A new GOP bill would make it virtually impossible to sue the police(race soldiers)…
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/05/24/a-new-gop-bill-would-make-it-virtually-impossible-to-sue-the-police/?utm_term=.2345e7695e30
Keeping with the Trump administration’s law-and-order rhetoric, Republicans in the House and Senate recently introduced a bill they’re calling the Back the Blue Act of 2017. The Senate bill was introduced by John Cornyn (R-Tex.), and is co-sponsored by 15 senators, all Republicans. The identical House bill was introduced by Ted Poe (R-Tex.), and includes five co-sponsors, also all Republicans. The bill would create new federal crimes, impose federal police over the will of local officials and voters and shield police officers from virtually any civil liability, even in cases of egregious misconduct.
Let’s look first at the new federal crimes. The bill would create new federal crimes for killing, attempting to ? or conspiring to ? a state or local law enforcement officer who works for a police agency that receives federal funding. Because nearly all police agencies receive some sort of federal funding, including most local sheriff’s departments and town police, the bill basically makes it a federal crime to ? , attempt to ? or conspire to ? any police officer (as well as any judge or first responder). The bill would also allow for the federal death penalty in such cases, and it would impose limits on the ability of defendants to file habeas petitions in federal court after they’ve exhausted their appeals.
The legislation would make also it a federal crime to assault any law enforcement officer (again, using the hook of federal funding). An assault resulting in ? harm would bring a federal mandatory minimum of between two and 10 years in prison, depending on the severity of any injuries to the officer, plus an additional 20-year mandatory minimum if a dangerous weapon was used “during and in relation to the assault.” An assault not resulting in ? harm would carry a sentence of up to a year in prison.
While Republicans are fond of touting principles like federalism and local control over criminal-justice policy when it comes to, say, federal oversight of abusive police, this bill would let a Trump-appointed district attorney overrule local officials if he or she didn’t like the way they were handling a case involving an assault or killing of a cop. For example, a number of jurisdictions across the country have recently elected district attorneys who promise a more reform-oriented approach to law enforcement. In a few places, such as Philadelphia, Chicago and Houston, the new DAs were elected specifically after campaigning on policing issues, or in response to a past incumbent’s inattention to police abuse. If this bill passes, a U.S. attorney more sympathetic to law enforcement could thwart those efforts by, for example, charging a high-profile victim of police abuse with the new federal crime of assaulting a police officer. It wouldn’t be difficult. We’ve seen plenty of video now where a clear victim of police brutality was initially arrested and charged with battering one of the officers who beat him.
A federal prosecutor might also pursue federal charges against someone like Henry Magee, the Texas man who was cleared by a grand jury after killing a police officer during a marijuana raid on his home. Magee said he didn’t know the raiding officers were cops, and fired his gun in self-defense. Or against Ray Rosas, who was acquitted by a jury after shooting at three police officers who raided his home in search of drugs.
In fact, the bill explicitly authorizes federal prosecutions in cases in which “the verdict or sentence obtained pursuant to State charges left demonstratively unvindicated the Federal interest in eradicating bias-motivated violence” or “a prosecution by the United States is in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice.” Which is to say that the bill leaves such decisions wholly up to the discretion of federal prosecutors, regardless of the will of the officials or public at the state and local level. In Philadelphia, longtime civil rights attorney Larry Krasner just overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary for DA, and is heavily favored to win the general election. He has vowed to stop seeking the death penalty in the city. If he’s elected, a federal prosecutor could in theory re-try any case involving the killing of a police officer to essentially override Krasner and win a death sentence. Regardless of how one feels about the death penalty, doing so would be contrary to the will of the voters and local officials, and an abdication of those principles of federalism and local control that Republicans claim to hold dear.
The bill also uses the word ? , not murder, or a phrase like “feloniously ? ” or “intentionally ? .” That’s likely the result of sloppy drafting, but at least in theory, it could allow federal prosecutors to bring charges when someone unintentionally causes the death of a police officer, such as in a car accident, or due to some other act of negligence.
But perhaps the most disturbing part of the bill is the new restrictions it puts on suing police officers for constitutional violations. As we’ve discussed here several times before, it’s already extremely difficult to even get in front of a jury with a claim against law enforcement, much less win an award. Police officers are protected by qualified immunity, which requires you to show that not only were your rights violated but also a reasonable police officer should have known that the actions in question were a violation of the Constitution. Under this bill, even if you can show all of that, if the police can show that the violation and resulting injuries were “incurred in the course of, or as a result of, or . . . related to, conduct by the injured party that, more likely than not, constituted a felony or a crime of violence . . . (including any deprivation in the course of arrest or apprehension for, or the investigation, prosecution, or adjudication of, such an offense),” then the officers are liable only for out-of-pocket expenses. What’s more, the bill would bar plaintiffs from recovering attorneys fees in such cases.
