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CJ Rice exonerated after more than ten years in prison

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C.J. Rice interview with CNN

Just over a decade ago, a Philadelphia man was found guilty of against the law despite the fact that his own doctor testified that he was physically unable to perform the shooting as a result of a severe pelvic injury.

According to The New York Times, CJ Rice was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison for the Philadelphia shooting that injured 4 people. However, Rice’s charges have now been dropped in reference to the crime for which he was convicted in 2013 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

CJ Rice interviewed CNN's Jake Tapper
CJ Rice spoke to CNN about what it’s prefer to finally be released from prison. (Image: CNN screenshot)

His overturning of his conviction and the state’s subsequent decision to not retry him on the fees represent the culmination of a long-running legal battle and reveal how ineffective legal representation can corrupt the administration of justice. The case gained national attention after CNN correspondent Jake Tapper was notified about it by his father, Dr. Theodore S. Tapper.

Dr. Tapper, who was Rice’s pediatrician in 2011, testified that Rice, then 17, was physically unable to perform the 2011 shooting as a result of a previous shooting incident that left him with a shattered pelvis, severely limiting his mobility. How reported via CNN.

His journey toward justice began in 2016, when Rice sought Dr. Tapper’s help in obtaining medical records related to his previous shooting that weren’t produced at trial. These files provided key evidence proving Rice’s innocence by demonstrating his physical incapacity to commit the crime of which he was accused.

“Personally, I’m glad this is wrong and corrected,” Rice told CNN in an exclusive interview after being released from prison after his conviction was overturned. “You can’t call it a mistake. Because the Pennsylvania judicial system has had to correct this particular situation at least five times and has chosen not to act in the interest of justice.”

According to the district attorney, a shooting occurred in September 2011 on the family home in Point Breeze, which injured 4 people: a young man, his mother, his sister and his cousin. Witnesses claim that the shooting involved two or three hooded gunmen who fled the scene on foot.

Rice had known the victims for years. He was named a suspect shortly after the incident based on an anonymous tip received by police, after which considered one of the victims named him because the shooter. At the time of the shooting, Rice was having trouble moving as he recovered from injuries he suffered in one other shooting several weeks earlier.

Rice told CNN: “Either the Court did not hear the case because the public trust gave it the opportunity to do so, or the Pennsylvania courts heard the case and chose to allow the clear injustice to continue as long as no one else knew what was happening. For this reason, the Pennsylvania court system is condemnable and untrustworthy. However, my attention goes out to every prosecutor, state, prosecutor, Commonwealth that keeps an innocent person behind bars, let them free!”

Rice’s reversal of fortune comes consequently of wrongful convictions, which proceed to be a major problem in the United States, especially amongst black men. As of 2023, the National Registry of Exonerations recorded over 3,000 cases of wrongful convictions per yr in the United States report by the US Department of Justice.

Or fairly, separate report conducted by researchers on the University of Michigan Law School and others found that black Americans are disproportionately affected by wrongful convictions.

According to the report “Race and Wrongful Convictions in the United States 2022,” which analyzed the cases of three,200 innocent defendants acquitted in the U.S. since 1989, the report revealed that African Americans are seven times more likely than white Americans to be falsely convicted of great crimes. Blacks account for 53 percent of acquittals.

As for Rice, he eventually got a brand new attorney, who then filed a habeas corpus lawsuit in December 2022, arguing that Rice’s previous defense attorney had incompetently stipulated that he would present evidence falsely implicating Rice in the shooting, ABC News in Philadelphia reported. This later led to Judge James Eisenhower granting a motion to overturn his conviction. This week, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office told the court that each one charges against Rice had been dropped.

After an intensive investigation, the sentencing review board really useful that the case be thrown out, citing insufficient evidence to persuade the jury of Rice’s guilt beyond an affordable doubt.

“What probably led to his conviction was the fact that his defense counsel was so ineffective,” a source from the district attorney’s office told CNN, confirming lapses in the case handled by earlier prosecutors. Rice expressed relief and gratitude, stating, “Personally, I’m glad this wrong has been righted.”

