Once again, a black man gets shot by the police in NYC and the resulting trial acquits the officers involved. The case in question involved the 50 bullet shooting of Sean Bell, who had celebrated his bachelor party the night of his death. The twist in the case revolved around the fact that of the three shooters, two were black; and they opted for a non-jury trial before a white judge, Justice Arthur Cooperman.
Now if you’re adept at reading between the lines, you can guess that a man at a strip club for his bachelor party might have asked for trouble at the end of the night! Or, that a white judge might find credibility issues with individuals with rap sheets and be biased in favor of police:
Cooperman said the inconsistent testimony, courtroom demeanor and rap sheets of the prosecution witnesses _ mainly Bell’s friends _ “had the effect of eviscerating” their credibility.
I’m sure that no malfeasance occurred and that the officers opted for a trial without a jury had nothing to do with the judge, but it raises serious questions. I’m sure that the decedant’s friends were not the most believable witnesses but what effect does firing 50 bullets have on one’s credibility. At some point, the court must look past the shooters were cops and focus on the fact that one officer dropped 31 shots on Mr. Bell.