This means that if the police raid your home with a search warrant for ? and shoot you dead, even if your family can show that the shooting was unlawful, the police would be liable only for something like funeral expenses if they could show that “more likely than not,” you had sold some ? , or at some point possessed a large enough quantity of the drug to merit a felony charge. In some jurisdictions, merely resisting arrest is a felony. In theory, this could mean that under a scenario in which the police falsely arrest you, you resist, and they then severely beat you, if they could show that the beating was the result of your resisting, not the false arrest, you could be barred from suing for anything other than the cost of treating your injuries. If the resisting charge could be filed as an assault, that’s already a felony in most jurisdictions, and even where it isn’t, under this bill it would become a federal felony.
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If this bill passes, it would become nearly impossible to sue the police in all but the most egregious instances of abuse, and even then, only in cases where the victim is basically beyond reproach. These sorts of lawsuit are incredibly expensive. The relatively rare large award is the incentive for civil rights attorneys to take on these cases in the first place and can often be what funds their ability to take on cases less likely to pay out large damages. Removing the ability to collect compensatory or punitive damages, or even recover attorneys fees, basically means it would become even more difficult for victims of police abuse to find representation. If there’s even the slightest chance that the police could convince a jury that the plaintiff engaged in conduct that was even “related” to a felony or violent crime, there’s no incentive for them to take the case.
I spoke with a couple of attorneys who take such cases to get their take on the bill. “The whole purpose of section 1988 [the federal law that reimburses attorneys who successfully bring civil rights cases] was to encourage lawyers to take the small cases — the illegal pat-down, the false arrest — the ones that don’t promise a big payout,” says Joel Berger, a civil rights attorney in New York who has handled police abuse cases for more than 40 years. “You need people to take those cases to keep the government accountable.”
Robert Phillips, one of just a handful of attorneys who take police abuse cases in South Carolina, agrees. “This bill would effectively end all police liability,” Phillips says. “It would end my practice. It would end the practices of the other attorneys who work in this area. It would severely restrict access to the courts. It would basically make it impossible for victims of police abuse to sue anytime, anywhere.”
Another possible consequence of the bill is that true victims of police abuse could be more likely to face unmerited criminal charges. Police and prosecutors are already accused of bringing unwarranted charges in abuse cases, then leveraging those charges — agreeing to drop them in exchange for a promise from the victim not to sue. Because the police would need to show only some connection to felony or violent acts by a preponderance of the evidence, merely filing a felony charge would likely dissuade most attorneys from taking a victim’s case. “There’s a term in policing called box-carring,” Phillips says. “It means you pile all the charges you can on somebody so you can force them to take a plea. That’s what you’re going to see here. Imagine you’re a protester who gets beaten up the cops. The local police will hit you with all the usual charges of resisting police, rioting and assault. But now you could also be looking at a separate federal trial for assault. That’s thousands of dollars more in legal fees — and a virtual guarantee against you ever filling a lawsuit.”
“It’s an outrageous proposal, says Berger. “You’re going to insulate police officers from any civil liability. You’re turning killing of police officers into a federal crime, regardless of the circumstances. You’re deterring lawyers from taking these cases. It’s just bad news.”
The provision limiting damages could be particularly potent in cases where the victim doesn’t survive. “They only need to show that you ‘more likely than not’ committed a felony,” Phillips says. “If four police officers say you reached for a cop’s gun, that’s a felony. It’s rare that you’re going to win that argument, anyway. But now imagine you can’t even make it, because they shot you dead. Your family will get nothing. Maybe you get them to pay for a funeral. Nothing more.”
Even the general principle behind the bill is misguided. There just isn’t much evidence to support the notion that cops are getting sued left and right over petty infractions. Again, it’s already extremely difficult to sue a police officer.
“We have seen a significant increase in these lawsuits in New York,” says Berger. “But that isn’t because these people are greedy or money-hungry. It’s because they’re unsatisfied with internal discipline and with the civilian review board. They’re not asking for huge sums, they’re just asking for accountability.”
