I wish I were in Minneapolis......

[gimmethesimplelife]

It's amazing but I passed by the Austrian flag in my living room awhile ago and I looked at it and I did not feel inferior or guilty. It's wonderful what a simple display of human rights and human life mattering can do for the soul, even in a country of relentlessly turbo charged capitalism such at this.

I'm just very relieved and happy at the decision of the jury in downtown Minneapolis, MN today. I do feel some hope going forward now and I do have something concrete I can point to that actually worked - and worked when it mattered. All in all, a good day and a wonderful outcome. Here's to more of the same in applicable cases. Rob

[LDAHL]

Cops have been convicted of similar crimes in the past. What makes this particular case so pivotal?

[flowerseverywhere]

My Cousin Astrid in Vienna was stunned by the verdict. She said everyone in Austria assumed Noor would walk free as human life has a history of not mattering in America....hypocritical words given Austria's role in the Holocaust....but also true given much American Police Brutality History. Rob

How very interesting. Do you .Austrian family members follow much news from the US? I just looked up Austrian news and their immigration woes and an avalanche dominated their news.

[jp1]

Cops have been convicted of similar crimes in the past. What makes this particular case so pivotal?

The fact that such a conviction is relatively rare? While I don't necessarily agree with Rob on the threads about this topic (including this one), I do think he has a point. Going back to the Graham v. Connor ruling I think there has been a long flaw in the way these cases get determined at trial. I wasn't on the jury for this case, (or any other similar case for that matter) but based on what I've read I think the jury made the right decision. And I'm also surprised that they made that decision based on what I've read about other cases and the results juries gave in them.

I don't blame Rob for being happy about this outcome. Maybe it's a one off but maybe it's also indicative that juries are starting to question the Graham v. Connor ruling in light of everything in the news the past few years on this topic. If that's the case I'd consider it to be a good thing.

To be sure, not precedent setting in the definition of precedent. But heck. Definitions of words are fluid for many people. To some socialism just means any policy democrats are proposing or have enacted that they don't like. (see Devin Nunes recent outrage at being asked by a waitress if he wanted a straw as a prime example. He may have had the word wrong, but I get his point nonetheless. He's outraged that the government would be used to point out to him that plastic straws are harmful to the environment when he'd rather live in blissful ignorance.)

[gimmethesimplelife]

How very interesting. Do you .Austrian family members follow much news from the US? I just looked up Austrian news and their immigration woes and an avalanche dominated their news.

This trial apparently did get coverage on one of the big networks (on more than one occasion as events unfolded) and also coverage from day to day in Osterreich Heute. Certainly it was not the main news event nor did it get extended coverage but it did get regular coverage as it unfolded. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

Cops have been convicted of similar crimes in the past. What makes this particular case so pivotal?

No snark here, LDAHL, seriously, though this is going to sound snarky. I don't mean it that way, really I don't. You can't see why this case is such a big deal?

Look at the defendant. A Somalian refugee who went to college, found professional level work and achieved a middle class income. Point being - someone Liberals can point to as to why Diversity Hiring works and is necessary and why accepting refugees is such a good thing. Culminating in the death of 40 year old dual Australian/US national - something Conservatives can point to in their anti-immigration rhetoric. Then we have the long term image of Minneapolis as an American city that actually works. Then we have the fact that Noor himself admitted Damond was unarmed. We have a jury that was comprised of ten men and two women, heavily Minority based.....and they still ruled against Mr. Noor. We have the Country District Attorney's Office (and I can not praise the Hennepin Country District Attorney's Office enough!!!) actually take this case seriously and treat Mr. Noor as if any other criminal defendant - no special pass nor special privileges. Mr. Noor was even taken into custody right after the verdict despite his attorney asking for Mr. Noor to remain free until sentencing. We have political correctness and when it doesn't work on display, and we have a female victim whose backstory is sympathy producing, with no prior criminal record.

