FOP calls on prosecutor to recuse herself, defends officers
Source: Baltimore Sun
A Fraternal Order of Police lodge is asking Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby to appoint a special prosecutor to the Freddie Gray investigation because of her personal connection to the Gray family's attorney, William H. "Billy" Murphy Jr., and her marriage to a city councilman.
The letter from Gene Ryan, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, also states that none of the six officers involved in Gray's arrest and death were responsible for the 25-year-old West Baltimore man's death that spurred protests and unrest, including rioting and looting on Monday. The letter was released just minutes before Mosby announced charges against the officers.
"Not one of the officers involved in this tragic situation left home in the morning with the anticipation that someone with whom they interacted would not go home that night," the letter states. "As tragic as this situation is, none of the officers involved are responsible for the death of Mr. Gray."
Ryan requests that Mosby appoint a "Special Independent Prosecutor."
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-riots/bs-md-fop-letter-20150501-story.html
Lindsay
(3,276 posts)if entirely predictable.
Joe Chi Minh
(15,229 posts)a potential conflicts of interest between the State's Attorney and the family lawyer. Indeed, to contend otherwise is an insult to them.
Archae
(46,260 posts)Translation: One who will let the bad cops off.
Chakab
(1,727 posts)any circumstance.
chillfactor
(7,566 posts)and oh so true....what a mess justice is in this country....especially for young black men...
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,080 posts)underpants
(182,273 posts)Oh don't worry McCulloch will be objective plus Missouri law says he has to recuse himself but don't worry everything will be above board. The fact that his whole family are cops and his father was killed on duty....nah that'll not play ANY role whay so ever.
Mosby should stay.
Chakab
(1,727 posts)off on whatever the police and ignoring the myriad lies and attempts at obstructing any investigation of their actions.
DURHAM D
(32,595 posts)They love all their inbred protection until they are no longer in control. tough
heaven05
(18,124 posts)fuck the FOP lodge making this "request".
herding cats
(19,549 posts)It's not to much to ask the officers who brutally ended his life to be held responsible for their actions. Even if they weren't plotting the details of his murder over their coffee that morning, they are still the responsible parties.
chillfactor
(7,566 posts)you took the words right off my keyboard...
Joe Chi Minh
(15,229 posts)PCIntern
(25,344 posts)illogic to justify fill-in-the-blank.
What he's saying is that when they were eating their Cheerios, they had no intention of KILLING this man whom they were going to, but didn't KNOW that they were going to, ILLEGALLY arrest that day.
On edit: I got rid of my allusion because it offended someone's dainty sensibilities.
lapfog_1
(29,166 posts)just change it to "I left the house this morning with no idea that I would assault and rape a women because she crossed my path today so you can't charge me with the crime"
PCIntern
(25,344 posts)Now you change your post...
brucefan
(1,549 posts)Never mentions that both her parents are Police officers
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)unaccountable to the people they're supposed to serve, and want a license to brutalize and terrorize citizens, especially those who are poor and people of color.
Labor unions are supposed to help the people resist the powerful entrenched interests, not those who carry guns and wield power.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)Gene Ryan needs to recuse himself on grounds of either absolute stupidity or utter disregard for the lives of civilians.
calimary
(80,693 posts)And "mistakes were made." Over there somewhere.
tishaLA
(14,176 posts)seem to gloss over the smashed vocal chords. That to me, is even more damning than the broken neck. There is NO WAY someone could do that to him or herself.
calimary
(80,693 posts)Or Washington Compost, as was said by DUer lowkell, and far more accurately, in another thread. They've fallen a LONG way downhill since the Woodward and Bernstein era.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)If any? It's kind of a bizarre, disingenuous statement, but basically sounds like a defense attorney/advocate for the officers involved. Is that their job here? To advocate for the officers? It makes more sense when seen that way. (Serious question, not sure how they're involved)
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)and terrorize the community.
I'm a very strong supporter of labor unions, but cop unions aren't labor unions, they're anti-democracy unions.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)I wasn't asking to defend the statement, it was just so strange to me I was having a hard time figuring out why they'd make it. Your explaination is sadly probably true.
okaawhatever
(9,453 posts)and regulations are pro-police and won't come up with rules that require more accountability. Even the latest anti-union law I read about exempted police & fire unions. Even the GOP won't touch cop unions. That has nothing to do with the union and everything to do with the fact that they're cops.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)they're supposed to be the public advocates for the officers. They're trying to help their union members.
They're being monumental assholes while doing it, but that's what they are trying to do.
will be in here soon, I guess. The Bundy Ranch patrol. The Ferguson whatever, and on and on..............big bucks coming for the murderers, probably.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)former9thward
(31,802 posts)Murphy gave her $5000 for her campaign and served on her transition team. A total conflict of interest. Get someone in there with no connections and have a clean trial.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)that might appear a conflict of interest?