It’s true that some large cities have paid out hefty totals to settle police abuse cases in recent years. But those figures tend to be driven by a few huge awards or settlements in cases that generated a lot of media attention. Outside large urban centers, it’s harder to get that sort of attention, particularly if there’s no viral video. Qualified immunity prevents most such cases from ever getting before a jury. Get over that hurdle, and you’re faced with another challenge — juries tend to be reluctant to rule against police officers. Even in those rare instances that cops are found liable and a jury awards significant damages, the officers themselves are almost always indemnified by the city or state that employs them. There are vanishingly few cases in which a police officer was forced to personally pay a dime as the result of a judgment or settlement in a civil rights cases. The thinking behind these liability laws is that if a city is forced to pay out enough to victims, elected officials will eventually face political pressure to hold police leadership accountable — to change use-of-force policies, improve training or recruit better officers. Or perhaps the pressure could come from municipal insurers. It isn’t the strongest incentive, but it’s just about the only one left. And this bill would go a long way toward removing it.
“With new legislation, we usually pay more attention to the bills that take smaller bites out of something like access to the courts,” Phillips says. “Those are the ones more likely to pass. The crazier bills usually don’t have a chance. Any other time, I’d dismiss a bill this egregious as just too nutty to ever get a vote. But we’re in the Trump era. So there’s a lot more reason to worry.” -
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I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? . -
Theyre tired of the million dollar payouts so Instead of new training and reforming policies they pull this fuckshit.. Devils.
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All the hoteps and ? ? that thought this administration would be good...
When does the good start?
Blocking police from civil liability means there is ZERO accountability on the police.
Its an audacious move. -
Black_Samson wrote: »So foes this mean cops are held under UCMJ does this mean cops will all have the same training and standards?
You know damn well they won't be. ? , we couldn't harm a hair on terrorist's head without being threatened with court-martial and jail time. Smh.
? cops. -
Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
Come on bruh, white people are out there marching and destroying ? in response to all the crazy ? that's being done now. The people in power now are on another level. It ain't just a matter of whiteness. These people are just the ? of the ? . -
They're trained very well. They know how to handle perps when they're white. We want justice not training.Theyre tired of the million dollar payouts so Instead of new training and reforming policies they pull this fuckshit.. Devils.
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The Lonious Monk wrote: »Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
Come on bruh, white people are out there marching and destroying ? in response to all the crazy ? that's being done now. The people in power now are on another level. It ain't just a matter of whiteness. These people are just the ? of the ? .
I get where homie is coming from; although, I try to be especially careful not to let these cacs treachery make me become bitter or spiteful.
It's bothersome how certain people can live in the same country and space yet rationalize the irrational and blatant despicable acts of their peers.
Even a lot of the so called liberal ones get an air of superiority when posed certain things like would you care if your child dated a Black person or would you send your kid to a majority Black school or move into a majority Black neighborhood. Most of them so called liberal ones get to backpedalling then. -
"How does this affect black people?"
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Where you TrumpCoons and Hotep-ass "How does this affect black people?" smart dumb ? at
Combine this with how they can abuse Civil Asset Forfeiture and its a wrap.
Seize all your assets on "suspicion", no due process, no courts, no legal recourse of any kind.......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nMa5xD46SU -
Voting (or not voting) has consequences.
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These crackas be on some whole level of other ? ...............they blatantly do not give a ? about us and always have and always will.
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The Lonious Monk wrote: »Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
Come on bruh, white people are out there marching and destroying ? in response to all the crazy ? that's being done now. The people in power now are on another level. It ain't just a matter of whiteness. These people are just the ? of the ? .
IDGAF bout none of that marchin' ? . I'd rather you stay yo punk ass at home and try and talk some sense into yo ? ass relatives over that nasty ass Kraft mac and cheese dinner and pumpkin pie.
It's easy to get into a crowd and develop a sense of pride, like you're actually doing something about the injustices that so many of us face. It's a lot harder when your families' eyes are on you and you try to make your ? granddad realize he's been an ignorant devil his entire life. Or to make your Blue Lives Matter family realize that what they represent is counterproductive to the rebuilding of a historically tenuous relationship between whites and non-whites.
That ? matters more than you marching for a few hours and then going back to your regularly scheduled programs.
And before anyone asks, I train kids and adults in kickboxing and firearms when I get free time. So no, I'm not just talking out my ass. -
Like Water wrote: »The Lonious Monk wrote: »Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
Come on bruh, white people are out there marching and destroying ? in response to all the crazy ? that's being done now. The people in power now are on another level. It ain't just a matter of whiteness. These people are just the ? of the ? .
