TULIA - No matter the stance on a controversial drug bust here in 1999, one thing is clear among many residents in this small West Texas town - they're ready for the glare of the national spotlight to be shined elsewhere. The spotlight has shown brightly on this town of 5,000 since a massive drug bust in which an estimated 10 percent of the town's black population was arrested. Last week, retired appeals court justice Ron Chapman from Dallas said he would recommend to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that 38 de fendants in the cases get new trials. [continues 671 words]
TULIA - Thirty-eight people convicted of selling cocaine to an undercover officer in 1999 moved closer toward eventual vindication Tuesday when retired justice Ron Chapman recommended that they all receive new trials. Chapman, a retired appeals court justice, has been presiding over evidentiary hearings in Tulia to determine if four men convicted in the drug cases received fair trials. The hearings were scheduled to resume Tuesday but were halted after Chapman declared that Tom Coleman, the controversial undercover officer who built the cases against the drug defendants, lacked credibility as a witness. [continues 1095 words]
TULIA - Lt. Mike Amos, with a narcotics task force in Amarillo that worked in conjunction with Swisher County officials to oversee a now infamous drug bust in 1999, testified Tuesday that the lone undercover officer in the case had a bad temper, discipline problems and was reprimanded after using a racial slur against blacks. Since the massive drug sting that resulted in the arrests of 46 people, 39 of them black, undercover officer Tom Coleman's credibility has come under attack. [continues 487 words]
TULIA - Sheriff Larry Stewart twice asked a state agency to seal documents relating to the law enforcement background of officer Tom Coleman, who conducted an 18-month undercover drug operation resulting in the arrests of 46 people, 39 of them black, in 1999. Stewart testified during hearings Wednesday in Tulia that he asked that Coleman's file be sealed for the officer's protection. Stewart said he didn't want anyone to use that file to locate Coleman while he was working undercover. [continues 487 words]
TULIA - Tom Coleman, the controversial undercover officer who made drug cases against 46 people here in 1999, testified Friday he wasn't prejudiced and considered it an acceptable greeting to use a derogatory word to describe blacks. When asked if the word was a term of racial prejudice, Coleman said, "It might not be OK." Coleman's former wife said in a sworn statement that Coleman was a card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan. She said Coleman was "openly prejudiced" against blacks and Hispanics. [continues 457 words]
TULIA - Tom Coleman testified here Thursday that except for his word, there was no corroborating evidence to support drug buys he made during an 18-month undercover operation which culminated in July 1999. Evidentiary hearings began Monday to determine if four black men arrested during the bust received fair trials. When the undercover operation came to fruition in July 1999, 46 people were arrested, 39 of them black. Last year, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals asked the trial court for clarification on whether the four defendants were convicted solely on the word of Coleman, an undercover officer. [continues 468 words]
Zuri Bossett, the final defendant in a controversial 1999 drug bust in Tulia, could breathe a sigh of relief Tuesday after drug charges against her were formally dismissed. Her attorney called the case another example of deceitful police work by a former undercover agent whose testimony led to charges against 43 people, 37 of whom are black. Of the other six, three are Hispanic and three are white. Bossett, 23, of Amarillo had been accused of selling cocaine to undercover officer Tom Coleman three years ago. [continues 445 words]
TULIA - Drug charges against a black woman from Tulia were dismissed Tuesday after overwhelming evidence shot holes in criminal allegations brought against her by a police undercover agent. Jeff Blackburn, an attorney for Tonya White, said the evidence that proved her innocence also casts doubt on the trustworthiness of Tom Coleman, a white drug agent whose operations in 1998 and 1999 led to the arrests of 43 people, 37 of whom are black. Special FBI agent Tim Reid in Amarillo said Tuesday that he will add White's dismissal to his investigation of the Tulia arrests, which already has been sent to the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., for review. [continues 578 words]
TULIA - Drug charges against a black woman from Tulia were dismissed Tuesday after overwhelming evidence shot holes in criminal allegations brought against her by a police undercover agent. Jeff Blackburn, an attorney for Tonya White, said the evidence that proved her innocence also casts doubt on the trustworthiness of Tom Coleman, a white drug agent whose operations in 1998 and 1999 led to the arrests of 43 people, 37 of whom are black. Special FBI agent Tim Reid in Amarillo said Tuesday that he will add White's dismissal to his investigation of the Tulia arrests, which already has been sent to the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., for review. [continues 579 words]
The father of a Tulia high school student will not support a policy that subjects his son to random drug testing at school. Alan Bean expressed those sentiments during a school board meeting Tuesday. Bean told the board that he feels it's unconstitutional to subject his son and other students to drug testing in order to participate in athletics. Bean's son, Amos, a 15-year-old sophomore, plays football and will refuse the school district if it requests him to submit to a random urinalysis for drug screening, his father said. [continues 304 words]
