PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION BREXTON REALTY
Volume 121 No. 44
Brexton REXTON R B rEALTY ealty
SERVING & SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY
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JUNE 8, 2013 - JUNE 14, 2013
Supreme Court OK’s DNA Sampling During Arrests Critics Say May Adversely Impact Minorities
who are arrested and you would have a database full of minorities,” said Curtis. “There is something intrinsically wrong with that.” Over the first three years of implementation, the state has extracted DNA samples from more than 33,000 men in Maryland; 61 percent of those men are African American. The Supreme Court ruling reverses a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling in Maryland v. King, which nullified the conviction and life sentence of Jay Alonzo King in a 2003 rape case. King was arrested in Wicomico County in April 2009 on assault charges. DNA evidence taken during his arrest then connected him to the 2003 rape. The ACLU of Maryland, Maryland NAACP and the State Legislative Black Caucus were instrumental in lobbying for a contingency in the 2009 Maryland DNA collection law, which placed limits on DNA swabbing only on those arrested for serious crimes including murder, rape, first-degree assault, kidnapping, arson sexual assault and other similar crimes. In the majority opinion by the court, Justice Anthony Kennedy compared the DNA sampling to other methods of identifying offenders such as fingerprinting. “DNA identification of arrestees is a reasonable search that Continued on A4
By Krishana Davis AFRO Staff Writer Civil rights experts and privacy advocates say the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to approve DNA sampling during arrests for “serious” crimes will disproportionately impact minorities. Larry Gibson, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, said he was disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision in the ruling on Maryland’s DNA collection law. He said minorities could be negatively impacted by the ruling based on the continued use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers against people of color. Meredith Curtis, a spokesperson for American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, agreed. “There is a disproportionately high number of minorities
New Prince George’s Education Board Chair Selected By Krishana Davis and Courtney Jacobs AFRO Staff Writers Newly appointed Prince George’s County School Board Chair Segun Eubanks said his first task is to integrate a highly qualified superintendent and a reconstituted school board and to develop a new agenda geared towards student achievement and parental and community involvement. In an interview with the AFRO, Eubanks, who was appointed by Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III on June 1, said, “Education is one of the key factors for economic justice for poor people and people of color.” Eubanks, a Bowie resident, has spent most of his 30-year professional career as a public education advocate, mostly for urban, high-needs schools. Eubanks was a director of teacher quality for the National Education Association, the nation’s best known education advocacy organization. The two youngest of Eubanks’ four children are Prince George’s County Public School students. Continued on A4
Arlington National Cemetery Event Honors Civil Rights Martyr Medgar Evers By Zachary Lester AFRO Staff Writer
Ken Ulman
Anthony Brown
INSIDE A3
Washington View
The Supreme Court and Privacy Violation
B5
Rev. Harold A. Carter Sr.
Celebration of a ‘Determined’ Life
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Lt. Gov. Brown Taps Howard County Exec. Ulman for Running Mate By Ariel Medley Special to the AFRO Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, who hopes to move into the state’s top executive post after next year’s election, has named Howard County Executive Ken Ulman as his running mate. Brown (D), who hails from Prince George’s County, made the announcement June 4 in Columbia. “Ken has proven to be an extraordinary, energetic, experienced and accomplished county executive,” Brown said. “He is focused on results and under his leadership, residents of Howard County have benefited and enjoyed success.” Elected county executive in 2006, Ulman has worked to ensure that Howard County remains, as Money magazine puts it, one of the “Best Places to Live” in America. Ulman has aimed to improve schools, increase jobs and provide health care options to uninsured county residents through the “Healthy Howard Health Plan,” according to a statement. Howard County is known for having the number one ranked schools in the state and the lowest unemployment rates in Maryland, officials said. “I’ve known Ken for years,” said Brown. “We met while working through public service about 10 years ago…
Medgar Evers served his country in the U.S. Army in World War II and returned to his home state of Mississippi to do battle against discrimination and segregation. He was recognized around the country for his efforts and hated by racists determined to keep Blacks from attaining the rights they deserved as citizens. Early on the morning of June 12, 1963, Evers, the field secretary for the NAACP in Mississippi, was fatally shot in the driveway of his home in Jackson by He was even a guest at my wedding…He’s a likeable guy,” he said. “I look forward to the partnership.” Brown spoke of Ulman’s value in partnerships and collaboration. “He’s a relationships guy,” said Brown. “He has demonstrated his ability to collaborate with the business community and with partners on the federal and state government level.” Brown spoke proudly of Ulman’s commitment to public service and enthusiasm to get started. He characterized Ulman as a “good listener” who will be successful on the campaign trail as a result. “You need to know the dreams and aspirations of the people,” he said. “Active listening, that is how you better understand and better govern.” Ulman’s experience as the chief exec in a successful county makes him prime to assist at the top, officials said. “Gov. O’Malley and I have redefined the role of the lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor is now expected to be a fully operational partner and I believe Ken has the skill and enthusiasm to take on the responsibility,” he said. “I am looking forward to campaigning with him.”
a coward hiding in some bushes with a rifle with a telescopic lens. His wife, Myrlie, and their children, Darrell Kenyatta, Reena Denise, and James Van, had been waiting up for him to come home from an organizing meeting. On June 5, his widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, former President Bill Clinton, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, NAACP Chairman Roslyn Brock, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous and others gathered at his grave at Arlington National Cemetery to honor his memory at a wreathContinued on A5
NAACP Photo
L to R: President Bill Clinton; Derrick Johnson, president of Mississippi NAACP; Benjamin Jealous, NAACP president and CEO; James Van Evers, son of Medgar Evers and Myrlie Evers-Williams, who was presented an NAACP flag by Jealous.
Arson Fires
Prince George’s Officials Offer $10,000 Reward
Fire/EMS Department, the Laurel Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Prince The Prince George’s County officials are George’s County police. offering a $10,000 reward for information “Members of the community have leading to the arrest and conviction of the been providing great information to fire person responsible for a string of arson fires in investigators, which they have been following the Laurel area. up on,” Prince George’s Fire Department Since the beginning of the year, there have spokesman Mark E. Brady told the AFRO. been a total of nine fires in Laurel at various He said the fire department has yet to community parks and businesses prompting an identify a suspect or motive in the arson fires, investigation by the Prince George’s County but investigators are actively encouraging residents to send in videos, photos and all other tips to their arson hotline. “It’s hard to say what motivates an arsonist,” Brady said. One of the parks which was set ablaze was Discovery Community Park. The March 3 fire caused more than $100,000 in damage to the facility, fire officials said. Just one month after the fire, on June 3, local residents celebrated the reopening of the park, which was equipped with new playground Twitter Photo equipment. New playground equipment has been installed to On March 11, a second fire replace the equipment burned in a fire on March 3 that was started at Emancipation authorities now believe was arson. The playground Community Park, located officially was reopened on June 2. Continued on A4 By Krishana Davis AFRO Staff Writer
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