CHICAGO DEFENDER - Thursday, May 20,1999 news

Chicago's ^Dream Team' seeks justice

(HARRIS, from page 1)
rights attorney who has added
a new dimension of expertise to
the team.
Chicago's Dream team has
successfully argued the Ryan
Harris criminal case, which
resulted in the clearing of
charges against both boys, but
attorneys for both children
have since filed civil cases ask-
ing for damages resulting from
what they say two Went worth
Area detectives, one white and
one African American, did to
the two boys.
James Cassidy and
Nathaniel Allen are named in a
14-count civil suit Pincham and
Grant have pending against
the police department.
In it, they claim detectives
used illegal arrest, false evi-
dence and perjury against their don't think he's going to do it,"
clients. Grant said, adding that the
"I don't think (State's Attor- team is seeking a special pros-
ney) Richard Devine is in the ecutor to look into possible
direct line of fire on this," police misconduct and othor
Grant said. "All we want him to crimes in the ongoing case —
do is what is right and make a and action against the two
determination. Unfortunately, I police officers in question.

Rev. Jakes leads

inarch against
police brutality
(PROTEST, from page 1)
call on you to come down and
apologize for genocide," Jakes
declared outside of City Hall.
The mother of one of the boys
was present but Daley never
came forth during the event.
Previously, Daley stated he could
not apologize because of a $100
million lawsuit pending against
the city in regard to admitted
police and prosecutors "mis-
takes'* in the case.
After addressing the mayor,
the crowd swung in an orderly
fashion around to Daley Plaza,
where many prayers were said
fnr HIB ritv. askine God for an
end to excessive force practices of
the department and practices
within interrogations that some
say produce false confessions.
Some of the groups repre-
sented during the march were
supporters who want the imme-
diate freedom of Fred Hampton
Jr., who sits in a downstate Illi-
nois penitentiary; the Black
Panther Party, the Nation of
Islam, Amnesty International,
the Campaign to End the Death
Penalty and the mother of Death
Row inmate Aaron Patterson.
Also present was Ralph King,
a man who says he wants an end
to the permanent lockdown ol
Marion penitentiary.