In their first full day presenting their defense, attorneys representing Police Chief Chris Magnus, former Deputy Chief Lori Ritter and the city of Richmond called to the stand an African American police captain who praised Magnus’ leadership and rejected claims the chief or deputy chief are racists. “I have no reason to believe (Magnus) has any animosity against any other races,” Capt. Anthony Williams testified Monday. Williams’ detailed testimony covered the gamut of accusations made against Magnus and Ritter in…
As the jury’s deliberation dragged into a second week, the pressure mounted. Always unflappable in the courtroom, prosecuting attorney Derek Butts nevertheless found himself wracked with inner anxiety. “Those two weeks were brutal,” Butts said. For more than a month in the trial of Joe Blacknell III, Butts’ scratchy monotone had never wavered. Hostile witnesses interrupted him and a spirited public defender contested him at every turn. He led the jury in an examination of grisly evidence, including autopsy photos…
As the final seconds ticked away in the Richmond Rockets’ first-ever playoff game against the Bay Area Matrix, guard Patrick Mitchell lost his dribble. The ball skipped toward the sidelines. Like the game itself, the ball was out of reach. But Mitchell dove headlong into the first row, scattering chairs and scrambling spectators in a failed attempt to snag the loose ball. Mitchell, like his team, never gave up. “We can’t hang our heads, I’m really proud of our guys…
The man who conducted an investigation into alleged discrimination in the Richmond Police Department testified Thursday that he was inundated with complaints from both sides of the issue in mid-2007. Ray Marshall, a Harvard-educated attorney whose firm was paid more than $300,000 by the city for his fact-finding mission, testified that bickering on both sides prolonged his work and impaired the performance of the department. Seven high-ranking African American police officials are suing Police Chief Chris Magnus, former Deputy Chief…
As police command staff officials began peppering his hand-picked police chief with complaints of discrimination, Richmond’s most powerful executive official did all he felt he should do: Initiate an independent investigation, pass the complaints on to his Human Resources manager and issue a department-wide letter reiterating conduct policies. “I felt like I was doing exactly what I should have done,” Lindsay said in response to questions from Jonathan Matthews, the attorney for one of the seven plaintiffs in the discrimination…
The plaintiffs in the discrimination suit against Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus, former Deputy Chief Lori Ritter and the city aren’t suing for a specific dollar amount. But Wednesday’s testimony for the first time hinted at the costs they may have incurred from allegedly discriminatory promotion processes. According to an economist’s testimony, the total amount that five of the seven plaintiffs may have lost in total lifetime earnings and pension payments by not being promoted by Magnus ranges into the…
Editor’s Note: This is guest column provided by George Livingston Jr., a celebrity photographer and documentarian of history, culture and music in Richmond. I met Darrell Wayne Loud Sr. about five years ago, when we attended a couple of Temptation & Stone Soul picnic shows. After that, we would talk on the phone about the joy of entertainment, life and, of course, the Temptations. Darrell would travel to watch the Temptations, his all-time favorite group, and one of the most…
A 23-year-old Richmond resident was shot and killed while riding in a car from a party in South Richmond Friday night. The victim, William Cantrell was one of three people in the car, which was fired at by a shooter who was on foot in the 2900 block of Florida Ave., according to Lt. Bisa French. “They were leaving a party, but we have no information on motive or suspect,” French said. The car traveled a few blocks to a…
In recent years, the Richmond Police Department has been riven with discord between sworn and civilian employees, mediation meetings undertaken in bad faith and at least one internal dispute over whether to count a dead body in Richmond as part of the city’s homicide total, according to two witnesses’ testimony Friday. Human Relations Manager Leslie Knight concluded her third day of testimony in the discrimination lawsuit filed by seven African American officers against Chief Chris Magnus, former Deputy Chief Lori…
Hours after court recessed Wednesday, attorney Stephen Jaffe was still miffed. That morning, defense attorneys filed a motion seeking sanctions against Jaffe—who is representing six of the seven African American police officers who are suing the city of Richmond and its chief of police for racial discrimination—for allegedly berating and making racist comments to a member of their staff.
Joe Blacknell III was found guilty Thursday of 20 felony counts, including the first degree murder of Marcus Russell in 2009. Jurors reached their decision after more than eight days of deliberations. Blacknell, 21, was convicted on 20 out of 22 felonies with which he was charged. He was found not guilty on two counts of attempted murder stemming from the September 13, 2009, shooting of Elliot Lawson and Devonte Bernstein, who were wounded in a drive-by shooting at the…
Lt. Johan Simon, a decorated member of the Richmond Police Department who some thought of as a potential candidate for chief of police, instead gained a more dubious distinction during the divisive early period of Chief Chris Magnus’ tenure atop the organization. He was the first officer ever to be put on a “threat assessment,” a city labor safety practice aimed at quashing workplace violence, according to testimony Wednesday in a Martinez courtroom. Why Simon, then a 26-year veteran of…
A lot of Betty Reid Soskin’s emotions find articulate outlets. Ninety years of life, a sharp memory and a lucid mind do that for her. Standing in late February at the last exhibit of the free tour she gives every few weeks of the Rosie the Riveter Memorial National Park, Soskin shared with her tour group why this place is so important. “It’s amazing how far ahead than the rest of the country the Bay Area is, and people have…