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New trial for woman convicted in deadly Rockland brinks robbery (Weather Underground, 1981)
Newsday ^ | 9/25/06 | LARRY NEUMEISTER

Posted on 09/26/2006 10:44:34 AM PDT by freespirited

A federal judge has ordered a new trial for a woman serving 75 years in prison after she was convicted as a getaway driver in an armored-truck robbery in which a guard and two policemen were killed.

U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin said Judith Clark deserves a new trial because no one represented her interests in the courtroom after she insisted on remaining in a cell outside court as the evidence was unveiled in court.

The judge said ... that Clark, 56, knowingly and intelligently waived her right to a lawyer. But she said the trial judge failed to ensure Clark could abide by the rules of the court ...

James Kralik, sheriff of Rockland County, where the deadly 1981 Brinks robbery took place, called the decision "patently wrong" ...He said he was glad the county's district attorney was appealing ...

Clark was charged along with four others including former Weather Underground member Kathy Boudin, who was granted parole in 2003. ..

The Weather Underground was the name adopted by ... 1960s anti-war protesters who became increasingly violent...

Clark and her co-defendants said the goal of the robbery and others like it was to seize money to create a Republic of New Afrika consisting of former slave states.

Before her trial, Clark told the court: "I wish to represent myself...as a freedom fighter I am the only one who can speak for myself. [I] definitely [can] not be represented by an officer of the court."

She was sentenced in 1983. In 2002, she detailed her regret for her actions, her rejection of her past life and the reasons for her delay in pursuing a legal remedy...

"Given Clark's lack of counsel and refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the court, it is not surprising she failed to appeal," Scheindlin said.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: activistjudge; brinksrobbery; judicialactivism; judithclark; kathyboudin; rocklandcounty; shirascheindlin; weatherunderground
The system is just not going to rest until all five of the people convicted in this outrage are released from their sentences. One (Susan Rosenberg) has been pardoned by Clinton, another (Kathy Boudin) paroled.

The victims families will probably live to see the entire crew on the street take professorships somewhere.

1 posted on 09/26/2006 10:44:36 AM PDT by freespirited
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To: freespirited

>>>The judge said ... that Clark, 56, knowingly and intelligently waived her right to a lawyer. But she said the trial judge failed to ensure Clark could abide by the rules of the court ... >>>

I know I did a really stupid stupid thing, but the judge is at fault because he LET me do something really really stupid.

I hate stupid people.


2 posted on 09/26/2006 10:58:01 AM PDT by sandbar
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To: freespirited
See: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/696791/posts

Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thanks for watching us tonight. We'll analyze the president's speech and talk with homeland security director Tom Ridge in a moment.

But first, a Talking Points Memo about another very disturbing security issue. Last night, we told you about federal judge Shira Scheindlin, who released 21-year old Osama Awadallah from custody. The Jordanian national was charged with lying to a grand jury about his association with two of the 9/11 killers. According to the FBI, Awadallah met with Nawaf al-Hamzi 40 times.

3 posted on 09/26/2006 11:02:22 AM PDT by Fido969 ("The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax." - Albert Einstein)
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To: sandbar

Clinton appointee


4 posted on 09/26/2006 11:03:28 AM PDT by Fido969 ("The hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax." - Albert Einstein)
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To: freespirited
"Given Clark's lack of counsel and refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the court, it is not surprising she failed to appeal," Scheindlin said.

But now, some twenty-odd prison years later, it's time to recognize the legitimacy of the court?

5 posted on 09/26/2006 11:11:17 AM PDT by randog (What the...?!)
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To: freespirited

I think an appealate court should overturn this ruling.


6 posted on 09/26/2006 11:13:29 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: freespirited

PC rules. Is your skin crawling? Mine is.


7 posted on 10/01/2006 5:49:29 AM PDT by hershey
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To: freespirited

In other news, a murder conviction was overturned because the main witness was dead.


8 posted on 10/01/2006 5:55:57 AM PDT by sig226 (There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.)
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To: hershey
PC rules. Is your skin crawling?

Absolutely. Know what else makes my skin crawl. Two of the Weather Underground leaders have high level faculty positions in Chicago. One is a distinguished professor of education and the other a professor of LAW. Naturally they are married to each other.

Only in PC land could someone have her history with Weather Underground and be admitted to law school over a law-abiding applicant.

9 posted on 10/01/2006 10:26:58 AM PDT by freespirited (A racist is a conservative who is winning an argument with a liberal.)
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To: freespirited

This is among the reasons the Dims aren't on board with the WOT.

They have mainstreamed leftist terrorists into the Dim party.


10 posted on 10/01/2006 5:59:48 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (The Internet is the samizdat of liberty..)
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To: freespirited

and imagine if that FATASS hillary gets to plant her foul rump in the oval office-these scumbags will be making government policy-don't forget the faln terrorists were also pardoned by the clintons-when they were sentenced US District Judge McMillan said he'd have imposed the death penalty if he could've-he is now deceased,but he was a very good judge,worthy of the title


11 posted on 10/01/2006 7:30:05 PM PDT by steamroller
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