Thursday, December 20, 2007

This actually happened yesterday in Berrien County Courthouse

[This is exactly why Rev. Edward Pinkney has been a daily court observer for approximately 6 years, and why he's now in jail. Oversight organizations like state gov., the ACLU, the NAACP, the Dept. of Justice, etc. know about this courthouse and do nothing. The media knows also. Organizations and media are just people. People who are busy looking the other way as lives and families are ruined.]

It happened yesterday, Wed. Dec. 19, 07. There were only 2 witnesses in court, Belinda Brown and Dorothy Pinkney, who were waiting for Rev. Pinkney's hearing which was eventually postponed until later today.

Judge Butzbaugh was on the bench as a young black woman (20's) was pleading guilty. Remember that Berrien County judges are accustomed to meting out their brand of justice without anyone watching.

After pleading guilty, the young woman asked if she could say something else. The judge said "yes." (Remember, he had witnesses.) She cried as she began to explain that the court appointed atty. told her that if she pled guilty she could go home and be with her children. But, she said she wasn't guilty, that she was the one who was assaulted.

The atty. began explaining to the judge that he had already discussed all this with her. Then, something totally unexpected happened: Judge Butzbaugh displayed anger and walked right out of the courtroom without adjourning. At this point, the 2 witnesses left the courtroom and decided his anger was motivated by their presence.

This courthouse has the highest rate of innocent convictions in Michigan - Mrs. Pinkney and Mrs. Brown only observed one example. Judges here are known to say, "I know you're innocent, and I'm putting you away." It's also common knowledge that cops are always around town stirring things up, accusing people of things, parking in places where people can be harrassed, making false arrests, and much worse.

Larry Pinkney (no relation to Edward) and David Love will appear on Make It Plain with Mark Thompson on Sirius Radio - Left Channel 146 today (December 20, 2007) at 7pm Eastern Time. They will be discussing the Rev. Pinkney case.