Officers within the Trump Justice Division have ordered a short lived freeze on any ongoing circumstances being litigated by the Civil Rights Division, in line with a brand new directive reviewed by ABC Information.
The memo to the present appearing head of the Civil Rights Division, Kathleen Wolfe, says that present profession officers within the division should not file any new civil complaints or different civil rights-related filings in exterior ongoing litigation. The memo was first reported by The Washington Submit.
Wolfe was individually directed to inform Trump-appointed division leaders of any consent decrees — court-enforceable agreements to reform police companies — the Biden administration reached with cities within the closing 90 days main as much as the inauguration.
The Biden administration finalized consent decrees with officers in Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis throughout the former president’s closing weeks in workplace.
The consent decrees contain two high-profile police-involved killings. In Louisville, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in a botched police raid in 2020. In Minneapolis, George Floyd was killed whereas being taken into police custody on Memorial Day 2020.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump represents the Taylor and Floyd households of their civil lawsuits. He spoke with ABC Information’ Linsey Davis on Tuesday to supply his ideas on the transfer by the Trump administration concerning civil rights investigations and consent decrees.
ABC Information’ Alexander Mallin contributed to this report.
Legal professional Ben Crump speaks with ABC Information, Jan. 28, 2025.
ABC Information
ABC NEWS: Simply days in the past, Trump officers paused all Division of Justice civil rights investigations and froze court-ordered police reforms. For a take a look at what meaning for ongoing and potential future circumstances, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump joins us now.
Thanks a lot, Mr. Crump, for becoming a member of us. Simply need to begin along with your response to this pause on, on civil rights investigations.
BEN CRUMP: That is very disturbing. Speaking with Breonna Taylor’s mom, who was nonetheless ready the prosecution of the officers that have been concerned within the killing of her daughter, who was in her personal house. They lied on the possible trigger affidavit to get a no knock warrant to enter the house within the first place. She’s devastated, however we all know that we’re not giving up.
We will be strategic in speaking with the mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, who entered into the consent settlement, to say that “Hopefully you will not condone what occurred to Breonna,” identical to we’re speaking to the mayor of Minneapolis saying, “Do you condone what occurred on that video once they stored a knee on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds?”
As a result of the households see this freezing of the DOJ’s prosecutions as condoning these felony actions. And we name them felony as a result of officers have been convicted for these crimes.
ABC NEWS: You talked about each these households. Have you ever heard from them, how they’re reacting to this?
CRUMP: Effectively, you recognize, as I stated, Breonna’s mom could be very heartbroken, Linsey. Very heartbroken. She’s fought so laborious to get no matter measure of justice and accountability she might. Her daughter had her physique mutilated with eight bullet holes. And she or he does not consider that the Division of Justice would cease the consent decree that was agreed to by the town within the aftermath of her daughter’s demise.
She is simply shocked that they might do that, identical to George Floyd’s household is shocked. While you take a look at that video, how might you say that you simply need to halt the prosecution of all of the agreements that have been made by these cities and their police departments to attempt to forestall this from ever occurring once more?
ABC NEWS: As you recognize, the Justice Division not too long ago reached an settlement with the town of Louisville to reform the town’s police division. It is certainly one of a number of such consent decrees reached within the closing days of the Biden administration. What occurs to these agreements now?
CRUMP: Effectively, the cities have a say so in it. Clearly, we now have been instructed that the Division of Justice is not going to do something to go ahead with these consent decrees. And it is very troubling as a result of we predict this and most of the issues that this administration have finished in simply its first week goes to check the elasticity of the constitutional protections that many Individuals take pleasure in.
And that’s what’s so heartbreaking about all of those issues. We combat so laborious for individuals, all America, to have the ability to get the constitutional protections that have been promised to them as an American citizen. And so the query, Linsey [is]: What is going to occur to the Structure throughout these perilous occasions when, because it pertains to all of us, particularly the least of us?
ABC NEWS: All proper, Ben Crump. So respect you, civil rights lawyer, to your time and perception. Thanks.