6 hours ago

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A father was accused of using a dog shock collar on his four children. Salem Police Lt. Dave Okada said the 41-year-old man was jailed Tuesday on charges of criminal mistreatment. He said the father acknowledged putting the electronic dog collar on his four children and shocking all of them at least once.

According to Okada, the father didn't do it as a punishment. Rather, he thought it was funny.

The children, all younger than 10, are in the custody of their mother.

The case has been referred to state Department of Human Services.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Timothy M. Morrison, United States Attorney
Southern District of Indiana

CONTACT: MARY BIPPUS
(317) 229-2403
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/ins/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2009

PRESS RELEASE

FORMER GARY, INDIANA POLICE CHIEF SENTENCED FOR FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION

WASHINGTON—Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King of the Civil Rights Division announced today that Thomas Houston, former Chief of the Gary, Ind., Police Department, was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of a Gary resident in June 2007.

Houston was convicted in Sept. 2008 of assaulting the victim, identified in court documents as V.A., by striking and kicking him in the stomach while he was handcuffed, resulting in contusions to his face, head, chest and abdomen.  Houston, a 42-year veteran of the department, had been chief for just seven days when he committed the assault.  He resigned from the post shortly after being indicted in March 2008.

Evidence presented during the six-day trial revealed that Houston’s home was burglarized on June 1, 2007, and that he incorrectly believed that a neighbor was responsible for the burglary.  Houston summoned on-duty officers to leave their posts and accompany him to the neighbor’s home.  V.A., who was visiting a friend in the home, was handcuffed, dragged out of the home and assaulted by Houston.  He was then jailed for four days before being released.  No evidence was found linking the victim to the burglary, which remains unsolved.

“Police officers are given tremendous authority and responsibility so that they can protect and serve the public trust,” said Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. “Those who abuse that authority face serious consequences.  The Civil Rights Division is committed to prosecuting all cases of official misconduct and to bringing these individuals to justice.”

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Betsy Biffl and Erin Aslan from the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.

Guaranteeing Equal Rights
Promote a fair and independent judiciary with
judicial nominees who have a demonstrated
commitment to fundamental rights

Consult broadly during the judicial nomination
process and ensure Congress fully exercises its role
to advise and consent

Enact a comprehensive federal ban on sex
discrimination and adopt the international
Convention on Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women

Fully fund domestic violence programs and ensure
victims have needed supports

Strengthen protections against human trafficking

National Partnership for Women & Families:

Written by Brad Schrade, The Tennessean

The identities of most of the 182 people whose backgrounds were improperly checked by an ousted state patrol officer were revealed Friday night by the Tennessee Department of Safety.

The list released to The Tennessean contained the names and counties of residence of 154 people who Lt. Ronnie Shirley ran through a state criminal justice computer database.

The release came five months after Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell fired Shirley amid mounting pressure on Gov. Phil Bredesen's administration to do something about the trooper. The department had resisted releasing the names since the scandal broke in August, citing a criminal investigation.

Shirley is the politically connected officer who helped fix a speeding ticket in 2004 for Bredesen's then-right hand aide, Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley. The patrol leadership at the time concocted a fake punishment for Shirley to throw off the press and public.

Mitchell was not available for comment Friday night, but in a letter attached to the list he said any suggestion that Shirley would get a break is wrong. It's been widely speculated within the patrol that Shirley will get his job back.

"I terminated Shirley based upon the facts provided to me from this investigation," Mitchell's letter said. "His violation of the public trust is unacceptable for a Tennessee State Trooper. As long as I am the Commissioner of Safety, I have no intention of rehiring Ronnie Shirley."

Davidson County District Attorney Torry Johnson cleared Shirley of any criminal wrongdoing earlier this week. That set up the release of the list Friday.

The list released by the department withheld 28 identities, citing federal driver's license protection laws that made the information privileged.

It was heavy with the names of women whose information Shirley checked through a state criminal justice computer database. Most of the checks appear to have been of driver's license information, which includes photos, addresses and other personal information. Many of the women appeared to be from Middle Tennessee. Names on the list included an entertainer, a THP lieutenant and his wife, and two journalists.

Bredesen press secretary Lydia Lenker did not respond before deadline Friday night to an e-mail request seeking an interview with the governor.

