Van Stone Brief Autobiography - Supporting Van Stone's Kinship - Born Courtfighter: Journey Through Unknown Courts... Meet Newspaperman and Courtfighter Van Stone

Van Stone Brief Autobiography - Supporting Van Stone's Kinship - Born Courtfighter: Journey Through Unknown Courts... Meet Newspaperman and Courtfighter Van Stone 

 

 

Above: Indigenous Americans/Black Americans History Image Black Indian Image (Van Stone is a Black Indian amongst many other Black Americans); Ingenious Peoples of America and the Caribbeans Celebrating National Ingenious Peoples of America Day October 14.

 

Dear Readers, I have been asked many, many times about how I came to be a newspaperman and courtfighter involved with the Philadelphia Front Page News. 

 

I have been asked how I became forced to deal with the Media Delaware County Courthouse and the Philadelphia County Court. 

 

The first answer is that when I was a kid I love to read Bibles, the dictionary, and the Visual Encyclopedia of Science. Then I would write down what I read the best I could. Today, I still read these volumes. And I also love to read firefighter magazines. 

 

My first and second grade teacher, Mr. Herb Rogers, Jr., took us kids on a few field trips to the Philadelphia courts. 

 

Another reason is that my father could not read past second grade level literature, so I learned about the importance of writing early in my life. 

 

And I taught my dad how to read and write better when I was only a sixth grade school student. 

 

I have written many books, articles, and opinion journals about the community, Bibles, legal matters, and Dragons. 

 

I like investigating, writing about famous people. 

 

I've written on many diverse subjects such as the Unknown Soldier, World History, Science, Myths, and Zombies; and I like to write about Historical Subjects: World Events, Cookery, Homes, Crafts, and Farming, Abraham and Sarah, Scrolls, Cleopatra, King Herod, Black Indians, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Frederick Douglas, Joseph Smith, Jr., Frederick Douglas, John Henry, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Adolf Hitler, NAACP, Jim Jones, Philadelphia, PA, and Harrisburg, PA. I like to write about Jimmy Carter and Ertha Kitt too. 

 

Some of my other opinion journals have been about Liza Minnelli, Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey, Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Jr., Judge Judith Sheindlin, Judge Greg Mathis, Jim Brown, LeBron James, and Michelle Obama. 

 

Also, I like to investigate stories about ordinary heroes like foster parents, firemen, (such as Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers), policemen, (such as Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Office Support, Sergent Jeff Cambell), clergy, superheroes, monsters, and gargoyles. 

 

Also, I like to write historical news about greenhouses, teepees, the sari, the saxophone, the gavel, silhouettes, smoke and fire, the yoke, pillory, cats, and sables. 

 

I hope you liked reading about my exciting Black American Indian, Independent Journey through Media Delaware County Courthouse and Philadelphia County Court Building. 

 

Your soldier friend, Van Stone

Van Stone 2024, native Philadelphian, -(on assignment investigating the Com. v Lark 1988: Supreme Court of PA Murder Trial) is an independent journalist working to free the wrongfully convicted By Van Stone, Philadelphia Front Page News (610) 803-1624 frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

Van Stone 2024, native Philadelphian, -(on assignment investigating the Com. v Lark 1988: Supreme Court of PA Murder Trial) is an independent journalist working to free the wrongfully convicted By Van Stone, Philadelphia Front Page News (610) 803-1624 frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

 

 

 

Philadelphia, PA - Van Stone is a Black American Independent broadcast friendly neighborhood reporter. 

 

For years, investigative newspaper reporter and editor and publisher Van Stone Downing has spearheaded news stories, podcasts and investigative reports for the Philadelphia Front Page News newspaper and the Philadelphia Westside Weekly newspaper. In 2024, September, a chance conversation with a male younger sibling of Robert “Sugar Bear” Lark – Com. v Lark 1988: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania murder trial - propelled Mr. Stone to start probing wrongful convictions of Mr. Lark.  

 

Robert “Sugar Bear” Lark has been labeled a notorious killer. Imprisoned, thus far time spent is 44 years for crimes. He is was serving a life sentence for murder and aggravated robbery.

 

Convicted… Yet the West Philly and North Philly senior always maintains his innocence.

 

The above-mentioned work on criminal justice has led to a podcast blended with culture starting in 2024 weeks later after a chance conversation with a male younger sibling of Sugar Bear.

 

In addition, other well-known writers and investigative journalist have joined Van Stone to discuss his support of the “Robert Lark Innocence Project,” and why the issue continues to motivate supporters to keep working to free the wrongfully convicted.

