Freddie Gray Death - The Courtroom Drama

[Jimmy Higgins]

Mosby has proven with her public appearances (she even echoed the "no justice no peace" slogan) that she lacks professional detachment.
I would have thought at least the cases against the bike cops would be dismissed because they lack even cursory merit.
What do we know about that judge? Good friend of Mosby perhaps?

Mosby is the Prosecutor, not the Judge. You want to have prosecutors that want to win. The Judge must be impartial.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Judge: No change of venue for trial of Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray's death.

...

 

[Derec]

Mosby has proven with her public appearances (she even echoed the "no justice no peace" slogan) that she lacks professional detachment.
I would have thought at least the cases against the bike cops would be dismissed because they lack even cursory merit.
What do we know about that judge? Good friend of Mosby perhaps?

Mosby is the Prosecutor, not the Judge. You want to have prosecutors that want to win. The Judge must be impartial.

I understand that, but even prosecutors are expected to be professional. Mosby yelling "no justice no peace" (which advocates rioting in absence of rioters getting their way) at a rally is hardly professional. That suggests that she based the charges not so much on strength of evidence but on her personal beliefs and politics.

In other news, City of Baltimore agreed to pay Freddie Grey's family 6.5 million dollars. If I was a citizen of Baltimore I'd be pissed at such profligacy with my money. This is nothing but "ghetto lottery" - get your family member to get killed by police and you have a chance at riches. What is such a huge payout based on legally? Future earnings? Did Freddie Grey even have a (legal) job, because I do not think "wrongful death" payouts should be based on income from drug dealing?

 

[Derec]

Judge: No change of venue for trial of Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray's death.

...

Does anybody really think they can get a fair trial in Baltimore? The city that finds it appropriate to just hand out 6.5 million to the family of a drug dealer?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Mosby is the Prosecutor, not the Judge. You want to have prosecutors that want to win. The Judge must be impartial.

I understand that, but even prosecutors are expected to be professional. Mosby yelling "no justice no peace" (which advocates rioting in absence of rioters getting their way) at a rally is hardly professional. That suggests that she based the charges not so much on strength of evidence but on her personal beliefs and politics.

In other news, City of Baltimore agreed to pay Freddie Grey's family 6.5 million dollars. If I was a citizen of Baltimore I'd be pissed at such profligacy with my money. This is nothing but "ghetto lottery" - get your family member to get killed by police and you have a chance at riches. What is such a huge payout based on legally? Future earnings? Did Freddie Grey even have a (legal) job, because I do not think "wrongful death" payouts should be based on income from drug dealing?

I have run into a reasonable argument for paying him--they're trying to defuse the eventual riots.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

...

Does anybody really think they can get a fair trial in Baltimore? The city that finds it appropriate to just hand out 6.5 million to the family of a drug dealer?

I don't see what the settlement with the city has to do with having a fair trial. He did die in custody. Nobody disputes that.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

This is nothing but "ghetto lottery" - get your family member to get killed by police and you have a chance at riches.

Maybe the police shouldn't kill people?

 

[Ford]

In other news, City of Baltimore agreed to pay Freddie Grey's family 6.5 million dollars. If I was a citizen of Baltimore I'd be pissed at such profligacy with my money.

Well I'd say you probably would never move to Baltimore because of all the black people, but that would be an unfair accusation of racism.

This is nothing but "ghetto lottery"

Or not.

What is such a huge payout based on legally?

It is a financial decision that the City of Baltimore made. Apparently, their attorneys looked at the facts of the case and determined that the inevitable wrongful death lawsuit would cost them a helluva lot more than $6.5 million. They settled because they knew they would lose, and losing would cost the citizens of Baltimore an even greater sum. By settling, the city saved potentially millions for their taxpayers.

 

[Arctish]

In other news, City of Baltimore agreed to pay Freddie Grey's family 6.5 million dollars. If I was a citizen of Baltimore I'd be pissed at such profligacy with my money.

