The fact that there's a feud between Chicago's mayor and top prosecutor because the mayor wants people charged for a gunfight, while the prosecutor says there's no evidence of who did want, should be national news. What the mayor is doing is horrifying.
The mayor of Chicago is demanding a charge them all and let god sort it out approach to criminal justice -- and she's doing it loudly and proudly. This is so dangerous. It should be called out. It should be opposed.
"Even First Deputy Superintendent Brendan Deenihan testified before the city council expressing concerns about the evidence. 'The cameras captured the incident, but not enough to put a gun in someone's hand & not enough to charge someone in the incident'" abc7chicago.com/chicago-shooti…
Our police superintendent wants everyone charged, even if a case can't yet be made against anyone. “We want to charge everyone, we want the judge and the courts to sort it out, not to anticipate what might happen before a jury or a judge.” blockclubchicago.org/2021/10/05/lig…
The police superintendent admits, “Likely, there are things we need to do more to present the case. And we’re willing to do that.” He's saying, charge them first, then we'll find evidence one them is guilty. That's not how anything is supposed to work. blockclubchicago.org/2021/10/05/lig…
It's not surprising Chicago's top cop would want to charge people without establishing their guilt. 97% of criminal convictions are obtained thru plea bargains. Once someone's facing a murder charge, the state has a lot of leverage. "One of you did it" does not justify charges.
Anyone who's reviewed the track record of the Chicago Police Department isn't surprised the Brown wants that kind of power. But for the First Deputy Superintendent to go in front of the city council and say, nah, there's no case — Chicago cops don't go around saying those things.
And for the mayor to insist on charges this way, when the cops can't even agree that there's a basis for any charges, and the prosecutor says there isn't a basis for any charges, y'all, this is fucking dangerous shit.
Btw I am not taking the side of the prosecutor in this feud. I am taking the side of all of the people who would be swept up in the mayor's charge them all and let god sort it out approach to murder cases.
UPDATE: "Mayor Lori Lightfoot and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx met Thursday night to discuss a West Side shooting — and top police officials confirmed there is not enough evidence for charges, according to the prosecutor’s office." blockclubchicago.org/2021/10/08/lig…
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