More rain drops in Riverside
Jury deliberation began this morning in the racial discrimination, harassment and retaliation case filed by Officer Roger Sutton in 2000. The trial which lasted nearly a month heard closing arguments yesterday afternoon, in front of an audience of representatives from the department's management.
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Ernest Cohen, who was due to be arraigned on a misdemeanor battery charge on Oct. 17, in Dept. 34 failed to make an appearance, according to court minutes. A bench warrant has been issued for his arrest. Hardly a surprise in my opinion. It's not like he hasn't done this before, in earlier cases. *shrug*
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The city's appeal of the reinstatement of former Det. Al Kennedy has recieved an appeal number. Kennedy was fired by Leach several years ago for having sexual relations with a rape victim whose case he was investigating.
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Ernest Cohen, who was due to be arraigned on a misdemeanor battery charge on Oct. 17, in Dept. 34 failed to make an appearance, according to court minutes. A bench warrant has been issued for his arrest. Hardly a surprise in my opinion. It's not like he hasn't done this before, in earlier cases. *shrug*
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The city's appeal of the reinstatement of former Det. Al Kennedy has recieved an appeal number. Kennedy was fired by Leach several years ago for having sexual relations with a rape victim whose case he was investigating.
posted by Five Before Midnight | 11:53 AM
2 Comments:
A bench warrant for Ernest Cohen. That's great. Alot will be accomplished there. You know what will happen when he gets stopped again??? He'll get another ticket and court date. And then when he doesn't show up for court again??? Another ticket and court date. You wonder why Officers seem apathetic - the system doesn't do anything with these people that are a danger to society. And FYI Mary - no, people are not routinely booked and held to answer for misdemeanors. The only misdemeanor crimes that the jail takes are for domestic violence offenses and resisting arrest. Educate yourself...
Thank you for your comments.
I never said people were routinely booked for misdemeanors. Most are in fact not. DV, there's not much choice and resisting arrest is self-explanatory on several different levels. Some violent crimes are arrested high, charged low, as well.
A citation puts a person on an honor's system. Either they will appear or they will not. Simple as that. Can it be frustrating, yes. Can you do anything if you feel that? No, except shrug. It's out of your hands and in the system's and that is how it has been since the CJS was set up over 200 years ago.
The system has no difficulty dealing with people who commit violent crimes, it's just often disparate in how it does this.
In this case, I and the other eight people did what was right to help a person being assaulted and he at least was spared further injury and the potential loss of his valued property. We didn't fail the victim and I'm glad to have known those other people if only for a brief time. And despite the frustration at how those in authority chose to handle it or their apathy in this particular case, it was good to see and work with other citizens helping another person out.
As far as apathy, that's a part of life like most emotions and being human. They are paid well as they should be, and receive great benefits as they should, so that should comfort them in their apathy. One unfortunate aspect of apathy is that it is often, as in this case when people left the scene discouraged. That was not something they felt before the officer arrived, but after he left.
Education, yes the experience was an educational experience. That is what life is after all, an ongoing education.
Another lesson I've learned just from reading this blog's responses is that the benefits from the stipulated agreement to change a department's culture are limited at best.
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