GUILTY IL - Laquan McDonald, 17, fatally shot, Chicago PD charged, 20 Oct 2014 -J. VanDyke GUILTY*

[YESorNO]

Jeffrey Neslund David Eisbrouch & Jesse Weber Talk Cop Coverup Trial 11/30/18

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David Eisbrouch Joseph Scott Morgan & Jesse Weber Talk Cop Coverup Trial 11/30/18

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Brian Buckmire & Stacey Delikat Talk Cop Coverup Trial 11/30/18

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[YESorNO]

Judge Brandon Birmingham Ross Kramer & Judge Ashley Willcott Talk Cop Coverup Trial and Chris Watts

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[YESorNO]

[Warning: Graphic]

Dashcam Video of Officer Jason Van Dyke Shooting Laquan McDonald

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[YESorNO]

Officer says reports on shooting citing her are lies

November 28, 2018

"CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago police officer testified Wednesday that she’s being called a traitor by some of her colleagues for contradicting department reports about the circumstances surrounding the fatal 2014 shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald.

Officer Dora Fontaine is a witness in the trial of ex-Officer Joseph Walsh, former Detective David March and suspended Officer Thomas Gaffney. Prosecutors allege the three concocted a version of the shooting to protect Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted of second-degree murder earlier this year.

Fontaine testified that she and her partner, Ricardo Viramontes, headed to the scene after hearing a call over the police radio. She said she saw the shooting of McDonald and told March what she saw: “Male black walking southbound, swaying the knife, twisting, falling.”

She said March’s reports about the incident didn’t match what she told him. Fontaine said she called her lawyer when she learned of March’s report because she felt like she needed legal advice.

“Why did this matter to you?” Holmes asked...."

Officer says reports on shooting citing her are lies
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The Latest: Officer: Reports on shooting citing her are lies

November 28, 2018

"CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on conspiracy trial of three relating to 2014 fatal shooting of Chicago teen Laquan McDonald (all times local):

6:30 p.m.

A Chicago police officer says comments attributed to her in a department report about the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald were lies.

Officer Dora Fontaine testified Wednesday in the trial of Thomas Gaffney, David March and Joseph Walsh. Prosecutors allege the three concocted a version of the shooting to protect Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted of second-degree murder earlier this year...."

The Latest: Officer: Reports on shooting citing her are lies
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[YESorNO]

Witness contradicts police account of shooting of black teen

November 29, 2018

"CHICAGO (AP) — A man who witnessed a Chicago officer fatally shoot black teenager Laquan McDonald testified Thursday that police waved him away without questioning him that October 2014 night and didn’t even bother to take down his name.

Jose Torres, testifying in the trial of three officers accused of lying to protect the white officer who shot McDonald, offered an account that contradicts what the officers wrote in their reports. Torres said he decided to come forward with his version of events after he heard a spokesman for the police union on television telling reporters that McDonald “was lunging” at Officer Jason Van Dyke with the small knife the 17-year-old was carrying in his right hand....

The bench trial in which a judge will decide whether the three are guilty is set to resume Tuesday afternoon."

Witness contradicts police account of shooting of black teen
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Cop cover-up trial Day 3: Trial stalls amid fight over emails

11/29/2018

"4:36 p.m. Conspiracy trial stalls until next week when argument breaks out over emails

An argument over whether Cook County Judge Domenica Stephenson should consider a series of emails as prosecutors try to prove their conspiracy case against three current or former Chicago Police officers abruptly stalled the trial Thursday afternoon.

After taking time to read the emails privately, the judge said she wanted to have more time — until Tuesday — to consider them.

The defense attorneys insisted the emails can’t be used against their clients, who didn’t send or receive them, and their arguments dragged through much of the afternoon.

“Now they want to put in emails by authors nowhere near this courtroom, against David March,” James McKay, March’s defense attorney, argued.

Assistant Special Prosecutor Brian Watson argued that each officer included false information from the emails in their police reports — such as the number of officers “injured” and other details — and that’s evidence of an agreement to cover for Jason Van Dyke. The loss of the emails could be devastating to the prosecution...."

Cop cover-up trial Day 3: Trial stalls amid fight over emails
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5 takeaways from Day 3 in trial of alleged Chicago police cover-up of Laquan McDonald shooting

November 29, 2018

"Here are five takeaways from the third day of testimony at the trial of three former or current Chicago cops for the alleged cover-up of the Laquan McDonald shooting:...

The trial won't resume until about 1 p.m. Tuesday because of scheduling conflicts...."

