Killer cop Joseph Weekley, a/k/a "Brain," as featured on "The First 48" website
Weekley’s “rights don’t trump the right of the public and the press” in Aiyana Jones death, says Judge Daphne Means-Curtis
By Diane Bukowski
Sept. 1, 2011
DETROIT – Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Daphne Means Curtis today struck down Detroit police officer Joseph Weekley’s motion to keep secret all material in the civil suit brought against him by the parents of Aiyana Stanley-Jones, until after the case concludes.
Weekley shot the seven-year-old child to death on May 16, 2011, while cameras from the reality TV show The First 48 were rolling.
Aiyana Stanley-Jones, 7, at birthday party with other children who were in her home when police attacked last year
The judge ordered that only Weekley’s own deposition will be kept from public view due to the possibility of criminal charges, and because he will likely take the Fifth Amendment anyway if deposed.
“The defendant wants too much,” Judge Means-Curtis said. “His rights don’t trump the right of the public and the press to materials that normally would be a matter of public record . . . .It is my intent that there be no gag order, except for the Weekley deposition. The rest of discovery will go forward in this case.”
Weekley’s attorneys Kenneth Lewis and Randall Brown, of Plunkett & Cooney, had sought to deny public access to everything in the case, including the depositions of at least 20 other police officers involved, videotapes, transcripts, and interrogatories.
Detroit police officer Kata-Ante Taylor
One of the police officers on the witness list is Kata-Ante Taylor, who shot 18-year-old Artrell Dickerson to death as he ran from him after a friend’s funeral at the Cantrell Funeral Home on Mack in Detroit, in 2008. (Click on http://michigancitizen.com/police-executed-teen-at-funeral-say-witnesses-p4173-1.htm.) No charges have ever been brought in that case either.
Attorney Jonathan Marko of Geoffrey Fieger’s law firm, who represents Charles Jones and Dominika Stanley, Aiyana’s parents, said during the hearing that Fieger does have a videotape related to the events of May 16. It was not clear which videotape it is, since attorneys for the producers of “The First 48” have refused to turn over their tape. However, Marko said he would provide a copy to the defense the following day.
Curtis ordered that Marko schedule depositions of the police officers immediately, prior to depositions of Stanley-Jones family members by the defense. Lewis and Brown refused to allow Weekley’s deposition five times over the last year, then filed for the protective order after Means-Curtis ruled in March that he must be deposed whether or not a criminal investigation had concluded.
Atty. Kenneth Lewis of Plunkett & Cooney
The defense only recently sought depositions of the child’s family members and other witnesses, including that of Chauncey Owens, her aunt’s fiancé. Owens is currently in the Wayne County Jail awaiting sentencing for the killing of Je’Rean Blake, 17, two days prior to the police assault on the Jones home.
Police said they were looking for Owens, who lived in the upstairs flat, when they lobbed an incendiary grenade through the living room window of the lower flat and opened fire on entry, killing the child.
Lewis became verbally combative after the hearing, when asked whether Weekley wants to depose Owens to divert attention to Charles Jones, Aiyana’s father.
Court records show that Owens never said Jones gave him a gun to kill Blake, despite media reports to the contrary. Owens’ sentencing has now been postponed twice, until Oct. 31, pending his statement to “truthfully” disclose who gave him the gun. Prior to his guilty plea, his attorneys had repeatedly sought to throw out his confession, alleging that it was taken under extreme duress. (See VOD story at http://voiceofdetroit.net/2011/05/23/owens-never-said-aiyana-jones%e2%80%99-dad-gave-him-gun-used-in-teen%e2%80%99s-killing/).
Owens’ court records also include his statements to police and psychiatrists that he was in the upstairs flat when Aiyana was killed, meaning he did not witness her shooting.
“We want to hear it out of his mouth,” Lewis said. “Have you heard it out of his mouth?”
State police conduct investigation at Jones home last year
Lewis refused to disclose how much his law firm is being paid by the City of Detroit to defend Weekley, but VOD has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the city for that public information.
Judge Means-Curtis addressed the issue of the unusual length of the supposed investigation of the child’s shooting death during the hearing.
