Christopher
Blount
USE
TEXT IN BOLD
00:48:13:00
BLOUNT
My name is Christopher Blount B L O U N T and I am a
district court judge in the state of
Michigan 36 district court city of
Detroit.
district court judge in the state of
Michigan 36 district court city of
Detroit.
VINCE
00:49:30:00
How long have you been a judge?
00:49:32:00
BLOUNT
I've been a judge for a little over two years
now.
now.
00:49:38:00
BLOUNT
Before I became a judge I was, I
had a law practice that extended about
eight years I had been licensed for
about eight years before I became a
judge and that practice consisted of me
being a solo practitioner under the law
focusing on probate and criminal issues
and I worked for a brief period of time
at the defenders or the state defender's
office which did was a nonprofit that
handled a lot of court-appointed work in
the -- in Wayne County
had a law practice that extended about
eight years I had been licensed for
about eight years before I became a
judge and that practice consisted of me
being a solo practitioner under the law
focusing on probate and criminal issues
and I worked for a brief period of time
at the defenders or the state defender's
office which did was a nonprofit that
handled a lot of court-appointed work in
the -- in Wayne County
00:50:17:00
BLOUNT
Well when it comes
to study in the law their history is
weaved into that in particularly in law
school when you look at cases that are
in the land use class the local
government class constitutional law 1
and constitutional law 2 criminal law
at all kind of builds on a history and
in particular in law school when we're
studying Supreme Court cases it builds
it builds on precedents that have been
set over years and years and years so I
think someone that is in the legal
profession especially one that tiptoes
closer to a lot of constitutional issues
whether a judge or an attorney it serves
you well to read a history book every
now and then.
00:51:19:00
to study in the law their history is
weaved into that in particularly in law
school when you look at cases that are
in the land use class the local
government class constitutional law 1
and constitutional law 2 criminal law
at all kind of builds on a history and
in particular in law school when we're
studying Supreme Court cases it builds
it builds on precedents that have been
set over years and years and years so I
think someone that is in the legal
profession especially one that tiptoes
closer to a lot of constitutional issues
whether a judge or an attorney it serves
you well to read a history book every
now and then.
00:51:19:00
BLOUNT
So the funny thing is when I was in law
school there was one of our lecture
halls had this big portrait of Thurgood
Marshall on the wall off to the left
and I'll be doggone if not every single
day I had a class in that room I always
look at the portrait of Thurgood
Marshall. Thurgood Marshall has been a
subject of some Hollywood productions
one most recently I think Chadwick
Boseman played the lead -- I thought that
movie was great because we associate
Thurgood Marshall with one particular
case and that's the Brown v. Board but
this particular movie explored a
lesser-known case that he was a
part of which really shows that he was a
multi-faceted attorney before he
became a Supreme Court justice and I
believe there was another kind of
one-person show that was done by
Laurence Fishburne that I actually saw
it at a screening at the Charles Wright
museum here in Detroit and that was very
it was impressive and impactful as well.
So the funny thing is when I was in law
school there was one of our lecture
halls had this big portrait of Thurgood
Marshall on the wall off to the left
and I'll be doggone if not every single
day I had a class in that room I always
look at the portrait of Thurgood
Marshall. Thurgood Marshall has been a
subject of some Hollywood productions
one most recently I think Chadwick
Boseman played the lead -- I thought that
movie was great because we associate
Thurgood Marshall with one particular
case and that's the Brown v. Board but
this particular movie explored a
lesser-known case that he was a
part of which really shows that he was a
multi-faceted attorney before he
became a Supreme Court justice and I
believe there was another kind of
one-person show that was done by
Laurence Fishburne that I actually saw
it at a screening at the Charles Wright
museum here in Detroit and that was very
it was impressive and impactful as well.
00:52:46:00
VINCE
How much further
do we need to go what are the obstacles
challenges that African-Americans still
face in the legal system if any now that
we have African-American judges and all
that type of thing you would think you
know there's equality of fairness speak
to that.
do we need to go what are the obstacles
challenges that African-Americans still
face in the legal system if any now that
we have African-American judges and all
that type of thing you would think you
know there's equality of fairness speak
to that.
[00:53:06:00
BLOUNT
So when you talk about African
Americans in the legal system
it's a, it's a pretty it's a
multi-faceted conversation to be had
from are we being treated fairly in the
legal system, are we properly represented
as professionals in the legal system?
Those are all fair questions to be asked
and there's definitely a historical
precedent for asking those questions.
Then you have to look at history as well
as in any particular here in the city of
Detroit where I'm located as a judge.