The Shirley scandal was the most recent to rock the highway patrol, which has been a consistent source of public embarrassment during Bredesen's time in office. His appointed patrol leadership stepped down in 2005 amid a series of scandals, including allegations of political favoritism and campaign contributions preceding promotions within the patrol, a longstanding agency practice.

Hearing set for Shirley

Bredesen vowed then to clean up the department, but a subsequent series of scandals have raised questions about whether much has changed.

Mitchell's letter said Shirley has no political pull in the department.

"Shirley was treated like any other employee who violated departmental policies," the letter said. Shirley has a final civil service appeal hearing scheduled for late March. An administrative law judge will determine whether he gets his job back.

The Tennessean decided not to publicize the list for now until it could further contact some of the individuals on the list who were victims of the unauthorized searches.

Brad Schrade can be reached at 615-259-8086 or bschrade@tennessean.com.

Lt. Ronnie Shirley

Most targets of trooper's snooping identified

Washington State Senate
Sen. Pam Roach

For immediate release
January 15, 2009 
For interviews contact:
Sen. Pam Roach (360) 786-7660

Senator Pam Roach to call for DSHS Accountability at February 5 Rally
10:00 AM PRESS CONFERENCE TO PRECEDE RALLY, CHERBERG BUILDING CONFERENCE ROOM ABC
Auburn…Sen. Pam Roach (R-rural Auburn) has announced her Families' First rally at the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia on February 5, 2009 at 12:00 noon. 
The subject will be the need for justice and accountability within DSHS Child Protective Services.
Roach believes CPS is out of control, and she is giving voice to the thousands of children and relatives hurt by the department.
Roach led the successful 11 month effort to return the granddaughter of Doug and Anne Marie Stuth to their Enumclaw home. (Please see: KING 5 [Stuth stories at King 5]
"It is time the citizens of Washington stand up against the atrocities of this department," said Roach. "We expect hundreds, if not thousands, of people will join their voices to publicly be heard by the Legislature and Governor."
Washington Families United, Grandparent' s Rights of Washington, legislators, and citizens demanding accountability will be in attendance. 
"Of the Stuths," Roach said, "we have become family after our year-long struggle. These are good people who fought and won. So many others have had their children stolen."
"Doug and AnneMarie Stuth, the Enumclaw couple recently awarded third party custody of their grandchild, will be in attendance," Roach said. 
"Their horrific story shows just how intent CPS has been to separate good families from their children," said Roach. "On the other hand, they often leave children in harm's way." 
"Just one month ago, between Christmas and New Year's, two infants returned to their respective homes, died by shaken baby syndrome," said Roach. "This is absolutely atrocious." 
"The rally is intended to give hope to the thousands of families injured by the negligence of CPS," Roach added.
"As in other cases, the Stuths have been terribly hurt by the system," said Roach. "They deserve vindication for all the untruths told in court and should be compensated for the $50,000 they spent trying to get their granddaughter back."
"It is not a coincidence that both DSHS Secretary, Robin Arnold-Williams, and CPS Director, Cheryl Stephani, announced their departure from the department just three weeks ago, and two weeks prior to a scathing report on CPS practices they knew would be released by the State Ombudsman," Roach added. "Out of the hot seat, but not out of the fire." 
"The leadership in the department has not addressed accountability within the system," Roach said. 
"I will be proposing legislation to break DSHS into smaller agencies to increase accountability and efficiency," added Roach. "Another piece of legislation includes creating a Citizens Review Committee of CPS.

For more information contact Senator Pam Roach at (360) 786-7660 or via e-mail at Roach.pam@leg. wa.gov She may be reached at her home office (253) 735-4210.
PAMROACHREPORT. BLOGSPOT. COM OUTLINES THE STUTH CASE IN DETAIL

http://familyrights. us / news / archive / 2009 / jan / pam_roach_to_ call_for_ dshs.html

[FamilyCourtReformers] Reminder for the Feb 5, 2009 Washington Rally with Senator Pam Roach - Inbox - Yahoo! Mail

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http://stopfamilyviolence.org/ocean/host.php?folder=107&page=248
Myths That Place Children At Risk During Custody Litigation
by Stephanie Dallam, Rn, Ms, Fnp and Joyanna Silberg, Phd

The Leadership Council has become increasingly concerned about the legal system's treatment of
victims of family violence during divorce and child custody
proceedings. The LC has reviewed documentation from a number of cases
in which children were placed in the sole custody of a parent that the
child alleges is physically or sexually abusing them. Many of these
children were prohibited from any contact or provided only limited
contact with the parent seeking to protect the child - despite the fact
that this parent had never been found to have harmed the child. In most
cases the child's allegations were quite credible.

