Second, thatthrough policy or customthe city of East Cleveland violated Williams rights as well. Williams lawsuit is in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, case number 1:22-cv-00992. The city of East Cleveland is on the east side of Cuyahoga County, the same county Cleveland is located. He now contributes jam band features every now and then. It has a population of 13,792 and is nearly 89 percent Black according to the latest Census data. They are for the most part well paid, have excellent benefits that includes a pension. McDonald was also the focus of a WOIO investigation where he was allegedly caught on bodycam video asking for marijuana seized in a traffic stop. Most of the victims mentioned in the federal indictment didn't have private lawyers to push for their release. The community reacted to the shooting with protests led by the Cleveland Black Lives Matter chapter. '', See the article in its original context from. I Feel So Violated: Wisconsin Car Salesman Urinates on Black Womans Drivers License She Left Behind After Test Drive, This You?: Twitter Calls Out Marjorie Taylor Greene for Ironically Saying People Should Respect Others With Different Views, Joy Reid Rips Apart Scott Adams As the Dilbert Cartoonist Doubles Down on Racist Comments. The city of East Cleveland is so poor, theyre essentially judgment proof, meaning that if they violated your constitutional rights in the most clear and egregious manner, you cannot be compensated because theyre essentially insolvent and they cannot pay their debts, McNeal said of East Clevelands financial risks. Antonio Malone, 34, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 71 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $23,000 in restitution. "Neither of us ever dreamed that these cops could be crooked enough to steal money and lie about it, and even if they did, who would believe Kenneth Blackshaw?" Senators from Ohio and Pennsylvania say they're introducing a bipartisan rail safety bill that's intended to prevent future train catastrophes like the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment . Government officials using the police to punish political opponents is a core violation of the First Amendment. Without being held to account, East Cleveland will serve as a model to local governments that want to punish political enemies. The video showed Officer Nicholas Foti stomping Redrick Ward . That retaliation is unconstitutional, so the Institute for Justice is representing William to vindicate his constitutional rights. An East Cleveland officer was late to one deal because he was giving an anti-drug presentation. Thats why the First Amendment safeguards peoples rights to participate in the political process, to criticize government officials and to advocate for political change. "A person like myself doesn't stand a fighting chance for his freedom when he stands accused of something he didn't do," Blackshaw, 51, said. Here, its obvious that the City of East Cleveland, its police and law department officials selectively targeted William with obscure local ordinances, all because he spoke out for a change in the government. In February, 1998, a federal grand jury indicted 53 Cleveland area people as a result of an FBI sting operation where federal agents posed as drug kingpins and hired police, county jail guards, a deputy sheriff, and several "law enforcement imposters" to protect large drug shipments. Atlanta Black Star asked King to comment on Sgt. If it wasnt already obvious, then, the city lawyer handling Williams case made it crystal clear that Williams problems from the police and law department were really because of his political advocacy. Other incidents highlighted include East Cleveland police officers Torris Moore, Antonio Malone and Eric Jones all were sentenced to prison in 2016 for keeping thousands of dollars from alleged drug dealers, much of it seized through illegal searches and fabricated reports according to the Justice Department. The feds then worked to uncover a massive scandal of a rogue street-crimes unit that robbed and framed drug suspects who felt they had no choice but plead guilty to fraudulent charges. submit Cleveland's most influential journalist and East Cleveland's most successful mayor is an East Saint Louis, Illinois native whose father led the city's petition drive in 1969 to elect the first black mayor in 1971. In some, the officers cited the use of confidential informants without proving their existence. Don't be censored. With a population of less than 20,000, and constantly declining, the city is a complete shell of itself as poverty reaches 40% and a total of $16,000 is the average income for East Cleveland's residents and East Cleveland gangs run rampant. EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) Contaminated waste from the site of a fiery train derailment in Ohio began moving out again Monday, after concerns were raised during the weekend about oversight of where it was being shipped, federal officials said. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. That revelation prompted the Conviction Integrity Unit to review all of the officers' work since 2011. CINCINNATI (WCMH) In the case for Ohio's largest corruption scandal, co-defendant and former Speaker of the Ohio House Larry Householder took the stand to tell his story to a 14-person jury The community is urged to call 216-583-5343 with any information. East Clevelands retaliatory tactics go beyond depriving William of his rights. Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams did not name the officer or the person killed. "As any forger knows, the way to create convincing fakes is to make them look like the real thing," the report's authors wrote. The statements of Officer Joye in the affidavit paint a picture of cocky, brazen officers who were willing to do almost anything for money. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against rights and one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy. We had heightened senses to really get involved in this case because this is one of many times you had East Cleveland police using as a pretext theyre going to pull someone over because they said the car is reported stolen, said Kareem Henton, co-founder of the Cleveland Black Lives Matter chapter. But parking the van out of town meant adding an hour of commuting time every time the Gowdy campaign wanted to host a campaign event. Anyone can read what you share. As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content. Steven Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for northern Ohio, speaks at a news conference in 2015 about three former East Cleveland narcotics detectives who were charged in a scheme that involved stealing thousands of dollars in cash from alleged drug dealers. A special prosecutor and independent investigator filed charges against three Columbus, Ohio, police officers Wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct during the George Floyd . NASA Images; Solar System Collection; Ames Research Center; Software. IJ is dedicated to protecting fundamental free speech rights and to fighting judge-made rules that make it extremely difficult to hold government officials accountable for violating the Constitution. Jon Schuppe is an enterprise reporter for NBC News, based in New York. 01 Mar 2023 23:44:01 Griffin says the East Cleveland Police Department has kept the Cleveland NAACP chapter busy with numerous complaints lodged against the department. Some of the victims had likely committed drug offenses. Two former East Cleveland police officers who were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly tampering with records and insurance fraud appeared in court on Wed. IJ trains and mobilizes the public to be advocates for freedom and justice in their own communities. IJs tax ID number is 52-1744337. