Friday, May 1, 2015

DUE PROCESS

It is especially ironic that in a country where unarmed black men are often killed before thay can even be booked, an attorney, speaking on behalf of 6 policemen, charged with the killing of another black man in Baltimore, complained about lack of due process because his clients were even charged for the crime.  Charges were levied after the State's Attorney had received both the autopsy and the police report as well as having received her own staff's report.  The 6 will now have to face a legal system which provides layers of safeguards for the rights of defendants. No wonder  the attorney should feel incensed that any police officer should be treated in such a manner.

5 comments:

  1. Due process? The FOP is injuring its members by its false accusation ... a continued missed opportunity to restore trust from the people they serve. The last notable public display occurred in NYC with the show of insubordination towards Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Bratton. There's a topsy-turvy element to the developing social story as now represented by the situation in Baltimore. This is the inordinate tolerance exhibited by our citizenry towards the hard positions that the FOP, the union representing our police officers, have adopted vs. those that politicians have demagogued on unions representing teachers, public sector employees to coal miners and agricultural workers. Better wages, safeguarding working conditions, healthcare coverage, income security after years of service are basic moral/human protections. Shielding accountability for reckless, disrespectful behavior that results in death is an indefensible position by the FOP and merits societal outrage. Will this (along with so many recent) incident be the catalyst for us to determine what kind of a society we are and/or choose to be? What kind of exceptionalism accepts brutality as its norm?

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  2. Due process becomes a non-issue for police union lawyers when say, a cop arrives at a scene, where a 12 year old boy is sitting with a toy gun, and summarily executes the child within seconds of arrival.

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    1. I see. Actually, it's non-due diligence ... after all, was the 12-year-old read his Miranda rights before being executed? Sarcasm in this case sounds awfully callous when it involves the flesh and blood of someone's dear one. Again, another missed opportunity by the FOP to endorse better training and/or weed out the bad apples in its membership. They need to stop hating/fearing the community they serve. We all want to hug our local police ... they're there to protect us!

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  3. “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” ~ Albert Einstein

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  4. Could it be that our "war on terrorism" is being fought on the wrong front?

    "Don't condemn our anger. Don't denounce our pain as savage. What's savage is the cruel inhumanity and brutality of the police. Condemn that." ~ Amandla Stenberg

    Instead of worrying about the cost of broken windows and stolen merchandise, mourn the cost of broken families and stolen lives. ~ G. Stout

    “A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.” ~ W.E.B. Du Bois

    "So if you defend systemic racism and its decision that so blatantly devalues Black life and protects the interests of Whiteness, you defend White supremacy. And in doing so, you sacrifice part of your humanity." ~ Jamie Utt (feminist)

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