[Physicist]

I will pass along the following clarifications:

1) The article doesn't mention that the victim, Don Adams, remains the only person actually to stand trial as a result of this incident. Originally, District Attorney Lynn Abraham was not going to press charges against the Teamster thugs, despite the fact that four TV news crews videotaped the entire incident. When Don and Teri started to pursue private criminal complaints against the Teamsters and against Morris (who ordered the attack), three Teamster women made the ludicrous claim that Don precipitated the beating by assaulting them. Incredibly, Abraham accepted this, and Don stood trial. He was ultimately acquitted.

2) The article doesn't mention that Johnny Morris died last year. He will never be brought to justice in this matter. He did, however, get his come-uppance. (More about this.)

3) Judge Yohn was the second judge to be assigned to this case. The original judge, Judge Kauffman, was replaced last September at the request of Don and Teri, after Governor Rendell admitted that they were longtime associates.

4) Motions for Summary Judgment were submitted last summer. It took the judge almost 1 year to decide. The plaintiff arguments of this case were submitted by Judicial Watch.

5) The dispute with Judicial Watch began as follows. After the summary judgment arguments were submitted last year, Don and Teri asked Judicial Watch whether they would be co-counsel with Stretton, who was Don's lead attorney when he stood trial. Judicial Watch's response was to send an (unsigned) demand for $1 million. This precipitated the dismissal.

6) Joseph Adams (a cousin of Don and Teri) is not a "new attorney" in this case. He has been involved from the very beginning.

7) Judge Yohn essentially accepted the arguments of Rendell and the Teamsters in their entirety, in rendering his decision.

8) While this is a heavy blow, it is important to remember that the entire case has not been dismissed: only count 1, the civil rights part (pending an appeal). The rest is being remanded to State court.

---

REMEDIAL SECTION:

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. In response, Jim Robinson called for a march on Washington, DC, which drew 5000 people on October 31, 1998.)

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?

---

LINKS:

The Don Adams Page is now defunct, but a version of it remains cached on archive.org (Warning: slow to load).

Civil Case:

My Affadavit For The Don Adams Civil Case

My Subpoena From Teamsters Local 115 (Don Adams Case)

Rendell Threatens to Walk During Deposition

Johnny Morris criminal case:

Court KOs Activist in Fight with Morris [DON ADAMS UPDATE]

DON ADAMS PRESS RELEASE: Criminal Complaint Against Teamster Leader John Morris Dropped

Davis, Hopkins, Bottomer criminal case:

Teamster Trio To Be Sentenced Today For Beating Clinton Protesters

Teamsters Sentenced to Probation in Adams Beating Case

3 Teamsters are Sentenced for Roughing Up Protester

McNulty and Nardone criminal case:

Pretrial hearing of Kevin McNulty and Marc Nardone, on February 10, 1999. Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4

[independentmind]

As anyone from the Delaware Valley knows, there is virtually no difference between the Teamsters and the Mob. Perhaps some enterprising reporter should investigate the intimidation tactics used by the Teamsters against local employers when faced with renegotiating a union contract.

[Physicist]

Summary of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court Decision

[Glenn]

Was I ever right about Judicial Watch. (Told you so! Told you so!)

[Incorrigible]

Thank you so much for staying on top of this Physicist. This whole mess was one of my earliest introductions to FR Activism way back when.

Regards to Terri and Don as well.

[jimtorr]

Thanks for the update, and I'm glad to see that you're still around.

[Howlin]

Thank you for posting this. I am one who defintely remembers this.

As for this:

In response, Judicial Watch attorneys Paul J. Orfanedes and Larry Klayman told Yohn they had a valid claim for more than $208,000 in fees and expenses "for the tremendous time, effort and resources it expended," including 30 depositions, hundreds of interrogatories and successfully defeating several motions for dismissal."

I thought all the money WE donated to JW was what offset the expenses of any and ALL trials undertaken by JW??????

I remember quite a few people saying that Don and Teri needed new lawyers; they were roundly trashed for having the nerve to say that JW couldn't get the job done.

I guess they were right. A demand for ONE MILLION DOLLARS????? Preposterous!

[Howlin]

BTW, thank you for posting this update. Don and Teri deserved much better than this.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

MAJOR DON ADAMS UPDATE

[Diver Dave]

Thanks for the update, Physicist. Spent many hours reading the accounts of Don and Teri's plight. Sad situation when Fast Eddy manages to skate free on this one.

[anymouse]

Thanks for keeping this issue alive. Not all of us have forgotten what happened to Don and Terry. BTW, how are they doing otherwise? Haven't seen Terry post on FR for a long time.

