Posted on 10/10/2007 7:32:52 PM PDT by Physicist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2007
Contact: Don Adams, ###.###.####
Philadelphia – Two Clinton protesters, viciously beaten up by a group of pro-Clinton teamsters outside Philadelphia’s City Hall during a presidential visit nine years ago, last week appealed a federal judge’s order to pay two teamster unions $15,000.00 in legal costs stemming from an October, 2000 Federal Civil Rights suit.
Five members of Teamsters Local 115 eventually pled guilty to criminal assault, conspiracy, and various other charges in the attack.
Last month, Judge William Yohn ordered the beating victims, Don Adams and his sister Teri Adams, to pay the unions $15,000.00 in costs—but dismissed the unions’ demand for a couple hundred thousand dollars in attorneys fees, stating in his decision that the suit was “not frivolous.”
The Adamses’ attorney, Trey Mayfield, believes the Adamses have strong grounds for an appeal. “This case was clearly ‘not frivolous’—it was, and is, an egregious violation of the law. The teamsters should be compensating the Adamses, not the other way around.”
Beating victim Teri Adams added, “I think it’s outrageous for the Teamsters to expect us to pay them—especially since numerous members, led by local union boss John Morris, were not only responsible for beating us up in an attempt to squelch our freedom of speech, but also for the malicious prosecution and defamation of my brother, Don.”
A few weeks after the October 2, 1998 assault, Mr. Morris, then head of Teamsters Local 115 and a Vice President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spoke on camera to Bill Baldini of Channel 10 News—accusing Mr. Adams of hitting two female teamsters and of being a member of the mafia.
Mr. Adams eventually stood trial in 1999 on trumped up charges brought by Teamster Heather Diocson and was found “not guilty.”
Several years ago, Judge Yohn dismissed the Adamses’ Federal Civil Rights claim and remanded the remainder of the civil suit, Adams, et al. v. Teamsters Local 115, et al., back to Pennsylvania State Court. A trial has been scheduled for April, 2008 in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.
Attorney Trey Mayfield will represent the Adamses before the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. He can be reached at ###.###.####.
|
CIVIL ACTION NO. 99-CV-4910 NOTICE OF APPEAL |
Notice is hereby given that Don Adams and Theresa Adams, Plaintiffs in the above-named case, hereby appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit from, (a) the September 4, 2007 Order which entered judgment in favor of Defendant Teamsters Local 115 and against plaintiffs Don Adams and Theresa Adams in the amount of $450.10; and, (b) the September 4, 2007 Order which entered judgment in favor of defendant International Brotherhood of Teamsters and against plaintiffs Don Adams and Theresa Adams in the amount of $14,625.94.
| Joseph M. Adams, Esquire Attorney for Plaintiffs Don and Theresa Adams |
||
| Dated: October 2, 2007 |
Most Recent articles:
Don Adams Update: Teamster Beating Victims Must Pay Teamster Unions $15 Grand
Court Likely Ends Suit Over Beating at Rally (DON ADAMS UPDATE)
GOV. RENDELL’S ROLE IN BEATING FOCUS OF CIVIL RIGHTS HEARING
Don and Teri Adams Background: Letter of Trey Mayfield to 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals
DON AND TERI ADAMS UPDATE: RENDELL'S "CLOSED CIRCUIT" MANEUVER
Don Adams Update: Third Circuit Asked to Recuse Itself in Suit Against Rendell
Don Adams Update: Urgent Help Needed on Appeal
Don Adams Update: Teamsters File Motion to Recover $62,673.46 in Fees and Costs
Summary of the 8/6/2003 Don Adams Decision, U.S. District Court
Anti-Clinton Protesters Lose in Suit Against Rendell
Who-what-where:
There was I time on FreeRepublic when I didn't have to introduce the topic of Don Adams. Other than Whitewater, it was FreeRepublic's first cause celebre.
