Unfortunately for Garner, this will not help his family get justice as a Staten Island Grand Jury has decided not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo. This decision is really and truly baffling to me, and infuriating besides. I understand the vast majority of cops are good at their jobs and conscientious about protecting the civil rights of citizens. But there are without a doubt bad cops who make bad decisions and when they do so from a position of authority the damage they can do is exponentially worse.
And the problem we have is that no one is practicing effective oversight in many cases with respect to who belongs in which camp. Just last year, Newsday ran a damning report about the police in New York in particular and the endemic misconduct over which virtually no oversight is conducted. If you read only one thing today, read this.
And now, because the police earn such automatic and unjustified trust in the minds of so many, even on the rare occasion that a cop is actually videotaped, the criminal justice system cannot be trusted to provide effective oversight.
The NSA set up this police state with the acquiescence of both Republicans—-the Right—–and Democrats—-the not quite as Right. The question is whether we are we mimicking the Zionists in Israel or are they mimicking us? Why, for example, does Netanyahu want to set up a fascist dictatorship in Israel? “I will no longer tolerate an opposition within the government, I will not tolerate ministers attacking the policy and head of the government from within.” With those words Netanyahu’s government collapsed on Tuesday. Achtung! “Get out of the middle of the street.” Your Fureur has spoken. Unless, of course the NSA passes down a new directive to all local police forces to ease up and look the other way.
Isn’t it possible to convene new grand juries in the Garner and Brown cases? Even though there would be hurdles to cross, I think it could be done if enough political pressure were brought to bear. I’m surprised that I haven’t read about people calling for that type of response, especially given the apparent malfeasance on the part of the St. Louis prosecutor’s office.
Yes and no, Kurt. I believe that grand jury process has evolved to allow a second proceeding. Frankly it should not. The grand jury was originally intended as a check on prosecutorial discretion. That function has been coopted to the point that the grand jury is now purely an inquisitorial tool. The fallback is the federal crime for deprivation of rights under color of state law, in most cases involving police that would be the knowing resort to excessive force. My cynical observation is that will not happen without rioting of the scale that followed the Rodney King acquittals.