So basically, activists weren’t getting what they wanted from the prosecutor’s office, so they went around them to ‘judge shop’ and get someone they thought would buy their arguments.
Via Cleveland:
A Cleveland Municipal Court judge has found probable cause that police officer Timothy Loehmann should face murder and other charges in the slaying of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
Judge Ronald B. Adrine released the opinion Thursday afternoon, days after a group of local clergy and activists filed affidavits asking the court to find probable cause to arrest Loehmann and Frank Garmback on aggravated murder, murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, negligent homicide and dereliction of duty charges.
The judge did not find probable cause that either officer should be charged with aggravated murder. Adrine also determined that there was not probable cause to charge Garmback with murder.
The affidavits were filed using an obscure Ohio law that allows any citizen with knowledge of the facts of a case to formally ask a judge to issue an arrest warrant.