In the King case, the prosecutors felt no need to offer an expert to counter the defense expert whom a New York City defense attorney called the pivotal witness and did so even before the trial had ended. In New York, a vicious prosecutorial attack was made against the four officers. In California, a vicious prosecutorial attack was made againts the four officers, including an attempt assault by the prosecutor during closing arguments as he, apparently enraged, rushed across the courtroom, past the judge, and past and around behind the stunned defense attorneys and toward the officers before the judge stopped him and ordered him back to the prosecutors table. In both cases the jurors returned not guilty verdicts. In California, with nearly unveiled urging from Mayor Tom Bradley and others, thousands rioted causing the deaths of 50 persons and billions of dollars of damage.
Lets hope New York City restrains from rioting.
In Simi Valley, California the jurors who rendered the only verdict possible consistent with their oath were, and continue, to be castigated for their honest verdict. Let's hope the Albany County jury is not subject to the same long lasting criticism. Court TV and other bulletin boards and chat rooms as well as the media are all talking 'kill', 'burn', 'riot', 'war', and other words of rioting and anarchy blaming the jury with racism and other terms of choice to those who oppose, rather than listen to, facts. Soon after the verdict and rioting in California, the U.S. Justice Department began its work to prosecute and selectively presented evidence to a Los Angeles Federal Grand Jury. Following the trial was a sentence of 30 months for two officers and an appeal by the feds seeking an increase of the sentence to ten years, which was finally denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.