Redwood Curtain CopWatch, based in the north coast of California, is part of a larger movement of self organized CopWatch groups throughout the US. Our local efforts seek to intervene in the drastic rise of the presence, militarization, and violence of the police, and build support networks based on self-determination, caring, and concrete needs.
Michael Rains
Oscar Grant's Murderer (cop Johannes Mehserle) Wants a New Trial
Submitted by copwatch on Fri, 10/08/2010 - 8:56pmMehserle lawyer moves for new trial: What the defense is arguing
Published on Monday, October 04, 2010
file photo, Johannes Mehserle
Lessons from the Oscar Grant Tragedy – We Need to Get to Work, by Kokayi Kwa Jitahidi / Feb 2010
In many instances, the second pre-trial hearing for Johannes Mehserle could be seen as a victorious day for the family and supporters of Oscar Grant, who was fatally shot by Mehserle as he lay unarmed on a platform in Oakland on New Year’s Day 2009.
After weeks of nervous speculation, presiding Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert Perry rejected motions put forth by Mehserle’s legal team to reduce his bail amount and remove the Alameda County district attorney from the case.
While Perry acknowledged that prosecutors employed some questionable and perhaps unconstitutional tactics during their investigation, those acts failed to substantiate the extreme requests of defense attorney Michael Rains.
Victory also extended to outside of the courtroom as scores of activists and supporters braved the early morning chill to hold signs, recite chants, and talk to onlookers — all in the name of making the often-apathetic L.A. populace aware of one of the most significant court cases in state history.