Some groups have opposed exposure of this problem claiming that
the information is politically motivated or constitutes
"father-bashing." Our analysis indicates that the problem of abusers or
batterers obtaining custody is widespread and well documented by
research. Presenting this information is not an attempt to "bash"
any particular group, but is offered simply to educate professionals
about the extent of this serious problem affecting child safety.

Societal acceptance of these myths assists perpetrators of family
violence by giving them custody of their victims and by encouraging
public denial about the failure of the legal system to protect these
children. The Leadership Council prepared this analysis because we
believe that society as a whole benefits when the public has access to
accurate information regarding child abuse and other forms of
interpersonal violence.

For a copy of this article as it originally appeared in the Sexual Assault Report, click here (pdf)

to finish this interesting article

http://stopfamilyviolence.org/ocean/host.php?folder=107&page=248

Litigation
by Stephanie Dallam, Rn, Ms, Fnp and Joyanna Silberg, Phd
The Leadership Council has
become increasingly concerned about the legal system's treatment of
victims of family violence during divorce and child custody
proceedings. The LC has reviewed documentation from a number of cases
in which children were placed in the sole custody of a parent that the
child alleges is physically or sexually abusing them. Many of these
children were prohibited from any contact or provided only limited
contact with the parent seeking to protect the child - despite the fact
that this parent had never been found to have harmed the child. In most
cases the child's allegations were quite credible.

Some groups have opposed exposure of this problem claiming that
the information is politically motivated or constitutes
"father-bashing." Our analysis indicates that the problem of abusers or
batterers obtaining custody is widespread and well documented by
research. Presenting this information is not an attempt to "bash"
any particular group, but is offered simply to educate professionals
about the extent of this serious problem affecting child safety.

Societal acceptance of these myths assists perpetrators of family
violence by giving them custody of their victims and by encouraging
public denial about the failure of the legal system to protect these
children. The Leadership Council prepared this analysis because we
believe that society as a whole benefits when the public has access to
accurate information regarding child abuse and other forms of
interpersonal violence.

For a copy of this article as it originally appeared in the Sexual Assault Report, click here (pdf)

to finish this interesting article

http://stopfamilyviolence.org/ocean/host.php?folder=107&page=248

Quote

Talking about legal question of the day ~ Study it~ Understand it~
What is the difference between domestic violence and civil harassment?

Domestic violence cases are a special category of civil harassment. Civil harassment occurs when one person annoys, harasses, injures, or threatens another person. However, a civil harassment case does not have to meet the relationship test established for domestic violence. Domestic violence cases can often be more volatile than civil harassment cases. Because of the special relationship between the parties, a domestic violence case often results in greater harm caused by one person against the other. Many states have different procedures for domestic violence and civil harassment. In addition, the available remedies for a domestic violence case may differ from the remedies available in a civil harassment case.

