No civil rights charges in the Sean Bell murder case

The United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday that after a "careful and thorough review" it will not pursue federal civil rights charges against police officers involved in the 2006 shooting death of Sean Bell citing insufficient evidence.

 there is not enough evidence to prove that New York Police Department detectives "acted willfully" when they fired approximately 50 bullets at Sean Bell and his friends the night of November 25, 2006.  Bell, 23, had been at a nightclub in Queens for a bachelor party with friends hours before he was to marry the mother of his two young children.  The shooting occurred after an altercation with the plainclothes detectives in a parking lot.  Neither Bell nor his friends were armed.  Two of his friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, were seriously injured when the officers opened fire.

Detectives Gescard Isnora, Marc Cooper, and Michael Oliver -- who fired his gun 31 times that night, pausing to reload his weapon -- were acquitted of all charges in April 2008 prompting a statement from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg saying the acquittal was "inexplicable...and...unacceptable...it sounds to me like excessive force was used."  Rev. Al Sharpton, Bell's fiancee and 200 others were arrested in the ensuing widespread protests sparked by the verdict.

Tuesday's DOJ statement explained that federal criminal civil rights charges hinge on prosecutors establishing that officers deliberately deprived the victims of their constitutional rights, and intended to break the law.

 "Neither accident, mistake, fear, negligence nor bad judgment is sufficient to establish a federal criminal civil rights violation," the statement says.  Rev. Al Sharpton released a rebuttal statement expressing his "extreme disappointment in the decision" and saying he may join with the Bell family in a civil lawsuit "to try and bring some justice...Fifty shots on an unarmed man who engaged in no crime is intolerable."

Source:  CNN

Rev. Al Sharpton's women were arrested

According to the New York Post, Rev. Al Sharpton's ex-wife and daughter were arrested Friday night after an alleged road rage incident. According to police, Kathy Jordan, 53, and her daughter, Dominique Sharpton, 23, were placed handcuffed and taken to a police precinct where they were issued desk-appearance tickets and released; they were stopped after his daughter got tired of trailing behind a slow-moving un-marked police car. Allegedly, she honked her horn, tailgated the vehicle, and eventually illegally passed the car in a no-passing zone while running a red light. Sharpton and Jordan also allegedly tried to use the Reverend's name to get out of the charges. There will undoubtedly be much more revealed about this developing story in time.

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Always and Forever the King of Pop

Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest last night in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California in front of his famous family and approximately 200 of their closest friends. After the arrival of the 26 car Jackson family motorcade, Michael's five brothers carried the $30,000 golden casket wearing a single sequined glove on their left hands along with purple armbands embroidered with crowns. His three children, Blanket, Prince, and Paris, placed a crown atop his casket to remind all he is still the King of Pop. Pastor Lucius Smith officiated and Gladys Knight sang "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" followed by Clifton Davis singing "Never Can Say Goodbye." Davis wrote the hit for Michael and the young Jackson 5 when they were at Motown. Statements by Michael's father, Joe Jackson, and family friend, Rev. Al Sharpton were not allowed to be heard by members of the press.

Among others in attendance were Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Records, producer and close friend Quincy Jones, Elizabeth Taylor, "Dangerous" producer Teddy Riley, Suzanne de Passe, producer of a Jackson 5 miniseries, actor and perennial Michael impersonator Chris Tucker, Macaulay Culkin, Corey Feldman, Kenny Ortega producer of Michael's "This Is It" concerts. Michael's lawyer Thomas Mesereau and first wife Lisa Marie Presley also attended. Michael's second wife and the mother of his two oldest children, Debbie Rowe did not attend.

Michael's brothers lifted his casket one last time for his final moonwalk into the Great Mausoleum while Gladys Knight led the mourners in "The Lord's Prayer." The mausoleum is also the burial place for Nat King Cole, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Stewart, Jean Harlow, Red Skelton, and Walt Disney, among many others. Modeled after ancient Italian architecture, the posh mausoleum boasts acres of marble, gilt structures, and stained glass as well as a reproduction of Leonardo DaVinci's "The Last Supper" and Michelangelo sculptures. The Great Mausoleum is under constant 24-hour video and ground surveillance. The crypts are not open to public viewing.

Harlem Transforms to Neverland East

Rev. Al is available to appear at your family reunion with Pookie and dem this summer as he busts a move at the Michael Jackson Tribute this past Wednesday at the Apollo Theatre.