Oscar Grant Family Press Conference: The Trial, The Verdict & What the Mainstream Press Covered Up

Oscar Grant's Uncle, Cephus Johnson aka Uncle Bobby along with Minister Keith Muhammad.

Sat July 10 Oakland, Ca: There was a press conference held at True Vine Church Here organizers along with the Oscar Grant family returned from Los Angeles and gave a Community Report Back. They go in on the jury and the press.

Minister Keith Muhammad started off by presenting a detailed break down of what took place in the courtroom. Here are the links below..followed by a brief summary of what was talked about…

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/50228/ pt1

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/50231/ pt2

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/50226/ pt3

Minister Keith talked about the jury and the way they deliberated. He noted the instructions given to the jury and the steps they were supposed to take in determining a verdict. He explained the delays that took place  and what they met. He noted the instructions Judge Robert Perry gave to them. Folks need to hear this portion of the press conference and keep in mind many of the concerns that Minister Keith and the Grant family raise around how quickly the jury returned a verdict. On many levels, it seems the jury didn’t fully deliberate at all.

The issue of the jury’s racial make up is talked about and how the lack of African-Americans raised cause for concern and impacted the verdict. Los Angeles is almost 25% white but was 75% on the jury. The claim that there were no Black jurors available was outlandish. Minister Keith outlines what Judge Robert Perry insisted upon in terms of selecting a jury. Many people felt the prosecutor David Stein dropped the ball. As was pointed during this press conference, he was handcuffed by the specific instructions and method dictated by Judge Perry…

What’s most troubling is what was not reported by the mainstream press around both the jury deliberation and instruction. They also spoke about how harshly the family was treated when the jury was finally reached a verdict. They weren’t even allowed in the courtroom, by callous guards..

Below is the link to the podcast detailing the Jury selection and deliberation as well as how the family was treated in court. Minister Keith also lays out some key issues that were presented in court but covered up by mainstream media… What should be noted was during his presentation much of the mainstream local media was present from KPIX to ABC etc..I would encourage folks to listen to the presentation which is in 2 parts and see if any of this is reported. Ask yourself why it hasn’t been in the news.

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/50228/

The Harsh Treament of Oscar Grant’s Friends Both That Night & On the Stand

Killer cop Johannes Mehsersle

In pt2 of the Community Report back… Minister Keith lays out the under reported treatment of Oscar Grant’s friends who sat on the platform and witnessed their friend be killed in front of them. He talks about the harsh treatment they received by the police including taunts after Grant was killed. He explains how the young men some as young as 15 were handcuffed and made to sit in jail handcuffed for over 6 hours after Grant was killed and then informed that they were NOT arrested and were free to go.. This is beyond heartbreaking

Minister Keith details the testimony the boys gave in court and the video footage they took while on the platform. Key aspects to the boys testimony including how the Johannes Mehserle‘s defense attorney Michael Rains tried to mock them and assassinate their character when they took the stand. Hearing about what Oscar Grant’s friends endured is beyond troubling.

Also included are details around the judge’s treatment. The boys when seeing the video broke down in court and the jury was instructed to leave.. They did not want their tears to impact the jury. With Mehserle the jury was allowed to stay when he cried. Minister Keith also explains how Mehserle was coached on how to cry..

Included in this portion is a lot of other key elements the mainstream press witnessed and was presented yet decided not to include in any of their reports. The most glaring was the behavior of Mehserle’s partners and them using racial epithets..

They also lay out the role, the money spent and conflicting testimony delivered by the expensive expert witnesses that Mehserle brought forth. He spent 65k on one witnesses who attempted to tell everyone the dozens of videos showing Grant’s shooting were unreliable and inconclusive.

He spent 50k on another expert witness a former cop named Greg Meyer who tried to tell us that Mehserle meant to use his taser. What the mainstream press ommited was showing how Mehserle ion several occasion brandish his taser that night in attempts to taunt and intimidate Grant and his friends who were never charged with anything or legally arrested. Grant took a picture of Mehserle holding the taser two minutes before was killed.

Lying cops Marysol Domenici and Tony Pirone

It was also pointed out that the officers and media claimed that Grants friends were out of control and threatening, however none of the videos or police reports indicate this.

What was also glaring were the lies told by Mehserle’s partners Tony Pirone and Marysol Dominci.

Below is the podcast to part 2.. This is very detailed,,pay close attention..please pass it around.