This is a the city where the Ossian
Sweet case took place which was going
back to talking about constitutional law
and how it kind of drew the line on
local ordinances and land use and
property ownership that was a big case
that was based on that and an African
American physician being disenfranchised.
Then you look at the work of the heavy
lifters who have come before me like a
Thurgood Marshall -- inspirational,
educational -- a lot of young
African-American -- excuse me, a lot of
young attorneys and young judges period
pay attention to the scholarship of
someone like Thurgood Marshall - present
party included - the city of Detroit and
where we're located now I think has been --
African-Americans have made a lot of
great strides as far as representation
in the legal system here in the city of
Detroit but it's not the same across the
nation and I just hope that a lot of
people no matter who you are you just
don't look at the micro example of what
is around you and think that that
replicates all across this nation
because it doesn't. 00:54:56:00 end]
Americans in the legal system
it's a, it's a pretty it's a
multi-faceted conversation to be had
from are we being treated fairly in the
legal system, are we properly represented
as professionals in the legal system?
Those are all fair questions to be asked
and there's definitely a historical
precedent for asking those questions.
Then you have to look at history as well
as in any particular here in the city of
Detroit where I'm located as a judge.
This is a the city where the Ossian
Sweet case took place which was going
back to talking about constitutional law
and how it kind of drew the line on
local ordinances and land use and
property ownership that was a big case
that was based on that and an African
American physician being disenfranchised.
Then you look at the work of the heavy
lifters who have come before me like a
Thurgood Marshall -- inspirational,
educational -- a lot of young
African-American -- excuse me, a lot of
young attorneys and young judges period
pay attention to the scholarship of
someone like Thurgood Marshall - present
party included - the city of Detroit and
where we're located now I think has been --
African-Americans have made a lot of
great strides as far as representation
in the legal system here in the city of
Detroit but it's not the same across the
nation and I just hope that a lot of
people no matter who you are you just
don't look at the micro example of what
is around you and think that that
replicates all across this nation
because it doesn't. 00:54:56:00 end]
Whenever I hear young
people, somebody got accepted to law school you
know some people “Oh we have enough
attorneys!” - I say, no I'm like great, come
on we'll make room for you whether you
want to represent your people in some
form of law rather be probate law
criminal law transactional work you can
either you may be a representative for
African-Americans in that place in that
discipline of study or you may have
African-American clients in that
discipline of study but I say
come on you know pursue your
undergraduate studies come on to law
school and as far as you being a
community advocate in the community that
we know our rights please keep it up
keep up the good work we have a lot of
work to do we have a lot of steps
continue to make and I just hope I can
be a part of that
people, somebody got accepted to law school you
know some people “Oh we have enough
attorneys!” - I say, no I'm like great, come
on we'll make room for you whether you
want to represent your people in some
form of law rather be probate law
criminal law transactional work you can
either you may be a representative for
African-Americans in that place in that
discipline of study or you may have
African-American clients in that
discipline of study but I say
come on you know pursue your
undergraduate studies come on to law
school and as far as you being a
community advocate in the community that
we know our rights please keep it up
keep up the good work we have a lot of
work to do we have a lot of steps
continue to make and I just hope I can
be a part of that
00:55:48:00
BLOUNT
so my advice about the legal
system
whether you are caught in it in some
type of way whether it be a civil issue
or a criminal issue or whether you're
trying to be a working professional in
the legal system one thing I would like
to tell people is that whatever obstacle
you're facing there's probably someone
who has already overcome it so don't get
down on your luck look at history and
you might be able to find your present
-- the solution to your present problem.
whether you are caught in it in some
type of way whether it be a civil issue
or a criminal issue or whether you're
trying to be a working professional in
the legal system one thing I would like
to tell people is that whatever obstacle
you're facing there's probably someone
who has already overcome it so don't get
down on your luck look at history and
you might be able to find your present
-- the solution to your present problem.
00:56:41:00
VINCE
If you when you're in
circles outside of
you know 36 District Court where you're
interacting with other judges, different ethnic
you know 36 District Court where you're
interacting with other judges, different ethnic
Backgrounds things like
that, is there
a sense of class or something like that
where African-American judges can kind
of feel or sense you know some type of
strain?
a sense of class or something like that
where African-American judges can kind
of feel or sense you know some type of
strain?
