By Ralph Cipriano
for Bigtrial.net
A funny thing happened to that proposed Heroes Parade down Broad Street for six former narcotics officers found not guilty by a jury two weeks ago on 47 racketeering charges.
A week after he announced plans on this blog to honor the defendants in the so-called rogue cops case, James J. Binns, the CEO and president of the annual Hero Thrill Show, changed his mind.
"In my opinion, it's more important for these men to enjoy their families and get their lives back in order after what has unquestionably been an ordeal," Binns said in a phone interview.
"The Hero Thrill Show stands on its own merit," Binns said. "There should be no confusion here."
The thrill show, he said is about raising money to pay for the education of the children of police officers and firefighters who have "given their lives in the line of duty," Binns said. "And nothing should detract from that."
Certainly not a "bunch of pissants," Binns said, referring to the critics still sniping at the defendants.
It's been a week since Binns sent up a trial balloon about a parade honoring the former narcs.
Last Friday, Binns, one of the defense lawyers in the case, told Big Trial, "These heroes have been vilified in the press and it's time that they were recognized as the heroes they are."
That's why Binns wanted the six former members of the Narcotics Field Unit to ride as grand marshals in a parade down Broad St., on their way to the Oct. 10th Hero Thrill Show at the Wells Fargo Center.
A week later, Binns told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "I just think that all things considered, it was better to stick with Cathy."
Cathy is Cathy Burke, owner of the Irish Pub. According to what Binns told the Inquirer, Burke will ride in a white Bentley convertible as the grand marshal of the parade, rather than the six former narcs.
The Inquirer reported a tweet by Ed McCann, first assistant at the Philadelphia district attorney's office who said, " A not guilty verdict means the prosecution didn't prove its case. Doesn't mean you are innocent or owed an apology and a parade in your honor."
That quote ticked off Binns, who referred to McCann as a "little pissant."
"If he [McCann] got into Mike Spicer's car on a Friday night he would need seven changes of underwear," Binns said.
Binns defended former Police Officer Michael Spicer for free. Spicer, a former milkman, was the only one of the six defendants to testify at the seven-week trial that concluded with all six defendants being acquitted on all 47 charges contained in a 26-count racketeering indictment.
As far as the Hero Thrill Show is concerned, no matter who the grand marshal is, it's still a worthy cause.
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| As Babs Would Sing, Don't Rain On My Parade! |
A funny thing happened to that proposed Heroes Parade down Broad Street for six former narcotics officers found not guilty by a jury two weeks ago on 47 racketeering charges.
A week after he announced plans on this blog to honor the defendants in the so-called rogue cops case, James J. Binns, the CEO and president of the annual Hero Thrill Show, changed his mind.
"In my opinion, it's more important for these men to enjoy their families and get their lives back in order after what has unquestionably been an ordeal," Binns said in a phone interview.
"The Hero Thrill Show stands on its own merit," Binns said. "There should be no confusion here."
The thrill show, he said is about raising money to pay for the education of the children of police officers and firefighters who have "given their lives in the line of duty," Binns said. "And nothing should detract from that."
Certainly not a "bunch of pissants," Binns said, referring to the critics still sniping at the defendants.
It's been a week since Binns sent up a trial balloon about a parade honoring the former narcs.
Last Friday, Binns, one of the defense lawyers in the case, told Big Trial, "These heroes have been vilified in the press and it's time that they were recognized as the heroes they are."
That's why Binns wanted the six former members of the Narcotics Field Unit to ride as grand marshals in a parade down Broad St., on their way to the Oct. 10th Hero Thrill Show at the Wells Fargo Center.
A week later, Binns told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "I just think that all things considered, it was better to stick with Cathy."
Cathy is Cathy Burke, owner of the Irish Pub. According to what Binns told the Inquirer, Burke will ride in a white Bentley convertible as the grand marshal of the parade, rather than the six former narcs.
Some people think it would be inappropriate to honor the former narcs with a parade.
That quote ticked off Binns, who referred to McCann as a "little pissant."
"If he [McCann] got into Mike Spicer's car on a Friday night he would need seven changes of underwear," Binns said.
Binns defended former Police Officer Michael Spicer for free. Spicer, a former milkman, was the only one of the six defendants to testify at the seven-week trial that concluded with all six defendants being acquitted on all 47 charges contained in a 26-count racketeering indictment.
As far as the Hero Thrill Show is concerned, no matter who the grand marshal is, it's still a worthy cause.