Welcome to the weekly update from the Campaign to End Qualified Immunity! Here, we give you a wrap-up of the latest developments and notable news as we continue our state-focused fight to abolish the unjust rule.
This week, congressional reps revive the federal call to end qualified immunity; advocates discuss New York’s public safety bill; The Washington Post examines the financial toll of police misconduct; and more!
FEATURED STORY
MassLive: ‘More Than Trending Hashtags:’ Black Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley, Cori Bush Press for End of Qualified Immunity After President Joe Biden Calls to ‘Fund the Police’
“‘We need you to put your legacy on the line, Mr. President, to push this Congress to finally end qualified immunity, because if you don’t, Mr. President, Black people will continue to die at the hands of law enforcement,’ [Cori] Bush said.”
Read more here.
NEW YORK
“One of the biggest factors for getting rid of qualified immunity…is that families will get their chance in court.” Black Westchester Magazine and End QI NY sat down for a virtual discussion on the need to get rid of qualified immunity in the Empire State. The conversation featured End QI NY co-founders Katerina Siira and Darlene McDay, along with retired NYPD officer and public safety advocate, Corey Pegues.
Read more here.
MARYLAND
The deciding vote on the final measure regarding Anne Arundel County’s police accountability board has been delayed until March 21. “The new board was mandated under a series of new state laws passed last year with a focus on police reforms following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota,” notes WTOP News.
Read more here.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
The Washington Post: The Hidden Billion-Dollar Cost of Repeated Police Misconduct
“‘Transparency is what needs to be in place,’ said Frank Straub, director of the National Police Foundation’s Center for Mass Violence Response Studies, adding that his organization has called for departments nationwide to publicize cases with settlements. ‘When you have officers who have repeated allegations … it calls for extremely close examination of both the individual cases and the totality of the cases to figure out what’s driving this behavior.’”
Read more here.
The Washington Post: D.C. Trails Maryland and Virginia in Civil Rights Efforts
“At the end of the day, the D.C. Council has a clear choice: It can move forward and end qualified immunity, giving victims of civil rights abuses a path to justice, or it can continue to ignore the problem while residents pay the price with their constitutional rights.”
Read more here.
Reason: Video Shows California Cops Arresting Mom and Grandma for Filming Them
“‘The fight against injustice and violence against women is also about law enforcement needlessly violating women for sport,’ [Toni] Jaramilla, Herefored’s attorney, said in a press release. ‘Nothing about Mariah and Monett Herefored was a threat to these officers or justified the brutality these officers inflicted on a mother and grandmother.’”
Read more here.
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