Black Legal Issues

Basketball great Abdul-Jabbar has cancer

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:35:04 GMT

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest college and professional basketball players of all time, says he has been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer.

"I have chronic myeloid leukemia," Abdul-Jabbar told CNN. He said he received the diagnosis last December.

The 62-year-old former center for the Los Angeles Lakers said aside from having to see his doctor and checking his blood levels on a regular basis, having chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) hasn't significantly affected his quality of life.

Abdul-Jabbar said he's going public now to educate people about this disease.

"I think it's possible for someone in my position to help save lives," he said.

Abdul-Jabbar is best known as the 7-foot-2 center who led the UCLA Bruins to three NCAA championships in the 1960s, then went on to win one NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 and five more with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 1989.

He also has dabbled in acting, notably as an airline pilot in the 1980 comedy "Airplane!"

However, raising awareness about cancer has been part of his portfolio for some time now, too.

He said cancer has been prominent in his life.

"My grandfather died from colorectal cancer, my uncle died from colorectal cancer and my father almost died from colorectal cancer," Abdul-Jabbar said.

He added that he has the gene for colorectal cancer. This led him to get involved in a colorectal cancer awareness campaign in the African-American community. He's also participated in an NBA-sponsored prostate cancer awareness campaign.

But now he's a cancer patient himself. He said he first realized something was wrong when he began having hot flashes and sweats, something he admits wasn't normal, "even for someone my age."

After seeing his physician, blood work showed he had a "white blood cell count that was sky-high." The National Cancer Institute describes CML as a "slowly progressing disease in which too many white blood cells are made in the bone marrow."

Abdul-Jabbar said when he received the diagnosis of early stage CML, he wanted to know what was possible in terms of treatment.

He said his specialist told him the cancer diagnosis did not have to be a death sentence, as long as he followed a proper treatment regimen.

Abdul-Jabbar wouldn't reveal what his prognosis is, but he did say he is managing his disease and that having CML "doesn't impact my life too significantly."

In the process of researching CML, Abdul-Jabbar says he was shocked to learn that some cancer patients do not regularly take their cancer medication. This led him to approach the pharmaceutical company Novartis about launching an educational campaign.

Abdul-Jabbar said Novartis is paying him for his travel and time, but the idea for the campaign was his.

"The message is simple: You have to have the expert advice of a specialist. You have to take your medicine and get your blood analyzed," he said.

In an effort to provide more information about this type of cancer, he is launching a Facebook page -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Patient Advocate -- supported by the pharmaceutical company, which manufactures drugs to treat this and other types of cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the average person's chance of getting CML is less than 1 in 500. The cancer society says CML is slightly more common in men than women, and it accounts for 10 percent to 15 percent of all leukemias or blood cancers.

The ACS estimates just over 5,000 people will be diagnosed with CML this year, and that 470 will die from it. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society estimates the five-year survival rate for CML of 44.4 percent.

More information on CML can be found at www.cancer.org and www.leukemia-lymphoma.org.

Niece of Cleveland mayor lived with murder suspect Sowell

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:38:20 GMT

The niece of the mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, once lived with murder suspect Anthony Sowell, a registered sex offender charged with murder after the remains of 11 victims were found at his home, a spokeswoman for the mayor said Monday.

Lori Frazier, niece of Mayor Frank Jackson, had a relationship with Sowell that ended two years ago, said Andrea Taylor, a spokeswoman for Jackson's office. Taylor said it is unclear whether the relationship was romantic.

"I just want to know why, why he would do this," Frazier told WOIO on Friday. "He took care of me, good care of me. I never would have thought there were some bodies in the house."

"I lived with him from 2005 to 2007 and he didn't kill me, but he killed all these girls," she said.

Sowell, 50, is facing five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping in connection with the deaths. All the victims were African-American women. All that remains of one of them is a skull, wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the basement.

Sowell served 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted rape in 1989. He was released in 2005.

So far, nine of the 11 victims found at Sowell's home have been identified. The latest two were identified Monday by the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office, police said. They are Janice Webb, 49, and Kim Yvette Smith, who was 43 when last seen. Both women were from Cleveland.

Webb was last seen on June 3 and was reported missing on August 2, police said. Smith was last seen January 1, but was not reported missing until November 2.

