FOP calls on prosecutor to recuse herself, defends officers

[brooklynite]

Source: Baltimore Sun

A Fraternal Order of Police lodge is asking Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby to appoint a special prosecutor to the Freddie Gray investigation because of her personal connection to the Gray family's attorney, William H. "Billy" Murphy Jr., and her marriage to a city councilman.

The letter from Gene Ryan, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, also states that none of the six officers involved in Gray's arrest and death were responsible for the 25-year-old West Baltimore man's death that spurred protests and unrest, including rioting and looting on Monday. The letter was released just minutes before Mosby announced charges against the officers.

"Not one of the officers involved in this tragic situation left home in the morning with the anticipation that someone with whom they interacted would not go home that night," the letter states. "As tragic as this situation is, none of the officers involved are responsible for the death of Mr. Gray."

Ryan requests that Mosby appoint a "Special Independent Prosecutor."

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-riots/bs-md-fop-letter-20150501-story.html

[Lindsay]

1. Well, that's a bit disingenuous,

if entirely predictable.

[Joe Chi Minh]

24. Precisely. The unambiguous depravity transcends all nitpicking about

a potential conflicts of interest between the State's Attorney and the family lawyer. Indeed, to contend otherwise is an insult to them.

[Archae]

2. "Special Independent Prosecutor..."

Translation: One who will let the bad cops off.

[Chakab]

6. They want some Republican appointee from outside of Baltimore who will back the cops under

any circumstance.

[chillfactor]

8. great point....

and oh so true....what a mess justice is in this country....especially for young black men...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

21. May we suggest this guy perhaps?

[underpants]

43. Wasn't this requested in Ferguson?

Oh don't worry McCulloch will be objective plus Missouri law says he has to recuse himself but don't worry everything will be above board. The fact that his whole family are cops and his father was killed on duty....nah that'll not play ANY role whay so ever.

Mosby should stay.

[Chakab]

3. Of course, the only way that a prosecutor can be impartial in a case like this is by signing

off on whatever the police and ignoring the myriad lies and attempts at obstructing any investigation of their actions.

[DURHAM D]

4. F the FOP

They love all their inbred protection until they are no longer in control. tough

[heaven05]

5. as sure as the sun rose this morning

fuck the FOP lodge making this "request".

[herding cats]

7. Freddie Gray did not leave home that morning expecting to suffer a severed spine and crushed larynx

It's not to much to ask the officers who brutally ended his life to be held responsible for their actions. Even if they weren't plotting the details of his murder over their coffee that morning, they are still the responsible parties.

[chillfactor]

10. amen!

you took the words right off my keyboard...

[Joe Chi Minh]

25. It sounds a hell of a way to die.

[PCIntern]

9. As usual, an FOP President uses ridiculous

illogic to justify fill-in-the-blank.

What he's saying is that when they were eating their Cheerios, they had no intention of KILLING this man whom they were going to, but didn't KNOW that they were going to, ILLEGALLY arrest that day.

On edit: I got rid of my allusion because it offended someone's dainty sensibilities.

[lapfog_1]

16. please don't promote the stereotype that how women dress invites rape

just change it to "I left the house this morning with no idea that I would assault and rape a women because she crossed my path today so you can't charge me with the crime"

[PCIntern]

18. OKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOK.

Now you change your post...

[brucefan]

11. That Sweaty Prick

Never mentions that both her parents are Police officers

[geek tragedy]

12. This may get hidden, but I really detest cop unions. They try to make cops

unaccountable to the people they're supposed to serve, and want a license to brutalize and terrorize citizens, especially those who are poor and people of color.

Labor unions are supposed to help the people resist the powerful entrenched interests, not those who carry guns and wield power.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

13. Nobody's responsible, the 'broken neck anomaly' spontaneously appeared out of nowhere.

Gene Ryan needs to recuse himself on grounds of either absolute stupidity or utter disregard for the lives of civilians.

[calimary]

29. Oh no, didn't you hear? Freddie Gray broke his own neck. And smashed his own vocal cords.

And "mistakes were made." Over there somewhere.

