Posts Tagged ‘John Burris’
Combining clinicians and cops, Oakland’s response program helps those in mental crisis
The Mobile Evaluation Team (MET), an expanding crisis response unit in Oakland, is one example of fledgling efforts to meet the city’s rising need for mental health crisis services.
Read MoreJohn Burris and Michael Rains: Justice is in the eyes of the beholder
Two of the Bay Area’s top lawyers often find themselves on opposite sides of high profile police misconduct cases. One is a plaintiff lawyer who often sues police departments, another defends officers in and out of court. Here’s a story of their battle told through a few cases.
Read MoreJohn Burris, lawyer who tackled “Riders,” takes on Guap case
One of the Bay Area’s most distinguished civil rights lawyers has taken on the case of a sexually-exploited teen suing the City of Oakland and several other Bay Area jurisdictions.
Read MoreOakland Police Chief Howard Jordan announces resignation
Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan announced Wednesday morning that he is stepping down from the department and seeking medical retirement. The abrupt resignation came moments before a scheduled news conference with Jordan and former New York City and Los Angeles Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, which was quickly canceled. Bratton was set to present a crime…
Read MoreThomas Frazier, lead investigator of Occupy Oakland response, named OPD compliance director
Federal Judge Thelton Henderson named former Baltimore Police Commissioner Thomas C. Frazier as the new compliance director of the Oakland Police Department on Monday.
Read MoreJudge approves settlement agreement, new compliance director in OPD takeover dispute
Nine years after the Oakland Police Department was ordered to comply with a series of court orders or be put into receivership, a federal judge approved a settlement agreement Wednesday between city officials and civil rights attorneys that avoids a takeover of the department by a federal monitor.
Read MoreOakland city officials argue against motion for police receivership
In a federal court document filed Thursday, city officials rejected a motion by local attorneys for a federal takeover of the Oakland Police Department, pushing instead for the creation of two new positions that would monitor the department’s progress in enacting the last 10 of 51 reforms ordered by a federal judge in 2003.
Read MoreBlueford family and supporters denounce DA’s investigation
The investigation by the district attorney’s office into the death of Alan Blueford at the gun of an Oakland police officer was biased and slipshod, Blueford’s family and supporters said at a press conference on the steps of the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse Tuesday afternoon.
Read MoreMonitor: Oakland Police backsliding on reforms
The Oakland Police Department has slid backward in its nearly decade-long effort to comply with court ordered reforms, the independent monitor of the department wrote in a quarterly report released Monday.
Read MorePossible Oakland Police Department receivership raises many unanswered questions
The Oakland Police Department has operated under the threat of federal receivership for nine years.
Read MoreBlueford family, attorneys still have questions after release of police documents
Standing before a well-worn banner reading “Justice for Alan Blueford,” on Friday attorneys for the family criticized the heavily redacted Oakland Police Department crime report released October 2 that details the 18-year-old’s death.
Read MoreAfter room reaches capacity, Blueford protestors shut out of city council meeting
About 100 people packed in to Oakland City Hall during Tuesday night’s council meeting before police temporarily barricaded the doors to prevent the possibility of a raucous protest, similar to the one that shut down the meeting two weeks ago.
Read MoreBART strikes $1.3 million settlement with Oscar Grant’s mother
On Tuesday, BART settled a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the mother of Oscar Grant for $1.3 million. Grant was shot and killed by former BART officer Johannes Mehserle on a train platform New Year’s Day 2009.
Read MoreHundreds peacefully protest Johannes Mehserle jail release
Oakland activists organized a peaceful march from the Fruitvale BART station to Frank Ogawa Plaza on Sunday night to protest the upcoming release of ex-BART police officer Johannes Mehserle from jail. Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter last July for the 2009 shooting death of Oscar Grant, and sentenced that November to two years in prison.
Read MoreFelony charges dropped in BART altercation
Felony charges were dropped against Michael Joseph Gibson today in connection with an altercation with a BART Police Officer Saturday evening.
Read MoreFoster father of missing boy leaves home with police
The foster father of missing five-year-old Hasanni Campbell was questioned by police today and left his home in Fremont with officers, said a prominent Oakland attorney who has been consulting with the foster parents. Attorney John Burris could not confirm where the police and Louis Ross, the foster father, were going, but said that they…
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