NOPD Convictions Overturned in Notorious Post-Katrina Shooting.

A federal judge on Tuesday overturned the convictions of five New Orleans police officers tied to the shooting of unarmed civilians during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, finding that prosecutors in the case had engaged in “grotesque” misconduct. In a blistering and meticulously detailed 129-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt found that federal prosecutors in New Orleans had anonymously posted damning online critiques of the accused officers and the New Orleans Police Department before and during the 2011 trial, a breach of professional ethics that had the effect of depriving the officers of their rights to a fair trial. The judge granted the officers’ request for a new trial.

www.pbs.org...

For those that are unaware of this particular case that made headlines during and after Hurricane Katrina, there were many cases that made it to the front page and many that did not. This is a case that I think will just fuel the fire that is already looming in our social issues and racial issues that seem to just not go away.

Here is just a little of what was originally found to be true and why all the officers were originally convicted.

A former New Orleans police detective testified Monday that he and his colleagues in the Danziger Bridge investigation orchestrated a brazen cover-up of startling scope that included fabricated witnesses, a planted gun, and falsified reports that tried to justify the police shootings.
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TED JACKSON / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Barbara "Bobbi" Bernstein, lead prosecutor for the U.S. Justice Department enters federal court Monday, July 11, 2011 for resumption of the Danziger Bridge shooting case.
Ted Jackson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Jeffrey Lehrmann recounted how his supervisor, Sgt. Arthur "Archie" Kaufman, one day emerged from the garage of his Slidell home with a brown paper bag.

Kaufman said it contained a "ham sandwich," Lehrmann recalled.

In fact, it contained a revolver that would be entered into evidence and used to bolster the police claim that civilians fired on officers on the Danziger Bridge, Lehrmann said. When asked if the gun was "clean," able to be traced back to anyone, Kaufman replied it was, Lehrmann recalled.

Lehrmann, a government witness who has pleaded guilty in the case, said Kaufman was concerned about holes in the cover-up. A gun would help solidify the storyline.

"We needed a gun," Lehrmann said.

Though Lehrmann's allegations are not new -- many were released early last year as part of his guilty plea -- they contain some of the most explosive details regarding the NOPD's own handling of the investigation.

All you need to know about the case.

Now how the hell did this happen? I honestly think that this is one of the worst times to decide to "redo" this, and this will cause even more animosity than there already is.

Peace, NRE.

Here are just a few things that are being said from both sides, this is just yet another grandstand showing of how our "justice system" works and who are really criminals and who are not.

Some statements made by the judge in this case.

“This case started as one featuring allegations of brazen abuse of authority, violation of the law and corruption of the criminal justice system; unfortunately, though the focus has switched from the accused to the accusers, it has continued to be about those very issues,” Engelhardt wrote. “After much reflection, the Court cannot journey as far as it has in this case only to ironically accept grotesque prosecutorial misconduct in the end.”

Mind you that the "grotesque misconduct" here was not apparently the crimes that were committed by the officers, but by those who spoke about the case.

Some words from the family.

Ronald Madison, 40, and James Brissette, 17, were killed in the gunfire that day, while several members of the Bartholomew family were seriously injured.

Lance Madison, who had seen his brother Ronald gunned down, was arrested and accused of shooting at police.

Relatives of the victims were incredulous at the ruling.

“What’s going to happen to the crimes they committed? Are they just going to sweep that under the carpet and forget it?” asked Sherrel Johnson, Brissette’s mother. “My son is dead. Ronald is dead. All the others are damaged. They did that to innocent people, for no reason. And now they’re going to twist it all up.”

In a statement, Dr. Romell Madison, a brother to Ronald and Lance, urged the Justice Department to appeal Engelhardt’s decision to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

“It has been over eight years since our brother Ronald was shot and killed on the Danziger Bridge and our brother Lance was falsely arrested and framed on eight counts of attempted murder,” Madison said in a statement. “This decision reopens this terrible wound not only for our family but our entire community.”

theneworleansadvocate.com...


I am still in shock (well kind of) concerning this, are we seriously going to take this into consideration?

Peace, NRE.

I think it needs to be addressed if these guy's are going to get away w/ Murder, Tampering w/ evidence, lying... Ect ect.

The police are being trained to act like Hitler's army. They know they don't need a factual/Lawful reason to pull you over... They'll just lie and say you crossed the double yellow line.

People are fed up w/ "Government" doing anything they want to do. To hell w/ our rights and the Laws set down by our fore-fathers.

I'll never forget Katrina and being ordered not to cross the bridge to help victims that needed our help!! Water, blankets, food... Ect ect! They kept us out at gunpoint while many died from lack of life saving supplies. These people and the people trying to help were brutilized by these "cops".

They shouldn't get away w/ it!!!! We let to many in power get away w/ this crap and look whats happening!

And I get the point " over-turned" due to mis-conduct on the Prosecuters side but come on!!!! Sounds like a ploy so they could get their side-kicks out of trouble. Like I said... Cops just laff amongst them-selves... They don't have to follow law... They make crap up about you so they can take you away ot taze your ass!!! I'm so sick of hearing cops say... " stop resisting!!! STOP RESISTING!!!!!" The only reason it's said so they have a reason to beat you senseless as you lay bleeding while 5 cops -v- 1 person are on top of you.