00:57:01:00
BLOUNT:
Well I would say my
experience so far as
being a judge in the in the state of
Michigan 36 District Court is my home
jurisdiction city of Detroit that when I
do interact and rub elbows and my with
my other colleagues in this state and
let me just point this out about this
state ‘cause because every now and then we
have to have statewide judicial meetings
and something to speak about the
diversity of the state of Michigan is
that at these meetings there are people
who are judges with jurisdictions that
border Wisconsin and then you have
people who are judges with jurisdictions
that border Indiana and Ohio then you
have everyone else in between and it's
very interesting to be in that group
they are the representatives
representation of African-American
judges is concentrated into Detroit
Wayne County but we're also represented
in Muskegon, Midland, Lansing area, Ingham
County, Genesee County as well where
Flint is and I love those meetings just
to talk to the diversity of diversity of
judges throughout the state of Michigan
and a lot of the other judges who I
would never see on any occasion never
have set foot in their judges
jurisdiction
probably never will set foot in their
jurisdiction they seem just as
interested to hear about what's the
latest development 36 District Court or
how we're handling cases how we're
taking a procedural approach to things
and it's like -- I don't want to quite
say fraternity but it it it is like a it
is it's a position that we are
privileged to be in and a lot of us
definitely do respect being in that
position and we definitely do take
advantage of opportunities
network each network with each other.
being a judge in the in the state of
Michigan 36 District Court is my home
jurisdiction city of Detroit that when I
do interact and rub elbows and my with
my other colleagues in this state and
let me just point this out about this
state ‘cause because every now and then we
have to have statewide judicial meetings
and something to speak about the
diversity of the state of Michigan is
that at these meetings there are people
who are judges with jurisdictions that
border Wisconsin and then you have
people who are judges with jurisdictions
that border Indiana and Ohio then you
have everyone else in between and it's
very interesting to be in that group
they are the representatives
representation of African-American
judges is concentrated into Detroit
Wayne County but we're also represented
in Muskegon, Midland, Lansing area, Ingham
County, Genesee County as well where
Flint is and I love those meetings just
to talk to the diversity of diversity of
judges throughout the state of Michigan
and a lot of the other judges who I
would never see on any occasion never
have set foot in their judges
jurisdiction
probably never will set foot in their
jurisdiction they seem just as
interested to hear about what's the
latest development 36 District Court or
how we're handling cases how we're
taking a procedural approach to things
and it's like -- I don't want to quite
say fraternity but it it it is like a it
is it's a position that we are
privileged to be in and a lot of us
definitely do respect being in that
position and we definitely do take
advantage of opportunities
network each network with each other.
00:58:54:00
VINCE
We talk about the history, and I know,
Having worked with the Charles H. Wright Museum
You know, it seems like every time I go in there
You know, I kind of get hit with a wave of emotion
Thinking about what they went through and how you
know African-Americans or blacks weren't looked at as
humans you know and so now being able to
actually be you know a judge you know
how much of an impact do you reflect on
where we've come from and now we're
actually -- you're actually in a position
to execute the law and yeah just kinda speak to that.
know African-Americans or blacks weren't looked at as
humans you know and so now being able to
actually be you know a judge you know
how much of an impact do you reflect on
where we've come from and now we're
actually -- you're actually in a position
to execute the law and yeah just kinda speak to that.
00:59:42:00
BLOUNT
so you just
referenced the Charles Wright museum
that is an institution the Charles
Wright museum is an institution of
Education and inspiration when you when
you go and you set foot in the Charles
Wright museum you see all those exhibit
exhibits that reference the past and
history and we I think it's hard to deny
as a black person in particularly grew
up born and raised in the city of
Detroit when you see that and you see
that these are the fount this is the
foundation of your ancestors that you
know you have a strong foundation to
work from and my predecessors like I
said in the judiciary such as Thurgood
Marshall just mean that this means
that I should be unafraid to do some
heavy lifting myself now that I am a
judge as far as it being a competent
professional judge but not forgetting
that you have an opportunity to
uplift and empower your people to do
bigger and better things
the -- and the hurdles that people have
overcome you know it is it is my mother
and my father god bless them they raised
me to be the man who I am but
the reality is both of them were born
during Jim Crow they are old enough
where their very early years in life
they were born during Jim Crow now they
were both born in the north but my
grandparents have stories about the Jim
Crow South and I think it's a lot that
that now you're interviewing me in 2019
and I sit before you a three-time
college graduate who's a judge that says
a lot for where we can go it says a lot
for where we are and where we can go and
I just think it's incumbent upon me to
always remember the platform that my
ancestors have given me within my family
and without and that I as I move forward
it is upon me to lift as I climb. - 01:02:00:00 end]
referenced the Charles Wright museum
that is an institution the Charles
Wright museum is an institution of
Education and inspiration when you when
you go and you set foot in the Charles
Wright museum you see all those exhibit
exhibits that reference the past and
history and we I think it's hard to deny
as a black person in particularly grew
up born and raised in the city of
Detroit when you see that and you see
that these are the fount this is the
foundation of your ancestors that you
know you have a strong foundation to
work from and my predecessors like I
said in the judiciary such as Thurgood
Marshall just mean that this means
that I should be unafraid to do some
heavy lifting myself now that I am a
judge as far as it being a competent
professional judge but not forgetting
that you have an opportunity to
uplift and empower your people to do
bigger and better things
the -- and the hurdles that people have
overcome you know it is it is my mother
and my father god bless them they raised
me to be the man who I am but
the reality is both of them were born
during Jim Crow they are old enough
where their very early years in life
they were born during Jim Crow now they
were both born in the north but my
grandparents have stories about the Jim
Crow South and I think it's a lot that
that now you're interviewing me in 2019
and I sit before you a three-time
college graduate who's a judge that says
a lot for where we can go it says a lot
for where we are and where we can go and
I just think it's incumbent upon me to
always remember the platform that my
ancestors have given me within my family
and without and that I as I move forward
it is upon me to lift as I climb. - 01:02:00:00 end]
01:03:00:00
VINCE
Where do we need to go from here?
