In the City of Philadelphia now is an almost unanimous sentiment that Mr. Seth Williams, the embattled District Attorney who last month was indicted on 23 counts of corruption, resign from office.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5, led by Mr. John McNesby – a man who objects to most police reforms and who last week met with U.S. President Mr. Donald J. Trump – is, pertaining to the issue of evicting Mr. Williams from office, on the same side as the most vocal of pro-police reform activists; and even Ms. Pam Africa, a revered revolutionary figure affiliated with the radical group MOVE, wants the same thing right now as Ms. Lynn Abraham, the former District Attorney of Philadelphia who as a judge signed the warrant that ultimately resulted in the 1985 Move Bombing that killed 11 men, women and children.
Seen as controversial persona to many Black Philadelphians, Ms. Abraham this week filed a suit in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas seeking to oust Mr. Williams on the basis that he, after suspending his law license pending the outcome of his trial, can’t legally serve as the District Attorney.
The lawsuit is unprecedented and valid, said both Mr. Michael Coard, a high-profile criminal defense attorney here in the City, and Mr. Linn Washington, Jr., a law professor at Temple University and a veteran news reporter, but the men noted that the messenger couldn’t be more off-putting.
In fact, on Tuesday afternoon, at a press conference outside the DA’s office where the racial and social justice community convened to issue a collective vote of no confidence in Mr. Williams and to amplify the calls for a resignation, many of the speakers present mentioned Ms. Abraham – who was given the moniker of ‘The Deadliest DA’ by The New York Times – by name, and in a manner that was less than flattering.
Mr. Coard said Ms. Abraham’s suit is like the “mad scientist” complaining about its monster.
“To the extent that Lynn Abraham would call for the resignation of the monster she created is the height of hypocrisy,” Mr. Coard told the assembled news media shortly after high noon on Tuesday.
Ms. Africa, who spoke exclusively to Techbook Online after the press conference, implied during her statement to journalists that someone should sue Ms. Abraham for murder.
“You got the devil going after its child,” said Ms. Africa, who claims that Ms. Abraham taught Seth how to be a perfect criminal. “I support the lawsuit, I don’t support Lynn Abraham.”
Mr. Washington, who was among the many journalists who covered Tuesday’s press conference, agreed with the activists, saying “the characters behind the lawsuit are suspect.”
Joining Ms. Abraham, who in 2015 ran for Mayor of Philadelphia, in the lawsuit is Mr. Richard Sprague, who Mr. Washington, a legitimate history buff, said was an Assistant District Attorney in the 60s and 70s.
“Anytime you have a white, female, right-wing former prosecutor and a black, male, left-wing criminal defense attorney calling for the same thing, it must be something to it. So it’s absolutely great that the message is being sent,” said Mr. Coard of the lawsuit, “but its being sent by the wrong messenger.”
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