Man, I hope they are p##### out there in Pittsburgh! And the world! Why? Because the cops have won again in a case that should have been open and shut. People have been fighting for justice in the case of Jordan Miles from day one, but it doesn’t seem like justice was fighting for the boy. He’s not even a boy. He was a college student before they beat him down and yanked his braids out. Why? They thought a “bulge” in his pocket was a gun. It turned out to be a bottle of Mountain Dew. Sound familiar? Cops that didn’t identify themselves as such and ran up on the young brother. They asked him a lot of questions about drugs and such. He’s a college student. He reacted in a way that made them more “suspicious.” Sound familiar!? There are more details to the case, but a jury declared a mistrial in the case and the cops are claiming the victory! Here is a piece of a story in the local Gazette.
An eight-member jury decided in favor of three Pittsburgh police officers on Jordan Miles’ accusation of malicious prosecution and a judge ordered a mistrial on two other counts, ending a three-week civil trial but setting up an as-yet-unscheduled retrial on whether the officers falsely arrested the young Homewood man and used excessive force.
“We feel this is a win, obviously a major win,” said James Wymard, attorney for Officer David Sisak.
The officers welcome the next trial, their lawyers said.
“They want to be vindicated on the other two counts,” said attorney Robert Leight, attorney for Officer Richard Ewing.
Mr. Miles’ attorney, J. Kerrington Lewis, said his client “believes in this case. … We’re going to go back at it.”
Mr. Miles’ other attorney, Timothy O’Brien, said there are evidentiary issues that may be decided differently the second time around, which he felt could favor the plaintiff.
Officer Ewing and co-defendant Officer Michael Saldutte left U.S. District Court without saying a word. Officer Sisak did not attend the reading of the verdict.
Mr. Miles and his mother, Terez Miles, likewise declined comment.
These cases happen all day, even day and they don’t get any press. With that, I cue up NWA.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiX7GTelTPM?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWzFs3fsN3o?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]