Did the White teen tortured and beaten in Chicago have civil rights?
Via Helena Independent Record:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Montana has hired a prosecutor to focus solely on civil rights cases, both civil and criminal.
“We’ve always done them, but we’ve not had a dedicated position, so we’ve had to partner with main Justice and the Civil Rights Division” in Washington, DC, said U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter. “With this particular position, we’ll have a greater capacity to handle these cases.”
The hire, one of several similar appointments around the country, was part of a last-ditch effort by outgoing Attorney General Loretta Lynch to protect the Justice Department’s ability to prosecute civil rights cases in the Trump Administration.
Decentralizing the civil-rights effort is seen by some as a way to keep boots on the ground even if the Washington office of the Civil Rights Division is greatly reduced.
The Montana announcement is in stark contrast to initial media reports that President Donald Trump may be planning to scale back the Civil Rights Division. Critics have cast Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions as a potential barrier to civil rights prosecutions, which he has denied.
American civil rights laws are far-reaching and broad, covering hate crimes; discrimination, including for jobs, housing or loans; and violations of rights, such as voting or for members of the military. In some cases, federal law includes more protected groups than the state. For instance, Montana law does not cover discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, Montana Human Rights Network, tribal leaders and others applauded the sharpened focus the new position will bring to civil rights issues in Montana.
“Montana might not be the most diverse state, but we have all of the same issues others face in threats to civil rights. It’s good for people to know they have another place they can go to with complaints,” ACLU of Montana Executive Director Caitlin Borgmann said.
Some Republicans have for years questioned the mission and political leanings of the Civil Rights Division, which contributed to the departure of almost half of the staff from that division during George Bush’s presidency.
The federal office’s profile grew under President Barack Obama and the department’s first two black leaders, Eric Holder and Lynch. In recent years, Lynch and Principal Deputy Attorney General Vanita Gupta aggressively investigated and prosecuted cases of racial discrimination, excessive force and racial profiling by police, housing discrimination, banks overcharging interest on loans held by military members during deployment, and the mishandling of sexual assaults on some college campuses, as well as other civil rights matters.