In case you didn't know it

[malaise]

Freddie Gray killed himself
Another officer walks free

[citood]

1. Link to story

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/07/18/baltimore-officer-learns-fate-in-gray-case/

[rbrnmw]

2. .....

[ohana111333]

3. i know it

hello

[In_The_Wind]

4. Welcome to DU.

[img][/img]

[malaise]

7. Welcome to DU

One day we'll get justice

[bigwillq]

19. Hello

Welcome to DU

[johnp3907]

5. Suicide skin.

[HughBeaumont]

6. At least they walked.

Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback weren't even inconvenienced with a trial for shooting a 12 year old boy dead in 0.79 seconds.

Likely because there's an overwhelming number of assholes in Ohio that think it's of greater importance to blame the 12 year old for his own death; even going out of their way to invent narratives that uphold that belief, than to see even ONE . . . ONE horrible police officer even see minute one of jail time.

Likely because there are more than a few million people out there that think there is absolutely no such thing as a bad cop; only bad people that drive good cops to do bad things. You know who else gets that free pass, right? Domestic abusers ("She MADE me do it!!&quot .

[malaise]

8. True

[brush]

9. The fix is in.

Hate to say it, although I did on the not guilty finding on the last one, the system seems to have aligned against the young, black State's Attorney for having the audacity to promise justice and having the nerve to indict the cops involved in Gray's death.

I am particularly appalled at the bench trial judge. I understand having ambition and call, maybe getting promised something, but come on, one of those cops is guilty of something. I'm ashamed to say the judge is black.

Disgraceful.

[yeoman6987]

10. I keep hearing she overcharged.

It's a shame they are going home with a big chunk of back pay and perhaps a lawsuit to the city.

[malaise]

12. Don't be ashamed

sell-outs come in all shades

[brush]

13. Yep. You would think he wouldn't be so obvious and find at least one guilty of a lesser charge.

[Bonx]

17. "one of those cops is guilty of something."

That's the route the prosecution took. Unfortunately, they also need a viable legal case to get a conviction.

[brush]

21. How about not securing a hancuffed man in the back of a moving police van?

The judge even said that was the most significant charge in this particular case.

He decided that not seat-belting the prisoner, even though violating department protocol, was not smart, but also not criminal.

WTF?

Again, the fix is in.

[Bonx]

22. How about another non sequitur ?

[brush]

24. Be clear. Do you think not securing a handcuffed person in the back of a moving van . . .

despite being violation of department protocol, is a crime or not, especially in light of a man being killed because of it?

[Bonx]

41. Real clear: I'm not the judge.

[brush]

43. A real clear dodge, somewhat artful, but still a dodge.

[brush]

47. What a cop out. You know very well . . .

there would have been severe consequences if a young white guy was not secured and turned up dead in that van. You're either über naive or intentionally ignoring the reality that--generally speaking--Black Americans are not treated equally by this racist judicial system. People who pretend otherwise are a major stumbling block to making the system fair for all citizens.

[zipplewrath]

46. Sadly, not most states

Most states protect civil servants, especially the police, from criminal and civil liability for their "official" acts. Even if they break rules, it is unlikely they can be charged with anything unless they can be shown to have known they were doing something wrong AND that their intent was to cause the harm. IIRC, in this case they couldn't establish either.

[brush]

48. Come on. You have to know very well that . . .

there would have been severe consequences if a young white guy was not secured and turned up dead in that van. You're either über naive or intentionally ignoring the reality that--generally speaking--Black Americans are not treated equally by this racist judicial system. People who pretend otherwise are a major stumbling block to making the system fair for all citizens.

[zipplewrath]

51. Actually

The guy probably wouldn't be in the van in the first place. That's how early the inequality starts.

[brush]

52. True that.

[Bettie]

11. Disgusting

Now, I will watch as all the apologists come in and tell us why Mr. Gray's death was 100% his fault and the cops are just his innocent and hapless victims.