IDGAF bout none of that marchin' ? . I'd rather you stay yo punk ass at home and try and talk some sense into yo ? ass relatives over that nasty ass Kraft mac and cheese dinner and pumpkin pie.
It's easy to get into a crowd and develop a sense of pride, like you're actually doing something about the injustices that so many of us face. It's a lot harder when your families' eyes are on you and you try to make your ? granddad realize he's been an ignorant devil his entire life. Or to make your Blue Lives Matter family realize that what they represent is counterproductive to the rebuilding of a historically tenuous relationship between whites and non-whites.
That ? matters more than you marching for a few hours and then going back to your regularly scheduled programs.
And before anyone asks, I train kids and adults in kickboxing and firearms when I get free time. So no, I'm not just talking out my ass.
You're entitled to your opinion I guess, but that entire line of reasoning is counterproductive. No war has ever been won by turning potential allies into enemies. I'm not saying you have to like white people of any kind. The British and French hated each other for centuries. That didn't stop them from working together to stop the Germans on two separate occasions.
The fact of the matter is there is a difference between the people out there making these overt attacks against and the average everyday ignorant racist white person. And our little 13% of the population is not going to defeat that group that is out to destroy us without allies. This ? isn't about liking or disliking white people. It's about simple strategy and tactics.
Honestly, I just don't understand people like you. I get why you hate white people, but why are you still in America then? It makes no sense to have that much hatred toward an entire group and then stay in a country where that group is the majority and has most of the power. I'm not saying this from a "If you don't like it, go back to Africa" standpoint. I legitimately just don't understand the logic. If I felt like you, I'd would have put everything I had into stacking bread so I could move to Ghana or a similar black country. Then you wouldn't have to deal with these people that you hate so much.
On a side note, white people aren't just marching over this anti-racist ? either. Spencer is the face of white racism nowadays and he's been punched in the face publicly twice, both times by a white person. Those Antifa cats may be idiots, but they go out and engage in physical battles with white racists. ? ain't doing that on a large scale. Again believe what you want, but it's completely illogical to look at people like that and treat them the same as the common enemy that you both want to see go away. -
The Lonious Monk wrote: »Like Water wrote: »The Lonious Monk wrote: »Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
Come on bruh, white people are out there marching and destroying ? in response to all the crazy ? that's being done now. The people in power now are on another level. It ain't just a matter of whiteness. These people are just the ? of the ? .
IDGAF bout none of that marchin' ? . I'd rather you stay yo punk ass at home and try and talk some sense into yo ? ass relatives over that nasty ass Kraft mac and cheese dinner and pumpkin pie.
It's easy to get into a crowd and develop a sense of pride, like you're actually doing something about the injustices that so many of us face. It's a lot harder when your families' eyes are on you and you try to make your ? granddad realize he's been an ignorant devil his entire life. Or to make your Blue Lives Matter family realize that what they represent is counterproductive to the rebuilding of a historically tenuous relationship between whites and non-whites.
That ? matters more than you marching for a few hours and then going back to your regularly scheduled programs.
And before anyone asks, I train kids and adults in kickboxing and firearms when I get free time. So no, I'm not just talking out my ass.
You're entitled to your opinion I guess, but that entire line of reasoning is counterproductive. No war has ever been won by turning potential allies into enemies. I'm not saying you have to like white people of any kind. The British and French hated each other for centuries. That didn't stop them from working together to stop the Germans on two separate occasions.
The fact of the matter is there is a difference between the people out there making these overt attacks against and the average everyday ignorant racist white person. And our little 13% of the population is not going to defeat that group that is out to destroy us without allies. This ? isn't about liking or disliking white people. It's about simple strategy and tactics.
Honestly, I just don't understand people like you. I get why you hate white people, but why are you still in America then? It makes no sense to have that much hatred toward an entire group and then stay in a country where that group is the majority and has most of the power. I'm not saying this from a "If you don't like it, go back to Africa" standpoint. I legitimately just don't understand the logic. If I felt like you, I'd would have put everything I had into stacking bread so I could move to Ghana or a similar black country. Then you wouldn't have to deal with these people that you hate so much.
On a side note, white people aren't just marching over this anti-racist ? either. Spencer is the face of white racism nowadays and he's been punched in the face publicly twice, both times by a white person. Those Antifa cats may be idiots, but they go out and engage in physical battles with white racists. ? ain't doing that on a large scale. Again believe what you want, but it's completely illogical to look at people like that and treat them the same as the common enemy that you both want to see go away.
