblazers
tim duncan, san antonio spurs    
kevin durant, oklahoma cith thunder
james harden, houston rockets
chris paul, los angeles clipper
klay thompson, golden state warriors
russell westbrook, oklahoma city thunder

eastern conference starting roster:

guard - kyke lowry, toronto raptors
guard - john wall, washington wizards
center- pau gasol, chicago bulls
forward - carmelo anthony, new york knicks
forward - lebron james, cleveland cavaliers

eastern conference reserves:

chris bosh, miami heat
jimmy butler, chicago bulls
al horford, atlanta hawks
kyrie irving, cleveland cavaliers
paul millsap, atlanta hawks
jeff teague, atlanta hawks
dwayne wade, miami heat

Black Lives Matter: Fact or Fiction?

the colorado chapter of the naacp was the target of a bombing three weeks ago. boko haram entered the nigerian town of baga a couple of weeks ago. they killed about 2,000 residents - many of them children, women and the elderly. yet these (and other) acts of terrorism against black people and institutions have failed to generate much attention in america. 

do black lives matter?

most of the western world focused their gaze on no. 10 rue nicolas-appert, paris, france: the location of satirical magazine charlie hebdo. about three weeks ago, an al-qaida-led terrorist attack left 12 people dead. also, in a separate, but related terrorist attack two days later in paris, four hostages were killed by a gunman at a kosher supermarket.

the hebdo massacre is largely viewed as an attack on freedom of the press and free speech. inspired by civil rights marchers in the u.s. on sunday, over 50 world leaders such as gabon president ali bongo ondimba and israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu linked arms in unity. they led an estimated 3.7 million people in a march of solidarity for charlie - a magazine whose anti-islam bent has been ignored.

ironically, many of the heads of state and high-ranking ministers present at the march represent countries with disturbing records of free speech. these countries, among them algeria, egypt, gabon, hungary, russia and turkey, routinely suppress public demonstrations and imprison journalists whose views are not shared by their respective government bodies.

after months of racial and social unrest sparked by the state-sanctioned killings of unarmed black people across the u.s., their so-called liberal allies had a national audience and timely opportunity to proclaim "black lives matter" at the golden globe awards on sunday. instead, hollywood luminaries such as kathy bates, george clooney, jared leto and helen mirren declared "je suis charlie."

hip hop artist, actor and activist common was the only (!) person who mentioned the protests around the country. but his remarks were framed as "all lives matter," further marginalizing an historically oppressed group. fox news correspondent shannon bream said after the hebdo attacks it's difficult to tell who the "bad guys" are if you "can't see what color they are."

do black lives matter?

lassana bathily, the black muslim who saved the lives of several shoppers when amedy coulibaly burst into parisian kosher market hyper cacher, was not hailed as a hero. in fact, he was initially considered a suspect because of his skin color. bathily told bfmtv, "they told me, get down on the ground, hands over your head. they cuffed me and held me for an hour and a half, as if i was with them."

the washington post recently weighed in. they described cherif kouachi, who, along with his brother, said kouachi - both now dead - are denounced for carrying out the attacks. the post said, "radical islam simmered in the 19th arrondissement. its skyline was crowded with the sort of high rises the associated press described as 'public housing slums that breed violence and crime.'..."he drank, smoked pot, slept with his girlfriend and delivered pizzas for a living...and spent a lot of time listening to rap music."   

apparently, rap music is partly to blame for the hebdo attacks. this default mainstream narrative is fueled by a youtube video of kouachi rapping. our society's instinctive need to contextualize these crimes through a supremacist lens magnifies the recurring pathology of black men as inhuman, predatory and violent. meanwhile, wounds from the deaths of african-descended folk remain unaddressed, unresolved and untreated.      

do black lives matter?

  



    

      

 

Raise the Criminal Responsibility Age in New York State for all Youth

new york and north carolina are the only two states in the u.s. which prosecute all 16-17 year-olds charged with a crime in the adult criminal justice system, regardless of the alleged crimes' severity. new york also treats 13-15 year-olds accused of committing certain serious crimes as "juvenile offenders." 

juvenile offenders are prosecuted as adults - unless their cases are referred to family court. 16 and 17 year-olds in new york state who get detained or incarcerated via a criminal court order are confined in adult prisons and jails. juvenile offenders are confined in youth facilities (at least) until they are 18 years old. 

each year over 45,000 kids aged 16 and 17 are arrested as adults in new york state. because the law defines them as adults, they can be questioned by police without parental notification and confined alongside adults in prisons and jails.

young people housed in adult prisons are in grave danger. they're 50% more likely to face attacks from other prisoners, twice as likely as adults to be assaulted by prison staff, and five times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than their peers in youth centers. children in adult jails are also 36 times more likely to commit suicide than those in youth facilities.

youth in adult prisons and jails are often kept in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day - for months at a time. extended isolation can be psychologically shattering for anyone, but it is especially harmful for developing adolescent minds.   

research demonstrates prosecuting and sentencing children as adults not only presents threats to children's safety and well-being, but also decreases public safety. young people who are charged as adults have been shown to be more likely commit future acts of violence and return to prison at much higher rates than youth who were prosecuted as youth.

youth who are convicted of adult crimes may have to carry that mark with them for the rest of their lives, making it difficult for them to get on the right path and become productive and healthy adults. the aftermath of a lifelong criminal record often includes the permanent denial of educational loans; barriers to employment, housing and benefits; potential deportation, and the loss of housing for both themselves and their families.      
 
this issue impacts some communities much harder than others. because they are more likely to be targeted by the police and are disproportionately represented at virtually every point in the justice system, young people of color are more likely than white children to bear the serious and lasting consequences of being charged and incarcerated as adults.

over the last decade, many states have successfully raised the age of criminal responsibility without overwhelming the courts or the youth justice system. usually a leader in criminal justice reform, new york state is shamefully behind on this issue. this outdated law puts our children and our economy at risk.

all children have a right to safety, and to access developmentally-appropriate services, programs, education and treatment. raising the age in new york state would increase public safety, limit dangers to youth, and provide healthier opportunities for our young people to grow and develop..

