Slap on the wrist for Black Panthers

Chronicle Staff

Published: Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Last election day, three members of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense were accused in a complaint of brandishing a nightstick and intimidating voters at a Philadelphia polling place, according to documents and interviews. Last Thursday, an Obama Justice Department spokesman confirmed that the agency had dropped the case by dismissing two of the men from the lawsuit with no penalty and winning an order against the third man by merely prohibiting him from bringing a weapon to a polling place in future elections. This a blatant disregard of the law by the Obama administration. The incident gained national attention when it was shot on videotape and distributed on YouTube. It prompted the Bush administration in its final days to sue the men, saying they violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act by scaring would-be voters with the nightstick, racial slurs and military-style uniforms. Available only in the print version of the Custer County Chronicle. To subscribe, call 605-673-2217.