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Officer Joye, the affidavit said, recruited 24 other officers and a deputy from the Sheriff's Department, and 18 from four regional police departments -- seven from Cleveland, three from Cleveland Heights, six from East Cleveland and two from Brooklyn -- to help out in the deals. When you have high speed chases that go through the city of East Cleveland and come into the east side of Cleveland as well and destroy property and take lives, so at this point were like we cannot continue to sit on our hands, we need to call in reinforcements, Griffin said. Nothing is more repugnant to the First Amendment. Its clear East Cleveland wont be able to clean itself up, said Chris McNeal, an attorney and chief legal officer for the Cleveland Black Lives Matter chapter. Over the past three decades, the Justice Department has conducted more than 70 investigations of local police departments although the Trump administration did not issue any consent decrees, Pew Charitable Trust reports. The indictment included charges that the officers had arrested an alleged drug dealer identified as K.B. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. Published: Jul. Within the NAACPs letter, other cases described include Arnold Black being beaten by East Cleveland police detective in 2012, that resulted Black being awarded $50 million dollars by a jury in a lawsuit he brought against the city. We do all of this because of our fundamental belief that following the Constitution means being held accountable for violating it. The city of Cleveland and the Justice Department entered into a court enforceable agreement to fix problems within the police department and implement police reforms. "We're working on getting you out of there," he recalled her saying. Search. The local government is near bankruptcy. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. The case is being litigated by Institute for Justice Attorneys Ben Field and Caroline Grace Brothers, and Senior Attorney Jeff Rowes. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. When William and his attorney went to court to resolve the complaint, no judge was presentbut the assistant law director was. McDonald is among several East Cleveland police officers named in the letter the Cleveland NAACP sent to the Justice Department. Cases against 22 alleged drug dealers have been dismissed. If you, or someone else, is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress, call 999. The seven, including Chief Scott Gardner, are part of a deepening investigation involving local and federal officials. The Constitution Protects Political Speech and Prohibits Government Officials from Retaliating Against Individuals Like William Who Exercise Their Rights Instead, Joseph Armao, who was chief counsel of the Mollen Commission, which investigated police misdeeds from 1992 to 1994, said, ''What we found was organized bands of cops, ranging from just two partners in a patrol car to an entire shift of officers, who go out and make their scores like individual entrepreneurs.''. Now they were all eligible to have their cases dismissed. McDonald being named in the letter and allegedly caught on tape suggesting he would take seized drugs. Cleveland, Ohio 44115 (216) 916-6100 | (877 . EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) - New video released to the FOX 8 I-Team sheds new light on the latest i ndictments filed against East Cleveland police officers. According to an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation report, McDonald pulled Belmonte over after hearing the 19-year-olds loud muffler. In many cases, not only has the police department involved been forced to overhaul its operations, but arrests made by the corrupt officers have been tainted and criminal convictions they helped secure have been overturned. Most were given 2 1/2 years. In Washington, after the resignation of the police chief as his close friend and roommate was charged with extortion, city officials are looking into possible corruption in the department. The shooting happened about 8:30 a.m. on East 134th Street near Beachwood Avenue in the city's Union-Miles neighborhood. Because the towing caused so much damage to the van, it knocked it out of commission for the crucial final weeks of the campaign. The Cleveland case is the latest in a series of police corruption investigations that have struck cities across the country in recent years. The citizens of this county deserve better.. Check out some of our latest cases. Founded in 1991, the Institute for Justice is the national law firm for liberty. Harris and Johnson provided an individual with falsified police reports in exchange for two cash payments of $200 outside of a gas station near Shaw and Euclid Avenues in East Cleveland. But whether they get any award remains to be seen. Police Buildings: Women's Bureau HQ/18th Precinct from 1925-1953, 3735 Cedar Avenue. Before McDonald could ask for identifying information, Belmonte fled the traffic stop, leading to a chase. Third, that the noise ordinance that the city pretextually enforced against William is itself unconstitutional: as the city interpreted it, it impermissibly required William to get the mayors permission to campaign against him. He called home and an aunt told him she'd already talked to his lawyer. And in Indianapolis, the F.B.I. Either they provide protection or, as in New York, they would literally steal the drugs and then sell them themselves. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, center, walks into Potter Stewart U.S. He is a fixture in local politics through his media company and political activism. CLEVELAND Two former East Cleveland police officers who were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly tampering with records and insurance fraud appeared . Sign up to receive IJ's biweekly digital magazine, Liberty & Law, along with breaking updates about our fight to protect the rights of all Americans. IJ is a registered trademark of the Institute for Justice. At various times, he has run East Clevelands public-broadcast channel, sat on the city library board, and run for school board. When William went to court to resolve the noise citation, the citys assistant law director made it clear that William was being targeted for his political advocacy. Men and women are being gunned down, physically assaulted by police officers, thrown in jail but not processed right so being lost in the system. The arrests are the latest in a string of police corruption cases across the country, from Washington, New Orleans and Philadelphia to Indianapolis and Chicago. In May 2021, a police officer issued William a warning ticket for parking his step van at his homeeven though William had parked the van there since he bought the home in 2006 without incident and had even specifically expanded his driveway to accommodate the van. 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