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Criminal Justice

No Indictment In Madison Police Killing Of Tony Robinson

May 13, 2015 Zoe Sullivan and Oliver Laughland, www.theguardian.com , , , ,
The white officer who shot dead biracial 19 year-old Tony Robinson in Madison,Wisconsin will not face criminal charges it was announced on Tuesday, more than 10 weeks since the teenager’s death. Following an inquiry by Wisconsin’s state division of criminal investigation [DCI], the Dane County district attorney Ismael Ozanne declined to prosecute Madison police officer Matt Kenny, who responded to a number of 911 calls on6 March reporting Robinson was acting erratically and had allegedly assaulted at least one person in the street outside his shared apartment. At a packed press conference, Ozanne delivered a detailed description of Kenny’s fatal encounter with Robinson, drawing from the officer’s account and dashcam footage from Kenny’s patrol car.

Judges to Review 3,000 Arrests After Racist & Anti-Gay SF Police Texts

May 10, 2015 Andrew Blankstein, www.nbcnews.com , , ,
Three retired judges will review around 3,000 arrests connected to 14 San Francisco Police Department officers who are under investigation for allegedly sending racist and anti-gay text messages, the city's top prosecutor announced Thursday. The judges, who are not being paid, will also try to determine if there is a "deeper culture of bias at the SFPD, and what the impact of such bias may be on prosecutions made by the District Attorney's Office," San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón said. "If just one individual was wrongly imprisoned because of bias on the part of these officers — that's one too many," Gascón said. The judges will look at the circumstances of the 3,000 arrests to examine whether biases influenced arrest decisions, the decisions of prosecutors and potentially resulted in wrongful convictions.

Finally, B’more Mayor Joins Call Of Citizens For DOJ Investigation Of Police

May 7, 2015 Luke Broadwater, www.baltimoresun.com , , , ,
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to conduct a full-scale civil rights investigation into the pattern and practices of the Baltimore Police Department — a probe that would examine excessive force, discriminatory harassment, false arrests, and unlawful stops, searches or arrests. "We all know that Baltimore continues to have a fractured relationship between the police and the community," Rawlings-Blake said. "I'm willing to do what it takes to reform my department." The Justice Department already is conducting a "collaborative review" with Baltimore police, but its recommendations will not carry the weight of law. Such reviews differ from full-scale civil rights investigations because they are launched by agreement with local officials and are not enforced by court order.

Newsletter: Be Devoted To Justice Not To Order

May 3, 2015 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, www.PopularResistance.org , , , ,
The announcement by State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby that the six officers involved in the murder of Freddie Gray will be prosecuted was welcomed with cheers at City Hall and in Freddie Gray’s community, car horns were honked in celebration. The welcome announcement is a first step toward justice for the family of Freddie Gray and a hopeful beginning for the kind of accountability that has been missing in Baltimore when it comes to police violence. This would probably not have occurred without an urban revolt in Baltimore. We won't know is it was the mass protest marches of thousands of people or the anger boiling over into rage that led to property damage or both that pressured leadership to press charges. Mosby said to the protesters: “I commend your courage to stand for justice” and “I heard your call for ‘no justice, no peace.’ Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man.” And, to the youth who led the protests she said: “To the youth of this city, I will seek justice on your behalf; this is a moment, this is your moment. Let’s ensure that we have peaceful and productive rallies that will develop structural and systemic changes for generations to come. You’re at the forefront of this cause, and as young people, our time is now.”

B’more Teen Turns Himself In, Faces Life In Prison

May 2, 2015 Truth Voice, www.truthvoice.com , , ,
Allen Bullock, the 18-year-old seen in photos smashing in a police car with a traffic cone, turned himself in after being encouraged by his parents. But now he is being held on $500,000 bail, an amount his parents cannot afford, The Guardian reports. Bullock faces charges of rioting and malicious destruction of property, among other criminal counts, after turning himself in at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center with his stepfather, Maurice Hawkins, at his side. According to Hawkins, who saw footage of his stepson on Saturday, the teen agreed to turn himself in after his stepfather told him that the police would “find him, knock down our door and beat him” if he didn’t, The Guardian notes.

