Recently a judge in New York ruled that the Civilian Complaint Review Board has to reveal the disciplinary history of the New York City police officer who used a chokehold against Eric Garner last year during an arrest that led to Mr. Garner’s death. This case comes from a request by the Legal Aid Society for the misconduct findings of Daniel Pantaleo via the Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent oversight agency for the police.
The request focused on basic information: the number of complaints filed against Officer Pantaleo in which misconduct had been found before his encounter with Mr. Garner and what recommendations the CCRB had made to the Police Department regarding those findings. The Judge ruled that the information requested by Legal Aid was not exempt from disclosure under Section 50-a of the state’s civil rights law which focuses on personnel records of police officers.
This law had been used frequently to hide the records of police officers, some who have even committed crimes. The public demands accountability and transparency when it comes to police misconduct, a glaring violation of the authority and trust vested in police by the communities they serve. The restrictive nature of public access to police records inflames feelings of distrust, straining the police-community relationship further.
If you lost your loved one due to police misconduct or police brutality, you should seek advice from an experienced and compassionate attorney who can help you make sense of the legal aspects of losing a family member. Contact Gerald Thurswell of Thurswell Law at (866) 354-5544 for help understanding the Michigan wrongful death law and to obtain financial compensation from those responsible.
