Leid Stories - 12.04.14

Grand Jury Fury: No Indictment in Eric Garner Chokehold Case

Nine days after a grand jury found no reason to charge former Ferguson (Missouri) cop Darren Wilson with killing 18-year-old Michael Brown, a Staten Island, N.Y., grand jury concluded that Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo should face no charges in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, a 43-year-old father of six.

Protesters across the country have issued indictments of their own. They’ve linked the two cases as egregious examples of race-based state crimes and are demanding immediate federal investigations into possible prosecutorial misconduct. Both decisions have triggered an avalanche of criticism, even within the criminal-justice and judicial systems.

Leid Stories listeners had been primed for the outcome. Detailed analysis of how the cases were handled allowed predictions as early as Aug.20 that there would be no indictments.

Our legal expert and guide, “Attorney at War” Alton H. Maddox Jr., who had litigated some of the most controversial cases involving excessive police force in New York City, itemizes a bill of particulars about the Garner grand jury decision.