#Vaughn17: Call for Court Support as 3rd Trial Set to Begin

  • April 26, 2019 2:31 am

from It’s Going Down

A call to support prison rebels as the third of the Vaughn 17 trials is set to begin. To read more about the Vaughn 17th case, go here.

April 29th is jury selection for trial round number #3 of the Vaughn17! Roman Shankara’s, will go into trial by himself facing the in-just , supremacist courts of Delaware’s by himself. We need you out there to show your support for Roman, who has been a target since day one in this corrupt and oppressive court preceding.
Come out to court starting May 6th, bring everyone, join us!
Where : 500 N King St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Everyday starting May 6th : 9 am to 4:30 pm

Vaughn 17 Defendants Moved Out Of State In Spite Of Exoneration

  • March 8, 2019 8:35 pm

from It’s Going Down

The State of Delaware retaliated against defendants in the Vaughn uprising trial last week, by moving them out of state to Pennsylvania.

Kevin Berry, Abednego Baynes, Obadiah Miller, Johnny Bramble, Dwayne Staats, and Jarreau Ayers were all transferred to solitary confinement at SCI Camp Hill, a maximum security facility. They joined Deric Forney, who was transferred weeks earlier in January. Berry, Baynes, and Forney have all been fully acquitted on all charges.

“It’s unusual to move prisoners with short terms left in their sentence out of state,” said Fariha Huriya, an organizer working closely with Vaughn 17 prisoners. “They’re being held in solitary confinement, with no showers, no access to commissary, and limited phone calls. It’s the same inhumane conditions that they faced at James T. Vaughn.”

“The State’s vindictiveness will cost them,” said Betty Rothstein, who also organizes with the prisoners. “The Vaughn 17 have resisted these charges, and will continue to resist and expose the corruption of the DOC and abuse on prisoners.”

There are nine defendants who are still awaiting trial. New trial dates for groups 3 and 4 are scheduled for May 6th, 2019, and October 21st, 2019.

Phone Zap for #Vaughn17 Comrades

  • February 25, 2019 5:00 pm

from It’s Going Down

Call-in campaign to support two #Vaughn17 comrades.

Two defendants from the latest #Vaughn17 trial, Kevin Berry and Abednego Baynes, were just acquitted on all charges and are still being held at James T. Vaughn Correctional. This is the same facility where the prison riot took place on February 1st, 2017, and conditions have not changed! Prisoners have reached out and asked for people on the outside to call the warden and demand that Kevin and Abednego get transferred to a lesser security facility.

Call:

Warden Dana Metzger

(302) 653-9261

Here is a suggested call script:

Hello, my name is _____ and I’m calling to demand that Kevin Berry and Abednego Baynes get transferred immediately to another facility. Both defendants were just acquitted on all charges related to the February 1st prison riot, they should not continue to be held at the same facility.

Vaughn 17 Trial 2 Verdict

  • February 19, 2019 12:12 am

from Support the Vaughn 17

None convicted!

Obadiah Miller

Riot – no decision
Felony murder – no decision
Murder of law enforcement officer –no decision
First-degree Assault, Officer Joshua Wilkinson – not guilty
First-degree Assault, Officer Winslow Smith – not guilty
Kidnapping Lt. Steven Floyd – not guilty
Kidnapping – Wilkinson – not guilty
Kidnapping – Smith – not guilty
Kidnapping – Patricia May – not guilty
Conspiracy – not guilty

John Bramble

Riot – no decision
Murder felony – not guilty
Murder law enforcement officer – not guilty
First-degree assault, Officer Joshua Wilkinson – not guilty
First-degree assault on Officer Winslow Smith – no decision
First-degree kidnapping, Lt. Steven Floyd – not guilty
Kidnapping, Officer Joshua Wilkinson – not guilty
Kidnapping Officer Winslow Smith – not guilty
Kidnapping – Patricia May – not guilty
Conspiracy – not guilty

Abednego Baynes

Riot – not guilty
Murder – not guilty
Murder of law enforcement officer – not guilty
Assault, two counts – not guilty
Kidnapping all counts – not guilty
Conspiracy – not guilty

Kevin Berry

Riot – not guilty
Murder 1st degree felony – not guilty
Murder in 1st degree law enforcement officer – not guilty
Assault – not guilty
Kidnapping –not guilty
Conspiracy – not guilty

Vaughn 17 Defendant Speaks!: Jarreau Ayers Gives Breakdown on State’s Attempt to Railroad Defendants

  • February 13, 2019 6:37 pm

from It’s Going Down

One of the Vaughn 17 speaks about the State’s attempt to hide evidence and railroad prisoners throughout the current trial. Produced by the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM).

