Like many, I am still waiting for the evidence used as the basis to charge the six officers in Baltimore for the death of Freddie Gray. This morning, however, I was disturbed to read that an effort to create a fundraising site for the defense of the officers was taken down on GoFundMe. It appears that the site has a very questionable standard for funding that does not afford accused parties a presumption of innocence in asking for support to fund their defense.
The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police created a GoFundMe page for the six officers after they were charged Friday. However, less than an hour later, it was taken down.
After 41 minutes, it has only raised $1,135 — considerably short of the $600,000 goal.
There is no confirmation on who is responsible. However, the site states the following : “‘Campaigns in defense of formal charges of heinous crimes’ are prohibited by our terms . . . GoFundMe cannot be used to benefit those who are charged with serious violations of the law.” Really? Why? I was under the impression that people were given a presumption of innocence in this country. Why shouldn’t this site be used to help guarantee a fair trial for anyone facing prosecution? Moreover, how do you define a serious violation? Clearly, this case would qualify but where is the line drawn?
This is a site that is designed to help people organize in making donations to support different causes. Giving such charity is a positive act, including giving money to guarantee a fully funded defense. Our criminal justice system is a foundational part of our society. It reflects our commitment to the rule of law. Central to that institution is the presumption of innocence. I find this policy of GoFundMe to be inexplicable and distasteful. Many people want to support the criminal justice system as much as environmental or other causes. The policy makes, in my view, an arbitrary and biased decision in barring those who are accused of serious offenses by the government. It should equally presumably bar those who are viewed as victims of government abuse like journalists or whistleblowers.
I also was a bit concerned to read Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby comments telling protesters: “I heard your calls for, ‘No Justice, No peace.’ Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man.” I generally think it is a bad idea for prosecutors to directly respond to public protests demanding criminal charges. Such protests should not have an influence on the decision to prosecute and it is always a concern, as with Mike Nifong in the Duke case, where prosecutors are seen as too responsive to public demands for criminal charges. This is not meant to suggest that a criminal case cannot be made but these press conferences can undermine the integrity of a prosecution if the chief prosecutor is viewed as too influenced by external events or demands.
Nick spinelli
Not sure about the attorney comparison, but the other two posts I think are insightful. Haven’t read much about mosby.
Bam bam and squeaky
So personal haha calm down.
Im sure yall are way more civilized, successful, hard-working, and intelligent than me. Congrats?! You win?!
I have a duty to clients to be competent, I realize arguments Im advancing wouldn’t be found in the legal arena.
When Brandeis wrote about the right to privacy in a law review article it wasn’t heard in courts either.
This is a blog…. Not a courtroom, meeting with clients or law school exam.
When I’m licensed I’ll send you a copy.
Actually, the more I think about it, Mosby is looking more like that prosecutor in the Trayvon case who is overcharged the defendant, leading to his acquittal. The best prosecutors I worked for were level headed, even tempered, tough but fair attorneys.
CBS Baltimore, April 22, 2015, Marcus Washington, a reporter with WJZ Eyewitness News, wrote the following, with regard to Reverend Keith Bailey. Please note that Gray was under some sort of probationary status 90 days prior to the arrest.
Not evidence that he was on probation at the time of the arrest, but just more information, given by an individual unaware of the importance of his statements.
______________________________________________________________
Bailey supervised Gray’s probation work at a food pantry for 90 days before he was arrested.
“He worked in the food pantry here; he helped sweep here in the community and he was dedicated,” Bailey said.
Ms. Mosby is looking more and more like Nifong the more I read.
Wade, see my link, page three. Squeeky didn’t include the entire report.
The deceased’s rap sheet is irrelevant.
The abuses by cops in Baltimore and elsewhere is irrelevant.
The history of these cops is irrelevant.
All that is relevant is the evidence submitted to a jury via our due process regarding what occurred on the date in question regarding the arrest and conveyance of the deceased.
We have people pontificating and talking out of their butts. They have no credibility, but that lack of cred has been “earned” over many posts and many topics. GoFundMe just hurt their credibility. In a business like theirs, credibility is a must. I don’t know if they are publicly traded, but if so, I would not want to hold any of their stock right now.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bal-charging-documents-for-freddie-gray-20150420-htmlstory.html
On the third page of the report it says the knife was “spring assisted”, that was untrue according to Mosby. That would make the charging document fraudulent, as Mosby said on various interviews over the last two days.
Dusty
Thanks for your courteous response….
The link is now operating. Interesting – it has a copy of the officer’s typed report. Notice Squeeky’s hand written (more contemporaneous?) arrest report says nothing about the recovered knife being a switchblade. The typed report notes that that knife was a switchblade.
Hmmmm.
@Tjustice
I suggest that when you take the bar exam, assuming you can even graduate law school, that you use your superb legal reasoning skills on the written part of the exam! Just forget all this criminal procedure stuff, and go with your heart!
Your friend,
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
TJustice
Please lecture the judge, before whom you appear, that the rules of law are totalitarian.
That is, if you ever pass the bar with answers like that.
DBQ
Don’t you know, some animals are more equal than others, according to Animal Farm?
There is a charge that this document is fraudulent by Marilyn Mosby.
This is extremely sloppy posting. Where is your link. Where is your proof. We demand links!!!
😀
There is a charge that this document is fraudulent by Marilyn Mosby. Why should it be taken as truth at this time? Is anyone refuting that he had a knife? The knife was said to be a legal one.
Bam bam
Lol it’s called the practice of law for a reason.
I bet you’re already Clarence Darrow.
DBQ
I hear that internet access, at many prisons, is often unreliable and spotty.
Splains a lot here!
LOL! 🙂
Hmmm. It looks like the knife was in plain view!
http://i59.tinypic.com/2nstjt5.jpg
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
TJustice
You need to argue with the Supreme Court over what constitutes reasonable suspicion.
In the meantime, get crackin’ at those law books. I think that you may have missed the lesson on what constitutes reasonable suspicion.
Lets hear all the evidence at trial. Then we can make up our own minds. Meanwhile let the mob on the street do their thing. The Mayor seems to not care if they burn the bitch down so why should we. If any of you have any relatives there I would advise them to pull out now like Nixon should have. Or like Michael Brown’s father should have. I was being facetious in my first comment this morning about the race hating cops. I was making fun of the mob not the cops or the dead guy. I am not a racist and indeed I am a black Labrador. Woof.
In certain neighborhoods not uncertain