 

The Robert Lark Innocence Project website may be found at: larkandbarksdaleinnocence.org

 

Even with its status as a non-profit and educational television broadcasting organization, Van Stone’s award-winning organization, the VSP Foundation, engages in program education, providing radio and television content and related services to its members, each of which together collectively follow the media group.  The VSP Foundation non-profit offers programming local content such as news, interviews, cultural, and public affairs programs for its individual volunteers, or sponsors and donors that agree with content provided by VSP Foundation and other broadcasters, editors and publishers.

 

Watch Van Stone Philadelphia news for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to Philadelphia Front Page News newspaper, Power 88 FM Power WVSR 1360 Radio Station, Philly Funk Radio Station, and Philly Live! Cali Live! Talk Show Podcast news half an hour, ranked top credible and objective radio, TV and podcast news show.

 

To contact Van Stone or any of the investigators covering the Com. v Lark case you may call Mr. Stone’s news desk at (610) 803-1624 or send email to: vspfoundation@yahoo.com.

 

Discover more about VSP Foundation at: https://www.vspfoundation.org/                                                                       

Find more from Phila. Front Page News newspaper at: https://fpnnews.org/       

 

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Philadelphia Front Page News News Report: Innocence Project Story - Robert Roberson, an Autistic Father Wrongfully Convicted and Sentenced to Death, Applies for Clemency (As written by Innocence Staff, New York)

Philadelphia Front Page News News Report: Innocence Project Story -  Robert Roberson, an Autistic Father Wrongfully Convicted and Sentenced to Death, Applies for Clemency (As written by  Innocence Staff, New York)

Above: 12/19/23, Livingston, Texas: Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project.

 

Medical and scientific experts, bipartisan Texas lawmakers, advocates for parental rights, autism organizations, best-selling novelist John Grisham, lead detective Brian Wharton, innocence groups, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, and dozens of others urge Texas Pardons Board to recommend, and Gov. Abbott to Grant, clemency.

 

Today, 34 eminent scientists and doctors, a bipartisan group of 84 Texas legislators, 8 advocates for parental rights, 8 organizations that advocate for people with Autism and their families, faith leaders, innocence advocacy groups, former judges, 70 attorneys who have represented people wrongfully accused of child abuse, and former lead detective Brian Wharton, among others, filed letters in support of Robert Roberson’s clemency petition to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Greg Abbott. (Exhibits 7, 15-23.)

 

The clemency petition, filed today, can be accessed, here

 

Letters from hundreds of supporters, filed as exhibits, here.

 

Mr. Roberson’s petition describes the new medical and scientific evidence that his jury never heard showing that no homicide occurred. Mr. Roberson’s two-year-old, chronically ill daughter, Nikki, actually died of severe viral and bacterial pneumonia that medical professionals missed in 2002, not because of any abuse. Her illness progressed to sepsis and then septic shock, a process likely precipitated by the dangerous respiratory-suppressing medications she was prescribed during her last days, all of which has now been established by detailed reports from highly qualified medical specialists.

 

No court has been willing to consider three new expert reports showing how Nikki died of pneumonia, proof that Mr. Roberson is innocent of any crime.

 

The power of Mr. Roberson’s innocence claim is attracting diverse and widespread support, including from best-selling novelist John Grisham, who said, “This isn’t a case where the system got the wrong guy, but rather one where no crime took place at all. Something must be done to stop Robert’s execution. Governor Abbott and the Board of Pardons and Paroles can prevent an irreparable injustice by granting him clemency.”

 

For completed story click here.

Phila. Front Page News Brief - International Longshoremen Association Major Possible Call On A Strike On The Rise by Janis Barksdale And Van Stone frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (610) 803-1624

Phila. Front Page News Brief - International Longshoremen Association Major Possible Strike On The Rise by Janis Barksdale And Van Stone frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (610) 803-1624 

According to CNBC if ILA (INTERNATIONAL LONGSHOREMEN 

ASSOCIATION) doesn't reach an agreement with the port's ownership there will be a major strike on October 1. 

 

The union is looking for more in wages and, the union also opposes port automation and exclusive port contracts. 

The union has not called on a strike since 1977 and Harold Daggett, president of ILA and the union's chief negotiator has said "a strike is only 1 of a few weapons in our arsenal...so if backed in a corner, we're not going to hesitate to strike back". 

 

His plan is motivated by the threat of job losses from terminal automation. 

 

If a strike takes place, it will disrupt the national economy from New England to Texas weeks before the presidential election.

