Our very own Criminal Defense Attorney Sam White is pictured here calling for immediate criminal justice reform as Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Task Force spearheaded by the Minority Bar Association of Western New York. The MBAWNY has a criminal justice task force of lawyers that have been working for months to draft these suggestions.
The seven recommendations are:
- Strengthen the Buffalo Police Department’s rules to make sure officers turn on body-worn cameras.
- Reduce the amount of overtime paid for police officers to appear in court, which proponents argue would reduce “the financial incentive for frivolous arrests and charges.”
- Strengthen civilian oversight of the police department.
- Open police disciplinary hearings to the public.
- End the practice of hiring school resource officers in Buffalo Public Schools.
- Pass a duty to intervene law.
- End vehicle searches based on an officer noticing the odor of marijuana.
Full text can be found here.
Attorney Sam White spoke to the Buffalo News about the proposed reforms:
The Minority Bar Association’s proposed changes, if enacted, would “repair the public’s trust with the criminal justice system,” said Samantha I.V. White, bar association secretary.
“As an association of attorneys of color, we know how important it is to work with the police, government officials, district attorneys and community leaders to unify our community,” White said. “However, at present there is a divide that exists between our community and the police, which we cannot ignore any longer. We must repair these relationships. We must unite.”
Just filed my story, so stay tuned. Going to share some videos from the press conference. Here’s Samantha I.V. White, recording secretary of the MInority Bar Assoc. of WNY pic.twitter.com/fCDE1xpLXB
— Aaron Besecker (@AaronBesecker) September 15, 2020
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