“A criminal trial of three dismissed Oakland police officers accused of falsely arresting and beating suspects has become a marathon unusual even by the often plodding standards of American criminal justice. The trial began more than a year ago, and on Thursday the jury deliberated for a 55th day without reaching a verdict.” According to criminal justice historian Charles Weisselberg at the University of California’s Boalt Hall School of Law in Berkeley, the case’s extreme prolongation is not typical: “Weisselberg said, for example, that of 12,817 trials held in federal courts in the year ended September 2002, only 97 lasted more than 20 days and just one exceeded the 165 trial days this case has logged so far.” (Barbara Grady, “A Year Later, Judge Won’t Let Jury Go Home”, Reuters/Lycos, Sept. 29)
Ordeal continues for 12 held captive in Oakland
“A criminal trial of three dismissed Oakland police officers accused of falsely arresting and beating suspects has become a marathon unusual even by the often plodding standards of American criminal justice. The trial began more than a year ago, and on Thursday the jury deliberated for a 55th day without reaching a verdict.” According to […]
Comments are closed.