2015 Major League Baseball Hall-of-Fame Welcomes Four Players

randy johnson, pedro martinez and john smoltz are three superstar pitchers who dominated in an era of baseball offensive hitters. they were elected on tuesday into the 2015 hall-of-fame, along with craig biggio. it's the first time in 60 years writers selected four players in one year.

johnson, a five-time cy young award winner with 303 victories and 4,875 strikeouts, was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the baseball writers association of america (bbwaa). the big unit is widely regarded as the most intimidating left-hander ever, and his 97.3 percentage was the eighth highest in the history of voting.

"i don't think people quite understand how difficult it is to be 6-foot-10 and be throwing a ball 60 feet, 6 inches away. in order to do that, you have to be consistent with your release point and where you're landing and your arm slot and all that. for someone 6'1, 6'2, there's less body to keep under control and it's a lot easier," johnson said.   

martinez, a three-time cy young award winner with 3,154 strikeouts, was on 500 ballots. slight but intense, the 5'11 master was 219-100, led the majors in era five times and helped the 2004 boston red sox win their first world series title in 86 years. martinez is now the second dominican hall-of-famer. san francisco giants pitcher juan marichal was elected in 1983.

"my body would change half an hour before the game, and i would just become this serious, focused person because my dad reminded me you've got to be serious about your job. i saw everybody as an enemy, and i saw everybody as like in a jungle: you just kill to survive. and that's the intensity and the focus i had to keep to do it every day on a day-to-day basis. and that's the kind of chip on the shoulder that people thought i had, even though that was my way to concentrate and do the day-to-day things that i did in baseball," martinez said.


smoltz was picked on 455 ballots. smoltz, the 1996 national cy young award winner, was 213-155 with 154 saves - the only pitcher in history with 200 wins and 150 saves. his brilliant postseason record was 15-4. smoltz said, "i realize the cloud has covered a multitude of so many different people, and i realize that the media and people have a hard time distinguishing and determining."




biggio appeared on 454 ballots, 42 more than the 75% needed, and up from 68.2% in his first time and 74.8% last year. biggio had 3,060 hits and 668 doubles in 20 years - all with the houston astros. he was a catcher who shifted to his perennial all-star position at second base and spent three years in the outfield. "i was a nervous dog this morning. i haven't been this anxious in a long time. maybe it does mean a little bit more this year," biggio said.    

the humble and talented quartet will be inducted in cooperstown on july 26. the last time four players were voted in together by the bbwaa was in 1955. the honorees were joe dimaggio, gabby hartnett, ted lyons and dizzy vance.





 

Former NYPD detective admits to boosting arrests by planting drugs on innocent people

stephen anderson, former nypd narcotics detective, gave disturbing and shocking testimony in brooklyn supreme court last week. anderson said planting drugs on innocent people to boost arrest numbers and quotas is a common practice amongst officers here.

the unethical practice is known as "flaking." anderson said narcotics squads in brooklyn and queens used flaking often. he was snared, along with a group of other officers, for flaking four men in queens in 2008. anderson now cooperates with prosecutors to share classified and cancerous information of a proud organization in america's largest city.

anderson said, "it was something i was seeing a lot of, whether it was from supervisors or undercovers and even investigators. it's almost like you have no emotion with it, that they attach the bodies to it, they're going to be out of jail tomorrow anyway...nothing is going to happen to them anyway."

the drug policy alliance (dpa) is the nation's leading organization promoting drug policies grounded in compassion, science, health and human rights. the mission of the dpa is to advance those policies and attitudes which best reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition, and to promote the sovereignty of individuals over their minds and bodies.   

the dpa issued a statement. gabriel sayegh, managing director of policy and campaigns, said, "one of the consequences of the war on drugs is that police officers are pressured to make large numbers of arrests, and it's easy for some of the less honest cops to plant evidence on innocent people. the drug war inevitably leads to crooked policing - and quotas further incentivize such practices."

in september 2014, an officer in brooklyn secretly taped ominous department activity: uncovering an evil side to city policing. hundreds of hours of tapes revealed how bosses threatened street cops if they didn't make enough "stop and frisk" arrests. one of the tapes exposed a supervisor who said, "...but also tell them not to take certain robbery reports in order to manipulate crime statistics." 

the malicious tapes also refer to command officers calling crime victims directly to intimidate them about their complaints. the popular public radio show, this american life, did an in-depth feature on the padded stats in the corrupt brooklyn precinct - and the organized intimidation of the officer, adrian schoolcraft, who tried to blow the whistle.

last year, the nypd arrested over 50,000 people for low-level marijuana offenses. 86% of those arrested were black and latino. as such, marijuana possession became the number one criminal offense in the city. the dpa says these arrests are the result of "illegal searches" by the nypd, which are part of their controversial and oppressive "stop and frisk" practices.  

the statement issued by the dpa states, "marijuana was decriminalized in new york state in 1977 - and that law is still on the books. smoking marijuana in public or having marijuana visible in public, however, remains a crime. most people arrested for marijuana possession are not smoking in public, but simply have a small amount in their pocket, purse or bag."

additionally, the dpa's statement reads, "often when police stop and question a person, they say, 'empty your pockets' or 'open your bag.' many people comply, even though they're not legally required to do so. if a person pulls marijuana from their pocket or bag, it is then 'open to public view.' the police then arrest the person." 
    

