Posted on 03/21/2008 4:53:50 PM PDT by TAdams8591
PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE FOR CONSTITUIONAL JUSTICE P.O. 306, Cheltenham, PA 19012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Don Adams
CLINTON PROTESTERS AND TEAMSTERS END TEN YEAR LEGAL BATTLE
Philadelphia, PA (March 21, 2008) -- One of the few remaining civil suits stemming from the Clinton-era Lewinsky scandal—involving the vicious beating of two anti-Clinton siblings by pro-Clinton Teamsters outside Philadelphia’s City Hall during a 1998 presidential visit—settled out of court today.
The victims, Don Adams and Teri Adams, signed an agreement after Teamsters Local 115 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters opted to pay an undisclosed sum in exchange for dropping the suit, which included counts of assault, defamation of character, and malicious prosecution against the unions. A May, 2008 trial had been set by the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
“Today, my sister and I are declaring victory for the First Amendment and freedom of speech,” said Mr. Adams. “Every American citizen has the right to protest the actions of any U. S. President, whether he, or she, be a Clinton or a Bush.”
The October 2, 1998 attack occurred as Mr. Adams marched with a sign calling Bill Clinton a “liar, pervert, national shame.” Two Teamsters snuck up behind him and ripped the sign out of his hand. When he and his sister turned around to retrieve it, they were encircled by a mob of Teamsters led by (then) Local 115 officer and IBT Vice President, John Morris.
Mr. Morris rammed a fedora over Mr. Adams’ face, blinding him to the onslaught of Teamsters who proceeded to jump and pummel both Adamses.
Mr. Adams suffered head injuries (including a mild concussion), lacerations, bruising, and a herniated (neck) disc. He was treated at an area hospital. Ms. Adams, who tried to protect her brother, was bruised but not seriously injured.
The attack was captured on videotape by local news stations and broadcast nationally at a time when (then) Mayor Ed Rendell was trying to attract both the 2000 Democratic and Republican National Conventions to the “City of Brotherly Love.”
Mr. Rendell’s spokesman, Kevin Feeley, caused a public uproar when he responded to the incident by saying, “they [the anti-Clinton protestors] chose to make their views known in the faces of Teamsters—that, generally, is not a good career choice.”
(more) Clinton Protesters Page 2
Mr. Rendell subsequently admitted to inviting the Teamsters to the pro-Clinton rally— instructing them to “drown out [anti-Clinton] protesters.”
For his part, Mr. Morris spoke on camera to Bill Baldini of Channel 10 News—accusing Mr. Adams of hitting two female Teamsters and of belonging to the mafia.
District Attorney Lynne Abraham, who refused to criminally charge Mr. Morris for signaling the attack, prosecuted Mr. Adams on a trumped-up private criminal complaint lodged by Teamster Heather Diocson—despite news video evidence and police testimony exculpating Mr. Adams.
At Adams’ arraignment in January, 1999, Teamster attorney, Norton Brainard, offered to have the criminal complaint against Mr. Adams withdrawn on the condition that Mr. Adams drop his criminal allegations against the Teamsters. Mr. Adams declined the deal and was put on trial in July, 1999. He was found not guilty of simple assault and other misdemeanors. Mr. Adams was the only individual to stand trial in the entire matter.
In October, 2000, the Adamses filed a Federal Civil Rights suit—not only naming the Teamsters—but also Mr. Rendell and Ms. Abraham. All counts against Ms. Abraham were eventually rejected by the court on grounds of prosecutorial immunity.
In August, 2003, Federal Judge William Yohn dismissed the Adamses’ Civil Rights claims with prejudice—throwing the case out of Federal Court. In his decision, Judge Yohn set aside all federal charges against Mr. Rendell. The state counts against Rendell and the Teamsters, however, stayed in tact. The Adamses quickly appealed Judge Yohn’s ruling to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals and cross-filed their claims in state court.
Because Mr. Rendell’s wife, Marjorie Rendell, sat on the 3rd Circuit bench, the Adamses’ attorney, Trey Mayfield, asked the entire 3rd Circuit to recuse itself. After a long delay, the appellate court appointed an outside panel of judges to hear the case. In 2006, the panel upheld Judge Yohn’s ruling.
The Adamses immediately moved to activate the case in Common Pleas Court, where the remaining civil counts against Mr. Rendell were dismissed in January, 2008. . Last year, Judge Yohn ordered the Adamses to pay the Teamsters $15,000.00 in legal costs arising from the Federal suit. The Adamses, again, appealed Judge Yohn’s decision to the 3rd Circuit. The issue was rendered moot by today’s settlement, whose terms are confidential.
# # #
DeSoto, thank you for your kind words and I am so sorry for your long ordeal. We hope this case will help to quell Union violence, especially TEAMSTER (they are trying to become a kinder, gentler union or so we have been told) union violence, but I’m not so certain about that.
Here, here!!!!!!
Instead, some of the locals who helped us are now cozying up to her and she has a talk radio show once a month on a Philly station.
Thank you 3D JOY. We did our best. : )
ping
ping
Congrats on your victory.
If anyone is interested here is a short article describing what the late Teamster John Morris was like:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,992787,00.html
Somewhere I heard all Morris talked about at International Teamster Board meetings were the Molly Maguires. : )
So glad to hear this has ended! Amazingly, I was just telling my 16 year old son about your situation recently - now he can read about it.
Finally!
It was great working with you 10 years ago, Terri. You probably don’t even remember me — so much time, and so many things between then and now. You mailed me a VHS of the event and I created a webpage to describe the situation. It’s still available:
It’s a huge relief to have some closure. Congrats. Buy a nice steak meal and a nice bottle of wine, and reflect on how your lives are so remarkable because of this decade-long trial.
WTG Don and Terri!
Of course I remember you! How could I forget? : ) Thank you for the web page and all the work you did!
At least you came out of the whole mess with your honor intact
battling against the most corrupt of men.
This does not escape God's notice. Although I hope the case
from Peter Paul shakes down
something but it may not.
Thanks again and maybe you
can get back to at least some semblance of a normal life.
Oh Terri...I am so glad that you stuck to the tough course of seeking justice!! Both of you. And as someone above stated, you really are the gold standard in citizenship.
Ten years is too long for justice to be rung, but it beats the hell out of never hearing that bell.
God Bless you both..you were up against a cabal that would like for everyone to think they are invincible. NOT!!
Nabbing the politicos would have been a coup, but cha know, God has a way of getting that done.
Loved meeting you several times in DC---will never forget Elian, think about him all the time.
Glad to hear there’s finally resolution, although it’s not exactly what you wanted. BTTT
Have a blessed Easter and relax for a while.
Yip, yip, yip, yahoo
Finally
I remember this day quite well. I lived north of Philly at the time and almost drove down, myself.
I’m glad it all worked out and the nightmare is over.
May the Lord bless you for standing for the right, when it would have been so easy to just do the expedient thing. I believe you’ve made us all safer.
Congrats on getting closure for this.
It’s a shame this case won’t get even a small percentage of the attention that Obama’s pastor is getting.
Congratulations on the settlement, Don and Terri! It was a long time coming, but the battle was well fought.
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