“The Michigan State Police turned over the results of their investigation in March,” Means-Curtis said. “There is still no indication from the Wayne County Prosecutor as to who if anyone will be charged in connection with the death of seven-year-old Aiyana Jones.”
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy
She said she based her order to depose Weekley on her belief that the criminal investigation “would surely” have concluded by this time. Lewis said in court filings that it is likely the State Police requested a warrant for Charles Jones, not Weekley.
Asked after the hearing whether he believed a criminal investigation was still ongoing, Marko said, “Do you?”
“I know the family wants the criminal investigation to conclude as soon as possible and we hope the prosecutor’s office will move it along quickly and judiciously,” he said.
Roberto Guzman of the People’s Task Force to Defend the Wrongfully Convicted was less tactful.
“Investigation on top of investigation,” he reacted. “A code word used by her [Kym Worthy] simply to deny justice. This is going nowhere and that’s exactly what she wants. I mean, come on. Even Congressional investigations into scandals like Iran Contra, Watergate and more did not take this damn long! It is offensive what we know is going on here – a deliberate denial at justice.”
The Justice for Aiyana Jones Committee is asking that everyone write a simple one-line or more email asking for an update into the investigation of the death of Aiyana Jones. Please email this to: Mmiller@co.wayne.mi.us .
I can not understand why we as black elected officials keep selling out our own people by enabling the very people who are out to destroy our race and exploit us the proliferation of marijuana stores in the blacks neighborhoods of Detroit is a deliberate act by suburban Whites and Arabs to sell drugs to the public and exploit our community for profit all these so call medical places are owned by Arabs and they are selling drugs to our teenagers and any body that comes in with the money I know because my 16 yr old son bought some from one of these dispensaries there are 22 in a one block area in the mean time Judge Daphane Means Curtis is helping them to continue to exploit our community by granting them an extention to avoid the law
What an improvement we have made in a few hundred years. Our system has made it illegal to commit genocide by killing Blacks. Time after time it has been documented (and now with cameras) that the legal responsibility to kill unarmed, defenseless and non-violent Blacks has been deligated to law enforcement. ( Here is one where they will not even show the recording even though it was taped for a TV station to make money with “reality”. A qualified and trained officer of the law with an attack squad opens an unlocked door at the wrong residence, throws in a device that incapacitates people into a room with an elderly (grandmother) and young (Aiyana) persons laying on a couch and shoot the least dangerous person in the head. If anyone suggests the presence of a camera cause the police to act so violently they are reaching for the weak excuses normally used to justify unethical, immoral and human tactics often used for exonerating a chosen few. (ex.: When a perpetrator is caught on tape, the camera does not lie. When a cop is caught on tape, it is my lying eyes that did not see what was not on tape). How many unarmed people have been shot by police in Detroit? How many of those police have missed a day’s pay? Detroit proves a person with a badge does not have to worry about punishment for committing a crime. Police officers who were convicted and sentenced by the American Judicial System were excused and let go (remember Malice Green?). As far as racism is concerned, there are many people, including police officers who treat certain races differently even though it is their own race. One person who blamed the media and is not holding accountable or questioning the police department or D.A. is a Black Mayor. The person who continues to delay Weekly’s trial and has him free on $5,000 bail is a Black judge. If the father put his daughter in harms way (harm being an incompetent officer), then the cop put other officers in harms way (Dorner in L.A.) I guarantee that people who do not fit Aiyana’s description and live in neighborhoods with her demographics do not have to worry about the people responsible to protect and serve shooting a 7 year old child. The city lives up to its name: De-stroyit!
Maybe in death Aiyana Jones will be respected because Killer cop Joseph Weekley had no respect for Aiyana Jones and the justice system will say to America YOU CAN’T kill a child A unarmed child and just say I made a mistake get over it!
STOP THE LIE STOP SAYING AMERICA IS GREAT STOP SAYING IF YOU WORK HARD
The lie that politicians are repeating over and over MUST STOP! Especially the Republican politicians! I was listening to Republican Senator Marco Rubio (a Hispanic) he was telling a audience! That if you work hard in America anyone can make it! Then he said that has always been the American way! That is the biggest LIE! Then he made a comment that was historically impossible to believe! Sen. Rubio said that first black President was the most divisive President in the history of America! Under many past President dividing the country was part of the law of the country! How did Sen. Rubio get away with that LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!