    

Mo'Ne Davis: 2014 AP Female Athlete of the Year

13 year-old mo'ne davis on monday was named female athlete of the year by the associated press. the award is voted on by news directors and u.s. editors, and davis became the youngest winner in history. she beat out mount saint joseph freshman lauren hill - who played her first college basketball game while battling terminal cancer - and 18-time major tennis champion serena williams.

davis tossed a two-hitter to help philadelphia beat nashville 4-0 in the little league world series opener for both teams. davis, the first girl to play for a u.s. team in south williamsport since 2004, had eight strikeouts and no walks. her team was later eliminated after losing to teams from las vegas and chicago. but that was only the beginning...

davis appeared on the cover of sports illustrated. her jersey is displayed in baseball's hall of fame and was named sports kid of the year by sports illustrated kids. she met the obamas at the white house, starred in a spike lee directed car commercial (the ncaa said it wouldn't hurt her eligibility), marched in the macy's thanksgiving day parade with her teammates, and presented soul train's song of the year award to pharell williams.   

the personable teenager is a gifted three-sport athlete. just an eighth-grader, davis is a point guard for her high school varsity basketball team, and plays soccer. also, she's an honor student who handled the media attention with grace, maturity and poise. she said, "a lot of adults around me help me out, taught me to be respectful, to be calm during everything and not let anything get to you." 

davis hurled whiffle balls to jimmy fallon on nbc's tonight show, threw out the first pitch at game four of the world series, and signed a book deal. "it's been really fun, got to do a lot of things, meet a lot of cool people," she said. "my favorite thing to do was playing in williamsport or going to the white house. the obamas just seemed like a regular couple, no different from anyone else," davis said. 

while most folks still talk about her baseball feats, davis concentrates on basketball. "it's making me a lot better, helping me make decisions. in middle school i can get away with small things. the girls now are a lot taller so i'm working on my jump shot and ball handling a lot." she aspires to play for the university of connecticut, and, eventually, the wnba.

steve bandura, a recreation leader for the philadelphia parks and recreation department, and director of the anderson monarchs sports programs, has helped coach davis since she started playing sports. his son, scott, was the catcher for the taney dragons - their now-famous little league team. bandura says davis has maintained her "natural personality" with the celebrity status and media onslaught.

"she's still the same person, still a kid who wants to do kid things. she has fun meeting celebrities and all that but the bottom line is she loves to play sports, go to school and have fun. the adults make a bigger deal out of it. her teammates understand she's breaking down barriers and they're proud of her. they've been together so long, it's like she's their sister," bandura said.

on the pitching mound, davis embodied the confidence of a veteran. her demeanor, focus and presence delighted baseball fans young and old from all walks of life. davis is clearly aware of her newfound place in society as a role model. her message to people - especially girls: "always follow your dreams. if there's something people tell you that you can't do it, go for it."   

  

 

South Carolina Judge vacates 1944 conviction of black male teen

a south carolina judge on wednesday vacated the 1944 conviction of a 14 year-old black teenager. judge carmen tevis mullen said the boy, george stinney, jr., did not receive a fair trial in the murders of two white girls. 

stinney was convicted by an all-white jury after a one-day trial and a ten-minute jury deliberation. he died in the electric chair less than 90 days after the killings of betty june binnicker, 11, and mary emma thames, 7. stinney was the youngest person executed in america in the past century.

judge mullen said she was not overturning the case on its merits, although scant records made the case almost impossible to relitigate. the judge said few or no defense witnesses testified and it was "highly likely," the boy's confession to white police officers - amidst prevailing racial segregation - was coerced.   

"from time to time we are called to look back to examine our still-recent history and correct injustice where possible. i can think of no greater injustice than a violation of one's constitutional rights, which has been proven to me in this case by a preponderance of the evidence standard," judge mullen wrote.

the girls disappeared on march 23, 1944, after leaving home in the small mill town of alcolu on their bicycles to look for wildflowers. they were found the next morning in a ditch with their skulls crushed. stinney was taken into custody the same day and confessed within hours, according to the ruling.

last year, members of stinney's family petitioned for a new trial. his sister, anne ruffner, 77, testified in a january hearing: her brother could not have killed the girls because he was with her that day. citing the lack of a transcript from the original trial, no surviving physical evidence and only a handful of official documents, judge mullen firmly overturned the conviction.

ruffner, and two other siblings - both were run out of town shortly after stinney's arrest - were pleased with the judge's ruling, said the family attorney matthew burgess. "this is something that's been weighing on them for seven decades now. they are happy to hear that their brother has been exonerated," burgess said.      