A grand jury on Monday returned an indictment against Sowell in connection with an alleged assault and rape of a 36-year-old woman September 22, Cuyahoga County prosecutors said in a news release. The investigation into that incident was what led police, armed with a search warrant, to Sowell's home, where they discovered the bodies late last month.

The alleged victim encountered Sowell while walking in the neighborhood, and he took her back to his home, where he became violent and raped her, prosecutors said. "While raping her, he strangled her with a cord until she lost consciousness," the statement said. "When she regained consciousness, he led her out of the house."

Sowell faces a charge of attempted murder in the incident, along with two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of felonious assault, authorities said.

Sowell will be arraigned on the new charges Friday, authorities said.

The charges are first-degree felonies except for the assault charges, which are second-degree felonies, prosecutors said. If convicted, he would face a sentence of up to life in prison.

The investigation into the homicides continues, prosecutor Bill Mason said in the news release.

"Upon completion of the investigation, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office working with the Cleveland Police Department will present evidence to the grand jury seeking the death penalty for these heinous murders committed by Sowell."

Residents of the area near the home said they had noted a smell in the neighborhood, but assumed it was from nearby Ray's Sausage Company.

Asked whether she had noticed a foul odor, Frazier told WOIO, "Yeah, I smelled stuff, but he always told me that -- at first he said it was his stepmother downstairs. And then I guess after she left, he told me that it was Ray's Sausage."

Frazier said Sowell brought other women to the home when she was not there.

"I love my niece very much and while she has made some decisions that have not been in her best interest, she has my full support," Jackson said in a written statement.

"As a family, we are extremely fortunate that she was not a victim in this case as she did have a prior relationship with the suspect that ended approximately two years ago. My focus continues to be on making sure the loved ones of the victims get the attention, closure and justice they deserve and it is my hope that everyone remains committed to that goal."

Hundreds of Cleveland residents gathered outside the house Sunday night to remember the victims.

"It's hard, because I want to burn it down," said Inez Fortson, whose daughter Telacia, 31 and a mother of three children, is among the dead.

Sowell has been placed on a suicide watch at the request of his attorney, according to Sowell's public defender, Kathleen DeMetz. A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered but it's unlikely to happen until after the case goes before a grand jury, the next expected step.

Police recovered the first bodies after they went to Sowell's home to follow up on a rape accusation.

[Sowell] took ... good care of me. I never would have thought there were some bodies in the house.

--Lori Frazier, niece of Cleveland mayor
In a separate incident, neighbors on October 20 reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor. Firefighters and paramedics responded, and later notified police. But the woman told officers that she was at the home "partying," when she fell off the roof, and no charges were filed.

Agents from the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit are assisting Cleveland police, Cleveland FBI spokesman Scott Wilson has said. The agents are preparing a profile of Sowell for police, tracing his life and habits, and his DNA will be entered into a national database to see whether it can be linked to any unsolved crimes.

"Our experts tell us it's likely he's done this before," said Frank Figliuzzi, special agent in charge of the FBI's Cleveland office. "He's probably done it elsewhere, and so we need to determine whether or not he's responsible for other unsolved murders and rapes around the country."

In addition, the FBI is investigating whether Sowell might be linked to crimes abroad, Figliuzzi said.

"We know, for example, he was a Marine, he was assigned to California, he served in Okinawa, Japan, and we'll be matching all the facts from these crimes here in Cleveland with the crimes that remain unsolved in our database, and we'll specifically be looking at those locations where he's previously lived."

Allen Sowell, the suspect's half-brother, told CNN he last saw his brother more than 20 years ago. Their stepmother, who lived in the house after Anthony Sowell got out of prison, said she knew of nothing odd going on at the time, Allen Sowell said.

The stepmother tried to get Anthony Sowell evicted from the house in 2007 because he wasn't paying rent, Allen Sowell said. Anthony Sowell said he shouldn't have to pay rent on a house that belonged to his father, who died in 2004. Anthony Sowell remained in the house when his stepmother had to be hospitalized in 2007, his half-brother said.

Allen Sowell said he was aware of his half-brother's prison record, but "just couldn't fathom" the accusations now facing him.

"I didn't think he was in that bad of a mental state," Allen Sowell said. "You never think it would happen to your family. It's a horrible feeling."

