Justice Department issues freeze for civil rights division; may affect recent consent decrees with police forces

[essentialsaltes]

The Justice Department has ordered the civil rights division to halt much of its investigative activity dating from the Biden administration and not pursue new indictments, cases or settlements, according to a memo sent to the temporary head of the division that was obtained by The Washington Post.

The first memo doesn’t state how long the freeze will last, but it largely shuts down the civil rights division for at least the early weeks of the Trump administration.

A separate memo sent to Wolfe on Wednesday says the civil rights division must notify the Justice Department’s chief of staff of any consent decrees the division has finalized within the last 90 days. That directive suggests that police-reform agreements the Justice Department has negotiated with cities including Minneapolis [George Floyd], Louisville [Breonna Taylor] and Memphis [Tyre Nichols] could be in jeopardy.

“It’s beyond unusual — it’s unprecedented,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “This should make Americans both angry and deeply worried. This is more than just a changing course of philosophy — this is exactly what most people [in the civil rights community] feared: a Justice Department that was created to protect civil rights literally abdicating its duty and responsibility to protect Americans from all forms of discrimination.”

[Trump] said on the campaign trail that police at times must be “extraordinarily rough” to stamp out urban mayhem and endorsed more aggressive tactics from police

Justice Department finds Louisville police department uses "aggressive style," especially against Black people​

The Justice Department issued a scathing report on the Louisville Police Department after a nearly two-year review launched in the wake of the botched raid that killed Breonna Taylor.

Justice Dept. finds Minneapolis PD engaged in excessive force, discrimination​

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the DOJ and city have agreed in principle to a consent decree for reforms.

The Minneapolis Police Department engaged in patterns of excessive force and discrimination, according to findings of a 2-year Justice Department investigation.

Department of Justice Launches Investigation Into Memphis Police Department​

 

[SimplyMe]

This looks bad and, depending on how it plays out, makes me wonder about minority support for Trump -- and how long it might take many of them to ever vote for another Republican.

 

[Paulos23]

This looks bad and, depending on how it plays out, makes me wonder about minority support for Trump -- and how long it might take many of them to ever vote for another Republican.

I didn't think he would be this bold, but he did it. I do not think this will work out for the GOP in the long term.

Assuming we are still able to vote on the long term.

 

[essentialsaltes]

I didn't think he would be this bold, but he did it.

 

[MartinWarner]

The Justice Department has ordered the civil rights division to halt much of its investigative activity dating from the Biden administration and not pursue new indictments, cases or settlements, according to a memo sent to the temporary head of the division that was obtained by The Washington Post.

The first memo doesn’t state how long the freeze will last, but it largely shuts down the civil rights division for at least the early weeks of the Trump administration.

A separate memo sent to Wolfe on Wednesday says the civil rights division must notify the Justice Department’s chief of staff of any consent decrees the division has finalized within the last 90 days. That directive suggests that police-reform agreements the Justice Department has negotiated with cities including Minneapolis [George Floyd], Louisville [Breonna Taylor] and Memphis [Tyre Nichols] could be in jeopardy.

“It’s beyond unusual — it’s unprecedented,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “This should make Americans both angry and deeply worried. This is more than just a changing course of philosophy — this is exactly what most people [in the civil rights community] feared: a Justice Department that was created to protect civil rights literally abdicating its duty and responsibility to protect Americans from all forms of discrimination.”

[Trump] said on the campaign trail that police at times must be “extraordinarily rough” to stamp out urban mayhem and endorsed more aggressive tactics from police

Halting civil rights investigations undermines accountability and justice. Freezing cases involving police misconduct, including those in Minneapolis, Louisville, and Memphis, puts hard-fought reform efforts at risk.

 

[essentialsaltes]

A separate memo sent to Wolfe on Wednesday says the civil rights division must notify the Justice Department’s chief of staff of any consent decrees the division has finalized within the last 90 days. That directive suggests that police-reform agreements the Justice Department has negotiated with cities including Minneapolis [George Floyd], Louisville [Breonna Taylor] and Memphis [Tyre Nichols] could be in jeopardy.

Justice Department moves to drop police reform agreements with Louisville, Minneapolis; close investigations and retract other findings in other cities​

The consent decrees came after the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday that it is moving to drop police reform agreements, known as consent decrees, that the Biden-era department reached with the cities of Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis. The court-enforceable agreements were born out of probes launched after the 2020 police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division is also planning to close its investigations into police departments in Phoenix; Trenton, New Jersey; Memphis, Tennessee; Mount Vernon, New York; Oklahoma City; and the Louisiana State Police, according to the announcement.

Additionally, the department said it will be "retracting" findings released during the Biden administration against departments alleged to have engaged in widespread misconduct against citizens.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Justice Department moves to drop police reform agreements with Louisville, Minneapolis; close investigations and retract other findings in other cities​

The consent decrees came after the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

DOJ seeks one-day sentence for officer in raid that killed Breonna Taylor​

In November, a federal jury found officer Brett Hankison guilty of violating Taylor’s civil rights during a March 2020 police raid in which she was fatally shot.

The federal government suggested in an unusual sentencing memo late Wednesday night to a judge that the Biden administration should not have prosecuted the officer on the civil rights charges on which he was convicted.

As I understand it, the memo was not written by any of the prosecutors involved in the case, but by a Trump appointee in charge of the civil rights office:

The sentencing memorandum was signed by Robert J. Keenum, senior counsel for the DOJ's civil rights division, and Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant attorney general for the department. Keenan was not part of the original prosecution team. Dhillon was appointed by the current President Donald Trump's administration.

 

[essentialsaltes]

DOJ seeks one-day sentence for officer in raid that killed Breonna Taylor​

In November, a federal jury found officer Brett Hankison guilty of violating Taylor’s civil rights during a March 2020 police raid in which she was fatally shot.

The federal government suggested in an unusual sentencing memo late Wednesday night to a judge that the Biden administration should not have prosecuted the officer on the civil rights charges on which he was convicted.

As I understand it, the memo was not written by any of the prosecutors involved in the case, but by a Trump appointee in charge of the civil rights office:

The sentencing memorandum was signed by Robert J. Keenum, senior counsel for the DOJ's civil rights division, and Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant attorney general for the department. Keenan was not part of the original prosecution team. Dhillon was appointed by the current President Donald Trump's administration.

Ex-officer Brett Hankison sentenced to 33 months in prison in Breonna Taylor's death​

Hankison is the only person to be convicted in relation to Taylor's death.

 

[Pommer]

Ex-officer Brett Hankison sentenced to 33 months in prison in Breonna Taylor's death​

Hankison is the only person to be convicted in relation to Taylor's death.

The appeal (of the sentence) will be interesting.