Jarreau Ayers of the #Vaughn17 gives a breakdown about how the state is trying to bury evidence and railroad the defendants in this trial. The defendants resisted horrendous prison conditions and now they are standing strong together to fight back against the onslaught of the state. They fight back not just for themselves, but all future victims of the judicial system.

[Video Here]

“The majority of the victims of this mischievious court are overwhlemingly minority and lower class citizens when based off ethnicity and economic standards. The subterfuge of vicious, unrelenting racist and classist attacks at times are so subtle that they have the ability to be overlooked and unconsciously accepted by its victims and its future victims.”

Help Needed for Joe-Joe Bowen

  • January 22, 2019 1:31 am

from It’s Going Down

Call from New York Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) to support a long-running political prisoner.

New York Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) has received a letter from our comrade and political prisoner Joseph “Joe-Joe” Bowen, aka The Old Man. Last year, after four decades of continuous detention in solitary confinement, Joe-Joe was released into general population. Recently, after a verbal argument with a corrections officer (CO) over the content of a book Joe-Joe is writing, he was transferred to another prison and has been held in solitary confinement since. Joe-Joe needs our help.

Call or email DOC Secretary John Wetzel: 717.728.2577
Ra-crpadocsecretary@pa.gov
ra-contactdoc@pa.gov

Demand that Wetzel not put Joseph Bowen AM4272 on the restricted release list or on permanent lock-down status. Please let us know what response you receive. NYC ABC can be reached by email at nycabc at riseup dot net, or on twitter, instagram, or facebook at @NYCABC

Since his transfer, Joe-Joe has had no access to the very basics to get by in solitary confinement during a winter in Pennsylvania: thermal underwear tops or bottoms, shower sandals, t-shirts, a towel, or washcloths.

Please donate at paypal.me/nycabc or send well-concealed cash, a check, or money order (made payable to NYC ABC) to:

NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

Please note that the funds you are donating are for Joe-Joe.

Support The Vaughn 17!

  • January 7, 2019 5:34 pm

from Go Fund Me

Support defendants in the Vaughn uprising trial as they face immense repression!

______________________________________________________________________________

After a series of peaceful protests yielded few results, incarcerated
comrades took over a building at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in
Delaware on February 1st, 2017. Citing the election of Donald Trump and
worsening prison conditions as reasons for the uprising, prisoners took
control of their unit for over 18 hours until the state used a backhoe
to demolish a prison wall. One of the correctional officers, Steven
Floyd, was found dead following the uprising.

The state of Delaware has since accused 17 prisoners of outrageous
offenses, including three counts of murder for each of 16 of those
inmates. Desperate to assign blame instead of acknowledging the
notoriously abusive conditions at Vaughn that led to the uprising, the
state has been doing whatever it can to put these people away for life,
despite having no hard evidence against any of them. Its case relies
entirely on contradictory witness testimony from prisoners who stand to
gain from testifying.

In spite of this, one prisoner has already been found guilty of all but
one murder charge, and another of kidnapping and assault. Since then,
one of the 17 defendants was tragically found dead in his cell; another
potential witness had died under mysterious circumstances the week
before.

The trial for the next four defendants will begin in mid-January, and
the defendants, their loved ones, and their other supporters expect a
long and difficult road ahead. We are raising money to distribute directly
among the 16 remaining defendants’ commissaries, as well as to put towards
purchasing clothes and legal supplies, so that those of them still facing trial
can be as prepared as possible.

Thank you!!!

Jan 7th: Letter-writing to Eric King and Kevin “Rashid” Johnson

  • January 1, 2019 12:55 pm

from Philly ABC

The new year has arrived! As we kick off 2019, let’s not forget about the struggles of our incarcerated comrades– those who did not get to celebrate, but instead faced increased scrutiny from the state and continue to be retaliated against for their political beliefs. Such retaliation often comes in the form of transfers to other prisons, providing correctional officials an opportunity to say ‘oops, we lost your property,’ in addition to an already torturous process of readjustment. In some cases, a transfer is just part of a three-pronged attack. This is where a prisoner has first been brutally beaten by guards, then gets transferred to special prison that will facilitate the next stages of retaliation, long-term isolation and restricted communication.