Rally To Commemorate Drug Bust Anniversary During the six years that Dorothy Gaines, a 43-year-old widow with three children, spent in prison on drug charges she said were trumped-up, her mother died and her children suffered, she said. Her only son, Phillip, sought trouble, trying to go to prison to be with his mother, she said. "It was like a domino game. Everything fell, and I lost everything," Gaines said. "They sentenced my kids when they sentenced me." [continues 361 words]
An undercover narcotics officer whose 1999 drug operation in Tulia resulted in the arrest of about 10 percent of the city's black population has been fired from his job as an undercover agent south of Dallas. Tom Coleman, 41, was fired about three weeks ago from the Southeast Metroplex Narcotics Task Force for engaging in "a relationship that was inappropriate," said Ellis County District Attorney Joe Grubbs. Coleman was working in Waxahachie, about 25 miles south of Dallas. Coleman's work in Tulia inspired a set of bills known as "The Tulia Proposals," one of which was signed Tuesday by Gov. Rick Perry. The bill allows for the release of information pertaining to criminal activity when those actions result in an officer's termination. [continues 398 words]
TULIA - Despite a drug testing policy that has given the school district plenty of attention, Tulia native Ken Miller said he's up for new challenges when he takes over as superintendent. The former drug testing policy, which was mandatory for students in grades seven through 12, was ruled unconstitutional and is in the appeals process. The school district continues to test students, but only those in athletics or who volunteer at the school. The drug testing policy is something Miller said he will support. [continues 280 words]
LOCKNEY -- The school board here met Thursday to discuss a recent ruling by a federal judge who said its drug testing policy is unconstitutional; however, the board made no decision on whether to appeal the decision. After the meeting, which lasted more than two hours and was closed to the public, Supt. Raymond Lusk referred all questions to the district's attorney, Don Henslee of Austin. Henslee said a decision about an appeal may be announced Monday. He would not discuss why the board is waiting to make a decision. [continues 133 words]
LOCKNEY - U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings ruled Thursday in favor of a parent who sued the Lockney Independent School District claiming its mandatory drug-testing policy was unconstitutional. Larry Tannahill refused to allow his son to be tested when the school first began drug screening students and faculty in February 2000. With help from the American Civil Liberties Union, Tannahill sued the school district claiming that its policy violated his son's rights under the Fourth and 14th Amendments, which protect against unreasonable searches and seizures. [continues 549 words]
A lawsuit filed Thursday claims law enforcement officials targeted blacks in a 1999 drug bust in Tulia. At the same time, another suit alleging similar claims was dropped. During the drug bust, 43 people were arrested — 40 of them black. The arrests were based on an 18-month undercover investigation conducted by officer Tom Coleman, who claimed he bought drugs from those arrested. Coleman worked alone and used no surveillance equipment. Billy Wafer, a black man arrested during the bust whose charges later were dismissed, filed the suit Thursday against Coleman, Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart and Swisher County. [continues 332 words]
National Attention Could Speed Justice Department Probe TULIA - It could be a year before the U.S. Justice Department concludes its investigation into a controversial 1999 drug bust here that sent dozens of members of the community's black population to prison. The FBI in Amarillo is handling the investigation for the Justice Department and has interviewed nearly all of the 43 people arrested during the bust, an FBI spokesman said Wednesday. Of the 43 people arrested, 40 are black. The FBI spokesman said these types of investigations typically move along slowly, but he expects that this particular case will proceed faster because of national media attention. [continues 204 words]
TULIA - In a pivotal move that may shed some doubt on the credibility of an undercover officer involved in a controversial 1999 drug bust here, the 7th District Court of Appeals in Amarillo dismissed charges this week against a man arrested during the bust. The court's ruling will prevent Billy Wafer, 41, from being tried on charges that he sold drugs to an undercover officer during the 1999 bust. Of the 43 people arrested during the bust, 40 of them were black. [continues 425 words]
It wasn't a traditional wedding. The office was cold and stale. No paper wedding bells dangled from the ceiling. No crepe paper adorned the walls. There was no cake, no bouquet to be thrown and no limousine to carry the newlyweds to their honeymoon destination. The bride, Chandra Vancleave, 21, wore a skirt and nice shirt. The bridegroom, Kareem Abdul Jabbar White, 24, wore his orange uniform issued by the Swisher County Jail. To the couple, it didn't matter much that they recently were married inside a small office at the Swisher County Jail. It mattered only that they were able to get married, just like they had planned before an undercover drug bust sent White to jail for 60 years. [continues 239 words]
LUBBOCK - Both sides of a lawsuit involving drug tests of students in Lockney have asked U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings of Lubbock to rule on the case without a jury. Larry Tannahill, in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the Lockney Independent School District for implementing a mandatory drug-testing policy in February for students in grades 7-12. Tannahill's son, now a seventh-grader, is the only student who was not allowed by his parents to be tested. [continues 187 words]