[Nitram]

28. Good luck, Bettie. That might be like watching paint dry.

Or watching grass grow.

[Va Lefty]

14. The Clash nailed it 30 years ago

"You have the right not to be killed
Murder is a crime
Unless it was done
By a policeman
Or an aristocrat"

Know your Rights off Combat Rock

[malaise]

15. +1,000

[ecstatic]

16. U.S. Police departments, DAs, and courts are creating a crisis.

I wonder if they realize how close people are to outright revolt?

[malaise]

18. +1,000

Maybe that's what they want

[Stellar]

20. You see, that is exactly the thing that will keep spreading blood all over this country. Blacks...

will continue to shot cops, I'm sorry to say because cops can, and do kill with impunity, at the same time that they are praised by the president and calling them good cops. Keep that lie going why don'tcha.

[Dreamer Tatum]

23. In case you didn't know it

The State's Attorney overcharged at least four of them, and this is the result.

Do you have any informed retorts specific to the case?

[brush]

25. BS. There were also lesser charges.

The man died as a result of being handcuffed and not seat-belted in the back of a rolling van, thus not able to brace himself.

The cops violated department protocol by not securing their prisoner, as a result, the prisoner died.

Therefore, the cops are responsible for Gray's death.

Not rocket science, it's just that the fix is in. The system aligned itself against the young, black State's attorney who had the audacity to promise justice for yet another dead black guy as a result of police action, in this case, police non-action. They also don't like that fact that the State's Attorney had the nerve to actually indict cops for killing a black guy. Why, that's just not done, not how it works at all. You can't go around indicting cops for killing mere nobody black guys, even though they were perfectly healthy until in police custody.

They got the judge to go along too. Wonder what they promised him for essentially finding that the cops negligence didn't kill Gray, Gray killed Gray.

[Dreamer Tatum]

26. You are careful to assign races to each party involved

I'm sure you're aware that the judge is also black. Are you saying that the judge is corrupt? Can you be clear about that?


The man died as a result of being handcuffed and not seat-belted in the back of a rolling van, thus not able to brace himself.

The cops violated department protocol by not securing their prisoner, as a result, the prisoner died.

Therefore, the cops are responsible for Gray's death.


There are degrees of responsibility under the law, hence differing charges. The charges applied to the officers were not appropriate to their level of responsibility (so says the court). Can you show me where in the rulings the judge is incorrect, biased, or otherwise corrupt?


ETA: here is an analysis written in that well-known right wing rag, the Atlantic:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/05/can-the-baltimore-prosecutor-win-her-case/392489/

[brush]

30. Of course I'm aware the bench trial judge is black

I'm also aware of the judge shopping that goes on in bench trials.

Hope they promised him a lot because from now on he'll be lumped in with Clarence Thomas and Cornell West in the eyes of the black community.

[Dreamer Tatum]

31. Just for fun - whom do you think would have "shopped" for this judge?

Are you saying that Mosby is in on it, too?

Sort of all over the place, aren't you?

[brush]

32. I have earlier posts up about this where I say that the system has aligned itself . . .

against the young, black State's Attorney for having the audacity to promise justice and having the nerve to actually indict the cops in the death of a black guy. That apparently is just not done, entirely out of bounds — what? A nobody black guy. Come on. She overstepped her authority .

Not all over the place at all. The cops attorneys', not wanting to take the chance of a jury trial again and a possible conviction after the first case resulted in a hung jury so, opted for bench trials and commenced to judge shop.

It goes without saying they picked the right guy.

[Dreamer Tatum]

33. So - the defense chooses the judge in criminal cases?

A simple yes or no will suffice.

[brush]

34. You're not aware of judge shopping by defense attorneys in bench trials?

[Dreamer Tatum]

35. I'm aware of it - I'm asking if it was done in this case.

And on what basis that was done.