I'd be pissed that the cops keep using unnecessary force and severely injuring citizens for no good reason, and the city keeps paying out ever-increasing settlements, but nothing changes. The cops whose actions prove to be unjustifiable don't get fired, and the citizens they supposedly protect and serve still have reason to fear and mistrust the entire force.

This is nothing but "ghetto lottery" - get your family member to get killed by police and you have a chance at riches.

^ This in nothing but racism masquerading as moral outrage.

What is such a huge payout based on legally? Future earnings? Did Freddie Grey even have a (legal) job, because I do not think "wrongful death" payouts should be based on income from drug dealing?

It was based on the sure and certain knowledge that the City was going to lose the wrongful death lawsuit.

All of the recent documented instances of police brutality and "rough rides" would have been on full public display. All of the settlement money the city has been paying out in recent years to victims of police brutality would have been tallied. And the city's failure to adequately address the problem of police brutality would have been apparent. In the end, Baltimore would have paid out just as much in actual and punitive damages, if not more, plus it would be paying the court costs and legal fees.

 

[arkirk]

Deered: People do not go out in the ghetto to play ghetto lotto as you seem to think. It is the cops that set up this scenario, not the ghetto dweller. I feel sorry for the people of Baltimore who have to pay the payout and also have to fear getting murdered in the street by cops. Eye contact is not a crime. Moreover it is not a crime with a death sentence.

 

[Derec]

I have run into a reasonable argument for paying him--they're trying to defuse the eventual riots.

Which is basically extortion.

 

[Derec]

Deered:

Who?

People do not go out in the ghetto to play ghetto lotto as you seem to think. It is the cops that set up this scenario, not the ghetto dweller.

I did not say Freddie set it up to be killed. However, the "lottery" part is that these payouts are completely disproportionate to any actual damages that the family had because Freddie is dead. The purpose of torts should be compensation for damages, not to make a small percentage of people fabulously rich. That's what lotteries are for.
By the way, Freddie himself made his money on a highly questionable lead paint lawsuit.

I feel sorry for the people of Baltimore who have to pay the payout and also have to fear getting murdered in the street by cops.

But if they do they can collect their own millions.

Eye contact is not a crime.

Nobody said it was. But Freddie took off running. And an allegedly illegal knife was found on him when he was searched. That's what he was arrested for, not 'eye contact'.

Moreover it is not a crime with a death sentence.

Nobody set out to kill Freddie. His death was probably negligent, but it was not intentional.

 

[Derec]

I'd be pissed that the cops keep using unnecessary force and severely injuring citizens for no good reason, and the city keeps paying out ever-increasing settlements, but nothing changes.

Rough rides are bad, no doubt. More police higher up the food chain should have been charged actually, not just the low level grunts, and certainly not the arresting officers who had nothing to do with the rough ride.

The cops whose actions prove to be unjustifiable don't get fired, and the citizens they supposedly protect and serve still have reason to fear and mistrust the entire force.

These cops got arrested and charged criminally, so it's a bit silly to say they nothing happened to them.
And those cops who do not get charged or even fired are those whose actions in the end prove justified.

^ This in nothing but racism masquerading as moral outrage.

Nonsense. 6.5 million for a drug dealer is outrageous no matter his race.

It was based on the sure and certain knowledge that the City was going to lose the wrongful death lawsuit.

But damages should have been realistic. Actual damages to his family are not within an order of magnitude of 6.5 million!

All of the recent documented instances of police brutality and "rough rides" would have been on full public display. All of the settlement money the city has been paying out in recent years to victims of police brutality would have been tallied. And the city's failure to adequately address the problem of police brutality would have been apparent. In the end, Baltimore would have paid out just as much in actual and punitive damages, if not more, plus it would be paying the court costs and legal fees.

Highly questionable. I think that there was a ideological willingness to pay big bucks from Stephanie "Give Those Who Wish to Destroy Space" Rawlings-Blake and her city council.

