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MICHAEL JACKSO'N
PINUP INSIDE
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51
ULE5.COU. TY POLICY
e' cleared the path of ro d
blocks and e're re dy to move abe d
. th rent rike ainst Action Ren-
tals," id Rev. athanieI Gathright,
pre 'dent of the Concerned Tenant
Organization (CTO) after a trip to
Lansing, April 23.
" e met with officials in the At­
torney General' office and the Depart­
ment of Social Service," id-Rev, Gath­
right.
The Berrien County Department
of Social Service (DSS) h d told the
Tenant group that if an aid client anted
to stop her vendor payments to the land­
lord, then DSS would cut off that client's
elter alIo ance completely, Rev. Gath-
right said.
e got a copy of the regulations
directly from the state DSS office, and
e were exactly right, Rev. Gathright
told The Citizen.
"As long the e ro ed rent is
not available to the tenant, but remains
in an escro account, then DSS has to
alIo that client her rights under the
landlord-tenant . ws of the state)" Rev.
G thrightexphdned.
DSS is suppo d to be sending u
.jhat interpretation is writing and also
forwarding a copy to the Berrien DSS
office, the Tenant president noted.
Last wee the CTO called a rent
BE TO HARBOR - Black youths
in the city are being "grabbed off the
reet and plunked in jail" in violation
of their Constitutional rights.
So charged Harold Han n he
ed the Michlgan pvil Rights Com­
mission for help with the Berrien County
j
Hanson' a Ufelong re dent of the
city and a member of the Twin Cities
Opportunities Inc. (TCO) a volunteer
group who help prisoner make the re­
turn to society from jail.
Hanson reeled off a Ii of ill includ­
ing: poor performance from "over­
worked" court appointed attorney; ex­
ce tve bonds for minor offenses; long
dalays before jailed defendants are
brought to trail; no attorney pre nt at
arraignment.
Hanson recounted one incident
which he said happen frequently.
Hanson said the story happened to
a neighbor of his, but TCO had four
such case documented.
According to Hanson the youth was
walking home from his girlfriend's one
night when he . wa opped and arrested
by the Ben on Harbor police. The youth
had 26 pennies in hi pocket.
Police took the youth to the scene of
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C C HEA
BE IE
VIOLATI
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a burglary. The youth' boots did not
m too the foot prints found by police-in
the ow, Han n said.
Despite having only 26 cent on him,
and no evidence of any stolen goods,
de pite his alibi of being with girl-
friend, despite his wrong-sized boots}
th youth with br and
ntering and bond stat 10,000.
The family could not afford the bond,
the youth - who had no prior record -
sat in jail.
Han n told the commission that
the problems the youth experienced . h
hi court-appointed attorney ere n t
unusual.
Attorneys may h ve five or .
c s each morning, Hanson td, and
will come to the defendant warning th t
the chanrges offense is pretty bad, and
advising the defendant -to pie d guilty
to a Ie r charge. The attorney do not
listen to the defendant's tory or prepare
a defense.
"The kid is scared, to death. He's
been tre tened with four to 15 ye r .
He's alre dy t in jail four to five months
- he 'II plead guilty to anything to get
out," Hanson 'd.
Continued on p 16