Judge finds city lawyer hid evidence in Chicago police shooting, orders new trial

[alp227]

Source: Chicago Tribune

A top city attorney intentionally concealed crucial evidence in a trial over a fatal Chicago police shooting and then lied about his reasons for doing so, a federal judge ruled Monday in a scathing opinion.

In overturning the jury's verdict and ordering a new trial, U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang imposed sanctions against the city and Senior Corporation Counsel Jordan Marsh, ordering they pay attorney's fees to the plaintiffs that likely will amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars even before a retrial could take place.

"Attorneys who might be tempted to bury late-surfacing information need to know that, if discovered, any verdict they win will be forfeit and their clients will pay the price," Chang wrote in his 72-page opinion. "They need to know it is not worth it."

Chang faulted lax training and oversight at the city's Law Department for hampering the production of records from the Chicago Police Department and other city agencies when officers are accused of misconduct.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-cop-killing-retrial-ordered-met-20160104-story.html

[Baitball Blogger]

1. YeAH! Take that city attorney down!

[rhett o rick]

4. And the mayor also.

[jtuck004]

2. Obstruction of justice. Would get anyone but a professional colleague of that judge thrown in jail.

Sounds more like a subterfuge. Maybe they work together more than we know.

[Angry Dragon]

3. city attorney should lose his license and be thrown in jail

[Stuart G]

5. Another link with more info (and you can read it, without ads) This is truly ugly beyond words...

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160104/englewood/city-lawyer-hid-evidence-police-shooting-of-darius-pinex-judge-says


It is incredible that somehow it was found out and exposed ..And let's hear it for that judge..this is a scandal all by itself. I wonder how often this happens and is not found out????______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

More info on this from a September 15, 2015 article on what happened in an earlier court hearing:

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2015/09/cover-up-allegations-tear-apart-chicago-police-account-of-fatal-shooting-3220190.html

[Uncle Joe]

6. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, alp.

[WillyT]

7. Huge K & R !!!

[blackspade]

8. Good for this judge...

But this attorney should be fired, disbarred, and charged with obstruction of justice.

[Hoppy]

9. Nah, he represents the people. He wears a white hat.

[libdem4life]

17. That White Hat could go more ways than one...racial or secret group...IMO.

[cstanleytech]

10. I think firing and or disbarring is probably beyond the judges power though

I do agree that the lawyer should be fired and disbarred for this.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. State Judges here have an affirmative duty to report

Lawyers to our ARDC. They do the disbar thingie on behalf of Illinois Supreme Court

Federal judges all do it as a courtesy. But it is very, very rare, as is this misconduct.

[cstanleytech]

15. Yes but I was addressing the ability for the judge to take

the direct action of disbarring or ordering the lawyer to be fired so are you saying that they can just disbar them at will or do they have to wait until after they report the issue and the people they report it to issue a ruling? If they have to wait then that kinda means they do not have the power to unilaterally disbar a lawyer all on there own.

[Eugene]

11. New headline at link: Senior city lawyer quits after judge rules he hid evidence in fatal police...

Source: Chicago Tribune

Senior city lawyer quits after judge rules he hid evidence in fatal police shooting

By Jason Meisner, Stacy St. Clair and David Heinzmann
Chicago Tribune

JANUARY 4, 2016 9:41 PM

A veteran attorney in Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration resigned hours after a federal judge ruled Monday that he intentionally concealed crucial evidence in a trial over a fatal Chicago police shooting and then lied about his reasons for doing so.

The abrupt departure of Senior Corporation Counsel Jordan Marsh, who has worked for the city since 1997, was the latest black eye for the mayor's office in the continuing fallout over the city's handling of police shootings.

In overturning the jury's verdict in a lawsuit brought by the family of Darius Pinex, U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang imposed sanctions against the city and Marsh, ordering that they pay attorney's fees to plaintiffs that likely will amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars even before a retrial can take place.

"Attorneys who might be tempted to bury late-surfacing information need to know that, if discovered, any verdict they win will be forfeit and their clients will pay the price," Chang wrote in his 72-page opinion. "They need to know it is not worth it."

Chang faulted lax training and oversight at the city's Law Department for hampering the production of records from the Chicago Police Department and other city agencies when officers are accused of misconduct.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-cop-killing-retrial-ordered-met-20160104-story.html

[lostnfound]

12. This particular cop shot three unarmed black men in six months. Admitted to '" several beers"

Before going on duty in one case, the cop (Gildardo Sierra) had several beers. There was video of him unloading three bullets into a guy's back (Flint Farmer) while the man was already lying face down. For "mistaking cell phone for a gun".

This is such a sham of justice I don't know how people keep their sanity.

http://newsone.com/2762268/gildardo-sierra-shooting-video/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/2/1427068/-Chicago-police-and-prosecutors-caught-lying-as-they-cover-up-their-murder-of-Darius-Pinex

[trillion]

14. Very happy with this news!

[cstanleytech]

16. BTW am I reading this correctly and the judge ordered a new trial?

Shouldn't they have instead have dismissed the case with prejudice and blocked the government from trying the guy again since it was the corrupt actions of the government that caused the case to be dismissed?

[libdem4life]

18. OK, Rahm, your turn next. Manage your people or get the heck out of there...by hook or by crook.

I like that last one...especially the crook part.