Teamsters Settle for Beating Protester
For nine years, Don Adams has sought justice. This week, he got some.
It was nearly a decade ago when Adams was assaulted by a group of Teamsters in Philadelphia while he protested a visit by then President Bill Clinton. John Morris, the secretary of Local 115, placed a fedora over Adams’ face, a gesture known as “capping.” Capping is a sign for Morris’ union goons to attack. And attack they did.
Mr. Adams suffered several injuries as a result of the attack.
As reported by Bradley Vasoli in the Evening Bulletin:
By January 1999, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office arraigned several suspects in the incident, including Don Adams. He was charged with simple assault and other misdemeanors.
Video footage of the event by television news teams depicted Mr. Adams and Miss Adams [Mr. Adams’ sister Teri is a signatory to the settlement.] having fallen to the street as several individuals with Teamster T-shirts and jackets pushed and kicked them. When Mr. Adams arose, blood dripped from his cheekbone. Television interviews later revealed his eyes blackened.
Criminal proceedings against Mr. Adams went on until September 2000, at which point he was found not guilty.
Five Teamsters did endure modest punishments for their role in the events of October 1998. A few days after the 1998 congressional elections, two male union-affiliated suspects were arrested. They pled guilty to assault and other charges in the summer of 1999 and received probation.
In September 1999, two more male Teamsters and one female were arrested and pled guilty the next year, similarly sentenced to probation. Mr. Morris, who died in May 2002, was never charged.
In October 2000, Mr. and Miss Adams filed civil complaints to obtain redress for his criminal trial and to elicit an admission of responsibility from the Teamsters.
This month, the ordeal came to an end when the Teamsters settled with Mr. Adams out of court.