Outrageous Verdict! Videographer Jailed

Revolution Books received the statement below from "Friends and Supporters" of Gregory Koger:

OUTRAGEOUS VERDICT!

VIDEOGRAPHER FOUND GUILTY, JAILED!

Thursday, August 26.

After 9 months of vengeful and unrelenting pursuit of a conviction by the Cook County (Illinois) State's Attorney and the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago (EHSC), videographer Gregory Koger was found guilty today of trespass, resisting arrest, and battery for the "crime" of videotaping a brief but newsworthy statement by Sunsara Taylor at the EHSC. Gregory was maced and brutalized during the arrest, and this was acknowledged by police at trial, yet he was the one charged and now found guilty.

The courtroom was continually packed with supporters of Gregory who were stunned and outraged by the verdict. Then the judge furthered this shameful persecution by upholding the prosecutor's demand that bond be revoked immediately. Gregory was taken directly from the courtroom to the Cook County Jail until sentencing on September 8. He could be sentenced to up to 3 years in jail.

Gregory's lawyer, Scott Frankel said, "I am unbelievably disappointed with the verdict and I know we will appeal. Gregory is a fine man and does not deserve this. I was stunned by the Court's decision to revoke Gregory's bond." A motion for an order to reinstate Gregory's bond will be filed immediately.

Supporters went straight from the suburban courthouse to the jail to protest and demand "Free Gregory". This was really welcomed by people coming in and out of the jail, by people driving by, and most of all, by prisoners in the windows and in the yard as the protesters chanted, "Videotaping is not a crime, Gregory Koger should not do time, Free Gregory Koger!" and "No Justice, No Peace, No Brutalizing Police!" and "Gregory Koger: Watch His Back!"

WE DENOUNCE THIS OUTRAGEOUS VERDICT! 

WE DEMAND REINSTATEMENT OF BOND

AND HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM JAIL!

FREE GREGORY KOGER! NO JAIL TIME!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

•Send this newsflash to everyone you know. Use Twitter, Facebook, use the list serves you are on to get this out everywhere.

•Immediately send statements of support for Gregory to the defense committee (AdHoc4Reason@gmail.com).

•Donate money for the appeal. Go to the defense committee website for more information (www.dropthecharges.net).

•Show your support at the sentencing hearing on September 8. 

•More information will be coming; keep in touch with the Ad Hoc Committee at AdHoc4Reason@gmail.com.

let's get this PARTY started right! SAT AUGUST 21 8pm 1741 N Western Ave (the former Acme Arts) A high-stakes trial is approaching in Chicago, August 24. The prosecution, with the active collaboration of some "ethical humanists," wants to put a volunteer videographer in jail for videotaping a statement by Sunsara Taylor at the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago (EHSC) objecting to her being "disinvited" to speak at ESHC last Nov. 1. The videographer faces a maximum sentence of almost three years in jail on charges of criminal trespass, resisting arrest, and simple battery, for allegedly "striking" the undercover cop in the chest, as he was being dragged, beaten and maced. As is typical in cases of police brutality and unjust arrest, the false charges are piled on as "cover charges." ("High-Stakes Trial Approaching"). Come to this kick ass end of the summer party...and find out more about this important case. Join us for great music, delicious food (cash bar) and an array of video clips. Bring some friends and meet others for a night of fun. Your support is critical to defeating these truly outrageous charges. After being beaten and maced by Skokie police inside the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago, the videographer is hustled out of the building in handcuffs. $10 suggested donation--but if you can't afford that you are still invited to come and show support. Sponsored by Revolution Books Co-sponsors--call Revolution Books to add your name Visit the defense committee's website to learn more and see what you can do to turn this attack around. Attend the trial on Aug. 24 at 9:30 a.m. at the Cook County Courthouse, 5600 W. Old Orchard Road, Skokie Revolution Books received this statement of support that we are sharing with you. High Stakes Trial August 24 Attacked by Police, Videographer Faces 3 Years in Jail A young man, Gregory Koger, is facing 3 years in jail.  His crime?  Videotaping. Yes, videotaping a very brief but newsworthy statement by Sunsara Taylor in November 2009 at the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago (EHSC), in Skokie, IL.

