RONALD
GIBSON BQ5220
1040 E.Roy Furman Highway.
Waynesburg,Pa. 15370-8090 USA
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The Sixth Amendment of the US. Constitution says:
In all criminal prosecution, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and the district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witness in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
Since 1791, The Sixth Amendment has stood strong and has long been the backbone of the jury system. However, like most rights provided under the US Constitution, today they only apply to affluent whites or to those somehow politically connected, But what of the deeply impoverished Black male, who has somehow become the symbol of crime in Amerikka today?
As the case of Ronald F. Gibson makes clear, the Sixth Amendment is no more than mere words, long lost in the unconstitutional "Black-Hole" called "The Justice System."
The courts long ago ruled...
While criminal trial is not a game
in which the participants are expected to enter the ring with a near match
in skills, neither is it a sacrifice of unarmed prisoners to gladiators"
What took place in the Jury Selection of Ronald F. Gibson, is a remarkable example of an unarmed prisoner being mutilated at the hands of modern day gladiators.
From the Notes of Testimony, October 1, 1991 Jury Selection
The Court: As a result of the terrible incident, have you developed any bias or prejudice against anyone involved in this case in this courtroom?
Prospective Juror: Well there is a problem. The next individual you are going to interview here was apparently the boyfriend of the woman who was killed, and he was talking outside of the courtroom and he told me it involved drugs and there were two co-defendants, and if it1s involved with drugs, I'm prejudiced. (see Voir Dire 10/1/91 pg. 158-159)
Court Crier: Judge, could I see
the court at sidebar?
The Court: Yes
(The following takes place a sidebar.)
Court Crier: Judge, it was called to my attention when John brought the panel up, this individual, I moved him up, #817, I called him aside and instructed him not to speak to any of the other jurors in relation to this incident. He informed me that he was a former boyfriend of the alleged victim in this case, and I instructed him not to speak to anybody about it. Apparently, he must have said something to this individual outside the courtroom. (See Voir Dire pg. 159 - 160
The court then conducted in relevant part the following inquiry of potential Juror #817 (John Jones Jr. -- The victim's boyfriend)
The Court: You also indicated you have some knowledge of this incident?
Prospective Juror: Yes, I was seeing Nae-Nae personally, she was at the bar that night to meet me when she was killed.
The Court: I see. Nae Nae, that is Vernae Nixon?
Prospective Juror: Yes
TheCourt: With regard to your being a friend of one of the decedents here, have you discussed that with any members of this entire panel?
Prospective Juror: No, the only statement that I had made was it was "ironic" that I got picked for the case a being a Juror.
Mr Gaskins (Defense Counsel): Did you hear what he said?
The Court: Yes and you made the statement to whom?
Prospective Juror: Just in general out in the hallway.
TheCourt: Were you ???
Prospective Juror: Nor stating any facts like I was in the bar or nothing like that. Just that I knew the girl.
TheCourt: Your answer to me is that you didn't say anything about the facts of the case, you didn't say you were in the bar?
Prospective Juror: No, I did not.
TheCourt: Did you say it to anyone in particular?
Prospective Juror: No
The Court: To no one in particular, that you knew the girl?
Prospective Juror: Just in general, to no one in particular and I was friends with Fred Dukes also. (See Voir Dire pg. 161-163)
It's understandable that the boyfriend of the victim would lie about revealing facts to jury members? Later the record will show that in fact John Jones Jr. did lie to the Court.
Juror #118 Jacqueline D. English
The Court: Yesterday, one of the... you were sitting in the hallway when one of the other Jurors made some type of comment. Were you able to hear what he was saying?
Prospective Juror Yes Sir.
The Court: What exactly did you hear him say?
Prospective Juror: That one of the people in the incident was his girlfriend.
The Court: Anything else?
Prospective Juror Well, he gave his belief as to how the defendant was, you know, he was guilty of it.
The Court: At the fime he said that, if you recall, how many people were sitting there with you?
Prospective Juror: Well. it was a group. Now I don't know if everybody heard it because I was sitting so close to him, but he did make that remark.
The Court: And there were six of you sitting outside, is that correct?
Prospective Juror: Not at that time. at the time he said it we were upstairs.
The Court: I see.
Prospective Juror: When he came downstairs, I asked him did he let someone know in here his involvement with the case itself, and before he could really answer he, the court officer came out and got him.
