Coalition for Justice and Accountability Outraged by Palo Alto Police Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



June 7, 2005

Contact: Richard Konda
Coalition for Justice and Accountability
184 Jackson Street

San Jose, CA 95112

408-287-9710

sccala [at] pacbell.net


Coalition for Justice and Accountability (CJA)
Outraged by Kan and Lee Plea Bargain

On Tuesday, June 7, 2005, the case of the People v. Michael Kan and the People v. Craig Lee was plea-bargained by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office to an infraction of Section 415 of the Penal Code. Kan and Lee had been charged with felony assault under the color of authority in the beating of 59-year-old Albert Hopkins on July 13, 2003. The first trial ended in a deadlocked jury, with eight jurors voting for conviction.

CJA member Richard Konda stated, “ The decision by the District Attorney to settle the case for an infraction is an outrage. The message of this decision is that there are two types of justice, one for the police and one for the everyday person. If Kan and Lee had not been police officers, surely the District Attorney would have retried the case and would not have plea-bargained the felony charges down to an infraction. Equal justice was not present in the courtroom today.”

CJA intends to send a letter of protest to the District Attorney and to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors regarding this travesty of justice.

For more information about the Coalition for Justice and Accountability contact: Richard Konda at 408-287-9710 or at sccala [at] pacbell.net