Police avoid jury trial in shooting case

[Green Lantern]

I would love to hear some arguments about this:


NYC Policemen Granted Non-Jury Trial in Bell Shooting


NEW YORK (AP) -- Three police detectives charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man on his wedding day will be tried by a judge instead of a jury.

State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman in Queens formalized the arrangements Friday for the Feb. 25 trial of Detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper.

The hearing came two days after an appeals court turned down a defense bid to move the trial out of New York City.

Sean Bell, 23, died in an onslaught of 50 police bullets as he left his bachelor party at a Queens nightclub on Nov. 25, 2006. The shooting sparked protests and criticism of police conduct.

Oliver and Isnora have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter; Cooper has pleaded not guilty to reckless endangerment.

The detectives told prosecutors in a letter Thursday that they wanted the case to be weighed by a judge. Such proceedings are known as bench trials.

"We just do not have a comfort level that we can guarantee a fair jury trial in Queens,'' said Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association, the union representing the officers.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown noted that choosing a bench trial was the defendants' right, and said they would receive a fair trial either way.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has served as an advocate for Bell's family, blasted the detectives' decision. "Now that their motion to change the venue has been denied, they do not want to face a jury of their peers whom they serve and by whom they are paid,'' the civil rights activist...


http://www.1010wins.com/Cops-Get-Non-Jury-Trial/1541625

[kybillsfan]

<aybe if they werent so corrupt then they would be able to count on a jury to see them innocent. Dont worry though, the gov rarely punishes its workers, this stuff is probably just a formality until they are gunning down innocent bystandards behing the badge in a few weeks.

[pmoon6]

I would love to hear some arguments about this:


NYC Policemen Granted Non-Jury Trial in Bell Shooting


NEW YORK (AP) -- Three police detectives charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man on his wedding day will be tried by a judge instead of a jury.

State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman in Queens formalized the arrangements Friday for the Feb. 25 trial of Detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper.

The hearing came two days after an appeals court turned down a defense bid to move the trial out of New York City.

Sean Bell, 23, died in an onslaught of 50 police bullets as he left his bachelor party at a Queens nightclub on Nov. 25, 2006. The shooting sparked protests and criticism of police conduct.

Oliver and Isnora have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter; Cooper has pleaded not guilty to reckless endangerment.

The detectives told prosecutors in a letter Thursday that they wanted the case to be weighed by a judge. Such proceedings are known as bench trials.

"We just do not have a comfort level that we can guarantee a fair jury trial in Queens,'' said Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association, the union representing the officers.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown noted that choosing a bench trial was the defendants' right, and said they would receive a fair trial either way.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has served as an advocate for Bell's family, blasted the detectives' decision. "Now that their motion to change the venue has been denied, they do not want to face a jury of their peers whom they serve and by whom they are paid,'' the civil rights activist...


http://www.1010wins.com/Cops-Get-Non-Jury-Trial/1541625I don't blame the Detectives. It is their right to have a bench trial. They are going to leave in a judge's hands rather than a jury in what's sure to be a media circus. Queens just better assign a black judge.

If Gil Garcetti wouldn't have agreed to the change of venue for the O.J trial and left it where it should have been, in Brentwood, O.J would have been behind bars for double murder.

[35Pete]

I don't blame the Detectives. It is their right to have a bench trial. They are going to leave in a judge's hands rather than a jury in what's sure to be a media circus. Queens just better assign a black judge.

If Gil Garcetti wouldn't have agreed to the change of venue for the O.J trial and left it where it should have been, in Brentwood, O.J would have been behind bars for double murder.

They do have a right to a bench trial. But you have to ask yourself "Why wouldn't they trust a jury?". It's a serious question my friend.

[Green Lantern]

They do have a right to a bench trial. But you have to ask yourself "Why wouldn't they trust a jury?". It's a serious question my friend.

Because they read the Range and know how the average Joe feels about them?

[35Pete]

Because they read the Range and know how the average Joe feels about them?

When I was a teenager and smoking pot and all that juvenille stuff I still really held police in hight regard.

But something's happened, and continues to happen. They treat us as the enemy now, and recruit an awful lot of pricks.

[Green Lantern]

When I was a teenager and smoking pot and all that juvenille stuff I still really held police in hight regard.

But something's happened, and continues to happen. They treat us as the enemy now, and recruit an awful lot of pricks.

It takes two to make the us-them scenario to work. Go for a ride-along.

[35Pete]

It takes two to make the us-them scenario to work. Go for a ride-along.