On Monday January 7th, 6:30pm at A-Space, join us in sending some extra love and support to Kevin “Rashid” Johnson and Eric King, whom are currently facing the hell described above. We’re going to let them know ‘We got your back!’

Kevin “Rashid” Johnson is a politicized prisoner, co-founder of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party-Prison Chapter (NABPP-PC), and prolific artist. In his own words, “Because I struggle to give a voice and human face to and to publicize abuses suffered by my imprisoned peers, help them challenge their mistreatment and work to educate them on their human rights and true role within Amerika’s overall exploitative, oppressive and racist political-economic system, officials have always aimed to isolate me from them.” On top of 18 years of solitary confinement, Rashid has also been subjected to several retaliatory transfers since 2012, each time meticulously documenting prison abuses so that outside supporters can better hold prison officials accountable for their actions against prisoners. On November 3, 2018 he was transferred yet again to Indiana where he now is. Let’s send him some love and show Pendelton CI how much outside support he has.

Eric King is a vegan anarchist who was arrested and charged with an attempted firebombing of a government official’s office in Kansas City, MO. Eric allegedly threw a hammer through a window of the building and then threw two lit bottles inside, though both failed to ignite. He was identified as a suspect by local police because he had previously come under suspicion for anti-government and anti-police graffiti, and is allegedly involved with the Kansas City Fight Back insurrectionist collective. Eric accepted a non-cooperating plea agreement to a federal felony charge that carries a sentence of 10 years in prison. He has since been attacked for his politics, taken from his family, and sent to Leavenworth. He has been in total isolation for months now without any disciplinary charges filed. The BOP wasn’t successful at trying to build a new case against him so they are enacting revenge trying to send him to a Special Management Unit (SMU) one of the most horrible programs in the BOP. Eric and his family can use all the love and support we can offer right now.

Please note: If you are writing from home, neither Rashid or Eric can receive letters on colored paper or in colored envelopes. We will also be sending birthday greetings to prisoners with birthdays in January: Fran Thompson (the 4th), Jeremy Hammond (the 8th), Abdul Azeez (the 9th), Sundiata Acoli (the 14th), Joe-Joe Bowen (the 15th), and Marius Mason (the 26th).

Call for Court Support for Second Trial of Vaughn 17

  • December 20, 2018 10:43 am

from It’s Going Down

Call for Court Support as jury selection begins on Jan. 7, 2019 for second trial of Vaughn 17.

Calling for abolitionists and activists to show up in the courtroom as the second trial of the Vaughn 17 gears up. Jury selection is slated to start on January 7th, 2019. This trial group includes Kevin Berry, Abednego Baynes, Obadiah Miller and John Bramble. The trial will take place at New Castle County Courthouse, 500 N. King St., Wilmington, DE.

Background

On February 1, 2017, inmates incarcerated at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center took control of C-building in a prison uprising, and for a moment were liberated from the carceral state. In the course of the uprising, they released a set of modest demands to improve their living conditions. One prison guard was killed. The state responded with intense repression. The Vaughn 17 were subsequently indicted on blanket charges of riot, conspiracy to riot, kidnapping, assault on an officer, and murder. The state’s case against those charged has no basis in reality and relies heavily on the testimony of a prison snitch. Check out Live from the Trenches: The Vaughn 17 Speak for in-depth background.

The first trial concluded in early November. Of the three on trial, Jarreau Ayers and Dwayne Staats went pro se, or represented themselves. The biggest victory came when Deric Forney was found not guilty of all charges. Ayers was acquitted of the 3 counts of murder but found guilty of the other charges, and Staats was convicted on all but one count of murder. Shortly after the trial, one of the inmates, Kelly Gibbs, was found dead in his cell. Attention on this case is crucial to check the Delaware D.O.C. on the rampant violence committed against inmates.

Dwayne Staats and Jarreau Ayers both wrote about the importance of court support in the fight for liberation:

“‘Actions’ speak louder than words and I heard you loud and clear. Y’all definitely was a source of strength that was heavily relied upon… So your collective spirits are harmoniously in accord with the synergism that enables us to purify our conscious and strengthen our beings with every inhale.” -Dwayne Staats

https://www.instagram.com/p/BriPf-SBrOP/

“Every day the energy y’all provided through your support and letting your presence be known is as much a part of what took place in that courtroom as me and my comrade Staats were!!! The fight behind these walls is often lonely and thankless even by other oppressed prisoners whose minds haven’t yet opened up to their reality!!… The fact that y’all stood in solidarity with us speaks to the truth comrade George Jackson spoke to when he explained the need for (us) those of us behind the wall and those of y’all on the outside to stand in unity! I’m a firm believer in the saying that steel sharpens steel and that the origin of that steel is forged and molded through/in fire! I force that mind frame on my comrades every day and I want y’all to know that we acknowledge that y’all stood in that fire with us! That steel that was forged in those moments helped keep us sharp at every turn!… I ask that y’all stay strong with each other on hard times and continue to force integrity on each other, on us, and most importantly on this system!” -Jarreau Ayers

Vaughn 17 Need our Support!

Court support is meaningful in and out of the courtroom as we show strength in solidarity against state oppression! Organize a crew to hold a banner outside the courthouse. Bring food or hot drinks with information about the case to share on the street outside. Share updates on facebook, instagram, twitter, or other social media. Write letters to those on trial. Inside the courtroom, demonstrate positive energy and strength for the defendants. Connect with friends and families of the defendants and offer support. Let them know they are not alone in the struggle! Raise a fist in solidarity!

To write to the Vaughn 17, check out the addresses listed here.

ANTI BLUELIVESMATTER ARRESTEE FUND

  • November 1, 2018 2:50 pm

from Go Fund Me

A few months back, a group of people were arrested for allegedly protesting a “blue lives matter” demonstration in Philadelphia.

The same night as the arrests, the alleged protesters were told their charges had been dropped and were released.

In October, one of them was re-arrested, for no reason other than to receive charges for the same prior incident.

At the protest, the police were physically abusive and used their fists on people they were arresting. People were injured and traumatized and are now being vindictively harassed, hunted down and re-arrested because of the nature of the protest.

Other people who were detained or alleged to be involved with that demonstration may also find themselves facing retroactive arrests or charges.

Please chip in what you can and share with your networks to help the person who was re-arrested make their bail back, which was $1200.

Again, other people who were alleged to be involved with that demonstration may find themselves facing retroactive arrests soon, so we will need to raise funds for them as well.

Thank you so much for your support!

[Donate Here]

A comrade got picked up today by the cops and needs our support NOW.

  • October 19, 2018 4:41 pm

from Facebook

A comrade got picked up today by the cops and needs our support NOW. If you can, please donate to their bail fund on venmo @ liberationproject

Help Our Memaw!

  • October 16, 2018 4:50 pm

from GoFundMe

HELP OUR MEMAW!!

Margot is a dear comrade and community organizer residing in West Philly, after moving here from Louisiana a couple months ago.
This summer the PPD beat her up a couple times while she was lending her talent and efforts to the #EndPARS movement.
As a result of this, she was fired from her job.
Luckily, she’s been hired again, but now we need help!!

Margot’s car needs ~$700 worth of repair.
She needs this car to go back and forth from her new job, which is her sole source of income right now.
Everything from this fundraiser will go directly to Margot and help her survive and thrive during her first winter in Philly.

[Donate Here]

Vaughn 17 Court Support

  • October 8, 2018 4:12 pm

from Twitter
Banner supporting Vaughn Uprising prisoners seen over Christopher Columbus Blvd during morning commute in Philadelphia, PA. Participants in Feb 2017 uprising at Vaughn Correctional Center in Delaware face trials this month thru next yr. Jury selection for 1st trial starts today


On February 1, 2017, prisoners revolted & took over Building C at the maximum security prison in Smyrna, Delaware. 4 prison employees were taken hostage & one died after a police raid retook the facility. Prisoners’ demands included better living conditions & access to educationPrisoners involved in the Vaughn Uprising also cited Trump’s inauguration as one of the reasons for their revolt – they believed the new presidency would inevitably embolden prison officials, whose unions endorsed Trump, to intensify neglect & brutality towards incarcerated ppl

Courthouse doors just opened here in Wilmington, Delaware where jury selection for the first trial is scheduled to begin today. Four of the prisoners involved in the uprising – Jarreau Akers, Dwayne Staats, Ramon Shankaras and Deric Forney – make up the 1st trial group


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A Food Not Bombs chapter is providing free breakfast and tea to approximately a dozen supporters of the who have gathered outside the courthouse.




