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* Salon…
In a meeting on July 24, 2012, Chicago Police Officer Allyson Bogdalek broke down and cried as she admitted to prosecutors the obvious: She had lied under oath in the case of a man accused of robbing a Back of the Yards liquor store and shooting the owner in the leg.
The victim of the shooting had picked the suspect, Ranceallen Hankerson, out of a lineup. But Officer Bogdalek lied on the stand during an April 13, 2011, hearing when she denied that the victim had been shown photographs of possible suspects prior to Hankerson’s arrest. In fact, the victim had been shown photos, and he had failed to pick Hankerson out—evidence that would have proven beneficial to the defense.
Prosecutors opened an investigation, and recommend indicting Bogdalek for perjury and other felonies, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office files provided to Salon. In February 2014, however, the process came to a screeching halt: State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez overruled her subordinates and instructed them that no charges would be filed. The case, which until now has escaped much public notice, provides evidence to back charges that Alvarez, currently under fire for her handling of the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald, protects officers accused of misconduct. […]
In a statement released to Salon, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office blamed judges and juries, saying that they decided not to prosecute Bogdalek because it is simply too hard to win convictions against police officers.
The officer admitted committing perjury and yet they doubted they could get a conviction?
* Tribune…
Fraternal Order of Police President Dean Angelo told aldermen it was “very disturbing” to rank-and-file officers that the mayor said during a high-profile speech to the City Council this month that the city needs to deal with the “code of silence” in which Chicago police protect each other when they engage in misconduct.
“We have kids, we have bills, we have families,” Angelo said. “And to think, in 2015, with all the cameras that are around and all the videotaping that’s going on, that a police officer’s going to risk his livelihood for his family is ridiculous. And to think we have a population of people that say ‘Oh, it’s not a big thing. We do it every day.’ We don’t do that. This is not 1950.”
But when Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno, 1st, asked Angelo to state for the record that a code of silence doesn’t exist in the Police Department, Angelo hedged. “There is not an answer I could give you that would be a blanket statement that someone out there is not doing something they should not be doing,” Angelo said. “I can’t say that.”
* Meanwhile, the Second City Cop blog has an interesting post about some of Mayor Emanuel’s recent promotions. The blog also points to this story…
Could Rahm Emanuel be headed to the witness stand?
Attorneys representing two police officers who said they faced retaliation for trying to reveal corruption, say they will call the mayor to testify about a so-called “code of silence” in the Chicago Police Department.
The mayor’s office said it will oppose any such effort, but lawyers for the two officers say he is key to their case, because he has publicly acknowledged that officers sometimes cover for each other.
“We now have an admission from the highest, within the City of Chicago, that the code of silence exists,” says attorney Christopher Smith. […]
“I am looking for a new leader for the Chicago Police Department, to address the problem at the very heart of the policing profession,” Emanuel told the City Council last Wednesday. “The problem is sometimes referred to as the thin blue line. The problem is other times referred to as the code of silence, and its tendency to ignore it. It is a tendency to deny it. It is a tendency in some cases to cover up the bad actions of colleagues.”
Oops.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 8:55 am
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==simply too hard to win convictions against police officers==
Doing what’s right doesn’t mean doing what’s easy.
Comment by Tommydanger Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:11 am
I understand there is considerable worry about what comes after Rahm or the current administration falls. Where are we with those thoughts. What would happen if Rahm and current pols fall on the sword?
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:11 am
No prosecutor worth his or her salt ever ever walks away from a case because they fear a judge or a jury.
A good prosecutor should expect not to have many friends because of the difficult prosecutions they should pursue. They should however, have many people who respect them for making the tough choices knowing that many of them will be unpopular.
I’m guessing Alvarez has more friends than people who respect her.
Comment by Tommydanger Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:15 am
Telling quotes? Let’s highlight this one,
“We have kids, we have bills, we have families,” Angelo said. “And to think, in 2015, with all the cameras that are around and all the videotaping that’s going on, that a police officer’s going to risk his livelihood for his family is ridiculous.”
All the broken cameras? Missing and non-existent audio? Not so ridiculous, sir.
Kids, bills, and families are EXACTLY why the code of silence is perpetrated in law enforcement.
Emmanuel spoke the truth on this. Good for him. Lead the way in revamping a system where good, honest, moral people don’t fear losing their jobs because they need to expose wrong.
From experience, it’s a culture change. A new culture where it is safe discuss and challenge coworkers on best practices and
to challenge wrong behavior. Safe to report gross incidents.
The Feds are helping Milwaukee…..
Comment by cdog Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:20 am
–The officer admitted committing perjury and yet they doubted they could get a conviction?–
No whopper is too big for Alvarez.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:26 am
The CPD’s Code of Silence is alive and well (and open and notorious) — and it is one of the reasons so many found Rahm and McCarthy attempts to scold the residents of high-crime neighborhoods about a “no-snitch code on Chicago’s streets” absolutely laughable.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:53 am
It’s all about Us v. Them.
Apparently Alvarez and the police are on the same team, in her mind. OK up to a point, but it has to be trumped by the law.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 10:56 am
Alvarez has never shied away from prosecuting witnesses for perjury in actual innocence claims. http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/166415/former-judges-ex-prosecutors-urge-alvarez-to-drop-perjury-case
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 11:13 am
==- Tommydanger - Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:11 am:==
Sure, but you’d have to be focused on justice, not a conviction rate.
==- cdog - Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 9:20 am:==
Is this really a surprise from FOP? Let’s remember, this group of workers let a rogue squad run wild until one of them wanted to off one of their own (Jerome Finnegan).
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 11:59 am
Interesting that the prosecutors are blaming judges for making it to difficult to when convictions against police officers when most of the judges are former prosecutors.
Comment by Gesquire Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 12:49 pm
Dean Angelo code of silence? Wow. The FOP president has quite the background. No credibility what so ever. He looks healthy to me. He gets 2 checks for his duties. One for being President and the other check as a disabled officer.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 6:19 pm
[Interesting that the prosecutors are blaming judges for making it to difficult to when convictions against police officers when most of the judges are former prosecutors.]
Boom! That’s how you get a guy off with DNA on his gun.
Comment by Truthy Wednesday, Dec 16, 15 @ 8:27 pm