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/50231/

Uncle Bobby Speaks to the Letter of Apology Released by Johannes Mehserle

Cephus Johnson aka Uncle Bobby is the uncle to Oscar Grant. Here he talks emphatically about the ‘apology letter’ sent by Johannes Mehserle. He says its garbage and fake. He explains that the letter was never addressed to him, Oscar’s mother WandaTatiyana (Oscar’s daughter) or Sophena (the mother to Oscar’s daughter). He also talks about how Mehserle in his defense chose to assassinate Oscar’s character while invoking the policeman’s bill of rights to keep his hidden.

He noted that the letter was garbage and was as fake as the tears he shed on the stand. He said that Mehserle needs to spend 14 years in jail an then write a letter of apology and give it to the family privately. Cephus also explains the lies Mehserle detailed in his letter including how he attempted to attend to Grants aid after shooting him. Uncle Bobby points out that the video shows Mehserle handcuffing Oscar after he shot him..

Cephus also addresses the issue of violence during protest. he talks about police dressed as undercover agitating the crowds. Its later pointed out tht the family never called for violence. Its unfair to place blame on the family. Below is the podcast of the full press release and interview we did with Cephus Johnson. The video just shows a portion of his remarks.

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/50226/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfYGQNZAeQc

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Comments

  1. Will there be a transcript of the press conference (or do you need help transcribing)?

  2. This is truly effed up & why the name of my site is what it is. This is a sham & we as a peepo really need 2 start havin alternatives 2 this shistem. We know we ain’t gonna get no break from these Rheus Monkey types & that is SHOULD BE our main FOCUS!!! Props 2 the fam & may Baby Grant live on in the tradition of Fred Hampton Jr. War!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Now understand, please – these are simply questions.

    Regarding the make up of the jury: What’s the problem with having women on the jury? I’m a woman; the police have no “in” with me. Secondly, if there had been an African-American on teh jury or even more than one, what’s the likelihood the verdict would have been different?

    • What’s the difference.. polls show consistent bias with how whites and blacks see police.. One of the reasons the case was moved to LA was bias in how races saw the police.. Its not a small difference.. Its huge..Many whites simply see the police as a group that does no wrong.. what Mehserle did was an abberartion and not a common occurrance.. This is why mehserles lawyer fought to exclude Blacks and other minorities from the jury..

  4. If you have a jury with people that most likely can not fathom police officers doing anything wrong, then it’s pretty obvious how this will turn out…

  5. If you have a jury with people that most likely can not fathom police officers doing anything wrong, then it’s pretty obvious how this will turn out…

    I understand that.

    This is why mehserles lawyer fought to exclude Blacks and other minorities from the jury..

    DaveyD: I read somewhere the make-up of the Mehserle jury included minorities (Asians & Hispanics) – a few, 3-4. This was a big-ass deal; they HAD to get a change of venue. Each side gets challenges to the jury pool, and I guarantee you thousands of dollars (maybe hundreds of thousands) was spent on jury analysis with a consultant.

    Here’s a bit at BagNewsNotes that shows the pic shot by Oscar Grant of Mehserle holding the taser. Michael at BNN leads off to a photo of Mehserle LOOKING down at his gun.

    • You need to listen to the report back , because how the jury was selected was foul.. There were 3 latinos and one asian on the jury.. with polls showing that most whites see the cops favorably compared to Blacks is abig deal when it comes to picking a jury.. and yes I saw the photo taken by Grant.. it kinda of deads mehserle’s story of pulling the wrong weapon by accident.. But of course our jury couldnt see that..

  6. The url for Bag News (Notes) didn’t get thru.

  7. Sorry, I missed your reply before! I can start trying to type it up this week.

  8. Thanks fam

Trackbacks

  1. […] Oscar Grant Family Press Conference: The Trial, The Verdict & What the Mainstream Press Covered Up (via Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner-(The Blog)) Posted on July 11, 2010 by Davey D Sat July 10 Oakland, Ca: There was a press conference held at True Vine Church Here organizers along with the Oscar Grant family returned from Los Angeles and gave a Community Report Back. They go in on the jury and the press. Minister Keith Muhammad started off by presenting … Read More […]

  2. […] 12 Jul Sat July 10 Oakland, Ca: There was a press conference held at True Vine Church Here organizers along with the Oscar Grant family returned from Los Angeles and gave a Community Report Back. They go in on the jury and the press. Minister Keith Muhammad started off by presenting … Read More […]

  3. […] <Davey D did an excellent piece on this story with audio from Min. Keith Muhhamad and Cephus John… […]

  4. […] For a more detailed analysis of the Mehserle verdict and aftermath, go to Davey D’s blog here. […]