Criminal charges filed Friday against six Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray were based on "politics and crowd control," not justice, renowned civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz tells Newsmax TV.
"This is a very sad day for justice . . . Today had nothing to do with justice. Today was crowd control. Everything was motivated by a threat of riots and a desire to prevent riots," Dershowitz said on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
"The mayor outrageously said we're going to get justice for the victim, the family and people of Baltimore, never mentioning the defendants. Under our Constitution, the only people who are entitled to justice are the defendants.
"They are presumed innocent, they need due process of law, and the mayor and the state attorney have made it virtually impossible for these defendants to get a fair trial. They have been presumed guilty."
Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor emeritus and Newsmax contributor, said the case will very likely be thrown out for lack of evidence.
"I understand why the mayor and state attorney want to prevent riots . . . but that's not the job of the justice system . . . You cannot allow police officers or any other defendants to become scapegoats for crowds demanding a continuation of rioting," he told host Steve Malzberg.
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I disagree! The charges will stick and they will be found guilty. They will be made an example of, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteNo they won't because if this does result in ANY trials, there WILL be change of venues. Defense will want far Eastern and Western counties and they will all agree somewhere in the middle like Frederick and Queen Annes areas.
ReplyDeleteI've said it before and I'll say it again, the officers will get a fair trial by a jury of their peers-meaning people who are educated and who have jobs.
Also we are already seeing which way the wind is blowing w/the court. Prosecution wanted the officers held w/no bail. That didn't happen. The court isn't going to make an example out of them, that much you can be assured.
We shall see.... They killed that man, time for justice.
ReplyDeleteThey will not be tried in Baltimore City.
ReplyDelete9:55-If those charged were all white I would completely agree with you.Jury selection will not contribute to a conviction.Baltimore needs to be left as is until after the verdict,because much more destruction will ensue.The US should take the foreign countries up on their offers to send troops to Baltimore or elsewhere if need be,because they are immune to our rules of conduct.Imagine no legal recourse regardless of their actions needed to control a mob.I kinda like the idea.
ReplyDelete10:16 - that is pretty funny. No they will not be convicted.
ReplyDelete1) The trial will not be held in Baltimore because the prosecutor showed her blatant bias in her speech.
ReplyDelete2) There is no way you will get 12 jurors to agree on a guilty verdict.
3) The only witness is dead and he had heroin and weed in his system plus over 20 arrests in 9 years (AKA THUG).
All 6 are convicted: celebratory riots & looting.
ReplyDeleteBecause we gots us some justice.
Only whites are convicted: angry riots & looting.
Because racism.
Only blacks are convicted: angry riots & looting:
Because racism.
All acquitted: angry riots & looting.
Because no justice.
Both whites and blacks guilty or acquitted:
"Free Caesar/William/Alicia" protests held.
We shall see....they have a giant problem, a Baltimore County jury. Think OJ. These killer cops are going down.
ReplyDelete2) There is no way you will get 12 jurors to agree on a guilty verdict.
ReplyDelete3) The only witness is dead and he had heroin and weed in his system plus over 20 arrests in 9 years (AKA THUG).
May 4, 2015 at 2:21 PM
doesn't have to be unanimous. unless they go for death penalty and we know that won't happen.