Tag: Criminal Justice System

Multnomah County DA on why 80% of civil unrest cases have been rejected | KATU

The problem is that normally the DA probably doesn’t reject 80% of local law enforcement cases from any department. So imagine how the police feel having to face the rioters, having to observe the lawlessness, make arrests when possible, and the have the DA indiscriminately throw out the case and there is no justice for the victims and society. How do DAs get by without upholding their oath of office? Why doesn’t the chief executive officer hold them accountable?

New data from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office is providing a clearer picture of how the civil unrest cases are being prosecuted. The District Attorney’s office says 1,108 criminal civil unrest cases were referred to them between May 29, 2020, and June 11, 2021. Of those, 891 criminal cases were rejected. “We look at every case individually and based on the merits,” said Mike Schmidt, the Multnomah County District Attorney.
— Read on katu.com/news/local/multnomah-county-district-attorney-has-rejected-80-of-civil-unrest-cases

Exonerated Defendants Lost 25,000 Years to Wrongful Imprisonment

Exonerated defendants have collectively served over 25,000 years in prison as of June 1, according to a report released by The National Registry of Exonerations (NRE). Black defendants were imprisoned more frequently and for more time than white defendants, the report found.

The NRE, which has reported every known exoneration in the U.S. since 1989, called the latest tally a “dark milestone” in its perennial assessments of wrongful convictions. The new figure represents a significant increase since 2018, when the NRE calculated a total loss of 20,000 years.

The most recent report lists 2,795 exonerations, with each exoneree serving an average of eight years and 11 months, and it includes dozens of defendants exonerated since 2018 who spent over 25 years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit.

Some 55 percent of exonerees haven’t received any compensation for their incarceration, according to research conducted by Jeffrey Gutman of the George Washington University Law School.

Still, the report represents an incomplete picture of exoneration and compensation.

Get the report HERE

Justice Talks | CNA

Racial equity in traffic stops: Instituting reform by changing data collection and policing practice.

This was an interesting discussion on how police should make traffic stops. The use of data and what disproportionate stops because of race means.

There were some interesting assertions made as to research and types of tickets issued. I contacted CNA by email to learn more about the connection between they type of ticket written moving, non-moving, or regulatory and bias.
— Read on www.cna.org/news/justice-talks