I lived in West Baltimore until age 7 in the same block on North Ave where unrest and rioting occurred after Freddie Gray was fatally wounded in a police van. During my time there, my parents warned me to stay away from the front windows for fear of stray bullets. After attending law school in Washington, D.C., I eventually moved to the District of Columbia where I currently reside. Despite being less than 40 miles apart, the two cities are as different as night and day except when it comes to the recent spike in violent crime. Baltimore is mostly a blue collar city with almost one fourth of its residents living below the standard of living. Washington with its federal government presence and large influx of millennials residing there bears little to no resemblance to Baltimore. Both cities like many others are experiencing increased spikes in crime not seen in many years—for reasons not clearly known. In Baltimore, the spike was thought to be due to several … [Read more...] about Baltimore and D.C. – A Tale of Two Violent Cities
Archives for August 2015
How Police Get Away with Killing Unarmed Blacks
I was sad to hear a mistrial declared in the case of Jonathan Ferrell whom Charlotte-Mecklenburg officer Randall Kerrick shot 10 times as Ferrell sought help following a car accident in 2013. The deadlocked jury after 4 days of deliberations sadly came as no surprise to me. And as a former prosecutor, I felt anger at the jury and a criminal justice system that often vindicates police killings of unarmed black men and boys. A grand jury indicted Kerrick on voluntary manslaughter for which he stood trial. A civil suit resulted in a $2.25 million settlement. No dispute existed by prosecutors or the defense that Kerrick intended to shoot Ferrell and that Ferrell died as a result of the shooting. The issue remained whether Kerrick shot in self- defense or used excessive force as the prosecution argued. The jury of eight men and four women consisted of 3 African Americans, 2 Latinos and 7 whites. The initial jury vote was 7-5 and the final vote was 8-4 for acquittal. … [Read more...] about How Police Get Away with Killing Unarmed Blacks
5 Police Officer Trials to Watch in 2015
From Freddie Gray in Baltimore who ran away from police officers to Jonathan Ferrell who ran towards Charlotte police officers for help, five trials of on duty police officers for killing unarmed victims will likely take place in 2015. On Wednesday, August 19, a Fairfax, Virginia judge set December 14, 2015 as the trial date for former officer Adam Torres accused of shooting and killing John Geer in August, 2013 at his home for a domestic dispute call. In an unusual legal move for police officers, a Fairfax County judge denied bail for Torres—a move that caused the defendant to faint in the court room. Prosecutors refused to offer a plea bargain to Torres—a move that signifies the case will likely head to trial. Although the killing occurred two years ago, the county police initially refused to turn over necessary information on Torres to prosecutors--causing a delay in bringing charges. The case of the six Baltimore police officers charged on May 1, 2015 with assault and … [Read more...] about 5 Police Officer Trials to Watch in 2015
Why Cameras are Needed in the Courtroom
On Wednesday August 12, Minnesota’s Supreme Court approved a pilot program to commence in November allowing cameras in criminal court rooms but only in sentencing hearings. The new rule changes the precondition that all parties consent. Much of the work of our criminal justice system occurs long before a trial or plea bargain. Cameras are needed inside courts to bring about necessary changes in the criminal justice system. The recent police shootings of unarmed minorities sparked the call by many for police to wear body cameras to show how events unfold. Body cameras only speak to one part of the equation. The other part is what happens inside courtrooms across America. As a former prosecutor and now trial lawyer, I see the need for allowing cameras in all court rooms. Most court room proceedings are open to the public. Those proceedings that are already open to the public present no harm in allowing further transparency with cameras. The use of cameras … [Read more...] about Why Cameras are Needed in the Courtroom
Justice League NYC at Justice Department Seeks Answers
Justice League NYC activists traveled on Monday to the Department of Justice to rally and bring awareness to the lives of women of color killed while in police custody with no clear answers from the Department of Justice or local police officials. The small but diverse group demanded answers in the Sandra Bland case and a host of others, including Raynette Turner, Kindra Chapman, Joyce Curnell, Sarah Lee Circle Bear, Ralkina Jones and other unnamed and unknown women of color. Speakers spoke about a national emergency and rejected the idea that these women dying while in police custody are individual incidents. Sandra Bland at 28 years old died in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas on July 13 after a traffic stop for failing to signal she was changing lanes. Her death while ruled a suicide leaves more questions than answers. While jail guards state that Bland may have had a prior attempt suicide, jail guards made no attempt to keep her safe. Native American Sarah … [Read more...] about Justice League NYC at Justice Department Seeks Answers