Cop’s racist frame-up unravels: Not guilty!

As family, friends and supporters packed the courtroom of Roxbury District Court on July 13, a jury returned its verdict of “not guilty” on all counts against Rob Traynham Jr. The jury took only 15 minutes to confirm what supporters had known all along—that Traynham had been the victim of an ugly racist frame-up and that the charges were false and groundless.

Traynham is the son of Bob Traynham, an activist leader of the International Action Center, USW 8751 and the
Boston Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee.

Rob Traynham had been the victim of the city’s high profile, military style occupation of Boston’s communities of color. Police programs such as “Operation Rol ling Thunder” have targeted Boston’s youth of color, in particular young men. On Dec. 3—just days after an historic demonstration in the spirit of Rosa Parks, and days after Boston officials unveiled their coordinated assault plans on Bos ton’s youth—Traynham was ambushed on Blue Hill Avenue by undercover and uniformed cops. He was falsely charged with “drug distribution” and “distribution near a public school,” which carry serious mandatory jail time. The cops searched him in a brutal and humiliating fashion on this public street while his father witnessed, and they rifled through his father’s car four times. No drugs, extraordinary money, or paraphernalia—nothing in the way of “evidence”—was found, yet the cops unjustly confiscated Rob’s cell phone and other personal property.

For seven stressful months, Rob, his family and supporters fought for justice in this case.

Sham court ‘justice’ system!

From the arraignment to the many court appearances in Roxbury Court, it was evident that Traynham was one of hundreds of African-American youth ensnarled in the racist police web of racial profiling and police brutality.

It was also clear to any observer in the court that the overwhelming majority of these youth then become the victims of the criminal injustice system, where the so-called legal process becomes a cruel mockery of a fair judgment by one’s peers. Even in Roxbury Court, in the center of Boston’s African-American community, jury pools are predominantly white. Court appointed “defense” attorneys spend little or no time with their clients, railroaded plea bargains are pushed down defendants’ throats, and courtroom cops conspire with prosecutors and “defense” attorneys—literally in the court’s hallways. These tactics are a routine component of what many have correctly referred to as “legal lynchings.”

Testimony of the racist cops during the trial gave a window into the tactics brought down on Boston’s African-American community of Roxbury. The state’s key witness, Detective Quinn, admitted on the stand that he had observed no drug transaction and had found no evidence. Quinn has a notorious reputation in the community for his harassment of African-American youth. The state’s entire case amounted to racist innuendo, false suppositions and appeals to the “common sense” of racism!

In this case the jury of four whites and two African Americans deliberated for only 15 minutes. Their “not guilty” verdicts sent the message that they refused to participate in a racist frame-up.

All too often this is not the case, as many juries render racist verdicts. Bob Traynham, upon hearing the jury’s verdicts, commented, “The packed courtroom of family, friends and supporters was decisive in this case. It demonstrates the power of solidarity!”

Racist injustice continues

On June 9, Rob and his brother Vance were yet again the victims of another groundless racist arrest. This current case also is a frame-up, with no evidence and no merit to the charges. The police department’s apparent targeting of these young men is the tip of an ugly iceberg of false arrests during occupation—the occupation by cops of Boston’s communities of color.

While Boston’s mayor and city officials cut summer jobs and social programs, they are spending millions on the continued funding of the police occupation. The IAC and Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee are committed to fighting against this injustice. They are mobilizing for a Summer of Struggle with a Citywide Organizers’ Summit, which will build for an August 29 rally under the slogan: “Katrina—one year later the war at home continues—stop poverty, racism, sexism and war!”

Rob and Vance Traynham’s next court appearance is July 26. For more information, visit www.iacboston.org.