The day before he was arrested Gregory had filmed a two hour workshop by Taylor in the exact same venue with no objections. The next day he accompanied Taylor when she returned to make a short statement objecting to the EHSC's abrupt cancellation of her long-scheduled speech and inviting anyone who wanted to hear the presentation to the home of an EHSC member who opened her doors when the society shut theirs.  When Gregory was told to stop filming before Sunsara made her statement, he put down the video camera as requested.  His only device to capture Sunsara's short statement was an iPhone.  He was doing nothing wrong or illegal at the time he was rushed by the police in the lecture hall right after Sunsara announced that she was leaving. Gregory was maced and brutalized during his arrest -- eyewitnesses and photos taken at the hospital document this, yet he was the one charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer which he did not do. This is a police practice so common it has a name  - "cover charges," charges that police press when they  need legal justification to "cover" their brutality toward a defendant. (See American Constitutional Society Issue Brief "Disorderly (mis)Conduct: The Problem with 'Contempt of Cop' Arrests" by Cynthia Lopez, June 2010. Available at  http://www.acslaw.org/node/16288) For over 9 months, there has been a vengeful and unrelenting pursuit of a conviction of Gregory for a situation that an impartial observer would expect to be easily resolved within a couple of weeks.  In fact, unsolicited efforts by third parties to mediate an equitable solution have been stonewalled by those bringing the charges.    ------------------------------------ Support is greatly needed to defeat these outrageous charges.  What you can do: Post this statement on list serves, e-lists, Facebook. Send to your email list. If you are in the Chicago area: Attend the trial at Cook County Courthouse, 5600 W. Old Orchard Rd,, Skokie, IL at 9:30 AM, Tuesday, August 24, 2010. Visit the defense committee website and donate to legal defense. (www.dropthecharges.net) Send a letter to the prosecutor, Anita Alvarez, Cook County Prosecutor, at stateattorney@cookcountygov.com, and send a copy to the defense committee at AdHoc4Reason@gmail.com.

The prosecution even mounted an unsuccessful effort to find the defendant in contempt of court because of a defense committee website  www.dropthecharges.net that publicizes and gathers support for him against this unjust prosecution!  Reasonable people would certainly be justified in wondering whether there are some larger forces or agenda driving the State's determination to get a conviction. Whatever the full story is, we cannot let them convict Gregory for any of these unjust and ridiculous charges.  

 

Gregory had very difficult circumstances as a youth, yet he has transformed himself into a political activist, leading a very ethical life. The irony of this has been noted by more than one humanist; the EHSC should be giving Gregory a platform to speak, not trying to throw him in jail! 

Gregory has done very constructive things, dedicating his life to ending oppression. He came alive in the struggle to protect women's reproductive rights in the wake of the murder of abortion-provider Dr. Tiller. Gregory donned an orange jumpsuit to draw attention to torture of prisoners at Guantanamo.  He marched against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq .  He went to the Southside of Chicago to speak out against police shootings of young Black men.  He has helped to provide revolutionary literature, like Revolution newspaper, to prisoners, and he has spoken to young people in Chicago classrooms as he sought to reach out to youth and others trapped in the bottom of society.  And as part of his activism, Gregory videotapes events, like he was doing that day.

Is this someone who should be thrown in jail for almost 3 years for literally holding up an iPhone??  Shame on those who seek to ruin a man's life to pursue their objectives.

We will not be silent. We will support Gregory in this case.  We will let others know about this injustice. It is really very simple: It is way past time to drop the charges. 