Both sides of a lawsuit involving drug testing students in Lockney have asked U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings of Lubbock to rule on the case without a jury. Larry Tannahill, in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the Lockney Independent School District for implementing a mandatory drug testing policy in February for students in grades 7-12. Tannahill's son, now a seventh-grader, is the only student who was not allowed by his parents to be tested. [continues 183 words]
Ruling Against Tulia Schools May Not Hold Sway Over Lockney An Amarillo judge's opinion that drug testing of students in Tulia is unconstitutional may have no influence on the ruling of a similar case in Lockney. The drug testing policy in Tulia, which is about 70 miles north of Lubbock, requires students in grades 7-12 who want to participate in extracurricular activities to submit to a random drug screening. The policy in Lockney requires students in grades 7-12 be tested, regardless of their participation in extracurricular activities. [continues 712 words]
TULIA - The Tulia school district intends to appeal a decision by an Amarillo judge who ruled that the district's student drug-testing policy is unconstitutional. Six of the school board's seven members attended an early morning meeting Tuesday and voted unanimously to appeal the decision by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said Supt. Mike Vinyard. Hollister Gardner was a student at Tulia High School when he sued the school district for implementing a random drug-testing policy in January 1997. The tests apply to students in grades 7-12 who wish to participate in extracurricular activities. [continues 482 words]
TULIA During the pre-dawn hours of July 23, 1999, an 18-month undercover investigation by a sole law enforcement officer came to a screeching halt with the arrests of 43 people 40 of them black. The story made immediate headlines from this small, rural community, nestled off Interstate 27 midway between Lubbock and Amarillo. Tonight, the story is expected to get national attention when it's featured on the ABC news program 20/20, a spokesman at the local ABC affiliate, KAMC, said Sunday. The show airs at 7 p.m. [continues 479 words]
A three-year battle over whether the Tulia school district can randomly drug test its students was decided Friday in an Amarillo court. U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson ruled in favor of a former student who claimed the random testing violated the Fourth Amendment protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures. Hollister Gardner was a student at Tulia High School when he went up against the school board that implemented its random drug-testing policy in January 1997. The policy affected students in grades 7-12 who wished to participate in extracurricular activities. [continues 423 words]
Law Enforcement Officials Respond To Tulia Allegations Three law enforcement officials being sued for allegedly targeting blacks during a 1999 drug sting in Tulia have denied wrongdoing in connection with the bust. Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart, Swisher County District Attorney Terry McEachern and undercover agent Tom Coleman claim they did not conspire to violate the civil rights of blacks in Tulia. Coleman conducted the 18-month undercover operation that led to the arrests of 43 people, 40 of whom were black. [continues 266 words]
TULIA - Divisions in Tulia were evident Monday as supporters and opponents of last year's controversial drug bust, which affected primarily blacks, staged separate rallies only blocks from each other. More than 200 people packed into the Swisher Memorial Building to show their support for the drug operation that resulted in the arrests of 43 people, 40 of whom are black. Organizers at the memorial building had to hold two meetings because not everyone could fit into the meeting room. Hours earlier, members of a group calling itself the Friends of Justice gathered at the Swisher Electric Cooperative Inc. building, donning black and gold T-shirts that read: ''Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly.'' [continues 400 words]
Bookmark: For Journey for Justice Protest news items: http://www.mapinc.org/journey.htm TULIA - About 45 adults and children from Tulia who are upset with a drug bust that raised allegations of racism and forced a tax increase are leaving for Austin today to participate in a protest rally. ''The primary purpose of our trip is to empower the people of Tulia who have been directly impacted by the drug sting of 1999,'' said Tulia resident Alan Bean. [continues 581 words]
Meeting at Tech addresses concerns of racism in Tulia arrests At least 100 people listened Wednesday night to community members from Tulia voice concerns about a massive drug bust last year that they claim unjustly targeted blacks. The 18-month undercover operation was conducted solely by an officer with a questionable history, the Rev. Charles Kiker told the audience at Texas Tech. Kiker, a Tulia native, is a founding member of a watchdog group in Tulia called Friends of Justice that began organizing after the drug bust, in which 40 blacks and three others were arrested. [continues 441 words]
TULIA -- A Tulia man was sentenced to 60 years in prison Thursday for selling nearly five grams of cocaine last summer to an undercover officer whose credibility was attacked in court. Kareem Abdul Jabbar White, 24, a black man, was among 43 people -- including 40 blacks -- arrested last summer after an 18-month undercover operation in Tulia, about 75 miles north of Lubbock. The racial makeup of the sting operation caught the attention of members of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice from New York. The group's mission is to oppose racism in the judicial system, said member Randy Credico, who attended this week's trial with one other member. [continues 634 words]
