BREAKING ON GLADNEY TRIAL: SEIU Dragged in Bogus “Witness” Who Wasn’t Even at Scene of the Crime
Posted by Jim Hoft on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, 9:46 PM
SEIU DRAGGED IN BOGUS WITNESS TO SMEAR GLADNEY!
After a health care town hall meeting in August 2009 St. Louis native Kenneth Gladney was beaten, kicked and called racist names by Rep. Russ Carnahan’s SEIU supporters. Gladney spent the night in the hospital after the beating.
Yesterday the two SEIU goons who beat Gladney were found not guilty of any wrongdoing.
Yesterday I wrote about the SEIU’s “surprise witness” from left field. This surprise witness, who is also an SEIU activist, testified on Tuesday that she witnessed Kenneth Gladney “starting the fight” with two SEIU goons who were twice his size.
The SEIU “witness” was not at the scene. She came walking up with a cane after the fight was already broken up.
Today 24th State wrote more about the surprise SEIU witness.
Yesterday’s trial resulting in a not guilty verdict for Elston McCowan and Perry Molens hinged on the testimony of witnesses. Setting aside all of the peripheral evidence, the case came down to two witnesses for the prosecution stating they saw McCowan and Molens attack Gladney, versus a witness for the defense who made the claim that Kenneth started the “fight” by slapping the hand of Elston McCowan.
It was up to the jury to determine which witness testimony was most reliable. The $10,000 defense strategy was not to claim Elston was assaulted and did nothing. It was to claim Elston and Perry acted in self-defense. Note this is in direct conflict with the statements Elston has made for two years of being attacked and not fighting back.
It was their legal right to change the story for the trial, but bringing in a new witness is a different matter. As we pointed out years ago, there were no other witnesses to the beginning of the assault.
You can see her just coming into view nearly 12 seconds after the attack occurred. And the video does not show the start of the fight that began several seconds before the cameras started rolling. She must have been over 50 yards from the fight when it started – at night in the dark. She was not a witness. She was an SEIU activist from the city. She lied.
24th State has more on the “witness.”
Of course, it is not surprising that these goons would pull a stunt like this. It’s just unfortunate that Gladney had such poor representation and allowed the testimony to stand.
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Published May 21, 2012 at 12:19 am - 47 Comments
Conservative Ken commented:
Did something stinky just hit the fan?
joe commented:
Uh,can you say perjury boys and girls?
mpleemom commented:
Welcome to Obama’s World….The New Black Panthers skate on voter intimidation, Acorn commits voter fraud nationwide, Border Patrol Agents are murdered by guns Eric Holder delivers into the hands of murderous drug cartels, A conservative is beaten and the perps also skate….November 2012 cannot come soon enough!!!
PhilipJames commented:
This is ridiculous. It sounds like this was one big friggin screw up. Can’t this woman be charged with perjury? What happens when a key witness commits perjury and is found guilty? Can there be a re-trial? or can the previous verdict be thrown out?
Where is the local Tea Party? are they helpless? is Gladney on his own here?
This was an important case… not some meaningless one.
gus commented:
From behind, she looked like Michelle Obama in that video. COINCIDENCE??
newsjunkie_ky commented:
He should file a civil claim against seiu, the two goons, and the ‘witness’. But, can you really trust any attorney. Most are liberal.
nobama2012 commented:
A lot of these union thugs have no morals. They lie for each other all the time. Remember they feel they are brothers and sisters in these unions, so it’s like lying for a brother. Can anything be done about this? Probably not as we have a democrat prosecutor who doesn’t even care about this. After all McCullough was willing to prosecute any of us for “lying” about Obama during the race. Can I say kangaroo court?
Rock commented:
Left unsaid who brought this to the forefront, where the courts, and defense made aware and is anything being done or is this just another kick and scream and do nothing drill? Many times I have seen things here I knew to be wrong and after checking the story out elsewhere have written my members in D.C. If those we trust are not hearing from us constantly they figure we do not know or do not care. In fact I suspect they are only apprised of our interest and concerns when their staff are overwhelmed by the shear number of comments on a issue.
Daryl Herbert commented:
Gladney had no representation at all. Prosecutors represent the government, not the victims.
