Justice Department (animal rights)

Justice Department launches civil rights investigation of Memphis police – 4 essential reads about holding police accountable

Retrieved on:

Monday, July 31, 2023

Seven months after the horrific beating death by police of Memphis, Tennessee, motorist Tyre Nichols, the Justice Department, on July 27, 2023, launched a civil rights investigation into allegations the Memphis Police Department routinely used excessive force and, on a systemic basis, discriminated against Black residents.

Key Points:

Seven months after the horrific beating death by police of Memphis, Tennessee, motorist Tyre Nichols, the Justice Department, on July 27, 2023, launched a civil rights investigation into allegations the Memphis Police Department routinely used excessive force and, on a systemic basis, discriminated against Black residents.
The Conversation has published a range of articles that examine police departments’ unequal and sometimes violent treatment of Black people.

1. Black police officers can be affected by anti-Black bias

And ample research indicates anti-Blackness is a factor in American policing from which Black police officers are not exempt.
In this way, the long-held targeting of Black men by police and widely held negative beliefs about them are a powerful cocktail that can compel even Black officers to stop, detain and brutally beat a man who looks just like them.” Shabazz wrote that Americans’ collective surprise that five Black police officers could brutalize another Black man indicated a lack of understanding about race and racism.
Read more:
Black police officers aren't colorblind – they're infected by the same anti-Black bias as American society and police in general

2. The Justice Department has found police in multiple American cities act on racial bias

White Southerners, white Southwesterners, and white people in the middle and upper classes in the North, however, were not subjected to police abuse or racial discrimination.
Not surprisingly, because of their different experiences with police, Black and white people view police differently.
Read more:
Police treatment in black and white – report on Minneapolis policing is the latest reminder of systemic racial disparities

3. Police officers who brutalize citizens do it repeatedly

A scholar of law and the criminal justice system at Villanova University, McCorkel works with people in Philadelphia who were wrongly convicted of crimes.
Read more:
Police officers accused of brutal violence often have a history of complaints by citizens

4. Police often shielded from accountability

Police treatment in black and white – report on Minneapolis policing is the latest reminder of systemic racial disparities

Retrieved on:

Thursday, July 6, 2023

The latest reminder that police officers around the country routinely deny Black people their constitutional rights comes from the Justice Department.

Key Points:

The latest reminder that police officers around the country routinely deny Black people their constitutional rights comes from the Justice Department.
This time, it’s about Minneapolis, the site of a police officer’s video-recorded murder of resident George Floyd.
And that led me to the enduring question: Why is racial discrimination by police so common in the United States?

Policing in black and white

Countless studies have shown that Black people are routinely stopped by police and live in racially segregated communities that police heavily monitor.
These conditions have led to Black people being overrepresented in arrests for violent crime that doesn’t involve a fatality.
Police body camera footage shows officers speak disrespectfully to Black people during traffic stops; about four of every 10 Black people say police have unfairly stopped them; and Black people are more than three times as likely to be killed by police during interactions.
These experiences explain why white Americans are more likely to give police high marks – 75% – for job performance.

Experiences shape people’s views

The fact that Black and white Americans have different views on the police are not accidents.
Indeed, policing in the United States was established on the practice of controlling specific populations.
In the 19th century, for example, policing in the South was designed to monitor the movement of enslaved Black people.

Policing the way it was intended

And it will be part of the mountain of studies, complaints and federal reports that show widespread racial discrimination.
It’s no wonder, then, that so many people believe racial discrimination is endemic to policing and is simply part of the way it works.
And while this most recent Justice Department report shows that, it also makes the case that Minneapolis police are working the way they were intended.

Masih Alinejad Calls Upon U.N. To Back Journalists Facing Transnational Repression And Violence

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

"The UK government actually asked one of the biggest [broadcasters], Iran International TV, to stop its activities and to move from the UK.

Key Points:

"The UK government actually asked one of the biggest [broadcasters], Iran International TV, to stop its activities and to move from the UK.
So, I want to call on you, the UK government … and the General Assembly to pass this [resolution]," Alinejad told delegations in attendance in the General Assembly Hall.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department filed charges in a murder-for-hire plot directed against her by the Iranian regime.
More than 70 journalists are in prison in Iran, and their weapon is their voice.

Masih Alinejad Calls Upon U.N. To Back Journalists Facing Transnational Repression And Violence

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

"The UK government actually asked one of the biggest [broadcasters], Iran International TV, to stop its activities and to move from the UK.

Key Points:

"The UK government actually asked one of the biggest [broadcasters], Iran International TV, to stop its activities and to move from the UK.
So, I want to call on you, the UK government … and the General Assembly to pass this [resolution]," Alinejad told delegations in attendance in the General Assembly Hall.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department filed charges in a murder-for-hire plot directed against her by the Iranian regime.
More than 70 journalists are in prison in Iran, and their weapon is their voice.

The law often shields police officers from accountability -- and reinforces policing that harms Black people, homeless people and the mentally ill

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

But civil suits are by now a familiar tool of grieving families on a familiar quest.

