The attorneys are speaking out against the DA’s recommendation of No Jail Time for the cop, peter Liang who fired a shot that killed Akai Gurley in the Pink Houses stairwell while he was using the stairs because the elevator was out of service. Peter Liang was not responding to a call and he did not render aid and CPR to Akai Gurley after he realized his bullet hit someone.
Peter Liang called his Union rep and searched for his bullet casing while the partner of Akai Gurley who was with in in the stairwell administered the CPR via translation over the phone via the downstairs neighbor. Peter Liang was found GUILTY of 2nd degree Manslaughter by a Jury trial back in February. As I arrived Jane was in the middle of making the point of the Blatant injustice of Peter Liang receiving No Jail Time for taking a like while a 16 year old client of hers gets 1 year in jail for jumping a subway turnstile.
Attorneys want an “end to these broken polices and real mitigating factors to be taken into consideration for their clients”, said Jane Sampeur. She wants more programs inside the courts and less “over Policing”. “OFFERS MADE OF PROGRAMS NOW BEING RESCINDED BY KEN THOMPSON BECAUSE THE CASE WENT UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IN CASES WHERE NO BODY DIED IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR PROGRAMMING IN SPITE OF MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, FIRST ARREST, another attorney yelled out, UNFORTUNATE FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES, HOMELESSNESS”. “THE AMOUNT OF OPERATION SPOTLIGHT 1 YEAR JAIL OFFERS TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T HAVE A HOME IS ASTOUNDING. THIS ISN’T SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE TO SIT BY AND ALLOW TO HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES”. “I’M TIRED OF LOOKING MY CLIENTS IN THE FACE AND EXPLAINING TO THEM WHY THEY’RE DOING JAIL TIME AND PETER LIANG IS SLEEPING SOUNDLY TONIGHT”.
In my interview with Noha Arafa she told me why she was out today in support of Justice for Akai Gurley,, her reply was ‘We’re talking about 6 months house arrest and 5 years probation over a black man who was murdered. We’re protesting over another black man who has been murdered and the police are able to do this with impunity. It’s a demand to have the violence end”.
I asked Noha, “What about just following the law? Peter Liang was convicted of Manslaughter” Noha replied saying, that Judge Chun overturned the juries verdict of Guilty of 2nd degree manslaughter. I asked her if that was legal and she said it was but “RARELY, RARELY, RARELY” ever happens.
“THE ONLY REASON IT HAPPENED WAS BECAUSE PETER LIANG WAS A COP AND THEY DON’T LIKE TO HOLD THE NYPD ACCOUNTABLE”. “Ken Thompson could have easily asked for jail time”, Noha went on. Peter Liang with a Class “E” Felony could have gotten 1-3 years under Criminally Negligent Homicide. “IF IT WERE ONE OF MY CLIENTS,HOWEVER, EASILY HE WOULD HAVE REQUESTED THE MAXIMUM. That’s what Prosecutors do after they’ve gotten a conviction”. “THEY ASK FOR THE MAXIMUM IF YOU JUMP THE TURNSTILE AND HAVE BEEN ARRESTED THREE TIMES”. A year in jail for $2.75 “HE WANTS US TO TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY NOW? He’s offering my clients a YEAR in Jail for $2.75 AND HE LET A MURDERER WALK FREE?” “HE WANTS US TO TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY? HE IS FULL OF IT”
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