Alan Dershowitz, a well-known criminal lawyer from New York and professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, suggested that Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby’s actions were motivated more by political expediency and short-term public safety than strong evidence.
He called the charges “outrageous and irresponsible,” especially a second-degree murder count filed against the van’s driver under a legal principle known as “depraved heart.”
The decision to charge was based more for its potential to calm the gathered crowds than a full examination of each individual officers role in the incident.
Last night, Dershowitz appeared on the Kelly File and made this bone-chilling observation and he didn’t hold any punches on his feelings:
Clearly ‘murder,’ actions with the intent to, and goal of, killing, will be hard to prove for all six, if any. The jury will be charged with the impossible if the evidence is simply not there, but the required verdict has been demanded.
Dershowitz is not alone in his thinking, check out some of these reactions:
Alan Dershowitz: Charges Against Baltimore Cops Pure Politics, Won’t Stick http://t.co/ALicFDCMxn via @visiontoamerica
— Karen Johnson82261 (@kj208942) May 5, 2015
Alan Dershowitz still pretty upset about how quickly Baltimore cops were charge: http://t.co/7RU2W6rBkY
— Josh Feldman (@feldmaniac) May 5, 2015
[VIDEO]: Alan Dershowitz: Charges Against Baltimore Police Officers Are About ‘Crowd Control,’ Not Justice http://t.co/iR73zHAs7s
— Tea Party Crusaders (@SantoLippo_) May 5, 2015
The trial should be a hoot though from the circus of jury selection to the judge’s instructions to the jury to be careful that their decision won’t ‘provoke’ the crowd like a Mohammed cartoon contest in Mecca.
It’s going to be a long, hot summer.
Do you think Dershowitz is correct in his assessment or is he overreaching? Share your comments below.
H/T: FoxNews
