Judge Sits Out Decision on Eric Garner Transcripts

After the agonizing death of Eric Garner, Justice Stephen J. Rooney of State Supreme Court on Staten Island who oversaw the grand jury has relieved himself from releasing transcripts of the proceedings. These transcripts consist of whether or not the jury should charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo as a criminal. In addition, David Bookstaver, the spokesman for the New York State court system said 'judges do little more than swear in the jurors during a grand jury proceeding'. Immediately after the grand jury’s decision, the Staten Island district attorney, Daniel M. Donovan Jr., requested that Justice Rooney release limited information; he did not request the transcripts. After this ordeal the Staten Island district attorney, Daniel M. Donovan Jr., requested that Justice Rooney reveal the information that jury's should have seen prior tot he case. This is his response: "The conflict doesn't arise until there is a request for the minutes themselves,"

All I have to say is for the NYPD to stop hiding information that needs to be given out! If our justice system would stop hiding behind their titles then maybe, just maybe justice would be served. I fear that the police and court justices are allowed to use and abuse their power. Clearly, this is not what our Founding Fathers intended for the future of America. We as Americans should feel safe, and comfortable yet we have police officers murdering civilians. Overall, the Eric Garner decision, hopefully, has opened the eyes of many Americans that are blinded to the imbalance of power.

Goodman, J. "Judge Sits Out Decision on Eric Garner Transcripts." The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 Dec. 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/nyregion/judge-sits-out-decision-on-eric-garner-transcripts.html?ref=politics>.