Cincinnati City Officials Could Be Found in Contempt Of Court Over Federal Agreement
Racist Police Force Doing Little to Improve Relations
City officials face possible contempt of court charges if a judge accepts a federal monitors's report that said that police aren't cooperating with an agreement to improve community relations after riots in 2001, a lawyer for a group that sued the city said Tuesday. The monitor's report Monday supports the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio's (ACLU) complaint to the federal court last month that the city isn't providing information to other parties under the 2002 agreement, said ACLU lawyer Scott Greenwood. Greenwood also accused the city of failing to cooperate with the Justice Department, which has a separate agreement to oversee Cincinnati police reforms, including tighter policies governing the use of force. "The city is taking an extreme, adversarial position that it does not have to comply with the community representatives, the Justice Department and the monitoring team," Greenwood said. "It's not just unhelpful. It's a direct violation of the agreement." US Magistrate Michael Merz has summoned the parties involved in the agreement -- the city, Cincinnati police union, the ACLU and other community representatives -- to appear before him on January 6 to discuss their progress or problems. Merz and the court-appointed monitor, former federal prosecutor Saul Green, of Detroit, report ot US District Judge Susan Dlott, who is supervising the five-year agreement. Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken said "If the plaintiffs want to hold us in contempt -- or try to -- go ahead," Luken said. "Let's don't worry about contempt. Let's worry about the issues of crime and community relations. Let's don't worry about who said what to whom and who took offense at it." [more] Only visit this city if you have to.
City officials face possible contempt of court charges if a judge accepts a federal monitors's report that said that police aren't cooperating with an agreement to improve community relations after riots in 2001, a lawyer for a group that sued the city said Tuesday. The monitor's report Monday supports the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio's (ACLU) complaint to the federal court last month that the city isn't providing information to other parties under the 2002 agreement, said ACLU lawyer Scott Greenwood. Greenwood also accused the city of failing to cooperate with the Justice Department, which has a separate agreement to oversee Cincinnati police reforms, including tighter policies governing the use of force. "The city is taking an extreme, adversarial position that it does not have to comply with the community representatives, the Justice Department and the monitoring team," Greenwood said. "It's not just unhelpful. It's a direct violation of the agreement." US Magistrate Michael Merz has summoned the parties involved in the agreement -- the city, Cincinnati police union, the ACLU and other community representatives -- to appear before him on January 6 to discuss their progress or problems. Merz and the court-appointed monitor, former federal prosecutor Saul Green, of Detroit, report ot US District Judge Susan Dlott, who is supervising the five-year agreement. Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken said "If the plaintiffs want to hold us in contempt -- or try to -- go ahead," Luken said. "Let's don't worry about contempt. Let's worry about the issues of crime and community relations. Let's don't worry about who said what to whom and who took offense at it." [more] Only visit this city if you have to.
- Federal monitor says cops still unhelpful [more]