Supporters applaud political prisoners

Shackled and wearing orange jail jumpsuits, Ray Boudreaux, 64; Richard Brown, 65; Henry W. Jones, 70; and Richard O’Neal, 57, were brought into a San Francisco courtroom on Feb. 14 for their arraignment before Judge Little. These men are four of the eight Black Panther veterans (the San Francisco 8) who had been arrested on Jan. 23 on charges related to the 1971 killing of a San Francisco police officer. The charges had originally been tossed out in 1975 when it was revealed that police had used torture to extract confessions.

Five of the indicted Panthers are on cover of new DVD, “Legacy of Torture: The War Against the Black Liberation Movement.” From left, Hank Jones, John Bowman (deceased), Ray Boudreaux, Harold Taylor and Richard Brown. Photo: Scott Braley 2006

The 150 or so family members and supporters packed into the courtroom immediately began clapping. Tentative for the first couple of seconds, the outpouring of support and admiration quickly grew strong and loud, with some people even beginning to stand up. When ordered by the sheriff to stop the applause, it became louder and more determined; only when threatened with being held in contempt if they did not vacate the courtroom did people slowly desist and leave the room. As the outside hall began to fill up, someone started the chant “No justice! No peace!” which soon filled the hall as fists were raised. After a few minutes we were allowed to re-enter the courtroom, but were scanned with a metal detector wand for a third time.

Defense attorneys opened with objections to their clients being shackled and to the unnecessary high level of security, which included about 10 sheriff’s deputies and SWAT officers inside the courtroom, and objections to the supporters’ bags being searched. They argued against the effect that being shackled has on the defendants and on potential jurors, who would also be prejudiced by the corporate media’s portrayal of the defendants as dangerous.

Judge Little agreed with the defense attorneys that the defendants had appeared voluntarily at a 2005 grand jury hearing and had not been charged for the past several years, but said that the handcuffs would stay for now. The judge said that the security in the courtroom was due to the expected large number of supporters and that the attorneys and sheriff needed to discuss the issue, which, it was agreed, would be arranged. The judge lowered the $5 million bail of Ray Boudreaux and Henry W. Jones to the $3 million bail level of Richard Brown and Richard O’Neal, to which the defense and the attorney general both objected. The defense requested full disclosure of testimony from the grand jury trial, some of which was said to be inaccurate. The next hearing was set for March 13.

One of the attorneys, Stuart Hanlon, told the San Francisco Bay View newspaper: “The strong public support for the four men in court was a powerful reminder that these men are part of their communities and are not criminals. ... This is the beginning of a skirmish of a legal war with high stakes—the freedom of these eight former Panthers and the rewriting of the political history by the government criminalizing the Black Panther Party and African American freedom fighters of the 60s and 70s. It is a war we will win and that we have to win. And it is a war where the support of the community, in and out of court, is crucial.” (www.sfbayview.com, Feb. 14).

For more information about the San Francisco 8, including addresses where they can receive letters, go to the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights at www.cdhrsupport.org. The film “Legacy of Torture: The War against the Black Liberation Movement”—which includes interviews with Panthers who were tortured under Cointelpro—was produced by Freedom Archives. For copies, contact info@freedomarchives.org, Leftbooks.com or call 415-863-9977.