Attorneys from Legal Aid: A YEAR IN JAIL FOR $2.75 and No Jail time for a murderer? #JusticeForAkaiGurley

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Attorney Jane Sempeur of the Legal Aid Society was one of those speaking out today outside of 350 Jay Street Brooklyn where the offices of DA Ken Thompson are located. The attorneys are speaking out against the DA’s recommendation of No Jail Time for the cop, peter Liang who fired a shot that killed Akai Gurley in the Pink Houses stairwell while he was using the stairs because the elevator was out of service. Peter Liang was not responding to a call and he did not render aid and CPR to Akai Gurley after he realized his bullet hit someone. Peter Liang called his Union rep and searched for his bullet casing while the partner of Akai Gurley who was with in in the stairwell administered the CPR via translation over the phone via the downstairs neighbor. Peter Liang was found GUILTY of 2nd degree Manslaughter by a Jury trial back in February. As I arrived Jane was in the middle of making the point of the Blatant injustice of Peter Liang receiving No Jail Time for taking a like while a 16 year old client of hers gets 1 year in jail for jumping a subway turn style.
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Attorney’s from Legal Aid protesting and holding signs against the lack of real justice being handed out to young black & brown clients of theirs who receive jail time for normal youth behavior while Peter Liang of the NYPD who killed Akai Gurley gets 6 months house arrest.
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50 or so supporters and attorney’s came out today outside DA Ken Thompson’s office at 350 Jay Street in Brooklyn to speak out about the illegitimate justice being handed out in cases where Peter Liang gets No Jail Time for taking a life while black & brown minors of 16 years old get 1 year sentences for jumping turn styles. It does appear that normal youth behavior has been turned into a crime to keep the business of “justice” moving along while a cop who kills gets house arrest after being found GUILTY of 2nd degree Manslaughter by a jury after the trial. Where’s the Law?
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Attorney’s want an “end to these broken polices and real mitigating factors to be taken into consideration for their clients”, said Jane Sampeur. She wants more programs inside the courts and less “over Policing”. “OFFERS MADE OF PROGRAMS NOW BEING RESCINDED BY KEN THOMPSON BECAUSE THE CASE WENT UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IN CASES WHERE NO BODY DIED IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR PROGRAMMING IN SPITE OF MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, FIRST ARREST, another attorney yelled out, UNFORTUNATE FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES, HOMELESSNESS”. “THE AMOUNT OF OPERATION SPOTLIGHT 1 YEAR JAIL OFFERS TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE A HOME IS ASTOUNDING. THIS ISN’T SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE TO SIT BY AND ALLOW TO HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES”. “I’M TIRED OF LOOKING MY CLIENTS IN THE FACE AND EXPLAINING TO THEM WHY THEY’RE DOING JAIL TIME AND PETER LIANG IS SLEEPING SOUNDLY TONIGHT”.
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Attorney Noha Arafa also of Attorney’s of Color of Legal Aid chanting with Jane Sampeur and the crowd of attorney’s “What do we want, Justice, When do we want it, NOW”. “Justice for,, Akai Gurley!” “Justice for Akai Gurley, What’s is name Akai Gurley!” In my interview with Noha Arafa she told me why she was out today in support of Justice for Akai Gurley,, her reply was ‘We’re talking about 6 months house arrest and 5 years probation over a black man who was murdered. We’re protesting over another black man who has been murdered and the police are able to do this with impunity. It’s a demand to have the violence end”. I asked Noha, “What about just following the law? Peter Liang was convicted of Manslaughter” Noha replied saying, that Judge Chun overturned the juries verdict of Guilty of 2nd degree manslaughter. I asked her if that was legal and she said it was but “RARELY, RARELY, RARELY” ever happens. “THE ONLY REASON IT HAPPENED WAS BECAUSE PETER LIANG WAS A COP AND THEY DON’T LIKE TO HOLD THE NYPD ACCOUNTABLE”. “Ken Thompson could have easily asked for jail time”, Noha went on. Peter Liang with a Class “E” Felony could have gotten 1-3 years under Criminally Negligent Homicide. “IF IT WERE ONE OF MY CLIENTS,HOWEVER, EASILY HE WOULD HAVE REQUESTED THE MAXIMUM. That’s what Prosecutors do after they’ve gotten a conviction”. “THEY SK FOR THE MAXIMUM IF YOU JUMP THE TURN STYLE AND HAVE BEEN ARRESTED THREE TIMES”. A year in jail for $2.75 “HE WANTS US TO TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY NOW? He’s offering my clients a YEAR in Jail for $2.75 AND HE LET A MURDERER WALK FREE?” “HE WANTS US TO TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY? HE IS FULL OF IT”
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Alicia Thomas in the green coat with a group of attorney’s posing with their signs who came out today to stand up for the illegitimate justice being handed down to vulnerable black & brown youth while NYPD cop Peter Liang gets house arrest after being found Guilty of 2nd degree Manslaughter from a jury trial for killing Akai Gurley.

 

Author: Cat April Watters

On a Truth Diet! Purging myself of all the LIES from Society.