Justice for Max Antoine Committee
For information:
Edith Gbur 732-255-8044.
eFax (847) 557-2048 email egbur@adelphia.net
For immediate Release:
Wednesday, December 8, 1999
The completion of the jury selection will be followed by opening statements is expected to be concluded today. The defense trial of police victim Max Antoine is taking place at the , Essex County Courthouse, 50 West Market Street, Newark, NJ.
Yesterday, prospective juror Irvington police officer Philip Rucker, one of the three police officers accused of severely beating Max Antoine, was challenged and excused from the jury panel. It is incredible that Rucker was ever listed in the jury panel not only because of his history but also because he is named as a prosecution witness.
Some friends and relatives of the police officers from Irvington and other municipalities were excused through (voir dire) the jury selection process. The remainder of the alleged compromised jurors is expected to be challenged by defense Attorney Jean D. Larosiliere today. The trial is estimated to last two weeks with a panel of 14 including 2 alternate jurors.
Since the beginning of the trial on Dec 4th, Judge Fullilove denied the defense motion to dismiss the charges against Antoine and ruled that the prosecution witnesses be sequestered.
Max Antoine was indicted by a Grand Jury on 13 trumped up charges in 1997. The charges include: unlawful taking of a police weapon, assault, resisting arrest purposely, false report to incriminate another, falsifying/tampering with records, tampering with evidence. The prosecutor's office chose to go after Max Antoine rather than police officers Phillip Rucker, Keith Stouch, and Alfredo Aleman.
The charges come from a pre-dawn incident that occurred June 2, 1996 when three Irvington police officers invaded Antoine's sister Irvington Township apartment to complain about the noise during a birthday party. The police officers beat Max upon overhearing him advise his sister to record their badge numbers and file a complaint because they searched the home and assaulted some of the 23 people without a search warrant. As a reult of the incident Max is paralyzed, blind in one eye, and deaf in one ear.
Max Antoine is also involved in a pending civil case against the Irvington scheduled for Dec 28th.
Support for Max Antoine growing. Congressman Donald Payne wrote to Attorney General Janet Reno demanding that the Justice Department release the results of a two year investigation of his case. Former Mayor of New York David Dinkins added his name to the list of supporters.
An ad hoc committee, The Justice for Max Antoine Committee is organized to get support, publicity and contributions. We urge supporters to attend the trial of Max Antoine.
We demand:
Prosecute the criminal behavior of the Irvington police.
The Justice Department should file a federal civil rights action.
Sponsors of the Justice For Max Antoine Committee include: People's Organization for Progress, Anthony Baez Foundation, Green Party of NJ, Greens/Green Party USA, October 22nd Coalition, New BrunswickCoalition Against Police Brutality, Former Mayor of NY, David Dinkins, Professor Alan Wald, Manning Marable, Dave Dellinger, Congressman Donald Payne, Assemblyman William Payne, Ray Laforest, Organizer, DC 1707 AFSCME* and others. (*Listed for identification )
From: October 22 Coalition National Office
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 1999
Subject: [NDP] FW: Information about Max Antoine
THANK YOUR FOR YOUR INTEREST
The December 4th Rally was held in front of the Irvington New Jersey Police
Station. Some participants who spoke out were police brutality survivors
including Eric Reed of Irvington, NJ as well as a resident who couldn't
hold back his story any longer. Haitian American Carlos Salamon, also in a
wheel chair as a result of a police beating flew in from Florida and is
seeking legal assistance.
Iris Baez, mother of murdered police brutality victim Anthony Baez
apparently shamed the police officers to stop trying to intimidate the
protesters by putting away their video cameras.
Channel 2, 4, 5, and 41 briefly televised the rally. The daily local
newspaper The Star Ledger photographed the rally.
Antoine's trial started yesterday and is expected to last for two
weeks.
Max Antoine and the Justice for Max Antoine Commitee is encouraging
suporters to sit in on the trial. The courthouse is located at 50 West
Market Street in Newark.