5 takeaways from Day 3 in trial of alleged Chicago police cover-up of Laquan McDonald shooting
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[YESorNO]

A complete guide to the Laquan McDonald shooting and criminal trials

"Jason Van Dyke, the on-duty Chicago Police officer who fatally shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014, was found guilty in the teenager's murder on Oct. 5, 2018. The Sun-Times staff tracked the case in the months leading up to the trial and is tracking a subsequent trial of three officers accused of covering up the incident. This page tracks every day of that trial and features background information in the case...."

A complete guide to the Laquan McDonald shooting and the Jason Van Dyke trial | Chicago Sun-Times
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[JerseyGirl]

Testimony resumes Thursday in trial of three cops in alleged cover-up in Laquan McDonald shooting

 

[Hraefn]

Defense rests, none of the three took the stand. Closing arguments after lunch is over (which should be any minute).
Live updates: Defense rests without officers taking the stand in trial of alleged cover-up in Laquan McDonald shooting

 

[Hraefn]

Defense rests, none of the three took the stand. Closing arguments after lunch is over (which should be any minute).
Live updates: Defense rests without officers taking the stand in trial of alleged cover-up in Laquan McDonald shooting

New update at the link says the Judge will rule 12/19.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Jason Van Dyke loses bid for new trial for Laquan McDonald's murder

 

[Hraefn]

Jason Van Dyke loses bid for new trial for Laquan McDonald's murder

From link:

Van Dyke is now scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18. He faces up to 20 years behind bars.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge delays decision in cover-up trial of 3 Chicago cops

After hearing closing arguments on Dec. 6, Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson said she would issue her findings Wednesday.

 

[Hraefn]

Judge delays decision in cover-up trial of 3 Chicago cops

After hearing closing arguments on Dec. 6, Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson said she would issue her findings Wednesday.

The verdict for the 3 officers was delayed again, but the last update I saw was that it is supposed to be happening today. Judge delays ruling on Laquan McDonald conspiracy case to Jan. 15

Van Dyke sentencing is still scheduled for Friday.

When a Cook County judge decides former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke’s fate later this week, prosecutors will not be pushing for the ex-patrolman to spend the rest of his life in prison for killing Laquan McDonald, according to court documents filed Monday.

Just a few hours after special prosecutor Joseph McMahon indicated he would not take a hard-line position at sentencing, Van Dyke’s defense team filed dozen of letters begging the judge for leniency. The filing including emotional letters from his two school-age daughters to Judge Vincent Gaughan.

“I have been bullied at school about what has happened,” Van Dyke’s 12-year-old daughter wrote. “Kids come up to me and say that my dad is a murderer. That hurts so much when people say that to me. My dad is not that.”
[...]
In his court filing, though, McMahon gave his blessing for a sentence that could restore Van Dyke’s freedom while he’s still young enough to rebuild his life. While outlining a way for Van Dyke to be sentenced to as little as 18 years in prison, McMahon did not make a specific recommendation as to how many years the ex-officer should be incarcerated.
[...]
By contrast, the defense filed court documents seeking probation.

Prosecutors lay out potential path for ex-officer to avoid virtual life sentence for Laquan McDonald slaying
More at link

 

[Hraefn]

I tweeted Andy Grimm (who has reported on the officer-cover-up case) and asked if there was any news on the verdict yesterday.

 

[Hraefn]

Ah, just found this article saying it was pushed to Jan. 17.

Cook County Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson on Thursday announced that she will once again be delaying her finding in the trial of Chicago Officer Thomas Gaffney, former officer Joseph Walsh and ex-Detective David March, moving the date back to Jan. 17 at 1 p.m.

Stephenson had initially set a finding date of Dec. 19 after the trial wrapped up earlier that month. But two days before that date, the court announced a delay, with Stephenson pushing her finding date back to Jan. 15.

Verdict Delayed for Second Time in Laquan McDonald Conspiracy Trial

 

[YESorNO]

Jurors don’t want judge to give Jason Van Dyke ‘slap on the wrist’ at Friday’s sentencing

January 16, 2019

"Before being led into a packed courtroom to announce their verdict in the historic trial of Jason Van Dyke, a few jurors huddled near a fifth-floor window in the deliberations room, peering at the activity below.

Outside the Leighton Criminal Court Building, television news trucks lined bustling streets as spectators anxiously awaited the jury’s decision.

The enormity of the moment washed over the jurors, moving a few to tears.

“This was a tragedy for everyone involved,” Kathy Supplitt, the jury’s forewoman, said last week in her first extensive interview since the Oct. 5 verdict. “There was no good outcome or solution. No winners, only two devastated families.”

With Van Dyke scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Supplitt and two other jurors interviewed by the Chicago Tribune by and large avoided what specific prison term they favored but made it clear they think it’s important that his sentence reflect the seriousness of the offense.

While standing by their decision to convict Van Dyke of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery — one for every shot that struck Laquan McDonald — none of the jurors wants the former Chicago police officer spending the rest of his life in prison, as unlikely a prospect as that might be....