At 66, Allen Sowell is 16 years older than his half-brother, and the two didn't meet until Anthony Sowell was 9.

He added, "He deserves whatever he gets from the justice system."

Basketball great Abdul-Jabbar has cancer

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:35:33 GMT

High Court To Review Sentences of Fla. Youth

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:04:33 GMT

TALLAHASSEE | In a case that could set a national standard for the sentencing of juvenile criminals, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday in two Florida cases where the juveniles were sentenced to life without parole for nonmurder crimes.

FSU StudyFlorida leads the nation in sentencing juveniles to life without parole for non-murder crimes.

Here are some of the findings from a September report by Florida State University's Public Interest Law Center:

109 juveniles nationally are serving life without parole for nonmurder crimes, with 77 of those prisoners in Florida.

39 states have no juveniles serving life without parole for nonmurder crimes.

8 states have juveniles serving life without parole, with Florida's 77 followed by Louisiana's 17, Iowa's 6, California's four and Mississippi's two. The rest had only one juvenile lifer.

84 percent of Florida's nonhomicide juvenile lifers were African American.

24 Florida prisoners are serving life without parole for juvenile burglary convictions. No other state has done that.

3 states did not participate in the survey: Utah, Nevada and Virginia.

The nation's highest court will decide whether Florida judges violated the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment when they sentenced Terrance Graham, a 16-year-old convicted of armed burglary in Jacksonville, and Joe Sullivan, a 13-year-old convicted of rape in Pensacola, to serve the rest of their lives in prison for their crimes.

leading the nation

Florida leads the nation by a wide margin in sending juvenile criminals to prison for life for crimes like burglary, battery, car jacking and rape.

Nationally, 109 juveniles are serving life sentences without parole for nonhomicide crimes, with Florida claiming 77 of those prisoners, according to a study by Florida State University researchers. Florida is the only state to impose life without parole for juveniles convicted of burglary, battery or car jacking.

Twenty-four Florida youths - including Graham - are lifers without a chance for release based on a juvenile burglary conviction.

Eighty-four percent of the Florida juveniles serving life without parole are African American.

The FSU study, directed by Paolo Annino, head of the school's Public Interest Law Center, concluded that Florida is "unique" among the states in aggressively imposing life-without-parole sentences for juveniles who commit nonmurder crimes.

"The data presented here provide overwhelming evidence that Florida is out of step with the nation," the report said.

RELUCTANT TO CHANGE

But Florida officials, who have long taken a hard-line stance against crime, appear reluctant to change their sometimes severe sentencing practices unless ordered to by the courts.

In briefs filed on behalf of Attorney General Bill McCollum, the state's lawyers contend Florida is not unique in that at least 36 states have the ability to sentence juveniles to life without parole for nonhomicide crimes - although few do it and none to the degree of Florida.

"It cannot be said that Florida's treatment of juvenile offenders who commit violent crimes that do not happen to kill their victims exceeds constitutional norms," the state said.

Additionally, the state lawyers argued that Florida's move to make it easier to try defendants younger than 18 as adults at the same time it increased potential penalties for many crimes - including allowing life sentences for more than 50 offenses - was a legitimate response to rising crime rates in the 1990s.

"These deliberative and focused strategies worked; violent crime rates plummeted from their 1990s highs, both nationwide and in Florida," the state said, citing a 30 percent drop in juvenile crime between 1994 and 2004.

Further, the state cited previous U.S. Supreme Court rulings where the justices have upheld lengthy sentences as constitutional for adult criminals convicted of nonhomicide crimes ranging from drug possession to the theft of golf clubs - which drew a 25-year to life sentence under California's "three strikes" law.

Lawyers for the juveniles are essentially asking the court to extend its 2005 decision, when the court ruled that the death penalty for juveniles was unconstitutional, to the use of life-without-parole sentences for nonhomicide juveniles.

different standards?

With backing from groups ranging from the American Bar Association to the NAACP to Amnesty International, the juveniles' lawyers argue that younger criminals should be treated differently because of the physical and psychological differences between a juvenile and an adult.

The juveniles' lawyers said that is particularly true for the youngest criminals such as Sullivan, who was 13 when he raped a 72-year-old Pensacola woman during a robbery, along with two older accomplices, of her home.

Of the 77 Florida juveniles serving life sentences for nonhomicide crimes, only six had been convicted for crimes when they were 13 or 14 years old, according to the FSU study.

