Ferguson / Staten Island Decisions -- No Indictments

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

There's nothing in FOIA that would prevent these municipalities from charging a fee to fulfill most FOIA requests. And, while I'm sure there would be a deluge of requests for camera footage at first, that would subside pretty quickly, I'd think.

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

Then they're doing it wrong. Ferguson charges exorbitant fees for complying with FOIA requests: http://crooksandliars.com/2014/09/ferguson-police-charging-outrageous-fee

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

The story I read -- and, dammit, I absolutely cannot find it* -- was some small municipality/village from which thousands of FOIA requests came per year from only one or two requesters. And the requests were like, "I want every email sent between X and Y over the last 5 years." To track all those down, then redact privileged/confidential information, was overwhelming that very small entity's budget.

Apparently the issue is that with body cams on police, you have to be sure that you're protecting the rights of lots of innocent bystanders. And handling all that is, or could be, a lot costlier than you think.

*I've tried dozens of Google search terms. But I know I didn't dream it, because: 1) I think body cams are a good thing; and 2) it never occurred to me that the intersection between FOI laws and body cams would be troublesome. Also, I absolutely am not looking to do a Rolling Stone piece on gadfly citizen activists.

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

Just tie the cameras to The Patriot Act where no one has any rights. Problem solved.

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

SI Advance reporting no indictment from Garner grand jury.

http://www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2014/12/reports_staten_island_grand_ju.html#incart_maj-story-1

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

yikes. Staten Island was just starting to get back on it's feet from Sandy

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

This despite video evidence of what the officer did and NYPD rules specifically prohibiting the use of chokeholds.

And people wonder why so many say the system is broken.

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

It's a chicken or egg thing. There use to be a lot more respect for the
law and those charged with enforcing it also.

But yes the system is broken.

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

Did the coroner not rule this a homicide?

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

On the one hand, I'm sure there are people out there who think that officer was justified and have some kind of reasoning and I'd kind of like to hear it. On the other hand, I don't think I do, because my faith in humanity is already pretty low.

 

Re: Ferguson Decision -- No Indictment

The man was selling cigarettes without a stamp. It seems pretty open and shut to me. He needed to die.