POWIP Piece of Work In Progress – Former Abode of Dan Collins

DoJ Cites Lack of Evidence in New Black Party Case

Intimidate and verbally harass people at a polling place, and this is what happens, if you're a member of a racist organization:

Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on Friday there was "insufficient evidence" to bring a civil complaint against members of the New Black Panther Party who disrupted a Philadelphia polling place in the 2008 general elections.

Mr. Perez, the only Justice Department official to testify publicly before the commission about the case, said that without sufficient proof that party members or the organization's leader, Malik Zulu Shabazz, directed or controlled unlawful activities at the poll or made speeches to incite or produce lawless action, the complaint "would have likely failed" in court.

"Based on the totality of the evidence and the relevant legal precedent, the acting assistant attorney general made a judgment about how to proceed, choosing to seek an injunction against the only defendant who brought a weapon to the Philadelphia polling place on Election Day and to voluntarily dismiss the other three defendants," he said.

Well, let's see. You've got video and sworn testimony from a variety of witnesses regarding the intimidation and racist threats. So, saying there's a lack of evidence sets the bar pretty high, don't you think?

The internal documentation has been subpoenaed but not provided, because, I suppose, it touches on matters of domestic security and Presidential privilege. And that default judgment? Why insist on people respecting the law by answering summonses?

A written statement by the party conceded that one member -- Minister King Samir Shabazz -- should not have brought a nightstick to a Philadelphia polling place, but described it as "an honest error."

"What these Republican witch hunters repeatedly fail to mention is that the individual member involved in the nightstick incident was, in fact, legally penalized," said the statement from Minister Hashim Nzinga, chief of staff to party leader Mr. Zulu Shabazz.

Mr. Samir Shabazz, head of the Philadelphia chapter, and Jerry Jackson, a Philadelphia party member, were videotaped outside a polling place wearing black military-style uniforms, which included combat boots and black berets. Mr. Samir Shabazz also brandished a nightstick.

It was honest terror, and the one punishment doled out was . . . stay away from polling places. Oh, the crucifixion!

None of the defendants answered the charges or made any court appearances, and the Justice Department won the case by default. But the department ultimately chose to drop the allegations against Mr. Jackson, Mr. Zulu Shabazz and the party as a whole. The department did obtain an injunction against Mr. Samir Shabazz prohibiting him from brandishing a weapon outside a polling place until 2012.

As far as I know, I'm not allowed to brandish my nightstick anywhere in public.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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