New Orleans cops convicted in post-Katrina shootings case - CNN.com Five current or former police officers were found guilty Friday on a combined 25 counts of civil rights violations tied to fatal shootings on New Orleans' Danziger Bridge in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Justice Department officials said. Jurors reached a verdict in the closely watched trial after three days of deliberations. The five men are scheduled to be sentenced on December 14. Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon and Villavaso are facing potential multiple life sentences, as well as additional penalties for charges tied to a conspiracy to cover up what happened on the bridge. Kaufman faces a maximum penalty of 120 years in prison. Cops...actually convicted and receiving sentences like ordinary citizens? Seems like it.
I'm surprised they didn't get a leave of absence with pay and then a promotion. That's usually what happens when the cops murder people. Something must be in the water. What was that jury smokin?
Wow that's fucked up! The police are there to protect and serve you, not kill you. I hope justice will be served because there is no excuse for what they did.
Shame the law isn't following the rules of Sun Tzu...hold the 'generals' responsible as well as the soldiers. We could use some good reality TV..and the weekly flogging of 'generals' and 'soldiers' that abuse their LEO powers would make for good ratings...then we can expand the show to spin offs with politicians as the theme...
They murdered 2 people in cold blood, and they walk with "civil violations" Fuck America's "justice" system.
Somebody didn't read past the first sentence. Not only that, but you didn't comprehend it properly. It said "civil rights violations" not "civil violations". That means violating the civil rights of other people.
I'm surprised none of GC's "hey, be easy on the police. they have a family to feed, too." have showed up here and tried defending them. FUCK the police
Who should I be sending the cookie to? The people who pulled the trigger didn't get murder charges, but its a start. In rare occasions officers should rightfully be charged with murder, and this was one of those times. 120 years max, possibility of even less? The people who pulled the trigger should get life, nothing less. A president must be set, many of these wrongful police created deaths are outrageous and unless we set a president they will continue to occur. With the amount of power we give our own government, I consider this an important issue.
How do you know they didn't get murder charges? It seems like they got murder and several other charges. Otherwise you probably wouldn't be eligible for multiple life sentences. Murders don't even always result in a full life sentence. Article doesn't give details into the charges.
From what i've seen the charges are specifically labeled as civil rights violations. I'm not sure if that's for legal reasons, or whatnot, but either they need to raise the maximum penalty for civil rights violations, which is a 120 year max, or change law so that cops can be charged for murder. Im pretty sure they can legally be charged with murder, but apparently the judge didnt agree with me. 5 officers convicted in shootings after Katrina New Orleans police cleared of murder - Google News
How could you not know that they didn't get charges for murder? It's been one of the two things all over the news these days. The other being the US's credit rating being downgraded. Plus you can get multiple life sentences. And also like 150 year sentences. But I blame this sentencing on the American justice system. It supports a police state, which is obviously wrong. The cops didn't ask to be let off easy I'm sure, but they also didn't have to go shooting at people.
This is what happens when you only restrict gun ownership for the citizens and not the government employees. If every New Orlean citizen was armed that day those cops would've been served justice already.