From America beginning “white racism” has stop many non-whites” from fulfilling their American dreams! To claim greatness you must do great things!!! To claim greatness you must treat people with respect! America has fallen short in how it treats fellow Americans! Slavery was also the first welfare plan in America for white only! Whites are the first recipient of a welfare program in America! Government approve! Slavery belittle mankind and disrespect everything America claim to be! Discrimination and segregation continue to this day to do the same thing! BELITTLE & DISREPECT!
We need to acknowledge the evil in America! AND STOP IT!!!!!! Stand Your Ground Laws” do nothing but makes it easier to kill other Americans! Voter Suppression Laws” do nothing but return the country to the days of segregation and voter restriction! Republican politician support both of these evil laws! Or rather anti-American laws! In some city there are laws against wearing “saggy pants”. This law targets black American males! In Philly & NY there are “Stop & Frisk Laws”. That really should be stop all minorities laws. Especially black people! Stop & Frisk allow police officers to just because stop and frisk anyone “just because”! Black children as young as 8 going and coming from school are made to drop their trouser and take off their shoes! In full view of the public demeaning and belittle black children for fun. Still Republican politician say America is great and America exceptionlism! Is treating people less then great or exceptional?
An attorney says he plans legal action against St. Petersburg (Fla.) police officers who handcuffed and shackle a black 5-year-old girl after she acted up in her kindergarten class. After placing the child in the back of a police cruiser for over a hour, police released her to her mother when prosecutors informed them they wouldn’t bring charges against a 5-year-old. IS THIS WHAT MAKES AMERICAN GREAT???? This is not the only time a black female child has been handcuff! Police in Milledgeville, Georgia handcuffed and charged a 6-year-old girl with assault for throwing a tantrum in school but instead of apologizing for such unnecessary treatment, the chief of police praised his officers for their actions. AGAIN IS THIS WHAT MAKES AMERICAN GREAT???? There have been black children as young as 8 taser by police officer. Made to laid on the ground for over 30 minute and sat on by cops!
GOD create man in his image and from day one “white racism’ in America. Said GOD was wrong! Hate and dividing the country has been the agenda from day one! The “HAVES” and the “HAVE NOTS” was establish and all hell follow! American exceptionlism exceptional to who and what? Twenty three year old unarmed Sean Bell shot dead by NYPD officers. 50 bullet fire four into the body of Sean Bell 19 bullet in Bell’s passenger and four bullet in the back seat passenger. THEY LIVED! All because a officer claim to overhear a person in Bell’s group. Say “He was going to get a gun! That is all it took! IN GREAT OL AMERICA!!!
BOTTOM LINE: America is far from great and far from exceptional! If you think that I don’t love my country YOUR WRONG! I love GOD and I want America to live up to it’s promise! I’m a former Marine and would have given my life for my country. My brother serve 27 years in the Marine and my father serve in the Korean War. Where he was subjected to discrimination and segregation and disrespect from the country he serve and his fellow white Army soldiers! STOP THE LIE STOP SAYING AMERICA IS GREAT STOP SAYING IF YOU WORK HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOBODY CARES ABOUT AIYANA JONES
Where is the media coverage for black 7 year old Aiyana Jones? Would there be more coverage if Aiyana was a 7 year old white American citizen? Where is Nancy Grace coverage? What about the America media….why aren’t they updating the Aiyana murder? Did the white police officer that murdered Aiyana receive any discipline. Or was he fire or imprison. According to press reports, police were on the scene by 12:40 a.m. on Sunday, May 16, 2010. In an attempt to distract the occupants, police fired a flash grenade through the front window of the bottom floor, where Aiyana and Mertilla slept. The flash grenade lid little Aiyana on fire! As police entered the front door, Officer Joseph Weekley’s gun went off and struck Aiyana in the head or neck area. Police escorted Aiyana to St. John Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The police officer responsible for the shooting, Joe “Brain” Weekley, is a member of Detroit’s SWAT team, and was a frequent subject on A&E, whose film crews were filming the investigation. To say Officer Weekley was cocky and had no respect for human being. Would be an understatement. Because prior to entering the home prior to throwing the grenade. Citizen in the neighborhood shouted out there were children in the home! He could careless the neighborhood was black. He saw those children as less then.
