Posted on 11/29/2007 2:34:35 PM PST by SmithL
A Crittenden County Circuit Court judge has ordered a special grand jury to look into the shooting death of DeAuntae Farrow by a West Memphis police officer last summer.
The order, signed late Wednesday afternoon by Judge Victor L. Hill, suggests that the grand jury could convene by Dec. 10.
In explaining his reasons for issuing the order, Hill said the judicial system is concerned not only with being fair, but with the appearance that it is fair.
Likewise, he wrote, there have some persons in authority “who have made it known that they have only disdain for the rights of blacks and the authority of the sole black judge in the district.”
Special prosecutor H.G. Foster, who oversaw the state's investigation into the shooting, has filed a "writ of prohibition" with the Arkansas Supreme Court, asking that Judge Hill's order to seat a grand jury be revoked. The petition was also filed Wednesday, but no decision has been reached.
In his order, Hill notes he is the one African-American judge in the 11-judge Second Judicial Circuit.
He singled out the assistant police chief in West Memphis — whom he does not name — as having filed a series of frivolous and racially motivated complaints against that judge.
Hill ended his order with the following statement:
“The life of the young black citizen is no less valuable than that of the white citizen who died following an altercation with a police officer. Our system should tolerate not even the least suggestion that it is so.”
The 12-year-old boy was shot June 22 by Sgt. Erik Sammis, who was on a nighttime stakeout with his partner when DeAuntae and his cousin, Unseld Nance, walked into the area.
Sammis said he saw DeAuntae carrying what appeared to be a pistol, and he shot DeAuntae when he said the boy failed to drop the pistol, instead pointing it at the officer. Police said the pistol turned out to be a toy.
Family and friends of DeAuntae dispute that, saying he was carrying a bag of chips and a bottle of soft drink.
Looks like we'll be having an "OJ Jury", which will be nearly all black, or the "Judge" will not satisfy his "only blacks will give a fair trial to a black defendent" mentality.
I would not be to quick in criticizing this judge. Anyone who thinks a prosecutor, or even judges, would not cover up the criminal conduct of law enforcement officers is naive.
The writ of prohibition will likely be rejected since a grand jury could very well find enough evidence to charge the officer involved in the shooting.
I said drop the Doritos punk!!! Put up another one in the “win” column of the War on Drugs scoreboard. I don’t think I can blame this judge either, I think plugging a 12 year old should merit a little time under the microscope.
DeAuntae Farrow and Unseld Nance?
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