TULIA - A Tulia man was sentenced to 60 years in prison Thursday for selling nearly five grams of cocaine last summer to an undercover officer whose credibility was attacked in court. Kareem Abdul Jabbar White, 24, a black man, was among 43 people - including 40 blacks - arrested last summer after an 18-month undercover operation in Tulia. The racial makeup of the sting operation caught the attention of members of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice from New York. The group's mission is to oppose racism in the judicial system, said member Randy Credico, who attended this week's trial with one other member. [continues 579 words]
TULIA - The last of a series of trials stemming from a costly and controversial drug bust last year in Tulia is expected to conclude today. On trial is Kareem Abdul Jabbar White of Tulia, who is accused of selling cocaine to an undercover officer. Testimony began Wednesday. White is one of 43 defendants arrested after an 18-month undercover operation. Many defendants pleaded guilty. Others went to trial in this small community about 75 miles north of Lubbock. The cases have rested largely on evidence provided by Tom Coleman, an undercover officer who conducted the operation. He has testified that he used no audio or video recording devices during the drug transactions. Coleman has also testified that no other officers assisted him. [continues 522 words]
TULIA - The last of a series of trials stemming from a costly and controversial drug bust last year in Tulia is expected to conclude today. On trial is Kareem Abdul Jabbar White of Tulia, accused of selling cocaine to an undercover officer. Many of the 43 defendants in the case have plea bargained. Others went to trial in this small community. The cases have rested largely on the evidence provided by the undercover officer who conducted the 18-month undercover operation, Tom Coleman. He has testified that he used no recording devices or videotaping devices during the drug busts. Coleman also has testified that no other officers aided him during the busts. [continues 600 words]
LOCKNEY - A school board member confronted a filmmaker working on a documentary about mandatory student drug testing moments after a school board meeting ended here late Thursday. Mark Birnbaum was taping a documentary for the Dallas public television station KERA-TV when he was approached by school board member Dan Smith. "He said, 'Get the camera out of my face,' " Birnbaum said. "He raised a fist right in my face." Smith, a former mayor in Lockney, acknowledged Friday that he was frustrated, but said he never raised a fist nor intended to harm the filmmaker. [continues 318 words]
Swisher County Residents Still Reeling From Repercussions Of 1999 Crackdown TULIA - In one of the least populated counties on the South Plains, taxpayers are footing the bill for one of the area's largest anti-drug operations in recent years. Swisher County continues to spend a significant chunk of its annual budget on expenses related to drug cases in Tulia last summer that netted 43 arrests. The county has had to deal with an overflowing jail population and field questions from residents dismayed about a tax increase stemming from the massive bust. [continues 1563 words]
LOCKNEY - In this small rural community where the spotlight has shone so brightly over the contentious student drug testing issue, the prevailing sentiment heard lately is enough is enough. Since the school district issued a mandatory drug testing policy in February, Lockney has seen some controversial days. A lawsuit has been filed to overturn the district's new policy, and nearly one-third of the town's population attended an emotionally charged school board meeting in support of the measure. After everything that's happened in this normally tranquil community, many residents are asking for the same thing to be left alone. [continues 1092 words]
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Lockney school district after the parents of a 12-year-old refused to allow their son to be subjected to a new mandatory drug testing policy, an ACLU spokesperson said Tuesday. The suit will ask the district to drop their policy, which requires all sixth-through 12th-graders to submit to a urine screening, the ACLU spokesperson said. Larry Tannahill was the only parent in Lockney who refused the mandatory testing of his son. Refusal to submit a urine sample is considered a positive test and results in repercussions. Thus far, however, the school has held off on punishing Tannahill's son, Brady. [continues 378 words]
For the time being, the Lockney Independent School District has stalled repercussions against a student who isn't allowed by his parents to submit to a new mandatory drug screening. Larry Tannahill refuses to sign a consent form that would allow the school district to screen his sixth-grade son's urine for drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Supt. Raymond Lusk said Tannahill has been given time to file an appeal with the district. "Mr. Tannahill has the chance to appeal to me, file a grievance with the school board and go through that process," Lusk said. "It's really in his court. We will follow our procedures." [continues 812 words]
When students head back to class next week in Lockney, they'll be asked to do something they've never been asked to do before: submit to a drug test. Beginning Tuesday, students in grades six through 12 will be required to provide a urine sample to the district for a drug screening. It's a requirement of all students, not just those who wish to participate in extracurricular activities. The district debated and began researching a drug testing policy in 1997. Though the district has been reluctant to implement such a program, Supt. Raymond Lusk said the district can no longer avoid it. [continues 654 words]
