Aretha Plummer, mother of Devin Plummer, stands next to Sandra Hines of the DCAPB outside the 23rd District Court in Taylor, Michigan. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe).
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Media Advisory
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Contact: Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality
Telepone: (313) 963-8116; 399-7345
E-Mail: [email protected], [email protected]
The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality Calls for the Dropping of False Murder Charges Against Devin Plummer and Franklin Smith of Taylor, Michigan
On Monday, August 13, representatives of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality (DCAPB) traveled to Taylor, Michigan to attend a preliminary hearing for Devin Plummer and Franklin Smith at the 23rd District Court.
These young men have been charged in the murder of a white person in Taylor two weeks ago.
The mother of Devin Plummer, Aretha Plummer, was interviewed on Sunday, August 12, on the "Fighting For Justice" radio program aired weekly over 1310 AM in Detroit. During the interview she charged that her son was beaten and tortured while in the custody of the Taylor Police.
The families of both Devin Plummer, who is charged with first-degree murder and Franklin Smith, charged with accesory to murder, maintain that these young African-American men are innocent of the charges. At the 23rd District Court yesterday, the preliminary hearing was adjourned until Friday, August 17 because of a scheduling problem involving witnesses for the prosecution.
Defense lawyer for Franklin Smith, Atty. Mark L. Brown, immediately filed a motion for bond. The motion was granted and Smith was released on $50,000 personal bond. Defense lawyer for Devin Plummer, Atty. Ray Anthony Paige, said that he would file a motion to dismiss the charges against his client.
"Identification of my client is weak. He is being falsely incarcerated," said Paige. The Defense lawyer said also that "Friday's hearing will be the beginning of bringing Devin home."
In addition, Atty. Paige stated that Devin Plummer was beaten by police in Taylor and had a tooth missing. The Court today ordered that Plummer be given medical attention.
Just last evening, Monday, August 13, the mother of Devin Pllummer, Aretha Plummer, was contacted and told to be in Court on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. Members of the DCAPB will also attend this hearing.
Monday's scheduled preliminary hearing which was postponed, was marked by demonstrations outside the Courthouse on Goddard Road in Taylor. Both family, friends as well as community members participated in the demonstration demanding justice for both Plummer and Smith. After the demonstration, called by the Plummer-Smith Defense Committee, community members and family packed the court room.
The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality joins with the Plummer-Smith Defense Committee in its demand for justice. This case has come to our attention as an incident involving police misconduct and torture.
The Taylor Police Department has had a history of misconduct which resulted in federal scrutiny. We want these young African-American men, who have no previous criminal history, to be granted justice through the dropping of these false charges and the release of Devin Plummer.
1 comment:
this "innocent black man" KILLED a woman! it doesn't matter if she was white or black,he was identified by numerous witnesses and had been causing trouble in the apartments before-apartments that he isn't even a resident of!
what was he doing there? checking on his homies? how did he so quickly learn of the shooting and get there while there was still a melee?then he charges police brutality??
laughable!!
black people quit rushing to defend these hoodlums that are dragging your race down.
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