I use to love cops. Growing up in my town they never harassed us even knowing we might be breaking the law just a bit. As long as we respected each other there was noooo problems. You would get pulled over and instead of beating you verbally or physically they would give you a warning and as long as you respected that warning... No problems! And they actually listened to what you had to say !!!!! There are hardly any good ole boys that grew up in whatever town their in and became cops to help their community. Most people don't know their own police...errr Military Police anymore.

Like I said... I get the point to this thread... I guess I'm just ranting because I'm fed up w/ the bullS!

reply to post by NoRegretsEver

Undoubtedly, they will now be referred to as 'exonerated', disgusting.

What this judge is now shining a light on, will get more attention then the actual crime, that yes, I do believe that it will be overturned and those murderers/accomplices will be set free.

Right now this will be left to the same media, lies, deceits, etc,. that caused this in the first place. As we all know when this goes back into court there will be almost NO testimony concerning the actual crimes, just the misbehavior that was going on with those that should have known better, but doesnt that go for all in this matter?

Once again this will cause a uprising within many communities, loved ones lost, and those that were directly and indirectly affected with the crimes that were committed during Hurricane Katrina. People will see this as yet another time when those that are sworn to protect, blatantly broke the law and in this case murdered innocent people, and then covered it up, will get a get out of jail free card.

Every time I think that this will die down they do something to bring this right back up.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver

What a heartbreaking turn of events for the family of the victims in this incident. To get a taste, just a tiny taste of justice after what was done on that bridge, then to have it taken away.

Being from N.O. and having been there in the aftermath of the storm, I know for an absolute fact some of the horrific things that happened. To deny this family any piece of justice is disgusting, but unfortunately not much of a surprise.

As much as I love that city, corruption is the norm there.

Mr. Confusion back for a return engagement.

The judge said the prosecution fouled up royally, and it seems like they did. He ruled that that particular trial wasn't fair, so he's sending them back for another trial.

If the case is as strong as everyone believes it is, they'll be re-convicted, and I hope the prosecution team will be punished by their bosses.

I'm sorry, I don't see what went wrong. (Except of course, for prosecutorial abuse.)

I live just outside New Orleans and all of this has or had been on our news. I think it is horrible what they did, but think it's right that they are getting a new trial, I'm sure they will be convicted again....

reply to post by NoRegretsEver

prosecutors in the case had engaged in “grotesque” misconduct. In a blistering and meticulously detailed 129-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt found that federal prosecutors in New Orleans had anonymously posted damning online critiques of the accused officers and the New Orleans Police Department before and during the 2011 trial, a breach of professional ethics that had the effect of depriving the officers of their rights to a fair trial.

now why would prosecutors, who are completely unaccountable, engage in behavior that would guarantee these accused officers would get away with murder?

because they knew that they "could get away with murder" themselves.

of course, if there hadn't been an intention, from the very beginning, to allow these state sanctioned killers to go scott free, this wouldn't have ever come to light, like in so many recorded cases of innocents being railroaded into prison and left to rot, until years, sometimes, decades later prosecutorial misconduct is exposed; of course this is usually due to the efforts and expense of the victims and their near and dear.

a prosecutor never has to account for or be punished for their "mistakes", that alone should put the lie to any notions of fairness and equality in the "justice" system

S&F for this revealing look behind the curtain and into the the sham,
of course some will insist on being sheeple and continue to buy into the Lie...

reply to post by Metaphysique

To some extent you're right, but federal prosecutors aren't as immune as you might think. There have always been dozens of lawyers ready to jump at a chance to be a prosecutor at the federal level. I have known of some Assistant US Attorneys who have been let go over bad mistakes.

The guy at the head of the office, the US Attorney, serves at the pleasure of the President. If he makes a mistake which is politically embarrassing, he gets bounced, too.

I don't know what will happen in this case, but I can assure you that the AUSAs aren't getting pats on the back.

charles1952
reply to post by Metaphysique

 

To some extent you're right, but federal prosecutors aren't as immune as you might think. There have always been dozens of lawyers ready to jump at a chance to be a prosecutor at the federal level. I have known of some Assistant US Attorneys who have been let go over bad mistakes.

The guy at the head of the office, the US Attorney, serves at the pleasure of the President. If he makes a mistake which is politically embarrassing, he gets bounced, too.

I don't know what will happen in this case, but I can assure you that the AUSAs aren't getting pats on the back.

it all depends on the mistake, and who's affected by said mistake

reply to post by Metaphysique

Dear Metaphysique,

I think I agree with your comment. I don't see a flaw in it.

I'm headed to bed and will have to catch the video later, but I don't agree with the opening comment.

You know, that concept might very well make a fascinating thread. But I'm off for now.

With respect,
Charles1952

I will keep an eye on this as many of us should, there will be the same signs that we have seen with the current and recent cases that have caused us to ignore the obvious diversions from other things.

Thats not to ignore the fact that this will open old wounds, and of course bring to light the obvious corruption within our "legal" system.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


I am always hearing about "tough on crime". Why, when people say "tough on crime" are they referring to drug dealers only?

If these prosecutors did this, it is an unimaginable crime. For someone like me, who has no faith in criminal justice, this only pushes me further to the breaking point.

I certainly hope they face their own prison time.