With all of this evidence, he should be able to file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrators and the SEIU, but he will need to find some right-wing personal injury lawyers not afraid to take on unions.
owl commented:
This is the prosecutor’s fault. He had a injured victim, witnesses and a tape. Put the prosecutor’s face up. Most of the time it is the prosecutor with all the power.
Put a spotlight on the creep.
saveus commented:
the rookie prosecutor who had never tried a case before didn’t have a chance
only a DA who wanted the defendants to walk would assign a high profile or wht should have been a high profile case to a complete novice
C-CS commented:
our court system is not what the Founders intended…
C-CS
Pat the First commented:
There should never be a surprise witness. Witness lists have to be provided before a trial. A last minute witness is only allowed if both parties can prepare for the testimony. I say that is something does not smell correctly. The judge should never have allowed a “surprise” witness. If the prosecution did not properly prepare for the witness, then it is just another case of incompetent attorneys like in the Anthony trial.
Rose commented:
Mistrials are nothing new! Trials that are FARCES are also not new for the Brown Shirts of Marxists Regimes.
Do the DIMS really want to destroy THEIR OWN PARTY by such a SHEER VOLUME of such cases? Apparently!
Americans have the legitimate Authority and Power to stop this ANY TIME WE DECIDE WE ARE FED UP AND WANT IT STOPPED.
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object, evidence a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government…” – Declaration of Independence
Frederick Douglass: Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they have resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress.
John Adams: Be not intimidated… nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice.
Samuel Adams: If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.
Samuel Adams: The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.
Molon Labe commented:
This is American justice?
The system sucks. Every one who was a party to this fraud ought to be tried for perjury.
Multitude commented:
Pussies. What the hell are you gonna do about it? Seriously. This is a game for keeps, and the teabaggers came expecting teacher to keep it “fair”?
Dude. The left *owns* teacher. Rules don’t matter. This is your game?
Until the teabaggers understand just how far things have gone, and just what it takes to play this “game,” they’re screwed. Go back home Nancy.
Garrison commented:
Humialaeating for the Tea Partiers who love this country so much. these unoins hate american citazens, will smash them and push them.
I say we’all help Gladness fight these unoin wakjobs!!
C-CS commented:
do you mean to tell us that the Dark Siders (Lucifer’s kids) LIE-
C-CS
C-CS commented:
if we don not realize how powerful the enemy of Freedom has become-we will lose every case–
WAKE UP ___US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Carol-CS
DavidD commented:
Can the outcome of this case be appealed?
Militant Conservative commented:
Justice is having the ability to defend yourself.
The cops (when they arrive) can do the post mortum.
Powder is dry
Gary commented:
Thanks multitude
you exemplify the thinking on the left for us. There is no concept of rule of law or justice. It’s do whatever you have to do to get what you want, screw the other guy, and lie about it until your last breath, right?
Just glad one left wing nutjob was honest enough to express it so eloquently.
As for pussies, from the video I watched, it took two men twice Gladney’s size to have the nerve to attack him together. And as for you, you sound really tough hiding behind a pseudonym. My guess is you’re a lazy fat $$ and you wouldn’t have the guts to call me or anybody else on this forum a pussy to our faces because you know we’d stomp your guts out.
daryl commented:
#1
Conservative Ken commented:
“Did something stinky just hit the fan?”
No, but a lying pos (not just a piece, a huge pile) did land on that witness stand and lied her
humoungus a$$ off. At least fifty or sixty pounds of it anyway and I’m bettin’ she never missed an ounce of it.
Yep. It’s that big.
Conservative Ken commented:
Anybody notice Mcullough has been as quiet at a church mouse, Charlie Dooley as well.
Chisum commented:
Anybody notice Mcullough has been as quiet at a church mouse, Charlie Dooley as well.
I think their proxy, dk-ie-doo the braying troll, is doing their talking for them.
John commented:
Did you really expect justice? The union thugs and the liberal Democratic elitist would never allow that to happen. St Louis is infamous for its leniency toward the unions (they pay well). I am also sure that if you check, the jury was heavily pro-union and that also ensured the correct verdict (watch the new purchases that the jury is about to make).
So to recap:
A very pro-union town
A very liberal pro-union judge
A very expensive union lawyer
A inexperienced proscutor
A very pro-union jury (well paid).