 

Penn Suspends Amy Wax, Law Professor Accused of Making Racist Statements Reported By Van Stone, Phila. Front Page News/Westside Weekly frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

Penn Suspends Amy Wax, Law Professor Accused of Making Racist Statements Reported By Van Stone, Phila. Front Page News/Westside Weekly frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

Above: Amy Wax, Law Professor U. Penn The accusations against the professor,  who had invited a white nationalist to her class and said that Black people and women were less intelligent, led students and others to call for her to be fired.

 

The University of Pennsylvania is suspending Amy Wax, a tenured law professor accused of making racist, sexist and homophobic remarks, for a year with half pay. It is a significant sanction but one that falls short of the firing that some students wanted.

 

The university issued a “public letter of reprimand” to Dr. Wax describing the terms of her suspension, which will begin in the fall of 2025 and which also includes the loss of her named chair and the loss of summer pay in perpetuity.

 

Disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Wax tested the tenure protections of professors and whether such protections allow them to voice opinions that might be seen as inappropriate or downright insulting. Many students said that they could not trust Dr. Wax to grade students without bias. But many professors — even those who found her comments profoundly racist — objected to disciplining her, on the grounds of academic freedom.

 

Among allegations against her were that she had described some non-Western countries as “shitholes” and had said that “women, on average, are less knowledgeable than men.” She has said that Black people from the United States and people from non-Western countries feel shame for the “outsized achievements and contributions” of Western people, and has derided as unrealistic television ads depicting “Black men married to white women in an upper-class picket-fence house.”

 

Dr. Wax denied making some of the comments and said that others were taken out of context.

 

She has also invited a white nationalist, Jared Taylor, to class.

 

In a 12-page complaint filed in 2023, Theodore Ruger, the law school dean at the time, wrote that Dr. Wax had demonstrated “callous and flagrant disregard” for students, faculty and staff, subjecting them to “intentional and incessant racist, sexist, xenophobic and homophobic actions and statements.”

 

Her statements, the complaint added, “have led students and faculty to reasonably believe they will be subjected to discriminatory animus if they come into contact with her.” Mr. Ruger declined to comment on Monday.

 

Dr. Wax declined to comment on the decision. She has previously warned that she will sue the university if she is disciplined. A lawyer for Dr. Wax, David J. Shapiro, also declined to comment. 

 

For several free speech groups, the case represented a threat to one of the key tenets of academic tenure — the right of faculty members to speak freely, without fear of punishment, whether in public or in the classroom.

 

Reacting to the suspension, Alex Morey, an official with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech group, said that Penn’s decision “should send a chill down the spine of every faculty member, not just at Penn but at every private institution around the country.”

 

Ms. Morey, the group’s director of campus rights advocacy, argued that Penn had altered its customary disciplinary procedure to prosecute Dr. Wax. She added that she was gratified that Penn had not revoked Dr. Wax’s tenure — an indication, she said, of how flimsy the accusations were.

 

Peter Wood, president of the conservative-leaning National Association of Scholars, where Dr. Wax serves on the board, accused the university of a “serious error of judgment.”

 

“Professor Wax’s various statements on race, gender, ethnicity, immigration, inculturation and other matters were entirely within the zone of academic freedom,” he said, predicting that Dr. Wax would not “back down.”

 

A former assistant to the U.S. solicitor general, Dr. Wax argued 15 cases before the Supreme Court. Though Dr. Wax’s outspoken viewpoints have been a subject of debate for years, student demands for sanctions began in earnest in 2017, after she co-wrote an opinion article arguing that “all cultures are not equal.”

 

The long-running disciplinary case had gone before a faculty hearing committee. The university’s hearing board has said it does not dispute that academic freedom protects Dr. Wax’s speech, but said that she had violated “behavioral professional norms” in the way she presented her views.

 

The reprimand letter to Dr. Wax, dated Sept. 24 and signed by the university’s provost, John L. Jackson Jr., said that while academic freedom should be “very broad,” professors must conduct themselves “in a manner that conveys a willingness to assess all students fairly.”

 

It said Dr. Wax’s conduct had included making “sweeping generalizations about groups by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and immigration status. It also said that she had breached “the requirement that student grades be kept private by publicly speaking about the grades of law students by race, and continuing to do so even after being cautioned by the dean that it was a violation of university policy.”

 

The letter said that the university’s interim president, J. Larry Jameson, had confirmed the decision to suspend Dr. Wax. Because the academic year has already started, the suspension, which was first disclosed by The Philadelphia Inquirer, will not begin until next fall.

 

The letter also said that, in future public appearances, Dr. Wax must say that she was speaking for herself and not on behalf of the university.

