Thursday, April 5, 2012

Huh. Justice was done. Who saw that coming

During hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans police department didn't exactly cover themselves in glory.  The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they seem to have ground exceedingly fine:
Former New Orleans Police Department Officer Robert Faulcon Jr. was sentenced today to 65 years in prison for his role in the Danziger Bridge shootings. Officer Faulcon shot Ronald Madison, a mentally handicapped man who was 40 years old, in the back with a shotgun. Faulcon was convicted of six counts of depravation of rights under color of law, three counts of using a weapon during the commission of a crime of violence, one count of conspiracy, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of civil rights conspiracy.
There's more - specifically, four other officers sentenced.  RTWT.  I don't think I can recall anyone convicted for deprivation of rights under color of law before, and this is serious jail time.  Good for the prosecutor.

Background on the whole sickening story is here.  Rest in Peace, Ronald Madison.

6 comments:

Matt said...

One case down, thousands to go. But it's a start

Dwight Brown said...

Thanks, chief.

"Rest in Peace, Ronald Madison."

I mentioned Mr. Madison because it seems clear who killed him. Another man, James Brissette, was also killed, but it doesn't appear his death was tied to a specific person. In retrospect, I wish that I had mentioned him.

According to the article I quoted, Brissette was shot in the neck, left shoulder, upper part of the left, left forearm, lower spine, right pelvis, right buttock, front upper right leg, right elbow, and left hand.

TinCan Assassin said...

What about the confiscate private property(guns)? Did folks ever get that back?

Mark/GreyLocke said...

A friend is a former N.O Officer, he left there over all the garbage going on. He was called to testify in those yayhoos trial. He's been told to never come back to N.O. I'll let you make your own conclusions from that.

Broken Andy said...

TinCan, I don't believe most of the guns were recovered as they were thrown into the river. But some were. And the city lost a big lawsuit over it.

TOTWTYTR said...

Most of the guns that were recovered were rusted beyond usability. Which was probably the plan. The city lost a suit by the NRA (and others), but the biggest outcome was "anti Katrina" laws that forbid the authorities from illegally seizing weapons. Not all states have them, yet.

"Deprivation of rights under color of law" is usually a civil suit with monetary remedies. I don't remember what the officers in the Rodney King incident were (unfairly) convicted of, but it might have been something similar.