01:03:03:00
BLOUNT
well I think as a
community there's still a lot for us to
do for ourselves there's still a lot of
ways that we can move forward
I just just to move us for one thing I
would like is for us to not forget the
values that our predecessors and our
ancestors had that got us to this point
and to adhere to those values to keep
moving forward
I think pursuing education has a lot to
do with that there's definitely benefits
for having a formula you know there's
definitely benefits to more and more
people in the community having a formal
understanding of everything there is in
the world let's not forget and lose
sight of the ideas of economically
empowering our communities to do things
for ourselves even despite any obstacles
that may be in front of us I just think
loving yourselves not being afraid to
build a family keep God first and we'll
be okay. -01:04:06:00 end]
01:04:11:00
VINCE
and we talked about you know the
trailblaze the history you know people
that came before us
we know about the major that the names
we hear all the time Martin Luther King
Harriet Tubman and I don't know how far
back because I know you know I said I'm
really interviewing you from modern day
legal standpoint but I want to kind of
get your sense on what -- what were the
let me ask this way -- what were the legal
parameters that white men had to honor that
protected African-Americans if you know that,
and we talked about you know the
trailblaze the history you know people
that came before us
we know about the major that the names
we hear all the time Martin Luther King
Harriet Tubman and I don't know how far
back because I know you know I said I'm
really interviewing you from modern day
legal standpoint but I want to kind of
get your sense on what -- what were the
let me ask this way -- what were the legal
parameters that white men had to honor that
protected African-Americans if you know that,
I don’t know if that’s a
fair questions.
01:05:04:00
BLOUNT
Well I would think that
that in the, the as as African-Americans
have existed in this country in slavery
released from slavery move forward lived
under Jim Crow and have gotten to the
position that we're in now—
that in the, the as as African-Americans
have existed in this country in slavery
released from slavery move forward lived
under Jim Crow and have gotten to the
position that we're in now—
01:05:40:00
BLOUNT
I was just so as
uh as African-Americans have existed in
this country in slavery and outside of
slavery and living in Jim Crow and then
getting to the the point that we are now
I think that it is fair to say where we
have had allies and our journey in this
country and those allies were definitely
people of other races and ethnic groups
and but I think that if you look
throughout history and look at the
stories of people who have contributed
to the abolitionist movement contributed
to fighting Jim Crow and the civil
rights movement I referenced a value
system I think that a lot of those
people who became allies to the cause
they did it because of a value system
they did it maybe because it was a maybe
of some type of spiritual direction that
they felt felt that this was a cause
that they should take up it was just and
it was righteous
I don't think that those alliances could
have been made by way of legislation I
still don't think that you know a lot of
there a lot of laws passed nowadays that
are anti-discriminatory
equal protection type laws I think it's
fair and reasonable for government both
of federal and state government to want
to have though and and local ordinance
is to want to have those on the books
but I think is it's the it's the it's
the value system of us as a people and
that comes to really how we treat each
other and how we love each other and I
think that we as a people should not
lose sight of that and uh and I you know
when I say we as the people I mean
broader than just African Americans we
as Americans should not lose sight of
that and how we deal with each other and
understand each other's differences and
try to uplift and empower groups when we
see that they're on a righteous cause.
