Hung Jury in Calif. Police Brutality Case

LOS ANGELES - A judge declared a hung jury Tuesday in the police brutality case against a white former officer who punched and slammed a handcuffed black teenager onto a squad car during a videotaped arrest.

The jury deliberated more than three days without reaching a verdict in a case that raised racial tensions and drew comparisons to the Rodney King beating.

Former Inglewood officer Jeremy Morse, 25, was charged with assault under color of authority.

His partner, Bijan Darvish, 26, was found innocent of falsifying a police report.

They both could have received as much as three years in prison if convicted.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3181877

Mistrial Declared in Calif. Police Beating Case
Tue July 29, 2003 05:34 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A jury on Tuesday said it was hopelessly deadlocked on whether a former police officer in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood was guilty of assaulting a black teenager during a rough arrest caught on videotape last year.
The jury said there was no way it could reach a verdict in the case against Jeremy Morse, 25. The trial has been closely watched in Los Angeles for its possible repercussions in the city's African-American community. The jury was split 7 to 5 in favor of Morse's guilt.

Judge William Hollingsworth declared a mistrial.

The jury found Morse's former partner Bijan Darvish not guilty of filing a false police report that failed to mention the incident.

The arrest in July last year of Donovan Jackson was caught by a bystander on videotape in the largely black city of Inglewood, evoking memories of the 1991 beating by four Los Angeles police officers of black motorist Rodney King. The subsequent acquittal of those officers in 1992 provoked the worst urban riots in modern U.S. history.

Pop some popcorn, grab a Coke, turn on the tube, and watch the niggers burn their own neighborhood!!!!

I'm not surprised regarding the above comment since white supremacists seem to support white officers who beat up on Black or Hispanic motorists.

Darvich's acquittal will dilute the value of a police officer's word even further, in terms of accuracy and honesty. It's a loss to the profession and most officers are too blind in their glee over his acquittal to notice that.

I visted here to get the news on the verdict.

I cannot agree with the above statement. Too often on Indymedias there are those who will write messages just to draw a picture of a stereotype they wish promote. To say that "white cops" and "white supremacists" are in the same corner is a conclusion that logically can't be drawn from the comment.

This verdict should not dilute the value of a police officer's word even further, unless of course, some people had already determined what the outcome of the trial should be in advance of the jury announcement.

Because after the King riots, people were of the opinion that such a travesty of justice would not occur again so easily. Now it has, only 11 years later. Will they ever learn?

I would hope they take their anger to the well to do white neigborhoods this time (Rodeo Drive) instead of targeting their own neglected low income communities. This IS an outrage and anger IS an appropriate response.

Indymedia - Where people are declared guilty before they even go to trial. The justice of leftists and anarchists on display.

Well, I've gotten enough emails, letters and threatning phone calls in my life from white supremacist types upset with any criticism against officers enough to know that is not an uncommon thing, unfortunately.

Morse clearly did not help Jackson to his feet on the video tape and Darvish(who might not actually have seen what did happen) wrote that in his report, knowing it wasn't true in violation of the PC. Of course, when he wrote his report, he and Morse probably didn't know about the video tape.

Too bad conservatives don't give other criminal defendants that same consideration, with the right tone of self-righteousness combined with feigned disinterest.

is there anything planned in response to this injustice?

If you're talking about the firing of a good cop for reacting quite properly to some punk scumbag, I hope so.

what is up with the racists? I'm white and ive seen police brutality directed against white people, hispanic people, asian people and American Indians, wake up you white haters.....or I'm going to march into your honky neighborhood along with my "nigger, chink,
spic, and injun friends so we can crack a few brews and burn it down.........peace and remember little nazis
you'll be the first to go unless you think.

I'm terribly sorry that you were shown racisism, hate, ignorance and also a lack of compassion during your up bringing. Too bad you conformed to a "certain" opinion of society. Maybe your comment is due to a lack of education.......yup that must be it -because I don't really need to point out the obvious. Good luck on your road to righteousness, you will need it. Oh and WE WILL PREVAIL!!!!!!!!!1

"the first organized police forces, according to police historian William Geller, were the varied slave patrols. Policing in this country has always had the dual purpose of maintaining social order and enforcing the racial hierarchy."
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7/29/03 CNN - reaction to the jury deadlock:

Jackson's lawyer told reporters after the findings were announced that the two officers would be deposed in a civil case and that she looks forward to a retrial.

