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By Clarence Darrow
From the They would if they could dept.
BALTIMORE (JNS) _ Noted attorney Johnnie Cochran says he plans to sue on behalf of jailed dyslexics and their victims, claiming the city’s ``Believe’’ campaign was misread as ``Be Eevil.’’
``If ever the system has failed anyone, it has failed the people of Baltimore,’’ said Cochran. ``For one group to have their disability go undiagnosed, and then to be led to a life of crime, victimizing another group, is a travesty that needs to be rectified.’’
Cochran, who represented O.J. Simpson in his murder trial, pointed to the deaths of the Dawson family. Police say the seven were killed by a Darrell Brooks, 21, who burned their house down to retaliate for their attempts to rid their neighborhood of drugs.
Brooks, who faces federal charges, ``was not born a monster, he was made a monster by this system,’’ Cochran said.
The `Believe' campaign is an effort by city officials to instill civic pride in residents and fight back against drugs and crime using advertisements that feature a stark black rectangle with the word ``BELIEVE'' in white block letters. Some are accompanied by messages such as ``On a jury? Convict the guilty.''
Cochran said he is seeking restitution for the victims of Baltimore crime, training for teachers, social workers, police and others to recognize the symptoms of dyslexia, an immediate end to the ``Believe’’ program, and free cappuccino for life for city residents.
Cochran said he is also considering suing the Vatican on behalf of dyslexic Catholics who have been mistakenly worshipping doG.