You get the verdict that you paid for in St. Louis
jeff commented:
Gladney lied and the defense exposed him. This never was what Hoft, Loesch, Breitbart, et. al. claimed it was. Justice done. Liars exposed. Love it!
d_fitz commented:
This is what we are up against, government sanctioned thuggery.
jeff commented:
All of Gladney’s lies were exposed in court. The guy was his own worst enemy. He sank his own case because he’s told so many different versions of what happened he just couldn’t keep them straight. Set up fail! Epic.
waicool commented:
McCullough, the STLCO prosecuting attorney is an elected position, correct? And what was the name of the prosecuting attorney assigned to Gladney?
Rhymes With Right commented:
I’m curious — if the defense knowingly introduced perjured evidence, would that be grounds for overturning the original verdict and ordering a new trial?
Texmom commented:
Some commenters above say Gladney lied, yet we all watched it on video and he had follow up surgery?? How did he fake all of that?
Bill commented:
Anyone have any opinions on the best way to boycott SEIU companies?
stu commented:
Texmom, how could he couldn’t produce medical records after his voluntary hospital visit to document these supposed injuries?
How come the prosecution did not question her testimony – they played the video as she explained what happened. Clearly the jury and the prosecution thought her story held up.
Bill, the best way to boycott SEIU companies is get a job working for minimum wage and shop only at Walmart.
Bill commented:
stu, that shouldn’t be too hard. Thanks to Obama and the Democratic congress, that’ll soon be all there is left.
Seriously, you guys won this round, but you’re paying a pretty heavy price. More and more people are waking up to the corruption of the unions and their cohorts in the government that support them. Gladney’s loss has made a lot of people angry. Either your side loses big in 2012 and things start to get better or your side wins and Obama drives the country out of ‘the ditch’ and off a cliff.
Your gravy train is over either way, we’re just trying to stop you taking us with you.
Chisum commented:
Well said, Bill.
Rock commented:
#36 July 14, 2011 at 10:18 am
Bill commented:
Anyone have any opinions on the best way to boycott SEIU companies?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Like it or not we already are, given many products today are from China, and the only union there is the Chinese Socialist Union. As for SEIU, vote WTF out., who’s SEIU members are in league with China’s one and only union.
Garrison commented:
Gladness did’nt lied. how could you tell he even lied, faked a neck brace to hos self? does that make sensce?
greenfairie commented:
Recall the DA or find somebody to run against him next election. This is ultimately on the DA’s head.
stu commented:
Garrison, if he was injured by the ‘beating’, how come he did not produce medical records showing the injuries? He voluntarily went to the hospital after the incident. How come he has no proof of the injuries that he supposedly sustained?
How come he said while under oath that the surgery he underwent on his back was not related in any way to this incident?
stay@homeMom commented:
I don’t think this will be the last that we hear about this case. I believe the SEIU will get their’s on this case. Plus, once I had heard the verdict, which didn’t surprise me, the first thing that I thought was The Al Capone days.
Bill commented:
Let’s stipulate, for the moment, that Gladney was not as seriously injured in the fight as is often claimed and that his appearing in a wheelchair a couple days later was for show, orchestrated by whoever was ‘handling’ him. Let’s stipulate that he was selling, not giving away, (whatever that has to do with anything) his merchandise. Let’s stipulate that some of that merchandise had Obama looking like the Joker for ‘The Dark Knight’. Hell, let’s even stipulate that the video is not the super-conclusive proof that some people claim it is.
Now I can’t speak to a lot of these claims but let’s say for argument’s sake that they’re true.
What does it matter? Does anyone doubt, with the evidence we have, that Carnahan called in SEIU as hired muscle to intimidate his angry constituents? Does anyone doubt that Perry Molens and Elston McCowan, as SEIU members, confronted Kenneth Gladney and assaulted him? Does anyone really believe that it was Gladney that assaulted them?
Even the union sympathizers can’t through those claims with a straight face.
EVERYONE knows what happened. It’s just a matter of whether people are happy about it, or… motivated.
stu commented:
What does it matter?
It matters because it shows that they were not approaching this trial in good faith.
Does anyone doubt, with the evidence we have, that Carnahan called in SEIU as hired muscle to intimidate his angry constituents?
I do doubt that.
Does anyone doubt that Perry Molens and Elston McCowan, as SEIU members, confronted Kenneth Gladney and assaulted him?