[solzhenitsyn]

The people I'd really like to see held acountable are Lynn Abraham and the judge who let the Teamsters off. It was one of the most egregious abuses of power I've seen in the United States. By the way, I can't remember a single Democrat in the country standing up for Don and Terri Adams.>

What can we do to help the cause, Physicist?

[FreedomPoster]

Wow! Thank you for your summary of events. A little before my introduction to FreeRepublic, so that is very much appreciated. What an important case.

I've helped organize and participate in two FReeps. When you see how nasty some of the Lefties we encounter are, the thought of having to deal with a physical confrontation comes to mind. I'm unsurprised to hear of it happening with that group, in that locale.

Fingers crossed for a favorable-to-FReepers outcome on ongoing litigation.

[TheOtherOne]

Five Teamsters later pleaded guilty to assaulting Adams, but Morris was never charged.

Did they serve jail time?

[dirtboy]

We can't begin to thank you enough for your efforts in this matter. I guess Morris kicked the bucket while I was out in Colorado. I don't think that revelation will keep me up tonight.

[exit82]

Physicist--thank you so much for this update on Don and Teri. It was so good to see your name on the ping!

Don and Teri are true patriots, as are you, and they are some of the most courageous people I've ever encountered. I remember well when this happened, and my lurking days on FR came to an end when I showed up at the 10/31/98 March for Justice. I still remember, not knowing how many would ashow up, when I came across the rise by the Washington Monument and seeing THOUSANDS of likeminded folks. It was so good to know that I wasn't alone in my feelings that the perfidy of both Clintons needed to be countered.


Please give my regards to Don and Teri. They have suffered terrible injustices, and they are in a corrupt cesspool of Democratic politics and judges. To add insult to injury, Larry Klayman and Judicial Watch are trying to extort the people they are supposed to be helping. It took a while to understand he was just an ambulance chaser--what a disappointment.

You, on the other hand, are a class act. Thanks for letting me know the status of their case.

[Great Dane]

So many years later, and this case still stinks to high heaven.

Thanks for the update.

[redrock]

Thanks for the update.

When I first landed on these shores (Free Republic) one of the people who I respected the most (other than DeSoto and Mare) was Teri Adams.

The story of their beating...and their absolute REFUSAL to just lay down and take it.....made an impact. (Don't tell anyone...but a copy of the picture of Don from the front of FR..made it Jarbidge)

I would think that the disposition of their case so far...(and Judicial Watch's inept handling.....and outright extortion) would anger enough of FR's people that pressure could be brought to bear.

But...perhaps I am wrong....and the one's inhabiting this place are no longer the ones with 'fire in their eyes'......and the courage needed to fight those things we find wrong in this Nation.

Teri...if you read this...I owe you and your brother. (call it a weird sense of Honour).

If you need anything....I'll do my best to deliver.

redrock...aka....Mike

[Those_Crazy_Liberals]

"In response, Judicial Watch attorneys Paul J. Orfanedes and Larry Klayman told Yohn they had a valid claim for more than $208,000 in fees and expenses "for the tremendous time, effort and resources it expended," including 30 depositions, hundreds of interrogatories and successfully defeating several motions for dismissal.""

This guy's first mistake was thinking he could win a lawsuit against the mayor. His second mistake was to hire Larry Klayman to file it.

[Humidston]

Thanks for the update. I too have wondered about Don and Teri, and have missed seeing her post these past few years.

The short version of how I feel right now? Like crap. They don't deserve this kind of treatment. They didn't deserve the beatings they took, the criminal trial, the money it has cost them, the rape by JW/Klayman, et al, the year it took Yohn to get off his butt and deliver his bogus verdict, the teamsters getting PROBATION for beating strangers on a public street... All of it stinks!

I think I'll drop Klayman a note and demand a refund of all the money we contributed during Clinton's admin!! Don and Teri could use it much better than him or his idiotic law firm.

Don and Teri, I'm pretty much at a loss for words and since I'm not a lawyer, I have no sage advice, other than to pretty much lay odds you guys won't see any fairness unless you get to an authority that's above their jurisdiction. Appeals court or whatever?

All I can do is pray for you. And that I'll do - gladly! We miss you guys. And we all wish you the very best outcome. "There, but for the grace of God, go I..."

[Militiaman7]

Amazing! If the SPLC and Morris Dees can bankrupt the Klan why can't Don and Terri bankrupt the Teamsters?

Judicial bias raised its ugly head.