MPD to undertake changes in its police practices and training programs with regard to demonstrations.
This lawsuit uncovered and exposed the police department’s long-term domestic spying operation in which officers were sent undercover to infiltrate protest groups in the absence of any allegations of criminal activity. This led to a DC Council investigation and efforts to reign in police spying, incorporated into the First Amendment Rights and Police Standards Act which became effective last year. This lawsuit also revealed that felonious attacks on lawful protestors along the parade route who were beaten and pepper sprayed were carried out by MPD plain-clothed detectives on an undercover counter-intelligence detail. The MPD initially denied that these men were their officers until PCJ established it in the litigation. These attacks gained national attention including on NOW with Bill Moyers and in the movie Unconstitutional.
A critical change as a result of this litigation regards use of force
against demonstrators. "This litigation uncovered the fact that the MPD
had suspended use of force reporting requirements during
demonstrations," stated Carl Messineo, attorney and co-founder of the
Partnership for Civil Justice. "In other words, the police had been
given a green light to assault protestors knowing that they would not
have to report their actions or acknowledge that force had been used."
This
shocking and unconscionable practice has now been brought to an end.
The District of Columbia has now agreed that use of force reporting
requirements will stay fully in force during mass demonstrations.
Further the settlement agreement requires changes in police training to
reflect this requirement. Additionally, the police training will now
include restrictions and prohibitions on use of police lines against
protestors and instruction to officers that parading without a permit is
not an arrestable offense.
“This is a victory for the First
Amendment rights of all people who seek to protest in the capital of the
United States without police brutality and disruption of assembly,”
stated attorney Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, co-founder of PCJ, and co-chair
of the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee. “This agreement
puts an end to the police department’s practice and policy of letting
officers brutalize demonstrators without concern for accountability and
makes clear that protestors cannot be swept off the streets regardless
of whether they have permits.”
The District will also make a payment of $685,000 to encompass attorneys fees and costs incurred during this 5 1/2 years of litigation as well as damages, including to two people who were violently assaulted by plain-clothed MPD officers along the Inaugural route.
Yesterday, it was announced that Chief Ramsey would be leaving the
MPD. In addition to this lawsuit, he leaves in his wake additional mass
violations of free speech rights and outstanding claims for over 1,000
false arrests of political protestors including two class actions that
are still pending. The Partnership for Civil Justice is class counsel in
these pending lawsuits.
The lawsuit, IAC, et al. v USA, et al. was
filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Additional
plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Elizabeth Ayer, Brian Becker,
Elizabeth Butler, Alix Davidson, Adam Eidinger, Lowell Fletcher, Larry
Holmes, Michael Shinn and the Justice Action Movement.
More information on this lawsuit and other free speech cases can be found at www.JusticeOnline.org
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