Transcript of the Evidence Volume 3

Public Court Documents
April 7, 1975

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  • Case Files, Garner Hardbacks. Transcript of the Evidence Volume 3, 1975. 01ae7bc1-24a8-f011-bbd3-000d3a151b15. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/ad1b795d-c900-40dd-81c4-d1d157fec870/transcript-of-the-evidence-volume-3. Accessed February 12, 2026.

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UNITED 5T/\TES DISTRICT COURT 
WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE 

WESTERN DIVISION

MARTHA V̂ ILEY, Mother and 
Next of Kin of FRED LEE 
BERRY, a Deceased Minor,

Plaintiff,
versus
MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, 
ET AL.,

> ) 
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Defendants. )

CIVIL ACTION NO 
C-73-8.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE EVIDENCE 
MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1975 
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

VOLUME III



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WITIIEG'̂
I-N-D~E-X

DIRECT
EXAMINATION

Mrs. Michael A. Smith 374(a) 410,
414

CROSS-
EXAMINATION

397, 415

Charles T. Kenny 
John A, Coletta

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443, 475

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367

(Whereupon,, pursuant to the overxiight 
recess, Court reconvened in this case beginnix̂ ĝ 
at 1:38 p.ra., and the follovifing proceedings 
were had.)
THE COURT: Gentlemen, I have been apologizing

all day long. I'm sorry that is the case, was the 
case. I had no choice. I want you to understand 
that, whereas, at nine thirty, for the second 
straight case, I was advised by the defendant's 
attorney that the defendant was in jail, and there-- 
fore, we couldn't proceed, and that was the first 
that I had known about it, so we had no choice of 
inconveniencing about thirty-five or forty jurors, 
and, and the persons that v;ere attempting to pro­
ceed in this case, or inconveniencing all of you 
for which I'm sorry, but it took us, as you know, 
until about one ten or one fifteen in order to get 
the jury panel selected and I regret that I have 
delayed you in this case because of that unexpecte 
situation.

MR. ARUOLD: If Your Honor please, if there
is something we could take up with the Court, 
briefly, before we put on more proof.

It has to do with the Court's ruling concerni)ig 
our statistics and data on police arrests and



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shooting incidents after January the 8th, 1372, in 
specifically involved Exhibits 19(a), 13(b), 20,
39 and 40, in which data of, after that date, is 
also included and while we have not prepared any 
ineraorandura on the subject, we would ask the Court 
to reconsider its previous ruling. We would speci:̂ i- 
cally call attention to Rule 406 of the new rules 
of evidence, v/hich, of course, do not go into, did 
not go into, do not go into effect until the first 
of July.

Rule 406 states, that:
"Evidence of the habit of a person or of 

the routine practice of an organization, 
whether corroborated or not and regardless of 
the presence of eyewitnesses, is relevant to 
prove that the conduct of the person or organi­
zation on a particular occasion was in con­
formity v;ith the habit of routine practice."
One example that I would call to the Court's 

attention from Wigmore on Evidence, is under the 
topic, "Circumstantial Evidence," and deals with 
the question of existence in time.

The example given is -- (interrupted)
THE COURT: Now, where, v/here, what section

are you reading from?



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36 9

MR. ARNOLD: are reading from the matter,
circumstantial evidence is the topic, section 
eight zero, paragraph, Roman Numeral Three.

THE COURT:: All right, sir.
MR. ARNOLD: This is student's textbook of the

law of evidence as opposed to the treatise, as Mr. 
Caldwell has pointed out to rae, the example given 
is, that:

"The existence of a dangerous hole on 
the -- in the sidev/alk on June 15 may be evi­
dence by the prior or later exhibits of a 
hole at this point on June 1, or on June 30." 
Neither Rule 406 , nor this example here, woulcjl 

suggest that subsequent to happenings, which are 
a part of the pattern and practice, for the conduc^ 
and habits as alleged, are to be excluded because 
those events occurred after the specific date in 
question.

We have called the Court's attention to other 
positions, including that of the unavailability of 
information prior to a certain date, as testified 
to by Captain Coletta, and would urge the Court to 
reconsider the Court's ruling and to allow those 
matters which we have presented, occurring after 
January, 1972, to be admitted under Rule 406, as



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the habit or routine practice of the defendant 
organization of Meiaphis Police Department,

THE COURT; All right, sir.
Do you v/ant to be heard in that respect, Mr.

Shea?
MR. SHEA; Your Honor, we voice a continuing 

objection, that, first, there isn't, to my way of 
thinking, any evidence in the record at the presen^ 
time, there may be some conclusions on the part of 
the attorney for the plaintiff, but there is no 
evidence that there is any systematic pattern of 
the Memphis Police Department of shooting just 
black fleeing felons.

What they are asking the Court to do at this 
time is not, at this time, is not to look at the 
facts as they were on January 8, 1972, but, but to 
take into consideration matters that have occurred 
offenses, events that have occurred since 1974, 
certainly would have absolutely no bearing whatso­
ever on what took place in January '72. So our 
objection is continuing.

THE COURT; Well, the Court has ruled pre­
viously that evidence which relates to the shootin 
or wounding of persons fleeing from the police, 
going into 1973 and 1974, when the episode in



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question occurred in January of 1972, was not rele­
vant or admissible, and at the time the plaintiff 
had prepared certain material, and summaries, and 
information, and statistical data which related to 
matters that had been reported into *73 and '74, 
and the contention was, in two respects, that ought- 
to be admissible, in other v/ords, to get a sufficii^nt 
statistical pattern, that it v/ould be meaningful, 
and that the police had not maintained, for a suff4“ 
cient number of years before January, *72, data 
that would be perhaps as significant or as helpful 
for looking at the contentions that the plaintiff 
is making v/ith regard to racial implications of 
the policies of the police.

The Court ruled that anything beyond 1972, we 
woxild not consider to be relevant or material, but 
that the plaintiff might amend their data and infor­
mation that would go through that time, although 
we specifically stated that, said that we wanted 
information that would have a cutoff date as near 
to January the 8th, of '72, as i>ossible, but we 
did indicate that we might consider matters that 
would go through 1972, even though that postdates 
the actual occurrence here.

We are not persuaded at this point, although



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wc will review the particular new rule of evidence 
and the matter that has been submitted, we are not 
persuaded that our previous ruling should be amended 
or changed, and we also do not, do not feel that 
this does work a prejudice to the plaintiff, because 
they were able to make a summary or theoretical 
questions to the statistical witness with regard t<|) 
his particular conclusions drav;n, based on figures 
v/hich, in fact, did go through the longer period.

In relation to the example, of course, that 
Wigmore cites, we think that the, that there are 
obvious and evident differences in that situation 
and what we have here. VJigmore argued that evidence 
within a few days, and within a few days before an<̂  
after a particular defect in property, of what it 
v/as like a few days before or a few days after, is 
so close to the fact that it might be considered 
by a court or jury, pertaining to what the situation 
actually was on the day in question, and there, of 
course, the parties on either side would have had 
an opportunity to bring in anything, anything that 
would shov; a difference in the actual situation at 
the date of the accident, and what pertained a few 
days before and a few days after.

Here we have proof and evidence that have



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373

been submitted through, through the plaintiff, 
that there have been differing persons in charge 
of the police department, differing persons that 
have adopted soraê 'rhat different policies v/ith 
regard to the policies that are in question, par­
ticularly v/ith regard to the use of reasonable 
force, including the use of firearms, firearms to 
apprehend a fleeing felon.

The Court just feels that there are so many 
variables and significant differences from the 
examples that have been cited to us, plus the nor­
mal and usual rules that v/hat may have occurred, 
one, or two, or almost three years after an episodjj, 
is simply not material and relevant to what may 
have happened and may, wliat may have been the poli)::y 
and practice at that particular time.

So we are disposed to ratify and reaffirm our 
previous ruling, subject to re-examining the matte 
in light of the authorities that have been cited 
to us; but, again, the plaintiffs have the right 
to resubmit evidence and exhibits that, that go 
through the dates in question and evidence going 
beyond, through 1972, but not otherwise; and, of 
course, they may make their record by identifyir^O 
those exhibits that have information in the later



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period that we had ruled not relevant and not 
materi al.

Are there anything, any other matters tliat we 
need to take up before we proceed nov/?

MR. ARNOLD; No, sir.
THE COURT; All right.
Vie had concluded the testimony of Dr. Kenny 

and, after his testimony we had the tostiraony of 
Captain, or before his testimony of Captain Colett^, 
are there any other matters of proof and evidence 
that are to be offered by the plaintiffs at this 
time?

MR. CALDWELL: Your Honor, we would like to
call at this time Mrs. Maxine Smith.

THE COURT: All right.



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MRS. MICHAEL A. SMITH,
the said witness, having beezi first duly sworn,
testified as follows:
DIRECT EXAMINATION 
DY MR. CALDWELL:

Q I'll try to make you understand me, I'm having 
speaking problems, Mrs. Smith.

Would you state your name, your full name, please, 
and your address, please?
A Mrs. Michael A. Smith, 120 8 East Parkv/ay South.
Q And among other things, you are executive secretary
of the Memphis branch, NAACP, is that correct?
A That is correct.
Q And you are also an elected member of the Board
of Education of Memphis?
A City schools, that is correct. That is also cor­
rect.
Q And how long have you held that position?
A Since January 1, 1972.
Q All right.

And hov̂  long have you been executive secretary of 
Memphis branch NAACP?
A I think it was in April of '62.
Q Are you a native Meraphian?
A Yes, sir, I am.



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1 Q Prior to April of 1962 , !lro. Smith, had you become 
involved in, in what was then known as the Civil Rights 
Movement, if, and if so, would you tell us hov; you be­
came involved?
A Yes, sir. I have been involved to some extent all 
of ray life, but as an adult, ray first involvement came 
v;ith a futile effort to enter Memphis State University 
in the summer of 1957. I did this independently, inde­
pendent of an organization. I would say, along with a 
friend, and we were rejected. Som.ehow, the nev.’s media 
got wind of this and there was some public attention 
put to, put to this, and it was at this point, in 1957, 
that the N double ACP first invited us to become members 
of its board of directors.
Q V<hy was your application at Memphis State rejectedl* 
A Because I was black.
Q Subsequently, did Memphis State admit black stu­
dents?
A Subsequently, yes.
Q Can, can you proceed there, from there to the next
major facet of the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis, and 
we are particularly interested in the, in this case with 
relation to, of the police department, and the black 
community?

HR. SHEA: If Your Honor please, I fail to seh



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any relevancy of Mrs. Smith’s involvement as a bla<j:k 
as her activities, has to do with the incident thai 
took î lace on January the 8th, 1972 .

THE COURT; Well, I will overrule your objec­
tion .

The witness may testify with regard to the 
background, and in the area that may pertain to 
the issues that are involved in this matter.

You may proceed.
A I became a member of the board of directors of 
Memphis branch N double ACP, in 1957.

My first position was as membership chairman.
To move on to direct action with the community 

problems, I, I was coordinator of what we call the 
"Freedom Movement" of 1960-61, that was in, eighteen 
months period of direct action programs in which more 
than four hundred people participated in this program 
were arrested for attempting to use public libraries, 
art museums, get services at lunch counters, be served 
at rail, bus and air terminals, ride streetcars or buse 
or trolleys, whatever we had. In fact, during this 
period, around this period, H double ACP filed suit 
against every tax-supported institution in Memphis, all 
of v;hich, at that time, barred blacks from participation 
and I served as coordinator of this movement.



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Q iiow many people do yoxi estimate were arrested durincj 
this period?
A In excess of four hundred people.
Q And these were people arrested by the police 
department in Ilenphis?
A That is correct.
Q Following then, 1961, or 1962, what was the next 
major civil rights events in Memphis? Was that the 
sanitation strike in ’68?
A ’Well, there were a number of direct action program;
even before '68. There were a number of arrests in '63-
in '64, because many of the things that we had been 
promised in '61, at the culmination of that movement 
were not forthcoming and, and so we continued to peace­
fully picket department stores, financial institutions, 
which lead to even further arrests, and I guess we v/ould 
say that the next major civil rights thrust was involved 
with the sanitation strike of 1968 . IJ double ACP led 
the first protest. We had an all-night vigil around 
City Hall in protest of the treatment the sanitation 
workers v;ere receiving from city officials.
Q Were there events which occurred during the course 
of the sanitation which, which you observed and which 
involved the Memphis Police Department, or certain mem­
bers of the Memphis Police Department?



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x'lR. SREA: If Your Honor please, ayain, I ' ra
going to object. It has nothing at all to do with 
v/hat we are inquiring into.

THE COURT; What is the purported relevancy,
Mr. Caldwell?

MR. CALDWELL; Your Honor, we have attempted 
to demonstrate, or we have alleged, at least, that 
the Memphis Police Department has had relationship 
with the black community which has been one of mis' 
trust or hostile, hostility, from the standpoint 
of the black community, and we have also attempted 
to establish that, that the Memphis Police 
Department has, by its history, actions, been respon­
sible at least in part for these differences, and 
perceptions, and is a part of the history of the, 
of the Civil Rights Movement in Memphis. It is a 
part of the history of the relationship with the 
Memphis Police Department, of the Memphis Police 
Department v;ith the black community, which does, 
does go to establishing those perceptions.

THE COURT; V7ell, insofar as the latter matter 
bearing upon the issues that are presented by the 
plaintiff in the case. I'll overrule the objection^ 
and in saying, "insofar as the latter part", I 
would, of course, v/ant to emphasize those portions



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which bear upon police actions or conduct rather 
than general civil rights movements, as it pertain; 
to the issues in this particular case.

MR. CALDWELL: I understand,
Tliank you, Your Honor.
MR. SHEA: Your Honor, rather than being

bouncing up and dov/n, could I have a continuing 
objection to this witness' testimony?

THE COURT; The Court understands that it is 
your contention, continuing position, and objection, 
that v/hat may have taken place and the time, times 
and places, differ, if a, differ from the time and 
places in nineteen seven- -- January, 1972, are 
not relevant and material. Now, in overruling your 
objection, the Court is not making an ultimate 
finding here, v/e are simply overruling the objec­
tion .

You may proceed, Mr. Caldwell.
BY MR. CALDWELL:
Q Would you, you may proceed, Mrs. Smith.