 http://family-law.freeadvice.com/family-law/domestic_violence_harassment.htm

9:56 PM http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/in-support-of-lisa-and-bella-smith-2
This petition is in support of returning Bella Smith, to her mother, Lisa Smith. Where she legally belongs. Children can not be stolen from their homes with out trials and proof of real harm.
Bella was removed from her home without probable cause or a warrant. There were no reports of harm against the mother. Bella was taken by a Knox County Juvenile Case Manager, Stacey Turpin. Ms. Turpin said she had a warrant and did not. She removed the child out of anger. Once the child was removed, she was given to an abusive, violent father, who had been out of Bella's life, by his choice for more than a year. The father has committed several violent acts against the mother and other women, this is all documented in police records. The Juvenile Court has failed to provide the child with a safe environment. She has not had proper, continued medical attention or insurance. The father has testified in 3 Courts, under oath, that he does not give the child medicines prescribed by her Doctor. Yet, the Juvenile Court refuses to acknowledge this medical neglect. The guardian ad litem, Joseph Della-Rodolfa, never met or attempted to meet with Bella & Lisa. Yet he met with the father several times, he recommended to the court, Bella stay with him, based on absolutely nothing. GAL's are to ensure what's in the child's best interest. Not there own or what is most convenient for them. He has failed to protect Bella also, both physically and medically.
There must be due process, fair and equal treatment, and protection of Constitutional Rights, in children's cases. No one has attempted to reunite Bella with her Mother.
It sends a negative message to society and battered women, when the State chooses to prosecute women for rightfully protecting their children.
This child has been to Dr. and ER more than 42 in a year and a half, her bruises, marks, and scratches have all been documented and photographed. The child her self has stated several times, her "daddy whipped her butt, with the switch". No one has done anything to protect this child, and they have allowed the father to make continuous accusations and harass Ms. Smith's family. There has not even been an attempt to re unite Bella with her Mother.
We ask you, Judge Swann, the State of TN, the prosecutor, Leland Price, who seeks to punish Ms. Smith, to look at the facts and the law, to see the fraud that has been committed and correct it. TN has had a long, negative history in The Children's Services area, we ask that you not allow Bella to become another statistic.
Do not continue with this case, allow Ms. Smith to regain the rightful custody of Bella, and return her home, where she can be safe and loved, and most important, where she wants to be. Little girls need their Mothers.
Regards,

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/in-support-of-lisa-and-bella-smith-2
This petition is in support of returning Bella Smith, to her mother, Lisa Smith. Where she legally belongs.
Children can not be stolen from their homes with out trials and proof of real harm.
Bella was removed from her home without probable cause or a warrant. There were no reports of harm against the mother. Bella was taken by a Knox County Juvenile Case Manager, Stacey Turpin. Ms. Turpin said she had a warrant and did not. She removed the child out of anger. Once the child was removed, she was given to an abusive, violent father, who had been out of Bella's life, by his choice for more than a year. The father has committed several violent acts against the mother and other women, this is all documented in police records. The Juvenile Court has failed to provide the child with a safe environment. She has not had proper, continued medical attention or insurance. The father has testified in 3 Courts, under oath, that he does not give the child medicines prescribed by her Doctor. Yet, the Juvenile Court refuses to acknowledge this medical neglect. The guardian ad litem, Joseph Della-Rodolfa, never met or attempted to meet with Bella & Lisa. Yet he met with the father several times, he recommended to the court, Bella stay with him, based on absolutely nothing. GAL's are to ensure what's in the child's best interest. Not there own or what is most convenient for them. He has failed to protect Bella also, both physically and medically.
There must be due process, fair and equal treatment, and protection of Constitutional Rights, in children's cases. No one has attempted to reunite Bella with her Mother.
It sends a negative message to society and battered women, when the State chooses to prosecute women for rightfully protecting their children.
This child has been to Dr. and ER more than 42 in a year and a half, her bruises, marks, and scratches have all been documented and photographed. The child her self has stated several times, her "daddy whipped her butt, with the switch". No one has done anything to protect this child, and they have allowed the father to make continuous accusations and harass Ms. Smith's family.
We ask you, Judge Swann, the State of TN, the prosecutor, Leland Price, who seeks to punish Ms. Smith, to look at the facts and the law, to see the fraud that has been committed and correct it. TN has had a long, negative history in The Children's Services area, we ask that you not allow Bella to become another statistic.
Do not continue with this case, allow Ms. Smith to regain the rightful custody of Bella, and return her home, where she can be safe and loved, and most important, where she wants to be. Little girls need their Mothers.
Regards,

Thank you for clicking to help stop violence against
women! Violence is arguably the most egregious form of
inequality visited upon women and girls across the globe.
This year Amnesty International launched a two-year Stop
Violence Against Women Campaign. Amnesty will work in
local communities to help women at the grassroots level,
pressure governments to pass legal protections, and work
with the media to raise awareness about the issue.
But Amnesty needs your help to make this campaign succeed:
http://www.care2.com/go/z/noviolence
One out of every three women has been beaten, raped,
or abused in her lifetime. As women and men with the
ability to take action, we have a special opportunity -
and perhaps a responsibility - to be leaders in enacting
a new era in women's human rights. Please consider
donating today : http://www.care2.com/go/z/noviolence
Then, click to end violence against women today:
http://stopviolence.care2.com
Every click helps Amnesty International
generates 3 letters to put pressure on decision makers,
urging them to take actions to prevent rape, domestic
abuse, war and other violent crimes committed against
women and girls worldwide.

