[ad_1]
The Cook County Attorney General said Saturday that she will not step down after being attacked by the Chicago Police Union and dozens of suburban police chiefs for handling Jussie Smollett's criminal case.
State Attorney Kim Foxx, speaking to Reverend Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said she was "flawless" in the face of criticism she faced in the two weeks before since his office rejected all charges against Smollett. The "Empire" actor, who is black and openly gay, had been charged with 16 charges of falsifying a racist and homophobic attack against himself.
"I can not run an office driven by anger and public sentiment," Foxx said. "I have to run an office that examines the facts, the evidence and the law in each case. It's my responsibility. "
Foxx, who had objected to the Smollett case because she had had a conversation with a member of Smolett's family, asked if prosecutors had evidence to convict Smollett if the case was decided, informing the Sun-Times that his office was a solid case "against the actor before two days later, saying that a conviction was" uncertain ".
Foxx, however, said that she had always worked with law enforcement partners – even though they were concerned about her policies – in a professional manner to implement the reform. She said she was disappointed to see the police not doing the same professionalism this week.
"I think we need to ask, what is it really about?" Said Foxx. "As a person who lived in this city – who was born from this city's plans to become the first African-American woman in this role – it's discouraging for me, as well as for women and men that I represent … we get in these positions, the goal posts change.
"I stand every day with our law enforcement partners. I will never talk bad about our partners in this job, "said Foxx. "And even if there are problems between relationships, you've never seen Cook County's lawyer stand on a podium, in any room, and disrespect or neglect any of them." of these partners. "
Cook County attorney Kim Foxx responds to media questions Saturday at a press conference at Rainbow PUSH. | Leslie Adkins / For the Sun-Times.
Foxx's comments come two days after Kevin Graham, president of the Lodge 7 Police Order, is accompanied by about 40 suburban police chiefs who have called Foxx to resign, saying that They had obtained a unanimous vote of "no confidence" in Foxx's ability to do his job.
Prior to Foxx's press conference on Saturday morning, she met with a group of more than a dozen black mayors and seven black police chiefs from the southern suburbs, according to Robbins Mayor Tyrone Ward. "We are pleased that she is answering our questions and concerns," Ward said, adding that the group had backed his position.
The difference was blatant between the all-white group of police chiefs who spoke on Thursday and the almost black group of supporters who stood alongside Foxx on Saturday.
Jackson said the attacks on Foxx were "personal" but expected from a police union that "fought for Jon Burge," the detective commander of the CPD, dishonored, accused for years. decades of abuse and torture.
"FOP has long resisted police and criminal justice reform," Jackson said.
US Representative Bobby Rush (1), Dorothy Brown, Court Clerk, community activist and former mayoral candidate, Ja'Mal Green, long-time human rights defender Flint Taylor and a group of religious leaders were among the people who joined Foxx.
"FOP is the sworn enemy of the black people," Rush said, calling Foxx's attacks racist. Rush said he was confident that Foxx would continue to deliver the promise of a criminal justice reform that elected her after the Laquan McDonald assassination by the police, and that she would overthrow what he called the office. the prosecutor of a historically racist state.
[ad_2]
Source link