"We are hopeful that this next time around that justice will be served and we in the meantime will proceed vigorously with the civil lawsuit," attorney Camryn Stewart said.

Jackson stood next to his lawyer as she spoke but did not address reporters.

Outside the courthouse in Los Angeles, Najee Ali of Project Hope told CNN he was upset by the outcome.

"This is really Rodney King all over again," he said, referring to the case of four Los Angeles police officers videotaped beating King as he lay on the ground in 1991.

"Here we go again." Ali said.

The man who shot the videotape of Jackson's arrest at a gas station also expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome.

"[Prosecutors] were not serious about trying this case," Mitchell Crooks said.

Los Angeles County District Attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said prosecutors will announce September 22 whether they will seek a retrial, and if they decide to do so, the retrial would begin September 29.

Gibbons said her office is disappointed by the outcome.

"Under our system of justice, we must abide by the jury's decision. We disagree and are disappointed the jurors did not see the same crime that we did," she said.

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trial was moved to LAX district in order to avoid an Inglewood jury. normal people dislike cops more and more.... and more and more.

THE JEREMY MORSE AND BIJAN DARVISH JURY INCLUDED ONLY ONE AFRICAN AMERICAN.

los angeles

anarchist people of color conference october 2003

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anticrisis
lynx

latest comments

"you'll be the first to go unless you think."

Quote Jello all you want, but your emotions make you a monster.

Face it. The kid got what anybody gets when you grab some cops' balls. You get hit. Reflexively.

This has nothing to do with racism. It has to do with human nature mbutting heads with whining, naive hobbyists.

"I would hope they take their anger to the well to do white neigborhoods this time"

Me too. I could just sit on the porch with the Glock picking off angry niggers. Bring it.

white culture in the states have a lot to pay...

history is the lack of all of you...

you pretend that kkk and any of the injustice in the white american world of sh!t never happend?...

think again...this is not about hiting back...


becaue white politics,laws and system still hiting now a days black,latin,asian all the minoritys in this country...

let me see...are you white people who never been in eats l.a or south centro...

bring it?...what ever


lets see what you can do mr macho...

"are you white people who never been in eats l.a or south centro... "

Is this some sort of that newfangled ebonics?

I know it isn't English.

It might make those that violate the public trust responsible for thier actions.
another question.....
IF a cop is searching you and GRABS YOUR nuts....
can you punch him in the FACE?
///////////////////////////
the world of hypocrisy.

It might make those that violate the public trust responsible for thier actions.
another question.....
IF a cop is searching you and GRABS YOUR nuts....
can you punch him in the FACE?
///////////////////////////
the world of hypocrisy.

It is a normal and natural reaction.

If your nuts are under attack from a hostile force then you ARE allowed to use EXTREAM force to remove the threat from your genitalia.

Did not the verdict today confirm that fact for you?

Have your nuts ever been attacked?

Why the hell are you asking such a stupid question?

I live in Madison, WI...I am so completely outraged by what is happening with this hung jury bullshit in LA. I hope you people organize and fight this shit. If I was there I would be out rioting...and maybe if we can organize it here in Madison, I will. STOP POLICE BRUTALITY. contact the D.A. - John Barnett and the cop Jeremy M. Morse and tell them how outraged you are. Power to you.

This is an outgage! An outrage I tell you!! The pigmen should have been drawn and quartered as soon as they put in their uniforms. There is no excuse for pigs to even be in that part of LA. They were there only to round up minorities and to physically harm them as though they were debris to be visciously play with and them tossed aside. Maria is right. We must do something. We must do something NOW!!!! Let's sit around and talk about it.

VOTE FROM THE ROOFTOPS

I agree! We need to do that NOW!! As long as there's somewhere we can sit down. That way, we can talk about it.

The cops should sue to get their jobs back and sue the crackhead for defamation.

....shit, Caducada...you're a flat out racist!!!

Must make ya feel GOOOOOD about yourself huh? Bein' alll WHITE n' shit?


now...if only you were a man....a RACIST man...

...ooohhhh....

Go fuck yourself. I'll bet you're one of those damn niggers!

Amount of time which lapses btwn someone defending an officer accused of misconduct or excessive force...and uses racist slurs...

Not very long at all.