The nation and the state continue to discuss events in Ferguson, Missouri and in Staten Island, New York. One direct impact of the controversy in North Carolina is that the Legislative Black Caucus plans to introduce legislation in the 2015 session that would require law enforcement officers to wear body cameras, according to this WRAL story. The details of the proposal are not yet clear. In other news: More Ferguson fallout. Several jurisdictions are considering legislation that would require special prosecutors, rather than local DAs, to handle criminal investigations of police shootings. The AP has this story on point. Meanwhile, lawyers in Portland, Oregon, are about to release a smartphone app called Driving While Black that is “aimed at teaching people of color how to stay safe during traffic stops,” according to this local story. And some law students have requested, and obtained, extensions on taking final exams as a result of trauma from the non-indictments in Ferguson and Staten Island, as discussed critically here. Ban (with exceptions) on racial profiling by federal law enforcement officers. The United States Department of Justice has issued a new policy generally barring federal law enforcement from racial profiling, though the policy has exceptions for border and airport enforcement. It doesn’t bind state or local law enforcement. Profile of the Supreme Court bar. Reuters has a three-part story about the “elite cadre” of lawyers who regularly appear before the Supreme Court. Some of it won’t surprise anyone: it’s mostly white guys at big law firms, [...]
Faculty Coordinators
