BLACK LIVES MATTER
The Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office stands with the many voices against police brutality and racism.
The death of George Floyd is only one example of the problem. The challenge is widespread, and so is the justifiable outrage.
In the words of Chattanooga Police Chief David Roddy:
Others have joined in the response, including Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna who said the officers’ actions “are directly in conflict with the oath we have taken to protect and serve, and also violate the public trust that we have worked so hard to build in our communities.”
Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said the thousands of people attending rallies to protest the death of George Floyd are “more than justified.” The entire City Prosecutor’s Office stands in support of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s prosecution of the officer who killed George Floyd, the officers who stood by and watched Floyd’s killing, and any police officer who violates the sacred duty he or she takes to uphold the law and protect the public.
Citations issued for Curfew Violations
On May 31, 2020, the City of Long Beach enacted a curfew in response to violence that erupted during protests in downtown Long Beach. A curfew was also announced on the following three days. LBPD announced that about 80 people were arrested or cited for violating Long Beach’s curfew, or for more serious charges such as looting and vandalism.
On June 8, 2020, in response to questions from the media about how the curfew citations would be handled, City Prosecutor Doug Haubert issued the following statement:
“The City Prosecutor’s Office has not yet received the citations. After we review the cases we should have a clearer view of each person’s conduct.
However, from the onset it is clear than many of those cited for curfew violations were attempting to exercise their free speech rights, and they were doing so in a nonviolent way. The frustration and outrage they showed over the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer is more than justified.
My office has decided to try something unique, something that we’ve have not done before and something we hope will improve relations between law enforcement and the community. I intend to invite those cited to participate in a dialogue on this important subject. This could become a teachable moment, not just for protesters and those in law enforcement, but for all of us. I have consulted with some community members about the idea, and I’ve reached out to two educators who I respect very much, Long Beach Unified School Board President Dr. Felton Williams and CSULB President Jane Close Conoley. I hope to partner with them and possibly others on a framework over the next few weeks.
As most people know, Long Beach has already done a lot of creative work to improve the criminal justice system, from establishing a Justice Lab to reduce the cycle of incarceration to creating innovative prosecutor-led court diversion programs like Promising Adults, Tomorrow’s Hope (PATH). But there is so much more work we need to do. As long as people are protesting peacefully I do not believe the interest of justice would be served by criminal prosecution, and creating a platform for dialogue seems like the best way to bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice.
As for those who were not peacefully protesting, this program would not apply. The few people who used the peaceful protest as an opportunity to steal and vandalize, or who intentionally put other peoples’ lives in harm’s way, should expect criminal charges. Again, we have not received the cases yet, so any determination on the kind of charges, if any, will need to be made at a later time.
Every single person in the City Prosecutor’s Office was horrified by what we saw in Minneapolis. Here, I can assure you, Black Lives Matter. So does justice, so does the First Amendment.”
For additional information, contact Prosecutor@longbeach.gov.