SEARCHING FOR JUSTICE

HENDERSON - Ever feel like you know something is wrong, but you don't have
the resources to make a change?

Frank Ditto, executive director of the Henderson/Rusk County Concerned
Citizens, said he has felt that way most of his life, but continues to try
to educate the public on the injustices of the Texas prison system,
specifically as it relates to minorities.

During a two-day workshop at the True Vine Baptist Church, topics ranging
from open records requests and pro bono lawyers to bond reductions were
covered, each drawing different opinions from the participants.

The workshop, organized by Ditto and the Rev. James Loftin, featured the
Rev. Allan Bean of Tulia as the guest speaker.

Bean, director of the Friends of Justice in Tulia, was on hand to lend
advice and experience to the Rusk County residents.

Bean and his wife, Nancy, were instrumental in calling attention to the drug
charges and convictions brought against individuals in Tulia by then-police
officer Tom Coleman - charges since determined to be unfounded.

Forty-six people, 39 of them black, were arrested in July 1999 and accused
of possessing cocaine following an 18-month undercover operation.

Thirty-eight defendants were convicted or accepted plea bargains for fear
they would get long prison sentences at the hands of a jury.

Of the other eight, seven cases were dismissed and one person died before
trial began.

Fourteen of the 38 defendants who were still imprisoned have been released
because Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a bill allowing them to be freed on
personal recognizance bonds while the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
considers their cases. Perry also has asked the Texas Board of Pardons and
Parole to review the cases.

Seated around a folding table in the bare-bones church, eight people from
vastly different backgrounds dove into full throttle discussions on race,
the justice system and perceived corruptions.

"I want to know what I can do in my community so my great-grandchildren
don't have to fight the same battles I have," Ditto said.

"Community work is just a part of me. I wake up in the morning doing it, and
I go to sleep thinking about the work I can do the next day."

Ditto and Bean share a unique camaraderie, each championing individual
rights and staying abreast of the legal system. They met through mutual
contacts more than two years ago, after which Ditto traveled to Tulia to
"further the Friends of Justice's commitment to free the citizens from the
shameful and false arrests," Ditto explained.

"Ordinary people like me and you generally don't want to think that anything
is wrong, or they choose to stay in the dark," Bean said. "I know, because I
used to be that way.

"But when I started to see that there are problems and people do get sent to
prison when they are innocent, it makes me take action."

The purpose of the workshop was not to reach a solution in 48 hours, but to
share resources, ideas and enthusiasm.

"We have serious problems in Rusk County and we need to talk about it
instead of being apathetic," Ditto said. "Even though we are just talking
here, we are still being active. I encourage people to go sit in on cases at
the Rusk County Courthouse so they can better understand what happens there.
It's a classic case of not caring until it happens to you."

Bean, referring to the Tulia situation, responded that it only takes one
person to make a difference.

"As far as the media was concerned, the Tulia drug bust was not only a
positive thing when it happened, but soon after it was a dead story," Bean
said. "Then when one person starts asking questions, people are forced to
look deeper."

Ditto wanted to take the events of Tulia and apply them to Rusk County,
where he said he sees many faults with the justice system.

"I'm no lawyer, but I'm no fool either," Ditto said. "I am concerned about
the way things are in the jails enough to care and investigate. My ideas are
based on my observations and all I want is to expose the truth."

For information on Henderson/Rusk County Concerned Citizens, call Ditto at
(903) 822-3701 or e-mail at fditto70@eastex.net.