Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Murder charges against seven [New Orleans police] officers tossed out by judge
Nola.com ^ | August 13, 2008 | Laura Maggi

Posted on 08/14/2008 6:14:45 AM PDT by Ebenezer

Murder and attempted murder charges against seven New Orleans police officers, accused of shooting unarmed civilians on the Danziger Bridge after Hurricane Katrina, were tossed out by Criminal District Court Judge Raymond Bigelow, who concluded that an Orleans Parish prosecutor tainted the secrecy of the grand jury process by showing a piece of testimony to another officer.

"The violation is clear, and indeed, uncontroverted. The state improperly disclosed grand jury testimony to another police officer," Bigelow said, reading his ruling from the bench.

The judge also dealt a blow to the prosecution on two other pending defense challenges to the indictment, providing further reason to quash certain charges against specific defendants.

(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: abuseofpower; codeofsilence; crime; cultureofcorruption; democratscandals; donutwatch; gettingawaywmurder; judicialtyranny; leo; louisiana; neworleans; nopd; police; ruling; thugwithabadge

1 posted on 08/14/2008 6:14:46 AM PDT by Ebenezer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: lsucat; Roux; Pikachu_Dad; WFTR; chemicalman; abb; Liberty911; CajunConservative; LSUfan; ...

Pelican State ping


2 posted on 08/14/2008 6:15:28 AM PDT by Ebenezer (Strength and Honor!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96

Is the fix in?


3 posted on 08/14/2008 6:15:54 AM PDT by driftdiver (No More Obama - The corruption hasnÂ’t changed despite all our hopes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96

“The violation is clear, and indeed, uncontroverted. The state improperly disclosed grand jury testimony to another police officer,” Bigelow said, reading his ruling from the bench.

...and by the way.... It was BUSH’S fault!


4 posted on 08/14/2008 6:19:44 AM PDT by J40000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rednesss

ping, thought you might find this interesting based on our other discussions.


5 posted on 08/14/2008 6:28:03 AM PDT by driftdiver (No More Obama - The corruption hasnÂ’t changed despite all our hopes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96

Cops killing folks in the big easy?
I’m shocked. Seems they have had one of the rogue cop forces in the country for years.
I remember hearing about cops there on tape setting up another cops murder to keep him from talking about their drug dealing.

Just one more reason to NOT go the New Orleans.


6 posted on 08/14/2008 6:28:38 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: J40000

Does this mean the charges will be refiled or that these cops get away with murder. Or is that just a naive question?


7 posted on 08/14/2008 6:28:55 AM PDT by driftdiver (No More Obama - The corruption hasnÂ’t changed despite all our hopes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96

And New Orleans cops aren’t the only ones in America getting away with murder.


8 posted on 08/14/2008 6:31:15 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Joe Boucher

It’s okay to go into New Orleans. Provided you have someone who’s a friend or relative on the inside of the legal system there...

It is “interestering” that the judge doesn’t just declare a mistrial and makes a move to drop the charges instead.


9 posted on 08/14/2008 6:47:16 AM PDT by weegee (Hi there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96; abb
Another news account here:   -- from the BBC.

While I agree with the Judge, I think the Grand Jury system of our courts have been perverted away from its original intent and is now used as a means of persecution by the prosecutors. Only the cops are being charged, and not their supervisors or the civilians they reported to and worked for?

10 posted on 08/14/2008 7:09:53 AM PDT by brityank (The more I learn about the Constitution, the more I realise this Government is UNconstitutional !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96
Nowhere in the article did it say whether jeopardy is attached.

Since the case never went to trial, I don't see why the DA can't convene another Grand Jury and re-present.

Am I wrong?

11 posted on 08/14/2008 7:20:07 AM PDT by WarEagle (Can America survive a President named Hussein?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Joe Boucher

I would not go to New Orleans or any other corrupt, crime-infested third world country.


12 posted on 08/14/2008 7:33:25 AM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: weegee

Whole system sounds like it is corrupt there.


13 posted on 08/14/2008 7:55:33 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Wilhelm Tell

I’m an hour and half north of Miami.
You want third world cesspool, then come on down to Miami.
Drugs, sex, murder, corruption of govt and police and every other govt. agency.
But hey that cultural diversity thing is a thing to behold.


14 posted on 08/14/2008 8:01:56 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96
So, the government can protect its JBTs by making some procedural error to throw the case?

Lovely.

15 posted on 08/14/2008 8:06:23 AM PDT by steve-b (Intelligent design is to evolutionary biology what socialism is to free-market economics.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: driftdiver
Nothing to see here, move along.


16 posted on 08/14/2008 8:43:21 AM PDT by rednesss (Fred Thompson - 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Wilhelm Tell

Well that would include LA, Chicago, Detroit, and NYC.


17 posted on 08/14/2008 8:51:44 AM PDT by weegee (Hi there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96

Thanks for the pings...at least we are consistant. :()


18 posted on 08/14/2008 9:32:13 AM PDT by Bitsy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson