Remember those pesky defenders of civil liberties who slashed the tires of Republican get out the vote vans in Wisconsin? It seems the defense is that it was the out of state workers, not the accused workers, who were responsible, and the defense has hinted that this was a national strategy. Here is some new info from WisPolitics.com:The Milwaukee men charged are Sowande A. Omokunde, son of Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, Michael Pratt, son of former acting Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt, Justin Howell, Lewis Caldwell, and Lavelle Mohammad. Both Moore and the senior Pratt were in the courtroom for parts of the trial on Friday.
Defense attorneys for the five Milwaukeeans continued to challenge testimony of a national campaigner on Friday, pointing out her differing accounts of the day's events.
Alicia Smith of Virginia, testified Thursday and Friday that she saw the five men charged return to local Democratic Party headquarters just after the time the slashing is believed to have occurred. Smith said she heard the men say, "We got 'em." Smith said she took that to mean the men had performed the vandalism which ended up with 100 tires being slashed as part of something they called "Operation Elephant Takeover." She also said they were sporting muddy clothes and shoes upon their return.
Defense attorney Robin Shellow challenged Smith's credibility, pointing to several differences between her recent testimony and statements she gave to the FBI for its report filed in December 2004. Smith acknowledged she omitted some details during the FBI investigation in order to protect herself and her political career.
Witnesses have been offered by the prosecution all week in an effort to prove that the five Milwaukee campaigners vandalized the vans; most of the witnesses were out-of-state Democrats who came to Milwaukee to increase turnout for Democratic candidate John Kerry.
The national operatives have indicated their belief that the five local men slashed the tires, but in a unique inter-party squabble, the defense attorneys for the local men have countered that the national get-out-the-vote workers were responsible.
Among the other witnesses called Friday was Milwaukee Police Department Lt. Troy Jankowski. He talked to a security officer who had been guarding the vans overnight at the Republican headquarters on West Capitol Drive. The guard said he saw a car nearby that evening that was later linked to a national worker.
The prosecution also attempted to show that several of the defendants tried to contact each other by cell phone just after the incident. But the group of defense attorneys on hand said the cell phone records presented as evidence do not prove that it was the defendants who were using the phone at the time, or for what purpose.
Notice Moore and Pratt have not stepped up to agree with their chldren that it was the national out of state workers....Guess the Dems WILL eat their own children rather than defend them if it means keeping status in the party. Here is more from Renew America on the verdict: a hung jury--and probation:
Speaking of jokes, let's get back to the verdict in the Milwaukee tire slashings case. The jury deliberated Thursday without a decision, because no one wants to go back to work just for a Friday. On Friday afternoon (surprahse, surprahse) the jurors came back with a decision: Hung. Not the defendants — just the jury. The prosecutors tripped all over themselves to offer a plea deal that allows the slashers to enjoy probation and high-fives all the way to the bank. Mama Moore says, "Praise the Lord."
The fact that the D.A. is a Democrat and the slashers had slashed Republican tires had nothing to do with it; Justice and/or Equality is color blind, you know. Besides, the attorney for one of the defendants said that operatives of the Democratic National Committee were the actual slashers. SO LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT!
Blatantly ridiculous! So, because it was Republicans, who cares if the DNC had a policy or an initiative to slash tires, is that it? Give me a break. This reeks of political corruption, both by the DA and by the judge. Whose party really is more corrupt? I haven't seen any republican tire slashers, have you?
More reaction:
from Outside the Beltway:
In an unexpected twist in the Election Day tire slashing trial, four former Kerry-Edwards campaign staffers, including the sons of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) and former Acting Mayor Marvin Pratt, have agreed to plead no contest to misdemeanors. The plea agreements came in the middle of jury deliberations after an eight-day trial on felony property damage charges that carried potential 3 1/2 year prison terms upon conviction.
Michael Pratt, 33, Sowande Omokunde, 26, Lewis G. Caldwell, 29, and Lavelle Mohammad, 36, have all pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property. Omokunde is Moore's son.
Prosecutors will recommend probation sentences as part of the deal, and that the four together pay $5,317 in restitution for the damaged tires. The surprise resolution was offered by prosecutors at 2 p.m., nearly 7 hours into deliberations and an hour after a jury note complained of an impasse.
So, allegations of national DNC workers slashing tires to hinder efforts to get out the vote, to suppress Republican votes, if you will; and no outcry from the press? How bout that liberal bias, eh?
