Freed from death row
Aaron Patterson faces new frame-up
By Louis Paulsen
Chicago
On Aug. 5, Chicago police and federal agents
arrested Aaron Patterson--one of Chicago's best-known activists
who was released from Illinois death row in Janu ary 2003--on
charges of selling drugs and receiving guns from an informer
known as "Fox." Two others were also charged.
"Fox" had other charges dropped and was paid $6,000 for
setting up Patterson. At his arraignment, Patterson charged
that he had known "Fox" was an agent, and had been working with
reporters and a film crew to make a documentary about police
corruption.
Patterson was one of the victims of Jon Burge, Chicago
police lieutenant and torturer who used techniques like
suffocation and electric shock to extract "confessions" from
African-American men. Patterson was convicted of murder in 1986
and sentenced to die on the basis of one such statement.
Although Burge was fired in 1993, Cook County States Attorney
Richard Devine has refused to admit responsibility for as many
as 100 torture cases.
In a news conference, Devine called Patterson's arrest a
"remarkable joint effort between federal and local
prosecutors." But Patterson is a conscious political activist
who the day after his pardon spoke to a demonstration of 2,000
against the invasion of Iraq. (See WW, Jan. 23, 2003) Since
that time he has been a tireless opponent of war, injustice and
police brutality, and has run for Congress.
Patterson was arrested the day after Burge was ordered to
testify in Patterson's lawsuit against the city for damages. Jo
Ann Patterson, Aaron's mother said: "Aaron has been trying to
correct the criminal justice system. He'd never be caught with
any drugs or guns. I just see this as a whole revenge thing.
They're trying to throw the lawsuit out the window."
Patterson is not the first to be hit with drug charges after
exposing the Chicago police. In March of 1998, Jeremiah
Mearday, who had been beaten by racist police and charged with
"resisting arrest," had his charges dropped under public
pressure. Two weeks later, he was framed on drug charges. He
was acquitted only after a three-year battle.
Two months ago, May Molina, a leader of Families of the
Wrongfully Convicted, was arrested on questionable drug
charges. She died in police custody after being denied her
prescription medicines.
For news on court appearances and other events, check
www.chicago.indymedia.org or contact Fred Hampton Jr. at (773)
426-3900.
Reprinted from the Aug. 18, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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