Midwest_feeds

In a small claims case local black activist Patrick Thompson filed against his former attorney, Harvey Welch, a judge decided that legal malpractice had been committed and ruled in Thompson’s favor. Thompson filed the suit pro se, arguing his own case, while Welch was represented by Urbana attorney David Rumley.

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August 26, 2008 at 7pm: The Prison Impact Working Group will host a film screening at the UCIMC, showing the film Juvies, by director Leslie Neale. The film deals with the juvenile justice system in the United States, with regards to the trying of children as adults and the dispensation of excessively harsh sentences. For more information, please visit:
http://prisonimpact.blogspot.com/

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In the spring of 2008, a class at the University of Illinois produced a film about their participation in the Books to Prisoners program at the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. SPCM396: Crime, Punishment, and Social Justice was taught by Professor Stephen Hartnett. Additional DVD credits include Martha Becker, Lisa Galvan, Nick Guida, Cody Mullen, and Roger Smith-Bergsrud.

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From the newswire: "In a brazen move against freedom of speech and against the Chicago peace movement, Chicago Police held peace activists at the 2008 Chicago Air and Water Show inside a fenced-off 'free speech zone', as one police officer termed it. The 'free speech zone', surrounded by a three-and-a-half-foot-high impromptu metal barrier serving as a makeshift fence, sat just south of eastern base of the North Avenue foot bridge, near the intersection of North Avenue and Lake Show Drive.

"Until recently, activists who assembled at the Air And Water Show could assemble and interact with other attendees unimpeded. However, in the 2008 Show, activists were ordered to remain within the confines of the 'free speech zone', roughly eight feet away from the sidewalk and on a hard-to-walk-on sandy surface. Police said that individuals who left the "free speech zone" would be arrested." Read more | See photos

Selected previous Chicago "free speech zone" incidents: McCormick Place, 2003 | Taste of Chicago, 2006 | CIMC Video: Taste of Chicago, 2006 | AFSC free speech restricted

On August 2, 2008, more than two hundred protesters assembled in downtown Chicago to rally outside the State of Illinois Building, and marched against a possible bombing of Iran — in the face of belligerent policy remarks by the U.S. government and strong hints of possible future military actions.

After the half-hour-long rally, the participants marched from the State of Illinois Building. They headed first to a nearby Republican campaign office. The marchers then headed north on Wells Street up to Wacker, then East just past Michigan Avenue to the Israeli Consulate. The marchers then proceeded south on Michigan Avenue to Randolph Street to a nearby Democratic Party campaign office, to join up with a second protest already underway on behalf of single-payer health care.

Read account | Watch video | See Photos

Additional Resources: Stop War on Iran | No War on Iran Coalition — Chicago

A new article by Chicago Indymedia contributor Jessica Pupovac posted originally on Alternet details the ongoing injustice of still-jailed victims of the infamous Jon Burge police torture regime.

Among the highlights of the article:

* "At least 24 African-American men that the People's Law Office in Chicago claims are still serving sentences for crimes they say they confessed to only after enduring hours of torture at the hands of Chicago police officers under Commander Jon Burge between 1972 and 1992."

* "Almost 20 years later, not a single police officer has been made to face charges in the massive scandal."

* "On July 18…members of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, lawyers from the People's Law Office, religious and community leaders and relatives of the wrongfully imprisoned rallied in front of [Illinois Attorney General Lisa] Madigan's office", calling for prosecution against guilty parties and reparations for victims.

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Additional coverage — Progress Illinois: Burge Torture Victims Still Behind Bars | Gapers Block: Burge Victims Remain in Legal Limbo

Additional Resources: Police Torture in Chicago: The Chicago Reader's John Conroy Archive | Human Rights at Home: The Chicago Police Torture Archive | Summary of Amnesty International's Concerns on Police Abuse in Chicago

From Bradblog http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6189
BLOGGED BY Steve Heller ON 7/17/2008 4:04PM
Ohio Attorney Files to Lift Stay on '04 Election Case, Cites Allegations, Evidence of Massive Fraud by a Number of GOP Operatives
Leading Data Security Expert Joins Press Conference, Case, Notes Fraudulent Patterns That Should Have Triggered Investigation

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Besides the more famous connection, Chicago has forged another connection to the 2008 presidential election — hosting the 2008 National Convention of the Green Party of the United States, where former Georgia representative Cynthia McKinney won the 2008 Green Party presidential nomination.

