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The
Green Party of New Jersey |
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 1,
2001
Contact: Jerry L. Coleman,
Green Party candidate for Governor of New Jersey Joe Fortunato,
Chair, Green Party of NJ Jane Hunter,
Communications Committee, Green Party of NJ Rena Amada, Press
Relations, Green Party of NJ |
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Trenton: Jerry Coleman, Green Party candidate for Governor of New Jersey, today labeled as "ominous" recent developments concerning racial profiling and police brutality in New Jersey. These developments include the reversal of civil rights conspiracy convictions in Federal Court against Orange police officers and the illegal detention of Black high school students by West Orange police. "Unfortunately, Judge Lifland's decision to reverse the conspiracy convictions in the Faison case reinforces the perception--which is widespread in communities of color--that the justice system is not just when it deals with people who complain of police misconduct. There is an appearance of one set of laws for the police and another set of laws for the rest of us." In West Orange police officers stopped, handcuffed and detained 10 black students who had driven to West Orange to rent tuxedos for their high school prom. One student was injured when his face was scraped on the sidewalk. Coleman stated, "The West Orange situation demonstrates that racism is still too often an unfortunate reality in police community encounters. The illegal detention of these students after an unsubstantiated anonymous report of a weapon exposes that, too often, the police overreact and even violate the constitutional rights of citizens--particularly Black and Latino youth--in street encounters. "West Orange Mayor John McKean must apologize immediately and unequivocally. He must admit the wrongdoing of police officers under his command. In addition, the Mayor and the Essex County Prosecutor must launch investigations into the West Orange situation--reviewing both this specific incident and patterns of motor vehicle stops within West Orange. As Governor, Coleman pledges to "work for the implementation of a State Civil Rights law which would allow the prosecution of police officers for civil rights violations." The lack of such a law was made glaringly apparent when the State of New Jersey refused to prosecute the police officers involved in the Faison case on criminal charges. Coleman will introduce legislation to allow for the formation of independent civilian review boards with subpoena power in every municipality in the State. Any municipality which refuses to allow Civilian Review Boards to operate within their community should not receive Federal, State or County monetary aid. Coleman also would "require the State Attorney General to review and revise procedures governing 'consent searches' for motor vehicle stops as well as the standards for street stops." He favors a return to the Constitutional standard of probable cause for motor vehicle and street stops. "These steps are necessary in order to restore basic confidence in the criminal justice system." |
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