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Politics and Current

Kamala Harris Recognized for Her Spotlight on Race and Reparations During NABJ-WHYY Interview

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Kamala Harris, theGriio.com

In a wide-ranging interview with the National Association of Black Journalists and public radio station WHYY, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke more broadly about race than at some other time since becoming a presidential candidate and then the Democratic Party nominee.

The historic presidential figure (Harris is the primary Black woman and Indian-American to be nominated by a significant party) made her first appearance as vice chairman on the difficulty of reparations and outlined the systemic harms inflicted on Black communities by U.S. history, including African-American slavery and racial oppression.

“We need to tell the truth in a way that leads to solutions,” said Harris, who co-sponsored HR40 when she was a U.S. senator.

While members of the Congressional Black Caucus and advocates have called on President Joe Biden to take executive motion within the absence of three many years of inaction on Capitol Hill, the presidential candidate has signaled she believes it should come through Congress. She cited Congress’s ability to carry hearings and “raise awareness” in regards to the history of slavery and racial discrimination.

However, the vice chairman added: “I am not downplaying the significance of any executive action.”

Referring to her economic plan if she wins the White House in November, Harris said her ideas for creating an “opportunity economy” would aim to “explicitly address the obstacles that exist historically and currently” in areas similar to student loan debt, health care debt, biased home valuations and black maternal mortality.

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris (left) is interviewed by National Association of Black Journalists members Gerren Keith Gaynor (far right), Eugene Daniels (second from right) and Tonya Mosley (third from right) on the WHYY studios in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“I am pleased that Vice President Harris has recognized the important role truth plays in our pursuit of racial healing and transformation,” said Lee. “My legislation to establish a Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation would usher in a moment of truth-telling by educating and informing the public about the historical context of the racial inequities we witness every day.”

But Hunter said that despite Harris’ clear preference for congressional motion on the commission’s creation, such a commission through executive motion “could be a source of legislative policy.” He continued,

Political pundit and radio host Reeta Colbert admitted that Harris “hung around” during her CNN interview and presidential debate with Trump to discuss her racial identity.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Airlines forces 14-year-old girl off plane due to weight and balance issues, leaving her to fend for herself

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The mother of a teen who was banned from a plane in Canada due to a weight imbalance is outraged at how the incident has put her daughter’s safety in danger.

According to the CBC, 14-year-old Camryn Larkan boarded a Porter Airlines flight home from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia, on August 30 after visiting family and friends. Once she was seated on the plane, a flight attendant approached her and told her she had to get off the plane.

14-year-old stuck at the airport
14-year-old forced to leave plane due to “weight and balance” issues. (Source: Pexels)

“I was a little disoriented… I thought I was going to go back to my seat. I thought they were just going to take my bags.” – Camryn he said CBC. “As soon as I got off the plane and saw the doors close, that’s when I started, you know, getting really concerned.”

Porter Airlines pulled Camryn from the flight due to a “weight and balance issue.” The airline said agents asked for volunteers, but when nobody got here forward, “passengers were selected based on ticket type.”

After Camryn and several other passengers were asked to leave the plane, a Porter Airlines agent arranged for Camryn to fly to Victoria the subsequent day. Camryn immediately called her father, who got here to pick her up on the airport.

Camryn’s mother expressed her frustration, saying the airline completely mishandled her daughter’s exit from the plane.

“They put my child in immediate danger,” Catherine Larkan said. “It was complete neglect and it shouldn’t happen to any other minor.”

The airline’s policy is that unaccompanied minors are exempt from involuntary disembarkation. The company offers a $100 service plan for children traveling alone. The plan is required for children ages 8 to 11 and optional for children ages 12 to 17.

Camryn’s family didn’t know the service existed, so the airline treated the 14-year-old as an adult.

“At the time, our team was unaware that Camryn was a minor,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson said. “Camryn left the airport quickly and our team had limited ability to discuss options with her.”

Children travelling without an unaccompanied minor plan are considered “independent adults” and are subject to “adult passenger considerations such as weight, balance and unloading situations.”