Remember when Christie flew a private jet on the taxpayers dime to get free tickets to a football game in Dallas and then awarded a contract to the Dallas owner's company?
I agree with the principle, but this falls woefully short of the American standards for that principal, unless your standards, or double standards, are Fox-level.
former9thward
(31,802 posts)But I would not expect that you would know that. If the FOP had given her $5000 and she did not file charges you would be screaming to high heaven and you know it.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)The Fraternal Order of Police? They are corrupt to the core. They call people all the time asking for donations to this and donations to that. Then, when they're told they can't continue soliciting money via cold calling, they change the name to 'Order of the Fraternal Police' or 'Association for the Police Fraternal Order.' ROFLMAO.
former9thward
(31,802 posts)heaven05
(18,124 posts)as a response from someone on here. She sounds tough. I hope she socks it to the executioner/murderers.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)The people of Baltimore trust the prosecutor.
They don't have any trust or faith in the Fraternal Order of Police. Nor do I.
former9thward
(31,802 posts)He stands to make a significant amount of money from this case. Nothing but conflict of interest. But you are fine with that. Of course if it had been the other way around ....
Fronkonsteen
(75 posts)The 'code of ethics' to which you refer is rather murky when it comes to prosecutor-victim relationships. Murphy donated to her campaign; she has no ongoing financial ties with him. I fail to see how this might taint the case. Given what we know of the events and the evidence, the charges seem appropriate, so I don't think overzealous or malicious prosecution is a concern. Prosecutorial misconduct seems unlikely given Mosby's reputation and the high profile of the case, and it would be grounds for an appeal regardless. I also doubt it will have much influence on public opinion of the case or the legal system in general.
And if it had been the other way around? If she failed to prosecute after receiving a donation from the FOP? It would give credence to the suspicion that prosecutors' incestuous relationship with the police compromises their integrity - a fact for which there is already ample evidence.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)Yes, if she had failed to prosecute, it would give credence to the suspicion that the prosecutors' relationship with the police compromises her integrity. That takes place in far too many districts around the country. It helps explain why so many people feel it's nearly impossible to get any charges in these types of cases. And why, imo, that must change, with pressure from the public. We can start by looking at who is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police - and vote for candidates who don't receive the FOP endorsement.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)What are the relevant policies regarding recusals and donations in this community? Or is this simply a post-hoc-ergo-prompter-hoc concern on your part?
former9thward
(31,802 posts)But in AZ a prosecutor would have to recuse themselves in a similar situation. A prosecutor, if they really think a crime(s) occured should want a clean case. Fixable things that a defense attorney could use to muck up the case or that could cause problems with the jury should be fixed. This is a fixable thing.
mercuryblues
(14,491 posts)should recuse herself because both her parents were cops. She has 1 aunt and 4 uncles that have been or are currently cops. Five generations of police officers in her family.
Or maybe she should follow through as she seems like the type that doesn't tolerate fools.
Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)A union is supposed to back up its members, so I get that much. Beyond that, it sounds pretty silly. A healthy man was arrested, put into a police van and came out with a broken spine. Yet Mr. Ryan says the police officers are not responsible.
I suppose Mr. Ryan wants Robert McCulloch brought in from St. Louis County, Missouri to handle the prosecution. He'd find a way to whitewash the facts, put the victim on trial and clear the officers before indictment can be issued, even if it takes the rest of the year to accomplish that.
Ms. Mosby showed how this sort of thing is supposed to be handled. She made a preliminary judgment of the facts as applied to the law and, seeing there were matters for which the police officers involved needed to answer, charged them within two weeks of Mr. Gray's death.
I am confident that Freddie Gray will get the justice that Mike Brown was denied.
calimary
(80,693 posts)NONE of them was responsible? Not ONE?
Bullshit. He's calling for an independent investigation? They just had one! Which is why we got the results we got. Mr. Ryan - if you want THAT kind of "justice", in other words, another whitewash, you need to move to Ferguson MO.
Pathwalker
(6,596 posts)At least now there is HOPE for JUSTICE for Freddie Gray.
samsingh
(17,571 posts)police scum
SwankyXomb
(2,030 posts)"That's what kop unions do! THAT'S ALL THEY DO!"
samsingh
(17,571 posts)wretched group say. I have heard lies after lies.
Cryptoad
(8,254 posts)the FOB doesn't have the nads to help purge all the thugs from their rank and file!
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)law enforcement officers.
Calvin Coolidge and FDR understood the perils of allows these officers such representation.
Police "unions" must not exist. The only purpose of these organizations is to protect cops no matter what they do.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)GoneFishin
(5,217 posts)mopinko
(69,806 posts)irony may well, indeed, be dead.
LiberalFighter
(50,495 posts)Gene Ryan is an insipid request on their part. If anything she has more connection to the police than to person contributing $5,000 to her campaign. There is absolutely no mention about her family ties with the police.