United African Movement
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Alton H. Maddox, jr. Tel.: (718) 834-9034
Chairman Fax : (718) 834-1275
16 Court Street
Suite 1901
Brooklyn, NY 11241
November 30, 2007
Mr. Stanley Crouch
c/o New York Daily News
450 W. 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001
Re: Tawana Brawley
Dear Mr. Crouch:
Your November 26, 2007 “opinion,” “In Brawley case, a lesson about rushing to judgment” in the New York Daily News proves that you refuse to practice what you preach. The only known “judgment” in the Brawley ordeal is the July 1998 judgment by a Dutchess County petit jury of four whites and two Blacks.
It found that I spoke the truth on March 13, 1988, when I accused Steven Pagones of being involved in the kidnapping and rape of Tawana Brawley. You may find the verdict sheet in the files of Pagones v. Maddox, et. al in Dutchess County Supreme Court.
Since you refuse to respect its judgment, the only other available reference is the grand jury. First, there was no quorum for the grand jury vote. This omission violates Article 190 of the Criminal Procedure Law. Second, the grand jury report was written by Attorney General Robert Abrams and not by the Dutchess County grand jury as is also required by Article 190 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
I interviewed a Brawley grand juror in Idaho. He made a startling observation. When the grand jury started its investigation into Brawley’s November 30, 1987 claims, it knew nothing about her whereabouts for four days in November 1987. When it ended its investigation, seven months later, it had also learned nothing new about her whereabouts for those four days.
November 30 is the date that Tawana gave a deposition to law enforcement officials including Hilda Kogut, the FBI agent in charge of the civil rights investigation. She was Pagones’ girlfriend. This relationship was never explained to the Brawleys. No good-faith, federal investigation would have ever proceeded with the girlfriend of a suspect being in charge of it.
A good journalist, like a good grand jury, should be able to answer the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why” before reaching a conclusion. The “who” includes Pagones and his friend, Harry Crist, Jr. who, by the way, was murdered and did not commit suicide as was claimed by Abrams. This cover-up, in itself, is a crime. Fortunately, there is no statute of limitations for murder.
In the post-defamation trial press conference, the petit jury stated emphatically that something had happened to Tawana Brawley. This press conference is on videotape. Neither the grand jury nor the petit jury found that Tawana had perpetrated a “hoax.”
The emergency medical technicians, who found Tawana, said that something had happened to her. St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie said that something had happened to her. Westchester County Medical Center wrote “rape’” in her hospital records. You must have been “high” when you published your “opinion.”
In the “Jena 6” case, twenty-five news organizations successfully sued Louisiana for the press to be present for the Mychal Bell trial on December 6. Far more articles have been written about Brawley than the “Jena 6” case but no news organization has ever sued New York to secure the state grand jury minutes in the Brawley “hoax.” This is unprecedented in American journalism.
The “Hannity & Colmes” show on Fox Cable News asked me to appear on its program recently. I asked to debate Pagones. He declined immediately. His fear is that I will personally use the program to accuse him of kidnapping and raping Tawana and that he would have no legal recourse. Pagones’ defamation trial ended up wrapping me in the doctrine of res judicata.
I challenge you to write that anything contained in this letter is a lie. If you do so under the banner of the New York Daily News, I may become your new owner and boss and your tenure, thereafter, would be brief.
Very truly yours,
AHM:sr
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Alton H. Maddox, jr. Tel.: (718) 834-9034
Chairman Fax : (718) 834-1275
16 Court Street
Suite 1901
Brooklyn, NY 11241
November 30, 2007
Mr. Stanley Crouch
c/o New York Daily News
450 W. 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001
Re: Tawana Brawley
Dear Mr. Crouch:
Your November 26, 2007 “opinion,” “In Brawley case, a lesson about rushing to judgment” in the New York Daily News proves that you refuse to practice what you preach. The only known “judgment” in the Brawley ordeal is the July 1998 judgment by a Dutchess County petit jury of four whites and two Blacks.
It found that I spoke the truth on March 13, 1988, when I accused Steven Pagones of being involved in the kidnapping and rape of Tawana Brawley. You may find the verdict sheet in the files of Pagones v. Maddox, et. al in Dutchess County Supreme Court.
Since you refuse to respect its judgment, the only other available reference is the grand jury. First, there was no quorum for the grand jury vote. This omission violates Article 190 of the Criminal Procedure Law. Second, the grand jury report was written by Attorney General Robert Abrams and not by the Dutchess County grand jury as is also required by Article 190 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
I interviewed a Brawley grand juror in Idaho. He made a startling observation. When the grand jury started its investigation into Brawley’s November 30, 1987 claims, it knew nothing about her whereabouts for four days in November 1987. When it ended its investigation, seven months later, it had also learned nothing new about her whereabouts for those four days.
November 30 is the date that Tawana gave a deposition to law enforcement officials including Hilda Kogut, the FBI agent in charge of the civil rights investigation. She was Pagones’ girlfriend. This relationship was never explained to the Brawleys. No good-faith, federal investigation would have ever proceeded with the girlfriend of a suspect being in charge of it.
A good journalist, like a good grand jury, should be able to answer the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why” before reaching a conclusion. The “who” includes Pagones and his friend, Harry Crist, Jr. who, by the way, was murdered and did not commit suicide as was claimed by Abrams. This cover-up, in itself, is a crime. Fortunately, there is no statute of limitations for murder.
In the post-defamation trial press conference, the petit jury stated emphatically that something had happened to Tawana Brawley. This press conference is on videotape. Neither the grand jury nor the petit jury found that Tawana had perpetrated a “hoax.”
The emergency medical technicians, who found Tawana, said that something had happened to her. St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie said that something had happened to her. Westchester County Medical Center wrote “rape’” in her hospital records. You must have been “high” when you published your “opinion.”
In the “Jena 6” case, twenty-five news organizations successfully sued Louisiana for the press to be present for the Mychal Bell trial on December 6. Far more articles have been written about Brawley than the “Jena 6” case but no news organization has ever sued New York to secure the state grand jury minutes in the Brawley “hoax.” This is unprecedented in American journalism.
The “Hannity & Colmes” show on Fox Cable News asked me to appear on its program recently. I asked to debate Pagones. He declined immediately. His fear is that I will personally use the program to accuse him of kidnapping and raping Tawana and that he would have no legal recourse. Pagones’ defamation trial ended up wrapping me in the doctrine of res judicata.
I challenge you to write that anything contained in this letter is a lie. If you do so under the banner of the New York Daily News, I may become your new owner and boss and your tenure, thereafter, would be brief.
Very truly yours,
AHM:sr
posted by Attorney Alton Maddox at 11:53 AM
1 Comments:
All Praises... Mr. Maddox, you have my undying admiration and respect for your tenacity and strength in pursuing the Brawley rape and kidnapping by Pagones and his cohorts in Dutchess County in the 1980s. I continue to pray for vindication of your integrity and for the accused to be brought to justice. Stanley Crouch has no scruples - i am ashamed to say that he is a man of color - he has no color - he is painted in material gaines and has no regard for the truth or for searching for the truth.
Peace & respect,
Jean S.
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