Officer Joseph Weekley, a 14-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department, is one of several officers targeted in a federal lawsuit alleging that they shot two dogs and pointed a gun at children during a 2007 raid of a Detroit house. A hearing in U.S. District Court, scheduled for June 9, will decide whether the case goes to trial. The lawsuit, which was moved from the Wayne Circuit Court to the U.S. District Court in April 2009, accuses Weekley and other members of the Special Response Team of entering a Detroit house on Feb. 8, 2007, shooting two dogs, and then pointing a gun at an unspecified number of children, including an infant. The officers were looking for Marlon Westbrook, who later was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison.
After the shooting of Aiyana Jones, Weekley reported to his sergeant that a woman inside had grabbed for his gun. Total LIE!!! He stated that to cover up the fact of murdering a innocent unarmed sleeping child! Police arrested Mertilla Jones, administered tests for drugs and gunpowder, and released her Sunday morning. The woman had just witness the burning and murder of her granddaughter! TOO-BAD-SO-SAD no one gives a damn!!! Mertilla said that she reached for Aiyana but had no contact with officers. The Officer was telling a total LIE!!!
The coverage of the murder of 7 year old Aiyana Jones has been slim to none! There is no Nancy Grave or Jane Velez Mitchell 7 days a week coverage. There is no follow up no media interest! Not like the murder case of Casey Anthony. The different is Aiyana Jones is a seven year old black girl and the Casey Anthony case involve white America. Caylee Marie Anthony was found dead three years ago. He mother Casey Anthony is charge with her child’s murder! This case has been in the new just about everyday. Starting with the child being reported missing! Aiyana Jones is just dead!
Nice commomtary. You omitted Amadou Dillalo, kiiled by 6 NYC Cops. They asked for his ID, when Diallo reached for his wallet, 21nshoya were fired. 19 shots killing Amado. Diallo, was from Senegal.nn March 9, 1971. Four white DPD police offer killed Wayne County Sheriff Deputy, Henry Charles “Hank” Henderson. Uncle Charles, was shot in the back while holding his Badge. He was standing on the dining room wall at the time. In what is known as the “Rochester Street Massacre.” You cnformayioman google the i
s
There was never a request for Mr. Diallo ID…With guns point at Mr Diallo 4 white plainclothes yell HEY YOU….Scared Mr. Diallo thought he was going to be killed rob and or attack…Mr. Diallo ran and was chase and murder by four NYPD plainclothes cops that fire 41 bullet at a unarmed human being! It was the 4 cops that mistaken a wallet for a gun….And the court system believe that obvious LIE!!
SADDAM AND AMERICAN POLICE AND SHARIA LAW ALL THE SAME
As a American I’m a shame of my country at how it value black American life! Especially how America has dismiss the death of 7 year old Aiyana Jones. A black unarmed innocent black female child that was murdered by a white male Detroit cop. Burn with a flash bomb then shot dead in the head! Aiyana Jones did nothing wrong and even after being told that there were children in the home. The white Detroit cop continue his violent attack on the home in search of a murder suspect that live in the upper part of the home!
The neighborhood was black the people yelling there are children in the home were black. So the white officer present could careless about the children inside. In those white officer eyes those black children are seen as less then human. The American society and the American justice system we live in has in the past OK the murder of innocent black children! Or should I say has accuse the officer of any wrong doing!
Now on the other hand this country started a war in Iraq base on a lie! Then after finding out it was a lie STAY in the country. Then change the reason. Now America is there to liberate Iraqi citizen. Bush/ Cheney administration saw that President Saddam was killing beating innocent unarmed Iraqi citizen. There was talk he murder 100 young unarmed innocent male Iraqi citizen. Saddam treatment of Iraqi citizen was seen by the Bush /Cheney administration as horrible and a coward move.