Kobe Bryant passes Michael Jordan for third place on all-time NBA scoring list

kobe bryant on sunday night hit two free throws at the 5:24 mark of the second quarter during the los angeles lakers game against the minnesota timberwolves. bryant surpassed hall-of-famer michael jordan - his idol and mentor - for third place on the nba's all-time scoring list with 32,293 points.

bryant was immediately hugged by his teammates, his coaches and his opponents. the fans in minnesota showed their appreciation with a standing ovation. timberwolves owner glen taylor presented him with a game ball and kobe waved to the crowd with a warm smile. he finished with 26 points in their win. ironically, minnesota is where bryant played his first nba game.

jordan, in a statement to the associated press, said, "i congratulate kobe on reaching this milestone. he's obviously a great player, with a strong work ethic and has an equally strong passion for the game of basketball. i've enjoyed watching his game evolve over the years, and i look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next."

bryant is a little over 4,600 points behind hall-of-famer and longtime utah jazz power forward karl malone, who is in second place. hall-of-famer and six-time nba champion kareem abdul-jabbar is the league's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points. afterwards, kobe was asked on nba-tv if he wanted to eclipse the record. bryant said, "thinking about 38,000 points makes my back spasm."

the lakers honored bryant by decking the team's charter plane with some garland, congratulatory signs and a chocolate-frosted cake. bryant, 36, is a five-time nba champion, 16-time all-star, 15-time all-nba team member and 12-time all-defensive team member. but the lakers are 8-17: on pace to win just 25 games. bryant's two-year, $48.5 million contract runs out in 2016. 
 

 

 

Family of Black male teen in Cleveland Fatally Shot by White male police officer Files Lawsuit

the family of a young boy slain last month by a police officer in cleveland, ohio filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on friday. the suit names the city, and two officers involved, a day after the u.s. department of justice (doj) found the city's police systematically uses excessive force against civilians.

tamir rice, 12, was tragically shot on november 22 while carrying a replica gun - which typically fires plastic pellets. officer timothy loehmann killed rice just two seconds after his police car pulled up beside rice at a park. frank garmback, the second officer named in the suit, was driving the car.

both officers are white. rice is black.

the officers confronted rice "in a surprise fashion and fired multiple shots at him without any adequate investigation," the suit said. rice was described as an african-american sixth grader who loves basketball. the lawsuit also noted loehmann had resigned from a suburban police department after a bad review which cited his immaturity and "dismal" handgun performance.

the doj report on thursday highlighted more than a dozen incidents to uncover a troubling pattern of departmental misconduct. u.s. attorney general eric holder launder the investigation: it revealed officers shooting at low-risk suspects, using chemical spray and tasers on handcuffed people and employing unreasonable force on the impaired or mentally ill.

jeffrey follmer, president of the cleveland police patrolman's association, said he hoped the federal investigation would result in more training and more officers on the street. ohio governor john kasich on friday announced the creation of a state task force to improve relations between communities and their police departments.        



 

 

No Indictment for the NYPD officer whose illegal chokehold killed Eric Garner

a staten island grand jury chose today not to indict the policeman whose illegal chokehold ultimately killed eric garner july 17, 2014. daniel pantaleo, the 29 year-old white officer who murdered garner, a black male father of six, made his first public statement since garner's death. pantaleo said, "it was never my intention to harm anyone."

upon learning of the grand jury decision, eric garner's widow, esaw, told the new york daily news, "oh my god. are you serious? i'm very disappointed. you can see in the video that he (the cop) was wrong. garner's 19 year-old son, eric snipes, said, "oh man, this is not fair. it's not fair how he could get away with murder. i feel disgusted. i'm never going to see my pops again."

the grand jury consisted of 15 white and eight black or latino jurors. grand juries, by law, operate in secrecy and hear only evidence presented by prosecutors. defense lawyers are barred from the process and 12 of the jurors have to agree for a final decision to be made. 

staten island district attorney daniel m. donovan, jr. impaneled the grand jury in september and they heard testimony from the officers involved in garner's arrest. but an indictment was only considered against officer pantaleo; the other cops received immunity.  

president obama weighed-in after consulting with u.s. attorney general eric holder. obama said, "this is an issue we've been dealing with for too long and it's time for us to make more progress than we've made. we're seeing too many instances where people do not have confidence that folks are being treated fairly. when anybody in the country is not being treated equally under the law, it is my job as president to solve it. 

cops approached garner, 43, in front of a tompkinsville beauty supply store accusing him of selling loose cigarettes. a cellphone video showed garner arguing with the cops when pantaleo jumps him from behind and place him in a chokehold - banned by the nypd in 1994 after the killing of anthony baez who was placed in one - while dragging him to the ground with his knee firmly on garner's neck.

garner suffered from asthma. he screamed repeatedly, "i can't breathe, i can't breathe, i can't breathe." the next day pantaleo and his partner, officer justin d'amico, were put on desk duty. police commissioner william bratton on july 22 ordered all 35,000 nypd officers be retrained in the use of force. state senator bill perkins declared at a city hall rally, "this was a murder."

on july 31 new york city mayor bill de blasio joined rev. al sharpton and other community leaders in a round-table discussion on historically oppressive relationships between the black and latino communities in nyc, and the police. bratton was also in attendance. on the following day, the city medical examiner rules garner's death was a homicide.

in october, garner's family announced they plan to file a $75 million wrongful death lawsuit. they intend to name the city, the nypd and eight police officers as defendants. embattled attorney sanford rubenstein will represent the garner family in court. 

mayor de blasio called wednesday "a painful day for so many new yorkers." but after speaking with holder, the mayor said the justice department will look into pantaleo's actions. de blasio said, "the federal government is engaged and clearly poised to act." esaw garner also spoke with holder, who assured her the feds would investigate her husband's senseless killing.      




