AG Schneiderman requests power to probe police brutality cases

[KeepItReal]

Source: New York Post

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman requested Monday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo grant him the temporary authority to investigate and potentially prosecute alleged police brutality cases that result in the death of an unarmed suspect.

Schneiderman said he would handle future cases — not the current case involving Staten Island resident Eric Garner, an unarmed man who was killed after Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokehold while Garner was resisting arrest.

Schneiderman said Cuomo has the power as governor to issue an executive order making the AG a special prosecutor in such cases — pending legislation expected to be taken up next year to address the issue.

...

“The question is whether there is public confidence that justice has been served, especially in cases where homicide or other serious charges against the accused officer are not pursued or are dismissed prior to a trial by jury,” he said in the Cuomo letter.

Read more: http://nypost.com/2014/12/08/ag-schneiderman-requests-power-to-probe-police-brutality-cases/

[blm]

1. EXCELLENT NEWS!!!!!

.

[msanthrope]

2. Good. nt

[iandhr]

3. Schneiderman is a real good guy.

Proud to have voted for him twice.

[Sunlei]

4. good news. All police/prison brutality 'cases/claims' should go to the public court system.

The police and prison internal systems are not trustworthy.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. And must be prosecuted by disinterested parties.

Such as special prosecutors.

[BrotherIvan]

6. I am very happy to hear this

How do we put pressure on Cuomo to do it? Letters? Emails? I'm not a NY resident but will help however I can. We can use the same letters and post them to every governor in the state. I know there are lots of Repubs who won't do it, but perhaps some on the blue states will.

[DLnyc]

7. Good idea!

The District Attorneys, at least in New York City and I suspect pretty much throughout this country, are very closely tied to the police department. In cases involving alleged serious police misconduct, nything which moves the investigation out of the DA's hands are a good thing, IMHO.

I am not super optimistic that Cuomo will have the guts to act on this, though -- he has rarely, if ever, challenged the murky, corrupt status quo of New York institutions.