uh as African-Americans have existed in
this country in slavery and outside of
slavery and living in Jim Crow and then
getting to the the point that we are now
I think that it is fair to say where we
have had allies and our journey in this
country and those allies were definitely
people of other races and ethnic groups
and but I think that if you look
throughout history and look at the
stories of people who have contributed
to the abolitionist movement contributed
to fighting Jim Crow and the civil
rights movement I referenced a value
system I think that a lot of those
people who became allies to the cause
they did it because of a value system
they did it maybe because it was a maybe
of some type of spiritual direction that
they felt felt that this was a cause
that they should take up it was just and
it was righteous
I don't think that those alliances could
have been made by way of legislation I
still don't think that you know a lot of
there a lot of laws passed nowadays that
are anti-discriminatory
equal protection type laws I think it's
fair and reasonable for government both
of federal and state government to want
to have though and and local ordinance
is to want to have those on the books
but I think is it's the it's the it's
the value system of us as a people and
that comes to really how we treat each
other and how we love each other and I
think that we as a people should not
lose sight of that and uh and I you know
when I say we as the people I mean
broader than just African Americans we
as Americans should not lose sight of
that and how we deal with each other and
understand each other's differences and
try to uplift and empower groups when we
see that they're on a righteous cause.
01:07:34:00
VINCE
With all the resurgence
of racial tension
I don’t know if it’s a
resurgence or if
We’re just exposed more to
it you know
And you got groups like
Black Lives Matter
That has emerged out of a
lot of police brutality
And things of that
nature. What do you say to
where we are in regards
to racial tension that’s going on
and then address the
legal
aspects of -- like talking about like a
Black Lives Matter is that in your
opinion a necessary group to help move their
aspects of -- like talking about like a
Black Lives Matter is that in your
opinion a necessary group to help move their
agenda forward, is that
something that’s good for us?
01:08:20:00
BLOUNT
Well I think
in in kind of addressing the racial
tension and racial well I shouldn’t say
differences because differences is part
of what makes America great but the
tension and maybe disagreement that we
may have that we think are based because of
somebody's race it's just something we
need to do in my personal experience I
was called a nigger to my face and it's
maybe 10 days after I got my acceptance
the letter to law school and it was I
believe Barack, Barack Obama may have already
in in kind of addressing the racial
tension and racial well I shouldn’t say
differences because differences is part
of what makes America great but the
tension and maybe disagreement that we
may have that we think are based because of
somebody's race it's just something we
need to do in my personal experience I
was called a nigger to my face and it's
maybe 10 days after I got my acceptance
the letter to law school and it was I
believe Barack, Barack Obama may have already
--no, Barack Obama was
not
president yet but I don't think that
person has now changed their opinion
about life in their view of
African-Americans
because Barack Obama did two terms as
president but I think that when it when
it is it's really about a tolerance and
an understanding that we need to have
for each other.
Most people in America are hard-working
blue-collar people most people in
America when they get off work they just
kind of want to go home make sure the
kids get their homework done go to bed
at a reasonable hour wake them up take
them to school the next day I say that
to underscore that most people in
America I wish would understand that we
have more in common with each other than
we do have differences I guarantee you
right now there's someone in the black
community, a white community, Middle
Eastern community, Latin community I
guarantee you there's a conversation
going on right now where somebody's
complaining about taxes in each of those
communities that reflects that we're
really more similar than we are
different
and once again I do support the idea of
anti-discrimination laws being on the
books well I should say I support the
idea of that not necessarily the form
that they always take but once again is
our value systems and having the human
contact we need to stop being siloed
kind of meet and greet each other don't
just because somebody don't you don't
have to say that the other side of the
street is that's where the Latin people
live know that's where your fellow
citizen is your fellow human beings your
fellow taxpaying citizens live it's not
they're not there they're not just not
their own City you don't live in your
own City you're all we're all part of
the same community I wish we would learn
and understand that but going back to
what you said about the law and I think
that human beings love and respect for
each other really can transcend any
legislation or any type of law
enforcement there is.
president yet but I don't think that
person has now changed their opinion
about life in their view of
African-Americans
because Barack Obama did two terms as
president but I think that when it when
it is it's really about a tolerance and
an understanding that we need to have
for each other.
Most people in America are hard-working
blue-collar people most people in
America when they get off work they just
kind of want to go home make sure the
kids get their homework done go to bed
at a reasonable hour wake them up take
them to school the next day I say that
to underscore that most people in
America I wish would understand that we
have more in common with each other than
we do have differences I guarantee you
right now there's someone in the black
community, a white community, Middle
Eastern community, Latin community I
guarantee you there's a conversation
going on right now where somebody's
complaining about taxes in each of those
communities that reflects that we're
really more similar than we are
different
and once again I do support the idea of
anti-discrimination laws being on the
books well I should say I support the
idea of that not necessarily the form
that they always take but once again is
our value systems and having the human
contact we need to stop being siloed
kind of meet and greet each other don't
just because somebody don't you don't
have to say that the other side of the
street is that's where the Latin people
live know that's where your fellow
citizen is your fellow human beings your
fellow taxpaying citizens live it's not
they're not there they're not just not
their own City you don't live in your
own City you're all we're all part of
the same community I wish we would learn
and understand that but going back to
what you said about the law and I think
that human beings love and respect for
each other really can transcend any
legislation or any type of law
enforcement there is.
