Tag: COURTS
Attorney claims he was detained in case of ‘lawyering while black’
A Maryland attorney claims he was mistaken for a suspect and briefly detained by a sheriff’s deputy during a court proceeding earlier this month — a case of “lawyering while black,” according to his attorneys.
Rashad James, a staff attorney for Maryland Legal Aid’s community lawyering initiative, alleged in a complaint obtained by the Baltimore Sun that he was mistaken for his client, who is also black, during his court appearance representing defendants in Harford County District Court on March 6.
“This is actually the first time this has occurred to me, and I do not know of any colleagues who have had a similar experience,” James told the newspaper. “In the moment, it was sort of surreal in the sense that I guess it was just one of those unexpected things that I just did not anticipate.”
James, the only black attorney in the courtroom at the time, said the deputy briefly detained and questioned him on the basis of his race. James’ client, who did not attend the proceeding, had an open warrant out for his arrest, according to the attorney’s complaint.
James provided the deputy with his driver’s license, but the officer didn’t think it was valid. He was released about 10 minutes later, the complaint alleged.
Maryland Legal Aid staffers said in a statement that they were troubled by the “deeply disturbing incident,” which they characterized as an instance of “lawyering while black.”
“If Mr. James were white, the officer would not have doubted that Mr. James was an attorney, would not have questioned his identity, and certainly would not have detained Mr. James after seeing his driver’s license,” said Andrew Freeman, an attorney who is representing James. “There is no plausible explanation other than racial bias.”
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler confirmed in a statement obtained by The Post that his office is investigating James’ claims.
“As with all complaints, the complaints filed on behalf of Mr. James was promptly assigned to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office-Office of Professional Standards for a complete and thorough investigation,” Gahler said. “We take all complaints seriously.”
Gahler also criticized James’ attorneys for releasing the name of the deputy before the investigation has been completed.
“Releasing it without cause, and on speculative accusations alone, can destroy a law enforcement officer’s reputation and threaten their safety,” Gahler’s statement continued. “Noting the need for a thorough investigation and the often incorrectness of premature rushing to judgment that is all too common in our society today, it is disappointing that anyone associated with our legal process would intentionally work to malign the character of another person.”
James, who was not available for an interview early Wednesday, said he’ll now carry business cards with him in the courtroom to prevent a repeat occurrence.
“At no time did I feel in danger,” he told WBAL. “I knew, regardless, that I wasn’t in the wrong.”
via: https://nypost.com/2019/03/27/attorney-claims-he-was-detained-in-case-of-lawyering-while-black/
Morgan Freeman blamed for granddaughter’s death at killer’s sentencing
In an emotional sentencing of the man who killed Morgan Freeman’s granddaughter, the defendant’s family screamed that it was all the famed “Shawshank Redemption” actor’s fault, alleging that he sexually abused the victim when she was younger.
“Morgan Freeman molested her and he caused this. He did this,” Lamar Davenport’s mother yelled to a reporter as she was ushered out of court for shouting to her son when Justice Ellen Biben handed down a 20-year sentence.
“He’s innocent! It was an accident!” she insisted.
The allegations of an affair between Freeman and his step-granddaughter E’Dena Hines were made by the defense during Davenport’s murder trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.Freeman has strongly denied the allegations.
Davenport was convicted of stabbing Hines, who was his girlfriend, more than 25 times Aug. 16, 2015, on West 162nd Street.
He was in the throes of a PCP-induced rage when he slaughtered Hines in full view of neighbors and pedestrians.
In a partial win for the defense, Davenport was found guilty of the lesser included charge of manslaughter. He waived a jury trial, leaving his fate entirely in the hands of Biben.
via: https://pagesix.com/2019/01/17/morgan-freeman-blamed-for-granddaughters-death-at-killers-sentencing/
Man arrested for trying to hide weed in bushes outside courthouse
SANFORD, N.C. — A North Carolina man has been arrested and charged with trying to hide marijuana in the bushes at a courthouse before a hearing on a possible probation violation.
Local media outlets reported that Lee County Sheriff Tracy Carter said 21-year-old Teon Shamal La’Shane Douglas of Sanford was arrested Monday after deputies saw him putting marijuana and a cellphone and some other items in the bushes at the courthouse.
The sheriff said narcotics officers saw Douglas put about 15 grams of marijuana in the bushes at the courthouse in Sanford.
Carter said Douglas was arrested after the probation hearing and charged with felony possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
It was not known if Douglas has an attorney on the latest charges.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/10/05/man-arrested-for-trying-to-hide-weed-in-bushes-outside-courthouse/
Jail staffers could face charges in dehydration death of inmate
Seven staffers from a Milwaukee County jail run by outspoken sheriff David Clarke could face criminal charges in the dehydration death of an inmate who was left without water for seven days.
A jury on Monday determined that they had found probable cause for “abuse of a resident of a penal facility” in the death of the 38-year-old inmate and recommended criminal charges.
Clarke, who is one of President Trump’s most vocal supporters, regularly appears on cable news where he advocates for strict law enforcement policies.
The jury’s recommendation came after a six-day inquest that included testimony from jail staff and evidence from county prosecutors.
The inmate, Terrill Thomas, suffered from bipolar disorder and was denied water as a form of punishment. He died in his cell last year.
The Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel reported that an inmate in the cell across from Thomas pleaded with guards to turn the water back on.
“I could tell he was getting weaker,” Marcus Berry told the paper. “One day he just lay down, dehydrated and hungry.”
On Monday, the six-person jury returned its recommendation just a few hours after morning testimony that the sheriff’s office continued using water deprivation as a form of punishment even after Thomas’ death.
“This isn’t the first time this happened. This is a pattern,” Assistant District Attorney Kurt Bentley said.
Sheriff Clarke was not targeted and has declined to comment on Thomas’ death but has alluded to the man’s criminal record in the past.
“Is this the guy who was in custody for shooting up the Potawatomi Casino causing one man to be hit by gunfire while in possession of a firearm by a career convicted felon?” Clarke said in a statement last month.
“The media never reports that in stories about him. If that is him, then at least I know who you are talking about.”
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said he had no timeline to decide, and that he could charge more people — or fewer.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/05/01/jail-staffers-could-face-charges-in-dehydration-death-of-inmate/