Thunder Press

By   Mark - Stockton, CA.

A Bad Rap

This summer, members of the Jus Brothers

M/C were found guilty of the murder of

Mark Donahue in Stockton, California.

This case was all prejudices, stereotypes, and

biases from the start. If you were to take the

words "biker" and "Jus Brother" out of the

transcript it would never have had the chance

to go to court. Defense attorneys maintained

that Linda Loftus, the judge, stated that she

did not feel threatened, although she called

911 after hearing motorcycles coming down

her street late one night. Does anyone think

that this is a reaction of someone who does

not have a preconceived prejudice and fear

of bikers? Imagine if everyone called 911

when motorcycles came down their street

late at night. That would result in a ridiculous

situation.

One of the jurors had an interview with the

Stockton Record that was anonymous at his

request, because he feared retaliation from the

Jus Brothers. Doesn't that confirm the fact that

he bought into the district attorney's perpetuation

of the stereotype of the Jus Brothers being cruel

bike gang members?

The juror also says that this could have all been

avoided if the bikers would have just left when

the drunken mob started challenging them.

Nowhere in the definition of self-defense does it

say that you have the right to defend yourself

against a mob, unless you have the opportunity

to run away. Bikers, like all other Americans,

have the right to stand their ground and if they

are assaulted, defend themselves. The Jus Brothers

never intimidated or threatened anyone.

The Jus Brothers are the only ones who want the

truth told. According to the testimony of his friend,

Mark Donahue had the choice in this matter to stay

across the street in his friends car like he was

advised or do as he did and go to see 10 drunken

young men try to beat up two hard working family

men who happened to be bikers. Mark Donahue

had the choice not to lay hands on another man's

wife. The 10 men admitted in open court that they

initiated the fight and that Donahue made the

choice to get involved with them. Frank Prater

and Robert Memory were doing what any men would

do in trying to protect their friends, families, and

their own lives.

The jurors, judge and D.A. in this case need to take a

good look at what they have done along with every

other citizen of San Joaquin County and for that

matter the state of California. For if the self-defense

laws in our land are revised for people who dress in

leather and choose a lifestyle that is not the norm

then our judicial system has fallen into dysfunction

that leaves no person safe to defend himself or his

family.