Court Transcript for Bushnell Trial

"The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make a criminal look like he’s the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal....and make mass murder, cold-blooded murder, look like a humanitarian project.  "~Malcom X

REQUESTING FUNDS FOR COURT TRANSCRIPTS

On May 11 an all-white Spokane jury ruled that it was SELF DEFENSE for an armed white man (Edward Bushnell) to shoot an unarmed Black man (William Poindexter) in the back, when he was 30 feet away and walking away from him.

Black Lens Article: Local Man Shot in the Back (8/2015)

As the publisher of the Black Lens newspaper, I have been following this case since the shooting happened in July, 2015. I was in the courtroom for the trial, and I was stunned that what I saw and heard could produce anything but a ruling of murder. I am angry at a process that put the murdered Black man on trial, instead of his killer, and disappointed by the local media coverage that left out key information in its reporting.

It was not justice.

I contacted the court to get access to the  trial transcsript, wanting to make the full and complete account of what happened in the courtroom available to the public.

To my surprise, I discovered that the cost for the full transcript of the trial is over $3,000.

Really???

I don't know how it serves the public interest for court transcripts, which should be public records, to be so expensive that people in the community, and  independent media, cannot afford to get them. But that is a fight for another day. Right now, I am asking for help to cover the cost of obtaining the transcript of the Bushnell trial, which I will make available online in its entirety, as well as any other documents that I am able to obtain.

Money raised will go towards the cost of obataining the transcript and towards any other costs associated with obtaining documents related to the Bushnell trial and making them available to the public for review. 

Should I exceed the amount needed, I will form a fund for future costs associated with covering this case or others.

Thank you for your help.
Sandy Williams
Publisher, Black Lens News
http://blacklensnews.com