Senators Address Student Protesters

Posted Oct 12, 2007 by Laura Fiorilli

Updated Oct 12, 2007 at 05:02 PM

Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa,  told the crowd of about 200 FAMU, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College students that she protested for civil rights 44 years ago as a FAMU student.

“I marched and fought and went to jail in this very county and, 44 years later, not much has changed,” she said.

Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, yelled into a bullhorn that it’s “open season on black children in Florida from this day forth.”

“The message is, you can beat em, you can kick em, you can drag em, you can throw em to the ground, you can do anything you want to, and nothing, absolutely nothing will happen to you,” she said.

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Lawyer to Gov: Put This In Your Pipe And Smoke It

Posted Oct 12, 2007 by Howard Altman

Updated Oct 12, 2007 at 05:27 PM

3:37 p.m. - Central Time

Some quotes from Tuquyen Mach, a reporter for News Channel 8’s affiliate Panama City affiliate:

“Maybe it’s time for the governor who interjected himself in this case to write the citizens of Florida a refund check.,” - Bob Sombathy, attorney for drill instructor Patrick Garrett.

“I’d like to say to Charlie Crist: Put this in your pipe and smoke it,” - Waylon Graham, attorney for drill instructor Charles Helms Jr.

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Protesters Arrive At Capitol

Posted Oct 12, 2007 by Catherine Dolinski

Updated Oct 12, 2007 at 05:10 PM

Between 100 and 200 college students have arrived at the capitol to protest the Martin Lee Anderson verdict.

“This is what democracy looks like,” students are chanting outside the capitol building. “No justice, no peace …”

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Gee: “We Spared No Resources”

Posted Oct 12, 2007 by Howard Altman

Updated Oct 12, 2007 at 03:46 PM

2:41 p.m. - Central Time

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office put a lot of effort into investigating Anderson’s death, says Sheriff David Gee.

The verdict, he says, “is a disappointment, but I was not in the jury room.”

“It was a lot of strain,” says Gee. “We had five people working full time. We had to start from scratch and we had some of our more experienced people on this.”

Gee says his office “did not spare any resources or expense. We did the best job we could.”

The sheriff had nothing but praise for the prosecution, which had “a very difficult case.”

“From the inside, I could see this was difficult,” says Gee. “No one thought it would be easy. It never is when you are dealing with medical evidence.”

The oft-played video was just one piece of the puzzle, says Gee.

“The video does not always tell the whole story,” he says. “When you get into a courtroom, there is the other part of it and that’s what we had here. Obviously, they were able to mount a successful defense.”

Gee, who says he did not pay close attention to the trial, says he was confident going in.

“Based on what I knew early on, I am surprised by the verdict,” he says.

“I was very confident about Dr Adams’ conclusion in the case,” says Gee. “he has proven to be a very outstanding medical examiner here for us.”
In the end, it was up to the jury, says Gee.

“You never know what is going to happen,” he says. “It’s about perceptions. You never know how someone else perceive will the evidence.”

As for the Anderson family, Gee says he has the same message he did when he first took on the case.

“They have our sympathies,” says Gee, “and I think the people on this end did the very best they could for them.”

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Rubio Offers To Meet With Marchers

Posted Oct 12, 2007 by Catherine Dolinski

Updated Oct 12, 2007 at 03:30 PM

House Speaker Marco Rubio said he would meet with FAMU students believed to be marching toward the capitol, if they so desired.

“The Martin Lee Anderson episode is a tragic episode in Florida’s history,” he said. “It’s an understatement to say it’s not one of our proudest moments. Anyone who sees that videotape understands that what happened there was a tragedy, and was unfortunate. I think everyone recognizes that for the most part.”

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