Should police officers be denied Bench Trials?

[philosslayer]

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore City State’s Attorney is calling for major changes in investigations of police misconduct.

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby pushes reforms for officer misconduct cases, including granting her office arrest powers.
Do her proposals go too far or do they fix a broken justice system?

Mosby wants the power to limit officers from choosing bench trials–after the strategy proved successful for the officers she charged in Freddie Gray’s death. It’s one of several changes the state’s attorney is asking for in police misconduct cases.

Gray’s death is still having a huge impact on the state’s attorney, but critics say getting the reforms she wants will be difficult. Mosby signaled Thursday, she’s willing to fight for them.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/20/mosby-calls-for-reforms-on-investigations-of-police-misconduct/

Shouldn't police officers charged of crimes be judged by a jury of their peers instead of a single (possibly biased) judge?? This sounds like a common sense change.

[Nye Bevan]

1. No.

If a defendant wants to waive his or her right to a jury trial and throw himself or herself at the mercy of a judge, he or she should be allowed to do so.

[iandhr]

2. It is a conditional right to choose a bench trial.

[WillowTree]

3. Are police now no longer afforded the same judicial rights as the rest of us?

I think not.

[aikoaiko]

4. interesting question. For alleged crimes in the line of duty bench trials place the judge in a...

...type of conflict of interest -- an institutional conflict of interest if you will.

But I would think denying them a bench trial might be unconstitutional if it would be afforded to the non-LEO citizen.

[former9thward]

5. This prosecutor had political aspirations when she over charged the officers.

Now she is trying to cover herself with this ridiculous "reform". She knows, I hope, her proposal is unconstitutional but what she wants is political support, rights be damned.

[LanternWaste]

7. Creative allegations.

Creative allegations. However, as they are bedrock to any narrative, I imagine we accept them with all the credibility they indeed, warrant.

[safeinOhio]

6. Cops, lawyers, judges and Prosecutors are all

members of the courts and practice "professional courtesies" all of the time.

[Glassunion]

8. No. Every American has the right for serious offenses to have a trial by jury.

Each of us should have the ability to waive that right. A particular occupation should not be exempt from waiving particular rights.

However, I do not feel that the police should have additional rights, privileges, and particular immunities that the rest of the citizenry are not afforded.

[leftynyc]

9. Absolutely not

They're citizens just like the rest of us and don't give up any of those rights just because they wear a badge.

[mythology]

11. A juror can be just as biased.

Also a judge can throw out a guilty verdict if they find the verdict isn't based on the law.