[tishaLA]

51. I honestly don't understand why even the mostresponsible outlets

seem to gloss over the smashed vocal chords. That to me, is even more damning than the broken neck. There is NO WAY someone could do that to him or herself.

[calimary]

52. Indeed. SHAME on the Washington Post.

Or Washington Compost, as was said by DUer lowkell, and far more accurately, in another thread. They've fallen a LONG way downhill since the Woodward and Bernstein era.

[TDale313]

14. What is their role in this process?

If any? It's kind of a bizarre, disingenuous statement, but basically sounds like a defense attorney/advocate for the officers involved. Is that their job here? To advocate for the officers? It makes more sense when seen that way. (Serious question, not sure how they're involved)

[geek tragedy]

17. Cop unions want cops to be above the law, with an absolute license to kill, steal, brutalize

and terrorize the community.

I'm a very strong supporter of labor unions, but cop unions aren't labor unions, they're anti-democracy unions.

[TDale313]

20. I fear you're right.

I wasn't asking to defend the statement, it was just so strange to me I was having a hard time figuring out why they'd make it. Your explaination is sadly probably true.

[okaawhatever]

39. I think it's less about unions and more about politicians who make laws regarding cop pay, benefits,

and regulations are pro-police and won't come up with rules that require more accountability. Even the latest anti-union law I read about exempted police & fire unions. Even the GOP won't touch cop unions. That has nothing to do with the union and everything to do with the fact that they're cops.

[jeff47]

22. They're likely funding some of the legal bills for the officers, and

they're supposed to be the public advocates for the officers. They're trying to help their union members.

They're being monumental assholes while doing it, but that's what they are trying to do.

[heaven05]

34. Gofundme

will be in here soon, I guess. The Bundy Ranch patrol. The Ferguson whatever, and on and on..............big bucks coming for the murderers, probably.

[Sunlei]

15. time to turn off the police Frat house.

[former9thward]

19. The prosecutor should recuse herself.

Murphy gave her $5000 for her campaign and served on her transition team. A total conflict of interest. Get someone in there with no connections and have a clean trial.

[Fred Sanders]

23. Then all taking or giving donations and contributions from persons and corporations should all recuse themselves from issues

that might appear a conflict of interest?

Remember when Christie flew a private jet on the taxpayers dime to get free tickets to a football game in Dallas and then awarded a contract to the Dallas owner's company?


I agree with the principle, but this falls woefully short of the American standards for that principal, unless your standards, or double standards, are Fox-level.

[former9thward]

30. Prosecutors have a special code of ethics.

But I would not expect that you would know that. If the FOP had given her $5000 and she did not file charges you would be screaming to high heaven and you know it.

[lovemydog]

38. Oh please.

The Fraternal Order of Police? They are corrupt to the core. They call people all the time asking for donations to this and donations to that. Then, when they're told they can't continue soliciting money via cold calling, they change the name to 'Order of the Fraternal Police' or 'Association for the Police Fraternal Order.' ROFLMAO.

[former9thward]

44. Which has zero to do with this subject...

[heaven05]

35. not surprising

as a response from someone on here. She sounds tough. I hope she socks it to the executioner/murderers.

[lovemydog]

37. No one has 'no connections.'

The people of Baltimore trust the prosecutor.

They don't have any trust or faith in the Fraternal Order of Police. Nor do I.

[former9thward]

45. She accepted a significant amount of money from Murphy.

He stands to make a significant amount of money from this case. Nothing but conflict of interest. But you are fine with that. Of course if it had been the other way around ....

[Fronkonsteen]

47. So what?

The 'code of ethics' to which you refer is rather murky when it comes to prosecutor-victim relationships. Murphy donated to her campaign; she has no ongoing financial ties with him. I fail to see how this might taint the case. Given what we know of the events and the evidence, the charges seem appropriate, so I don't think overzealous or malicious prosecution is a concern. Prosecutorial misconduct seems unlikely given Mosby's reputation and the high profile of the case, and it would be grounds for an appeal regardless. I also doubt it will have much influence on public opinion of the case or the legal system in general.

