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Railroading Continues: Hood Trial

By VVAW

Bob Hood, a leader in the Oakland California chapter of VVAW/WSO still has not gone to trial on charges of assaulting on Oakland police officer with a deadly weapon. On Feb 6th Bob was viciously beaten by Officer Ted Burrows of the Oakland PD and then arrested for assaulting Burrows with a deadly weapon. (A 3" pocket knife was found in Bob's pocket after he was arrested and handcuffed!) DespIte the fact that Bob has already passed a lie detector test proving his innocence in this frameup, the state is apparently going ahead with its plans to prosecute anyway.

It is clear that the only evidence that the state has on Bob Hood is Officer Burrows' allegations and lies. The defense has learned that many complaints have been registered against Burrows, yet the Oakland PD has revealed only one case, in which Burrows was "reprimanded" for beating a 61-year-old man without provocation. Despite that, in a pre-trial motion, Superior Court Judge Koford ordered that the defense be given all personnel files on Burrows relating to citizen complaints of harassment and the use of force and violence; the Oakland PD and the DA have refused to do so, claiming an "official information" privilege. The defense feels strongly that it has a right to those files on Officer Burrows and does not intend to go to trial until they are released by the DA. These records will substantiate what is already widely known in the community; Officer Ted Burrows is a brutal and racist police officer who makes a practice of railroading innocent people into jail with lies to cover his own crimes. Additional hearing on the issue of these files are to be held before Bob's trial will finally begin. It is now tentatively expected to start sometime this fall.

Bob needs your support. Letters of protest should be sent to: Lowell Jensen, Alameda County DA, 1225 Fallon, Oakland, CA., or Officer E. Wilson, Internal Affairs Div., Oakland PD, 455 7th St, Oakland, CA. For donations or information, contact: VVAW/WSO, Legal Defense Comm., 4919 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA. Tel: (415) 658-7806.

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!