01:11:18:00
VINCE
So if you were trying to help somebody
Who doesn’t look like us understand
What we face for example, like I mentioned
Before, I had to teach my son
If you get pulled over, man you gotta have
Your stuff like this, you gotta have your hands out
From a legal standpoint if you’re trying to help
Say a Caucasian person understand what we face
From your standpoint, how would you
address that?
address that?
01:11:57:00
BLOUNT
Well talking about the
African-American experience in
referencing what you said about police
contact I think it's a it's a fair
question to be posed and I look at it a
little bit differently maybe it's cuz I
went to law school maybe not maybe
because there's a there's a some law
enforcement in my bloodline with my
father and grandfather I mean I maybe
look at it a little differently when you
when so nowadays are being more and more
publicized because of YouTube because of
the camera in your pocket now the
question I ask is before we start
drawing racial lines before that started
not to say that's not to happen but
before that started I examine the
behavior of the police through a lens of
professionalism and I think it's a fair
question to ask when it comes to any and
all police encounters and we have to
examine what the police are the police
are they’re state actors they’re state
actors who've also been issued an
instrument of death by the state being a
gun so where is the professionalism in
these encounters? Where is the veteran
leadership in these encounters? I think
there's a fair question to ask because
not before you start to examine any type
of racial overtones which have been
recorded on body cams and things of that
nature so that's not an unfair question
to ask but examine the behavior of the
officers and there's this one case
that I think I think the name of the
case was or the name of the gentleman
was Eric Garner and I think he was
selling bootleg cigarettes and seven
officers responded to this and it wound
up with him being choked to death.
Where is the professionalism? Where is
the leadership? You mean to tell me seven
officers with probably over 100 years of
experience came up with chokehold for one
person who and the event is on video
he's not armed
never balled his fists up just didn't want
to be arrested on a case where he could
have been ticketed at the scene so in a
case where there was not a hard policy
of custody of taking someone into
custody
he winds up with seven officers
chokehold - death - Where's the
professionalism? Where's the police
decision-making that says seven officers
conclude this case with chokehold and
death on someone that's unarmed so
that's a if if if if we examine the
behavior through professionalism and
leadership and police protocol then when
you start looking what what exactly is
the use of -- use of force
requirement and why they did this
officer abandon that requirement he's
outside of what was required and use the
use of force then the questions are
asked well why did you do this when
there's three officers that respond to
the scene but only one shoots and the
other two don't so that means two out of
three chose not to use deadly force when
you did…
Why? because obviously your colleagues at
the scene they may support you in
documentation after the fact but their
behavior does not support your response. -01:15:53:00 end]
African-American experience in
referencing what you said about police
contact I think it's a it's a fair
question to be posed and I look at it a
little bit differently maybe it's cuz I
went to law school maybe not maybe
because there's a there's a some law
enforcement in my bloodline with my
father and grandfather I mean I maybe
look at it a little differently when you
when so nowadays are being more and more
publicized because of YouTube because of
the camera in your pocket now the
question I ask is before we start
drawing racial lines before that started
not to say that's not to happen but
before that started I examine the
behavior of the police through a lens of
professionalism and I think it's a fair
question to ask when it comes to any and
all police encounters and we have to
examine what the police are the police
are they’re state actors they’re state
actors who've also been issued an
instrument of death by the state being a
gun so where is the professionalism in
these encounters? Where is the veteran
leadership in these encounters? I think
there's a fair question to ask because
not before you start to examine any type
of racial overtones which have been
recorded on body cams and things of that
nature so that's not an unfair question
to ask but examine the behavior of the
officers and there's this one case
that I think I think the name of the
case was or the name of the gentleman
was Eric Garner and I think he was
selling bootleg cigarettes and seven
officers responded to this and it wound
up with him being choked to death.