You've already called the judge corrupt, so maybe you can explain.

[brush]

36. Reach your own conclusions

Mine is that Gray did not kill himself yet the judge finds all the cops not guilty.

Duh. Something is up.

We all know many cops lie to cover their ass (see the Walter Scott case). Lying cops are part of the criminal justice system which has historically sided on the part of lying, killer cops by finding them not guilty of murdering unarmed black guys (do I have to list all the recent cases here? I didn't think so, not to mention all the thousand over the decades before the advent of cell phone videos), so if the criminal justice system protects killer cops, and defense attorneys opt for bench trials and shop for judges that can be depended upon, well . . .

[Dreamer Tatum]

40. Not guilty of the charges applied.

Think in those terms.

You clearly want them all charged with murder 1, and if anything, we are learning those charges are not supported by the evidence supplied.

If anyone is in cahoots with the cops, my vote would be on Mosby herself.

[brush]

44. You get out of my posts that I want all the cops convicte of murder 1?

Last edited Mon Jul 18, 2016, 06:06 PM - Edit history (2)

Is there a reading comprehension problem? I said over and over that there were lesser charges and that at least one of those cops is guilty of. I mean Freddie Gray is dead, but was perfectly healthy until in the cops custody. Duh!

And you're saying that Mosby is in cahoots with the cops?

Hah!

Highly unlikely since the system has obviously pulled out all the stops to make it seem she was in over her head in having the audacity to actually charge cops because a black guy in their custody turned up dead — the typical cop apologist meme — she overcharged.

I mean she'd have to be a genius to have thought of such a great career move, be in cahoots with the cops by making yourself look incompetent. Real smart .

There would have been severe consequences if a young white guy was not secured and turned up dead in that van. You're either über naive or intentionally ignoring the reality that--generally speaking--Black Americans are not treated equally by this racist judicial system. People who pretend otherwise are a major stumbling block to making the system fair for all citizens.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

39. There was no judge shopping for a bench trial

This is the same judge who was assigned to the this case at the beginning, when no one knew there would be even be bench trials.

[brush]

45. Oh, excuse me. The assigning judge knew his man.

[Nitram]

29. Dreamer, that's my take and has been widely reported from day one.

I agree that the police are guilty, but a good prosecutor makes sure the charges will stick in light of the actual word of the law.

[strategery blunder]

27. Sometimes I wonder if juries really understand the concept of lesser included charges.

This would seem to be one such case, where it's obvious that someone did something, but depraved-heart murder would be difficult to prove.

Yet people don't just kill themselves when they're handcuffed. Freddy Gray died in police custody. Someone was at least criminally negligent.

Many of these cases seem like a slam dunk on a lesser included charge even if the prosecutor overcharges. But I have to wonder if judges even bother informing juries about the concept when it's one of their own being judged.

[Captain Stern]

37. There was no jury in this case.

The defendant was acquitted by a judge.

[Faux pas]

38. ...

[Rex]

42. I learned today on DU that there can be a homicide, yet no one actually committed to-for it.

I watched the video and it looks to me like the cop breaks his neck when his knee is pressed down on his head and they fold up his body like a lawn chair.

But hey, I am just a peon layman nobody. I always thought a homicide meant foul play. Now I have learned better.

[malaise]

49. It is sickening

Someone killed him

[zz-la]

50. It must have never happened.

I guess it was just a nightmare and there never was a poor man named Freddie Gray. I guess it was just a dream that he was dragged on the ground, thrown into the back of a police van, and thrown around the van until he was brutally killed. If no one is going to be held responsible, then I guess it never happened.

[onecaliberal]

53. Just like the guy who shot himself in the head while handcuffed behind his back.

Now they don't have to seatbelt people in a van when handcuffed.

And people dont get why some are shooting policemen. I DONT condone it in any way shape or form but I can understand why it's happening.

[spanone]

54. yep and tamir rice was a terrorist....