cops convicted of first-degree murder, Ford and Von Villas received life without possibility of parole. Even with a wealth of circumstantial evidence and a wired Adams catching Ford in an explicit conversation about a planned sex-torture-mutilation murder, convicting L.A.'s ``killer cops'' wasn't easy: The cases cost city taxpayers $8-10 million, with the trials concluded only six years after the arrests. Their chief accuser, Bruce Adams, appeared a lowlife by contrast: an auto mechanic having business difficulties with the two cops, who were his silent partners a Vietnam vet with post-traumatic stress disorder and a troubled work history. Many were astonished, then, when, in 1983, the two were indicted for conspiring to murder and for performing a contract killing.
Detective Richard Ford and Officer Robert Von Villas of the LAPD's Devonshire Division (nicknamed ``Club Dev'' to emphasize its contrast with rougher areas of the city) seemed pillars of rectitude: decorated Vietnam heroes charming and caring husbands and fathers, beloved for their service to the community.
cops were abusing their trust long before the Rodney King case-as demonstrated in this riveting narrative of police-sponsored insurance fraud, armed robbery, automatic-weapons dealing, and murder for hire. A truly inspiring collection for personal as well as institutional libraries. Vibrant colors, rhythmic lines, and collage-like compositions are allegorical in design and convey the essence of each woman and her work. Alcorn’s ( Langston Hughes, not reviewed, etc.) paintings, oil on canvas, are as magnificent as his figures and add much to this handsome volume. However, these flaws do not compromise the value of the book. Both were in educational psychology, but Pinkney lists the bachelor’s as in social work. Another quibble is a small mistake in the biography of Dorothy Irene Height as to the two degrees she received in four years. A bibliography for further reading lists what are probably her research sources, but are not identified as such and quotations within the chapters are not footnoted in any way. The introduction gives the reader a glimpse into Pinkney’s own life and her rationale for the selection of biographies. Some did not live to see the results of their struggle, but successful or not, all were courageous leaders who paved the way for a more democratic and inclusive America. Many of the women also had to fight against prejudice toward women in addition to their causes. Each story contains essential demographic and biographical information written in an accessible, informal style, which provides a vivid picture of the women’s lives, their personalities, backgrounds, and the actions that made them memorable. They span the 18th and 19th centuries, from Sojourner Truth, born into slavery circa 1797, to Shirley Chisholm, born in 1924 and living today. Other women such as Biddy Mason and Dorothy Irene Height are in the history books but are less familiar. Pinkney ( Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, 1998, etc.) tells the well-known stories of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks. This exciting collective biography features ten important women in the historic struggle to win freedom and civil rights.
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