For whatever reason Attorney Benjamin Crump has set his path on justice for African Americans where most litigators leave off.
He came to the forefront of the African American struggle when Trayvon Martin was murdered. I thought for as wonderful he was then we would never see him again in a high profile case. He must have felt defeated when Trayvon's murderer went free.
Every time there is a defeat for justice, especially in minority communities, it can be devastating. I have watched him invest in the efforts to raise America's minorities above doubt to fight the good fight. He has recruited many other African American attorneys and it seems as though the number marching the legal fight is endless.
Rape, be it Caucasian or minority is nearly an impossible case to win. I applaud him for his demands for justice in the face of profound racism and oppression of the truth. I admire him.
Jannie Ligons, (click here) left, one of the victims of sexual assault by former
Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw, smiles as attorney
Benjamin Crump holds up her arm during a news conference in Oklahoma
City, Friday, Dec. 11, 2015. Ligons, whose report launched the police
investigation into Holtzclaw, said he picked the wrong lady to stop that
night. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
December 11, 2015
By Matt Sedensky and Sean Murphy
Oklahoma City (AP) — The rape convictions (click here) that could put a fired Oklahoma City police officer behind bars for life are vindication for some of the women he targeted, and also a reminder of how difficult it is to achieve justice in such cases.
Most victims never report sexual assaults, and those who accused ex-officer Daniel Holtzclaw were even more vulnerable as poor black women, many with checkered histories of crime and addiction.
A grandmother's bravery in telling her story made all the difference this time. After Holtzclaw pulled her over, forced her to expose herself and perform oral sex, she filed a complaint that triggered a search for other victims.
In this case at least, it changed a narrative all too common in sex crimes: The jury found him guilty of rape.
"I didn't do anything wrong," the grandmother said Friday, showing her face on camera and revealing her name as Jannie Ligons. "So all I can say is, I was innocent and he just picked the wrong lady to stop that night."...
He came to the forefront of the African American struggle when Trayvon Martin was murdered. I thought for as wonderful he was then we would never see him again in a high profile case. He must have felt defeated when Trayvon's murderer went free.
Every time there is a defeat for justice, especially in minority communities, it can be devastating. I have watched him invest in the efforts to raise America's minorities above doubt to fight the good fight. He has recruited many other African American attorneys and it seems as though the number marching the legal fight is endless.
Rape, be it Caucasian or minority is nearly an impossible case to win. I applaud him for his demands for justice in the face of profound racism and oppression of the truth. I admire him.
Jannie Ligons, (click here) left, one of the victims of sexual assault by former
Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw, smiles as attorney
Benjamin Crump holds up her arm during a news conference in Oklahoma
City, Friday, Dec. 11, 2015. Ligons, whose report launched the police
investigation into Holtzclaw, said he picked the wrong lady to stop that
night. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) December 11, 2015
By Matt Sedensky and Sean Murphy
Oklahoma City (AP) — The rape convictions (click here) that could put a fired Oklahoma City police officer behind bars for life are vindication for some of the women he targeted, and also a reminder of how difficult it is to achieve justice in such cases.
Most victims never report sexual assaults, and those who accused ex-officer Daniel Holtzclaw were even more vulnerable as poor black women, many with checkered histories of crime and addiction.
A grandmother's bravery in telling her story made all the difference this time. After Holtzclaw pulled her over, forced her to expose herself and perform oral sex, she filed a complaint that triggered a search for other victims.
In this case at least, it changed a narrative all too common in sex crimes: The jury found him guilty of rape.
"I didn't do anything wrong," the grandmother said Friday, showing her face on camera and revealing her name as Jannie Ligons. "So all I can say is, I was innocent and he just picked the wrong lady to stop that night."...
