Update and Outcry for Help!
February 23, 2010
Dear Concerned Community Citizen,
Anyone who believes and is interested in greater enforcement for senior citizens establish rights and protection should join this fight and support Betty Harmon a daughter of a senior citizen who died by homicide according to autopsy performed by prominent Dr Okoye out of Nebraska.
Please join us in our efforts to restore confidence in our judicial system here in the City of Fresno and across America. Where there is 1 victory in one case there is victory for others.
In 2008 the daughter (Betty Harmon) of victim, (Ms Lilly Harmon), filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Fresno.
Many are already aware, within the past 5 years struggle for justice for homicide victim Mrs. Lilly Harmon, the daughter (Betty Harmon) and the organization (NNIA) the President Floyd Harris has had with the Fresno City Law enforcement agencies where they had initially denied and ultimately failed to provide a timely and efficient investigation, whereby murderers are still walking around in our community.
The City of Fresno from the beginning refused to take a report from a daughter and investigate a senior citizen reported crime that had supporting evidence. Now, the situation has turned into a large scale conspiracy to keep homicide case out of court, due to continual cover up of (mandated reporter) 1 bad cop's decision not to take report.
She needs your financial support to assist in court costs and now impending costs for appeal to Supreme Court to grant waiver of statue limitations to allow case to be heard in court. .
Daughter has been faced with a denial to hear case in court due to statue of limitations. The United States Court of Appeals, ninth district is not granting Betty Harmon equitable tolling, normally granted under extenuating circumstances, like the ones of Ms Harmon.
To get up to date information regarding this case please go to http://justiceforlillymaeharmon.org/.
The Fresno Bee in May of 2007, alerted the community highlighting this case, thereby clearly showing the oversight by local law agencies and we since have received numerous calls and support for change. Calls were in respect to individuals with similar cases of negligence showing a pattern of practice here in the City of Fresno.
There is a magnanimous concern and growing effort here in the City of Fresno to bring an oversight agency to restore confidence back to our communities and that every thing is being done properly in regards to law enforcement approach and their legal responsibility to our community.
With the success of this case are hope is to set a precedence here in the City of Fresno, that local law enforcement misconduct/ violations against civil liberties will not be tolerated and that they must operate by a standard set for all people without discrimination.
With Your Help We Can Make a Difference.
Please generously help us to gather needed funds to uphold the rights of Mrs. Lilly M Harmon and prevent future tragedies here in the City of Fresno.
The Needs Are:
- To retain a lawyer for civil litigations in the Wrongful Death/ Malpractice and Civil Rights/ Mandated Reporter Violations.
- Encourage the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. to perform a thorough investigation into why four major departments here in the City of Fresno refused/failed after 5 years to investigate a reported homicide.
- Determine the level of crime the Fresno Police Department, a mandated reporter by federal law has committed by refusing to report to appropriate officials within 24-48 hours that an elder abuse crime had been committed.
At this time we would like to thank all the community for their efforts at this point, and would encourage you now even more so to assist the call for help in the final step, which is justice in court.
Your donations will support this worthy cause for the common good of all our community. Together, we can make sure that Mrs Lilly M Harmon's case will have a fair, proper and much needed legal representation.
FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY!
Justice For Mrs. Lilly M Harmon Committee
2703 W Ashlan Ave, Sp 155
Fresno, Ca 93705
Ph 559-264-5126, 612-961-7651
Federal Lawsuit Initiated Against City of Fresno
Rev. Floyd D. Harris, Jr.
National President - National Network In Action
At a press conference in front of Fresno City Hall on December 17, 2007, Reverend Floyd D. Harris, Jr. - National President of National Network In Action - gave public notice of the intent to file a Federal law suit by Betty Harmon against the City of Fresno. Betty's mother, Lilly Mae Harmon, died under tragic and suspicious circumstances. Betty had reported to law enforcement officials her belief that her mother was murdered by poison and had presented evidence of this and other crimes committed against her mother. She believes that the Fresno Police Department not only failed in any type of response but also discriminated against her deceased mother and her because of age, race, and social status.
The City of Fresno and its Police Department have clearly demonstrated that people of color do not share in the same equal protections under the law. Based upon the attitudes concerning investigating crimes against people of color, it has become clear that Fresno is actually two cities. One is black; the other is white. They are totally separate and unequal. However, we cannot allow fifty years of progress to slide backwards when it comes to justice and equality toward people of color.
pictured, front, left to right
Charles Harmon, Betty Harmon, Gloria Hernandez
Betty Harmon is a community member who lost her mother under tragic and suspicious circumstances. When she took her concerns to the Fresno Police Department, she found that their motto to "protect and serve" had limitations. Not only did she have to hire a private investigator to track down and prosecute her case, but she had to pay out of her own pockets for services that taxpayers delegate to the police. The people of color in Fresno demand justice and equal protection under California law and the Constitution of the United States.
If we allow the police and city officials to turn their heads and ignore social harms towards citizens of color (as they did in the case of the late Lilly Mae Harmon); If we allow the trend to continue that people of color must hire their own private investigators to achieve social justice (as they did to Betty Harmon); We allow a standard to be set in this community that people of color must pay for their own autopsy in order to qualify for police investigative intervention; then we bring back an era where people of color do not matter. No hope; No voice; No vote; No power.
All photos and video on this page by Mike Rhodes