In as few words as I can bear to muster, this is what happened. On October 2, 1998, Don and his sister Teri were beaten by members of the Teamsters Union for the crime of protesting against Clinton in Philadelphia.
(I myself had been attacked by the same mob earlier in the day, and I witnessed the Adams incident. I reported the events on FreeRepublic. One famous result was that it prompted Jim Robinson to call for a march on Washington, DC, which drew around 4000 people on October 31, 1998, to demand Clinton's impeachment.)
The DA filed no charges, so Don and Teri Adams pursued private criminal complaints against two of the Teamsters (Kevin McNulty and Marc Nardone), along with Teamster Local 115 boss Johnny Morris. In response, the Teamsters filed charges against Don Adams. McNulty and Nardone copped a plea and got probation. Morris walked. Don Adams was subjected to the indignity of a trial, and was acquitted in July, 1999. Meanwhile, three other Teamsters were identified from video: Charlie Davis, Mark Hopkins, and Norma Bottomer. Don and Teri Adams filed another private criminal complaint, to which the defendants copped pleas and received probation.
In November of 1999, IBT President James Hoffa ordered that Teamsters Local 115 be placed into trusteeship, and that Johnny Morris be stripped of his powers, partly as a result of the Adams beating incident. Morris contested this bitterly until the end of his life.
The civil phase has been lurching along slowly since the end of the criminal phase.
Why you should care:
It is the business of Freepers to exercise our rights under the First Amendment. When we talk back to power, we have an expectation of being secure in our persons, in our property, and in our liberty. If Don and Teri Adams lose, none of these expectations are valid. It will mean that the men in power can silence us at will, without serious consequences. Five foot-soldiers of the totalitarians have received probation. That's something. But unfortunately Don and Teri have been made to pay a long series of terrible prices over the last five years, and much more lies ahead. I expect it to get worse for them before it gets better.
Would YOU be up to it?
Here is the Don Adams Page, back again in its full glory!
Civil Case:
Johnny Morris criminal case:
Davis, Hopkins, Bottomer criminal case:
McNulty and Nardone criminal case:
If you want on or off this ping list, please let me know.
Missed it by THAT much.
BUMP for justice!
I have followed this from day 1. I’m glad they’re doing this.
God speed.
Hello, Physicist. It’s been awhile since I have been here. I was here often when this happened to Don and Teri, but was surprised to see this up again on the thread listing!! I cannot believe what I read! I sure hope they are prepared to take this to the Supreme Court if it becomes necessary.
How do victims wind up paying the legal costs of the abusers?
Only in America, land of crazy judges and more than crazy verdicts.
If the Teamsters get paid for just beating someone up, can I get paid A LOT for like....killing a French guy, or somethin’.....?
What should one expect from a judge who also ruled in this case:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2002/01/01-07-02tdc/01-07-02dnews-07.asp
Your friends are damn fine gutsy Americans , if it comes down to their having to pay I’ll kick in a couple of hundred. You know how to find me.
I remember this from...forever. This has dragged on and on and on. This single episode has done as much to undermine my faith in American jurisprudence as maybe the McMartin kingergarten trial and the OJ trial.
This Philadelphia justice is shocking.
I’m so sorry for Don and Teri. I think about you guys everytime I see FReepers joined together.
This is one of the most egregious cases I have ever known of.
It’s almost impossible to beat a union in the peoples repugnik of Pennsylvania.
Don and Teri are my heroes. And you have been a wonderful friend to them all this time.
Please let them know we still support them.
I ask Almighty God to give them justice and peace, even in Philadelphia.
To my fellow Freepers: this blatant brownshirt Gestapo tactics is what we are facing with another Clinton Presidency.
Future generations of Americans will curse us if we allow them to reoccupy our White House.
Start talking now to family and friends ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN about Hillary’s criminality and enabling in the serial abuse of women by her rapist husband for almost 20 years.
bttt
Send me private FReepmail, if things go that way...
Thanks for the ping!
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