 

ACLU files lawsuit against Iowa regarding felons' voting rights

the american civil liberties union (aclu) of iowa recently filed a lawsuit against the state of iowa. the suit challenges the constitutionality of the state's disenfranchisement laws prohibiting anyone convicted of a felon from voting.

earlier this year, the iowa supreme court questioned whether all felonies necessarily constitute an "infamous crime," which the iowa constitution states would disqualify a person from voting. the court previously ruled any crime punishable by a prison sentence should be considered as such; the legislature in 1994 defined the term as a felony.

the lawsuit asks the court "to declare that the iowa constitution prohibits the disenfranchisement of people convicted of lower-level felonies (such as non-violent drug offenses); and seeks an injunction to stop the state from bringing criminal charges against iowans with past lower-level felonies who register to vote."

aclu filed the lawsuit on behalf of kelli jo griffin, an iowa woman who lost her right to vote in 2008 following a non-violent drug conviction. griffin's lawyers told her once she completed probation in january 2013 she'd be allowed to vote - which was the state's policy under former governor, democrat tom vilsack after he issued an executive order.

griffin says she didn't know this policy had been reversed in 2011 by republican governor terry branstad when she cast her ballot last year. the state charged griffin with voter fraud, and she could have faced up to 15 years in prison. after three months and $10,000 in legal fees, the jury acquitted her of all charges: yet she remains blocked from voting under current state law.

iowa is one of four states banning all felons from voting unless they receive clemency from the governor. when branstad took office he required an application to the governor, including a credit check. since his felony disenfranchisement policy went into effect, about 8,000 iowans have completed their felony sentences. 

but only 12 had their voting rights restored.

the provision is breeding confusion among bureaucrats and former offenders. new data released friday revealed iowa disenfranchised at least 12 legitimate voters because of errors maintaining the felon database. secretary of state matt schultz said the data is so "filled with so many inaccuracies that it could take years to fix."

u.s. attorney general eric holder spoke on criminal justice reform at georgetown university law center in february. holder weighed in on the policy reversal of branstad. regarding the governor's actions, holder said, "that's moving backwards, not forward. it is unwise, it is unjust and it is not in keeping with our democratic values. these laws deserve to not only be considered, but repealed."

         

Grand Jury Decision: No Indictment for Police Officer Darren Wilson

a grand jury on monday decided not to indict police officer darren wilson. on august 9, wilson, a white male, shot and killed michael brown, an unarmed 18 year-old black male in ferguson, a suburb of st. louis, missouri. 

the announcement was made last night by st. louis county prosecutor robert mcculloch. most grand jury proceedings are swift and simple: a few witnesses are called, the prosecutor makes a case for an indictment and the jurors vote. but this grand jury met for an extraordinary long session, hearing what mcculloch said was "absolutely everything," which could be considered evidence or testimony.

what happens in the grand jury room is almost always kept secret. but the controversial prosecutor insisted on making the transcripts of the proceedings available to the public immediately after the session concluded. unlike most defendants, wilson testified before the grand jury.
 
the grand jurors met in a st.louis county courthouse on 25 separate days. they heard 70 hours of testimony from about 60 witnesses. they reviewed forensic reports, medical documents, police radio logs and tapes of f.b.i. interviews with bystanders.

after three months of hearing evidence, the grand jury began its deliberations last friday at 3:04 pm. by monday afternoon, they were finished. the jury was comprised of nine whites and three blacks - seven women and five men. mcculloch released thousands of pages of documents to the public last night. he said the testimony and many eyewitnesses did not match the physical evidence.  

wilson testified in september. wilson said brown's face, after being stopped on canfield drive, "looked like a demon." he said brown reached into his vehicle, fought him for his gun and was so physically overpowering he "felt like a five year-old holding onto hulk hogan." wilson said brown made "a grunting, like aggravated sound," as he ran towards him. wilson fired seven shots: one was fatal.

in 2011, the number of times the new york police department stopped young black men exceeded the number of young black men in the city. young black males are 21 times more likely to be shot dead by police than their white peers - mainly at the hands of white police officers.

michele alexander is an acclaimed civil rights lawyer and legal scholar. alexander is also the author of 'the new jim crow.' she says the u.s. today has a "system of social control unparalleled in world history." no other country imprisons as much as its ethnic or racial people. in fact, the u.s. currently incarcerates a greater percentage of its black population than south africa did - under apartheid.

alexander poignantly writes in her book, "the fact that more than half of the young black men in many large american cities are currently under the control of the criminal justice system (or saddled with criminal records) is not - as many argue - just a symptom of poverty or poor choices, but rather evidence of a new racial caste system at work."

melissa harris-perry is a renowed author, cultural critic, msnbc talk show host, political commentator and wake university professor of politics and international affairs. perry said, "from 2006 to 2012, a white police officer killed a black person at least twice a week in this country." can you imagine this country's reaction if black police officers killed white boys at all - or, in similar numbers?

black men encounter constant surveillance (jordan dunn, eric garner, treyvon martin), violence (sean bell, amadou diallo, michael griffith) and shockingly high chances of correctional supervision for matters the rest of the population does not. black men also face discrimination in education, financial services, housing, political and voting rights after exiting prison. 

marcus garvey said, "people who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it." the world will never know if and/or how michael brown would have evolved from teenager into manhood. the brown family will have to endure the coming holiday season with one less member. this writer feels michael brown was wrong for stealing cigars...

and darren wilson was wrong for killing him. 