Wilmington Police have arrived and are telling Food Not Bombs they can’t serve food on the sidewalk by court without a permit. supporters told police a recent federal court ruling means Food Not Bombs is protected First Amendment speech that doesn’t need a permit



Police seem to have backed off ordering the Food Not Bombs table to leave the area by the Wilmington, DE courthouse after reportedly checking with their law department- the officer in charge just apologized to the people that minutes ago he had been ordering to leave.

We have been told that jury selection in the first trial is closed to the public, so we are unable to report from inside the courtroom today. The first batch of 4 defendants from the February 1, 2017 prison uprising in Smyrna, Delaware will begin trial on October 22.

Call for Court Support With the Vaughn 17

  • October 5, 2018 12:27 pm

from It’s Going Down

Call from the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM) and Vaughn 17 Support Philly to show solidarity with the Vaughn 17.

Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement’s RAM-NYC, RAM Philadelphia and Vaughn 17 Support Philly are organizing court support for the brave comrades inside the walls: The Vaughn 17. We are calling on prison abolitionists and revolutionary comrades to attend the trial in a strong showing of solidarity in Wilmington, Delaware.

The first group starts trial Oct. 8, 2018, and the final group starts Feb. 11, 2019. We are now calling for volunteers for the trial starting Oct. 8, for jury selection starts Oct. 8 and the trial Oct. 22. We will be holding banners outside the courthouse, attending the trial and, as the main supporters in that room, taking notes on the proceedings. Join this orientation to schedule a date to come and find out how to do court support. Come show the prison rebels they are not alone!

Get in touch with us for any questions about court support, at revolutionaryabolitionistmovement@protonmail.com.

Background

The state’s ability to criminalize Black and Brown people and railroad people into a life of torture and submission continues unabated. Yet we are living in a historic moment where many inside and outside the prison walls have committed themselves to the struggle for prison abolition and liberation.

On Feb. 1, 2017, after a series of peaceful protests yielded no results, incarcerated comrades took over a building at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Delaware to demand slight improvements in their treatment. After a 20-hour stand-off, the prison’s response was to literally bulldoze their barricades and figuratively bulldoze their demands, retaliating with constant beatings, destruction of prisoner property, and denial of food and medical care.

Furthermore, the state has accused 17 of the incarcerated with egregious offenses even though these charges have no basis in reality. The state’s response shows once again that any prisoners standing up for themselves, to regain dignity and achieve decent treatment, is a threat. And the state will collectively punish everyone and anyone to hide its barbarism. The only role of prison guards, wardens and the Department of Corrections (DOC) is the perpetuation of slavery and subjugation.

In response to the just demands of the protest, the state is trying to convict 17 people with trumped up charges. Despite the most insidious intentions of the state, the co-defendants charged are standing strong together in solidarity and are jointly and sincerely proclaiming their innocence.

We can make a huge difference supporting the Vaughn 17! The co-defendants have expressed the positive impact of the support they have been getting already. This is an opportunity to stand by them in an even more meaningful way: to look into their faces in the courtroom and show them that comrades will stand by everyone facing state repression.

We will be organizing people to attend their trial, to hold banners outside the courthouse and to take notes on the proceedings, so their lives won’t be shoved into the darkness without a fight!

Read the statements and letters of the defendants: https://itsgoingdown.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/VAUGHN-READ.pdf.

Write a letter of support to the defendants: https://itsgoingdown.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vaughn-update918.pdf.

The trial will be held at New Castle County Courthouse, 500 N. King St., Wilmington, DE 19801.

Support the Vaughn 17 in court!

  • September 23, 2018 5:27 pm

from Facebook

In 2017, a large scale uprising was launched at the Vaughn Correctional Institution in DE. 17 prisoners are being accused of orchestrating the uprising, 16 of which are facing murder charges for the death of a corrections officer during the riot.

On October 8th the first trial will begin at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington, DE. Let’s pack the court, write letters, and show support for the Vaughn 17 as they face state repression in the wake of a recent hunger strike and as they face trial.
All prisoners are now being held at the Sussex Correctional Facility, a poster with updated addresses can be found here;
https://itsgoingdown.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/vaughn-update918.pdf
Trial dates are currently scheduled as follows (but are subject to change, check back for updates);
Oct. 8/ Nov. 5/ Dec. 3/ Jan. 7/ Feb 11