My Affadavit For The Don Adams Civil Case

Self/Judicial Watch | 12/14/2001 | Self

[Physicist]

DECLARATION OF KEVIN L. STERNER, Ph.D.

 

I, Kevin L. Sterner, hereby declare as follows:

1. I am employed as a physicist and staff scientist of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania.
2. On October 2, 1998, I left my office at the university at approximately 4:00 PM and traveled to Dilworth Plaza in downtown Philadelphia, arriving at approximately 4:20 PM. I traveled alone downtown with the intention of peacefully protesting against former President William J. Clinton, who was visiting Philadelphia for a political fundraising event.
3. In order to protest peacefully against then-President Clinton, I constructed a sign, made of posterboard with a wooden handle attached to the posterboard with staples. The sign read: "Coward," printed in 450 point Helvetica bold lettering. I carried the sign in an opaque, plastic bag.
4. As I approached Dilworth Plaza, I noticed a large crowd of a few hundred people, that appeared to be composed of Teamsters and Carpenters' Union members. A large number of the crowd wore t-shirts supporting then-President Clinton that also identified their respective union associations. The Teamsters and Carpenters' Union people were gathered to protest in support of then-President Clinton.
5. Philadelphia Police officers began directing people in the Dilworth Plaza area to stand behind metal barricades that had been erected at the corner of 15^th Street and JFK Boulevard. At police direction, I found myself herded behind the barricade with the Teamsters and Carpenters' Union.
6. I decided that, despite being outnumbered by Clinton supporters, I would display my sign and peacefully express my dissatisfaction with President Clinton. I chose a place in the direction that the local television news cameras were pointed to remove my sign from my bag. The Teamsters and Carpenters near me began screaming and cursing at me immediately. An unidentified person behind me grabbed my sign and began pulling the sign, and me, backwards into the crowd. The sign's handle broke. I held onto my sign for a short while, until it was violently ripped from my possession and my shoulder was wrenched. I stumbled ant tried to regain my balbance while the crowd of Teamsters and Carpenters continued to shove, jostle, threaten and curse me.
7. Through the continuing Teamster and Carpenter verbal and physical assaults, I made my way out of the crowd to safety, crossing 15th Street to the west side of Dilworth Plaza. My shoulder was in pain from having my sign ripped away. I also suffered cuts and bruises from the shoving Teamster and Carpenter crowd. The threats and profanity of the Teamsters and Carpenters, as well as their fast, violent, personal attacks on me and my sign bothered me deeply. No Philadelphia police came to my assistance or offered me first aid.
8. Although I sought safety away from the Teamsters and Carpenters, I remained in the downtown area, near City Hall. At approximately 5:00 PM, I moved to the north side of City Hall and came upon other "Anti-Clinton" protesters, among them Don and Teri Adams. This was my first occasion meeting Don and Teri Adams, as well as the other protesters. I spoke with various "Anti-Clinton" protesters from approximately 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM. We walked to the Windsor Hotel to protest and back to the vicinity of City Hall to continue protesting. I was back in the vicinity of City Hall at approximately 6:30 PM.
9. I noticed a Teamster tractor trailer, parked on JFK Boulevard by Love Park, that appeared to be a Teamster base of operations for the protesters. Teamster personnel appeared to be manning the trailer and there was much coming and going by persons wearing clothing with the word "Teamster," or the Teamster logo. I also noticed a tour bus with the Teamster logo parked near City Hall.
10. Between approximately 6:30 PM and 7:00 PM, I noticed a group of Teamster protesters begin shouting and jeering several Anti-Clinton protesters I had met earlier in the evening. I recognized Don Adams whom I remembered from our extensive conversation earlier in the evening. As I walked towards the Anti-Clinton protesters, it appeared that an altercation broke out. I could not make out any details of the altercation, however I saw Don Adams a few moments later, and he was clearly bloody and beaten.

Date: 12/14/2001       Kevin L. Sterner, Ph.D.

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 14th day of December, 2001.

SEAL

Mary Ann Dinkins
Notary Public

[wafflehouse]

#6. ..I stumbled ant tried to regain my balbance ..

spel checque!!

[Free the USA]

bump

[Askel5]

Not-just-a-geek bump!

Lol ...

Seriously though, thanks for sticking by Don and Teri Adams, subpoena or no subpoena, from the get-go ... that most ugly incident.

Nice to be reminded -- not only that we're all in this together -- but that there are folks like you in for the long haul where your fellow man's concerned.

[brat]

Prayer BUMP for all of you good people! Keep the faith! We're behind you and pulling for you!

[RadioAstronomer]

Best wishes from me also!!! If I can be of service just freep mail me!

Michael

[Elle Bee]

thanks for all you've done

.

[backhoe]

I will link this to my next update of "tales from the dark underbelly of the beast"-- the stuff the media just won't talk about.

This case was one of the ones that hammered home the utter corruption & criminality of clinton's "supporters."

[PatrickHenry]

Hard to believe that you hoisted your sign while standing in the midst of a pack of teamsters. Those guys are professional leg-breakers. Free speech is not something they appreciate, or even understand. I fear that your admirable dedication to freedom and the rule of law may have momentarily overcome your judgment.

By all means, please keep us informed of all developments. We wish you guys every success.

[Physicist]

Hard to believe that you hoisted your sign while standing in the midst of a pack of teamsters.

It was the most difficult thing I've ever done.

Those guys are professional leg-breakers.

I know. My grandfather was a Teamster for many years. As much as I admired him, he was no choirboy. The ironic thing is that I know he would have enjoyed kicking in the head of a certain 60's draft dodger.

I fear that your admirable dedication to freedom and the rule of law may have momentarily overcome your judgment.

Not at all. Look at it this way. In October, 1998, everyone thought Clinton had gotten clean away with it, and had skated on impeachment. Clinton shows up in the Cradle of Liberty, and big crowds are there to support him. I was the only protester there (at that time). It seemed the whole world had given him a pass. So here was my choice: I could either raise my sign and get my head handed to me, or give him the pass that the whole rest of the world--it seemed at that moment--had given him, and make it unanimous.

Furthermore, I knew that if I didn't raise my "COWARD!" sign, I'd never be able to face myself in the mirror again. My accusation would become my name tag.

I'd do it again in the same situation. I'd like to believe that I'd feel the same way if I'd really copped it that day.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

You and Don and Teri Adams are heroes in the eyes of many, many people on this board!

[Physicist]

Actually, the civil phase of Don's case began almost two years ago.

I'd like to amend my testimony, counsel. The civil phase is about to begin in earnest.

Cheers to you, Clarity! The role you played in getting justice for Don far outweighs mine.

[Physicist]

Bump

[TPartyType]

Thanks for the heads up. I hope the Teamsters are discredited for their thuggery. I wonder how it would be played out in the media if the political shoe had been on the other foot?

[buffyt]

The wheels of justice surely do turn slowly in USA.

[buffyt]

If it had been Us/Freepers/good guys doing the thuggery WE would still be in jail.