Would you, do you remember the question?
A I think I do.

In 1968 there were numerous arrests by the members 
of the police department.

I was arrested, I don't remember exactly how many



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times, and I was treated extremely rudely by police offi 
cials doing their, during the arrest, and being process*;

I was throvm into a restroom with all males. I was 
deprived when I asked to be addressed by ray proper 
courtesy title.

The v/ord "nigger" was frequently used. There was 
just general contempt and lack of respect by those of 
us Who were arrested for sitting in City Hall after the 
police decided they didn't want us there.
Q Referring specifically to the sanitation strike, 
itself, was there a march or demonstration on March 28, 
196G?
A Yes, sir, there was a march on March 28th. I was 
right at the front of that march and, and the march got 
out of hand, those of us who felt to be leaders in the 
black community were doing a pretty good job of turning 
the march around, but suddenly, I don't know why or how 
by what command, police officers began swinging clubs, 
shooting teargas. It was the most inhuman episode I 
have ever witnessed. I witnessed brutality that I coul 
not really imagine, I never would have thought could 
have happened at the hands of the police officers.

I saw many people beaten, just for trying to get 
to their car after the order was to clear the streets, 
and we were attempting to tell people, in fact, leaders



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1 of the community, Mr. Jessie Turner, himself, was placea 
and struck by police officers in his effort to turn the 
people around.

Hr. Hiram V7iIlham, one, president of one of our 
white businesses at the time, was struck, cursed.

Vve were standing together at the door of N double 
7vCP office, and we stood there, in Memphis, and watched 
just savage brutality being inflicted on citizens by 
police officers who had removed their shirts, I would 
imagine in an effort not to be identified.

I was a witness in court subsequently to several 
of these incidents, and as result, N double AGP did 
process eighty complaints from that one day, people who 
received, received rather serious varying degrees of 
brutal abuse.
Q Do you have a son, Mrs. Smith?

Is that correct?
A Yes, sir, I have one son.
Q How old is he now?
A He is eighteen years old now.
Q Has he been arrested in the course of these kind 
of activities?
A Yes, sir, he has been arrested. I think he was 
eight years old when he had his first arrest.
Q And what was he arrested for at that time?



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A He vras in a picket line in front of Lowenstein's 
Department Store for, that was located at Monroe and 
Main at that tirie.
Q And what was the picket protesting?
A We were seeking equal eupl.oyment opportunities for 
black people.
Q Has he been arrested on subsequent occasions?
A He has been arrested on subsequent occasions.
Q To your judgment, has that affected his -- (inter­
rupted)

MR. SHEA; Now, if Your Honor please, I am
I

going to object to this one isolated incident that 
he is going to say. I just don't think we ought 
to inquire into this. Your Honor.

THE COURT: Well, I'm going to sustain the
objection to the testimony about the, about an 
individual, ivhere the individual is, himself, not

1I
present to testify, and I v;ill, unless the indivi-| 
dual is here to testify, I'll sustain the objection.I

MR. CALDWELL; Your Honor, I was not going to! 
ask her, I was going to ask her about her -- 
mother's perception about her son's reaction.

THE COURT; Well, she may testify to her own 
observations and so forth, but I'll sustain any 
objection made to his attitudes, attitude of his



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383

subjective response, and that sort of thing, as he 
would be the appropriate person to do that.

I think the objection, from a hearsay stand­
point, is an appropriate objection.

I’m not cutting off the line of inquiry in 
that regard, I just think in this instance it is 
an apjjropriate objection.

MR. CALDVJELL; Thank you. Your Honor.
Q Mrs. Smith, in terms of your relationship with 
your son, have you been concerned about his perception 
of the, of the Memphis Police Department, and have you 
taken steps to deal with that?
A Very definitely.

I personally feel that any citizen, young, old,
middle age, should have a good image of police officers^

Ibecause I have a concept of what their role in the city' 
should be, and my concern was that, and I hope I’m not 
doing what you asked not to do. Your Honor, but my son's 
concept, because of his experiences, was obviously net
what I would like to see it, as a mother, so I tried, !

i
perhaps futilely, to correct his concept of the police 
department.
Q Your son is in college today, is that correct?
A Yes, sir, he is a freshman in college now.
Q Following 1968, am I correct that there were, was



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a boycott of the school systein led by^ or organized by 
you and NAACP in 1969?
A That is correct.
Q And were there arrests and what-have-you during 
this, during this period also?
A Yes, sir, there v;ere arrests. I don't remember 
exactly how many. I was arrested on at least two occa­
sions, personally during that period. I think one of 
the charges v;as contributing to the delinquency of 
minors, ironically these charges were only dropped afte:: 
white mothers participated in boycotts some years later, 
just what, why mine v;as dropped all of a sudden -- 
Q They were protesting bussing?
A Right.
Q There has been previous testimony in the case,
Mrs. Smith, about hearings conducted by the NAACP and 
a committee, committee selected of OE, elected officials 
in 1970.

Would you, could you tell us something about what 
led up to those hearings and what they were about?
A Yes, sir.

I think it was in the latter part of 1969 that tiie 
N double AGP felt it necessary to try to create a com­
munity awareness of the whole problems that it engulfcdj 
this community, as far as our system of criminal justice,



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385

as far as the inequities in the adjni.nistration of justit|:e
If I could just back up.
Much of the time I have spent as an official of, as; 

an executive secretary of N double ACP, has been spent 
filing police abuse, and charging other inequities. Vie 
picketed for the right to include blacks in juries. We 
have just, through the years, and I think our record 
will reflect, been very concerned about the adrainistra- 
tion of justice. However, most of the complaints we 
filed with charges of police abuse were ignored by the 
power brokers to whom w q filed, agencies, the officials 
and we felt this to be a type of community, community- 
wide hearing.

I really think, and maybe I'm a bit prejudice, tha 
it is really one of the finest things that has come to 
Memphis. It was not a vindictive against the police 
department. We invited the police department to parti­
cipate. We invited the mayor. We invited all indivi­
duals, all of the officials, city officials, to partici 
pate. We spent a considerable amount of money to set 
this up. Wc brought people who were experts in the 
field of some area of administration of justice. We 
v/ere concerned with the young police abuse. We were 
concerned with the stallist bail bond system, we were 
concerned with the, with the discrimination employment



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by our law enforcement, by, in fact, if I raay say so, i 
felt pretty proud of the high caliber hearings that 
N double ACP put together and brought to Memphis. 
Unfortunately, some of our officials ignored it.
Q You say the Memphis Police Department was invited 
to attend and participate?
A Very definitely.
Q , And did they cooperate in the hearings?
A No. I think they, they didn't cooperate. The 
only member of the police department that were present, 
to ray knowledge, were one or two people with tape 
recorders. I sat next to one taping a record of what 
v;ent on. Of course, there, it was no secret. We had, 
have a, you know, the entire transcript of the whole 
thing, but I think the director, at that time, said he 
never had heard of a brutal policeman; although this 
was not the v/hole issue. There was cooperation from 
the police department, and the only attendant, to my 
knowledge, v;as to get the record.
Q Did you also invite the Shelby County police. 
Sheriff Department, to participate?
A We did.
Q And did they also cooperate?
A Yes, sir. In fact, the v;itness from the sheriff's 
department testified in that hearing.



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Q Could you fcell lae who the rtembors of the -- it was 
called, called the ad-hoc committee, and who were the 
members of the committee?
A Let me see.

We used black elected officials. At that time, it 
was in *70, there was Mr. Turner and Mr. Fred Davis, 
Rev. J. L. Matters, Attorney J. O. Patterson, and nov; 
Commissioner Ben Kooks.
Q Mr. Jessie Turner, at that time, and still to the
present, was a magistrate, an elected magistrate, on
the Shelby County quarterly court; is that correct?

»
A That is correct.
Q And Mr. Fred Davis was, at that time, and still is 
a member of the city council?
A Yes, sir, that is correct.
Q And Mister, Rev. James Matters, v;as, at that time, 
and still is, an elected member of the council?
A That is correct. Yes, sir.
Q And Judge Hooks had just been, or was a member of 
the judiciary of Shelby County; right?
A Right.
Q He is now a commissioner of the Federal
Communications Commission, is that right?
A That is right.
Q And Mr. Patterson was a member of the State Senate



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1 and the city council; is that correct?
2 A That is correct.
3 Q Mrs. Smith, let me show you some documents, one
4 document is marked Exhibit 23, and the others are markec
5 Exhibits 24(a) through 24(d).
6 Now, are the 24 series, is that the transcript of
7 the ad-hoc committee hearings which were conducted'during 
g —  excuse me -- Exhibit 24(a) through (d) hearings, and
9 I have the original of those transcripts.

10 A Yes, sir, without reading them all, just at a
11 glance, I would say these are the transcipts of the
12 hearings, of those hearings, and went on, you know, ove^ 
]3 a period of time.
14 (2 Did you have them routinely one day a week for
15 three or four weeks? Is that right?
16 A Yes, sir, not consecutively, but within, maybe a
17 two months time frame. I would have to check back for
18 the dates .
19 Q Now, you mentioned that some of the testimony
20 dealt with, with the bail bond system and the other,
21 other testimony dealt with the experts which wei'e called
22 in, and what-have-you, but were there also some indivi-
23 dual citizens who testified, make allegations of the
24 police conduct and racial abuse?
25 A Yes, sir.



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MR. SliE/i.; If Your Honor please, I am going 
to object. Certainly that is the rankest hearsay 
that people came in and took a transcript of what 
they said. We have no opportunity to cross-examin^ 
these people. I object to it on the ground that 
it is hearsay and should be excluded.

THE COURT: v;ell, the Court has ruled hereto­
fore that v;e are not concerned, considering the 
transcript or the evidence that may have taken 
place there for the truth of the matter that is 
asserted. So that, in the face of the hearsay 
objection, we are not considering those matters 
with regard to testimony pertaining to the parti­
cular complaint or particular matter.

As we understand it, the plaintiff has offeredi
it for the purpose of information or matters that |I
the defendants were or should have been aware of, 
not for the truth of the matter assarted, and v;e 
have stated that the matter may be alluded to and 
we overrule the objection on the latter basis, but 
we are not admitting it on the hearsay objection 
as to the truth of the matter asserted.

BY MR. CALDWELL;
Q We were talking about allegations of police conduct; 
or racial abuse; there v/as that kind of testiraony, as ij



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understand your ansv7or?
A Yes, sir, that v;as a pcirt of the hearings, yes, sijf.
Q And that v/as a part, report, lot me turn your atter !tion now to Exhibit 23, and this is the ad-hoc committee 
staff report, and was that approved by the five members 
of the committee, that testimony before the coramittee?
A Yes, sir, i t v/ a s .
Q In, in October, 1971, I think there v/as an incident 
involving the death of a young nan named Elton fiayes .
Are you familiar with that incident? 
a Yes, sir, I am. »

MR. SHEA: Your Honor, I object to anything
that happened to Elton Hayes in 1971. That has 
nothing to do \/ith January, 1972 .

THE COURT: Well, with your continuing objec-j
tion on the same basis as noted before, and v/ith- 
out attributing a special materiality or signifi­
cance or otherwise, not either way, the Court will; 
overrule the objection and permit the testimony.

BY MR. CALDWELL:
Q Was there further black community concern and 
activity in v/hich you participated as result of that 
particular incident?
A Yes, sir, it was more or less a continuation, or 
perhaps an intensification of our effort to, that had



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taken place over the years, to eliminate this type of 
brutality from our police system. It v/as resulting pri-- 
marily from the tragedy of Elton Hayes that the 
N double ACP drew up what came to be known as our 
Eighteen Point Program, and this program was widely disf 
semenated to all elected officials, to all lav; enforce­
ment agencies, and including the county commission, the 
county court, the city council, and anybody who v;ould 
have some effect on trying to implement those eighteen 
points, we felt would bring about a just society.

As I said, those v;ere drav;n up in '71, and the
I

dissemination of this was intensified early in *72. V/e 
made appearances before everybody, every public body.
We had conferences with the editors of the two daily 
newspapers, and in an effort to join us in this effort 
to remove this blight from our city.

MR. CALDWELL; Your Honor, if I raay mar]: a 
document at this time as the next exhibit number? !

THE COURT: All right, let it be marked for
identification as Exhibit Number --

THE CLERK; Forty-six for identification only 
THE COURT: Forty-six.

(Whereupon, the said instrument was 
accordingly laarked Exhibit Number 46 for 
identification only.)



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BY MR. CALDWELL:
Q Mrs. Smith, there has been marked for identifica­
tion as Exhibit 46, a document which purports to be a 
document of LAACP, and I believe you testified that is 
the Eighteen Point Program that you were speaking of?
A Yes, sir, it is.
Q V7hat is left of it. I tore part of it off while
I v/as standing here.

Now, during both of these, these two events, we 
were just talking about, the Eighteen Point Program and 
the 1970 ad-hoc committee hearings -- 
A ifesrsir.
Q (Continuing) -- you did address and make comiaunica
tions in connection v/ith the deadly use, deadly force, 
is that correct, arrest and use of deadly force, is 
that correct?
A Yes , sir.
Q Would you read item seventeen of the Exhibit 46?
A (Reading):

"A new guideline for use of lethal force 
by officers should simply state that:

"'A police officer shall use lethal 
force only v;hen he is clearly defending his 
own life or v̂ hen clearly defending tlie life 
of another individual or fellow officer.'"



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Q All riglit.
And the Lighteen Point deals with a whole lot of 

other things, including better salaries for policeiuon, 
and that sort of thing?
A That is right.
Q And similar deadly force policy was proposed by 
the ad-hoc coi.imittee report, is that correct?
A Yes, sir.
Q Mrs. Smith, based on your experience with the
black community and the Civil Rights Movement in Meiaphiŝ , 
and continuing to a tim.e prior to, and up to January of 
1972 , what was the, from your i^erception, the general 
feeling of black citizens toward the Memphis Police 
Department?

MR. SHEA; If Your Honor please, I am going 
to object to that. She can give v/hat her opinion 
is, but not v;hat the general -- is she speaking 
for the entire black community, or is she speaking 
for Mrs. Maxine Smith?

THE COURT: Uell, the Court is considering
that the witness is testifying in light of her 
position in the organization, or organizations 
that she has participated in, and the testimony 
that has been adduced, adduced.

