Supervisors ask state for $2 million reimbursement for trial costs – see the resolution.

Conspiracy charge against Francisco Torres dropped – see blog for details. Previously: charges against five dropped; Jalil Muntaqim and Herman Bell plead no contest/guilty to reduced charge of conspiracy / manslaughter with no prison sentence. Francisco Torres maintains his innocence; come to court for him on October 13. See blog for details and Flickr for photos.

After 38 years, the government's case against eight former Black Panther Party members and supporters has almost completely unraveled. (See the SF 8 statement of August 6). Only Francisco Torres still faces charges – see the Open Letter calling for his charges to be dropped. The eight were arrested January 23, 2007 in California, New York, and Florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a San Francisco police officer. Similar charges were brought in 1975, but a California judge tossed out the charges, finding that they were based on statements made by three of the men after police in New Orleans tortured them for several days employing electric shock, cattle prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic bags and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation.

At the end of July, Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim were sentenced to probation and time served, after Herman agreed to plead to voluntary manslaughter and Jalil to conspiracy to voluntary manslaughter. All charges were then dropped on Richard Brown, Hank Jones, Harold Taylor, and Ray Boudreaux, with the prosecution admitting it had “insufficient evidence” against them. Charges had already been dropped against Richard O'Neal last year.

Click to read the Open Letter as published in the SF Bay Guardian

Francisco Torres, of NYC, is the last person still with charges; he maintains his innocence and will appear in court on August 10. (See profiles on Who Are the SF 8?).

Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim have been in prison in New York for almost 40 years on similar charges based on the US Government's COINTELPRO actions to disrupt and destroy radical organizations, especially the Black Panther Party. Showing the weakness of the prosecution's case, Bell and Muntaqim were given no additional prison time, and have been returned to NY where they will continue to fight for parole.

Two and a half years of mass support for the Brothers, including resolutions from the San Francisco Central Labor Council, the Berkeley City Council, and several San Francisco Supervisors, have almost broken the back of a vindictive prosecution organized by Homeland Security, the FBI, and California Attorney General Jerry Brown. The defense committee has vowed to keep up the pressure until charges are dropped against Francisco Torres and Herman and Jalil are back with their families and community.

See also "A Criminal System" in the L.A. Watts Times and reports in IndyBay Media, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the Pasadena Weekly, and photos at www.flickr.com/photos/freethesf8.

Background: Murder Charges Against Former Black Panthers Based on Confessions Extracted by Torture

Eight former Black community activists – Black Panthers and others – were arrested January 23, 2007 in California, New York, and Florida on charges related to the 1971 killing of a San Francisco police officer. Similar charges were thrown out after it was revealed that police used torture to extract confessions when some of these same men were arrested in New Orleans in 1973.

Richard Brown, Richard O'Neal, Ray Boudreaux, and Hank Jones were arrested in California. Francisco Torres was arrested in Queens, New York. Harold Taylor was arrested in Florida. Two men charged – Herman Bell and Jalil Muntaqim – have been held as political prisoners for over 30 years in New York State prisons. The men were charged with the murder of Sgt. John Young and conspiracy that encompasses numerous acts between 1968 and 1973.

Harold Taylor and John Bowman (recently deceased) as well as Ruben Scott (thought to be a government witness) were first charged in 1975. But a judge tossed out the charges, finding that Taylor and his two co-defendants made statements after police in New Orleans tortured them for several days employing electric shock, cattle prods, beatings, sensory deprivation, plastic bags and hot, wet blankets for asphyxiation. Such "evidence" is neither credible nor legal.

Support the Defendants

• Learn more. Join the e-mail list. Write the defendants. Donate. See their Joint Statement. Distribute flyers. Sign the open letter to the California Attorney General. Host a house party. Organize a video showing. Come to court. Details on these activities and more on our "What You Can Do" page.

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights
P.O. Box 90221
Pasadena, CA 91109

(415) 226-1120
E-mail: freethesf8 [at] gmail [dot] com