The Court: Was he speaking directly to you or...
Prospective Juror: He just kind of like said it.
The Court Mr. Gaskins
By Mr. Gaskins:
Q: Is it possible other people sitting around you could have also heard what he said?
A: Yes (Voir Dire 10/02191 pg. 15-17)
Even after this conclusive testimony the Judge refused to throw out the tainted panel of Jurors to which Juror # 817 John Jones, Jr. boyfriend of the victim sat. Even after the District Attorney and the Defense joined in a motion to dismiss the tainted panel and bring in a new panel, the Judge refused. Voir Dire and Jury Selection continued several jurors were never even asked if they knew anything about the case and ~ one Juror who spoke to Juror # 118, Mrs. Jacqueline D. English and maybe even Mr. John Jones, JR. # 817, sat on the Jury. After testifying that she knew about the case only by seeing it on TV, the following day she spoke of learning more from other Jurors, namely Juror # 118 Mrs. Jacqueline D. English:
The following transpired on 10101191, pg. 129.
The Court: Ms. Sutton, you indicated you have some type, of knowledge of the incident involving the shooting in Woody's Bar?
Prospective Juror: Yes
The Court: What would be the extent of that knowledge?
Prospective Juror: The extent of that knowledge is that I saw it on TV though the news.
Then again on 10102 91;
The Court: There is one other Juror I want to examine gentlemen. She was sitting outside at the time, Ms. Sutton.
Court Crier: State your full name for the record.
Juror Number Ten: Pamela A. Sutton
The Court: Good morning, Ma'am. We have accepted you as a Juror in this case. The question arises at this point, have you heard anyone speak of this case or talk about this case, other that here in the courtroom?
Juror Number T: In what context? You mean through....
The Court: While here in city hall,in the elevators in the hallways or upstairs in the jury room.Have you heard anyone talk about this case or anyone mention they had any relationship with the case or anyone involved with the case?
Juror number 10: yes
The court: What would that be ma'am?
juror number ten: There was a young lady outside that was being polled yesterday she mentioned the fact that there was someone in the room that had some relationship to the young lady in the incident.
In October 1991 ,Ronald Gibson was convicted on two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of an off-duty police officer and a young woman in a barroom brawl by an unfair and partial,jury of his "peers"
On January 22,19979the PA Supreme court'
S Justice Ronald Castille,the District attorney who signed Mr. Gibson's
Bill of information and brought the murder charges against him upheld the
murder convictions of Mr. Gibson stating;
The court was not required to dismiss the entire jury venire after learning that one member of the venire had stated,within the hearing of other potential jurors, that he knew one of the victims and that drugs were involved in the crime,where there was no showing that any of the jurors who actually heard the case had been exposed to the comments.
On May 12,1997, Governor Thomas Ridge signed Mr. Gibson's death warrant and will do so again soon.
On March 8,1999 a post-conviction motion was filed on mr. Gibson's behalf,to the same trial judge which denied him an impartial jury in 1991. In the motion, several new-trial issues were presented and through discovery ,it was bought out that another suspect in his case may have been the probable cause to arrest Mr. Gibson and that this witness may have been a longtime commonwealth informant. The Philadelphia district attorney' s office and homicide unit haved refused to turn over interviews conducted with this suspect,stating, "they do not exist' ,even though the lead homicide detective at Mr. Gibson's trial testified that he did the interview (8 to 9 hours) with this suspect and used the information from the interview against Mr. Gibson.This suspect,along with another suspect who committed suicide in a hostage situation were the two original men identified by witnesses.The police found the alleged murder weapon in his apartment.These issues,among other issues of Mr Gibson's innocence were presented.
Gibson, a longtime victim of the now infamous 39th District police scandal,in wich several corrupt police officers beat,robbed and falsely convicted young black males and others from the ghetto streets of philadelphia,now seeks a new-trial.He needs help and any financial support he can get to secure COMPETANT counsel.
If you would like to help bring "FAIR AND IMPARTIAL"to that early "unfair and partial" , I encourage you to send donations to:
RONALD
GIBSON BQ5220
1040 E.Roy Furman Highway.
Waynesburg,Pa. 15370-8090 USA
NOTE:JUSTICE RONALD CASTILLE,NOW SITS
ON PA.'S SUPREME CT.AFTER
LEAVING THE PHILA.DA.'S OFFICE AS HEAD
DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
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