Baltimore is Criminal Justice Reform; Murders and Grand Juries for Police Misconduct Cases

Baltimore’s youth surged a new motivation in the country with their protesting and rioting.  The social chaos, which eventually led to national media attention, delivered community police talks, brought socioeconomic and racial discussions, and peaceful protests.  The death of Freddie Gray while in law enforcement custody was a catalyst for expressions of African Americans’ frustration with the criminal justice system in this nation.  The systemic causes of all these frustrations reached the breaking point when another young African American male was killed by police officers.  What happened in Baltimore hit the news and made criminal justice reform a widespread conversation in the United States.  Moments like this always bring talks about racism and prejudiced policing [when a minority dies in police custody what else is there to talk about?].  Even with the rioting and unnecessary violence, the incident in Baltimore is bringing positive changes to the administration of criminal justice in this country. 

With all of these media inquiries and talks about criminal justice reform going on, people forget about the routine repugnant acquittals of police officers during the grand jury process in the United States.  Police officers routinely do not face analytic scrutiny for killing another person while in the line of duty.  This is bullshit regardless of the circumstances.  When another person is killed and there is no evidence of life and death circumstances the killing of another human being should always be examined; especially if a law enforcement professional is the person who is performing the homicide.  The catch phrases usually come around when police officer-related deaths occur.  Such as: “It’s a dangerous job,” “things can happen really fast,”  “split-second decisions of life or death.”  These things are not entirely bullshit, but they are if any of the catch phrases that are used to describe police encounters do not exist in particular situations when another human being has been killed, if these slogans are false, then, there should be a big problem for law enforcement.  Not according to grand juries though.  Bullshit.  These pools of our peers tend to disregard human life by taking the word of Johnny Law.  What happened to the catch phrase “you can indict a ham sandwich?”  Apparently you cannot prosecute police officers who have only their word that they did not unlawfully kill another person.  Where’s the mass surveillance for these issues?  Freddie Gray died in police custody.  That’s enough doubt, probable cause, reasonable suspicion, and thoughts about corruption to indict a ham sandwich, but not a police officer.  Every other person who has homicide charges has to go to trial, but not police officers.  What was Freddy Gray doing that required death?  I guess we don’t need lethal injection drugs, we can just keep on hiring goons who bully young African American males and poor people around and then send them to grand juries to have criminal charges dismissed.  Killing people without explanation or justice.  Fucked up.    

The results of this incident in Baltimore are going to be a major platform for criminal justice reform regardless of the end result.  If the police officers are acquitted there may be some serious shit going down and, in turn, lead to police reform to be forcefully conducted.  If the police officers are forced to face their criminal charges [and found liable at trial], then, communal and less intrusive means of criminal justice reform will be executed.  Baltimore is criminal justice reform.  So is the Grand Jury.