“They provide a service, saying we know these people are at risk, and they say if you don’t pay for the service, you’re going to be treated like any other adult passenger traveling,” Camryn’s mother said. “It’s just absolutely absurd.”

An airline representative told People magazine that its customer support department is in touch with Camryn’s family and that Porter Airlines is working on solutions to minimize the chance of an incident like this happening again.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Here’s What You Need to Know About Threats in Springfield, Ohio, After False Accusations About Haitian Immigrants

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Haitian immigrants in Springfield Ohio, theGrio.com

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A small Ohio town has been flooded with false bomb threats since last week’s presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump falsely accused Members of Springfield’s Haitian community kidnap and eat cats and dogs.

Trump’s vice presidential candidate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has amplified debunked web rumors about Haitian migrants because the Republican ticket criticizes President Joe Biden’s administration’s immigration policies, which Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, supports. City officials acknowledge that the influx of about 15,000 Haitian migrants is causing problems, but say there is no such thing as a evidence to support the claim that they’re eating people’s pets.

More than 30 bomb threats since last week have targeted schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials, forcing evacuations and closures. Springfield also canceled its annual diversity, arts and culture celebration in response to the threats, and state police on Tuesday distributed in city schools.

Here are some things to know concerning the situation in Springfield:

Who is behind these false threats?

Foreign actors, in particular. That’s according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who said many of the threats got here from abroad. The governor’s office said a criminal investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies found the “vast majority” of the threats were international in origin. Officials didn’t provide further details on how investigators determined they got here from a foreign country, and DeWine didn’t name the country.

What’s happening?

DeWine has sent dozens of Ohio State Highway Patrol members to all 18 city schools, where checks might be conducted twice every day to prevent further disruptions and help parents and students ensure that the buildings are secure. But even with the increased police presence, many parents still didn’t let their children go to school Tuesday.

Meanwhile, security cameras have been placed at strategic locations around the town, and an explosives-sniffing dog has been deployed to Springfield and might be on duty 24 hours a day.

DeWine $2.5 million declared greater than two years to increase support for primary health care. State highway patrol also helps local law enforcement implement traffic laws. DeWine said many Haitians are inexperienced drivers who’re unfamiliar with U.S. traffic laws.

How is the town reacting?

Springfield never wanted to be the focus — not like this.

City officials said Tuesday that misinformation and lies about Haitian immigrants have sown fear and division, disrupted science and price taxpayers money. In an announcement, they implored public figures, community members and media to “move beyond divisive rhetoric and instead work to promote unity, understanding and respect.” The statement didn’t mention Trump or Vance by name.

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the influx of migrants is straining police, hospitals and schools. He also criticized the federal government, saying the town asked for help months ago. But on Tuesday he urged national leaders to “soften their words and speak the truth.”

Why did so many Haitians move to Springfield?

Work and word of mouth.

Springfield in consequence, industrial jobs were lost and the population dropped significantly late last century. But the town made a concerted effort to attract employers and Haitian immigrants who helped meet the growing demand for employees in its factories and warehouses. Word spread, and Haitians began arriving in larger numbers in the past few years.

Haitians from Springfield and elsewhere have come to the U.S. to escape violence in their home country. Many Haitians are here under a federal program called Temporary Protected Statusallowing them to live and work temporarily in the U.S. because conditions in Haiti are deemed too dangerous for them to return to the island.

What do Haitian immigrants say?

Members of the Haitian community say they were uneasy even before Trump and Vance picked up on the pet-eating lies, as former residents were angered by the brand new arrivals’ impact on jobs, housing and traffic.

“Some of them are talking about living in fear. Some of them are afraid for their lives,” Rose-Thamar Joseph said last week on the Springfield Haitian Community Outreach and Support Center.

On church service on Sunday, Mia Perez said her daughter was evacuated from school twice last week.

“Children at school are asked by other children, ‘What does dog taste like? What does cat taste like?'” Perez said. “She asks, ‘Are we Haitians who eat this stuff? Is it true? What’s going on?'”

“It’s a conversation I wasn’t ready to have with my daughter,” Perez said. “I felt disrespected by our culture.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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