   




    

Who inspires this NFL player to advocate for domestic violence today?

pittsburgh steelers veteran cornerback william gay vividly remembers arriving at the hospital and not knowing why his family members were crying uncontrollably. gay was just seven years old, but he sensed there was something wrong.

gay soon learned his mother had been shot in the back three times. her assailant was gay's stepfather, who shot himself in the head, as the .38 caliber revolver landed between the bodies. sadly, he died instantly, while gay's mother, carolyn hall, pased five hours after being in the hospital.

although he grew up in a challenging tallahassee, florida housing project, gay was unaware of the problems at home between his mother and stepfather. there was no fighting or visible bruises on his mother. the painful stigma of domestic violence inherits a community-based, don't ask, don't tell policy - by default. 

gay, 29, says, "i dealt with a lot of anger because i felt like, why me? i threw out that question a lot. i got to a point where i didn't care. i felt like no one cared about me. didn't care about school. i lashed out at people."

on march 14, 1992, gay lost his mother to domestic violence. gay was unequivocally shattered but his uncle, army veteran ronald hall, offered him guidance, direction and tough love. hall said, "william, you cannot blame the world for what is happening. in order for you to be a better person, you better let it go. you're going to end up in jail or dead. he took it to heart."

gay received a scholarship to the university of louisville before entering the national football league as a fifth-round draft pick for the steelers in 2007. just one year later, pittsburgh won the super bowl and gay was now part of a championship team.

in the spirit of humility, gay has worked at the women's center and shelter of greater pittsburgh for many years. he speaks to mothers about domestic abuse. "to hear it from someone who was a child whose mother was murdered really resonates," said shirl regan, chief executive officer at the shelter. "those talks are done off-camera. nobody sees that. that's on his time. he does that because it comes from his heart."

the nfl - and their embattled commissioner roger goodell - has zero credibility with past domestic violence policies. most players, among them jovonnie belcher, greg hardy, ray mcdonald, adrian peterson and ray rice have seen their arrests, charges and/or indictments handled either lightly, or without sanction. gay is in the unique position of helping players avoid violence against wives, partners or children.

many nfl players use pink cleats, towels and wristbands in october to raise breast cancer awareness. but gay faces a possible fine: he wore purple shoes in honor of domestic violence awareness month. he proudly bears a tattoo on his arm reminding him of his mother's tragic death. gay says, "even though she wasn't here, my mom molded me into the man i am today. i still pray to her all the time."            

National Basketball Players Association Prepared to Appeal Jeff Taylor 24-Game Suspension

national basketball players association executive director michele roberts wrote a firm statement on thursday suggesting the union is prepared to appeal the recent 24-game suspension of charlotte hornets small forward jeffrey taylor. 

roberts said the suspension is "excessive, without precedent and a violation of the collective bargaining agreement (cba)." nba commissioner adam silver on wednesday announced taylor would serve his suspension after he plead guilty to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in michigan. taylor is currently on paid leave.

under terms silver established, taylor would get credit for the 11 games he's already missed this season, but would have to forfeit salary for all 24 games. roberts contends the ruling exceeds silver's power under the cba.

roberts said, "the cba contemplates a minimum 10-game suspension in any case involving a conviction for a violent felony, including domestic violence. in contrast, jeff taylor was charged with a misdemeanor that is likely going to be dismissed at the end of a probationary period." she said the union appreciates the societal overtones of domestic violence, but "the commissioner is not entitled to rewrite the rules," under the cba. 

silver said, "it is appropriate in light of mr. taylor's conduct, the need to deter similar conduct going forward and the evolving social consensus - with which we fully concur - that professional sports leagues like the nba must respond to such incidents in a more rigorous way."

according to the nba's investigation, on sept. 24 taylor was in an east lansing hotel with a woman he had a romantic relationship with. taylor was drinking heavily, and they argued loud enough for the hotel security to be called. he shoved her out of their room and into the hallway, which caused her to hit her head on a door.

taylor grabbed her by the arm. the woman had a bump on her head, and marks on her arm - which police later verified - but she refused medical attention. taylor punched a hole in the wall, and was arrested by east lansing police, whom called him "belligerent and uncooperative." he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence and destruction of hotel property oct. 29, and was sentenced to 18 months probation.  

 

      

2014 Major League Baseball Year-End Awards

listed below are the major league baseball year-end award winners for 2014:

rookie of the year, american league - jose abreu, chicago white sox.
rookie of the year, national league - jacob degrum, new york mets.

manager of the year, american league - buck showalter, baltimore orioles. 
manager of the year, national league - matt williams, washington nationals.

cy young, american league - corey kluber, cleveland indians.
cy young, national league - clayton kershaw, los angeles dodgers.

most valuable player, american league - mike trout, los angeles angels.
most valuable player, national league - clayton kershaw, l.a. dodgers.

