NAACP: Mistrial in S.C. amounts to ‘delay’ in justice
Prosecutor vows retrial as leaders call for unity
The fatal collision of two Union Pacific freight trains in Arkansas resulted from a fatigued engineer and conductor, both of whom likely were asleep aboard one of the trains, federal investigators ruled Tuesday.
The crash Aug. 17, 2014, in Hoxie, Ark., could have been prevented by an automatic-braking system that Congress has required railroads to install by 2018, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
“Human operators can be fatigued, impaired, distracted or medically unfit, and they can make errors even on their best days,” said Christopher Hart, the board chairman. “This technological safety net is indispensable,” he said of automatic braking. — Bart Jansen refer to themselves and their ideology, which emphasizes preserving and protecting the white race in the United States.
Spencer recently chanted “Hail Trump. Hail our people! Hail victory,” at a recent conference.
— Ian Smith, KAGS-TV
Poland’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a government request to have Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski extradited to the U.S. if he enters Poland. Polanski is wanted in the U.S. in a nearly 40-year-old case involving sex with a 13-year-old girl.
The new request was brought by Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro after a lower court refused to seek Polanski’s extradition, arguing that the Polish-born director already had served a prison term and probably would not get a fair trial in the U.S. if he were extradited.
The effort by Ziobro, of Poland’s right-wing ruling Law and Justice party, was seen as part of broad moves by the government to support Roman Catholicfriendly values and law-and-order policies. The government in Warsaw abandoned an earlier attempt to introduce a near-total ban on abortion.
— Kim Hjelmgaard
A jury’s failure to convict former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager in the fatal shooting of black motorist Walter Scott is a “disappointing delay in the delivery of justice,” the NAACP said Tuesday.
A judge in Charleston declare a mistrial Monday after a jury deliberated 22 hours over four days without reaching a unanimous verdict. Slager, 35, testified he feared for his life when he shot Scott, 50, in the back as he fled a traffic stop in April 2015. Slager said Scott tried to wrest away a Taser moments before the shooting, which a bystander recorded on his cellphone.
“Scott, a forklift operator who served in U.S. Coast Guard, lived a life worth far more than a hashtag or statistic,” NAACP President Cornell William Brooks said in a statement Tuesday. “But the story of his death and the result of the ensuing trial are tragically representative of the epidemic of racial profiling in America.”
Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson said Slager will be retried. Slager, who was fired and charged with murder days after the shooting, is also awaiting a federal trial on civil rights and other charges.
“Despite this setback, the NAACP will continue to advocate for a just and decisive conclusion to Slager’s case and fight for substantive, comprehensive criminal justice reform,” Brooks said.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., issued a statement Tuesday, saying he can “understand and sympathize with the frustration and heightened emotions that some folks are experiencing.” But he urged everyone to trust the judicial system.
“There is no question the lack of verdict has left many unanswered
NAACP President Cornell
questions,” said Scott, who is black. “But I ask we remain mindful of the process. I will continue to pray for peace and unity as we, as a community, cope with the aftermath of the decision.”
Family lawyer Chris Stewart called the mistrial a “missed opportunity” to begin the process of racial healing in America. Scott’s mother, Judy, said she remained hopeful Slager would be convicted and punished.
“God is my strength, and I know without a doubt that he is a just God and injustice will not prevail,” she said after the mistrial was announced. “I don’t care how it looks, it’s not over — you all hear me — until God says it’s over.”