 

  Friends & Supporters of Gregory

let's get this PARTY started right! SAT AUGUST 21 8pm 1741 N Western Ave (the former Acme Arts) A high-stakes trial is approaching in Chicago, August 24. The prosecution, with the active collaboration of some "ethical humanists," wants to put a volunteer videographer in jail for videotaping a statement by Sunsara Taylor at the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago (EHSC) objecting to her being "disinvited" to speak at ESHC last Nov. 1. The videographer faces a maximum sentence of almost three years in jail on charges of criminal trespass, resisting arrest, and simple battery, for allegedly "striking" the undercover cop in the chest, as he was being dragged, beaten and maced. As is typical in cases of police brutality and unjust arrest, the false charges are piled on as "cover charges." ("High-Stakes Trial Approaching"). Come to this kick ass end of the summer party...and find out more about this important case. Join us for great music, delicious food (cash bar) and an array of video clips. Bring some friends and meet others for a night of fun. Your support is critical to defeating these truly outrageous charges. After being beaten and maced by Skokie police inside the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago, the videographer is hustled out of the building in handcuffs. $10 suggested donation--but if you can't afford that you are still invited to come and show support. Sponsored by Revolution Books Co-sponsors--call Revolution Books to add your name Visit the defense committee's website to learn more and see what you can do to turn this attack around. Attend the trial on Aug. 24 at 9:30 a.m. at the Cook County Courthouse, 5600 W. Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL

REVOLUTION BOOKS 1103 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622 773.489.0930 revbookschi@pobox.com Go to Chicago Revolution Books blog for upcoming events. SUMMER HOURS Wed-Sat: Noon-7pm Sun: Noon-5pm   Donate and Keep the Doors Open at Revolution Books If You Haven't Donated, the Time is Now! Click below to make a contribution via PayPal.   Join the Friends of Revolution Books today.

The Bud Billiken Day Parade takes place on Saturday, August 14 on the southside of Chicago. It's the largest parade in the Black community in the US, attracting hundreds of thousands of people from Chicago and the surrounding areas including thousands of young people. It's a tremendous opportunity to put the national campaign statement The Revolution We Need... The Leadership We Have A Message, And A Call, From The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, into people's hands, to build this movement for revolution now, to make Bob Avakian a household word, and to bring forward cores of people who are ardent fighters for this revolution.

Your can be a part of the Revolution Books contingent marching in the parade, help get out of copies of the message & call in many different kinds of ways, help decorate the Revolution Books table & tent or spend a few hours there, or help fundraise.

Everyone's creativity and imagination needs to be in the mix. We'll be working on this all this week. Call Revolution Books and get hooked up -bring your ideas and thoughts on how we can have the biggest possible impact.

This Is NOT The Best of All Possible Worlds...
And We Do NOT Have to Live This Way

Look for our tent near the entrance of Washington Park (at 51st on the east side of  S. King Drive), starting at 7 AM and going throughout the day. Teams will be fanning out with the statement The Revolution We Need... The Leadership We Have A Message, And A Call, From The Revolutionary Communist Party, USA. You can meet at Revolution Books at 7:30 AM Saturday to get a ride to the parade, or join us on the spot in the park at our tent at 51st & King Drive . Call Revolution Books (773.489.0930) to volunteer and for further information.

Book Recommendations The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr From Ike to Mao and Beyond: My Journey from Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communist The Girl Who Played with Fire