Human Rights Watch says hundreds of thousands of children, some as young as 3 years old, are receiving corporal punishment in U.S. schools.

The international organization and the American Civil Liberties Union released a report Wednesday criticizing the practice, which is legal in 21 states, says CNN.

Corporal punishment discourages learning, fails to deter future misbehavior and at times even provokes it, says report author Alice Farmer.

One case detailed by the two groups involves a 3-year-old boy enrolled in a pre-kindergarten program at a rural Texas school. The boy went home one day with bruises on his hips and stomach from a paddling he received for taking off his shoes during class and playing with an air conditioner.

U.S. Department of Education statistics indicate corporal punishment is disproportionately applied to African-American students. In 13 states African-American girls were paddled at twice the rate of their white counterparts.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Publication date: 20 August 2008   
Source: UPI-1-20080820-10113400-bc-us-discipline.xml

http://politicom.moldova.org/stiri/eng/143947/

Domestic violence cases are a special category of civil harassment. Civil harassment occurs when one person annoys, harasses, injures, or threatens another person. However, a civil harassment case does not have to meet the relationship test established for domestic violence. Domestic violence cases can often be more volatile than civil harassment cases. Because of the special relationship between the parties, a domestic violence case often results in greater harm caused by one person against the other. Many states have different procedures for domestic violence and civil harassment. In addition, the available remedies for a domestic violence case may differ from the remedies available in a civil harassment case.

 http://family-law.freeadvice.com/family-law/domestic_violence_harassment.htm

To navigate the social universe, you need to know what others think of you—although the clearest view depends on how you see yourself

by Carlin Flora

"...While many profess not to care what others think, we are, in the end, creatures who want and need to fit into a social universe. Humans are psychologically suited to interdependence. Social anxiety is really just an innate response to the threat of exclusion; feeling that we're not accepted by a group leaves us agitated and depressed.

The ability to intuit how people see us is what enables us to authentically connect to others and to reap the deep satisfaction that comes with those ties. We can never be a fly on the wall to our own personality dissections, watching as people pick us apart after meeting us. Hence we are left to rely on the accuracy of what psychologists call our "metaperceptions"—the ideas we have about others' ideas about us...

...Narcissism also blocks metaperception. Instead of wincing, as "normal" subjects do, when forced to see themselves onscreen, narcissists become even more self-biased, finds Oliver John, professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley. When he and his team videotaped people diagnosed as pathological narcissists, a group absorbed with themselves, their subjects loved watching the footage and uniformly thought they came off beautifully! The finding underscores how fiercely we defend our self-concepts, even if they reflect psychological instability..."

Dare To Be Yourself

..."The philosophical question is, do we invent this authentic self?" says Portmann. "Or do we discover it?" Socrates believed we discover it; the existentialists say we invent it.

from the MSN group of Narcissism

Actor and comedian Bernie Mac dies at age 50

By F.N. D'ALESSIO, Associated Press Writer 6 minutes ago

Bernie Mac, the actor and comedian who teamed up in the casino heist caper "Ocean's Eleven" and gained a prestigious Peabody Award for his sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show," died Saturday at age 50.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.

The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. The performance earned him a rebuke from Obama's campaign.

But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer.

"Wherever I am, I have to play," he said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."

Mac worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side. He began doing standup as a child, and his film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans comedy "Mo' Money" in 1992. In 1996, he appeared in the Spike Lee drama "Get on the Bus."

He was one of "The Original Kings of Comedy" in the 2000 documentary of that title that brought a new generation of black standup comedy stars to a wider audience.

"The majority of his core fan base will remember that when they paid their money to see Bernie Mac ... he gave them their money's worth," Steve Harvey, one of his co-stars in "Original Kings," told CNN on Saturday.

Mac went on to star in the hugely popular "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

His turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who" topped the box office. It was a comedy remake of the classic Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn drama "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" — with Mac as the black dad who's shocked that his daughter is marrying a white man.

Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."

