7/28/2019 Where there is No Justice,There is No Freedom

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Page 20 THE WESTHESTER GARIAN THRSAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

Where there is no Justice,there is no freedom and whenpeople lose trust in authorityand those who are in charge of

the authority, they lose faith in the processof the system of Justice that has been their

right through the onstitution of thenited States. To demand freedom is todemand justice. When there is no justicein the land, a mans freedom is threatened.Freedom and justice are interdependent.

When a man has no protection under thelaw it is difcult for him to make othersrecognize him. Many people have ques-tioned are poor white people and people ofcolor truly recognized and respected in thisso called justice system in Westchester

ounty.We have watched our Westchester

Justice System blatantly defy logic and truetransparency and accountability of the lawfor too long. Westchester ounty JusticeOfcials, Law Enforcement Ofcials, andElected Politicians have continued to applyband aid solutions to a wound in our lawenforcement institution that clearly needsa surgeon. It is a true American tragedy

when you cannot rely on your local justice

system for protection of your civil andhuman rights. Transparency and account-ability when they are linked to violationsof peoples civil and human rights havebeen thrown out the door for friendshipsand political gain. What you do nd isthe violated are prosecuted and requestingintervention from higher governing bodieslike the epartment of Justice. Whenthese rights are violated consistently, and

create disadvantages for some, more thanothers, then you have a society where thepeople lose trust, they lose hope, and theylose faith in ALL institutions.

How many times shall we see ourmothers, fathers, sisters and brothers

civil and human rights violated and ourWestchester ounties Justice SystemEyes Wide Shut on the issue? It has beensaid that The Lady Justice is blind butin Westchester Lady Justice is peekingunder her blindfold to see what color, race,immigration or economic status you arebefore a decision is made. As a result, themasses of the collateral damage are victimsthat cant afford good lawyers or will neverbe recognized by our Westchester media;

their cries of injustice will continue to gounheard. This Westchester ounty JusticeSystem has a history of prosecuting victimsof Police Brutality like Naimah Yancy,ara Massey, Primivita iaz, and Lanceooper, who all were found innocentby trial. nfortunately, when this cancerrises to the level that media pays atten-tion again, they always report the effect butnever question the cause and why. We havefound that controversy sells media but logic

and dialog dont t the status quo agenda.We have watched as the victims of thisWestchester ounty injustice syndromefall victim to character assassination likeetective hristopher Ridley, who wasshot and killed while making an off off-duty arrest without any independentinvestigation of his death. NYP SergeantKenny Kessiedu who was assaulted on his

way to work by Yonkers uniform police

ofcers and a year later found not guiltyof any charges brought by the istrictAttorneys ofce. If our Westchesterounty Justice system can create an atmo-sphere with leaks that will create doubt onthe victims that are in law enforcement,

then any young man, especially, a youngblack man does not have a chance for anyreal transparency of the law in Westchesterounty.

Even the NAAP expressed itsdisappointment in the actions by theistrict Attorney and the evasive right ofobtaining Justice for African Americans in

Westchester ounty. They also noted thatthe istrict Attorney has reneged on thePamphlet and fairly investigating police

encounters with civilians.The reoccurrence of the same prob-

lems that have occurred in the etectivehristopher Ridley, NYP SergeantKenny Kessiedu and anroy Henry cases,reveal a disturbing pattern in differentmunicipalities in Westchester ounty.

These problems underscore the need for asystematic change and true accountability oftransgressions of law enforcement agenciesin Westchester ounty.When allegations

of police brutality reaches this level, itsno longer a single municipality problem;it becomes a Westchester problem, thenevery taxpayer in Westchester ountysproblem.

Of course, there are many in this JusticeSystem that truly believes in the coretenants of Justice. At the end of the daythe rank and le of our Justice System are

victims as well because of fear of losing a

paycheck, a promotion or so-called respectof their comrades; they play along with thisdismal downfall of trust in this system wecall Justice. All along forgetting the oath

we take to uphold the State onstitutionand the onstitution of the nited Statesand its citizens. These lawyers, ofcers andofcials work within hierarchies that haveput personal and political agendas beforereal freedom, truth, and justice for the citi-zens they have sworn to serve.

This continuous inux of abuse oflaw abiding citizens gives a black eye tothe entire law enforcement institution,not just those rouge ofcers who disobeyproper protocol and procedure. Withouttrue transparency and accountability of lawenforcement, the citizens lose trust in theuniform and badge. Then the law enforce-ment management is in amazement whenthe communities they serve, especially thecommunities of color, do not cooperate

with them. Why should they? If you canthave true accountability within your own,then how can you be fair and just with thecommunities you claim to serve?

The Police epartment is the primaryentry point to the justice system and thepart in closest contact with the public.

The investigation and prosecution shouldbe an issue of Justice and Fair ealing.

This means no bias or the presumptionof bias in our Justice System. learly the

investigation of the shooting of J Henry,etective Ridley and the prosecution ofNYP Sergeant Kenny Kessiedu willcontinue to fuel the growing doubt amongblack, white, brown and yellow if there isany true Justice in the Westchester ounty

Justice System.

Damon K. Jones is executive director of Westchester Blacks in Law Enforcement

Where there is No Justice, There is No FreedomBy DAMON K JONES

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