BY LEV D. ZILBERMINTS
NEWARK – A new court date of July 26, at 1:30 p.m. in the Veterans Courthouse, has been set for the four Rodwell-Spivey brothers. Judge Michael L. Ravin set the date in the pre-trial hearing on July 12.
“Local Talk” came upon a group of protesters who were chanting slogans and waving signs in front of the Martin Luther King Jr., Justice complex on July 12, 2022. Video from Instagram and photos taken by “Local Talk” showed multiple signs. These read “Kops Kourts KKlan Are All A Part of the BO$$ES PLAN, Free Justin! Smash Racist Terror with Multi Racial Fight Back”, Multi Racial Fight Back Only Way to Win,” and many others.
After finishing the demonstration, the protesters marched to the Veterans Courthouse in Newark. Filing in an orderly line through metal detectors and security, the protesters took elevators to the 11th floor.
At the Veterans Courthouse, on the 11th floor, the protesters waited for over an hour for the pre-trial hearing to start. The pre-trial hearing was held in the courtroom of Judge Michael L. Ravin.
Police told everyone to shut off their cell phones and put them away. If anyone was seen with a cell phone, it would be confiscated. Press representatives were allowed to have pen and paper inside the courtroom. Protesters then put away their cell phones. Shortly afterwards, everyone was ushered into the courtroom of Honorable Judge Michael L. Ravin.
There were at least 50 people in attendance. The courtroom benches were packed with the supporters of Rodwell – Spivey brothers and their family. One of the brothers, Justin Rodwell Spivey, wore a dark green prison uniform with a chain around his waist. The other three brothers were all dressed for the summer weather, in T-shirts and jeans. All four were represented by four different lawyers.
According to the Rodwell Spivey Support Team, Justin Rodwell has been imprisoned in the Essex County Correctional Facility, one of the worst prisons in the United States during a pandemic since June 1, 2021.
“Local Talk” was able to find out that the judge, Honorable Michael L. Ravin, gave the lawyers until July 26 to prepare for the trial.
Historical Background
According to a fact sheet distributed by the Rodwell Spivey Support Team, the whole story has its origins a year earlier On June 1, 2021, Newark undercover plainclothes police attacked four young Black men – the Rodwell Spivey brothers – in front of their home in the South Ward of Newark, N.J. According to the police complaint, the cops stopped the Rodwell Spivey brothers because they were “wearing white t-shirts and dreads.” A Rodwell Spivey Support Team flyer goes on to state that this was “clearly racially profiling and targeting them (the brothers) because they were Black.”
According to the fact sheet, ‘without announcing themselves as police, the cops immediately began harassing and roughing up two of the brothers. The other brothers, seeing their family being attacked by armed white men, rushed to their defense. The cops violently attacked the brothers, putting them in chokeholds and arrested two of the brothers and then filed serious aggravated assault charges against all four brothers.”
Per the fact sheet, the Rodwell Spivey brothers are now facing charges of up to 30 years in prison for simply defending themselves against a racist police attack. There have been multiple pretrial court hearings and thus far the brothers have rejected any plea deals, maintaining their innocence.
According to Monique Rodwell, the mother of the Rodwell Spivey brothers, Newark police has continued to harass her family and her block by blockading the entire block with multiple police in the summer. Late at night, there are repeated ongoing drive-bys by unmarked police cars, stated Rodwell.
