David Hoose: Remembering Bennie
Thank you for your article noting the passing of Bennie Melvin Johnson, the “Motown Man.”
Nearly 40 years ago, as a young public defender, I was privileged to have been assigned to defend Bennie in the much-publicized prosecution of him for fraud and larceny in connection with his Pay to Be Poor program at Florence Heights that made national news.
Bennie was a very sweet guy. The charges were largely without merit and we resolved the allegations against him by a plea to a very minor charge. Bennie had a simple but revolutionary idea: People with money should pay to see what life as a poor person was like. A few did as I recall, spending a week or so at Florence Heights. I never felt he was exploiting anyone.