AG Garland reverses Trump-era policy on consent decrees for police abuses

[Rogue Valley]

AG Garland reverses Trump-era policy on consent decrees for police abuses

The memo "makes clear" the DOJ "will use all appropriate legal authorities to safeguard civil rights," per Garland.

www.axios.com

4/16/21
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday reversed a Trump-era policy limiting the use of consent decrees to force changes at police departments and government agencies accused of misconduct. The move comes in the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality and racism. It also comes "as the Justice Department shifts its priorities to focus more on civil rights issues, criminal justice overhauls and policing policies," AP notes. "This memorandum makes clear that the Department will use all appropriate legal authorities to safeguard civil rights and protect the environment, consistent with longstanding Departmental practice and informed by the expertise of the Department’s career workforce," Garland said in a statement, the Washington Post. Together, we will continue the Department’s legacy of promoting the rule of law, protecting the public, and working collaboratively with state and local governmental entities to meet those ends,” Garland added in a memo to U.S. attorneys and DOJ officials Friday. In one of his final moves as attorney general in 2018, Jeff Sessions issued a memo that restricted the ability of local U.S. attorneys to enter into consent decree settlements. Several civil rights investigations during the Obama administration ended in court-approved consent decrees, including with police departments in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, per AP.

Police departments will once again be subject to court consent decrees, forcing them to change dangerous policies and respect civil rights.

Police officers' immunity from lawsuits is getting a fresh look

Advocates want police officers to be sued personally for excessive force as part of a larger push to transform policing.

www.axios.com

 

[Razoo]

How sweet it is .......

 

[Helix]

this kind of thing needs to be approached so carefully that surgically is probably a better term. you are not going to get the good police that you need if they are one night away from being involved in an incident that could cost them their entire savings and assets. i'm not talking about putting a knee on a neck for nine minutes or something like that. i'm talking about many routine actions that pissed off arrested people and ambulance chasing lawyers would try to harvest. there should be some sort of protection against having to defend yourself against lawsuit after lawsuit. even if you win, you lose. some good cops are going to say FTS and will do probably something else instead.

 

[bomberfox]

this kind of thing needs to be approached so carefully that surgically is probably a better term. you are not going to get the good police that you need if they are one night away from being involved in an incident that could cost them their entire savings and assets. i'm not talking about putting a knee on a neck for nine minutes or something like that. i'm talking about many routine actions that pissed off arrested people and ambulance chasing lawyers would try to harvest. there should be some sort of protection against having to defend yourself against lawsuit after lawsuit. even if you win, you lose. some good cops are going to say FTS and will do probably something else instead.

Ummmmmmmmmm...... police already have legal protections ON top of qualified immunity and their unions. What more do you want?

 

[Helix]

Ummmmmmmmmm...... police already have legal protections ON top of qualified immunity and their unions. What more do you want?

for those protections not to erode to the point where the people we want doing those jobs say **** this.

 

[bomberfox]

for those protections not to erode to the point where the people we want doing those jobs say **** this.

Lol! Hoo boy you have not been on the receiving end..... this is hilarious.

 

[bomberfox]

So 10 years of known white supremacist infiltration, known police rape and abuse gangs sanctioned by top brass, and oh so much more and we think the weaponized and militarized arm of the law are still helpless little weenies? Like whut?

 

[bomberfox]

As soon as you get the amount of accountability expected of many of our veterans who are posters here, then maybe well talk.

 

[Helix]

Lol! Hoo boy you have not been on the receiving end..... this is hilarious.

i never argued in support of what everyone is angry about, so you're barking up the wrong tree.

 

[bomberfox]

i never argued in support of what everyone is angry about, so you're barking up the wrong tree.

No im saying i dont think you understand what its like to be on the receiving end of police power trips. The police have protections far above and beyond even US soldiers (excluding international protections)

 

[Helix]

No im saying i dont think you understand what its like to be on the receiving end of police power trips. The police have protections far above and beyond even US soldiers (excluding international protections)

I never claimed to have been manhandled by police. I would prefer to never have to speak to an officer again unless it's some informal off duty situation.

 

[bomberfox]

I never claimed to have been manhandled by police. I would prefer to never have to speak to an officer again unless it's some informal off duty situation.

Lots of times you dont have control over that.

 

[Gaius46]

this kind of thing needs to be approached so carefully that surgically is probably a better term. you are not going to get the good police that you need if they are one night away from being involved in an incident that could cost them their entire savings and assets. i'm not talking about putting a knee on a neck for nine minutes or something like that. i'm talking about many routine actions that pissed off arrested people and ambulance chasing lawyers would try to harvest. there should be some sort of protection against having to defend yourself against lawsuit after lawsuit. even if you win, you lose. some good cops are going to say FTS and will do probably something else instead.

Many people in private industry can be held personally liable for actions on the job. It’s nothing new.

I suspect that one of the bennies of being in the police union is that the union provides some level od legal services.

 

[Helix]

Lots of times you dont have control over that.

I can't argue with that.

 

[Helix]

Many people in private industry can be held personally liable for actions on the job. It’s nothing new.

I suspect that one of the bennies of being in the police union is that the union provides some level od legal services.

Yeah, most likely. If I thought that there was a chance that I'd get personally sued for research that I've been a part of, though, I'd change jobs. I see that as very unlikely and my documentation is very good, but I still couldn't afford the process. That's basically where I'm coming from on this issue.

 

[bomberfox]

Yeah, most likely. If I thought that there was a chance that I'd get personally sued for research that I've been a part of, though, I'd change jobs. I see that as very unlikely and my documentation is very good, but I still couldn't afford the process. That's basically where I'm coming from on this issue.

Yeah the police can definitely afford it.

 

[Gaius46]

Yeah, most likely. If I thought that there was a chance that I'd get personally sued for research that I've been a part of, though, I'd change jobs. I see that as very unlikely and my documentation is very good, but I still couldn't afford the process. That's basically where I'm coming from on this issue.

I hear you. Every year i had to take classes on emplyment law and government regulations for every country my company had offices (5 plus the US). Most of them noted that I could personally be held liable (fines, lawsuits jail) for violation of the various rules we operated under.

 

[Helix]

I hear you. Every year i had to take classes on emplyment law and government regulations for every country my company had offices (5 plus the US). Most of them noted that I could personally be held liable (fines, lawsuits jail) for violation of the various rules we operated under.

i try to make sure and dot all of my Is and cross my Ts. luckily for me, it's part of our system.

 

[Jay59]

All I can say is I'm glad he's not on the Supreme Court.