V7e v/ill overrule the objection to her



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tostiiaony \7itriout attributing to the witness the 
fact that she rnay be speaking, or not be speaking 
for the entire black comraunity, but she may testifj^ 
in light of her background and her own position 
that she has testified about.

HR. CALDV7ELL: Thank you, Your Honor.
A Through the contacts I have had, primarily as 
executive secretary of N double ACP, and the complaints 
that have been filed in our office, I would have to say 
that in answer to your question that the attitude is 
quite unhealthy and there, there are elements of fear 
and distrust, and animosity, maybe even hate, unfortu­
nately. This is how I perceive from my experience, the 
attitude of blacks toward the police force.

MR. CALD;7ELL: Your Honor, I would like to
offer Exhibit 23 into evi.’ence, which is the ad-ho<|; 
committee final report.

How, I have previously marked 24(a) through 
(d) , as transcript of those bearings, but I promis^^d 
the Court last week that v;e would not burden the 
record with those unless the Court, or opposing 
counsel required, but they are here and they are 
marked for identification. I don't offer then int 
evidence, and, at the conclusion of the trial, I 
will be glad to v;ithdraw those.



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THE COERT; v/ell, the Court is hoping that ir; 
any ultimate event of any ultimate appeal by oithei 
party in this case, that it will not be necessary 
that the parties include the voluminous matters 
that are set forth as part of the proof and evi­
dence .

The Court is not considering the contents of 
the matter that has been stated for the purpose of 
the truth of the matter asserted therein, and it 
may be marked for identification, but v;ith the hop 
that it does not have to be made a part of the 
record for any ultimate purpose, because of the 
expense involved.

MR. CALDWELL: I understand that. Your Honor,
and at the conclusion of the trial in this case, I 
will be happy to withdraw the 24 series.

THE COURT: All right, sir,
MR. CALDV7ELL: I would offer into evidence

the final report which is marked Exhibit 23, and 
the Eighteen point Program which is marked Exhibit 
46 .

THE COURT: Mr. Shea, I take it that, that
Exhibit Number 24, is it, Mr. Clerk?

THE CLERK: (No response.)
THE COURT: And 46 -- (interrupted)



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MR. CALDVJELL : Twenty-tlirGG and 46,
THE COURT: Ilow, do you v/ant to bo heard with

regard to admitting 46 and 23?
MR. SHEA: Yes, sir, Your Honor.
I say they have absolutely nothing at all to 

do with this lav/suit, that they are conclusions on 
the part of the N double kCP, which are not in evi­
dence here, and the vhiole entire record, in my 
opinion, should not be permitted in evidence at al'

THE COURT: Well, the Court admits the two
documents that are referred to, noting the objec­
tions that have been made, again, since this is a 
nonjury matter, the Court, in admitting these into 
evidence, is not making any findings v/ith regard 
to these matters at this point. We understand thai 
they are being submitted as a part of the plaintifjf's 
theory in this case, with regard to the attitude 
of, of some, as evidenced by these documents in th^ 
black community, and v/e are noting the defendant’s 
objection and they are admitted at this time under 
the circumstances that have been stated.

MR. CALDWELL; Thank you. Your Honor.
That is all the questions I have from Mrs.

Smith.
Thank you, Mrs. Smith.



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THE COURT: All right, Mr. Shea.
I might say that, state thcit any examination, 

Mr. Shea, that you go into, that relates to these 
exhibits that have been introduced, subject to 
your continuing objection, you are not waiving 
your objection by any cross-examination that goes 
into any of these areas.

MR. SHEA: If Your Honor please, thank you
very much. They are much too voluminous to go
into. My objection is noted to then as to their
conclusions, and I do not intend to go into them.

CROSS-EXAMINATION ’
BY MR. SHE A : ___

si Mrs. Smith, what, I believe you said members of 
the ad-hoc committee v;as Jessie Turner, Councilman 
Davis, Rev. Metters, and Councilman Patterson, Rev. Ben 
Hocks?
A Right.
Q They are all blac]:, are they not?
A That is right.
Q v;hat was your particular function in the ad-hoc
committee?
A Function, well, as I was executive secretary of
the local N double ACP, the organization that sponsored 
and, and, you knov;, put the hearings together, I v/as



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sort of ov'e.’cseor of the whole thing, I guess you v/ould 
call it.

v?ell, did you oversee and attend all of the hearimjs, 
yourself ?
7' Yes , sir .
Q Let's see, this v/as N double 7iCP' s responsibility? 
h That is correct.
Q There were no whites asked to be members?
A Of the names whom I have just mentioned. No, there: 
were no whites that, we used black elected officials.
0 VJhy was that? »
A V7e used men of ability, of credibility, men who 
had been on record opposing the type of justice of 
blacks, blacks received in our system of criminal jus­
tice, and v/e thought they were capable men of jjerformin<;j[ 
this task.
Q Are you saying that all white men to be incapable?
A I‘m saying nothing about any white man.
Q Well, they were excluded because you felt that
these black men were better qualified than any white 
people?
h We didn't even consider. We looked for five good 
men.
C? Well, were you discriminating against whites?
A No, we were not discriminauing against anybody.



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lie picked five laen we kr.ev/ to be good men,
Q All right.

Now, Mrs. Si.iith, you, as the executive secretary 
of the 11 double ACP, and back in 1961, you said that 
you had some function, that was membership?
A I \/as chairman of the membership committee.
Q All right.
A Earlier, when I first went on the executive board
of N double ACP.
Q Well, what training and teaching xvas given to the 
young, old blacks alike, during the civil disobedience 
period in Memphis, from 1956 through 1972?
A We had sessions, proceedings every demonstration.

First of all, every participant was advised of his or 
her rights under the First Amendment to our Constitutioh 
V4e had people come into tov;n, such as Rev. Lawson, v?ho 
currently moved to Memphis, from other areas, that had 
been involved in direct action programs, people v;ho 
subscribed to the theory or prinicple of nonviolence to 
lecture to our participants, and if you remember cor­
rectly, we were never violent in our demonstrations.
No one ever accused us of violence. If any of the 
youngsters got out of hand, there were one or tv/o occa­
sions when I had to pull one out of line, but they were 
very strongly admonished to conduct themselves in a



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nonviolent manner to, to picket according to laws that 
v/erc, not, not misconstrued as bombarding trade, or 
back doors, v/e stayed our distance. I think -we did a 
pretty good job of teaching. Most cf them v̂ 7ere young 
people there were people of all ages -- to partici­
pate in this type of demonstrations in a dignified 
manner.
U V7ho broke out all the windows on South Main from, 
when the march was coming toward City Hall?
A This was in 1968?
Q Yes .
A There were people who were not even involved in 
the march. I saw this myself.
Q But there were people who v\̂ ere involved in the 
march, breaking windows and putting people out of busi­
ness, were they not?
A I saw no people involved in the march breaking v/in- 
dov;s .
Q Are you telling this Court, Mrs. Smith, that none 
of the protestors broke any of those windov/s on South 
Main Street?
A I'm telling this Court, Mr. Shea, what I saw.
Q Well, of course -- (interrupted)
A There were plenty of people milling on the side­
walks who were not in the line of inarch. I don't think



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thcit element of citizenry would be concerned about the 
rights we wore trying to gain for our people.
0 Well, isn't it a fact, Firs. Smith, that the teachiijg 
til at you gave to the young children not to obey and 
respect the laws has had a great deal to do v/ith their 
attitudes tov;ard the police department?
A I have -- (interrupted)

MR. CALDWELL: I would like to —  (interrupted)
THE WITNESS; I have never given any teaching 

to any child, young or old, to disrespect and not 
obey the police department. I have never done thi^* 
and I don't Icnow where you get your information.

BY MR. SHEA;
Q Well, you just testified, excuse me, I have some 
(interrupted)

MR. CALDWELL; I will withdraw my objection, 
the witness has handled it.

BY MR. SHEA; . -
Q (Continuing) -- You just stated that you told them 
what their rights were and didn't you also tell them 
that they didn't have to obey such laws as riding on 
the back of the bus, or eating in separate facilities, 
and restaurants, or going to the park on certain days, 
didn't you tell them that?
A I did not testify to that, but that was the whole



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reason of the nioverient.
Q All right.

So then you did.
All right, your sanction, soraeone taught then dis­

respect for laws that you felt they should not obey?
A I feel that the Constitution of the United States 
supersedes any law.
Q V4ould you answer ny question, please.
A I answered you, please, sir.

THE COURT: Just a minute.
Mr. Shea will ask the question and after he

has completed the question, the v/itness will respoho,
and be permitted to respond, and if there is any
objection made by counsel, v;e'll consider that
objection, but the Court can't pick up the natters

»

that are being discussed with all of you talking 
at one time, and the reporter, neither, neither 
can the court reporter, so let's proceed in a 
fashion that we can all understand.

A Does that answer the question?
iiy MR. SHEA;
Q No. Would you answer it, please?
A A part of our movement, the main function of our 
movement was to prove that these things you referred to 
as laws, were unconstitutional and I think you v;ill



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403

recall as vividly as I can that they v/ere so proven.
Q Well, I, I (interrupted)
A The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
Aracndaients of the Constitution guarantee all citizens 
equal rights under the lav/, and that is what v/e were 
trying to prove, and I think we proved it.
Q But you did teach then to disrespect and disobey 
certain laws that you didn’t think were right, that you 
and others like you didn't think were correct; right?
A I never taught, taught disrespect. I taught self- 
respect. • , ' '
0 Now, v/liat is -- I'n glad we discussed that.

Now, v/hat is disrespect for the law?
A Well, Mr. Shea, you are the one that brought that 
statenent up, perhaps you can define it.

MR. SKEA; Your Honor, I an not going to argut̂  
with Mrs. Smith. I an asking the questions.

A I never used the word. It is your term.
BY MR, SHEA:
Q All right.

You just, just excuse me, Mrs. Smith, but do you 
feel that there is any relationship between obeying a 
just law and obeying one that someone does not think is 
a just law?
A Well, see, in that instance, I don't consider it



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law, Mr. Sheav
Q You don't consider it law. All right,
A That is ricrht.
Q All right.

Now, Mrs. Smith, the only way that those matters 
could be changed though was by a court test, was it not| 
A Yes, sir, and we were v;iiling to suffer any conse­
quences that would corae as we tested the courts.
Q I see . 

I see .
Now, well, now, you have testified earlier that 

you were mistreated in some instances. Were, I believe 
after the bologna was cut up on the tables in the counc 
chambers, and certain people were arrested and brought
to headquarters, that you were not accorded certain 
respect that you thought were due you?
A Mr. Shea, laws are getting broken continuously, 
broken by the presence in the courts. The day that tne 
bologna was cut -- (interrupted)
Q V7ell, now, you said on one incident when you were 
seized, led from city council table to the police sta­
tion?
A That is right.
Q That, that event took place, and do you recall, or 
do you know that your attorney asked Ciiief MacDonald to

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give you preferential treatment find let you go first?
A No, because I was the last one to, to have been 
released from jail that night.
Q Nell, I nappened to have been present when that 
incident took place.

MR. CALDvJdLL; Your Honor, I object.
MR. SHE/i; Excuse me.
THE COURT; Again, as I have stated before,

I don’t take comments from counsel on either side 
that may be stated by counsel as a question, as 
proof or evidence in the case.

BY MR. SHEA:
Q Mrs. Smith, v;hat effect did the teaching of civil 
disobedience have on the black community toward all lav̂  
if you know?

A Well, I, I thin];, we can look at tlie changes that 
have been made in our community, and other communities 
throughout the country, and I don't knov; if we would 
have had a civil Rights Bill of 1964, or Civil Rights 
Act, had not, and the Voting Act of 1965, had not black 
people who also believed in equities,under the law, 
protested these inequities that blacks suffered.
Q vVeii, that isn't exactly what I asked you.

The fact that you taught civil disobedience, didn' j; 
that have any affect on the attitude of young blacks

S /



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towara all la\/s that were on the books?
Hh. CALDlvLLL: Your honor, I don't think X

have led the v/itness into this kind of -- being 
colloquial testinony.

MR, SHEA: This is cross-examination, Your
Honor.

THE COURT: I am going to overrule the objec­
tion. The witness may respond if she knows, or if 
she understands.

A I think you are asking me did the movement of the
sixties lead young blacks to have a total disrespect»
for laws?
BY MR. SHEA;
Q Not a total disrespect, but disrespect the lav;.
A I would not think so.
Q All right.

At the present time, is the H double ACP engaged 
in a program to stop blacks from committing crimes?
A VJe are engaged in a program to alleviate the problem 
of crime. It involves all crime.
Q All crimes, but -- (interrupted)
A Um-hum.
Q But all crimes, I see.
A Right.
Q But, now, you changed, can you state whether or not



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you have changed your position at the present time tovra; 
teaching young blacks aboxit the respect for lav;?
A We are not talking about respect for law in this 
program now.
Q Uh-huh.

Are you teaching young blacks respect for law at 
the present time?
A We are trying to reduce the instances, incidents 
of crime that take place in this community.
Q And how is that brought about?

A Oh, well, the program is quite extensive.
»Q What are some of the facets of it?

A We have what we call a concerned neighborhood pro­
gram. We go into different areas of the city, what we 
are trying to do is build a just committee, we are 
trying to do this through the cooperation of the police 
department. Mr. Hubbard, in fact, has been quite 
cooperative with us. 'We have what we call a whistle 
stop program as a part of this. We are, we just had 
a conference since I v;as up this morning, that may lead 
to involving insurors, contractors, in this program.
It is a multi-featured program where v/e are trying to 
just reduce the instances of crime against individuals, 
crime against property, and the whole gammit. 'We have 
a great feeling for our community.

:d



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1 0 Mh7 is fclie feeling just manifesting itself in 19 73 ;
Iwhen it didn’t n.anifest itself in the fifties and sixties?

A Well, Mr. Shea, you are not correct in saying everv-Iithing N double AGP has done. This program also involves,
1 don't know if you want to talk about things since '72
but the, the committee of, you know, we call U double AGP's!
response to crime, that is the name of the committee, is 
composed of a chairinan, or chairperson. I'll say, of ourI
various standing committees, and they include such 
committees as youtli v/ork, housing, employment, education,
church work, and they have thirteen such committees, I !