Where is the professionalism? Where is
the leadership? You mean to tell me seven
officers with probably over 100 years of
experience came up with chokehold for one
person who and the event is on video
he's not armed
never balled his fists up just didn't want
to be arrested on a case where he could
have been ticketed at the scene so in a
case where there was not a hard policy
of custody of taking someone into
custody
he winds up with seven officers
chokehold - death - Where's the
professionalism? Where's the police
decision-making that says seven officers
conclude this case with chokehold and
death on someone that's unarmed so
that's a if if if if we examine the
behavior through professionalism and
leadership and police protocol then when
you start looking what what exactly is
the use of -- use of force
requirement and why they did this
officer abandon that requirement he's
outside of what was required and use the
use of force then the questions are
asked well why did you do this when
there's three officers that respond to
the scene but only one shoots and the
other two don't so that means two out of
three chose not to use deadly force when
you did…
Why? because obviously your colleagues at
the scene they may support you in
documentation after the fact but their
behavior does not support your response. -01:15:53:00 end]
01:15:52:00
VINCE
But my question was more directed toward
We’re trying to educate the students and trying to
Help them--
01:15:58:00
BLOUNT
so I guess what I'm saying is that in we
know that the media kind of builds these
know that the media kind of builds these
up as “white officer black victim” let's
let's examine it as citizen state actor
first and I think if you take the
lens of you take the lens the racial
lens off and you examine the
behavior of a state actor a government
actor who's been issued a gun and by the
way no matter who you are government
actor or layperson when it comes to a
gun you cannot make a mistake. -01:16:36:00 end]
01:17:21:00
FOXWORTH
When
you think about the legal system
And individuals
obviously like Thurgood Marshall--
BLOUNT
--heavy
lifters
FOXWORTH
--whose
shoulders do you stand on? And what
Was it
that paved the way for you?
01:17:34:00
BLOUNT
Well
with me practicing
law for a little over eight years and
then becoming a judge when I look back
at the history of people ancestors
predecessors in this field I looked at
Thurgood Marshall he is a major standout
also look at some local attorneys here
like in Detroit there there are some
local heroes I have to mention Cornelius
Pitts is a very well-run or well-known I
should say very very well-known attorney
who's still practicing
in the city of Detroit to this day I
look at a Federal Judge Hood who has
moved from the court that I am currently
in which is a state court at the
district level and move through all the
way to being a federal judge that you
know that carries a lot of weight I
think it's great that her and I are
colleagues at the same time because it's
somewhat inspirational as well and Anna
Diggs Taylor is another local judge
that's carried a lot of weight and one
thing that I probably have done that
most people in law school have done but
probably the average admirer of someone
who like Thurgood Marshall has not done
as I actually said had to spend three
years reading opinions that he authored
and one thing that I kind of maintained
as a judge now is that his opinions were
very easy to read and Here I am all
these years later after law school when
I give my decisions in court I try to
create them in plain English just
because I had to read what he authored
years and years ago and there's and
there's a lot of a lot of attorneys or I
should say attorneys and some of them are not
attorneys but have graduated from law
school they do a lot of legal
scholarship they write on a lot of
issues like civil rights, environmental
justice things of that nature and I
think I think Van Jones who's a real
popular person on CNN I think he
graduated from Law School and I've read
a lot of his scholarship on
environmental justice issues you know
there's just a countless number of
predecessors and ancestors who have
moved on who have been in the legal field
and I understand that they have given me
the foundation that I'm that I make
moves on now myself and I'm very
appreciative of that and I just that in
one of my lecture halls at Wayne State
University in the law school off to the
left is a huge black-and-white portrait
of Thurgood Marshall and I said I looked
at that portrait
every single time I had a class in there
law for a little over eight years and
then becoming a judge when I look back
at the history of people ancestors
predecessors in this field I looked at
Thurgood Marshall he is a major standout
also look at some local attorneys here
like in Detroit there there are some
local heroes I have to mention Cornelius
Pitts is a very well-run or well-known I
should say very very well-known attorney
who's still practicing
in the city of Detroit to this day I
look at a Federal Judge Hood who has
moved from the court that I am currently
in which is a state court at the
district level and move through all the
way to being a federal judge that you
know that carries a lot of weight I
think it's great that her and I are
colleagues at the same time because it's
somewhat inspirational as well and Anna
Diggs Taylor is another local judge
that's carried a lot of weight and one
thing that I probably have done that
most people in law school have done but
probably the average admirer of someone
who like Thurgood Marshall has not done
as I actually said had to spend three
years reading opinions that he authored
and one thing that I kind of maintained
as a judge now is that his opinions were
very easy to read and Here I am all
these years later after law school when
I give my decisions in court I try to
create them in plain English just
because I had to read what he authored
years and years ago and there's and
there's a lot of a lot of attorneys or I
should say attorneys and some of them are not
attorneys but have graduated from law
school they do a lot of legal
scholarship they write on a lot of
issues like civil rights, environmental
justice things of that nature and I
think I think Van Jones who's a real
popular person on CNN I think he
graduated from Law School and I've read
a lot of his scholarship on
environmental justice issues you know
there's just a countless number of
predecessors and ancestors who have
moved on who have been in the legal field
and I understand that they have given me
the foundation that I'm that I make
moves on now myself and I'm very
appreciative of that and I just that in
one of my lecture halls at Wayne State
University in the law school off to the
left is a huge black-and-white portrait
of Thurgood Marshall and I said I looked
at that portrait
every single time I had a class in there
Man,
because he was the only black person on
The wall, amongst all the other pictures. -01:20:38:00
end]
01:20:38:00
FOXWORTH
Final
question then, just as it relates to the legal community
The law
enforcement community, and African Americans
Typically
always has been a challenge there. “No snitchin’,
don’t
talk to police, don’t—you know, stay out of the legal
system”—we
won’t get into how many African Americans
are
imprisoned these days and whether or not that’s another
conversation—the
judge in Pennsylvania that was selling
individuals
to the warden, and on and on and on. All of these
things,
as it relates to the legal law enforcement
community
and the African-American community there’s always
been
some degree of uneasiness I won’t even say tension
there’s
just been this uneasiness. How do we get past that?
