THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509160282
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Herbert Lee Bell said he knew little about the legal system when he suddenly found himself a part of it nearly two years ago.
In March, Bell went on trial for possessing and selling crack cocaine to undercover agents in November 1993 at a crime-riddled area of Elizabeth City.
He pleaded not guilty but lost his case - and his freedom for six months. Still, the 28-year-old gained a better understanding of how the courts operate.
Now Bell wants to help prevent others from learning about the legal system the hard way. He wants to share insights and information with others who might feel hopeless, as he had, about their situations.
So, he started a support group.
``Basically, I'm looking for people with very positive thinking. Not people who think your fist is the only way you can be heard,'' the Washington, D.C., native said.
Meetings are dictated by need, not necessarily a schedule, Bell said. Basically, when someone needs support - moral, legal, financial or otherwise - everyone comes together to help find the appropriate resources.
The group does not lend money or dispense legal advice. Instead, members discuss their situations and suggest solutions.
``It's more to keep peace,'' Bell said. ``Not make it like a war zone - the you-against-me attitude.''
Bell, a born-again Christian, came up with the idea to form a support group for ``survivors'' shortly after he was arrested on drug charges. While in jail, he talked frequently with others claiming to be falsely imprisoned.
Some he believed; others he didn't.
At that time Bell began his own personal crusade to reverse the misfortune that had befallen him.
An Elizabeth City police report indicates Bell and another man were audiotaped selling $20 worth of crack cocaine to undercover police in November 1993.
Bell was indicted the following spring and eventually was ordered to serve three years in a Raleigh prison after a jury found him guilty of possession with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine. He also was convicted of a separate charge of selling or delivering cocaine in the same incident. He served six months.
``I felt as if a conspiracy was taking place and I'm being used as a guinea pig through the whole ordeal in order to capture and convict someone else,'' he wrote in a May 15 letter to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Shortly before he went to prison, Bell began the support group, recruiting members by word of mouth.
``I started talking to people around here that I hadn't seen for awhile, talking about what had happened to me,'' he said. ``They just drew to me like flies.''
The original group was composed of five individuals facing charges ranging from drug possession to failure to pay child support. None wanted to be interviewed while their cases were pending or on appeal.
``They're basically handling their own problems now. They were mostly people who thought they were falsely accused of something, and they had built up a lot of distrust,'' said Bell.
Members mainly offer each other encouragement and are urged to become involved in community activities such as programs sponsored by the NAACP, and Inner-City Forum, a local organization that focuses on minority issues.
Bell also encourages people to visit District and Superior Court sessions to see how the judicial process works.
And one more thing: Read.
``I tell people `Just read.' I mean, there's no law against it,'' Bell said.
He said interested members must be genuine and truly need help.
``I'm going to investigate. I'm not going to take just anybody.''
Ultimately, he hopes his support group will in turn support community leaders trying to improve the relationship between law enforcement and some of the city's blighted areas.
``Peace - that's what I'm trying to work toward,'' he said. by CNB