, !believe, and these committees have, since the inceptionj
I

of the N double AGP over sixty-six years ago, fought, j 
alleviated the problems that eiaanate from poor housing|
from unemployment, undereiriployment, and we have long |

!
had short range goals, perhaps, what you are driving at,

I\the only new dimensions to this whole attack on crime, |
. ■ I Iis that we are going into communities, involving people.I1Again, installing self-respect, which seems to have been 

lost in their permissive society in recent years, some­
thing that was, has nothing to do with race, but this 
has been the fight of N double AGP for more than sixty- 
six years now.
Q Well, isn't it, it a fact, Mrs. Smith, that you 
have, the trouble, N double AGP has created sonie sort



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monster that you are now trying to dismenber by having 
taught disrespect for la\/ and order?
A Very definitely not, Mr. Shea. If you are interested 
in what the M double AGP has done, you'll see quite a 
bit of relationship, if not repetition, at the ad-hoc 
hearings of 1970, the Eighteen Point Program of '71, 
the many visits, protests, complaints we have filed 
through the years, ever since I have been with the 
N double 7iCP, we haven't changed our course. We may pu 
a little emphasis, emphasize activity, emphasize sorae- 
thing, but we don't feel like we have created a monster 
In fact, we feel very strong that IJ double AGP has done 
more to make a reality of democracy than any other 
organization in the community.
Q Mrs. Smith, is it safe to say that, that you don't 
like white people, per se?
A No, it is not safe to say that, because it is not 
true .
Q It is not true?
A No .
Q Do you believe that there are many good and fine 
police officers?
A I would certainly hope. I knov/ there are some. I 
have had contact v;ith a fev/.
Q You say there are some good white police officers?



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7̂ Yes, sir, yes, sir, I do.
I would say that I wrote to the director of police 

at the ti.T.e I caiae in contact with one, a letter of 
conraendation, because, v;hen you comiaend, you look to do 
the reverse.
Q It is true, that you v̂ 70uld like to see all of the 
v;hite people sitting on the back of the bus and all 
white people denied access to the library, and you dis­
trust -- (interrupted)

A Ho, I don't see how such question can come to your 
mind .
Q You don't despise all white people as such?
A Ho, I don't despise anybody. I would hate myself
tremendously if I did.
Q Hell, then, you don't hate any white people as 
such ?

- well, I
A Ho; no.
Q And you say that conditions that exist - 
will v/ithdraw the question.

MR. SHEA: That is all, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Anything further?
MR. CALDv?ELL: Yes, sir, thank you. Your

Honor.
REDIRECT EXAMIHATIOH 
BY MR. CALDWELL:



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1 Q Mrs. Smith, lixhibit 24 (p.) rpflects that tiie council
2 for 1970 ad-]ioc committee consisted of two people,
3 Philip L. Khun and Burton L. Lpstein, do you know both
4 of those cjentlenien?
5 A As lav/yers , yes, sir, I do.
6 Q And v/hat was their skin color, please, ir.a ' an?
7 A They v/ere white.
8 0. All right.
9 A And if I may, I mean, in answering Mr. Shea --

10 0 Yes, please do.
11 A Many of our witnesses, many of our participants
12 v/ere white people. It just happened, happens that the
13 committee, itself, I ' ra sorry, I, I didn't answer you,
14 no, and that when you asked, instructors from our local
15 colleges, most of whom were v/hite, were involved. Many
16 vv'hites were involved. V<e didn't exclude anyone. In
17 fact, if, if Mr. Holloman, who was director, if he had
18 v/antod to cross-examine some of the witnesses, he cer-
19 tainly had the opportrinity, but he v'as invited to parti
20 cipate and it was at his decision that he didn't come
21 or send a rep»resentative.
22 Q Incidentally, did Memphis State and LeMoyne-Ov/ens
23 College conduct a survey on police data and comraunity
24 attitude, relations?
25 A Yes, there was. This was done by Mr. William il.



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2aciiary, a Mr. Charles Bailey, from LeMoyne-Owens Colleg^ 
and Robert K. Vidulich, and, three professors that were 
involved, and they were white, there were tv/o.

MR. CALD'lbLL: That is all I have. Your Honor
THE COURT; Mrs. Smith, do you, does the 

M double AGP take any position, or was it involved 
or the Legal Defense Fund involved in any matter 
which pertained to the Tennessee law that read:

"If, after notice of the intention to 
arrest the defendant, he" -- 

that is, the police officers --
"If, after notice of the intention to 

arrest the defendant, he either flee or forci­
ble resists, the officer may use all the 
necessary means to effect the arrest."
Did the N double ACP take any position with 

regard to that statute? ’ ■ ,
MR. CALDWELL: If, raay it please the Court,

we object to that on the relevancy ground.
THE COURT: The objection is noted.
If you direct or not to respond to whether 

il double ACP has taken a position with regard to 
that law, whether it is just or unjust, or enfor- 
cible -- (interrupted)

MR. CALDWELL; Your Honor, we would make an



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413

additional objection that the question has tv;o dis-- 
tinct, 17 double AGP relief fund and 11 double AC?, 
the relief fund -- (interrupted)

THE COURT: I v;ill ask it this way;
Is there any relation between IJ double ACP anĉ  

N double ACP relief fund?
THE V7ITNESS : They are tv̂ o separate organiza­

tions .
THE COURT: And II double ACP relief fund, doe^

it represent H double ACP in natters in court per­
taining to certain objectives and certain suits 
that are brought to challenge laws, and things of 
this kind?

THE WITNESS: In sone instances.
THE COURT: Do you know v/hether N double ACP 

or N double ACP defense fund has taken any positio 
to the law that I just read to you?

I may not have clarified it, if I haven't, I' 
read it again.

THE WITNESS; May I have it read again?
THE COURT: Yes.

"If, after notice of the intention to 
arrest the defendant, he either flee or forci 
ble resist, the officer may use all the neces 
sary means to effect the arrest."



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THE .JITNESS: I would think that the H double
AGP's position, position was quoted in Point 
Seventeen of our Eighteen Point Program, it v;as th^ 
one that I quoted.

Am I ansv/ering the Court?
THE COURT: I think so.
THE '.WITNESS: It was cited in our ad--hoc

hearing report. I hope I’m understanding you 
correctly.

THE COURT: Well, the position would be, in
effect, that the lav/ should be changed?

THE WITNESS: Yes, sir, speaking for the
Memphis branch N double ACP, v/e feel very strongly
that deadly force should be eliminated under such

\

situations.
THE COURT; All right, thank you.
Anything else?
MR. CALDWELL: Just a couple.

FURTHER REDIRECT EXAMINATION 
BY MR. CALDWELL;____________

Q Mrs. Sraith, is the N double ACP, Memphis branch, 
financing this case, to your knov/ledge?
A No.
Q Or the National N double ACP?

25 No .



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MR. CM.DVJIJLL: That is nil

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RE C RO S S - E X2\yi 11J AT IOH 
BY MR. SHEA:

Q Mrs. Smith, do you knov/ who is financing the case? 
A I saw something, something in the newspaper, news­
papers that was mentioned of N double ACP Legal Defense 
Fund, only what I saw in tae newspapers giving some, to 
some limited funds, what v/as , was in the nev/spapers, 
that is the extent of ray knowledge of financing of this 
case .
Q Then a newspaper article, as far as you know, is

Icorrect?
A As far as I kno\/. You know, I don't assume too 
much in newspapers.

MR. SHEA: I didn't hear that.
THE COURT: The witness says she doesn't know

one way or the other.
MFi. SHEA: Yes, sir, but then she said the

nex«;s, you know, quoted something.
THE V7ITNESS: This is the only place I saw

anything. I don't even remeraber that there v/as a 
mention. I don't remember, fully, what it said of 
the Legal Defense Fund in some small way.

Q Excuse me, maybe, perhaps I misunderstood. Was 
your answer to Mr. Caldwell's question that it was



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U c'.ouble ACP Defense Fund or the H double ACP was not iri 
any way financially responsible in this particular law­
suit?
A Mr. Caldwell asked me at the time if II double ACP 
and N double ACP, neither of these, and Memphis, as a 
part of the national.
Q Yes, ma'am.
A , Neither is financing nov;. M double ACP Legal 
Defense Fund is entirely a different organization.
Q Oh, it is possible that they might?

MR. CALD.-IELL: If Your Honor please, I believes
that is irrelevant.

BY MR. SHEA:
Q Then you don't know?
A I really don't know.

MR. SHEA: All right, thank you.
THE COURT: Anything further?

(No response .)
THE COURT: Thank you, you may step dov;n.

(Witness excused)
MR. CALD’WELL: Your Honor, Dr. Kenny, I wonder

if we could have just a few minutes, he has another 
statistical analysis, and we have, have had no tim^ 
to talk to him, and I would request, if Your Honor 
please, that we be afforded a moment. He is in thii



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417

witness rooirs.
THE COURT; w’e ' 11 take a brief recess at this

time .
MR. CALD77ELL: Than]; you.

(Whereupon, at 2:50 p.m., the Court v̂?a3
in the afternoon recess and pursuant to the
recess Court reconvened at 3.12 p.n, and the
following proceedings were had.)
THE COURT: All right, gentlemen.
MR. CALD'.JELL: Thank you, Your Honor. I will

call Dr. Kenny in view of the Court's ruling last
»

Thursday, I think, on the, that evidence that we 
included after January, 1972, v̂ e have gone back an<̂  
eliminated, he prepared exhibits which include dat 
only up through 1971 and v;ithout waiving our pre­
vious position, we would like to proceed with 
offering these nev; exhibits.

THE COURT: As I stated before, you are not
waiving your previous position by filing the per­
mitted additional or amended exhibit.

MR. CALDVJELL; Thank you. Your Honor.
Your Honor, the exhibit I have marked, I have 

marked those exhibits 19(c), a document which is 
tne same as 19(b), except it excludes any informa­
tion thcit occurred after 1971, after the end of



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1971. This axhibit runs from May 16, '71, throucjn
DGcciT:ber 30 , ' 71.

And as Exhibit 20(a), I have narked a docurrient 
which is the same as Exhibit 20, but v/hich excludes 
the post-1971 information and there would then be 
information from the years 1969 through 1971 on, oh 
the incidents involving police shootings.

As Exhibit 40(a) through (u), I have marked
a document which is similar to Exhibit 40, except |1Iit, that it excludes arrest statistics, occurring j 
after 1971, and this exhibit shows arrest data for

Iviolent crimes and property crimes for the years
i1969 through 1971, and subject to any error, mathaf
!matical error, that might have been made, we would 

offer those into evidence at this time.
THE COURT: Do you v/ish to be heard, Mr. Shea?
MR. SHEA: Your Honor, I still have the con­

tinuing objection to the exhibits.
THE COURT: All right, sir.
Noting the objection made by the defendant, 

the exhibits just referred to will be introduced, 
which, as the Court understands it, excludes the 
data and statistics and figures after January 1972 
or January, '72, and thereafter.

MR. CALD'.'JELL; That is correct. Your Honor.



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419

In fact, nctnincj -- (interrupted)
MR. SHEA: Excuse ne, Your Honor.
Is Your Honor adnitting these for the truth 

of the matter alleged?
THE COURT; I am admitting these as evide.nce 

submitted by the plaintiff in furtherance of their 
assertions and theory that there is a dispropor­
tionate affect of the policy of the police, and 
there, therefore, the policy is illegal or, and/or 
unconstitutional.

MR. SHEA: Well, well, of course, we object,
Your Honor, to that. I didn't think the figures 
prove that at all.

THE COURT: Well, Mr. Shea, of course, you,
by adraitting into evidence, of something, the Cour 
is not determining the v;eight, credit, or effect 
of the particular exhibit that is introduced.

HR. SHEA; All right, sir.
THE COURT; lie are simply ruling, noting your 

objection, that it has a sufficient likelihood of 
bearing upon, and being relevant to the issues 
that are before us; that it should be admitted, 
and you gentlemen are free to argue whatever you 
want witii regard to any exhibit, as to any of tne 
exhibits submitted, by the expert, and otherwise,



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420

as to rheir materiality, relevancy, and \vhether or 
not the proof bears it out, or whether or not it 
does not.

Hr. Clerk, v/e v/ill receive the exhibits in 
evidence and will you please call the numbers out 
again for the record?

THE CLERK: Nineteen (c), 20(a), and 40(a).
THE COURT: All right, sir.

(Uhereupon, the said exhibits previously
marked 19(c), 20(a) and 40(a) for identifica­
tion, were received in evidence.)
MR. CALDWELL: Thank you.
At this time, we v/ould like to recall Dr. 

Kenny to the stand again, without waiving our pre­
vious position, v/e would like to go into the new 
analyses that he has prepared.

THE COURT: All right.
You remain under oath, sir.
THE WITNESS: Yes, sir.



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1 j! CHAP.LE8 T. KEIm’NY ,
2 the Said \/itness, having been previously sv;orn, was

i

3 recalled to the witness stand and testified as follows.
4 DIRECT EXAMINATION

R- CALDWELL:_
5
6 0  Dr. Kenny, since your testinony last Thursday, I
7 believe I am correct that I furnished you with informa-
8 tion contained on Exhibit 40(a) and Exhibit 20(a)?
9 A Yes, sir.

10 0 Is that correct?
11 A Yes, sir.
12 Q And you have prepared an addendum to your previous
13 analyses, v;hich I have marked as Exhibit 42(a).
14 Could you identify that, please, sir?
15 A Yes, sir.
16 This is an addendum that covered, covers the figures
17 for 1969-1971 only.
18 0 Only?
19 A That is right.
20 Q How, am I correct that by eliminating the shooting
21 information and arrest information after 1972, that the
22 size of the sample of both sets of data is smaller?
23 A That is true; yes, sir.
24 Q Would you briefly describe what, v/hat exhibit,
25 Exhibit 42(a) shows with regard to your nev; analysis.



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adiTii ttincj, oraitting poat-1972 information?
A Okay.

