From the Metro Desk of the Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog.Com (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

Members of a grassroots organization formed in 2009 after the remains of 11 Black women were discovered on Imperial Ave at the home of suspected serial killer Anthony Sowell will for the third time picket in front of the home of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, 2327 E. 38th St in Cleveland. The widely expected protest will be at noon Sat, April 9.

Contact persons are Kathy Wray Coleman at 216-932-3114 and Roz McAllister at 216-577-0466.

The Imperial Women say that Jackson has blocked a necessary investigation as to Sowell's release from custody in 2008 when Gladys Wade reported an attempted rape to police and that his administration has not done enough to make Black and other women in Cleveland safe.

"This protest is long overdue and I will be there to help lead it," said Roz McAllister, a member of the Imperial Women who has protested on several occasions with other community activists as to the Imperial Ave Murders. "We invite others to join us."

According to a CNN television report that ran earlier this year, after police went to Sowell's home after arresting him around Wade's complaint and smelled death with blood that lined the walls, city officials still let Sowell go in Dec. 2008 saying Wade, who is Black, was not credible. Six of the 11 women were murdered thereafter and questions have arisen as to whether Sowell was released because of a then upcoming mayoral election and he had lived with the mayor's niece during the time of the celebrated murders of the innocent Black women.

A former marine who served 15 years in prison for attempted rape before being accused of the heinous murders that have rocked the predominantly Black major metropolitan city, Sowell, 51, has since been indicted by a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury on the attempted rape of Wade and awaits trial scheduled for June 6 before Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dick Ambrose on that and numerous other criminal charges including aggravated murder, rape, kidnapping and abuse of a corpse.

The Imperial Women also complain that Black women are targets of the mayor's all non-Black top level law enforcement leadership team where Jackson, who is Black, has appointed no Blacks or women as chief of police, safety director, ems commissioner, chief prosecutor or law director, the latter position held by Robert Triozzi, whom activists say is maliciously prosecuting Black women for Jackson. He then, says activists, personally hands some of the cases to Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lynn McLaughlin Murray who then violates the law and other authorities, data reveal, to further the harassment in exchange for Jackson's endorsement to the seat she has to run to hold on to this year.

"We do not need a Black mayor buying corrupt White judges like McLaughlin Murray to fix cases and harass Black women in exchange for his endorsement and obviously because he has hostility against Black women." said Kathy Wray Coleman, a leader of the Imperial Women "The Jackson administration must also accept some responsibility for the Imperial Ave Murders and Sowell's release from police custody in 2008 and was this done because the mayor's niece was residing with this suspected serial killer?"

Coleman said the group wants Triozzi fired and others responsible for releasing Sowell in 2008, including Chief Prosecutor Victor Perez. The journalist and community activist says that McLaughlin Murray is harassing her for Jackson saying she wants to sentence her for not resisting an illegal arrest in 2008 for her community activism and writings in the Call and Post Newspaper even though sole White male arresting Cuyahoga County Deputy Sheriff Gerald Pace has not accused her of resisting his arrest or any other crime and did not testify against her as required via the confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment.

"I have been repeatedly threatened allegedly for McLaughlin Murray and for Jackson for leading a protest in front of the Justice Center on Nov. 10, 2009 and in front of of the mayor's home in Dec 2009 around the Imperial Ave. Murders," said Coleman. "And I will, among others, lead the protest in front of his home next month since he is a bully and believes that he can buy White female judges and others to harass Black activists, journalists and Black women, along with his racist and corrupt law director. The mayor has yet to apologize to the families of the murder victims on behalf of the city because he thinks they are beneath him."

Coleman said that Jackson has ordered McLaughlin Murray to try to jail her before Sowell's trial so she cannot lead a protest on the issue, and that because the judge is obsessed with holding on to the seat that she was appointed to in Jan by outgoing Gov. Ted Strickland, it appears that she will do anything for Jackson and others who can help her win, regardless of whether she is being eyed by the Cleveland FBI.

"They will have to drag me before that judge since Deputy Pace, who illegally arrested me in 2008 for Jackson and others, did not accuse me of reisting his arrest or testify at trial and she has no legal basis to continue her harassment of me where her actions are unconstitutional and motivated by corruption, racial animus, and retaliation for free speech issues," said Coleman. "This is Jackson and Triozzi at work and numerous other people, including Whites, are being maliciously prosecuted by the city at Jackson's direction. The chief prosecutor should be an elected position rather than an appointed one that corrupt mayors like Jackson can directly influence to target their political enemies and others that will not kiss up to the mayor."

Also at issue is what activists say is the harassment by Jackson, Triozzi and McLaughlin Murray of Collinwood High School graduate Destini Bronaugh, 19, who is facing misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and obstruction of official business, charges brought by Triozzi for Jackson. The judge was handpicked for the case and harassed Bronaugh last week by ordering her to her courtroom alone, two days after the judge dismissed her paid attorney, following alleged impropriety lodged by the family. And when Bronaugh appeared without counsel before the judge  and did not waive the right to a attorney the McLaughlin Murray had the police that arrested her on May 13, 2010 in alleged retaliation for a peaceful student protest at the school around teacher layoffs and school closings there waiting, allegedly in an effort to intimidate the young Black woman.

Bronaugh is now represented by Attorney Anthony Jordan, a former chief prosecutor under former Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell, whom Jackson ousted in 2005. He won a second four-year term in 2009, just days after police and city officials announced what would ultimately become the remains of 11 Black women on Imperial Ave, a now infamous street on Cleveland's East Side of the city in the impoverished Mt. Pleasant area.

Other than Jackson, many Black leaders such as Cleveland Councilmen Terell Pruitt, T J Dow and Jeff Johnson, and State Sen. Nina Turner (D-25) are supporting Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Pinkey Carr for McLaughlin's seat as to the upcoming Nov. election for Cleveland Municipal Court judges.

Coleman said that Jackson also refused to timely investigate allegations that Rebecca Whitby, 25, was beat up unnecessarily and called a nigger by Cleveland Fifth District police in 2009, according to an elderly White neighbor who says she witnessed the incident.

"We do not despise police and support fair play for union members," said Coleman. "But it is obvious that if you are Black and female police, corrupt judges like McLaughlin Murray and other city officials can do as they please under the mayor's leadership, guidance or endorsement. "

The Imperial Women protested at Jackson's home in Dec. 2009 and thereafter the mayor created a a handpicked commission that issued a report that changed the way rape complaints are handled, though few of the recommendations have been implemented, and officials of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center said recently that enough has not been done. The second protest was held last summer at Jackson's home and, among other issues, also pertained to the Imperial Ave Murders and the unprecedented abuse by the Jackson administration of Black women, including malicious prosecutions on behalf of the city by Triozzi, who is accused of usurping the role of Perez to bring arbitrary criminal charges for Jackson and other area politicians.