I did that at age 22. Yeah. They have a rough job. But I still expect them to behave. We are not the enemy. (I used to hang out with some BPD after hours at Molly's Pub and Cheers. They were in our ER all the time. Good guys. Not the dicks like a lot of cops today).

[pmoon6]

They do have a right to a bench trial. But you have to ask yourself "Why wouldn't they trust a jury?". It's a serious question my friend.Jury nullification.

Just as O.J. was acquitted by a mostly black jury (And don't tell me race didn't taint their judgement) these guys aren't going to take a chance that race won't put them behind bars. I believe Queens has a pretty big black population, so it's safe to say that a good portion of a jury would be black.

Take that with all the rhetoric you're going to hear, and so will the jury, that play on race and they don't have a snowballs chance in hell.

Myself, I would rather leave it to a judge.

[Green Lantern]

I did that at age 22. Yeah. They have a rough job. But I still expect them to behave. We are not the enemy. (I used to hang out with some BPD after hours at Molly's Pub and Cheers. They were in our ER all the time. Good guys. Not the dicks like a lot of cops today).

Not to see how hard their jobs are, was the cause of my suggestion, but to personalize it for them and you. If you get them to stop thinking of you as "them" they may stop acting adversarially with the rest of the public too.

I do know that police cannot do their jobs in vacuum. There is no way you can have enough police, in a free state, to secure a community by itself. People have to play their part, I think.

[35Pete]

Not to see how hard their jobs are, was the cause of my suggestion, but to personalize it for them and you. If you get them to stop thinking of you as "them" they may stop acting adversarially with the rest of the public too.

I do know that police cannot do their jobs in vacuum. There is no way you can have enough police, in a free state, to secure a community by itself. People have to play their part, I think.

That's an excellent point. But what I might also think would be a tremendous help is to break the code of silence. It tells us that the "brotherhood" is above the law. It's more important than the law, or the citizens.

The citizen advisory boards don't work either. The police departments are outright hostile to them, they have little budget, and get little cooperation from the police without a court order. And a lot of judges are sympathetic to them to excess. (Reference 407 pages HRW report on US domestic police crime and abuse. Yes, I actually read the whole thing. Took almost a ream of paper to print, chapter by chapter).

So, who guards the guardians?

[Green Lantern]

That's an excellent point. But what I might also think would be a tremendous help is to break the code of silence. It tells us that the "brotherhood" is above the law. It's more important than the law, or the citizens.

The citizen advisory boards don't work either. The police departments are outright hostile to them, they have little budget, and get little cooperation from the police without a court order. And a lot of judges are sympathetic to them to excess. (Reference 407 pages HRW report on US domestic police crime and abuse. Yes, I actually read the whole thing. Took almost a ream of paper to print, chapter by chapter).

So, who guards the guardians?

We do.

My town is alright. The police here are downright courteous if they are forced to interact with you.

[35Pete]

We do.

My town is alright. The police here are downright courteous if they are forced to interact with you.

I would beg to differ with you. I've been stopped by extremely professional officers. All business with a lot of human interaction mixed in. They were metaphorically my neighbor down the street, whose demeanor and professionalism earn them the honor of that badge. The neighbor that really does protect and serve.

Then I've been stopped by a few that I was just hoping weren't wearing their vest when the perp blasted him.

It's the later that I have an issue with. A lot are great guys. Sukie's neighbor is a cop. He's the gold standard in public service philosophy. Hire more of them and boot or imprison the punks.

[Green Lantern]

I would beg to differ with you. I've been stopped by extremely professional officers. All business with a lot of human interaction mixed in.

Then I've been stopped by a few that I was just hoping weren't wearing their vest when the perp blasted him.

It's the later that I have an issue with. A lot are great guys. Sukie's neighbor is a cop. He's the gold standard in public service philosophy. Hire more of them and boot or imprison the punks.

I have never disagreed with anyone about bad cops. I simply cannot help remedy the problem since my community is exemplary. Police, it seems to me, are a community issue.

[Spartacus]

I don't blame them for asking for a non-jury trial. IMO they did not get into that situation with the intent of blowing people away. They are guilty of very poor judgemnt and should be punished for such. I am guessing at least 7-10 years on the average for the sentences.

[35Pete]

I don't blame them for asking for a non-jury trial. IMO they did not get into that situation with the intent of blowing people away. They are guilty of very poor judgemnt and should be punished for such. I am guessing at least 7-10 years on the average for the sentences.

There's no way in hell I'd want a jury trial. Even if they are completely wrong, the anger and whims of a mass of juries might put them in for life.

If it was careless disregard for life, then yes, life without parole. Poor judgement? Yeah, 7-10 years about right.