And if it had been the other way around? If she failed to prosecute after receiving a donation from the FOP? It would give credence to the suspicion that prosecutors' incestuous relationship with the police compromises their integrity - a fact for which there is already ample evidence.

[lovemydog]

54. Great post. Welcome here.

Yes, if she had failed to prosecute, it would give credence to the suspicion that the prosecutors' relationship with the police compromises her integrity. That takes place in far too many districts around the country. It helps explain why so many people feel it's nearly impossible to get any charges in these types of cases. And why, imo, that must change, with pressure from the public. We can start by looking at who is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police - and vote for candidates who don't receive the FOP endorsement.

[LanternWaste]

49. What are the relevant policies regarding recusals and donations in this community?

What are the relevant policies regarding recusals and donations in this community? Or is this simply a post-hoc-ergo-prompter-hoc concern on your part?

[former9thward]

50. I don't know the policies of the Maryland Bar.

But in AZ a prosecutor would have to recuse themselves in a similar situation. A prosecutor, if they really think a crime(s) occured should want a clean case. Fixable things that a defense attorney could use to muck up the case or that could cause problems with the jury should be fixed. This is a fixable thing.

[mercuryblues]

53. maybe she

should recuse herself because both her parents were cops. She has 1 aunt and 4 uncles that have been or are currently cops. Five generations of police officers in her family.

Or maybe she should follow through as she seems like the type that doesn't tolerate fools.

[Jack Rabbit]

26. OK . . .

A union is supposed to back up its members, so I get that much. Beyond that, it sounds pretty silly. A healthy man was arrested, put into a police van and came out with a broken spine. Yet Mr. Ryan says the police officers are not responsible.

I suppose Mr. Ryan wants Robert McCulloch brought in from St. Louis County, Missouri to handle the prosecution. He'd find a way to whitewash the facts, put the victim on trial and clear the officers before indictment can be issued, even if it takes the rest of the year to accomplish that.

Ms. Mosby showed how this sort of thing is supposed to be handled. She made a preliminary judgment of the facts as applied to the law and, seeing there were matters for which the police officers involved needed to answer, charged them within two weeks of Mr. Gray's death.

I am confident that Freddie Gray will get the justice that Mike Brown was denied.

[calimary]

27. Baloney.

NONE of them was responsible? Not ONE?

Bullshit. He's calling for an independent investigation? They just had one! Which is why we got the results we got. Mr. Ryan - if you want THAT kind of "justice", in other words, another whitewash, you need to move to Ferguson MO.

[Pathwalker]

28. I try not to use this language often, but FUCK THAT!

At least now there is HOPE for JUSTICE for Freddie Gray.

[samsingh]

31. piece of sit letters - they are not doing the police any favors by defending the alleged killing

police scum

[SwankyXomb]

41. To misquote Michael Biehn from Terminator

"That's what kop unions do! THAT'S ALL THEY DO!"

[samsingh]

32. fop - you stupid asswipes - we no longer believe anything you or MANY members of your

wretched group say. I have heard lies after lies.

[Cryptoad]

33. Its a shame that,,,,

the FOB doesn't have the nads to help purge all the thugs from their rank and file!

[Dawson Leery]

36. Collective representation does NOT exist in the rest of the developed world for

law enforcement officers.

Calvin Coolidge and FDR understood the perils of allows these officers such representation.

Police "unions" must not exist. The only purpose of these organizations is to protect cops no matter what they do.

[lovemydog]

40. +1

[GoneFishin]

42. Where's the conflict of interest? The Prosecutor is supposed to prosecute. There's no conflict.

[mopinko]

46. well, that is just rich.

irony may well, indeed, be dead.

[LiberalFighter]

48. Are the reps for the Baltimore FOP corrupt?

Gene Ryan is an insipid request on their part. If anything she has more connection to the police than to person contributing $5,000 to her campaign. There is absolutely no mention about her family ties with the police.

[Daniel537]

55. "We demand a conservative white guy prosecuting this case."

[hifiguy]

56. Winner. The thread can end here.