McKinney chose New-York-based activist and journalist Rosa Clemente for vice-president; Clemente accepted the nomination. The McKinney / Clemente ticket has become the first all-female-of-color ticket in US history.

Additional Coverage: Chicago Defender: Cynthia McKinney runs for president | The Ministry of Truth: Interview with Cynthia McKinney | Democracy Now!

Fifteen I-69 opponents were arrested Monday morning blocking the entrance to Gohmann Asphalt, and need your support and solidarity. Many of them are being held on trumped up felony charges, and some of the female-bodied arrestees have been put in exceedingly unsafe situations.

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Breaking News ... Danielle Chynoweth, City Council Member from Ward 2 and Mayor Pro Tem, who has served for the past 7 years, is stepping down from Council. Here is a copy of the letter sent from Ms. Chynoweth to the Mayor and Council Members today:

Dear Mayor Prussing and Urbana City Council Members,

Please accept this letter announcing my resignation from Urbana City Council.

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Come and join folks in protesting distribution of the sexist O-Face magazine this Friday at 6pm.

Think Lyndon Collins is a total rape promoting jerk-face? Yeah, lots of other people do too! Let's sink this ship!

1576 N. High St. (click for the google map!)

Bring a sign and get ready to hoot and hollar!

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Earth First! activists demand cancellation of proposed coal-fired power plant in Meigs County, Ohio

Columbus, OH -- At 11:30am Monday morning, about 100 Earth First! activists occupied the headquarters of American Municipal Power, an electric utility that provides statewide service to member communities.

As part of an ongoing series of direct actions, activists confronted CEO Marc Gerken and demanded that AMP-Ohio cancel its plans for construction of a new and widely opposed coal-fired power plant in southeast Ohio.

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Read the report back article at http://cbusimc.org/node/13900/

**aLL ARRESTEES have been bailed or bonded out, and are awating pre-trial! Help offset bail costs by donating!**

Money will be collected care of the Earth First! Journal at www.earthfirstjournal.org/

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U.S. Forest Service officers pointed weapons at children and fired
rubber bullets and pepper spray balls at Rainbow Family members while
making arrests Thursday evening, according to witnesses.

"They were so violent, like dogs," Robert Parker told reporter Deborah
Stevens of the libertarian-oriented, Round Rock, Texas-based We the
People Radio Network [www.wtprn.com] after the incident.

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Issue two of the independent newsletter of the I-69 campaign is now out for your downloading, printing and distributing pleasure.
You can find both the first and the second issue on the website of Roadblock Earth First! http://stopi69.wordpress.com/resources or on the media archive section of the I-69 Media Office's website http://i69mediaoffice.wordpress.com/media-archive

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Shout out to Anti-Authoritarian People of Color for a caucus or two at the Earth First! Summer Rendevous!

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Opponents to I-69 shut down business at a Gohmann Asphalt site for three and half hours on Wednesday, disrupting the normal flow of operations, clogging construction traffic, and costing Gohmann several hours worth of lost profits.

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I have been attending the meetings of the newly formed Civilian Police Review Board in Urbana
and a few folks have asked about its composition, members, etc.

A CPRB currently only exists in Urbana - NOT in Champaign, which has dropped the idea all together.

The Urbana CPRB just had its third meeting and is now overseeing any complaints contested.

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On Tuesday, June 24, 2008, a hearing was held for a small claims suit Patrick Thompson has filed against Urbana attorney Harvey Welch to recuperate approximately $3,000 in legal fees. Thompson is arguing the case pro se and Welch is being represented by Urbana attorney David Rumley. A hearing was set for July 30, 2 p.m. in courtroom D for additional evidence to be presented.

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