Key Points:

But civil suits are by now a familiar tool of grieving families on a familiar quest.
In mid-April 2023, Minneapolis settled two civil lawsuits against the city’s police department, for nearly $9 million.
Why are Black people so often ignored when it comes to complaints about their interaction with police?

Automatic credibility

One reason for this is that, throughout American society, Black people are viewed as criminals.
This stereotype encourages more police encounters, which in New York City, for example, has led to Black people’s being twice as likely to be stopped by the police.
This might also explain why Black people, who are 12.5% of the national population, represent 33% of people arrested for nonfatal violent crimes.
Taken together, these things set up a hierarchy of credibility that shields police from accountability.

Shields against accountability

According to UCLA law professor Joanna Schwartz, legal protections like qualified immunity protect police officers from repercussions that stem from abuse.
Qualified immunity is a 1967 Supreme Court doctrine that protects police and other government official from frivolous lawsuits.
The law shields police from accountability by requiring that complaints include evidence to show that police conduct was unlawful and that the officer knowingly violated the law that was deemed illegal in a previous case.

The issue is not Black and white

And what my research demonstrates is that the disproportionate killing of Black people by police happens for two reasons: 1) Black people live in racially segregated communities that are heavily policed.
2) Black people are viewed as perpetual criminals.
This perspective has allowed me to understand how other groups are also affected by police violence in ways similar to Black Americans.
Systematic police abuse of Black people and routine misconduct against homeless people and those with serious mental illness make encounters with police officers dangerous and potentially deadly.

INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Continues Investigation of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) on Behalf of Investors

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 13, 2023

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Law Offices of Howard G. Smith continues its investigation on behalf of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (“Charles River” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CRL ) investors concerning the Company’s possible violations of federal securities laws.

Key Points:

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith continues its investigation on behalf of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (“Charles River” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CRL ) investors concerning the Company’s possible violations of federal securities laws.
On February 22, 2023, Charles River disclosed that it received a subpoena from the Justice Department relating to an ongoing investigation into the supply chain and illegal importation of nonhuman primates for research.
On this news, Charles Rivers’ stock price fell $24.51, or 10%, to close at $219.09 per share on February 22, 2023, thereby injuring investors.
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith

Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) to UN Special Rapporteur: The Genocide Against Indigenous WG2STGD+ People Continues with Little Progress Made

Retrieved on:

Thursday, March 2, 2023

The good news is that Canada is making progress on aligning its laws with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Key Points:

The good news is that Canada is making progress on aligning its laws with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
The bad news however, is that Canada is failing miserably in addressing the ongoing MMIWG genocide.
“Indigenous sisters, mothers, aunties, daughters and nieces continue to be murdered or go missing with very little done to alleviate this urgent issue.
NWAC also discussed Indigenous women’s disempowerment in governance, citing patterns of excluding NWAC from participating in government decisions that impact Indigenous WG2STGD+ People.

INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Announces Investigation of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) on Behalf of Investors

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

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Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces an investigation on behalf of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (“Charles River” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CRL ) investors concerning the Company’s possible violations of federal securities laws.

Key Points:

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces an investigation on behalf of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (“Charles River” or the “Company”) (NYSE: CRL ) investors concerning the Company’s possible violations of federal securities laws.
On February 22, 2023, Charles River disclosed that it received a subpoena from the Justice Department relating to an ongoing investigation into the supply chain and illegal importation of nonhuman primates for research.
On this news, Charles Rivers’ stock price fell as much as 15% during intraday trading on February 22, 2023, thereby injuring investors.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

New Report Reveals Best and Worst States for Tobacco Control Policies; Highlights Dramatic Differences from State to State

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

CHICAGO, Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Lung Association's 21st annual "State of Tobacco Control" report , released today, reveals the states with the best and worst policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use, and finds dramatic differences in the strength of states' tobacco control laws.

Key Points:

CHICAGO, Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Lung Association's 21st annual "State of Tobacco Control" report , released today, reveals the states with the best and worst policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use, and finds dramatic differences in the strength of states' tobacco control laws.
The "State of Tobacco Control" report evaluates state and federal policies on actions taken to eliminate tobacco use and recommends proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies to save lives.
"Our 'State of Tobacco Control' report shows how widely tobacco policies vary from state to state.
"Since no state received all 'A' grades, every state has the opportunity to improve their tobacco control policies and improve public health.

NCLA Asks Federal Court to Dismiss Unconstitutional Lawsuit FTC Has No Authority to Bring

Retrieved on:

Monday, February 6, 2023

NCLA argues FTC cannot rightfully exercise executive power by initiating and prosecuting this lawsuit, especially considering the Justice Department refused to bring this case.

Key Points:

NCLA argues FTC cannot rightfully exercise executive power by initiating and prosecuting this lawsuit, especially considering the Justice Department refused to bring this case.
None of the statutes relied upon by FTC say anything about dietary supplements, and FTC has issued no regulations on dietary supplements.
When the Supreme Court decided Humphrey’s Executor in 1935, FTC did not possess the power to initiate suits or seek penalties.
The FTC v. PPO case thus provides the federal courts an opportunity to apply Humphrey’s Executor to prevent FTC’s unconstitutional exercise of executive authority.