I do doubt that. From most of the testimony Mr McCowan approached the booth and words were exchanged. Nobody witnessed what happened, but apparently there was a physical altercation and Mr. McCowan ended up on the pavement. At this time, the camera started rolling with Gladney still standing. Mr Molens pulled Gladney away (though Gladney was not over top or in a threatening position), and in doing so slipped and this pulled Gladney to the ground. Gladney was not injured.
Does anyone really believe that it was Gladney that assaulted them?
I don’t think anybody assaulted anybody. There was probably a bit of shoving which caused McCowan to fall to the pavement and sustain an injury.
T. McBagger commented:
Good lord you people are stupid. First, no, you cannot appeal a criminal acquittal, much less someone else’s acquittal. This is Civics 101; you would think people who claimed to love the Constitution would understand the basics of our legal system.
Second, Hoft’s crackpot theory that this woman committed perjury and could not have witnessed the fight is a laugh riot. This woman is morbidly obese and hobbles on a cane, yet Hoft claims that she traveled 50 yards in about 12 seconds. Most likely, this woman was standing a few feet behind the camera when this fight started. She was in a perfect position to see everything.
Third, the jury saw the video and, just like me, could not see where this alleged “beatdown” occurred. I have watched this video dozens of times and all I see is Gladney getting pushed down one time in a mutual scuffle by an SEIU member who was trying to protect his friend who was laying on the ground. In what universe does this amount to a beatdown? Besides, Gladney was walking around just fine seconds after the “attack” but shows up at a Tea Party rally in a wheelchair 2 days later? Is it not obvious that he is trying to milk the situation in order to collect donations from naive tea partiers?
Bill commented:
stu, the St. Louis County prosecutors office punts this case to the County Counselor who drags their feet and then gives it to a rookie prosector and you’re accusing Gladney of bad faith?
And Carnahan puts out the call to SEIU and secretly lets them in by the side door, filling up half the room, while making everyone else wait in line outside and then telling them the room’s full, but you doubt that there’s any intimidation intended?
And two big guys go up to one little guy and, according to multiple witnesses, start harassing and assaulting him but what really happened was an “altercation” that no one saw (despite all the people standing around, many of whom were trying to explain to the police what happened) and the real victim was Mr. McCowan.
I think I see where you’re coming from now and, yeah, I would I imagine that you do doubt it all.
T. McBagger commented:
saveus commented:
“the rookie prosecutor who had never tried a case before didn’t have a chance
only a DA who wanted the defendants to walk would assign a high profile or wht should have been a high profile case to a complete novice”
This was a misdemeanor assault case. If found guilty, the SEIU members would have probably got a $200 fine. This was not a “high-profile” case by any stretch of the imagination. It was a b.s., nonsense case being pushed by dishonest “conservative” bloggers looking for their own Crispus Attucks.
Don’t worry baggers, I have an idea. If you’re this desperate for your own Crispus Attucks to parade around in a wheelchair, here’s what you need to do. Convince Alan Keyes that the next time he is driving down the road and sees a car with an Obama bumper sticker, he should swerve in front of the car and slam on his brakes. Then, he can jump out of his car and grab his neck. For the next 3 months he can roll around in a wheelchair claiming that he is a victim of “racist” liberals out to run down a black conservative. That’s basically what happened here.
Conservative Ken commented:
Bill,
And when someone has had enough of Union/Democrat thuggery and fights back the liberal’s only justice system will crush them.
stu commented:
“stu, the St. Louis County prosecutors office punts this case to the County Counselor who drags their feet and then gives it to a rookie prosector and you’re accusing Gladney of bad faith?”
How else were they supposed to handle a misdemeanor assault case where the alleged victim was not even injured?
“And Carnahan puts out the call to SEIU and secretly lets them in by the side door, filling up half the room, while making everyone else wait in line outside and then telling them the room’s full, but you doubt that there’s any intimidation intended?”
Proof please. I don’t deal in ridiculous hearsay.
“And two big guys go up to one little guy and, according to multiple witnesses, start harassing and assaulting him but what really happened was an “altercation” that no one saw (despite all the people standing around, many of whom were trying to explain to the police what happened) and the real victim was Mr. McCowan.”
Please prove that both of them went up to them to start harassing and assaulting. All of the credible witnesses claim that McCowan and only McCowan got into an argument with Gladney. With so many witnesses claiming to have seen what you claim happened, how come they could not get a single straight story about what happened? If it was as cut and dried as you say it is, they would have been found guilty. The fact of the matter is that the alleged victim and witnesses supporting his case have changed their story multiple times and have all had stories that differ from one another.