The Truth Is Not Being Told About Freddie Gray’s Death

May 1, 2015 Nick Wing and Jason Cherkis, www.huffingtonpost.com , , , ,
WBAL investigative reporter Jayne Miller had told MSNBC on Wednesday that her own reporting suggested Gray was in no state to behave in the manner described in the Post report. “According to our sources, by the time that prisoner is loaded into that van, Freddie Gray was unresponsive,” Miller said. “Secondly, we have reported [there] is no evidence, medical evidence, that Freddie Gray suffered any injury that indicates that he injured himself.” Medical professionals have also said the catastrophic nature of Gray's trauma suggestsit was not self-inflicted. Thursday's developments about the nature of Gray's injury don't necessarily change any of Miller's reporting. If the only factor in his death was in fact the spinal damage he reportedly suffered while in the back of the police van, the circumstances of that incident remain unclear. In fact, only one thing has become clear since Freddie Gray's death: The police aren't telling the whole story. And what they have chosen to disclose has in most cases left us with further questions, not concrete answers.

#DontreDay March On One Year Anniversary Of Killing

April 30, 2015 Jenna Knapp, www.popularresistance.org , ,
Milwaukee, WI April 30th, 2015 -- -- “They wanted us to go away. They wanted us to stop. They wanted us to be satisfied. But we are not, and we wont be until Black life is valued and respected in our city,” says Nate Hamilton, brother of Dontre Hamilton. TODAY, April 30th, at3:00PM, the Coalition For Justice and Hamilton Family will march from 2727 W. Foundulac Ave to Red Arrow Park, marching to Ground Zero with the community that has supported them for the past year. The march will arrive at Red Arrow Park at 5:30PM for the memorial celebration. Today the family and Coalition for justice are declaring a city-wide day of remembrance in Dontre's name, #DontreDay. Co-Founder of The Coalition For Justice, Curtis Sails, says, “We wont be satisfied until the stigmas around mental health, and homelessness are lifted from the veils or our city officials and community members.

‘Gag Mumia Law’ Struck Down For Now

April 30, 2015 Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio, www.popularresistance.org , ,
We won! As of yesterday, we defeated Pennsylvania's "Gag Mumia Law", SB 508. It's hard to rejoice in this victory when Mumia is under medical neglect, riot police are terrorizing Baltimore, and the state violence that killed Freddie Gray and is putting Mumia's life on the line is not unique but ingrained in the U.S.' racist system of policing, surveillance and imprisonment. But we want to take this moment with you to recognize this enormous win, which shut down the Fraternal Order of Police in their tracks and will keep Mumia and all prisoners able to speak to the public. Email us at info@prisonradio.org and we will send you the order. We must be vigilant the FOP has vowed to go back to the legislature and try to silence Mumia again.

5 Things Everyone Needs To Know About Baltimore

April 29, 2015 Michael Arria, www.alternet.org , , , , ,
Freddie Gray's family says 80% of his spine was severed and his voice box was crushed. It's believed that Gray was the victim of a "nickel ride," a purposely rough ride designed to dole out "street justice" to suspects. As David Graham wrote in the Atlantic, "Once Gray was in the van, he was handcuffed. Apparently because he was "irate" during the ride, officers stopped and shackled his legs, too. The one thing they didn't do was buckle his seat belt. Not only does that sound like common sense, it's also department policy—and BPD admits it was violated." While news cameras have descended upon the city of Baltimore and knee-jerk analysis is being offered around the clock, it's important to keep some things in mind. Lieutenant Brian Rice. Sgt. Alicia White, Officer Caesar Goodson, Officer William Porter, Officer Garrett Miller, and Officer Edward Nero have been suspended until the investigation concludes, but will continue to earn their salaries.

