Free the NJ4 -- March 2 Protest at noon -- 1 Hogan Place, NYC
Tue, 02/24/2009 - 19:49 — vikki
Please spread the word and mobilize folks you know in NYC!!!
Free the NJ 4
Free the NJ4 -- March 2 Protest at noon -- 1 Hogan Place Manhattan
Demand that the Manhattan district attorney stop persecuting the New Jersey 4.
Also, if you haven't already, please send in your letter to the DA's
office to demand that the Prosecution of Renata Hill and Patreese
Johnson of the NJ4 end. you can find the letter at
http://freenj4.wordpress.com/organize/
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On August 16, 2006, seven young African American lesbians were in New York's West Village and were accosted by Dwayne Buckle, who eventually grabbed one of them, and a fight ensued. The seven women were arrested and charged with crimes such as "gang assault." Three of them took plea agreements.
The other four lesbians Terrain Dandridge, Renata Hill, Patreese
Johnson, and Venice Brown were put on trial in 2007. In the trial and the surrounding media they were dehumanized, villified, and called a "lesbian wolf-pack." The prosecution and trial were so biased that the appeals court completely overturned all of Terrain's convictions, and dismissed the indictment with
prejudice, although by that time she had served almost two years in jail/prison.
The appeals court also overturned the more serious charges against Renata and Venice, and they both got out on bail after serving more than two years.
Patreese's sentence was reduced, but not overturned. The district attorney is demanding that Renata be returned to prison, or face another trial.
It is time to demand that the NY county district attorney, Robert Morgenthau, stop persecuting Renata, Patreese and Venice. They fought back to defend each other. Had they not fought back successfully, one or more of them might have been killed or raped. Are rape, death, or prison the only three options open to lesbians who are attacked on the street?
Protest Monday March 2
noon - 1 p.m.
1 Hogan Place
Manhattan, NY
For more info e-mail: freenj4@yahoo.com
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link to Venice and Patreese's appeal decisions:
http://freenj4.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/venice-and-patreese-appeal-decis...