WASHINGTON, DC — The National Bar Association is calling for the repeal of North Carolina House Bill 792 that will make it a felony to release police recordings without a court order as of October 1, 2016. The Charlotte Police Department has released a portion of the video showing the killing of Mr. Scott. The National Bar Association calls for the full disclosure of the video footage in its entirety. The killing of Mr. Scott represents a continuing pattern of African Americans being killed systemically by members of the law enforcement community across the country with impunity.
There is an overwhelming feeling in the African American community that these shootings are illegal and our system of justice is unjust and less than color blind. Much of this distrust can be attributed to the lack of transparency and accountability. North Carolina House Bill 792 will further exacerbate the overwhelming feeling of distrust of our criminal justice system. This bill should be repealed immediately or North Carolina will risk deepening mistrust of law enforcement and ultimately the rule of law.
The National Bar Association also calls for the United States Department of Justice to immediately open a “full investigation” into the shooting of Mr. Scott. The African American community cannot trust local law enforcement to investigate itself. In every killing, they deflect the reality of racism and engage in bizarre racial gymnastics where they dissect the videos and attempt to find something that could make African American deaths their own fault.[pullquote] “We cannot trust local prosecutors to conduct unbiased, thorough, and objective investigations,” said National Bar Association President Kevin Judd. The NBA implores the Department of Justice to step in now to insure that justice is served. [/pullquote]
ABOUT THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
The National Bar Association was founded in 1925 and is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 60,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students. The NBA is organized around 23 substantive law sections, 9 divisions, 12 regions and 80 affiliate chapters throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit: www.nationalbar.org.
About Post Author
