John White, Convicted in Shooting Death of White Teen, Daniel Cicciaro, Fights to Overturn Verdict

Lawyers for John White, a black man,who was convicted of killing Daniel Cicciaro, a white teenager in a racially charged shooting on Long Island, has been waging the fight of his life to get his conviction overturned on Friday. The hearing on Friday was to determine whether or not he received a fair trial for the murder of the teen in 2006. White is out on $200,000 bail while his appeal is heard. On Friday, he was flanked by dozens of members of the NAACP, the Nation of Islam and others on the courthouse steps to proclaim the injustice of the jury's decision. He was convicted of manslaughter and other charges in the August 9, 2006, shooting.

An all-white group, including Daniel Cicciaro, followed White's then-20-year-old son Aaron to his home because they wrongly thought he made sexual threats to a woman. Mr. White confronted the teens with a gun as they threatened to enter his house. He later told jurors the gun went off accidently when Cicciaro jumped him. Prosecutors said White was guilty of reckless homicide for bringing out the handgun instead of calling 911, and a jury found him guilty, three days before Christmas 2007. On Friday, White's lawyer, Richard Mischel, argued to a four-judge panel that jurors were coerced by a judge pressing them to decide. He also argued that his defense was unfairly kept from putting a psychologist on the stand or to talk about racial incidents before the shooting. A decision from the four-panel judges won't be made for at least a month.

This is a tragedy on all fronts, but what I would love the boy's mother to answer, is why her son was chasing this young man and had the nerve to confront the young man's father? Having lived in New York City for many years, I recall several incidents in which white kids accosted and/or beat black kids, most notably Yusef Hawkins, who was shot to death after being taunted by a mob of bat-wielding white youths in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Mr. White's actions may be considered by some as excessive, but given the isolated racially motivated beatings that have occurred in New York and New Jersey, he had every right to protect himself and his home. No parent should have to bury their child, but Daniel Cicciaro was clearly up to no good when he accosted this man. Mr. White had a right to defend his home and the prosecutor should have taken this into consideration. Sorry, but I don't think this man should have ever been charged with a felony.

If they can free the four thugs in upstate New York that beat an immigrant to death and found them guilty on lesser charges, then surely Mr. White, who has never run afoul of the law and was only protecting his home and his family, should have his conviction overturned.