California Voters Pass Proposition 47 on Sentencing Reform

voters in california on tuesday passed proposition 47, a progressive ballot measure re-classifying six low-level property and drug offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. these offenses include check fraud under $950, shoplifting and theft, as well as personal use of most illegal drugs.

state savings resulting from this initiative are estimated to be $150 million annually. the money will be used to support mental health and drug treatment, school truancy and dropout prevention, victim services, and other programs designed to expand alternatives to incarceration. 

this historic vote allows individuals currently serving prison terms for eligible offenses to apply to have their felony sentences reduced to misdemeanors, and persons who have completed their felony sentence to apply to the court to have their conviction changed to a misdemeanor. about 10,000 incarcerated people will be eligible for resentencing under the new law.

since california reached its peak prison population in 2006, prisoner counts have decreased every year. this dramatic change was primarily driven by the state's efforts to comply with a court order to reduce prison overcrowding. 

in a landmark 2011 decision, the u.s. supreme court in brown v. plata found the provision of health care in the california prison system to be constitutionally inadequate due to severe overcrowding. the state was required to reduce this figure to 137.5% of design capacity within two years.

also in 2011, california governor jerry brown signed assembly bill 109, commonly referred to as "prison realignment," which shifted to counties the responsibility for monitoring, tracking and incarcerating lower-level offenders previously bound for state prison. 

through assembly bill 109, california has made substantial reductions in its prison population, but has yet to reach the court-stipulated level. changes in policy and practice have resulted in higher jail populations, nonetheless, significant numbers of people are now under community service - rather than state prison.      

over 40,000 individuals are serving life prison terms in california. most were convicted of serious offenses, but research shows upon release many have low levels of recidivism. long-term sentencing reform works when focused on enacting policies and practices to provide opportunities to distinguish among individual circumstances, accomplishments in prison and degree of risk to public safety.   
   

Voters in San Francisco Approve Minimum Wage Hike For $15 An Hour

voters in san francisco on tuesday approved a minimum wage of $15 across the city, joining seattle, which raised it's pay to the same amount in june. like folks in seattle, workers in san francisco will see their wages augmented incrementally. by next may it'll be $12.25, and climb to $13 in 2016. in 2018, it will be $15: or, $31,000 a year for a full-time minimum wage employees.

minimum wage also got a boost in four traditionally conservative states after the midterm elections yesterday. in alaska, the hourly pay rate for low-wage workers increases to $9.75 by 2016. in arkansas, their pay is boosted to $8.50, while nebraska voters approved a new hourly salary of $9.00. south dakota workers next year will get $8.50.

the current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. fast food workers and low-wage retail employees over the last two years organized living wage campaigns across the country. their advocacy led to strikes, protests and arrests for some. president obama supported a bill to raise wages to $10.10 per hour but it died on the senate floor in april. 

some large retail chains have raised hourly wages for their employees. gap, inc. - the parent company of the gap, banana republic and old navy - announced a new $10 minimum wage back in february. obama showed his appreciation the following month when he bought sweaters for the first lady and their daughters at a new york store.

workers at walmart, however, continue to advocate for a raise in salary. last month, 42 low-wage retail workers and their allies were arrested outside walmart heiress alice walton's park avenue co-op apartment in manhattan. inspired by voters in san francisco and seattle, they demand $15 an hour for their services.

some of their overworked and undervalued employees carried signs which read, 'walmart stole my american dream.' they're supported by members of unions, including the ufcw 888 local. the 888 local boasts a membership of over 10,000 workers in connecticut, new jersey, new york and pennsylvania. before marching, union organizers made sure only workers and allies without prior arrest records engaged in civil disobedience.

 

Former Florida A&M Band Member Convicted in Hazing Death

a former florida a&m band member accused of being the ringleader of a brutal hazing ritual known as "crossing bus c," which ultimately led to the senseless death of a drum major, was convicted on friday of manslaughter and felony hazing. 

prosecutors said dante martin, 27, was known as the "president of bus c." they said martin organized initiations requiring fellow band members to try and make their way through a pounding gauntlet of drumsticks, fists and mallets from the front of the bus to the back of the bus.   

after a football game in november 2011, two other band members went through the bus - and the hazing - before robert champion, 26, of decatur, georgia. after the ritual, champion said he had trouble breathing. he subsequently vomited, collapsed and died in a parking lot.

martin was convicted of misdemeanor hazing counts in their beatings. he will be sentenced january 9, and he was taken into custody. champion's parents sat silently as the verdicts were read. martin sat with his head down. manslaughter is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in florida.

the senseless death of champion eventually cast an ominous cloud over the school's nationally acclaimed band, which played at super bowls, and before u.s. presidents. the band was suspended for more than a year after his death; a number of school officials resigned in the aftermath. several other former band members have pleaded guilty to lesser charges, and three others await trial.

defense attorneys told jurors the ritual was more akin to a competition, and there was no actual hazing. they said champion and the others voluntarily participated. during closing arguments, defense attorney richard escobar said, "you can't take it in isolation and act like it was just any other band. brutal as it was, foolish as it was...it was competitive."

but prosecutor jeff ashton said testimony made it clear band members sought a certain measure of acceptance, brotherhood and respect when "crossing bus c." ashton humbly challenged the defense's argument. he said, "tradition didn't kill robert champion, tradition isn't to blame. tradition is not an excuse...it's not a defense to those that got caught."            

