Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper August 17 2013

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Volume 122 No. 2

August 17, 2013 - August 17, 2013, The Afro-American A1 $1.00

AUGUST 17, 2013 - AUGUST 23, 2013

Holder Rejects Mandatory Minimum Sentences By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO

Eric Holder

INSIDE A6 March on Washington

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Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement on Aug. 12 of a set of prosecutorial reforms, including ways of avoiding mandatory sentences for lowlevel drug offenses, is being praised by people on both sides of the ideological aisle. “I think this will be pretty well received whether you look at it from a social justice perspective or a fiscal perspective,” said Chris Deutsch, spokesman, National Association of Drug Court Professionals. “It appeals to people over a broad spectrum. Everyone is ready for a change.” In his speech to the American Bar Association in San Francisco, Holder said Justice Department officials have worked for months on proposals to begin fixing a “broken” criminal justice system that is rife with disparities.

Jesse Jackson Jr., Wife, Sentenced to Federal Prison Terms By Alexis Taylor AFRO Staff Writer Former Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) and Sandra Stevens Jackson, his wife, were handed federal prison sentences in exchange for their involvement in the misuse of campaign funds and tax fraud Aug. 14, according to the Associated Press. Both sides of the political power couple were sentenced to jail time, with the son of the famous civil rights leader receiving a 30-month term and his wife, a former Chicago alderman for Ward 7, receiving a 12-month sentence followed by a year of supervised release. “I misled the American people,” Jackson said in a simple statement following the sentencing, which comes months after both he and his wife pleaded guilty to avoid a long, drawnout court trial. The couple came under fire after Mrs. Jackson filed a joint tax return for the pair that didn’t include all of their income. According to information released by the U.S Attorney’s Office, the couple lived a lavish lifestyle off monies intended to help Jackson become reelected to his seat in the House of Representatives. Roughly $750, 000 Continued on A6

Continued on A3

Water Pollution From Coal Plants Threatens U.S.

Tyrone West Death Investigation May Take Weeks

Family Demands Justice Department Action By Krishana Davis AFRO Staff Writer It could take weeks before the autopsy report for Tyrone West, 44, who died in police custody on July 18, is released, according to a spokesman for the Maryland State Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore. West was killed after an altercation with police which started when he was pulled over for an alleged traffic violation in the 1300 block of Kitmore Rd. in Northeastern Baltimore. Police said he struggled with officers after refusing to allow them to search his vehicle for drugs, said

Jesse L. Jackson Jr.

Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez of the Baltimore Police Department. Eight Baltimore police officers and one Morgan State University officer were involved in the incident. Initially, there was no action taken against the eight Baltimore police officers. But days later, the officers were suspended and placed on paid administrative leave, said police spokesman Vernon Davis. Morgan refused to disclose what action, if any, has been taken with the campus officer. Family members of Continued on A4

By Zenitha Prince Special to the AFRO A coalition of environmental organizations recently released a report claiming that coal-fired power plants have become the premier source of toxic water pollution in the United States, annually dumping billions of pounds of noxious discharge into the nation’s waterways with impunity. And, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, water pollution from power plants is expected to increase as pollutants are increasingly captured by air pollution controls and transferred to wastewater discharges. “In short, coal plants have used our rivers, lakes, and streams as their own private waste dumps for decades,”

stated the report, “Closing the Floodgates: How the Coal Industry Is Poisoning Our Water and How We Can Stop It.” Environmental researchers

combed through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database and Continued on A5

Wikimedia Commons

Power plants discharge approximately 2.2 million pounds per year of nitrogen to the Chesapeake Bay alone, according to the “Closing the Floodgates” report.

Baltimore City Council Clears First Stage of Harbor Point Funding By Blair Adams AFRO Staff Writer

Architect’s rendering of Harbor Point at project completion

Copyright © 2013 by the Afro-American Company

Following weeks of protests and rallies against city backing of a private real estate development, the Baltimore City Council voted Aug. 12 to fund needed infrastructure for Harbor Point, a development that is slated to rest on a portion of the city’s waterfront. The planned mix of residences and commercial businesses, which is to include the headquarters of energy giant Exelon, is to sprawl over 27.4 acres and expected to cost $1 billion to Continued on A4


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