Legal terrain altered for Oakland Police Misconduct "Riders" retrial
Tuesday, September 28, 2004 at 07:07PM
TheSpook
It seems like just yesterday that three Oakland
police officers known as "The Riders" were facing charges they lied in
arrest reports about suspected drug dealers in West Oakland. But it's
been a year since the lengthy first trial of the ex-cops ended, with
jurors acquitting them on eight charges and deadlocking on the
remaining 27. On Monday, the key players -- the officers and their
attorneys -- will gather once again for the start of a retrial on 15
remaining charges at the Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland. This
time around, potential jurors will be meticulously screened, in
response to criticism that the original panel did not fairly represent
Oakland's demographics. And Judge Jeffrey Horner has set strict rules
of engagement that have significantly altered the legal terrain for the
rematch between prosecutors and attorneys defending Clarence "Chuck"
Mabanag, Matthew Hornung and Jude Siapno. Horner issued gag
orders against both parties in the trial and barred news cameras from
the seventh floor of Oakland's Rene Davidson Courthouse, where the
retrial will take place. [more ]
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