Credit: http://www.latimes.com/...
Lawyers for Michael Brown's family condemn the handling of the grand jury case in the shooting death of the 18-year-old, calling its presentation of evidence deeply flawed.
I join the many of us on this Thanksgiving who are still feeling outraged at the travesty of justice that is ongoing in Ferguson and across the US with the violence of local law enforcement supported by militarization seemingly allowed by, encouraged or acquiesced to by Congress and the Executive.
So it was with interest that I read the following:
http://www.latimes.com/...
Justice Department likely to impose reforms on Ferguson police
By Timothy M. Phelps contact the reporter
Those hoping the federal government will criminally prosecute Ferguson, Mo., police Officer Darren Wilson in the killing of an unarmed black man are likely to be disappointed, but chances are strong that the Justice Department will impose significant reforms on the city's police department through its ongoing civil investigation.
Its been heartening to see that hundreds have protested after the Grand Jury decision was announced.
Protesters March, Block Highways in 170 Cities Over Police Abuse
Protests against police brutality have erupted in more than 170 cities across the United States. In Los Angeles more than 100 people were arrested. From Oakland, California, to Providence, Rhode Island, protesters walked onto major highways and shut them down. In New York, protesters blocked traffic across the city including at the the Lincoln Tunnel, West Side Highway, the Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and the Queens Midtown Tunnel. More than 1,000 protesters marched on the FDR drive, at one point shutting down traffic in both directions. Protester Henoc Montes was among thousands who rallied in Times Square.
I'm dealing with bronchitis so missed participating, but thought I could at least contribute something with a diary. Its no secret I have almost zero overall faith in AG Holder.....
"9 Billion Dollar Witness" Comes Out re: JP Morgan Chase, DOJ, WH
but the LA Times points to one area where the DOJ under Mr. Holder has shined: investigations of local pds for violations of people's rights.
We have seen this in NM with the recent conclusion to the investigation of some notorious members and policies of the Albuquerque Police Department.
More from the LA Times:
Under Holder, the Justice Department has been particularly aggressive in such investigations, opening 20 of them in the last five budget years, twice as many as under his Republican predecessors during a comparable period, according to Justice Department statistics. During the same period, it prosecuted more than 300 officers for misconduct. It has entered into formal agreements, called consent decrees, with nine departments, including New Orleans and Albuquerque.
In Ferguson and surrounding St. Louis County, they will probably be looking for evidence of excessive use of force, unreasonable searches, racial profiling in arrests or traffic stops, and other problems. The department's training and use of discipline also may be examined.
"It can go to every corner of the police department's operation," Yeomans said. Bringing a case against Ferguson should not be difficult, he added.
"We've seen there are problems and the police department's response to the protesters demonstrated some serious problems about what the police department thinks is appropriate use of force," he said. "There is a strong basis for believing that there will be systemic changes to the Ferguson Police Department."
The article goes into the differences between success in bringing Civil cases vs Criminal cases against PD's that I found interesting. Hope you will read the whole thing.
Those of us frustrated and outraged by the events in Ferguson and the militarization of police nationwide are not a patient bunch.
So in the sea of bad news about the Grand Jury in Ferguson I was glad to learn about these consent decrees that are often the type of outcome the DOJ produces which might begin to yield the kind of change needed and wanted in our local law enforcement agencies.
Never give up.