I conducted statistical tests to determine 'Whether 
or not the difference between the percentage range of 
blacks vjho were shot at, all property crimes v/ere crimej; 
large enough to be significant, and the test which I 
conducted vms a "Z-test", which is the statistics 
devised for determining the different —  (interrupted)
Q Pardon, I'm sorry, that is a "Z-test"?
A That is right, it is a "Z-test".
Q And it is a devise for comparing percentages; is

»that correct?
A That is right, to, for comparing percentages to 
determine whether or not the difference between them is 
significantly -- (pause)
Q Different?
A Yes, sir.
Q That is a test for that kind of analyses?
A Yes, sir.
Q Okay.
A And, okay, and the results v/ere that the difference
is somewhat higher than thirteen percent point, thirtee 
point four percentage point, and this difference is 
large enough to be statistically significant. It is 
significant at the point 0 two level, at least, and the



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1 point zero tv/o level strictly neans , means this is less
2 than two chances in a hundred that the difference
3 occurred by chance.
4 I might add that the universal accepted standard
5 for the significant statistic is the point 0 five level
6 and this is substantially below that. So there is no
7 doubt about the reliability of the statistical signifi-
8 cant differences between the two percentages. The con--
9 elusions that I drew is the same from the other analyse^
10 on the, on all of the data. It, the conclusion is that
11 the difference is statistically significant. The impli--I
12 cation of this finding is that race has been a factor
13 in the shooting practices in the Memphis Police
14 Department, and, therefore, that race has operated in a
15 v.’ay that has a disparity effect on tlie blacks.
16 Q That is the particular analysis excluding the post-
17 1972 data that led you to that conclusion, is that
18 correct?
19 A That is right.
20 ^ And using the broader sample, which you used pre-
21 viously, does that, what effect does that have on your
22 conclusion with regard to the smaller sample?
23 A It would simply underline and emphasize and re-en-
24 force the findings.
25 MR. CALDWELL: Your Honor, I would like to



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offer Exhibit 40, 42(a) into evidence, which is tho 
item up there, those are the subsequent analyses, 

THE COURT: All right.
Let it be identified and tendered as received

in evidence, subject to the right of cross-
examination at this time.

MR. CALD.VLLL: Thank you, Your Honor.
That is all the questions I have of Dr. Kenny
THE COURT: All right, Mr. Shea.

CROSS-EXAMINATION - 
BY MR. SHEA:_____

Q Dr. Kenny, I believe you stated that you came to 
Memphis some seven years ago?
A That is right.
Q Did you open your business at the time that you 
came here?
A No, I did not.
Q What did you do when you first arrived?
A I v/as employed by Meiaphis State University.
Q How long did you stay there?
A I'm still on the staff there.
Q Still a member of the staff?
A That is right.
Q Are you teaching courses there at the present time? 
A Yes, sir.



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1 Q V«hat courses do you teach at Ileiaphis State?
2 A Teach courses for the undergraduate. They'll have
3 instruct in psychiatry and social-psychiatry on the
4 graduate level, and social-psychiatry. In the past, I
5 have taught other courses, but this is for the past
6 several years, these are the courses that I have taught
7 Q All right, sir,
8 Are you a laember of the N double ACP or American
9 Civil Liberties Union?

10 A No, sir.
11 Q Directing your attention to page, to table one --
12 A Yes , sir.
13 Q Violent crimes, blacks, one thousand four hundred
14 and fifty-seven, total one thousand seven hundred and
15 thirty-nine, by subtracting the smaller figure from the
16 larger figure, if ray mathematics is correct, it shov/s
17 that tl̂ ere \-jqxq two hundred eighty-two nonblacks
18 involved in violent crimes; is that correct? I mean --
19 (interrupted)
20 MR. CALDVJELL: Arrested.
21 MR. SHEA; Excuse me.
22 Q (Continuing) -- arrested?
23 7i Can I see, yes.
24 Q Of the total of seventeen hundred and thirty-nine
25 violent crimes arrested, twenty-three were shot at, is

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that correct?
A Yes, sir

Q So, if you subtract the eighteen fron the twenty- 
three, it shovrs that five, there /ere five incidents of 
shootings where nonblacks v/ere involved?
A Ura-hum, Yes.
Q But then the five nonblacks shot at, the relation­
ship that figure bears to two hundred eighty-two is
what?
h The two hundred eighty-two standing for -- (inter­
rupted)
Q The number of nonblacks shot, shot at.
A Two eighty-two are the number of nonblacks arreste<|I,
isn’t it?
Q Oh, excuse me. Arrested, I ’ ra sorry.
A Tv/o hundred eighty-two is obviously, obviously is
much larger than five.
Q All right, sir.

What is the percentage of nonblacks that v/ere shol
at?
A 
0 
A 
Q

Twenty-one point seven percent.
Twenty-one point seven percent?
Yes .
All right, sir.
What relationship does the figure one tv/enty-eight



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bear to fourteen hundred and fifty-seven?
A Eighteen is smaller, smaller than forteen hundred 
fifty-seven.
Q Well, are you arriving at a i^ercentage by using tiu; 
figure eighteen in relation to one thousand one hundred 
fi f ty-se ven?
A You could. Those percentages are presented on
table two.
Q All right, sir.

Now, what is that percentage, percentage there?
A That is the percentage of the blacks who v;ere shot 
at in the midst of violent crimes versus the percentage 
of blacks who v/ero simply arrested in violent criraes, 
and the figure, that figure is not significantly impor­
tant.
Q Well, if it is -- could you give it to me, wiiateve 
even though you don't think it is important?
A What?
Q The fiaure.
A Give what to you?
Q The relationship of the eighteen blacks who were
shot at and there were fourteen hundred and fifty-seven 
blacks arrested?
A Okay.

Well, I’ll, I'm not sure what you v/ant me to give



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Q \le

more bl
that , i
like to
A We

v7ell, I want you to, to shov; there were many, many 
more blacks who v;ere arrested for violent crimes, and 
that, if only eighteen of them were shot at, I would 
like to know what that percentage figure is?

Well -- (interrupted)
MR. CALDV7ELL: Your Honor, it seems to me

there it is a simple matter of computations.
MR. SHEA: Well, he has held himself out as a

statistician v;ho v/ould be able to answer this for 
me. I'm just asking, asking him if he'll take a 
pencil and figure it out.

MR. CALDWELL; Your Honor, it does seem to me 
that it is -- (interrupted)

THE COURT; Well, it appears to the Court that, 
one of the figures is probably (approximately) two 

point one seventeen percent, and the other is 
approximately one point eight percent.

THE WITNESS: Okay.
MR. SHEA: I7hat is the tv/o point figure. Your

Honor?
THE COURT; The first relates to the percentac 

of whites, if I have heard your figures correctly, 
but the witness may either bear me out or not.

THE WITNESS: V/ithout doing the computation.



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1 it,, in looking at it, it i.s two point what. Your 
Honor?

THE COURT: Approximately percentage two poinlj:
one one seven percent, in one case, and approximately 
one point eight something in the other, v/hich I 
believe the v/itness has testified is not statisti­
cally significant.

MR. SIIEZi: You know, I have got to admit that
1 don't know all I need to know about this.

Q But when you say fourteen hundred fifty-seven
blacks were arrested for violent crimes, and eighteen 
of them were shot at, that comes out to point one eighty 
and if you take the tv/o hundred and eighty-two nonblack^, 
the five that v/ere shot at, there more nonblacks, per­
centagewise, shot at than there were blacks?
A More nonblacks percentagewise?
Q Were shot at?
A Than blacks. No, if you look at the table tv;o.
Q No, excuse me. Before we get to table two.

Just ansv/er my question.
MR. CALDWELL: If Your Honor please, he is

trying to answer it by directing him to the second 
table.

A It can't be because tiie percentage of blacks that 
is shot at, is higher.



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BY :5R. SHEA:
All right, sir.
I see what you are saying. You are saying that 

the percentage of whites, okay. That difference is noi 
statistically significant, meaning that you really 
can't make anything out of it. There is nothing you 
can say about it.

Well, the figures that you have said are signifi­
cant?
A (Nods head in the affirmative.)

Q Did you say that those,have some statistical meritf’
A H um.
Q But these other figures that prove that more wliitei
were shot is not statistically sound, they don't prove 
that a higher percentage of whites were -- (interrupted 
A Shot at, if the difference between the two, the 
tv;o is not statistical significant, it wouldn't prove 
anything.
Q v;ell, v;hy is it not a significant figure?
A Well, because the difference between the two is 
larger.
Q Is not larger?
A That is right. !
Q You are telling us then -- (interrupted)
A In existence, mathematically, is not, if it is, if



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there is no statistics, it exists xn procedure, that is 
used, but it is based on probability theory, and the 
probability associates with the difference that you are 
identifying are not remote enough to allow one to con­
clude that the difference is large enough to be one tha|, 
you could get, again and again, if you conducted these 
tests again and again.
Q All right, sir.

Tell me how you arrived at the figure eighty-three 
point eight?
A We took the percentage of -- (interrupted)

MR. CALDWELL: Your Honor, I*m sorry v;e don't
have more copies of this. If I may look over Mr. 
Shea's shoulder?

MR. SHEA: Yes, sir.
THE COURT; All right.

A I divided fourteen hundred fifty-seven by seventee:^ 
hundred and thirty-nine.
BY MR. SHEA:
Q Fourteen hundred and fifty-eight?
A Um-hum.
Q Which, which is what?
A Seventeen hundred thirty-nine.
Q Seventeen hundred and thirty-nine.

Now, seventeen hundred and thirty-nine is, now.



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432

wait a minute, huram, shows that seventeen hundred and 
thirty-nine, all right, the relation of those two figurc^s 
is that you divided, divided, you found that sev’enty- 
three point four v/ere arrested for property crimes.

All right, sir, all right, sir.
Now, how many v;ere shot at?

A In the midst of property crime?
Q Uh-huh.
A The total of fifty-three were shot at, of that
forty-six v;ere black.
Q All right, sir.

What relation does forty-six bear to fourteen 
hundred and fifty-seven?
A There that v/ould be like comparing apples and
oranges, because you v/ould be crossing property crime 
with violent crimes.
Q Well, excuse me, maybe I'm wrong, perhaps, I, excu 
me, violent crimes, excuse me, property crimes are 
fourteen hundred, four hundred and sixty-six?

Right.
Q Vdiere did v/e get the figure fourteen thousand 0 
five seven, you subracted 0 five seven?
A I don't know where you got that figure,
Q You quoted me a figure of fourteen thousand 0 five 
seven, I thought.

?e



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433

A I didn't quote you that figure.
Q Well, I ' rn sorry, I ’ ra not trying to confuse you, but 
v/eil, will you tell me again v/here this seventeen hundrc 
thirty--nine, v;hat is that figure?
A I think it is the difference in fourteen hundred 
fifty-seven, if, if I could explain the percentages on 
table tv;o are arrived at by dividing the smaller number 
that is the number of blacks by the total number in each 
case, so that ten thousand six hundred nineteen is 
divided by fourteen thousand four hundred sixty-six, and 
then one thousand four hundred fifty-seven is divided by 
one thousand seven hundred thirty-nine, and forty-six 
is divided by fifty-three, and eighteen is found.
Q You mean that is the same way you figured the 
batting averages then totaling, total number at, at that 
figure?
A V.'ell, a certain -- (interrupted)
Q You take the number of times at bat, and number of
hits they get, and divide the larger into the smaller 
and get the percentage?
A That is right. . . ‘ ' ■
Q That is a very simplification way you have of your 
figuring the batting average?
A That is right.
Q All right, sir.



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434

Let's (JO through, hand-in-hand then, and raaybe you 
can educate me.

Fourteen thousand four hundred sixty-six into ten
thousand six hundred nineteen results in vjhat?
A Seventy-three point four percent.
Q Seventy-three point four.

And that is the number of blacks that were arrestee
for property crime?
A That is the percentage of blacks that were arrestee,
Q Percentage of blacks.

What is the percentage, the difference between
»

seventy-three point four and one hundred percent v;ould 
be the number of whites?
A The percentage of whites, right. It would be 
twenty-six persons.
Q How did we arrive at eighty-eight point eight?
A Divided forty-six by fifty-three.
Q Forty-six is, which is the number of blacks shot 
at?
A Right.
Q By fifty-three? ‘ I
A Which is the total, right.
Q Now, who is comparing apples and oranges. You have 
ten, you have cloven thousand -- excuse me, what is the 
difference, if you subtract ten thousand six hundred



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4 35

nineteen from fourteen thousand four hundred sixty-six, 
what do you get?
A Three hundred and something.
Q You mean you got three thousand something?
A Three hundred and something. I'm sorry, three 
thous and.
Q One hundred fifty-three, something like that?
A Yes, sir.
Q All right.

So only three thousand one hundred fifty-three non­
whites, nonblacks, committed property crime?
A V7ell, well, were arrested, again, were not -- 
(in terrupted)
Q Arrested, excuse me, were arrested for property 
crimes?

» ’ ••
A Okay. ^
Q Is that right? ■ ,■
A Y e s , s i r .
Q And you say that the method that you used there 
is statistically okay. These computations that you havcj; 
on the table one and table two are statistically okay 
as far as your profession is concerned?
A Yes, sir; yes, sir. The method there is used are 
standard universal accepted methods.
Q All right, sir.



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436

But then the only oiitiplification that me, as a lay 
man, use, where I wound up v;ith, in using some I'lore 
figures, I find that tv̂;o point seventeen whites \-iere 
at, and only one point eight blacks were shot at, and 
that is not statistically acceptable. I mean the dif­
ference would not be statistically significant; is that

shot

right?
A That is right.
Q Thank you.

MR. SHEA: Thank you. Your Honor.
THE COURT: Mr. Kenny, at what point if I, I

haven't seen the figures, do I understand that 
seventy-three point four percent of the, those 
arrested, were property crimes, were for property 
crimes, were blacks, according to your calculation^, 
based on the figures furnished you?

THE WITNESS: Right.
THE COURT: And v;hat percentage of those so -

arrested were shot at who were black?
THE WITNESS: Eighty-eight point eight pcrcen^.
THE COURT; All right.
So that the difference between the two is 

fifteen point four percent?
THE WITNESS: Between —  (pause)
THE COURT: Between those two proportions?



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437

THE V7ITIJES5; Yes, sir.
THE COURT: And what would be, if, for exanipl

the, the seventy-five percent of those arrested 
were property criir.es were black, and, and eighty 
percent of those shot at while arresting, arrested 
for property crimes, what v/ould be on your Z-test, 
%vould that be significant or not?

