Posted on 10/20/2006 10:34:49 AM PDT by Miami Vice
Edited on 10/20/2006 10:45:19 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Philadelphia - A special three-judge panel of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals convened Wednesday to hear arguments on whether a Federal Civil Rights suit may proceed against Gov. Ed Rendell and overturn a 2003 lower court ruling that there was insufficient evidence. Rendell is charged with conspiring to suppress the First Amendment rights of protesters by having Teamsters Local 115 beat them while they demonstrated outside Philadelphia's City Hall during a Democratic fundraiser featuring President Bill Clinton.
Rendell, who was mayor of Philadelphia at the time, admitted in a deposition following the Oct. 2, 1998 beatings to personally inviting Teamsters Local 115 Secretary-Treasurer John Morris and instructing the union to "drown-out" the Clinton protesters.
"I specifically said I didn't want any interaction with the demonstrators. I wanted this to be extremely peaceful and extremely positive," Rendell also claimed in the deposition, which was taken two years after the fact.
Morris was caught on video by local media placing a fedora over protester Don Adams' head, signaling the Teamsters to knock him to the ground and assault him. Adams was treated at a nearby hospital for a concussion, lacerations and multiple bruises. His sister, Teri, sustained minor injuries.
Testimony from Morris' chief of staff revealed that, after the beatings, Rendell called Morris about the Teamsters who participated in the attack and said, "nothing is going to happen to these guys," and "I know how these things go." He then suggested that Morris and the Teamsters file a criminal complaint against Adams, which they did two days later on Oct. 4, 1998, alleging that he struck a woman in their group.
Even though there was no police reports supporting the Teamster's claim, the incident was caught on video, and the District Attorney's Office pursued trial against Adams, who filed suit against the Teamsters and Rendell several months later.
At one point, the Teamsters offered to drop their charges against him if he dropped his case. During that time, they launched a media campaign and accused Adams of being a woman-beater. Adams rejected the deal and was found not guilty on July 8, 1999. Five teamsters then pled guilty to various charges of assault and were granted probation, and Morris died in 2001.
Arguments surrounding Rendell's involvement center not on how convincing the evidence is, but whether his interaction with Morris after the fact - consoling the Teamsters and advising them to sue Adams - can be used as evidence to support the charge of conspiracy.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in United States vs. Smith in 2002 that concerted actions to conceal unlawful behavior are relevant to a finding of conspiracy. The Supreme Court reached a similar conclusion in United States vs. Brodie last year.
However, Philadelphia Law Department attorney Jane Lovitch Istvan, who represents Rendell, argued in brief, "The alleged conversation in this case ... contained no evidence of attempted concealment, nor is there a pattern of other alleged attempts to conceal."
"I think he might have a case," Circuit Judge Restani said during oral arguments surrounding Adams' claim.
The three circuit judges were appointed to hear the case from outside the Third Circuit Court's jurisdiction after a motion asking the entire Circuit to recuse itself was granted. This recusal was issued due to the fact that Rendell's wife, Judge Marjorie Rendell, sits on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Nice one! But the Democraps will never agree to enact such a law.
Ping!
I wish you guys the best and hope you win. I don't think anyone has to tell you to be careful....but be careful! I doubt that is all those guys are capable of. ;(
Where is Terri, I haven't seen her around here lately. This is good news, indeed. Terri has been a long time Freeper.
the way to REALLY get these guys is to one: vote for the Constitution Party and two: do all you can to get a referendum on the ballot in your state for "Clean Money Elections" it's our only way out of this new world order nightmare!!!!
Believe it or not Chick, the Inquirer DID post a story, a day before the Bulletin! I'll ping you to it.
Ditto. Don and I are too!
Dmitry, it was his spokesman, Kevin Feeley (a dead wringer for Fonzi) who made that comment. He said something like 'it is not a good career choice to make your views known in the faces of Teamsters.'
Thank you for responding to this thread. Good to "see" you.
That is the reason we asked the entire third circuit to recuse itself. And they graciously did.
A three judge panel is deciding whether the case can be kept in the Federal Courts, or be remanded back to the state.
Atually, my Dad was Max. My brother would be Max's son.
Your post is exactly right. You hit the nail on the head.
Thank you for the well wishes and we do promise to be careful.
Ah, very good.
Rendell knows how to "keep people in line." I've heard the workers at PennDot (Department of Transportation) have been promised their first pay raise in several years next February.
That's Eddie's way of getting their votes this year or they don't get a raise next year.
The slot machine process also interests me. I wonder how many of the people getting those licenses to operate slots have pumped some of the at least 23 million dollars Rendell has for his campaign so far.
I am a UAW member, and I'm none of the above.
To think I voted for this clown....thug, carnival barker, mobster...there, I fixed it.
So the Dems arranged to have a man beaten to death... Don wasn't beaten to death. You are thinking of when the Dems had the kids killed in Mississippi.
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