01:21:38:00
BLOUNT
So the you're correct to say that the
rev-- relationship between law
enforcement community criminal justice
system and African-Americans has not
always been completely harmonious I will
say that for us living in the city of
Detroit we have kind of an example of
how to move past that I mean in when you
see what's hitting the media and these
locations that are hitting the media
about these eruptions in the in the
tension between the citizens and law
enforcement the city of Detroit does not
really come up and I think a lot of that
had to do with the leadership of Coleman
Alexander Young who was a mayor for 20
years and obviously he's now long gone
as mayor but it shows how when you have
someone who can get in political power
and have be a man of conscience how they
can impact things 20 years out.
The integration of the police force I
think is something that a lot of other
jurisdictions need to look at the idea
of community policing is something that
a lot of other jurisdictions need to
look at the way that African-Americans
have been able to be represented in the
judiciary is something that other
jurisdictions other jurisdictions need
to look at I would say in indeed in
Detroit Wayne County we're very well
represented but even with that being
said anybody that wants to run for
office might tell them go go go get it
go try please we'll make room for you
but I think that having the right people
of conscience in political positions can
help bridge that relationship can help
relieve those tensions and understand
that I think the end game of any chief
executive of a city is is to want to
have a competent professional police
force I think that all citizens of any
city would respect and want a competent
professional police force
so those things that are indications of
a lack of professionalism indications of
discrimination are what are the things
that people in leadership need to make
sure don't occur within their police
force and the citizens need to
understand that the end game is a
competent professional police force and
that anyone in leadership is still going
to need the help of the citizens to help
develop that competent professional
police force I mean end of the day your
tax dollars are paying for those police
officers if that law enforcement agency
wants to have you give some type of
input on how to help mold and shape this
department and bridge the gaps please
participate. -01:24:31:00 end]
rev-- relationship between law
enforcement community criminal justice
system and African-Americans has not
always been completely harmonious I will
say that for us living in the city of
Detroit we have kind of an example of
how to move past that I mean in when you
see what's hitting the media and these
locations that are hitting the media
about these eruptions in the in the
tension between the citizens and law
enforcement the city of Detroit does not
really come up and I think a lot of that
had to do with the leadership of Coleman
Alexander Young who was a mayor for 20
years and obviously he's now long gone
as mayor but it shows how when you have
someone who can get in political power
and have be a man of conscience how they
can impact things 20 years out.
The integration of the police force I
think is something that a lot of other
jurisdictions need to look at the idea
of community policing is something that
a lot of other jurisdictions need to
look at the way that African-Americans
have been able to be represented in the
judiciary is something that other
jurisdictions other jurisdictions need
to look at I would say in indeed in
Detroit Wayne County we're very well
represented but even with that being
said anybody that wants to run for
office might tell them go go go get it
go try please we'll make room for you
but I think that having the right people
of conscience in political positions can
help bridge that relationship can help
relieve those tensions and understand
that I think the end game of any chief
executive of a city is is to want to
have a competent professional police
force I think that all citizens of any
city would respect and want a competent
professional police force
so those things that are indications of
a lack of professionalism indications of
discrimination are what are the things
that people in leadership need to make
sure don't occur within their police
force and the citizens need to
understand that the end game is a
competent professional police force and
that anyone in leadership is still going
to need the help of the citizens to help
develop that competent professional
police force I mean end of the day your
tax dollars are paying for those police
officers if that law enforcement agency
wants to have you give some type of
input on how to help mold and shape this
department and bridge the gaps please
participate. -01:24:31:00 end]
No comments:
Post a Comment