Sullivan's lawyers argue that shows how out of place the life-without-parole sentence is for the younger criminals.

"Although thousands of young adolescents have been charged with serious crimes nationwide and in Florida, Florida is the one state to impose this sentence; and even Florida has not actually imposed it on any 13-year-old child for a nonhomicide in more than 18 years," Sullivan's lawyers said in their brief.

Citing the brutality of Sullivan's crime, the state's lawyers said: "Life without parole is within the mainstream of state sentencing practices for his crime. No clear national trend indicates that states are moving away from life without parole sentences for juveniles."

Additionally, the state said although the FSU study cited 77 prisoners serving life sentences for nonhomicide juvenile crimes, the figure rises to 150 when prisoners who received life sentences for nonhomicide juvenile crimes but also had sentences related to murder are included.

"Given this data, juvenile life sentences for nonhomicides are hardly a rare event in Florida and cannot be characterized as unusual," the state said.

Tarver Confirmed as U.S. Attorney by Full Senate

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:41:33 GMT

The full U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed State Senator Ed Tarver as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

State Senator Ed Tarver has ben confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Tarver was nominated by President Obama after Edmund A. Booth Jr. retired from the post in September. He will be the first African American to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the 43-county district.

Tarver will have to resign his seat on the Georgia General Assembly. A special election will be held to fill the vacant senate seat.

Comedian Katt Williams arrested, accused of burglary

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:16:18 GMT

Comedian Katt Williams was arrested on burglary and criminal trespass charges in a west Georgia community Sunday night, according to a court official.

Williams, 38, smiled broadly while posing for a mug shot photo at the Coweta County, Georgia, jail.

His first court appearance is set for 4 p.m. ET Monday, where a magistrate will decide if Williams is eligible for bond, said Deborah Matthews, a spokeswoman with the Coweta County Magistrate Court.

Calls to his manager and publicist were not immediately returned.

Comedian Katt Williams arrested, accused of burglary

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:15:38 GMT

Dixon Pleads Not Guilty; Jury Selection Process Begins

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:41:47 GMT

Ten months after she was indicted, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has entered a courtroom -- about a block from City Hall -- as a criminal defendant.

The jury selection process in the trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon started Monday. Dixon is accused of stealing gift cards that were donated to the city for distribution to families in need.

Dixon, through attorney Arnold Weiner, pleaded not guilty Monday.

Dixon arrived at courthouse East shortly before 9:25 a.m. When asked by 11 News reporter Jennifer Franciotti if she had anything to say, Dixon didn't respond. Franciotti asked Dixon how she felt, and Dixon replied "feel good." Dixon was flanked by members of her executive detail.

Inside the building, 11 News reporter David Collins said Dixon was wearing a black suit, with a pink coat slipped over the back of her chair. She glanced at the prosecution team when it entered the courtroom. She was greeted by attorneys Weiner and Dale Kelberman, who are representing the mayor. Weiner introduced himself to the court and patted Dixon on the back while doing so, Collins said.

Mayor Sheila Dixon arrives Monday at courthouse East.

Court officials have called about 1,000 potential jurors. Those candidates are filling out written questionnaires and will be individually questioned about their knowledge of the case and their relationship with witnesses.

Officials hope that by 1 p.m. Tuesday, they will be able to start picking individuals for the jury.

The trial is on seven charges related to allegations that Dixon used the donated gift cards to buy clothing, electronics and other items for herself and her family. If convicted, Dixon could be removed from office.

State investigators seized gift cards and other items from Dixon's home last year. The items are expected to be entered as evidence.

The charges against Dixon include two counts of felony theft, one count of theft, three counts of fraudulent misappropriation by a public official, and one count of misconduct in office.

In the last few weeks, Dixon has said that she is looking forward to the trial and clearing her name.

She has continued to make public appearances, including several appearances over the weekend.
"I think I have done an extraordinary job in focusing on the business of the city, because that's what the people elected me to do."

"I think I have done an extraordinary job in focusing on the business of the city, because that's what the people elected me to do," Dixon told WBAL-TV Friday night in an interview conducted as she left her lawyer's office.

Prosecutors have filed a motion asking for permission to call the same witnesses to the stand multiple times because of the complexity of their case. Dixon's attorneys, meanwhile, want to introduce evidence of her accomplishments while in office.