I'm not for you to understand. I deal with white people when I have to and then I'm back at the spot. It's as simple as that. I treat each individual person the way they present themselves to me.
On the whole, I feel they're a disingenuous people. Nothing is for "the greater good". If they do something that benefits us, 9/10 it's because it benefits them as well. ie. Lincoln and slavery.
When people show you who they are, then believe them. -
Super predators! Emails!!!
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They need to just give us like 3-4 states, let us create our own government and police force and leave us the ? alone.
Of course that would never happen cuz they would find some ? reason to invade our ? . -
Like Water wrote: »The Lonious Monk wrote: »Like Water wrote: »The Lonious Monk wrote: »Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
Come on bruh, white people are out there marching and destroying ? in response to all the crazy ? that's being done now. The people in power now are on another level. It ain't just a matter of whiteness. These people are just the ? of the ? .
IDGAF bout none of that marchin' ? . I'd rather you stay yo punk ass at home and try and talk some sense into yo ? ass relatives over that nasty ass Kraft mac and cheese dinner and pumpkin pie.
It's easy to get into a crowd and develop a sense of pride, like you're actually doing something about the injustices that so many of us face. It's a lot harder when your families' eyes are on you and you try to make your ? granddad realize he's been an ignorant devil his entire life. Or to make your Blue Lives Matter family realize that what they represent is counterproductive to the rebuilding of a historically tenuous relationship between whites and non-whites.
That ? matters more than you marching for a few hours and then going back to your regularly scheduled programs.
And before anyone asks, I train kids and adults in kickboxing and firearms when I get free time. So no, I'm not just talking out my ass.
You're entitled to your opinion I guess, but that entire line of reasoning is counterproductive. No war has ever been won by turning potential allies into enemies. I'm not saying you have to like white people of any kind. The British and French hated each other for centuries. That didn't stop them from working together to stop the Germans on two separate occasions.
The fact of the matter is there is a difference between the people out there making these overt attacks against and the average everyday ignorant racist white person. And our little 13% of the population is not going to defeat that group that is out to destroy us without allies. This ? isn't about liking or disliking white people. It's about simple strategy and tactics.
Honestly, I just don't understand people like you. I get why you hate white people, but why are you still in America then? It makes no sense to have that much hatred toward an entire group and then stay in a country where that group is the majority and has most of the power. I'm not saying this from a "If you don't like it, go back to Africa" standpoint. I legitimately just don't understand the logic. If I felt like you, I'd would have put everything I had into stacking bread so I could move to Ghana or a similar black country. Then you wouldn't have to deal with these people that you hate so much.
On a side note, white people aren't just marching over this anti-racist ? either. Spencer is the face of white racism nowadays and he's been punched in the face publicly twice, both times by a white person. Those Antifa cats may be idiots, but they go out and engage in physical battles with white racists. ? ain't doing that on a large scale. Again believe what you want, but it's completely illogical to look at people like that and treat them the same as the common enemy that you both want to see go away.
I'm not for you to understand. I deal with white people when I have to and then I'm back at the spot. It's as simple as that. I treat each individual person the way they present themselves to me.
On the whole, I feel they're a disingenuous people. Nothing is for "the greater good". If they do something that benefits us, 9/10 it's because it benefits them as well. ie. Lincoln and slavery.
When people show you who they are, then believe them.
Everything you're saying against them basically applies to humans in general, but the bold is what's important. Respect. -
It won't pass
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StoneColdMikey wrote: »It won't pass
Aint ? certain these days. Chaos is the new normal. -
Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
You're being generous with the 5% estimate. -
All the hoteps and ? ? that thought this administration would be good...
When does the good start?
Blocking police from civil liability means there is ZERO accountability on the police.
Its an audacious move.
I'm sure all of this would've happened even if Hillary got elected since.........you know.......she's no better than Trump........
Right?
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Like Water wrote: »I hate white people. And I truly mean that. I know there are like, maybe 5% that aren't like that, but these muthafuckas are truly evil incarnate. There's no other explanation for the ? they try to pull on people who don't look like them.
No empathy or sympathy. No compassion or understanding. Just pure evil. ? 'em all. They can burn for all I give a ? .
Acquire land, resources, and power for self, mow all others down like Autumn wheat in the process, and have complete control of how you're seen, heard, and felt. This doesn't necessitate empathy, sympathy, compassion or understanding. It pays to be the victor.
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