Klobuchar's Rise Brings New Scrutiny to Record as Prosecutor

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

(Bloomberg) -- Senator Amy Klobuchar pressed the need to tackle racial disparities in the criminal justice system as scrutiny over her track record as a prosecutor in Minnesota increased following a strong showing in the New Hampshire primary.

Klobuchar also said her campaign had raised more than $12 million online since the New Hampshire Democratic debate on Feb. 7, mostly from new donors, helping to scale up her 2020 presidential effort heading into Super Tuesday.

“Everyone involved in the criminal justice system has to take responsibility, including myself,” Klobuchar said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” one of four talk-show appearances on Sunday. “What we know is that there’s institutional racism. And how do we get at it is really my job and will be my job as president.”

The moderate Democrat’s time as the top prosecutor in Minneapolis has come under fire amid new revelations in the case of a 16-year-old boy who was sentenced to life in prison for the 2002 death of an 11-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet. Both were African-American.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/klobuchar-says-she-raised-12-155716384.html

[apcalc]

1. I heard her address some past cases, saying some should be reviewed because the important thing is

To get justice, if there is new info, new technology. Any past wrongs must be righted, where circumstances etc. allow.

[Kurt V.]

2. klobuchar is not rising. this is a media narrative. She's gone from 2.5 % to 5.

Trending up is not rising

[demofan40]

3. She's had almost twenty years to review Myron Burrell's case

And hasn't. Even the victims parents don't believe he did it. His conviction was based on flimsy, questionable testimony.

She's done nothing but dodge question in recent interviews. Not acceptable.

This along with a prosecuting record that constantly favored police at the expense of minorities could (and should) greatly hinder her chances.

[jmg257]

7. See post 6. This attack and the facts have been shown here before.

[judeling]

10. That is flat out BS.

The evidence was strong enough to get 2 of the three involved to plead and never recant and he has been given a retrial after a reinvestigation and several other hearings. The Tyesha Edwards case was high profile true, But that was because the entire Metro area was outraged. She stepped in and brought in the County and the State to look over the shoulders of the Minneapolis Police when ask so that the relations between the AA community and the Mpls police would not cloud the verdicts. That was because she had built up the credibility in that community from the work she had already done. I'm sorry if I get so forceful about this but I live four blocks from were it happened and remember it well. There was very little doubt at the time that they had gotten the correct people. And that from people who knew the cast of characters well. Let us not forget they were gangbangers. While that is not even an indication of guilt, it does put the post trial recantations in a different light.

That AP story is fine, except it is never clear what investigation they are talking about? Was it the 2002 or the 2008? The answer was some from the first ad some from the second. How many rounds of recanting of the recanting of the recanting is enough. Once under oath there has actually been very little recanting. The system relies on adequate representation of the defendant, Burrell was given six different lawyers. When one didn't seem to work he fired them and was provided another. What is more when he was convicted the second time he got an even harsher sentence.

Next she was the county attorney, she had limited control over the Minneapolis or Bloomington or Richfield or any other police under her jurisdiction. That was the mayors. What is being said is that she didn't jump in aggressively enough on the limited number of police involved shooting where there was a possible reason to and when she did that she allowed the grand jury to decide.

Amy had a pretty good record, not perfect but pretty good. And if there was something actually systematically wrong with it we would have heard of it by now.

It will be something she will have to deal with but it is nothing she should be all that worried about.

[Squinch]

4. Yeah. Let's demolish another of our candidates. Trump isn't going to do the

work. Let's do it for him.

How fucking stupid are we.

[demofan40]

5. A teenager sentenced to life in prison could very well be innocent

And you think no one should care?

Nothing glorious in pom poms over principles on this one.

[squirecam]

6. More out of context smearing

The defendant was tried and convicted twice. Amy was not involved in the second prosecution.

On appeal, the defendant claimed he had witnesses to support him, but they recanted or failed to show. Even after multiple continuances were given. Amy has called for a further review, and that’s the appropriate step.

The case info is here. For those who want FACTS and not a drive by smear job.

https://cases.justia.com/minnesota/supreme-court/2015-a13-1769.pdf?ts=1423072899

On July 17, 2013, the postconviction court denied Burrell’s postconviction petition. The court determined that Burrell had “provided virtually no additional evidence,” and that the substance of any new evidence was “highly speculative” and “likely cumulative.” The court concluded that it had provided Burrell with opportunities to present evidence from the witnesses, time for counsel to explore possible remedies to secure the witnesses’ testimony, and multiple continuances. The court also held that it had no authority to issue a bench warrant for Brown’s failure to appear at the March 26 or March 27, 2013, hearings because Brown had not been properly served with a subpoena for those dates

[demofan40]

8. It is not a smear job

From article at link:

In the Associated Press report released last week, new details emerged over Myron Burrell’s incarceration. Burrell was convicted and given a life sentence for the killing of Edwards after a swift police investigation that allegedly produced no DNA evidence, no gun, and no fingerprints to tie Burrell to the crime. The case largely revolved around Burrell’s “rival” who accounted for his presence at the crime scene in what is now described to be a “coached” testimony.

On top of that, there is no record that Burrell’s alibi was ever checked, although the 16-year-old maintained that he was with friends on the day of the shooting. Now, it’s come to light that alibis were never questioned for the case and evidence seems to have gone missing, though leaked footage shows the chief homicide detective taking cash for information.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/burrell-case-isn-t-first-181407890.html

Furthermore, your candidate has been evasive all week long on this issue, still saying that she intends to review new evidence. She's had years to do this, and she hasn't.

[squirecam]

9. The article leaves out important facts.

https://cases.justia.com/minnesota/supreme-court/2015-a13-1769.pdf?ts=1423072899

On July 17, 2013, the postconviction court denied Burrell’s postconviction petition. The court determined that Burrell had “provided virtually no additional evidence,” and that the substance of any new evidence was “highly speculative” and “likely cumulative.” The court concluded that it had provided Burrell with opportunities to present evidence from the witnesses, time for counsel to explore possible remedies to secure the witnesses’ testimony, and multiple continuances. The court also held that it had no authority to issue a bench warrant for Brown’s failure to appear at the March 26 or March 27, 2013, hearings because Brown had not been properly served with a subpoena for those dates

He was convicted twice.

He was given 5 opportunities to present witnesses under oath to support his claims. They either failed to appear or recanted their statements.

There is no evidence that Amy even knew of any alleged misconduct, let alone was involved in it. The video that has floated around was for the second trial. Amy was in the senate then.

But, of course, both the article and the people here who keep posting about it don’t want to describe the context. They don’t want to address these facts.

[judeling]

11. What the AP article fails to mention.

On top of that, there is no record that Burrell’s alibi was ever checked, although the 16-year-old maintained that he was with friends on the day of the shooting. Now, it’s come to light that alibis were never questioned for the case and evidence seems to have gone missing, though leaked footage shows the chief homicide detective taking cash for information.

Was from the second case the reinvestigation. Indeed the first round all of that was done.