 

Martha Richards Conley, Black Female Lawyers/Attorneys Made Visits To Robert "Sugar Bear" Lark, By Janis Barksdale and Van Stone, Phila. Front Page News frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (610) 803-1624

Martha Richards Conley, Black Female Lawyers/Attorneys Made Visits To Robert "Sugar Bear" Lark, By Janis Barksdale and Van Stone, Phila. Front Page News frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (610) 803-1624 

                                   Above: Martha Richards Conley

To Whom It May Concern:

I began visiting Robert Lark approximately 15 years ago as an Official Visitor for the Pennsylvania Prison Society.  We were introduced by my good friend David Demarest, a Carnegie Mellon University Professor who is now deceased, but who had been visiting him for many years before I started visiting.  During this time I have come to love and respect Robert.  He is a unique individual and has seen it as his mission to connect me with various people around the country who share my interest in prison reform.

I always enjoyed my visits with Robert which were alway positive and even uplifting.  He has maintained a positive mind set in spite of almost thirty years in solitary confinement.  He would often send me greeting cards and news clippings that he thought I might like or would interest me.

Robert is a product of American Society and the circumstances he was born into.  He is not the same person he was in 1986.  He deserves a second chance at life outside the prison walls.

Martha R. Conley

Attorney at Law

6439 Navarro Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

PA ID 15099

 

Nominated 2022 CNN Heroes, Robert "Sugar Bear" Lark - Nominated By Janis Barksdale, Founder/Pres Of Robert ("Sugar Bear") Lark Advisory Council Story By Van Stone Phila. Front Page News frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

Nominated 2022 CNN Heroes, Robert "Sugar Bear" Lark - Nominated By Janis Barksdale, Founder/Pres Of Robert ("Sugar Bear") Lark Advisory Council Story By Van Stone Phila. Front Page News frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

On Mon, Dec 12, 2022, at 10:54 AM, Janis Barksdale wrote:

 

In February 2014, I nominated Sugar Bear for the CNN Hero award. I knew it was a long shot but as you know nothing beats a failure but a TRY. 

 

In 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and due to my treatments I lost my focus on this. 

As is his forte,  he encouraged me to watch the CNN Hero awards last night. There was a Hero by the name of Tyrique Glasgow from South Philly.  Due to the efforts he has put in place for the youth in South Philly the murder rate has gone down. I hope to put him in touch with our brother in Pittsburgh to help in that area. Below is a sample of what I submitted in 2014. I did receive confirmation from CNN that they received my application.  

 

Name of Nominee: Robert Lark AM4192

Phone Number : 724-852-2902

Q In your own words, why does your nominee deserve recognition as a CNN Hero?

A I'm not even sure this nomination will be accepted but I must try. Robert Lark is on death row in PA but even on the row he spends most of his time trying to help others. He has helped people get money to pay rent get food, cars, jobs,medical care,computers and get released from prison. For over 30 yrs while fighting for his release as an innocent he continues to help others and never ask for anything for himself. His motto is when someone is released even if its not him that means God is in the neighborhood. Sugar Bear as he is known to his friends has helped people all over the world and has done it all from death row.

Q How have your nominee's efforts made a difference for the better?

A As a death row inmate he reads more than 7 papers a day and misses nothing. He sends people information regarding their illness that will help them, he gives other prisoners information that has helped them obtain their freedom He has done so without the use of a computer. He was granted a new trial in 2007 but has not been tried. He is a hero to all who know him and he continues to encourage others through cards, letters and materials.

Q Is there a specific incident or turning point that motivated your nominee to take action?

A Life and the injustices that occur on a daily bases motivates him to help people. No matter the race, religion or beliefs. Almost every day I am commissioned by him to take information to someone he may not know that will help them during a foreclosure; a job fair is in the neighborhood or its sweeps month let this reporter know this is happening. A business is failing let them know that this organization gives money to those doing that kind of work.

Q Is there anything else that makes your nominee exceptional or unique?

A I have letters from all sorts of people he has helped and encouraged over the years. Inmates, ex-inmates, politicians, lawyers, doctors, authors, pastors, literacy agents and friends. In all of their correspondence they all say he is compassionate, encouraging, intelligent, always optimistic, full of life and never bitter. Sugar Bear is a person that does good for without any hope of getting anything in return he does it because it’s the right thing to do. He is a true Hero.

Q How will being recognized as a CNN Hero further your nominee's cause?

A Sugar Bear is a different Hero. As a young boy he was considered a modern day Robin Hood, taking care of 8 siblings and everyone in the neighborhood that needed help. This nomination would not be about him but about all those in prison unjustly.