Fundraising Web-A-Thon Sunday 8/8

WATCH ... DONATE ... MOBILIZE your FRIENDS Sunday, August 8 3:00-9:00 pm CST Fundraising Web-a-thon to "Put Revolution On The Map" #2 Hosted by Annie Day, Will Reese & Sunsara Taylor Back by popular demand and real necessity, on Sunday, August 8, the campaign around "The Revolution We Need... The Leadership We Have" will hold a second fundraising web-a-thon, from 3:00-9:00pm CST. Every week the headlines scream out at us that we need a radically different world. On Thursday, Arizona began enforcing an unjust, immoral, and unconstitutional law that threatens the lives of immigrants. Last Monday, 90,000 secret military documents that paint a devastating picture of the brutal invasion and occupation of Afghanistan were leaked from inside the U.S. military. The cop who shot Oscar Grant in the back as he was detained, lying face down on a subway platform, killing him, was convicted only of "involuntary manslaughter" showing the reality behind the "post-racial society." This is not the best of all possible worlds and we do not have to live this way! We are building a movement for revolution, now, and you should be a part of this. So, start organizing your friends to watch together on Sunday August 8. Spread this email to your lists, make a donation and challenge your friends to match it and join the movement for revolution. On June 20, several hundred people watched the first web-a-thon. 160 people donated and we surpassed met the goal. $10,048 has been raised. This was a success and showed the potential of "giving people the means to become part of this revolutionary movement, and organizing into this movement everyone who wants to make a contribution to it, who wants to work and fight, to struggle and sacrifice, not to keep this nightmare of a world going as it is but to bring a better world into being."[From Message and Call] This time, with your help spreading the word and challenging others to donate we want to triple the number of people who watch online, and double the number of donors. Our goal is to raise $12,000 towards special projects to popularize Bob Avakian's leadership, including: online advertising of The Revolution Talk; New York City "Revolution in the Park" outdoor film series; initial promotion and publication of BAsics, a pocket sized book of about 100 Bob Avakian quotations to be published later this year; and more. So, hold the date, make your plans, and tune in on Sunday August 8! We will send instructions for tuning in later this week. Schedule 3:00-4:00: Introduction; We Are Building a Movement for Revolution 4:00-5:00: Make Bob Avakian a Household Name: Hear the Revolution Talk & More on BAsics 5:00-6:00: A Capitalist Oil Spill: A System Not Fit to Be Caretaker of the Planet, and the Revolution We Need! featuring Raymond Lotta 6:00-7:00: Prisoners Connect with the Revolution: Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund 7:00-8:00: Arizona Freedom Summer featuring Travis Morales & Why Do People Come here? by Bob Avakian 8:00-9:00: The Revolution We Need; The Leadership We Have One way proceeds from the June 20 web-a-thon spread revolution: Detroit: A billboard high over inbound I-75, and also right in sight of thousands of commuters leaving Detroit on a major street announced the Revolution Talk by Bob Avakian. As thousands of participants in the US Social Forum poured into the city, they got the Message & Call; they had a chance to hear deep and varied presentations from Revolution newspaper correspondents, learn that the revolution is real, and join Carl Dix and others standing with the people in the wake of the police execution of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Watch the WEB-A-THON at Revolution Books on the big screen. Weekend of August 7-8 We are sending this message at the request of the Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund (PRLF). There will be major fundraising efforts for Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund the weekend of August 7-8. These include a PRLF phone-a-thon on August 7 and a segment for PRLF in a web-a-thon for the Campaign "The Revolution We Need: The Leadership We Have" on August 8. The PRLF portion will feature powerful readings of letters from prisoners, some you can see now on youtube at prlfvideos. The goal is to raise $3,500, funds that are urgently needed to renew existing Revolution newspaper subscriptions to prisoners and to fulfill hundreds of requests for subs on a waiting list. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

REVOLUTION BOOKS 1103 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622 773.489.0930 revbookschi@pobox.com Go to Chicago Revolution Books blog for upcoming events. SPRING HOURS Wed-Sat: Noon-7pm Sun: Noon-5pm Donate and Keep the Doors Open at Revolution Books If You Haven't Donated, the Time is Now! Click below to make a contribution via PayPal. Join the Friends of Revolution Books today.

