Dear Friends:
The first Congressional hearing on informants is now underway! You can watch the hearing on the House Judiciary Committee website (linked from here: http://judiciary.house.gov/). It should be archived for later viewing as well.
Below is the ACLU press release.
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Civil Rights Advocates, Members of Congress to Speak Out Against the Dangers of the Informant System Following the Atlanta Police Shooting of a 92-Year-Old Kathryn Johnston
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 19, 2007
CONTACT: Rachel Perrone, ACLU Washington Legislative Office, (202) 675-2312, media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON - Civil rights leader Reverend Markel Hutchins, the American Civil Liberties Union, Professor Alexandra Natapoff of Loyola Law School, and members of Congress will hold a press briefing immediately following today's House Judiciary Committee hearings on the dangers of the informant system as used in drug law enforcement. Today's hearing was prompted by the tragic death of a 92-year-old Atlanta woman, Kathryn Johnston, who was shot during a botched SWAT raid of her home. The raid was based on information fabricated by police, who falsely attributed it to a confidential informant. Civil rights advocates and members of Congress will call for an overhaul of the informant system and the institution of oversight mechanisms and safeguards to prevent future injustices.
What: Press briefing on the misuse of informants
When: 12:30 pm, immediately following House Judiciary joint oversight hearing
Where: The Horseshoe Lobby of the Rayburn House Office Building
"The informant system is a ticking time bomb in need of immediate reform. Ms. Johnston's death has sounded the alarm: we've handed over too much police work to informants," said Jesselyn McCurdy, legislative counsel at the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "Informants can be useful tools for law enforcement, but there must be oversight of their use if our system of justice is to live up to its name."
In November 2006, Atlanta police conducted a paramilitary-style raid of Ms. Johnston's home based on information of suspected drug activity at her address. Fabricating information they claimed came from an informant, police improperly obtained a warrant for a "no-knock" raid that allowed them to burst into Ms. Johnston's home without warning. In the course of an internal investigation conducted after the raid, two police officers admitted to fabricating evidence in order to secure the warrant and pressuring an informant to cover for their misconduct.
"Our system must operate on evidence and probable cause, not trust alone. Here, we trusted police officers without requiring corroboration of their claim that an informant provided information. An elderly woman lost her life as a result," said Rev. Hutchins, who represents the family of Kathryn Johnson. "Unless Congress acts to reform the informant institution, more innocent people will be caught in the crossfire. It is simply unacceptable that an elderly woman was shot to death in her own home by police officers entrusted with preserving the public's safety. "We must resolve the systemic failings responsible for this tragedy."
For additional information, including the ACLU's policy paper outlining specific reform proposals, written testimony from hearing participants, and detailed background on the informant issue go to: www.aclu.org/drugpolicy.
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Nora Callahan
Executive Director
If you live near Kansas City, Missouri on July 29, 2007, there will be a Group Discussion: Get Stop Snitchin' Right!, at 1:00 pm at Haag Hall, UMKC College, 5200 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO. I'll be there! See http://www.myspace.com/th3associat3s for more information from the sponsors of this event.
I will be at the Seattle Hempfest on August 18-19, 2007, Seattle, WA. For more info, see http://www.hempfest.org/.
October 3-6, 2007 on your calendar, I'll join other November Coalition members in Philadelphia, PA for an Arts In Criminal Justice Conference, sponsored by the Nathan Cummings Foundation and hosted by Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program.
December 5-8, meet me and other allies at the 2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. http://www.drugpolicy.org/conference
November Coalition Foundation
282 West Astor
Colville, WA 99114
(509) 684-1550
Working to end drug war injustice, the November Coalition is nonprofit educational foundation -- donations are tax deductible.
Visit us on the web at http://www.november.org/
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