29 December 201016 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Bay Area is stunned as a lying BART cop is reinstated

originally published by: Indybay
published: 20th December 2010

Domenici was fired after an independent investigating law firm Meyers Nave concluded she had lied about what took place the night of Grant’s murder.

Domenici who had been on 15 months paid leave at the time of her firing, appealed via arbitration with the ruling she be immediately reinstated with back pay. The arbitrator, William Riker insisted that the prior investigation was flawed and that he saw no evidence that Domenici was untruthful.

Rulings like these have given people more and more reason to have little confidence in the justice system. What has taken place over the past two years around the killing of a Oscar Grant is something all of us involved with social justice issues will have to study for years to come. How can one be so meticulous in following every ‘proper’ step to seek justice only to see it thwarted at every turn?

22 December 201016 December 2022 4WardEverUK

‘Supervision’ is not enough; the IPCC must handle this investigation themselves

originally by: Jody McIntyre
Independent Blogs – 17th December 2010

When yesterday’s headlines announced that the police would be ‘probing’ my official complaint to the IPCC, after being dragged out of my wheelchair by an officer at Thursday’s student demonstration, some kind of medical examination was the first thought that popped into my mind. But upon closer examination, it becomes evident to me that the IPCC have no interest in getting to the truth of the matter, let alone handing out some kind of justice.

Of course, I will be fully co-operating with the investigation, and will be offering my help in any way possible, but if the IPCC were intent on ensuring this incident was independently and fairly investigated, then they would manage the thing themselves.

7 December 201016 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Custody deaths since 1998: 333; convicted: none

original source: The Guardian
published: 3rd December 2010

A total of 333 people have died in or following police custody over the past 11 years, but no officer has ever been successfully prosecuted, according to a watchdog’s report. Prosecutions were recommended against 13 officers based on “relatively strong evidence of misconduct or neglect”, but none resulted in a guilty verdict.

Calling for further research, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said juries were unwilling to convict police officers. Len Jackson, IPCC interim chair, said: “It is clear to us there is some real difficulty in this area.”

The IPCC had a responsibility to investigate and present a file to the CPS “if we feel there are any matters potentially of a criminal nature”, he said. But then it was up to the criminal justice system.