WATCH ... DONATE ... MOBILIZE your FRIENDS Sunday, August 8 3:00-9:00 pm CST Fundraising Web-a-thon to "Put Revolution On The Map" #2 Hosted by Annie Day, Will Reese & Sunsara Taylor Back by popular demand and real necessity, on Sunday, August 8, the campaign around "The Revolution We Need... The Leadership We Have" will hold a second fundraising web-a-thon, from 3:00-9:00pm CST. Every week the headlines scream out at us that we need a radically different world. On Thursday, Arizona began enforcing an unjust, immoral, and unconstitutional law that threatens the lives of immigrants. Last Monday, 90,000 secret military documents that paint a devastating picture of the brutal invasion and occupation of Afghanistan were leaked from inside the U.S. military. The cop who shot Oscar Grant in the back as he was detained, lying face down on a subway platform, killing him, was convicted only of "involuntary manslaughter" showing the reality behind the "post-racial society." This is not the best of all possible worlds and we do not have to live this way! We are building a movement for revolution, now, and you should be a part of this. So, start organizing your friends to watch together on Sunday August 8. Spread this email to your lists, make a donation and challenge your friends to match it and join the movement for revolution. On June 20, several hundred people watched the first web-a-thon. 160 people donated and we surpassed met the goal. $10,048 has been raised. This was a success and showed the potential of "giving people the means to become part of this revolutionary movement, and organizing into this movement everyone who wants to make a contribution to it, who wants to work and fight, to struggle and sacrifice, not to keep this nightmare of a world going as it is but to bring a better world into being."[From Message and Call] This time, with your help spreading the word and challenging others to donate we want to triple the number of people who watch online, and double the number of donors. Our goal is to raise $12,000 towards special projects to popularize Bob Avakian's leadership, including: online advertising of The Revolution Talk; New York City "Revolution in the Park" outdoor film series; initial promotion and publication of BAsics, a pocket sized book of about 100 Bob Avakian quotations to be published later this year; and more. So, hold the date, make your plans, and tune in on Sunday August 8! We will send instructions for tuning in later this week. Schedule 3:00-4:00: Introduction; We Are Building a Movement for Revolution 4:00-5:00: Make Bob Avakian a Household Name: Hear the Revolution Talk & More on BAsics 5:00-6:00: A Capitalist Oil Spill: A System Not Fit to Be Caretaker of the Planet, and the Revolution We Need! featuring Raymond Lotta 6:00-7:00: Prisoners Connect with the Revolution: Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund 7:00-8:00: Arizona Freedom Summer featuring Travis Morales & Why Do People Come here? by Bob Avakian 8:00-9:00: The Revolution We Need; The Leadership We Have One way proceeds from the June 20 web-a-thon spread revolution: Detroit: A billboard high over inbound I-75, and also right in sight of thousands of commuters leaving Detroit on a major street announced the Revolution Talk by Bob Avakian. As thousands of participants in the US Social Forum poured into the city, they got the Message & Call; they had a chance to hear deep and varied presentations from Revolution newspaper correspondents, learn that the revolution is real, and join Carl Dix and others standing with the people in the wake of the police execution of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Watch the WEB-A-THON at Revolution Books on the big screen. Weekend of August 7-8 We are sending this message at the request of the Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund (PRLF). There will be major fundraising efforts for Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund the weekend of August 7-8. These include a PRLF phone-a-thon on August 7 and a segment for PRLF in a web-a-thon for the Campaign "The Revolution We Need: The Leadership We Have" on August 8. The PRLF portion will feature powerful readings of letters from prisoners, some you can see now on youtube at prlfvideos. The goal is to raise $3,500, funds that are urgently needed to renew existing Revolution newspaper subscriptions to prisoners and to fulfill hundreds of requests for subs on a waiting list. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

REVOLUTION BOOKS 1103 N. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 60622 773.489.0930 revbookschi@pobox.com Go to Chicago Revolution Books blog for upcoming events. SPRING HOURS Wed-Sat: Noon-7pm Sun: Noon-5pm Donate and Keep the Doors Open at Revolution Books If You Haven't Donated, the Time is Now! Click below to make a contribution via PayPal. Join the Friends of Revolution Books today.