But in this country we can burn to death 76 human being in WACO Texas then claim America has clean hands. How America can stand by and watch black children murdered by mostly white American male police officers! How American can witness on videotape a black man handcuffed and shot in the back. Oscar Grant was fatally shot by a white BART police officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California, United States, in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2009.
Today in this country Muslim are the newest hated human being and Muslim Sharia Law” is condemn by American government! Rep. Peter King has hearing on Muslim against America. That has result in investigating innocent Muslim citizen.
Detroit police officers kill American citizens at a higher rate than police in any other big US city, according to FBI statistics made public by the Detroit Free Press Monday, May 15. Detroit had a rate of 0.92 fatal shootings per 100,000 residents, far higher than New York and Los Angeles, two cities recently scandalized by revelations of widespread police killings and brutality.
In eight cases, Detroit officers said they fired because people came at them with weapons, but autopsies found the victims were shot in the back. One such case in November 1997 involved Hong Leong, a 40-year-old factory worker with a history of mental illness. Police officers John Borgens and James Pratt chased Leong’s car into a dead-end street after he screeched his tires while rounding a corner. The police said Leong, apparently drunk, climbed out his car with a 12-gauge shotgun, fired into the air and yelled, “Go ahead and shoot me!”
Police said they shot Leong when he turned on them with the gun. He died of 12 to 16 shots to the back and the palm of one hand. Although police evidence technicians found the shotgun had never been fired outside of Leong’s truck, both homicide detectives and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office said the officers shot in self-defense.
Bottom line American police officers are just as evil as Saddam and worse THEY LIE!
AIYANA JONES GOT NO JUSTICE AND NO PUBLIC OUT CRY
After hearing that nobody will pay for the death of Caylee Anthony. I was outrage but not surprise! Ones again white on white crime would not be acknowledge and white American justice would win again. The public out cry has turn into death threat to the jurors and the judge! Protector shout out again the verdict and Casey Anthony. In Florida many residents in Casey’s family neighborhood state they don’t want Casey to return. It would not be save for her in Florida.
The public can’t believe with the amount of evident against Casey Anthony. She got off! There is so much outrage and condemning the justice system. For allowing a murderer of a child to walk free!
Now change the race of the murder victim from white to black. Seven year old Aiyana Jones didn’t receive near as much out cry from the public! Matter of fact many whites American said nothing! When a white Detroit police officers raided the home of Aiyana Jones. They were in search of a murder suspect that lived in the above apartment of Aiyana Jones. Before entering the property many in the neighborhood shouted. There are children inside.
It didn’t matter the children were black the neighborhood was black. The police see black people as less then human. Especially white police officers! Disrespect of black life is the way of life in the USA! Hate and divide is practice in America!
So the cop threw a flash bomb into the property which lit a sleeping Aiyana on fire. Then kick in the door and fire a shot into the neck of Aiyana. Killing the unarmed innocent child! Later the cop would lie and blame the reason the child was shot on the grandmother! TOTAL LIE! Had the cops knock on the door they would have found out that the suspect was asleep in the upstairs apartment!
In Atlanta GA. Black senior citizen 92 year old Kathryn Johnston met the same fate as Aiyana Jones. The different the three white police officers totally raided the wrong home! There was no suspect. They had a no knock warrant so they kicked in the door! Then fire 39 shots at Ms. Johnston. Six hit their mark killing Ms. Johnston. As she lay dying the lowlife police officer put a gun in her hand and drugs in her basement!
Then they tried to get a black man to say he brought drugs from Ms. Johnston. He refuse! In their report the cops stated. That Ms. Johnston fire on them first LIE! They stated that drugs were brought from the home LIE! 7 year old Aiyana Jones and 92 year old Kathryn Johnston had one thing in common NO NOBODY CARES THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED!
AMERICAN POLICE FORCE NO BETTER THEN SHARIA LAW
I was stupid enough to think that the Abner Louima incident would change America’s racist and terrorist police departments around the country. This was one of the most outragous assalts against a American citizen by authority. Yes there have been worse but this was made known. The amount of hatred and disrespect it took to rape a citizen in law enforcement custody to violate the law to do it. Had to be of the highest!
