Welcome To Le[e]gal Brief With Lee Merritt, Esq.
Did you know the United States has created more laws than any other nation in recorded history? Le[e]gal Brief with Lee Merritt, Esq. is a weekly series that examines those laws and their impact on Black America. Each week, Lee Merritt will break down the law through statistics and history.
This week’s episode of Le[e]gal Brief is focused on laws regarding police shootings.
2024 was the deadliest year on record when it comes to fatal shootings involving law enforcement, with police killing approximately 1,365 people. That number isn’t an anomaly, as police officers have killed, on average, 1000 people every year for the last decade.
You probably don’t need me to tell you that police officers rarely face any consequences for these deaths. I remember being genuinely shocked when former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. Not because I thought Chauvin was innocent, but because of how the legal system treats Black lives as disposable.
As Lee Merritt explains in this week’s episode, “I feared for my life” has long been the phrase that pays when it comes to police officers avoiding legal consequences for fatal shootings. A ruling by the Supreme Court last year in Barnes v. Felix could potentially change that. In a 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court found that courts must consider the “totality of circumstance” and not just the moments before a shooting when ruling on officer-involved shootings.
As Merritt states in the video, “that matters because officers often rush into situations, fail to de-escalate, ignore safer alternatives, and then use the danger they created to justify deadly force.” Despite this ruling, state officials are still finding ways to circumvent justice
We saw that exact situation tragically play out last week when ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good. Videos captured by both bystanders and Ross himself showed that Good was turning away from him at a low rate of speed and posed no significant threat. In fact, from the standpoint of a casual observer, it looked as if Ross stepped in front of Good’s car, placing himself in danger, and then responding with deadly force.
It’s easy to feel powerless against a system that’s inherently designed against us, but there are ways to make an impact. Merritt says one of the key ways to make a difference is to make sure your voter registration is up to date. While there has always been a pronounced focus on the midterms and presidential elections, participating in primary elections is essential if you want to make an impact on the laws that are enforced in your town or city. Primary elections determine the judges, county attorneys, and city council members who are responsible for crafting and enforcing the laws that immediately impact you.
In addition to participating in your local primary elections, Merritt also suggests attending at least one public meeting a month and using the public comment period to ask your local elected officials how they intend to prevent unnecessary police encounters and shootings. Make sure it’s on the record, so you can share their answer, or no answer, with members of your community.
Be sure to join us next week when Le[e]gal Brief examines Donald Trump’s enemies list.
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