No re-sentencing for Chicago policeman in Laquan McDonald murder, court rules

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a request by state prosecutors to hold a new sentencing hearing for ex-Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke who was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for murdering black teenager Laquan McDonald.

Van Dyke, 40, who is white, was convicted in October in the shooting death of 17-year-old McDonald in 2014 in a case that highlighted racial tensions in America’s third-largest city. He is the first on-duty Chicago police officer to be convicted for the killing of a black person.

Van Dyke faced 20 years in prison for second-degree murder and up to 30 years for each of 16 counts of aggravated battery - one count for each shot he fired at McDonald, who was carrying a knife.

In January, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Gaughan sentenced Van Dyke to six years and nine months in prison on just the murder charge, arguing it was the more serious crime.

-snip-

U.S. MARCH 19, 2019 / 12:56 PM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO
Brendan O'Brien
3 MIN READ


Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chicago-police/no-re-sentencing-for-chicago-policeman-in-laquan-mcdonald-murder-court-rules-idUSKCN1R026X

[rpannier]

1. A whole six years and nine months in prison

Wow!
I wonder if that was due to his otherwise blameless life

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Most get off

It's sadly shocking that he got any prison time at all.

[oldsoftie]

4. Exactly. Thats why i made the post below.

[rpannier]

5. I know they do

I have a cousin who is a Captain with the California Highway Patrol. Her take on the CHP is
1. 25% of them should be fired or forcibly retired
2. 20% of them should be in jail
3. 10% should be send back for retraining
4. 10% should be restricted to filing paperwork at a desk and certainly should not be allowed to carry a gun

She says only about 1/3 of them are worth a damn

[oldsoftie]

3. I'm glad to see one deserving a sentence actually GETTING one that was more than 30 days.

Baby steps. And THIS was one case that needed a conviction.