On a second indictment that centers on perjury charges for Dixon's alleged failure to disclose gifts, a judge set a temporary trial date of March 1, Collins reported. However, a defense motion in that case is before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

New Orleans cop is accused of raping woman in June

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:42:34 GMT

A veteran New Orleans police officer already facing a domestic battery charge is now accused of raping a woman June 30 after arresting her at gunpoint and taking her away in his squad car to a warehouse off Tchoupitoulas Street.

Arrest warrant accuses New Orleans police office Henry Hollins of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape.Officer Henry L. Hollins, 46, drove the woman to the intersection of Tchoupitoulas and Felicity streets "where he completely disrobed and raped the victim while she remained in handcuffs," according to an application for an arrest warrant signed Friday at 3 p.m. by a magistrate commissioner.

"Officer Hollins then drove the victim to an unknown location and released her from custody," the application says.

Hollins had not been arrested as of 6 p.m. Friday. His attorney said Hollins was preparing to surrender to police Friday evening.

The arrest warrant application, prepared and signed by Howard Robertson, an investigator for the Orleans Parish district attorney's office, accuses Hollins of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape.

Attorney Frank DeSalvo, who represented Hollins before the NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau, said, "I think they made a mistake. It's an allegation by, I think, a prostitute who says he took her off and had sex with her. But there is no physical evidence.

"I'll try to get a bond for him tomorrow," DeSalvo said. "I was very surprised that they filed this warrant, unless they have discovered some more evidence."

The department's Public Integrity Bureau handles internal investigations of reported officer misconduct, and typically issues arrest warrants after reviewing complaints.

"If they thought they had a case, trust me, they would have," DeSalvo said of the Hollins case. Instead, "they referred it to the DA's office."

Hollins will be suspended without pay, said officer Johnette Williams, a Police Department spokeswoman. She added that Hollins had been on desk duty since the Public Integrity Bureau received the complaint.

Aggravated rape carries a mandatory life sentence upon conviction.

The woman in the case is not identified by name or age in the arrest warrant.

Hollins, a 12-year police veteran, was booked with domestic abuse battery Aug. 18 after punching his wife in the mouth "with a closed fist," according to an arrest report.

Hollins then pushed his wife to the floor, causing her to hit her face, the report states. He appeared in Magistrate Court the next day, posted a $10,000 bond and was released.

Hollins is due back in Magistrate Court on Nov. 16 for a hearing in the battery case. After the August arrest, Hollins had been reassigned to desk duty by NOPD.

At the time, police spokesman Bob Young said Hollins was under investigation in connection with two other complaints, at least one of which could be criminal in nature.

Katt Williams arrested on burglary charge

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:56:32 GMT

NEWNAN, Georgia - Comedian and rapper Katt Williams remained jailed in suburban Atlanta on Monday after police said they arrested the entertainer for breaking into a home.

Williams, who police say is 38, is charged with burglary and criminal trespassing, according to Coweta County Sheriff's Office Major James Yarbrough.

A deputy at the Coweta County Jail confirmed Williams was being held there and that a magistrate was expected to set bond at an arraignment Monday afternoon.

Yarbrough said the Sunday night incident happened at a home in Newnan, about 38 miles southwest of Atlanta. Yarbrough said the unidentified homeowner called police around 9 p.m. to report the comedian "gained entry by breaking into the home, and items were taken from the residence."

Yarbrough said jewelry was taken, but did not have further details.

Williams, whose real name is Micah S. Katt Williams, is known for his roles in the movies "Friday After Next" and "Norbit." His comedy DVD, "Katt Williams: Pimpadelic," was no. 8 in the nation for sales during the week of Oct. 30, according to Nielsen/VideoScan.

But lately the entertainer has gained as much attention for criminal troubles as for his quips.

He was briefly jailed last November after New York police who pull him over for driving without a license plate discovered three guns. Manhattan prosecutors dropped weapons charges in July after running into problems proving their case.

A judge sentenced Williams to three years' probation in 2006 after he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed firearm. Authorities had arrested Williams on Nov. 6 at Los Angeles International Airport after finding a gun in his briefcase.

Williams lives in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Yarbrough said police believe the entertainer was in Georgia working on a film.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.