“I think I see where you’re coming from now and, yeah, I would I imagine that you do doubt it all.”
I’m coming from this kooky place called reality.
Chisum commented:
Hey Dufus at #49,
Insulting us by calling us teabaggers? How original. I’ll return the favor and call you a c*cksucker. It seems appropriate.
Buffoon.
Bill commented:
“How else were they supposed to handle a misdemeanor assault case where the alleged victim was not even injured?”
First, the victim WAS injured. There may be dispute about the extent of his injuries but he spent most of the night in the hospital and, to my knowledge, he hasn’t been charged with filing a false police or medical report. Second, the prosecuting attorney’s office has discretion in these matters. If you don’t believe me, try committing some minor infraction against a union member or, say, an abortion worker and watch how much discretion they have. Just because the charming Mr. McBagger says this isn’t a high-profile case doesn’t make it so. The fact that we’re arguing about it now speaks to that.
“Proof please. I don’t deal in ridiculous hearsay.”
Check out Adam Sharp’s video from that day. He videotaped them ushering in the SEIU and ACORN folks through a side door and interviewed two union members guarding it while the line for regular folks stretched out across the parking lot. Then they came out and said the place was full and turned everyone else away without telling them that half the room had been filled with his handpicked supporters.
“All of the credible witnesses…”
Would that be the heavy woman with the cane? The one in the SEIU shirt? That was walking up to the scene behind a bunch of other people who were closer? Or are there a bunch of others that I’m missing? (I’m assuming the witnesses who contradict McCowan are not credible to you)
“If it was as cut and dried as you say it is, they would have been found guilty.”
Now who’s living in a kooky reality?
stu commented:
If he was injured, they would have used his medical records as evidence. Period.
I never said it wasn’t high profile. I don’t know why you’re arguing with me about that. It was a misdemeanor assault charge. That is a fact.
Regarding the credibility of the witnesses:
Actually, as anyone familiar with the case knows, the initial incident did not take place at the curb, but rather by the button board nearer to the camera, right where the woman is walking in the screen shot. The video was shown while the witness was testifying, and the lawyers asked her questions about it. There’s nothing in her statement that would indicate that she was lying.
I don’t know who Adam Sharp is, but his twitter feed has no such video on it?
stu commented:
* If McCowan and Molens had been beating Gladney for a long time, why did the crowd commotion start only after Molens pulled Gladney backwards?
* Why was Molens calmly smoking a cigarette at the beginning of the video if he had just been beating Gladney?
* Why, in the video, does Gladney say to McCowan, “Why’d you hit my hand?” If someone had been beating you on the ground, wouldn’t you say a little more than that?
* And why, at the start of the video, is the man with long hair standing over McCowan in a manner indicating that he was protecting him from being attacked, and why was Gladney’s arm being held back.
Bill commented:
I just got off jury duty two weeks ago on a hung jury for an assault. Afterwards they let us go out and talk to the prosecutors and asked them questions. Those of us who had voted guilty went out and asked them why they hadn’t called as witnesses the various players who would’ve bolstered their case or presented medical evidence or police reports that we thought were relevant. They patiently explained their various reasons and said that jurors often assume they know why the two sides choose not to present certain evidence or witnesses and they’re often wrong (as we were). My point is I don’t know why they didn’t present medical evidence but I don’t buy “Period.” at all. They may not have had access to them. They may have tried and been unable to. Given the way the prosecution was handled, it could have been incompetence or malicious negligence.
Prosecutorial discretion is a huge factor in how and where and when cases are tried. I brought up the high-profile aspect to illustrate why McColluch (or even the County Counselor) could’ve chosen to pursue the case more vigorously than they did.
“Regarding the credibility of the witnesses”
The assault that you say never occurred happened around a lot of people who were closer to it than the woman was. I find those people who were pointing out that the SEIU members were the perpetrators more convincing than the SEIU member who walked up after the fact and said they weren’t.
Adam Sharp:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmc5RrvwsuU
Alan Kellogg commented:
Stu,
Have you seen Gladney’s medical records, and would you accept them if you had. You keep claiming there are no records available, have you looked for them?