Police Violence — State and Local Issues — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Opinion: How Mandatory Minimums Enable Police Misconduct

“The result is not only the virtual loss of the jury trial — today, 95 percent of convictions come from guilty pleas instead of jury verdicts — but also the loss of the only opportunity to confront police misconduct in criminal proceedings. In New York City, for example, less than 5 percent of all felony arrests that are prosecuted have hearings to contest police misconduct. For misdemeanor arrests that are prosecuted — a third of which are initiated by the police — less than .5 percent of cases go to a hearing. A guilty plea also has the effect of insulating police from any civil rights lawsuit asserting false arrest because a plea of guilty serves as an admission that the officers’ arrest was justified.“

New York Times

September 25, 2019

Police ViolencePhillip ReevesSeptember 25, 2019New York Times, Mandatory MinimumsComment

Trump’s Justice Department to oppose pending Chicago police consent decree

“Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said in a joint statement, ‘There they go again. The Trump Administration never ceases to amaze, and this is just further proof that they are out of step with the people of Chicago and out of touch with reality. Given the Trump Administration’s stance we are proud to partner with Attorney General [Lisa] Madigan, someone who recognizes that our public safety reforms have public safety benefits, on a consent decree that reflects the input and ideas of residents and officers alike’.“

Chicago Sun Times

October 10, 2018

Police ViolencePhillip ReevesOctober 10, 2018Chicago Sun Times, Cook County, ChicagoComment

Claims of racism, brutality dog Los Angeles Country sheriff 'deputy gangs'

“A lawsuit brought by a Compton resident detailing an alleged beating by deputies is just one nearly three dozen federal civil rights lawsuits alleging brutality and racial bias at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.“

The Appeal

September 28, 2018

Police ViolencePhillip ReevesSeptember 28, 2018The Appeal, Los Angeles, RacismComment

Here's how California became the most secretive state on police misconduct

"But this year, a group of California legislators is confronting police unions in ways once unthinkable. They argue the organizations are out of touch with public sentiment over how officers use force and interact with communities of color. The shift comes amid the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter and criminal justice reform movements."

LA Times

August 15, 2018

Police ViolenceAnthony BradleyAugust 16, 2018LA Times, California, Black Lives Matter

Portland Police Suspend Use of “Flash-Bang” Grenades After Reports That Several Protesters Were Severely Injured By the Weapons

"Despite the police bureau's insistence that the grenades should not have caused injuries, plentiful evidence exists documenting that the devices frequently cause injury and can even kill. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has repeatedly urged the Portland police to stop using these types of explosives on crowds of protesters because of the potential for serious injuries."

Willamette Week

August 6, 2018

Police ViolenceAnthony BradleyAugust 7, 2018Willamette Week, Portland, Oregon

Five things to watch as CPD consent decree moves forward

"The consent decree includes many of the reforms suggested by the Police Accountability Task Force and U.S. Department of Justice reports, both issued in the wake of the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting video in November 2016. Unlike those suggested reforms, though, the consent decree will come with an independent monitor empowered to track and oversee reforms and a federal judge who can force the city’s hand if it doesn’t implement them."

Chicago Reporter

July 27, 2018

Police Violence, State ReformsAnthony BradleyAugust 2, 2018Chicago Reporter, Chicago

Phoenix police tied the record for shootings in an entire year as of July 23

"That shooting marked the 31st of the year involving the Phoenix Police Department, matching an agency high for shootings in an entire calendar year, records maintained by The Arizona Republic show. The incident continued the breakneck pace of law enforcement-involved shootings in the city, which is also driving a countywide tally — 59 this year — toward a record set five years ago. For perspective, there were 21 Phoenix Police Department shootings in 2017."

Arizona Central

July 23, 2018

Police ViolenceAnthony BradleyJuly 31, 2018Arizona Central, Phoenix, Arizona

Chicago’s Abusive Police State Is Untenable

"The malfeasance within the department goes well beyond the activities of isolated crews of rogue officers. In 2015, the Guardian reported that over the previous decade, more than 7,000 people—6,000 of whom were black—had been detained under allegedly abusive conditions at a secret warehouse in the city’s Homan Square neighborhood without access to attorneys or public knowledge of their whereabouts."

Slate

July 16, 2018

Police ViolenceAnthony BradleyJuly 31, 2018Slate, Chicago

State and Local Issues

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