Juror Charlene Cooke, 60, offered the strongest opinion.

“It’s between (Van Dyke) and the judge, but I just don’t want to hear he got a slap on the wrist,” said Cooke, a FedEx driver. “I hope it’s nothing under 10 years. I just feel he needs to go in there and spend some time.

“He doesn’t have to get life, but I hope he doesn’t get off with one or two years,” she said. “I don’t think one or two or even five years is worth what he did to this boy.”..."

Jurors don’t want judge to give Jason Van Dyke ‘slap on the wrist’ at Friday’s sentencing
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Jurors in Jason Van Dyke trial speak ahead of cop's sentencing for Laquan McDonald murder (with clip)

January 16, 3019

"CHICAGO (WLS) -- Some of the jurors who convicted Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald spoke Wednesday about his upcoming sentencing.

Van Dyke will be sentenced at a Friday hearing, where he is expected to testify along with his wife and daughter....

McDonald's family is also expected to testify during the sentencing hearing."

Jurors in Van Dyke trial speak ahead of cop's sentencing on Friday
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[YESorNO]

Prosecutors: Jason Van Dyke could get 96 years for Laquan McDonald murder

01/14/2019

"Cook County prosecutors say that Jason Van Dyke could face a mandatory sentence of as many as 96 years in prison for the murder of Laquan McDonald, according to court documents. Lawyers for Van Dyke, the first Chicago Police officer in more than four decades to be convicted of murder in an on-duty shooting, have asked the judge to sentence him to probation.

Judge Vincent Gaughan is expected to render his decision on Van Dyke’s sentence at a hearing Friday. A brief filed by Special Prosecutor Joseph McMahon argues that Van Dyke, who in October was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, must serve a minimum of six years on each count of aggravated battery. Those sentences must run back-to-back if the judge finds any count is linked to a serious injury suffered by McDonald.

Prosecutors, in the brief, did not say how many years in prison they think Van Dyke should serve. But with Van Dyke convicted of 16 separate counts of aggravated battery, 16 consecutive six-year sentences would add up to 96 years. The maximum sentence for aggravated battery with a firearm is 30 years.

Van Dyke’s lawyers on Monday also filed their sentencing brief and argued the veteran officer should be sentenced on the second-degree murder count, a charge for which Gaughan could give the first-time offender a probation-only sentence or a prison term ranging from four to 20 years.

A sentence for second-degree murder also can be cut in half for good behavior while in prison, meaning Van Dyke might have to serve only 10 years in prison even if he got a maximum sentence. State law requires anyone convicted of aggravated battery to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence...."

Prosecutors: Jason Van Dyke could get 96 years for Laquan McDonald murder
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[YESorNO]

Chicago awaits 2 historic hearings in fatal police shooting

"CHICAGO — Three Chicago police officers will learn this week whether a judge thinks they lied about the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald to protect another white officer who shot the black teenager 16 times. That officer, meanwhile, will learn how long he may spend in prison....

Judge Domenica Stephenson is set to deliver her verdict Thursday to the three officers accused of lying about the shooting, which sparked large protests and accusations of a cover-up after dashcam video of the confrontation emerged 13 months after it happened....

Van Dyke is believed to be the first Chicago officer convicted in a fatal on-duty shooting of an African-American. The other three — officers Thomas Gaffney and Joseph Walsh and detective David March — are thought to the first to be charged with trying to cover up an on-duty shooting. Although their case has not garnered as much attention as Van Dyke's, many view it as more significant because it challenges the code of silence that critics have long accused the police department of using to cover up its messes.

"This is a criminal prosecution for officers participating in a code of silence, doing what they've always done, what's expected of them," said Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor who helped secure the release of the video. "But here the message is if you lie, if you cover up, you can go to jail."...

Walsh, March and Gaffney, who is the only one of the three still with the police department, each face charges of official misconduct, conspiracy and obstructing justice. The misconduct charge carries a maximum prison terms of five years. The obstruction charge carries a maximum three-year term. The maximum sentence for conspiracy cannot exceed the sentence for the underlying offenses."

Chicago awaits 2 historic hearings in fatal police shooting
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[JerseyGirl]

Judge to Decide Verdict in Chicago Police Cover-up Trial

 

[drjones]

https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-c...ty-covering-shooting-laquan/story?id=60451686

3 Chicago police officers found not guilty of covering up shooting of Laquan McDonald

Det. David March, 60, and patrol officers Joseph Walsh 50, and Thomas Gaffney, 45, were each charged with conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice. A Cook County judge acquitted the officers of all charges.

Cook County Judge Domenica Stephens found that prosecutors did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers’ reports and statements about what happened that night were knowingly false or that they constituted a coordinated effort to falsify accounts of the shooting.