 

[Derec]

Well I'd say you probably would never move to Baltimore because of all the black people,

Atlanta has plenty of black people too. I have no problem with them. That still doesn't mean that say Cobb County should be paying one red cent to the family of Nicholas Thomas for example.

but that would be an unfair accusation of racism.

Yes it would be. That hasn't stopped you before.

It is a financial decision that the City of Baltimore made. Apparently, their attorneys looked at the facts of the case and determined that the inevitable wrongful death lawsuit would cost them a helluva lot more than $6.5 million. They settled because they knew they would lose, and losing would cost the citizens of Baltimore an even greater sum. By settling, the city saved potentially millions for their taxpayers.

Or it's a political decision by the still mayor. They offered such a huge sum even before the lawsuit was filed and without making any lower offers. That's how they negotiate in Bizarro World. Why not offer them something like free coffee for life plus $50,000. Hell, maybe they'd bite before the "plus" part.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

Derec, you are about bust a blood vessel. If it makes you feel any better, console yourself with these two facts

Everyday there are white people getting shit tons of money they don't deserve
Everyday there are black people dying wretched and poor

Feel better?

 

[Derec]

Does anybody really think they can get a fair trial in Baltimore? The city that finds it appropriate to just hand out 6.5 million to the family of a drug dealer?

I don't see what the settlement with the city has to do with having a fair trial. He did die in custody. Nobody disputes that.

Why have a trial at all then?

- - - Updated - - -

Derec, you are about bust a blood vessel. If it makes you feel any better, console yourself with these two facts

Everyday there are white people getting shit tons of money they don't deserve
Everyday there are black people dying wretched and poor

Feel better?

No, it's not making me feel any better. Lawsuit lotteries are bad no matter the race of the person winning it. And as to poor blacks, that's the flip side of lawsuit lottery - by its very nature it can only benefit the lucky few. And their lawyers of course.

 

[Ford]

I did not say Freddie set it up to be killed.

This guy named "Derec" disagrees...

This is nothing but "ghetto lottery" - get your family member to get killed by police and you have a chance at riches.

You implied it was intentional. Maybe not Freddie himself, but his family members set it up.

"Okay kids, now we've made the deal with the cops. They're gonna kill Freddie, but we're all gonna get paid."


And as for the accusation of racism, in this case it is pretty clear, as you keep using the term "ghetto lottery." People win settlements in court all the time. People settle out of court all the time. You even used the term "lawsuit lottery" to refer to other non-Freddie cases. So it is "lawsuit lottery" when someone wins a sum of money, but when black people do it you call it "ghetto lottery."

That seems pretty racist to me, and of course it doesn't to you.

This is all just another piece of evidence that you'll use to reinforce your opinion that white people are the real victims. I'm sure there will be another incidence of a police officer killing an unarmed black man. In fact I'd guarantee it. Should such a thing happen in Cobb County, I would hope that you get your wish your hometown refuses to settle.

Then when they get taken to the cleaners and your tax dollars go to pay off some grieving black family, a little more justice will be served.

 

[Bronzeage]

I don't see what the settlement with the city has to do with having a fair trial. He did die in custody. Nobody disputes that.

Why have a trial at all then?

- - - Updated - - -

Derec, you are about bust a blood vessel. If it makes you feel any better, console yourself with these two facts

Everyday there are white people getting shit tons of money they don't deserve
Everyday there are black people dying wretched and poor

Feel better?

No, it's not making me feel any better. Lawsuit lotteries are bad no matter the race of the person winning it. And as to poor blacks, that's the flip side of lawsuit lottery - by its very nature it can only benefit the lucky few. And their lawyers of course.

I wonder if Freddie Gray's mother feels lucky?

 

[RavenSky]

I wonder if Freddie Gray's mother feels lucky?

I wonder how little money it would take Derec to feel "lucky" if someone he loved was killed.

 

[Derec]

I wonder if Freddie Gray's mother feels lucky?

So why do they want the millions then?