In the late 1990s, he had a recurring role in "Moesha," the UPN network comedy starring pop star Brandy.

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006.

The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool."

The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac.

"But television handcuffs you, man," he said in a 2001 Associated Press interview. "Now everyone telling me what I CAN'T do, what I CAN say, what I SHOULD do, and asking, `Are blacks gonna be mad at you? Are whites gonna accept you?'"

He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his "The Original Kings of Comedy" co-stars, Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.

Chicago music producer Carolyn Albritton said she was Bernie Mac's first manager, having met him in 1991 at Chicago's Cotton Club where she hosted an open-mike night. He was an immediate hit, Albritton said Saturday, and he asked her to help guide his career.

"From very early on I thought he was destined for success," Albritton said. "He never lost track of where he came from, and he'd often use real life experiences, his family, his friends, in his routine. After he made it, he stayed a very humble man. His family was the most important thing in the world to him."

In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he planned to retire soon.

"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.

In his 2004 memoir, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.

"I came from a place where there wasn't a lot of joy," Mac told the AP in 2001. "I decided to try to make other people laugh when there wasn't a lot of things to laugh about."

Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up.

"Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."

___

Associated Press writers Daniel J. Yovich, Caryn Rousseau and Carla K. Johnson also contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080809/ap_on_en_mo/obit_bernie_mac&printer=1;_ylt=AifbNL5UGWJLpFm8JW7RkGOmG78C

You will be missed.

Words of forgiveness from victim of rape, robbery

18-year-old enters guilty plea to multiple charges

By Jamie Satterfield (Contact)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

J. Miles Cary

Defense attorney Steve Sams, left, talks with his client, Dameion S. Nolan, at a hearing Monday in Knox County Criminal Court. Nolan pleaded guilty to charges including especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape and aggravated robbery.

An East Knox County woman gang-raped in front of her husband faced one of her teenage attackers Monday, not as an angry victim but as a compassionate mother.

"This is the saddest thing I've ever seen," the woman told 18-year-old Dameion S. Nolan at a hearing in Knox County Criminal Court. "You are the same age as my daughter. I can't imagine losing my daughter for 25 years. … You have a baby that will not have a father. You have a mother and a grandmother whose hearts are breaking."

Nolan pleaded guilty Monday to charges including especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape and aggravated robbery in connection with a June 2007 home invasion on River Shores Drive. As part of a plea deal brokered between Assistant District Attorney General Phil Morton and defense attorney Steve Sams, Nolan racked up a 25-year prison term. Because of the level of violence involved in the case, the law requires that Nolan serve most, if not all, of that sentence before he is eligible for release. Those who are convicted of most other crimes must only serve one-third of their respective sentences under Tennessee law before they are eligible for parole.

Morton said Nolan must testify truthfully against co-defendants Shavon D. Page and Michael L. McMahan, both also 18, when the pair stand trial later this year. Morton has DNA evidence tying Page and McMahan to the rapes.

Morton described at Monday's hearing a two-hour attack on the woman and her husband that began just after 1 a.m. when the couple were asleep in their bed. The couple did not know their attackers.

According to Morton, the trio broke into the house via a basement door.

"All three defendants were armed when they entered the bedroom," Morton said.

The woman's husband was struck in the head with a gun. Both were bound with "belts and other items the defendants found in that bedroom," he said. The woman also was forced to disrobe, he said.

In an effort to stave off further attack, the husband voluntarily led the robbers to another area of the house where he kept his bank card and gave them the code necessary to use it, the prosecutor said. The robbers weren't satisfied, though. They also took from the husband a collection of state quarters valued at $2,000 and then ordered him back to the bedroom, where he was forced at gunpoint to lie on the floor and watch as his wife was forced to perform oral sex on each of the three robbers, Morton said.

The man also was forced at gunpoint to take from his wife jewelry, including her wedding ring, and hand it over to the home invaders, according to Morton.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office later was able to identify Nolan via a bank security camera where he used the victims' bank card. Nolan, in turn, led authorities to Page and McMahan, Morton said. All three were 17 at the time, but Knox County Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin transferred the trio to the adult court system.

Nolan apologized to the couple at Monday's hearing.

"I hope you accept my apology," he said.

"I'm just really, really sad to see your life's going to be snatched from you because of one night and one really, really bad decision," the woman responded.

