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Herman Bell of SF8 Pleads Guilty to a Lesser Offense

by drop the charges
At first this news seemed disturbing for the SF8 in that Herman Bell would be testifying against the others charged in the 1971 killing of an SF police officer, but it appears his plea to manslaughter is officially structured to be unrelated to the other defendants of the SF8.
herman_bell_family.jpg
Under terms of the plea deal, Bell will not testify against any of the other defendants in the case, and his guilty plea may not be used as evidence against anyone else. Of course, the SF8 had all been declaring their innocence and now this chink in their claim that the trial was a complete set-up for all of them will undoubtedly be used against the other defendants by cops and the prosecutor in at least public statements if not in refusing to drop charges now.

For his admission of guilt, Bell was sentenced to five years probation and will then return to New York. Bell is already serving a life sentence there that he is currently fighting.

http://www.freethesf8.org/what_to_do.html


SF Chron story on SF8 shows weakness of case - http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/05/25/18597975.php
More Strange Fruit – The SF Chronicle and the SF8 - http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/06/08/18601040.php
SF8 Preliminary Hearing start date postponed (now July 6th, 2009) - http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/05/31/18599688.php
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