New York’s chief judge has proposed major grand jury reforms with records released when nobody is charged and direct judicial oversight when police are investigated for killings or felony assaults.
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman’s legislative proposals follow protests last year after a grand jury declined to indict a police officer seen on video choking an unarmed Staten Island man who died.
He says Tuesday the immediate concern is the perception that prosecutors, who work closely with police, can’t objectively bring cases against them in secret grand jury proceedings.
His legislation would have a judge preside inside the grand jury room in police cases.
Lippman would also open records in cases where there’s no indictment and where it would advance “a significant public interest” and the person investigated is already known or consents.
(AP)
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The prosecutor’s name should be prominently displayed in all grand jury proceedings.
Perhaps this is a move in the right direction. However, judges have been far to cozy with the cops and the prosecution. Judges exist to check for police and prosecutor abuse. Most of the time a person is arrested because he has committed a crime. In a small number of situations no crime has been committed and the person in fact is being framed. The whole point of a judge is to identify those situations. In addition they should be very strict about suborning perjury and suppression of evidence on the part of the police and prosecutors. In fact the police, prosecutor, and especially the judges should be models of truthfulness and honesty.