We are living in the time when judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, and all-white juries lie. A person can publish an article in the People's Tribune quoting the Biblical admonition from Deuteronomy that God will punish those who act unjustly against others. Trial udge Alfred Butzbaugh declared that this amounted to a personal threat against him and his family. Rev. Pinkney was found guilty of violating his probation and jailed. In early 2008, another judge, Dennis Wiley (a known racist who practices racial prejudice openly) sentenced me to 3 to 10 years in prison. Judge Dennis Wiley doubled the recommendation of the probation department and the prosecutor for quoting the Bible in the People's Tribune newspaper. Only in America.
All across Michigan and the country, thousands of people and many institutions rallied to my defense, including community, labor, religious, and other activists, attorneys, the People's Tribune, other newspapers, and other media. As a result of the fight a Michigan appellate court order eventually overturned the lower court decision. I had spent nearly a year in prison for quoting Deuteronomy 29, starting with verse 15.
On No. 3, 2014, I was convicted by an all-white jury that was motivated by something other than the truth. They based their verdict on unrevealed, deeply held prejudices. This verdict was not based on a desire to achieve a just, fair, or moral outcome.
I was convicted with absolutely no evidence, no eyewitness, no confession, no crime scene. The forensic handwriting examiner from the Michigan State Police indicated that he could not determine who made the changes to the petitions; the person who signed the petitions could have even made the changes. I did not have exclusive possession of the petitions. We believe the Berrien County criminal enterprise is behind this set up.
In the Berrien County courthouse, this was a modern-day lynching by a modern-day lynch mob.
In 1960 they wore white robes and masks to symbolize their color and to sometimes act like ghosts. Today they wear suits, ties and black robes to symbolize their color. We must not forget our friendly American police officers whose job is to serve and protect and who have murdered at least two people every single day of the year.
Evidence does not lie! But judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, and all-white juries do! We must stand together, Black, poor white, Xicano, and all others. Judge Stelring Schrock, Prosecutor Mike Sepic, Sheriff Bailey, County Clerk Sharon Tyler, Election Clerk Carolyn Toliver, and Race Manager James Hightower, God will punish you!
-Rev. Pinkney
