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After 38 years, the government’s holder against eight latest Black Panther Party members and supporters has hardly absolutely unraveled. (See the SF 8 annunciation of August 6). Only Francisco Torres delve faces charges - make enquiries the Open Letter job as a substitute for of his charges to be dropped. The eight were arrested January 23, 2007 in California, New York, and Florida on charges cognate to the 1971 blood bath of a San Francisco control office-holder.
At the discontinue of July, Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim were sentenced to probation and repeatedly served, after Herman agreed to plead to spontaneous manslaughter and Jalil to collusion to spontaneous manslaughter. Similar charges were brought in 1975, but a California berate tossed far-off the charges, decree that they were based on statements made on three of the men after control in New Orleans tortured them as a substitute for of distinct days employing mobile perturb, cows prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, fictile bags and lubricious, mist blankets as a substitute for of asphyxiation. All charges were then dropped on Richard Brown, Hank Jones, Harold Taylor, and Ray Boudreaux, with the prosecution admitting it had “insufficient evidence” against them. Charges had already been dropped against Richard O’Neal position up year. (See profiles on Who Are the SF 8?).
Francisco Torres, of NYC, is the position up themselves delve with charges; he maintains his innocence and whim fake in court on August 10.
Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim be undergoing been in correctional institution in New York as a substitute for of hardly 40 years on like charges based on the US Government’s COINTELPRO actions to reversed and loss pink organizations, extraordinarily the Black Panther Party. Showing the partiality of the prosecution’s holder, Bell and Muntaqim were dedicated no additional correctional institution repeatedly, and be undergoing been returned to NY where they whim on to duel as a substitute for of parole. The defense commission has vowed to spread out up the lean on until charges are dropped against Francisco Torres and Herman and Jalil are cultivate with their families and community.
Two and a half years of extent maintain as a substitute for of the Brothers, including resolutions from the San Francisco Central Labor Council, the Berkeley City Council, and distinct San Francisco Supervisors, be undergoing hardly discouraged the cultivate of a rancorous prosecution organized on Homeland Security, the FBI, and California Attorney General Jerry Brown.
See also “A Criminal System” in the L.A.