Part 11 ~ My First Contact With The World of The Media...

I don't know how much of the Detroit area news you might have gotten back then. But the media coverage here was unreal. The reporters had tried and convicted our son's before they had ever gone to court. It was horrible. I never saw anything like then or since.

The Preliminary Hearing had been set for November 8Th. I'll never forget that day, all the thoughts and fears I had. I actually expected to see an angry mob outside the court house, yelling, and throwing stones. I know that sounds silly but if you had lived here and saw the news coverage you would understand why I would think that.

To my astonishment the opposite happened. There was a mob, but when the jail van pulled up with our sons in it, the mob held up their fists, in the sign of Power and Solidarity and chanted..."We know you're innocent, and we love you guys".... I've never been so moved in my life, I nearly fainted. It so reminded me of the "Billy Jack" movie, where in the end the deputies take Billy away. And the people line the road with their fists held high. It gave me the strength I needed. Holding my breath, my head high, and my husband at my side, I walked past the crowd, the reporters, and went into the courthouse.

When we got into the courtroom it was practically standing room only. The 1st 4 rows had been set aside for the poor family of the murdered young man and reporters. My husband and I were able to find a seat. Then I looked back and saw my son's friends parents standing in the back, and there wasn't any seats left. So I moved over to make room for one of the other mothers and as I did so, this reporter pushed past her and sat down. I told him the seat was saved and he said..."Yeah For Me"...Then he pulled an apple out of his pocket and began to eat it. He was a horrible little man, the same reporter who had stood in front of my husband's truck at the arraignment trying to stop him so he could get a few words. The same reporter who had come to our front door the day that my son was arrested and the police told him to go away. threatening him with closing down his paper if they saw any of the officers faces on the news or in the paper.

Through out my son's whole ordeal, I never gave this man an interview. I learned later from the mother of the 16 year old, that he had gone to her house the day they arrested our sons as well and told her he had spoken to both of us other two moms. And we had both said we blamed her son and hated him and his family. Which was a complete fabricated lie. He had her scared to approach either of us. Nice guy eh?

I had given only one interview to a reporter the day my son was arrested. For two reasons, the first was to let everyone know I didn't believe my son was guilty, the second was to convey my deepest sympathies to the family of the murdered young man. And I had specifically told this young reporter that I was only giving him the interview if he made sure both points were printed. The next day when I read his article I was mortified to see he had twisted everything I had said, and Never mentioned my sympathy for the victims family. I called him crying and asked why. He wasn't very sympathetic, and actually rude. I never gave him another interview either.

By this point we had been told by the new attorney we had hired, not to give any more statements. So for a while, we did not. Though I'll always wish we had.

The world of the media is so different then people realize. They think it's way to get information and truth on the current events effecting their world. In actuality it's just another form of entertainment. A way to make money. Printing the actual truth, is almost non existent. I don't know how many times I sat in court and thought "Wow, wait til this is put out there.." Only to see or read the news the next day and wonder if the reporters were in the same courtroom as we were.

I recall in court that first day, two young women reporters, sitting waiting for court to begin. They were talking of one of theirs wedding plans. When they brought our sons in to the room in striped uniforms, bullet proof vests, and chains. This was the very first time I had seen my son in person since they had arrested him. I nearly threw up and then I heard the one woman reporter laugh and say to the other .."That one should be found guilty just for the color of his hair alone"... These were our sons, our children, our boys. They knew we were sitting and standing just feet away.

We were crying, and they were joking.