So many variables here and my take is also that more and more Americans literally are sick of American Police getting away with murder. This to me is one trial that had it all - and I am actually both impressed and pleased with the system for once as my take is here is one instance where the system actually worked. What's more - people will want to see more of police officers being charged when they break the law. I predict the notion of a police officer ACTUALLY DOING TIME FOR AN ILLEGAL MURDER is going to be addictive - the general public will now believe that such can actually happen and will begin to demand and eventually even expect such. This case, to me, is a harbinger of change, and change that American PD's are not going to take well as they honestly believed consequences could never visit them. Waaaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaaaa..........that's all I have to say. After I express gratitude to the system again for actually working this time. Rob

[Teacher Terry]

Tex, seems to be the only person that gets my point. There is enough blame to go around on both sides. P

[dado potato]

Soon after the verdict the chief of police and elected officials made statements to calm residents and acknowledge the hurt all around.

Mayor Frey: "...Our city must come together -- not for any other reason beyond our love for each other and the values that hold us together … While today's verdict may bring closure to some, it will also serve as a reminder of how far we must go to foster trust where it's been broken. We must acknowledge that historical and ongoing racialized trauma continues to impact our society."

City Council member Linea Palmisano: "...The best way to honor Justine {Damond, the deceased victim of the shooting} is to simultaneously remember the pain our Somali community endured during this tragedy. The Islamophobic, racist, and anti-immigrant remarks that have accompanied the discourse of this trial have no place in society."

Where I live, I have not heard much discussion of the trial. But I gather that in the Twin Cities some remarks of John Q. Public during the trial were not nice. As our good fellow bae might say, "Words".

[LDAHL]

No snark here, LDAHL, seriously, though this is going to sound snarky. I don't mean it that way, really I don't. You can't see why this case is such a big deal?

Look at the defendant. A Somalian refugee who went to college, found professional level work and achieved a middle class income. Point being - someone Liberals can point to as to why Diversity Hiring works and is necessary and why accepting refugees is such a good thing. Culminating in the death of 40 year old dual Australian/US national - something Conservatives can point to in their anti-immigration rhetoric. Then we have the long term image of Minneapolis as an American city that actually works. Then we have the fact that Noor himself admitted Damond was unarmed. We have a jury that was comprised of ten men and two women, heavily Minority based.....and they still ruled against Mr. Noor. We have the Country District Attorney's Office (and I can not praise the Hennepin Country District Attorney's Office enough!!!) actually take this case seriously and treat Mr. Noor as if any other criminal defendant - no special pass nor special privileges. Mr. Noor was even taken into custody right after the verdict despite his attorney asking for Mr. Noor to remain free until sentencing. We have political correctness and when it doesn't work on display, and we have a female victim whose backstory is sympathy producing, with no prior criminal record.

So many variables here and my take is also that more and more Americans literally are sick of American Police getting away with murder. This to me is one trial that had it all - and I am actually both impressed and pleased with the system for once as my take is here is one instance where the system actually worked. What's more - people will want to see more of police officers being charged when they break the law. I predict the notion of a police officer ACTUALLY DOING TIME FOR AN ILLEGAL MURDER is going to be addictive - the general public will now believe that such can actually happen and will begin to demand and eventually even expect such. This case, to me, is a harbinger of change, and change that American PD's are not going to take well as they honestly believed consequences could never visit them. Waaaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaaaa..........that's all I have to say. After I express gratitude to the system again for actually working this time. Rob

I don’t presume to speak for what sickens all Americans or even any zip code thereof, but in the little midwestern city I recently moved to people don’t seem to be thrumming with interest in this case. As I make my leisurely rounds, I hear more about the latest run on Jeopardy and the level of the river than widespread satisfaction that this case will be important in deterring the police from sport-hunting the citizenry.

It’s hard for me to view this as some kind of turning point.

[bae]

It’s hard for me to view this as some kind of turning point.

I live in the most progressive county in one of the most progressive states in the country, and there's no discussion of this case. Even though we are quite near Seattle, which is under Federal supervision for the troublesome behaviour of its police force.

I also noticed that most of the major news channels, even the ones Trump hates, didn't see fit to throw this story up on their breaking-news sections yesterday.