NYPD officer Justin Volpe initially pleaded not guilty to several counts of violating Louima’s civil rights, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to police. Midway through the trial, Volpe changed his plea to guilty, confessing to having sodomized Louima. Despite the fact that Louima had several broken teeth, Volpe denied that he ever struck Louima in the mouth with the stick and claimed that he only put it very close to Louima’s mouth. Volpe also admitted that he had threatened Louima’s life. On December 13, 1999, Volpe was sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole, a $525 fine and restitution in the amount of $277,495.
Charles Schwarz was convicted on June 27, 2000 for helping Volpe assault Louima in the bathroom and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. At the time of his conviction, there were numerous questions raised about whether he could receive a fair trial in the highly charged atmosphere. Volpe identified Thomas Wiese, not Schwarz, as the second man in a recorded interview on news show 60 Minutes, a fact not brought up in the trial. The conviction was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which found that Schwarz was denied a fair trial. However, in 2002 he pleaded guilty to a perjury charge for testifying that he did not lead Louima to the bathroom, and was sentenced to five years in prison.
His request for leniency was rejected on March 30, 2006. He was released to a halfway house in February 2007 with plans to move to the northern United States to work as a carpenter.
Three other NYPD officers, Thomas Bruder, Michael Bellomo and Thomas Wiese were indicted for their involvement in trying to cover up the assault. On March 9, 2000, Thomas Wiese and Thomas Bruder along with Charles Schwarz were convicted on the charge of conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation into the assault on Louima, but their conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court in February 2002 on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Michael Bellomo was found not guilty of trying to cover up the beating of Louima and that of another Haitian immigrant by Volpe earlier that evening.
The Abner Louima case showed the country and the world that racism is alive and well and the American justice system is a joke! It also expose that the supervision that are suppose
AMERICAN POLICE FORCE NO BETTER THEN SHARIA LAW
I was stupid enough to think that the Abner Louima incident would change America’s racist and terrorist police departments around the country. This was one of the most outragous assalts against a American citizen by authority. Yes there have been worse but this was made known. The amount of hatred and disrespect it took to rape a citizen in law enforcement custody to violate the law to do it. Had to be of the highest!
NYPD officer Justin Volpe initially pleaded not guilty to several counts of violating Louima’s civil rights, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to police. Midway through the trial, Volpe changed his plea to guilty, confessing to having sodomized Louima. Despite the fact that Louima had several broken teeth, Volpe denied that he ever struck Louima in the mouth with the stick and claimed that he only put it very close to Louima’s mouth. Volpe also admitted that he had threatened Louima’s life. On December 13, 1999, Volpe was sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole, a $525 fine and restitution in the amount of $277,495.
Charles Schwarz was convicted on June 27, 2000 for helping Volpe assault Louima in the bathroom and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. At the time of his conviction, there were numerous questions raised about whether he could receive a fair trial in the highly charged atmosphere. Volpe identified Thomas Wiese, not Schwarz, as the second man in a recorded interview on news show 60 Minutes, a fact not brought up in the trial. The conviction was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which found that Schwarz was denied a fair trial. However, in 2002 he pleaded guilty to a perjury charge for testifying that he did not lead Louima to the bathroom, and was sentenced to five years in prison.
His request for leniency was rejected on March 30, 2006. He was released to a halfway house in February 2007 with plans to move to the northern United States to work as a carpenter.
Three other NYPD officers, Thomas Bruder, Michael Bellomo and Thomas Wiese were indicted for their involvement in trying to cover up the assault. On March 9, 2000, Thomas Wiese and Thomas Bruder along with Charles Schwarz were convicted on the charge of conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation into the assault on Louima, but their conviction was reversed by a federal appeals court in February 2002 on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Michael Bellomo was found not guilty of trying to cover up the beating of Louima and that of another Haitian immigrant by Volpe earlier that evening.
The Abner Louima case showed the country and the world that racism is alive and well and the American justice system is a joke! It also expose that the supervision that are suppose
Big ups to this judge for providing a discernable amount of justice.