Neither she nor her husband are being identified because of the News Sentinel's policy prohibiting the identification of rape victims without their consent.

Jamie Satterfield may be reached at 865-342-6308.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/29/words-forgiveness-victim-rape-robbery/

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The AIDS epidemic among African-Americans in some parts of the United States is as severe as in parts of Africa, according to a report out Tuesday.

"AIDS in America today is a black disease," says Phill Wilson, founder of the Black AIDS institute.

"Left Behind - Black America: A Neglected Priority in the Global AIDS" is intended to raise awareness and remind the public that the "AIDS epidemic is not over in America, especially not in Black America," says the report, published by the Black AIDS Institute, an HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on African-Americans.

"AIDS in America today is a black disease," says Phill Wilson, founder and CEO of the institute and himself HIV-positive for 20 years. "2006 CDC data tell us that about half of the just over 1 million Americans living with HIV or AIDS are black."

Although black people represent only about one in eight Americans, one in every two people living with HIV in the United States is black, the report notes.

The report uses just-released data from UNAIDS and existing CDC and Census data to highlight grim statistics:

• AIDS remains the leading cause of death among black women between ages 25 and 34. It's the second-leading cause of death in black men 35-44.

• In Washington, more than 80 percent of HIV cases are among black people, that's one in 20 residents. iReport: AIDS in Washington's older population

"Five percent of the entire population (in DC) is infected... that's comparable to countries like Uganda or South Africa," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN for the recent "Black in America" documentary.

According to this report, if black Americans made up their own country, it would rank above Ethiopia (420,000 to 1,300,000) and below Ivory Coast (750,000) in HIV population. Both Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast are among the 15 nations receiving funds from the President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief. The United States has given about $15 billion to PEPFAR nations in the past five years. Tell us: What's your experience being black in America?

The Black AIDS Institute says it's not criticizing the federal government for helping poorer countries cope with the AIDS epidemic. Rather, it's saying the "AIDS epidemic [in the U.S.] is not getting the kind attention that it merits." Watch more on the new report on AIDS and African-Americans »

"We understand the needs of black folk in Johannesburg (South Africa)," Wilson says. "Why can't we understand the needs of them in Jackson, Mississippi? We understand the needs in Nigeria or Botswana, why not understand the needs of Los Angeles or Oakland?" Watch: AIDS in the black community »

Wilson says more needs to be done to prevent the spread of HIV in this country. The report states that the U.S. government "increased spending on HIV prevention, treatment and support programs for low-income countries dramatically, at the same time that domestic remained all but flat." Dr. Sanjay Gupta on genes, African-Americans and HIV risk »

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, domestic prevention efforts make up the smallest part of the HIV/AIDs budget, the 2009 budget request includes $892 million for domestic HIV prevention efforts, the same as in 2008. iReport.com: Spelman women discuss HIV and AIDS

In this report, Wilson and others urge the federal government and private foundations to significantly increase funding for HIV prevention and treatment programs. The report also calls on international agencies to hold the U.S. government accountable for failure to address HIV/AIDS epidemic in its own country (despite lauding it for its PEPFAR efforts). It also urges black communities in the United States to fight the stigma and overcome prejudice associated with being infected with HIV.

Health Library

• MayoClinic.com: HIV-AIDS

"Peggy" found out 10 years ago that she was HIV positive. The fact that she's asked us to not use her real name is an example of the stigma that's still attached to having the virus that causes AIDS, especially in the African-American community.

"I don't really talk to many other people about it, 'cause I guess maybe, they don't want to talk," says the 27-year-old Lake Charles, Louisiana, woman. Others like her, she says, are still too ashamed to admit they have HIV. AC 360 Blog: The cavalry is not coming to save us

Marvelyn Brown, 24, of Washington, is more open about her status. She learned she had HIV when she was only 19, after one time of unprotected sex while in a monogamous relationship.

Brown has told her story in a book, "The Naked Truth, " and to CNN in last week's special report, "Black in America." She regularly addresses community groups, trying to help educate blacks about the risk of of HIV and AIDS. Watch: Marvelyn Brown's story »

The report was funded by the Ford Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Explainer: AIDS: A black disease »

Report: Black U.S. AIDS rates rival some African nations - CNN.com