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Judi Lynn

(160,611 posts) Tue Feb 9, 2016, 11:05 AM Feb 2016

Georgia law giving police grand jury access may face change

Source: Associated Press

Georgia law giving police grand jury access may face change

Kate Brumback, Associated Press

Updated 8:08 am, Tuesday, February 9, 2016

ATLANTA (AP) — After a naked, mentally ill black veteran was shot dead by a white police officer last March in an Atlanta suburb, the officer was allowed a privilege ordinary citizens don't get, and even police officers don't get anywhere except in Georgia: He sat in on the grand jury session considering the shooting and addressed the grand jurors without facing cross-examination.

Grand jury proceedings are traditionally secret, with the person accused of wrongdoing often unaware the grand jury is hearing the case. But Georgia law requires that a law enforcement officer be allowed to sit in on the entire proceeding and make a statement at the end that prosecutors can't question.

Robert Olsen was a DeKalb County police officer when he killed Anthony Hill on March 9 while responding to a call about a naked man behaving erratically outside an apartment complex. When his case went before a grand jury last month, Olsen spoke to the panel for 20 minutes. His were the last words the grand jurors heard before deliberating.

Even though District Attorney Robert James won an indictment against Olsen, he thinks the law on police and grand juries has to change.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Georgia-law-giving-police-grand-jury-access-may-6817072.php

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3 replies

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Georgia law giving police grand jury access may face change (Original Post) Judi Lynn Feb 2016 OP

Would they let a mob boss see the jurors that are going to sent them to trial? A Simple Game Feb 2016 #1

The circumstances of that shooting were so egregious that even if the DA tblue37 Feb 2016 #2

In your face Bernin Feb 2016 #3

A Simple Game

(9,214 posts)

1. Would they let a mob boss see the jurors that are going to sent them to trial?

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue Feb 9, 2016, 11:26 AM

Feb 2016

There's a reason the accused shouldn't get to see the jurors or be able to possibly intimidate them by their presence. Especially anyone associated with a group that could exhibit authority, intimidation, or worse upon the jurors.

tblue37

(65,483 posts)

2. The circumstances of that shooting were so egregious that even if the DA

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue Feb 9, 2016, 01:44 PM

Feb 2016

wanted to, he probably couldn't have prevented the indictment.

The cop actually had a Taser on him at the time, which made using the gun even more unforgivable.

I suspect that when the man (Anthony Hill) began approaching him (with his hands up, I might add), the cop freaked out at the thought of coming into physical contact with a naked man:

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/03/10/latest-police-killing-black-man-victim-was-both-unarmed-and-mentally-ill

(SNIP)

A maintenance man at the complex told the New York Times that Hill "was naked and on all fours in the parking lot when the police officer, who is white, arrived in his squad car, parking a good distance away."

The Times continued:

When Mr. Hill saw the officer, Mr. Castillo said, he stood up and moved toward him with his hands raised, and the officer, obviously frightened, yelled for him to stop. Mr. Castillo said that he had not seen a scuffle, but that he did see the officer pull out the handgun and shoot Mr. Hill <emphasis added>.

(SNIP)

Bernin

(311 posts)

3. In your face

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue Feb 9, 2016, 03:20 PM

Feb 2016

example of multi-tiered justice system!

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