San Francisco Giants Win 2014 World Series

the san francisco giants beat the kansas city royals 3-2 in a thrilling game seven to win their third world series in five years. the giants are the first road team since the pittsburgh pirates in 1979 to win a game seven; they did so in front of a sellout crowd of 40,535 fans at kauffman stadium in missouri. 

giants left-hander madison bumgarner was named world series most valuable player. bumgarner won two of the four games, saved one and threw more innings this postseason than any pitcher in history. he has the lowest career earned runs average (era) in world series history at 0.25, and, after his five shutout innings of relief in game seven, lowered his era in this series to 0.43 - the lowest since hall of famer sandy kaufax in 1965.

bumgarner said, "i wasn't thinking about innings or pitch count, i was just thinking of making outs. i thank the team for leaving me in there and trusting me to go out there." giants manager bruce bochy said, "it's incredible what he did. truly, it's historic. there's no way i would take him out. i just jumped on that horse and rode it." 

royals manager ned yost said, "yeah, it was hopeless." royals designated hitter billy butler said, "he's definitely the difference in this world series. if there's one guy who separated himself, and carried his team, it's bumgarner." giants starting pitcher and injured teammate matt cain said, "he didn't lose a bit of energy. sometimes you wonder if he's got a pulse."

the giants' popular and charismatic third baseman pablo sandoval, affectionately known as "the panda," tied his teammate and right fielder hunter pence for the most runs batted in during the 2014 postseason with 12. also, sandoval raised his career world series batting average to .427, which is the highest in major league baseball history among players with at least 45 at-bats.

home teams had won nine straight game sevens. teams hosting the first two games, as did kansas city, had won 23 of the last 28 titles. 1985 was the last year the royals were in the fall classic, and they were down three games to two. but they emerged victorious, playing at home, winning game seven with a shutout pitched by bret saberhagen, who threw out the first pitch on sunday.

eight players, including bumgarner and cain, have been on all three world series rosters for the giants: whom some are now calling a dynasty. before this run, manager john mcgraw (1905, 1921-22) was the only giant with three titles. last night, bochy became the 10th manager to win three world series championships - the other nine are in the hall of fame.  

Serena Williams Captures Year-End Championship Trophy at the WTA Finals

serena williams defeated world #3 simona halep of romania 6-3, 6-0 on sunday to win the wta finals in singapore, japan. williams finished the year as the world's top-ranked woman, claimed the title for the fifth time and became the first player since monica seles in 1992 to emerge victorious three consecutive years at the year-end championships.

the 18-time grand slam winner sought revenge after being dominated 6-2, 6-0 by halep four days earlier. because of the unique format, halep, in her semi-final match with ana ivanovic of serbia, could have eliminated williams from advancing if she lost in straight sets. but the confident 22 year-old decided to give it her best effort, regardless of the dynamics involved.

williams said after the win, "i had to play more serena-style tennis, and just do what i do best: enforce myself. that's what i was trying to do." halep said, "i gave everything today, and, you know, that was my level today. wasn't my best day, but i'm still happy and i'm still enjoying this moment because it's a good moment for me."

the 33 year-old american was forced to withdraw from the china open earlier this month due to a left knee injury: leaving her on painkillers. williams said, "i didn't expect this. i just started training because i had such a knee in beijing so i wasn't even sure if i would play here. and now i've won the billie jean king trophy again so for me it's just really amazing, i'm so excited." 

during the ceremony, williams proudly lifted the trophy, received a winner's check for $2,047,000 and was given a specially cultivated orchid. she finished 2014 with a 52-8 record and seven tournament victories, including an historic win at the u.s. open - tying chris evert and martina navratilova with 18 major singles titles. king, evert and navratilova were all on hand to watch the match.

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to Review Felony Disenfranchisement Reforms

florida and tennessee are two of 11 states which restrict people with felony convictions from voting, even after they served their prison sentence, and no longer are on parole or probation. in both states, voting rights may only be restored through an individual application or petition. recently, the florida and tennessee state advisory committees (sac) each prepared reports on felony disenfranchisement to the u.s. commission on civil rights. 

in 2007, former republican governor - and the current democratic candidate for governor - charlie crist revised florida's rules of executive clemency to automatically restore voting rights for most people convicted of non-violent offenses. about 25,000 people were granted clemency in 2009. 

"this is four times the number of persons receiving clemency in that year than the average number of clemencies on an annual basis since the mid-1990s," reported the sac.

but in 2011, florida's new governor, republican incumbent rick scott, amended the new rules: forcing the clemency board to review all cases of voter restoration individually. also, the 2011 rules added more paperwork for each case, regardless of the level of offense. at the time of this change, over 95,000 cases were pending review for automatic restoration.

the florida sac asserts if the 2007 clemency rules were brought back, it would allow people who have made full restitution to participate in the democratic process. they also said this would assist in the successful reintegration into society.   

tennessee has complex disenfranchisement laws. due to a series of amendments in the last 30 years, restoration of voting rights depends on the year a person was convicted, as well as the type of offense. in 2006, new legislation was passed to streamline the process, allowing most people - upon completing their felony sentence - to apply for a "certificate of restoration," from the board of probation and parole.        

the aclu of tennessee noted in the sac report though, burdensome multi-step paperwork and the requirement to pay all court-ordered restitution and child support fees before applying may deter many people from seeking voter restoration.

the tennessee sac recommends the general assembly and the governor learn from states with less restrictive disenfranchisement laws, and remove any unnecessary barriers to restoring voting rights in order to cultivate productive members of society.