Anniversary of the C.H.P. Freeway Beating of Marlene Pinnock

LOS ANGELES, July 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The first of July came and went with relatively little fanfare.  Nothing special on the news, traffic before the holiday is flowing as expected, and a whale carcass floated onto Dockweiler Beach- 'so sad' one onlooker pointed out.  Thousands of dollars will undoubtedly go into figuring out the cause of the whale's death and prevention, but not a single media outlet asked: "How is Marlene Pinnock doing two years later?" 

July 1^st may be of little significance to the masses, but for Marlene Pinnock it marks the second anniversary of her internationally viewed videotaped beating on the side of the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles.  Marlene Pinnock is the great-grandmother viciously beaten on videotape by former C.H.P. officer Daniel L. Andrew.  A recent twist to her story is how African-American Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey was re-elected unopposed after failing to prosecute Daniel Andrew for Marlene Pinnock's videotaped beating.  D.A. Lacey did not even try fight for Marlene Pinnock.  Win or lose- she could have at least tried.  One can respect the advocate who tries and fails as oppose to a so-called advocate for the "People" who makes no attempt at all.  So who really cares about Marlene Pinnock? Not Jackie Lacey, not Lacey friend/bankrupt Judge Otis Wright, not exploitive reporters Joe S., Jessica T., Kate M. or Richard W. 

(Follow on: Twitter @AttyCareeHarper for upcoming articles: "Who polices the media?" and "Should bankrupt federal judges be allowed to maintain lifetime appointments- An Invitation to Bribes"). 

It goes without saying that if an older White female was straddled and punched repeatedly by a Black officer on videotape there would have been a prosecution within days.  If the passerby used deadly force on the Black cop viciously beating the White woman - he would likely walk after trial George Zimmerman style or never face prosecution in the first place.   In a culture where it is all too commonplace that we eat dinner to the videotaped murder of Black folks  (ie. Eric Garner and Tamir Rice) luke-warm bureaucrats like Jackie Lacey remain unscathed in what looks like a betrayal to the community courted during her first election: the Black community.  She failed to do the right thing after the killing of young Kendrec McDade and now Marlene Pinnock, arguably the most notable cases in her tenure as District Attorney yet she was rewarded with re-election. Why?  Were we all sleeping when she slipped back on the ballot for re-election unopposed, or have we all given up?

D.A. Lacey's failure to even comment publicly on either case will likely not impede her anticipated run for the Attorney General spot currently occupied by Kamala Harris if Ms. Harris is elected to the Senate after a run-off election this November against formidable candidate U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez.   Will we remain asleep through the November elections or will we hold our public officials accountable and make them state their opinions on excessive force? 

Marlene Pinnock continues to be treated at a local county facility after efforts to have her treated privately failed--hampered by Pinnock's estranged daughter, Maisha Allums.  Ms. Pinnock's health is declining rapidly in the L.A. County facility.  Ms. Pinnock's story may be viewed as old news, and it no longer "trends" on social media, but the Marlene Pinnock case still matters.  And although she was a mere a footnote in the local Black Lives Matter activities and protests, she is an important chapter in the national discussion on excessive force.   Let the federal government hear your concern about the Marlene Pinnock case and request they do what D.A. Lacey refused to do; charge Daniel Andrew for the violent felony on Marlene Pinnock:

Lawrence Middleton, Chief Criminal Division
The U.S. Attorney's Office
Central District of California Criminal Division
312 N. Spring St. 12^th Fl.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 894-2400

About the author: 
Caree Harper - attorney in the following cases: Marlene Pinnock, Kendrec McDade, Clinton Alford, Michelle Cooks, Walter DeLeon, and she recently defended seven Black Lives Matter activists accused of blocking a Los Angeles freeway after the grand jury in Ferguson failed to indict White male police officer Darren Wilson, for shooting unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.  Due to the jury trial work of lead counsel, Caree Harper, all charges were ultimately dismissed against all defendants.

SOURCE Law Offices Caree Harper

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