A recent New York Times article discussed how difficult it is to get prosecutors to prosecute the police and highlighted the fact that "in the past 20 years, not a single officer in Florida has been charged with using deadly force." Worthy of note is the fact that Florida leads the U.S. in the number of police shootings.
The New York Times article further observed that "police departments investigate themselves, raising serious conflict of interest issues. As part of the same law enforcement team, prosecutors must rely on police work to make their cases and are reluctant to mar these relationships without unassailable evidence, legal experts said."
"They are in bed together, which is why police shootings should be investigated independently," said Michael R. Band, a former prosecutor and now criminal defense lawyer in Miami.
Attorney Michael R. Band has identified the symbiotic relationship between police and prosecutors
America is a country that typically demands accountability. Certain standards are expected in nearly all professions, but somehow law enforcement personnel are consistently given a pass when they fail to perform as expected. And the consequences of their failures are often deadly. Their misdeeds are routinely glossed over by the prosecutors entrusted with the task of prosecuting the guilty and protecting the public. But public protection is merely a pretense, advancing their careers through convictions is job one. And being able to count on the cooperation of law enforcement is an integral part of the process. Ignoring the prosecutors who enable the problem purportedly being addressed renders Holder's broad review flawed and wholly insufficient from its inception.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
