Cops face decades in prison for Katrina shootings

[jpak]

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Cops-face-decades-in-prison-for-Katrina-shootings.html

NEW ORLEANS — A case that became the centerpiece of the Justice Department's push to clean up the troubled New Orleans Police Department was expected to close a chapter Wednesday with a federal judge sentencing five former police officers for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents on a bridge in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

U.S. District Kurt Engelhardt was to hear several hours of arguments by prosecutors and defense attorneys and testimony by relatives of shooting victims and the officers before sentencing the former officers.

Four of the five officers who were convicted at trial last year face decades in prison under sentencing guidelines. While Engelhardt isn't bound by those guidelines, Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Anthony Villavaso and Robert Faulcon were convicted of firearms charges that carry mandatory minimum sentences.

Arthur Kaufman, a retired sergeant who wasn't charged in the shootings but was convicted of participating in a cover-up, faces significantly less prison time under the guidelines.

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[malaise]

1. About freaking time

Good riddance

[KeepItReal]

2. I'm glad justice was only delayed not denied

Now if they could go after those Jefferson Parish "lawmen" that refused to let people cross the GNO bridge to safety at gunpoint

[Marrah_G]

3. good!!!!!!

[MineralMan]

4. Justice finally prevails.

Cases like this always seem to take longer than we think they should. I'm not sure of the reasons for that, exactly, but it seems to be the norm. I think we should expect the Trayvon case to take longer than we think it should as well, but I believe that justice will be served in that case, too.