Drop charges against all protesters
Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel has a real chance to prove she isn’t like one of her Republican predecessors, who was notorious for his political persecutions.
She needs to drop pending charges against all Black Lives Matter protesters with prejudice, and here is why.
Adel has already admitted her prosecutors didn’t follow procedures when they slapped 15 protesters with gang-related and other charges stemming from an Oct. 17 protest.
She dropped charges against those specific protesters while her office reviews the whole thing, but can ultimately recharge or come up with something else to make them pay for their audacity to use their right to demonstrate — however uncomfortable that was for cops and prosecutors.
But there are a handful of others who protested on different occasions last year that are still facing serious charges.
“The right to protest is the last resort against oppression and it must be protected,’’ said Democratic State Sen.
Martín Quezada, who joined other legislative colleagues, Phoenix Councilman Carlos Garcia, activists and some of the protesters in calling for Adel to dismiss all pending charges.
“We know some of the cases have been dismissed because the police officers who built these cases lied and created fictional gang charges to a grand jury,” said Democratic State Rep. Athena Salman in a video that is part of a coordinated social media campaign.
“We must hold the officers involved accountable, and the prosecutors involved in these protest cases should be fired,” Salman said.
They are right to demand that pending charges be dropped because Phoenix Police officers and county prosecutors can’t be trusted — not with any case they’ve built against last year’s BLM protesters.
The cops involved in the Oct. 17 protest disparaged the protesters and were quick to characterize them as notorious gangs like the Crips, Bloods and Hells Angels.
The 15 protesters would still be facing prison had it not been for intense media scrutiny that grew out of ABC 15’s reporting.
How do we know that cops and prosecutors didn’t behave the same way or worse with the other protesters?
We don’t. And we can’t just take their word for it.
Adel has asked a retired judge to review the charging decision against protesters and review her office procedures “when making charging decisions in cases of community interest or those that have possible impacts to policy.”
That’s a good step but not enough to regain the public’s trust. Not enough to quickly end the legal limbo of the protesters who face serious time behind bars if ultimately convicted.
Adel can end the agony and show good faith while she deals with the mess within her prosecutors office.
Unless, of course, she really wants to emulate her predecessor Andrew Thomas who was disbarred for breaking professional rules of conduct when he pursued unfounded criminal charges against two county officials.
“When Allister Adel was running for office she repeatedly told voters she is not her predecessors,” said Analise Ortiz, campaign strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona. “However, she’s now prosecuting her political opponents, which was the exact same behavior former County Attorney Andrew Thomas was disbarred for.”
Adel has four years to prove herself. To prove that county prosecutors aren’t just blindly taking police at their word. To prove that prosecutors themselves won’t equate protesters with vile gangsters just because they can.
It’s her job to make sure the legal system is fair, just and trusted.
But there is nothing just and fair about political persecutions, and that’s exactly what is happening here with the Black Lives Matter protesters.
Multiple bills at the Arizona Legislature this session appear to be a coordinated effort to stop the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) from enacting clean-energy policies that will protect God’s creation and ensure a healthier environment for future generations.
As a person of faith, one bill in particular goes too far. House Bill 2737 is an attack on public safety, public health and on consumers who rely on the ACC to protect them. The legislation allows even one lawmaker to object to ACC’s policies and force a lengthy legal review, along with possibly subjecting it to budget cuts.
I am also extremely concerned about House Bill 2248 that seems to be an effort to kill these clean energy policies. As a person of faith, I believe Sen. Paul Boyer understands God’s command and our sacred duty to protect life. I urge Sen. Boyer to have the courage to take another bold stand against this legislation that would do harm to his constituents and future generations.
Hazel Chandler, Phoenix
The writer is with the Union of Concerned Scientists and Elders for Climate Action.