Community-led Security Initiatives, Not More Officers

April 28, 2015 DCFerguson, www.popularresistance.org , ,
Washington, DC - As the uprising in response to the brutal killing of Freddie Gray in Baltimore continues, it brings to the forefront the need for substantive action to address widespread systemic oppression of low-income communities of color by law enforcement across the United States. The DCFerguson Movement calls on the D.C. Council to dedicate the $2.9 million in new funding for police in the FY 2016 budget to community-led security initiatives. Currently, the Bowser Administration is proposing that $2.9 million be dedicated to put 48 new police officers on the streets. This proposal comes in addition to the egregious allocation of $5.1 million for body cameras on police officers, to collect footage that Bowser wants to make exempt from open records law.

Baltimore Protests Surge Over Death Of Freddie Gray

April 26, 2015 Staff, www.popularresistance.org , , ,
On Saturday, April 25, more than 1,000 demonstrators took to the streets to protest the lack of accountability in the death of Freddie Gray. The six police officers involved continue to be free on paid leave despite new evidence indicating their responsibility for the death of Gray. The New York Daily News reports: Batts' vow came as a top officer spearheading their investigation said that Gray should have been given medical treatment the moment he was handcuffed. "That's quite frankly where Freddie Gray should have received medical attention and he did not," Deputy Commissioner Kevin Davis said. Batts added that despite Gray’s pleas for medical help, officers "failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner multiple times.”

Shoshana Hebshi Settles Suit Against TSA, Airline

April 24, 2015 Lisa Simeone, www.tsanewsblog.com , , ,
The American Civil Liberties Union announced a settlement in its lawsuit filed on behalf of Shoshana Hebshi, a mother of two who was pulled off an airplane at gunpoint, arrested, strip-searched, and detained. The case was brought against Frontier Airlines and several government defendants. The ACLU charged that Hebshi, who is of Saudi Arabian and Jewish descent, was singled out at Detroit Metropolitan Airport because of her Middle Eastern name and appearance. Hebshi was never accused of any wrongdoing, and a federal judge twice denied defendants’ attempts to have her claims thrown out. “People do not forfeit their constitutional rights when they step onto an airplane,” said Rachel Goodman, an attorney with the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program.

Tulsa Cop Facing Manslaughter Charges Takes Vacation

April 24, 2015 Kalli Holloway, www.alternet.org , ,
Robert Bates, the Oklahoma volunteer sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed an unarmed man earlier this month, is heading to the Bahamas on vacation with the blessing of a local district court. Currently free on $25,000 bond, Bates says he thought he was firing his taser when he fatally shot Eric Harris. The 73-year-old appeared before a judge on Tuesday to enter a not-guilty plea on a charge of second-degree murder. While he was there, he requested that he and his family be allowed to take a “previously planned vacation” to the Caribbean. The judge agreed, stipulating that Bates needed to be back for his July 2 court date.

Occupy Revisted: Wall Street Used The FBI To Crush Occupy

April 22, 2015 Redacted Tonight, www.youtube.com , , , ,
Text: Redacted Tonight’s Lee Camp celebrates Occupy and recent people’s protests like Black Lives Matter and Fight For 15. Three years after Occupy he looks back on the event and calls it a success for changing the conversation to inequality and the unfair economy. The success of Occupy can also be seen in the reaction of the power structure to the protests. Freedom of Information documents show that Wall Street, federal and local law enforcement worked together to put an end it. Populist movements that give a voice to the masses scare the richest one-percenters. A large-scale uprising could undermine our corrupt economic system- so it makes sense for Wall Street, the government and FBI to team up to crush the Occupy.

Exposed: How The FBI Entraps Innocents As Terrorists

April 21, 2015 Democracy Now!, www.democracynow.org , ,
Yeah, my—well, actually, not deported, but under the threat of being arrested, my wife voluntarily left. This has definitely had a devastating effect on my family in regards to physically separating us, not only by my incarceration, but the fact that in 2013 immigration authorities approached my family in Columbus, Ohio, and under the threat of my wife being told that if she doesn’t leave, that she would be incarcerated, saying that her application was denied. And everything in regards to how my wife originally entered this country was legal, and they found a small technicality to just find a reason, the fact that she overstayed her original 90 days when she entered the country from the U.K. as a visitor, even though we filed the paperwork within that timeframe for her to get, you know, permanent residency and then eventually to get citizenship.
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