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| NEWS > 17 April 2006 |
Other related articles:
Police study urges change in S
In a report the township refused to release, consultant finds out-of-date policy manuals, unsecured evidence.
SUGARLOAF TWP. – A consultant for the Governor’s Center for Local Government Policy last year found several serious problems with the operation of the township Police Department. He made 73 recommendations for improvements.
The state recently released the study that township officials previously refused to turn over to the Times Leader.
The Times Leader reported in February that township officials might be violating state law by refusing to turn o... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (su
17 April 2006
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Frank Jude Jr. on Oct. 24, 200
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The silence and shame of some
By DIANE M. HARDY
The verdicts in the Frank Jude Jr. beating trial did not surprise me. I've had an uneasy feeling that former police officers Andrew Spengler, Daniel Masarik and Jon Bartlett would be found not guilty. Many in the community, however, never imagined this outcome.
Hearing "not guilty" still made me so angry and agitated that I headed to the Milwaukee County Courthouse after the verdicts Friday night.
A small crowd had gathered. The feeling of anger and frustration was palpable.
Some of the chants echoed my feelings, such as "Justice for Jude; Justice for All." Others warned of an impending war between the community and police.
The protest was peaceful, but some of the rage expressed is felt by many African-Americans and other minorities. For some, this case is another example of the lack of justice for non-whites.
I don't blame the prosecutors nor credit defense strategy. While I feel an all-white jury hardly represented the city, I squarely blame the people at the party that October 2004 night in Bay View, especially the off- and on-duty police officers.
Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann seemingly has long given the Milwaukee Police Department a pass in police shootings with an inquest system that favors the police. Now, he complains about the "code of silence" when it hurts his high-profile case.
McCann is right that the silence of police affected the jury's deliberations. The few officers who did step forward did not meet the jury's burden of proof.
It scares me that there are probably still officers on staff that were present that night. Though Chief Nannette Hegerty has tried to punish individuals who were involved in the beating and coverup, I have lost confidence in the Police Department.
Spengler wants his job back. If I were a victim of a crime and he appeared at my door, I would not let him in. I cannot trust an officer who has shown such poor judgment. He throws a party where a serious crime occurs, then claims to not know or see anything.
Party hosts have been held criminally responsible for other acts, such as underage drinking or driving under the influence. Yet Spengler hosts a party where a man is beaten to a bloody pulp and walks free.
Most police officers are good cops. They do their jobs at great risk, in many adverse situations. All officers will now face the Jude fallout.
Many have worked hard to try to sway young people away from the idea of "no snitching." We want citizens to cooperate with police when a crime occurs. Unfortunately, the officers who beat Jude and those who covered it up do not abide by this rule themselves.
It is disgusting that so many people witnessed the horrendous violence against Jude and did not speak up during the investigation or the trial.
I believe that a person's true nature emerges in a crisis. The lack of compassion, integrity, honesty and decency of those who refused to cooperate has allowed a vicious beating to go unpunished so far. They should be ashamed.
Those who protected the guilty out of friendship or misguided loyalty will pay the price in their conscience and potentially their profession. In the long run, they probably will find that these loyalties were not worth the damage. And the guilty will have gone free.
Hegerty said that this incident stemmed from an off-duty drinking party. It was not started by officers in patrol cars who then jumped out to attack a man. Trial testimony stated that several off-duty officers declared they were acting as police at the scene. This holds them accountable to standard police behavior, if they were using their job's authority to exert influence or to subdue Jude.
Most would say police officers should be held to a higher standard, whether they are on duty or not. I cannot help thinking of the 2005 shooting of Wilbert Prado, who was shot in the back by an off-duty officer. If officers carry their weapon and claim to be acting as officers, they must be held to a higher standard.
Sadly, the only way I see closure coming in this community is if the cowards who didn't come forward before the Jude trial do so now.
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