THE WITNESS: No, I'm sure that it wouldn't
be.

THE COURT: ht what point would the differenc^
becorce significant on a basis of somewhere between 
seventy and seventy-five percent of those arrested 
being black, and v;hat point does it become signifi 
cant v/ithin your five percentage likelihood test?

THE WITNESS: I can only give you an estimate
because this is the sort of thing that you v;ould 
have to keep working for trial and error repeatedl;|' 
over and over again to get the answer.

Let me say it would be approximately in the 
particular case, given a number of arrests and the 
number of shootings, because that has a bearing on 
it, the number of cases that you are working has, 
and a very strong bearing, and it would be approxi 
mately eleven or twelve percent, well, it would be 
smaller than that, would be approximately.



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4 38

approximately nine or ten percentage point where 
the breaking point would occur. I believe I could 
v/ork that out and furnish the Court with precised 
ansv/ers .

THE COURT: No, I ' ra just asking for an approx;,
mation at this point.

THE WITNESS: Okay.
THE COURT; If your testimony before, and in j 

trying to find out the background in relation to 
articles, or other matters that you were relying 
upon as a part of your previous testimony, and as |

I j
I recall it, Sears was the author of an unpublishecji) I
article that had come to your attention, and j

IRodgers V7as the author of an article that I believe
iyou said was in Midwest Political Science Journal?| 

THE WITNESS: Right.
THE COURT; And Lav/rence was an article, I 

believe that your testimony v/as , was in Social 
Science Quarterly, and. Social Science Quarterly, 
and Public Opinion Quarter.

V7ere there any others that I failed to note 
that you made reference to in regard to other 
journals ?

THE WITNESS; Yes, sir. Yes, sir. There 
v;ere three articles, an article by Greenburg, two



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439

of these appears in Social Science and iublic 
Opinion Quarterlies.

Tin: COURT; And do you kno\; whether any of, 
or all of these were dated before or after 1972?

THE WITHESS: Ye.s , sir.
Let's see, I believe most of the studies that 

I cited were 19 70 or '71. The Rodgers v;as '72, I 
believe, again, if Your Honor please, if Your 
Honor wishes I could furnish the exact references.

THE COURT: Well, it would be helpful to the 
Court if you furnished the references, and as I 
recall it, your testimony was that those articles 
v;ere based on studies in one instance in 
Sacramento, and in another instance in Fresno?

THE WITNESS; Yes, sir, and one in Breezeberg
and, v;ell, the three Greenburg studies were 
findings of samples from Pittsburgh, and 
Philadelphia.

THE COURT: All right, sir.
Anything further, gentlemen?
MR. CALDWELL; That is all.
THE COURT; All right, thank you.
THE WITNESS: Thank you.

(V7itness excused)
MR. CALDWELL: Your Honor, that concludes all



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440

of the v/itnesses we intend to call and I do have 
some exhibits v/hich have been marked, which I v;oult 
like to offer, but I understand that Mr. Shea v;oulc 
like to call Captain Coletta this afternoon, and 1 
v;ould have no objection if we proceeded to that.
VJe sort of have half a responsibility to Captain 
Coletta also for, for having kept him around a few 
days. If we could be assured that he is completed 
with -- (interrupted)

MR. SHEA: If Your Honor please, at this time
I would like to move that the case be dismissed as 
to all defendants, particularly, I believe the 
Memphis Police Department is still a defendant in 
this lawsuit, under nineteen -- if Your Honor 
please, if Your Honor would refresh my m-emiory as 
to what the city was still in here under?

THE COURT; Nineteen eighty-eight and 1985, ani
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1931. !
MR. CyYLDdELL: They are presently in under

1981 and 1988, as I understand.
THE COURT; I believe that is correct.
MR. SHEA: The same applies to. Your Honor,

to the city of Memphis, and I assume to Chief Hill 
Price, Henry Lux, Wyeth Chandler, B. J. Cox, and 
J. K. Richards, Your Honor.



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1 Your Honor, tne plaintiffs have the burden of 
proof, whicn is axiomatic and I don't believe thatjII
the status of the proof in the matter as it stands! ̂ II
nov;, that there has been any shov;iny at all that 
either Chief Bill Price or Chief Lux, or Mayor 
Wyeth Chandler, or the Memphis Police Department, 
or the city of Meirtphis, ordered Fred Lee Berry 
shot, or that they had anything at all to do v/ith 
the shooting of him,

I respectfully raove, at this tine, that the 
case be dismissed as to all defendants.

THE COURT: The Court will treat the motion
as having been submitted on the basis that Mr. She^
has stated, at the conclusion of the plaintiff's i

iproof, although there nay be some additional or |
»

possibly some additional exhibits that may be sougnt
ito be introduced that may be a part of the plain- ! 

tiff's proof. I
The Court will consider that the motion has j 

been made and submitted and taken under advisement!I
at the conclusion of the plaintiff's proof with |1Ithe option of the defendant's in that, either that!I
they laay, in that position, either proceed with j 
the proof and evidence or to rely on the motion i 
that the Court, in due course, would rule thereon.

441



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442

Go it is subnittod and is taken under advisement, 
and you may proceed with your proof ana evidence 
without \^aiving the argument that you have made 
and the position that you have taken at the ccnclu-- 
sion of the plaintiff's proof, although the Court 
will consider, in that undertaking, the advisement 
of that raotion, all of the matters that are property 
admitted into evidence as part of the plaintiff's 
proof.

MR. SHEA; We certainly do not waive that 
right. Your Honor.

THE COURT; All right, sir.
MR. SHEA; 'We call Captain Coletta.
THE COURT; All right. Captain Coletta, you 

remain under oath, sir.
THE WITNESS: Yes, sir.



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443

JOIUj A, C O L E T T 7\,

the said witness, having been previously sworn, was
recalled to the witness stand and testified as follows:
DIRECT EXAMINATION 
3Y MR. SHEA;

Q For the record, please state your name again?
A I'm John Coletta.
Q - All right, sir.

Mr. Coletta, you are employed by the Memphis 
Police Department?
A Yes, sir.
Q And how long have you been so employed?
A Eighteen years.
Q And what is your present rank with the department? 
A Captain.
Q A.nd what are your present duties?
A In charge of the ordnance section, in connection
v;ith handling firearms training.

Q Jould you just tell us what the firearms training 
program v/as, if you know, in 1972?
A In 1972?
Q Yes, sir.
A Basically it remains the same that it is today,
that, in that we are charged with the responsibility of 
training police officers with not only the handgun, but



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also the shoulder v,-eapons which they may employ during 
the course of duty.
Q All right, sir.

How many hours of instructions are there in the 
use cf firearms?

Basic, basical classes or inservice?
Q Basics?
A Classes in breaking dov/n basics, basic classes, 
and then inservice training.
Q All right, sir.
A Basic classes for each recruit, goes through betwe
eighty and eighty-eight hours during his recruit 
training period inservice, a man may spend a basic 
amount of eighty hours and then it could, on occasion, 
even be more than that.
Q All right, sir.

I believe you have prepared some excerpts from the 
Memphis Police Department firearms training manual.

When did you compile that. Captain?
A I have a copy of it here.

I prepared it Thursday night, I believe.
Q Thursday night?
A. Yes, sir.
Q All right, sir.

Now, were these policies in effect in 1972?

n



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A 'i e 3 , sir.
HR. CALDV/ELL: Your Honor,- \ i e have the entire

firoarns manual rtarkeH as Exhibit 10.
BY MR. SliEA;
Q Vvhat you are looking at there was this used in 197i?
A Yes, sir. I don't rei.’.em.ber the exact date that I
prepared the manual that counsel is referring to, but 
it was prepared from literature which had been in exis­
tence and v/hich had, v;e had used since the beginning, 
you Know, of the time that I started teaching firearms.
Q All right, sir. »

MR. SHEA: If you v;ould, please, I would like
to .have this marked as the next exhibit, please.

THE COURT; As I understand it, or do I under 
stand it, Mr. Shea, those are excerpted from the 
manual and the complete manual that v;as introduced 
as Exhibit Humber 10?

MR. SHEA: That is correct.
THE WITNESS; I don't know what the exhibit 

number is, -- Humber 10, I'm sorry.
MR. SHEA: It is this ir.anual (indicating).
THE CLERK: It is only marked for identifica­

tion Number 10.
MR. CALD./ELL: That is correct.
THE WITNESS: Yes, sir. There appears to be,



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446

that appears to be the manual that I did compile. 
THi: COURT: All right, sir.
Is there any objection to the introduction of 

the excerpts as Exhibit 10(b)?
MR. ARNOLD: No objection, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Let it be introduced as Exhibit

10(b), and the others as the clerk has advised me, 
Exhibit 10 heretofore has borne the identification 
only status, and let it be Exhibit 10(a) for 
identification.

(Whereupon, the said manual was 
accordingly marked Exhibit Number 10(a) for 
identification only, and the excerpts v/ere 
accordingly marked Exhibit 10 (b) and received 
in evidence.)
MR. SHEA: All right, sir.

Q Captain, starting on the first page there, would 
you tell us what, just read it to us, please?
A Yes, sir, the firearms paragraph is concerned withjiithe safety lecture that v;e give, and, of course, safety' 
is, it is the first subject that we approach with the 
new recruits.

The nature of firearms is such that we must adhere 
to certain basic safety rules, not only in the handling 
but also the \ise while on the range.



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447

wG also reinforce the knov.’ledge that recruits gain 
from their legal training which is taught prior to 
their firearms segment. Each recruit goes through the 
various lav/s , criminal laws, constitutional lav;s, sub­
stantive laws, that kind of thing, prior to his firearra^ 
training.

So v/e point out that their responsibility is to 
avoid endangering innocent life or damaging property; 
that they raust make certain not only that the path to 
the target is clear, but also the path of the bullet is 
clear after it passes the target; that a firearm is a

Ideadly weapon and must be handled with full knowledge, 
that, realizing after the bullet passes or penetrates 
the target, it still has energy, making it dangerous to 
anytliing in its path; that the privilege of bearing arrâ  
carries the responsibility to knov; hov/ to use them 
safely to ourselves and to others.

If the officer cannot definitely identify his tar­
get and has a good chance of hitting it, he should not 
shoot, even though he may be justified by law; and sinct 
an incident can do more damage than a thousand cautious 
officers can rectify in a lifetime.
Q All right, sir.
7v That is part of our safety record.
Q Moving on to the next topic; "Liability and



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448

lactic on Ethical Use of Weapons," would you read that, 
please, sir?
A Yes, sir.

(Reading) :
"The common lav/:
"Defense of life both in the protection 

of the citizen and in the protection of the 
individual officer, keeping in mind that only 
the amount of force that is reasonably re­
quired may be used"

And it goes on and then dov/n to two, number two;
t

"In the prevention of flight of fleeing 
felon, a strong ethical reaction will follow 
if deadly force is indiscriminately employed. 
This law is greatly modified in the various 
states, but in the state of Tennessee it has 
been hold that deadly force may be used only 
as a last resort after all other means of 
apprehension have failed, keeping in mind that 
the safety of the innocent persons must alvvays 
be a prime factor in the judgment of v/hether 
to use or not to use this deadly force.

"Generally, this is construed to mean 
that the action taken by a police officer 
using split-second judgment must later hold tb



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449

a reasonable person justifiable action on the 
part of a policeman.

"The safety factors and hazards is in­
volved in using deadly force must be seriously 
considered, taking into account the change of 
success as v/ell as background and surrounding 
features before it may be employed.

"C;" -- then these: "Police tactics in
the use of firearms:

"Tactics may be defined as an art of 
maneuver, performed for the purpose of bringing 
a combat situation to a successful conclusion!.

"The police combat tactics must be em­
ployed within the framework of law and the 
lawful use of force.

"Two: Factors influencing the type of
tactics.

"Public opinion; departmental policy;
Imoral responsibility; legal duty.

"Three: Police officers must be thor­
oughly trained in their jurisdiction laws and 
in the use of their equipment.

"The type of action taken will vary with 
each situation, however, certain basic prin­
ciples are common to many cases."



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450

Q All right, air.
The question of the typo anrnunition is going to 

come up in the course of your testimony. Captain, so if 
you would go ahead and read section E.
A Ail right, sir.

Section E deals with: "Bullet effectiveness and
potential on the human body,

"One: Less factual information availably
, on this facet of ballistic science.

"h: Experts can measure velocity, range
trajectory, and answer the ballistic question^ 
with c\ high degree of accuracy.

"B; How a man will react when shot is 
mostly opinion and supposition.

"Tv7o : No one can accurately state how
a man v;ill react, for each case must be 
examined separately.

"A: Men hit in combat with small arms
fire have not been knocked off their feet in 
many cases.

"B: Reaction of a person shot is variabtle
"One; Depends on where the hit is sus­

tained .
"C: Photographs of bullets entering

blocks of gelatin do not:



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"One: Measure the human mind v/ith its
intensity to hate or to avenge.

"Two: Measure the capacity of the mind
to anasthetizcd by alcohol or narcotics,

"Three: Register the fact a man is in­
jured and may die.

"Four: Measure the human mind's drive
to get away, or to attack, or to be fricjhteneĉ  
to the point of performing superhuman feats."

Q All right, sir.
A (Reading):

"Specific tactics.
"One: Criminals have a distinct advan­

tage over police.
"A; Ke knows what crime he has committe
"One: Police only suspect in some cases
"11; Criminal can initiate a deadly 

assault at any time.
"One: Police can only meet force with

amount of reasonable force necessary to make 
the arrest.

"C; Criminal owes no responsibility or 
duty to society and will, in many cases, 
resort to extremes to avoid capture.

"One: Police must worry about



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452

iiidiscrininate and irresponsible actions and 
innocent bystanders.

"D: In a vast laajority of cases involving
police brutalities and assaults, the officer 
involved is unaware of the seriousness of the 
situation on initial contact.

"One; "when the officer is aware, he can!
!bring the contact to a successful conclusion,{ 

providing he uses proper techniques."
All right, sir.
The next section is: "Pursuit on foot"?
Yes, sir.
(Reading):

"Pursuit on foot:
"One: Many gun battles occur as the

climax of a chase. As mentioned before, be |
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aware of the factors involved in accurately !I !firing a revolver in a police action involving 
a chase.

