Friday
Aug072009
DOJ Voter Harassment Dismissal Raises Questions
Friday, August 7, 2009 at 2:41PM
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision to throw out the majority of charges levied against militant activists accused of intimidating voters at a Pennsylvania polling location poses a concern for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights over how the DOJ will handle future voter harassment cases.
“The DOJ’s replies thus far raise new and serious questions about its civil rights enforcement decisions,” the Commission wrote in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder approved Friday.
The case in question, in which several members of the New Black Panther Party brandished clubs in front of a polling place last November, received considerable media attention. A video of the incident on You Tube has received over a million views to date.
The letter went on to detail the Commission’s concern that the injunction against sole defendant Minister King Samir Shabazz is too “narrow”. The order prohibits Shabazz “from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of any open polling location on any election day in the city of Philadelphia.”
The Comission, which consists of 4 Republicans, 2 Democrats and 2 Independents, plans to further pursue the issue.
“We believe we are obligated to investigate,” the Commission wrote.
“The DOJ’s replies thus far raise new and serious questions about its civil rights enforcement decisions,” the Commission wrote in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder approved Friday.
The case in question, in which several members of the New Black Panther Party brandished clubs in front of a polling place last November, received considerable media attention. A video of the incident on You Tube has received over a million views to date.
The letter went on to detail the Commission’s concern that the injunction against sole defendant Minister King Samir Shabazz is too “narrow”. The order prohibits Shabazz “from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of any open polling location on any election day in the city of Philadelphia.”
The Comission, which consists of 4 Republicans, 2 Democrats and 2 Independents, plans to further pursue the issue.
“We believe we are obligated to investigate,” the Commission wrote.
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