Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(160,219 posts)
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 06:19 PM Feb 2016

Michigan Judge Pulls No Punches in 30-Minute Sentencing Tirade Against Police Officer

Source: .Mic

Michigan Judge Pulls No Punches in 30-Minute Sentencing Tirade Against Police Officer
By Zak Cheney-Rice
3 hours ago

In a speech that lasted almost 30 minutes, Judge Vonda Evans of Detroit laid into 47-year-old William Melendez, the former Inkster, Michigan, police officer caught on video beating an unarmed black man in January 2015.

Melendez was sentenced to 13 months to 10 years in prison Tuesday for his role in the attack on Floyd Dent, a 58-year-old black auto worker, that occurred during a late night traffic stop in the struggling Wayne County suburb last winter.

"The one image (from this trial) that stood out to the court was looking at Mr. Dent in his cell, shaking his head in disbelief of what had occurred to him," Evans said in a courtroom video published by local television station WJBK.

"If his conduct was indicative of what he was thinking, I would have thought this: 'What crime did I commit, being a black man in a Cadillac, stopped for a minor traffic offense by a group of racist police officers looking to do a nigger?'"



Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/detroit-judge-pulls-no-punches-183700902.html



19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
 

Human101948

(3,457 posts)
4. Love that defense attorney drawing cartoons while the judge speaks...
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 06:30 PM
Feb 2016

He's thinking "We can win this on appeal!"

Scalded Nun

(1,231 posts)
5. Unfortunately, this is what blacks have come to expect every time they leave their home
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 06:34 PM
Feb 2016

Sometimes they do not even need to leave their home!

Truer words, unvarnished or not, have not been spoken enough by the justice system.

And make no mistake, this is not a red/blue state thing. This covers the whole country.

You hire racist bullies/thugs, you get thuggish behavior.

Dustlawyer

(10,493 posts)
16. ...and you fail to prosecute most cops for this, that's how it happens!
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 08:24 PM
Feb 2016

When people are above the law, whether it's cops or Wall Street, they do the worst things because they can. You start convicting them and it will stop, simple as that!

Kudos to the D.A. and the judge!

 

Chakab

(1,727 posts)
6. He's not the only scumbag in that department. Here are officers, who were at the scene but
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 06:47 PM
Feb 2016

weren't charged, reenacting the beating for their colleagues at the station and laughing about it.



They'd also disabled all of their body microphones and lied in the police reports to back Melendez by claiming that Dent was belligerent and making violent threats.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/black-man-beaten-police-floyd-dent-passes-lie-detector-test-n333586

"A few bad apples" my ass.
 

trillion

(1,859 posts)
7. I learned it wasn't a few bad apples during the first months of occupy when whole police departments
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 06:55 PM
Feb 2016

all over the country came out in veil off darkness - often at 3am, and physically attacked the sleeping protestors and destroyed their belongings.

I haven't trusted cops since. They all look like fine in day light, but so do sociopaths.

 

Taitertots

(7,745 posts)
8. Tell it! Occupy didn't just end. The police beat/arrested everyone...
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 07:18 PM
Feb 2016

Until people stopped showing up.

But if you watched the news, you would think everyone just got bored and went home.

zentrum

(9,865 posts)
11. Hope there's
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 07:41 PM
Feb 2016

….nothing in this that gives grounds for an appeal. The other side will seize on anything.

 

Feeling the Bern

(3,839 posts)
14. Obviously this judge doesn't understand white privilege. Obviously, it's time for this judge
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 08:18 PM
Feb 2016

to be impeached. How dare she hold white cops accountable?

What will be fun will be when some inmate yells "hey, officer" and the entire population knows a cop is among them!

 

Jenny_92808

(1,342 posts)
17. And most of the people who are incarcerated
Wed Feb 3, 2016, 09:06 PM
Feb 2016

are black or brown because of bigotry. I don't think they will be his buddies.

(I responded to the wrong post. I meant to respond to yardwork's post - Boom)

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Michigan Judge Pulls No P...