"A; Emotional tension, physical exertioh, 
rapid heart beat, muscle tremors, irregular 
breathing.

"B: Also poor lighting, irregular ter­
rain, obstructed view, irregular movement of 
target.



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"Tv.'c Purpose of pursuit on foot is to 
close the distance betv/een the esccaping criiui 
nal and t.-.e officer so that the officer may 
induce surrender, or if necessary, fix*e with 
some degree of accuracy."

Q All right, sir.
How, the last rage of this is F.

A ' "F“ is: "Suggested uses of the shotgun" knowledge
"The shotgun, like the submachiiae gun, 

has a distinct psychological effect on person^ 
who believe it raay be used against them. The 
muzzle of this weapon, when viewed in the 
hands of a police officer, resembles the en­
trance to the Holland Tunnel. This psycholo­
gical effect can be used in many instances to 
great advantage without need for the actual 
firing of the v/eapon.

"Use of shotgun fay members of the force 
requires utmost discipline in their care and 
employment. Its use must al\/ays be considere 
a deadly force and as such may be employed 
only when necessary and justifiable in:

"One: Defense of one's life or the life
of another; and,

"Two: Preventing a felony or retaking



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Q
v.’hen? 
A 
Q 
A

454

an escaping felon. VJhile the shotgun may be ^
used in demonstrating a show of force, it should

Inever be fired tactically as a scare weapon.
The firing of light loads, birdshots, into 
disorderly groups with the intention of dis­
persing the participants is not recoinraended. 
Birdshots fired at close range, seven yards, 
is as deadly and will kill as quickly as i
double ought buckshot. 7it forty yards it willj
penetrate the skin and may deliver a mortal |

I

wound if the eye is struck or a pellet enters i 
the nasal or ear openings. Shotguns are the 
ultimate force in the police arsenal and the 
final stage in the escalation of the use of 
force in police actions. Therefore, the use 
of these firearms should be limited as a iIfinal action after all other means have been j

(
exhausted, and no other alternative is avail-' 
able to the police."

This was taught to the young police officers since,

Since I can remember teaching them.
And how long is that?
Eight years.
Eight years. So that predates, of course, 1972?



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A Yes, sir.
Q 7\11 ricjht, sir.

Now, what type ammunition v/as, is and was in use 
in January, January of 1972, for handguns and shotguns? 
A In 1972, it was of the hollow point, simply jacketc 
type .

Q And w’hat is the significance of a hollow point 
simply jacketed type ammunition?
A Hollow point, round, loses its energy more rapidly
than a standard convention lead alloy round; therefore,
it tends to stay within the object that it strikes moreI
readily than a lead alloy round.
Q All right, sir.

Now -- (interrupted)
A And -- (interrupted)
Q Excuse me. Go ahead.
A (Continuing) -- And by so doing, constitutes a 
safety factor, as far as other people are concerned, in 
that it will not penetrate through a felon, or whoever, 
whatever the case may be, and go into, indiscriminately 
down the street, to hit sorae innocent person.
G All right, sir.

There, there is a popular term called "dum-dum". 
Nov/, what does dum-dum mean?
A I don’t know. It is construed to mean many things



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1 The dictionary/ I think, detines it, it has been uefinccj
2 as an original Indian bullet, which cairie frora India, andi
3 originally were for revolvers, I think that v/as the ori4
4 ginal definition of v;hat a duiu-duia may be.
5 Q All right, sir.
6 All right.
7 V?ell, in the instant case, Fred Lee Berry v/as not
8 hit by a police revolver bullet?
9 A Yes, sir.

10 Q He was struck by a shotgun blast?
11 Yes, sir.
12 Q Hov; does a shotgun, v/hat is the, what is inside of
13 the shotgun sliell?
14 A The double ought buck contains nine lead pellets,
15 each pellet is about thirty-two caliber. In other words,
16 in effect, the man v/as shooting nine .32 caliber pistols,
17 but each projectile, due to its velocity, and mass, has

I
118 considerably less energy than one standard hollow point

19 type, or ev'en a lead alloy type projector. I think a
20 double ought buck has about one hundred and seven foot
21 pounds for each pellet of energy.
22 Q Are they, the shotgun barrel, is not grooved, is
23 i t?
24 A do, sir, it is a plate bore weapon.
25 Q Plate bore v/eapon.



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And, therefore, v;eil, state v;hether or not t2ie 
Pellets, when they ai'e coming out of the muzzle, vjhat 
is their characteristics of their flight pattern?
A '//ell, raost people tend to think that v;hen shotgun 
pellets emerge from the barrel of a gun, that they 
maroon in a conical form, v/hen actually they don't, thev 
don’t immediately. They come out as this r\ass and they 
retain that mass five to seven yards before they start 
any dispersing, dispersions, or the, and the amount of 
dispersion and spread those pellets take is contingent 
\ipon what their action is in relation to each other 
while driving the length of the barrel and while 
travelling in that type mass. If they were bumped 
against each other, whatever, it could cause one to 
stray off from the mass, but generally speaking, they 
do stay in a raass up to about seven yards, and reraain 
within a thirty inch circle up to forty or fifty yards.
Q That, then that is ray next question.

V/hat is the effective range of a shotgun?
A V/ith double ought buck?
Q V/ith double ought buck?
A Another forty or fifty yards, v;e feel that the 
pellets will stay within a thirty inch circle and therel. 
give it the needed energy to stop someone.

Beyond that range, then it becomes a question of



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how many pellets should happen to strike.
Q All r i 9 h t r sir.
A But general ly speaking, forty to fifty yards v/ould 
be the naximuia effective range.
Q Dr. Coletta, there has been some proof in this 
record that police officers are taught to shoot to kill. 
Now, could you explain what the teaching is at the 
training academy as to the use of the ultimate force, 
t.hat is, what they are permitted to do by the Tennessee 
statute ?
A Yes, sir.

Of course, you know the term "shoot to kill" 
depends upon the connotation that is placed upon the 
words. If the connotation that is made, that, do we 
teach to execute, the answer is definitely "No, we don'1

But if, if the connotation is, do we teach to stop, 
or to thwart, yes, sir, we do, and I have tried, by 
getting together these excerpts, to explain exactly whai 
our position is in teaching our recruits.

We, of course, must, must tell a recruit to be 
prepared to kill because the inherent factor involved, 
use of deadly force, in itself, to me, is a definition 
of causing death, or tending to cause death. So, naturally 
v;e have to prep>are officers for that.

I night add that in teaching a person, particularly



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459

with a handgun, which I consider tha liardcst gun to mas­
ter, for many variable reasons, it is necessary that we 
teach a recruit to center, shoot center mass, to shoot 
the largest part of the target that he, target that they 
can, can hope to hit, because the mistakes that can be 
made with that handgun are many, and generally a person, 
in fact, I know of no person, really, a person at one 
time or another will commit these mistakes, and he has 
to be taught to where he can remedy his ability and his 
proficiency to where he can nit what he shoots at.
Q All right, sir.

llov;, would you state to the Court why you don't 
permit officers to shoot warning shots?
A Yes , sir.

Because the hazard to other people is too great.
I think military tests show that fifty-eight foot 

pound is sufficient emergency to cause a casualty.
Now, I'm not real certain what causes a casualty, 

means in military terms, you know, but suppose it means 
to seriously injure one, and a falling projectile does 
have fifty-eight foot pounds of energy.
Q You may have already answered this question.
Captain, but you say that the officer is taught to shoo 
at the center of the mass?
A Yes, sir.



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460

1 Q When you say, aay '‘mass'’, you, that v/oulci be the
2 trunk of the person fleeing?
3 A Yes, sir.
4 Q pather than, well, will you state to the Court v/hy
5 officers are not taught to shoot at their foot, or arm,
6 or shoulder, or what?
7 A Yes, sir.
8 That is because of the inturned difficulty in
9 shooting, and in particular with a handgun. Flinching

10 is a great problem. It is one that every recruit that
11 I have ever had occasion to, to instruct has suffered
12 with, and flinching can be a number of things, jerking
13 the trigger, bucking the gun, pushing the grip up so
14 that the lock will go up to the right, or with a shoulder
15 and anticipating the recoil and lunging into it, causin'!;
16 the shot to go wild, and that sort of tiling, and the
17 proficiency of a person dees not indicate that he can
18 be selective enough vi/ith all of the prevalent arcev pre-
19 sent, he cannot be selective enough to insure, v/ith any
20 great degree of reasonable ability, expect to hit a
21 moving target such as the finger, or hand, or arm, or
22 leg, or v/hatever.
23 Q All right, sir.
24 A And then coupled v̂ ith the psychological stress of
25 the situation, I know in a, in the situations that I



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461

h-zve been in too, with the heart trei.iors, and hiyii hear 
and tiir.es just being dovrnright scared, that also affects: 
accuracy in riarksnanship .
U All right, sir.

You have been a police officer for eighteen years, 
is that correct?
A Yes, sir.
0 - You rrientioned soirethinc there about fear.

State v;hether or not police officers are afraid 
just like evtirybody else?
A Well, v;ell, I thinJ:, well, I can relate from ray 
viewpoint, I can remember one night in particular I was 
checking a service station v;hich had been broken into - 
(interrupted)

MR. ARNOLD: Your Honor, v/e object to this
particular instance.

MR. SHEA: I will withdraw the question. I
think it is relevant.

THE COURT: All right, sir.
MR. SHEA: Is that for identification, or is

that in evidence (indicating instrument)?
If Your Honor please. Exhibit 37(d), is that 

in evidence for^ or for identification?
THE CLERK: That is admitted, yes, sir.
MR. SHEA; Okay (passing instrument to the



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462

wi tnes ) .
o Captain Coletta, I hand you a picture that has boeniII
identified as 37(d), and ask you what that purports to 
portray?
A 'Well, of course, I don't really know what it is, 
but I see a fence, and ditch, and trees, and darkness, 
and hills, and/or, or en\bankirients .
Q All right, sir.

In the training that you give to the police office:i|s
at the training academy, you mentioned something in the
excerpt, rather excerpts, there are excerpts here that;

»goes into terrain?
>. * T ■

A Y e s , s i r .
Q All right, sir. . jI

State whether, in your opinion, that the conditions
i

Portrayed by that picture would be dangerous and, to the
Ilife and well-being of a police officer? I

MR. ARNOLD: No\;, if Your Honor please, we
Iobject to that. Your Honor. He has stated that hei 

can't tell what it is. Whatever it is in that pic* 
ture -- (interrupted)

MR. SHEA: Your Honor, certainly he can relate,
he can't tell us what it is exactly there, by tnis Î
but he did say there is a ditch there, and that 
tiiere was a fence, and trees, and certainly from



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that he c^n conclude as to what he has, from he ha; 
taught his, taught the Memphis Police Department, 
relate ns to exposing themselves to, to a dangerotu 
position.

THE COURT; I’m going to suggest that counsel 
rephrase his question, without ruling specifically 
on the objection.

BY MR. SHEA:
Q What that picture portrays, would that be a safe 
place for a police officer to be?
A No, sir, it would not.

MR. ARNOLD; We make the same objection on 
that, base of that, about what that is, being dan­
gerous, or otherwise, on the basis of that picture

THE COURT: I will overrule the objection.
You may cross-examine him on it. I will over 

rule the objection.
W’e don't attribute any particular v;eight or 

evaluation on the matter at this point, but I'll 
overrule the objection,

BY MR. SHEA;
0 Go ahead and answer, will you, again?
A It is, it is extremely dangerous from v/hat I can
see nere, here, from a policeman's point of view.

MR. SHEA; Thank you. You may cross-examine.



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CRO£ S - E lIzAT I ON
3Y MR. ARNOLD:

Q Captain, I know that you are aware of the tir.e in 
question and, and the place in question involved in thi. 
lav;sui t?
A Yes, sir.
Q Because you have been v/orking on this lawsuit?
A Yes, sir.
Q In January of *72, did you make an investigation 
at the, at the scene?
A At the scene?
0 Y e 3 , s i r ?
A No, sir.
Q So in connection v;ith this and, and those i:>ictures
and all you didn't, you didn't personally participate 
at all in checking out that aspect of the case, is tiiat 
right?
A That is correct.
Q Where you became involved v;as a firearms record,
report filed with you at the shooting range, is that 
correct?
A That is correct.
Q And v/hat did you primarily deal with there?
A Primarily I v/as at that tixae looking for, for any
technique of method, or method that could be instituted



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465

that would help or better help a policeman to cope with 
the realistic practical conditions that he has to be 
faced with in the field.
Q And no\r, you v/ere applying the reports you got, 
vis-a-vis, these criteria that you have just mentioned, 
is that correct?
A That is correct.
C You have previously stated that you thought that 
this exhibit marked 1 0 (a) --
A Uh-huh.
Q Is a copy of police department firearms manual 
which you, yourself prepared?
A Right.
Q When was that prepared?
A It, as I said earlier, somev/here around, around
the time in question, I don't remember exactly the date 
It was in the process of being compiled over a long 
period of time, actually.
Q Is it possible that was prepared after January 8 , 
1972?
A Yes, sir, it is possible.
Q That, that it was drafted and it is possible that 
was given out to the recruits after that date and not 
before?
A Yes, sir.



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Well, I'n fairly sure it wasn't given to them before, 
because it v;as about at that time that it v;as compiled.
Q \7as , v/as this then given to officers in the field 
as well as to persons coming to the school?
A 11 o , sir.
Q Did you have the opportunity to train Officers Cox 
and Richards?
A. Nov7, that is, v/ould you please -- (indicating) .
Q Well, did you train then coning through the school'
A Basically you are talking about?
C Yes, sir.
A Officer Cox, I did not, not. Officer Richards I 
participated in his training.
Q And that was prior to the time that manual was 
handed out?
A Yes, sir.
Q And so this manual also was not something either 
one of them would have received, is that correct?
A That is correct.

However, I did also state that much of the material 
in it was derived from lectures v̂ hich had been given 
prior to that time.
Q What was in use prior to this manual which did the 
job that this manual nov? does?
A There was no such article as a manual prior to that.



