St. Paul, Minn. – Today, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced he has decided not to convene a grand jury in the matter of the November death of Jamar Clark. Freeman went a step beyond that, stating that grand juries will no longer be used in Hennepin County to determine charges in police-involved shootings. State Rep. John Lesch (DFL – St. Paul) issued the following statement in response:
“I applaud County Attorney Freeman for taking this bold stand regarding officer involved shootings. His announcement today signals a recognition that the status-quo of putting such a consequential decision in the hands of the grand jury – which acts anonymously and without accountability or any transparency – is not acceptable to our community any longer. As a former prosecutor, I agree that these principles are critical pieces for a just democracy, and I hope other jurisdictions take the same route. Grand juries were designed to protect the rights of the accused against the might of government power to charge and indict without consequence, but when the accused party is a representative of that same government power, the people are entitled to greater transparency and accountability.
“These are the same principles that demand investigations be conducted independently of any agency employing the officers involved. I’m confident that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with the assistance of the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office, will soon conclude what I hope will be a thorough, fair investigation of the Jamar Clark case and that the County Attorney will be able to move forward to provide justice for the community.”
Rep. Lesch represents the Como Park, North End, East Side and Hamline-Midway neighborhoods at the Capitol, and serves as the DFL-lead on the Minnesota House Civil Law and Data Practices Committee.