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U That belonged to the Memphis Police Department?
A Vie relied upon lectures v;hich v/ere, which were 
developed by the individual instructors and instructors 
and also using guidelines in the FBI manual,
Q And did you hand out printed copies of these lec­
tures?
A Hope.
Q And so in terms of written statements, which you
gave out to the recruits, those simply did not exist
prior to the compilation of this manual, is that correct? 
A Some.
Q I assume -- (interrupted)

A Some written matters were given to recruits only, 
but not the manual, as such.
Q And not copies of the lectures?
A Not copies of all lecutures, no.
Q I assume that is the i:>urpose of that manual, was
to get into written form some of the things that you 
have been dealing with prior to that?
A That is correct.
Q 'Would you state again for us the size of the patte 
that, that forty or fifty yards, yards of shotgun obvi­
ously double ought buck shots?
A A thirty inch, the shot \/ould stay within the 
thirty inch circle.

in



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46 3

Q Thirty inch. Co that would be nuch broader or 
about as broad as the body of a person, right? 
h That is right.
Q Would that be a fair statement?
A Yes, sir.
Q And so in that set of circumstances, shooting a 
pattern that broad, one could aim at another part of 
the body, for instance, the legs, other than the trunk 
of the body and still have a good chance of hitting it; 
isn't that true?
A I wonder if a person could even aira, aim for any­
thing other than the center mass, under those condition^f, 
because, because looking at night is very difficult, bu 
now, let me say this: you don't aim a shotgun, you poî .t
a shotgun.
Q And so you don't aim at the center mass?
A You point at the center mass with a shotgun.
Q It v/ould have an affect on the heighth at which
you would point that shotgun, whether you are aiming at 
the legs or what you call center mass, is that correct?
A That is correct.

Of course, -- (interrupted)
Q Now, -- excuse me. Please go ahead.

I v/as going to make the observation that, observa­
tion of what you call aiming, and what I call aiming.



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469

you knou, I don't think you understand the fundamental 
shooting a shotgun, and one of the fundamentals is to 
point, because there are no clearly defined sites on a 
shotgun. It is made to point, not to angle or aim.
Q But nonetheless the teaching is to point at the 
center mass rather than to point at the legs, in terms 
oZ stopping someone, is that correct?
A Yes, sijl, it is.
Q Yes, sir.

Where it is a matter of, at forty yards, covers a 
thirty inch circle, which would be the width, width of 
the, of a body, and that would also be the v/idth was 
passed that the leg would take up?
A Well, I don't mean the mass as, as v;here the legs 
are, as where the chest would be, for example, but when 
a thirty inch range that would be through, I still don't, 
think there is, I still don't think that is the same 
mass if you aim at the upper torso, if you were to just 
take a thirty inch circle of the leg, you don't have as 
much mass and you have gaps in the mass v;hereas yoh 
could pin dov/n and just go on through like that, that,
say going down the street, continuing to move, continuiiig
to travel, whatever.
Q But on the other hand, you wouldn't maintain that 
all -- how many pellets would you say there are in a



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shotgun shell?
A Double ought shot?
Q Yes, sir.
A There are nine.
Q You wouldn't maintain at that distance all nine of
the, all nine of them would go into the body anyway?
A
Q
A

The forty yards?
Yes, sir.
It would just be supposition on what I say. I can 

say there is at twenty-five yards, I can definitely say 
say, yes, sir, everyone would, and into an eighteen 
inch width, I can say that as a matter of fact, because 
I have done it on too many occasions, some at twenty- 
five yards, I know for sure that all nine pellets will 
remain within eighteen inches on a circle, now, but 
eighteen inches -- (interrupted)
Q But at fifty yards that* s
A I be lieve there is no way
Q That is much bigger?
A Yes , sir.
Q Much bigger, greater on it
or more?
A Thir ty inches;, a thirty in
is what I'm speaking of.
Q And V7hat about at fifty or sixty yards?



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1 A I really can’t, I really don't knov;. I would ima­
gine, and that is all I can do, is imagine that a corta 
percentage of a, a pex'centoge of them are not going to 
be within that circle and I don't know what percentage 
it would be, really.

Q Within the thirty incli circle?
A Right, v/ithin the thirty inch circle.
Q That we are talking about?
A Um-hum.
Q May I see the Exhibit 10(b) you were reading from 
earlier?
A Yes, sir. These are my notes, that is what I was 
reading from.
Q You were reading from them?
A Yes, sir. \
Q I believe v/e have marked one exhibit here, and I'l 
let you keep that.

Captain, I find that your synopsis is, in dealing 
with pursuit on foot, is taken from page, pages forty- 
two and forty-three of the manual, and only takes in 
numbers one and two of that section, and there are othe 
numbers as well?
A Um-hum.
Q From that?

n

25 Um-hum.



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1 Q Nov/, I would ask you to read number three and thro<̂  
(a) of that section specifically into the record?
A All right, sir.

Number three says:
”A police officer in chasing a suspect 

should:
"(A): Run parallel to and not directly

behind until ready to close."
Q All right, sir.

If your counsel v/ishes to have you read others int<[) 
the record, that is fine. I did wish to have that one 
read.
A Well, of course, that, you know how rauch can you 
put upon a person that is on, that is, depends upon the 
man being able to do that.
Q Certainly, as are some of the other things that 
I'm sure you have testified to?
A Right, um-hum.

MR. ARNOLD: One second, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Yes, sir.

3Y MR. ARNOLD;
Q Captain, from your notes when dealing with the use 
of a shotgun, I find that on page sixty-seven of the 
firearms manual you list the shotgun may be employed 
only when necessary and justifiable.



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In number one/ defense of one’s life/ or the life 
of another.

Number two: preventing a felony or retaking an
escaping felon.

Can I understand that retaking an escaping felon 
means recax:>turing one that has previously been captured^ 
A Yes / sir, I would assume so.
Q And/ and so as I see you list four circumstances
here/ when the department's firearms policy authorizes 
the use of a shotgun, number one, in defense of the 
life of the officer, himself; number two: in defense of 
the life of any other person.
A Um-hum.
Q And number three, in preventing the commission of 
a felony?
A Uh-huh.
Q And number four, in retaking an escaping felon, ainji 
that is one who is escaping and who has previously been 
captured?
A Um-hum.

Now, but, now, let me say this. This is not policy 
This is for instruction, and that, that I, and in that 
it was, it was mentioned to me, and I know it is taught 
that way, to preventing the flight of a felon also.
Q But that is not what it says, is it?



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A It may not be. As a matter of fact that sentence 
does not say that, in fact.
Q And it don’t say that anywhere under the manual in 
terns of the use of the shotgun, does it?
A Still, that is the use of these firearms should be
limited as a final action after all other means have 

(exhausted)
been executed; however, that may be something needs to 
be rectified.
Q Yes, sir.
A I'm sure that the manual is full of gaps as that.
Q Yes, sir.

But my question was, that it doesn't list that 
specifically nowhere?
A Any firearms, and it does mean, it does -- (inter­
rupted)
Q Does it say to fire at a fleeing felon specifically? 
A No, sir.
Q Anywhere?
A No, sir.

Yes, sir, now, in, with a shotgun, now, in proce­
dure lecture, the manual does state that deadly force, 
and of course, the shotgun is considered, you know, as 
part of the, part of the deadly force, and it can be 
used, it is not restricted from the deadly force policy 

MR. ARNOLD; That is all I have. Your Honor.



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1 TIii; COURT; All right, sir. 
Anything further, Mr. Shea? 
MR. 3IIRA; Yes, sir.

REDIRECT EXAM III AT I ON 
BY MR. SHEA:

Q Captain Colctta, at the time that you were teachin 
Officer Richards, and prior to the issuance of the man­
ual in 1972, I believe you said that they were given 
classroom lectures?
A Yes , sir.
Q Were they required to take notes at that time?

I

A Yes, sir, they were.
Q 'Were they given an examination at the end of the 
period to see --
A I don't recall the 1968, just exactly what written 
examination, if that is what you are speaking of, a 
written examination?
Q Yes, sir.
A I should think so. I don't recall exactly though, 
Mr. Shea, the written firearms -- (interrupted)
Q Excuse me. Written examinations were given in the 
school of 1968, were they not?
A Oh, yes, sir.
Q So in all -- (interrupted)
A Now, let me clarify the point that the written



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examinations are given by the academy, marksmanship is 
recorded, and examination is to, to consider the, that 
firing on the range.
Q But the, in the academy, they are given classroom 
instructions, is that correct?
A Yes, sir, that is correct.

And they are graded on that in some respect?
They are tested and graded.
And -- all right, sir.
One last question, if I might.
This would be a hypothetical situation:
Suppose that it was eight o'clock, dark, raining, 

there v;as a fence with barbed wire on top of the fence 
about six feet tall, the officer had yelled "Halt" on 
more than one occasion, the suspect that was fleeing 
had robbed, excuse me, had burglarized a business estabt 
lishment. If the officers fired at him, would that be 
in conformity to the firearms policy of the city of 
Memphis?

MR. ARNOLD: Your Honor, I object to the
speculative nature of the question and the witness 
has not been qualified as an expert to deal with 
such question.

THE COURT: Well, I'm going to overrule the
objection on the ground -- I will sustain the



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objection as to whether the question as put includ-t-s 
all of the necessary, necessary elements that may 
hav.'e been established at the particular time and 
place, but I'll overrule the objection as it per­
tains to the ability of the v;itness to respond to, 
to a question as to the, v/hether or not the policy 
given in light of this testimony would apply in a 
given theoretical or assumed situation.

MR. SHEA: May I rephrase the question?
THE COURT: Yes, sir, you may.
HR. SHEA: All right, sir.

IQ Supposing that it was January the 8 th, 1972, it 
was raining, it was eight o'clock at night, a business 
place had been burglarized, the police officers who 
arrived at the scene could not get access to the rear 
of the business establishment because of a large fence 
with barbed wire on top of it; assuming further that 
the officer had yelled: "Halt, halt, halt", and had
run, and had run some ten or fifteen yards parallel witlji 
the fleeing suspect; assumed that the officer felt that 
the only way he could stop the fleeing felon was to use 
ultimate force; and assume that he did so; would that 
have been justified under the firearms policy then 
existing with the Memphis Police Department?
A Yes, sir.



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1 HR. ARMCLD: (Standing.)
2 THE COURT: Just a minute.
3 MR. ARNOLD: Same objection.
4 THE COURT: I will disregard the reply.
5 MR. ARNOLD: In terms of the establishment,
0 all of the facts that have previously been put intĉ
7 evidence hero, that question certainly does not
8 encompass those.
9 THE COURT: Ivell, I'm going to overrule the
10 objection. The witness, of course, may be subject
11 to further examination as to whether or not the

»
12 hypothetical or assumed situation is in accordance
13 with all of the facts and evidence, but I'll over-
14 rule the objection.
15 Go ahead.
16 A Yes, sir.
17 As long as an officer is justified by state lav/,
18 in 1972, and he was, and those conditions were present,
19 and then in addition, a fence which he could not surmou;(it,
20 and then under the circumstances that it was raining,
21 yes, sir, he was in conformity to our policy at that
22 tine.
23 THE COURT: All right, sir.
24 MR. SHEA: That is all.
25 THE COURT: You m.ay ask, Mr. Arnold.



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479

MR. ARM-OLD: Nothing further, Your Honor.
THE COURT: All right, sir, you may step down;
THE WITNESS: Thank you.

(Witness excused)
MR. ARNOLD: Your Honor, v;e v^ould like to

move the introduction into evidence of Exhibit 
1 0 (a), v/hich is the complete firearms policy.

THE COURT: Let the Exhibit 10(a), be intro­
duced .

(Whereupon, the said exhibit previously |
imarked Number 10(a), was received in evidence.)

MR. SHEA; And then 10(b) also, if it please 
the Court.

THE COURT: Ten (b) has been introduced, and
the Court is ruling that 10 (b) having been offered 
by the defendant, certainly 1 0 (a) may be offered 
by the plaintiff.

Anything further?
MR. SHEA; Nothing.

jOh, yes, yes, sir. Your Honor, I have, I under 
stand that what, that we are getting into another 
witness who will probably take the rest of the 
afternoon, Your Honor. It is one/of the named 
defendants. Your Honor.

THE COURT: \vfell, gentlemen, I am, I have, I



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knov; v;e liave iiad problems in rearranging, and, in , 
scheduling everything, and everyone. I vjould like 
to ask, if it were convenient for all concerned, 
if we could set a specific time, if you can give 
me some reasonable estimate that we might begin anci 
hopefully conclude all of the proof and evidence or 
tomorrov;.

I have expected to get underway in a jury case 
earlier in the morning, and I don't want to incon­
venience or want to inconvenience as little as 
possible, and I would like to ask when, in light 
of that situation, we might recommence, if possibl<i, 
the Court's hope is that v;e might do that at approxi­
mately eleven thirty, or thereabouts, thereabouts, 
or eleven o'clock, and hear from you gentlemen, if 
that is a reasonable estimate of time, of an hour, 
or an hour and a half, hour and forty-five minutes 
of time to conclude the proof and evidence that is 
to be adduced here?

MR. CALDWELL: Your Honor, all that remains
in our case in chief is our, as I previously indi­
cated, are some exhibits which have been previouslv 
marked which we proposed to offer that will take 
five minutes to offer them, fifteen minutes of law-̂  
yer's arguments, and that concludes our case, and



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then whatever- l\r. Shea has.
•THE COURT; Mr. Shea?
MR. If Your Honor please, we have, of

course, the two priiaary people who will be heard.
THE COURT: Well, I will do this. If you

gentlemen v/ant to proceed, I will interrupt us nov? 
and go later this afternoon, in order to go as far 
as we can in the proof and evidence this afternoon 
if v/e go on to five thirty or, or thereabouts and 
adjourn until an appropriate tirae tomorrow.

We are prepared to go ahead on and do that, 
if you gentlemen are prepared to.

MR. SHEA; Yes, sir, I think that is a good
idea.

THE COURT; All right, we'll take a recess.
•i MR. SHEA; Do you mean to take a recess now?

the COURT: Yes, sir. We'll take a recess,
gentlemen, in your matter and we'll take just a 
very brief recess for the Court and then we'll 
resume in another matter and then be ready to pro­
ceed frora there in your situation.

(V?hereupon, the Court was supposedly in 
a brief recess, so brief this reporter was 
unable to put the time down, and pursuant to 
other matters extending longer than expected.



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1 the case of Wiley versus Menphis Police 
Department/ et al., did not come back on to

i <
be heard on this date.)

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