Today: Oral Arguments in Lawsuit Seeking Independent Court Investigation into de Blasio & NYC Officials’ Neglect and Violation of Duties Related to Eric Garner’s Killing New York, NY - Oral arguments in Carr v. de Blasio will resume today, Monday, August 10 at 11:45 a.m. EDT. Oral arguments were initially scheduled for August 4th, but were cut short after a de Blasio attorney lost power during the hearing. The hearing was scheduled to resume August 5th, but the City requested an adjournment to a later date, citing that the de Blasio attorney did not expect to have power restored in his home by August 5th. Today’s arguments will be livestreamed to the public. The lawsuit was brought in August 2019 by Gwen Carr and Ellisha Flagg Garner, the mother and sister of Eric Garner, and members of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR). The lawsuit seeks an independent court investigation into neglect and violation of duties by NYC Mayor de Blasio and other city officials related to government actions (and inactions) surrounding the NYPD killing of Eric Garner. About 30 minutes following the hearing, the Garner family will join CPR representatives and the attorneys for a virtual press availability on zoom (Zoom dial-in for the post-hearing below). The de Blasio administration has painted Black Lives Matter on city streets and the mayor himself even posted a video on the six year anniversary of Garner’s death celebrating his response to the killing and saying “Eric Garner’s death should never have happened.” And yet today his administration is fighting justice and impeding the will of the Garner family and advocates in seeking accountability and transparency after his death. WHEN: Hearing: Monday, August 10, 2020 at 11:45 a.m. EDT CPR will have virtual press availability approximately 30 minutes after the hearing concludes WHO: Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner (killed by the NYPD in 2014) Ellisha Flagg Garner, sister of Eric Garner Constance Malcolm, mother of Ramarley Graham (killed by the NYPD in 2012) Loyda Colon, co-director of the Justice Committee Monifa Bandele, MomsRising Senior Vice President and member leader of Malcolm X Grassroots Movement Mark Winston Griffith, executive director of Brooklyn Movement Center Joo-Hyun Kang, director of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) Alvin Bragg, Co-Director of the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School and former New York state Chief Deputy Attorney General Gideon Oliver, civil rights and police misconduct attorney WHERE: Oral arguments will be livestreamed here. You can join online using Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Enter the pin code 1927 to access the livestream. You can join up to 15 minutes before the arguments begin. About 30 minutes after oral argument hearing concludes, CPR, Gwen Carr, other petitioners and their attorneys will hold a virtual media availability that can be accessed here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KNGIqHSDR6aMv79ZEjPMqQ MORE INFORMATION In August 2019, Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, and Ellisha Flagg Garner, sister of Eric Garner, along with Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), Justice Committee and others announced the filing of a petition to New York Supreme Court demanding a judicial inquiry into the violation and neglect of duty by Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner O’Neill and others related to the unjust killing of Eric Garner, the cover-up that continues to this day, and the related failure to discipline officers for misconduct in a meaningful or timely manner. Mayor de Blasio responded to this request for justice by filing a motion to dismiss the petition. On August 10, 2020, New York State Supreme Court Judge Joan A. Madden will hear arguments in the city’s motion to dismiss. Parties to the petition include Gwen Carr, Ellisha Flagg Garner, Constance Malcolm, mother of Ramarley Graham, Loyda Colon of Justice Committee, Joo-Hyun Kang of Communities United for Police Reform, Monifa Bandele of MomsRising, Kesi Foster of Make the Road, and Mark Winston Griffith of Brooklyn Movement Center. Lawyers representing petitions are Alvin Bragg with New York Law School’s (NYLS) Racial Justice Project and civil rights lawyer Gideon Oliver. The petition demands a judicial inquiry into matters including: ○ Violations and neglect of duties in connection with the stop and arrest of Mr. Garner and the force used by officers on Mr. Garner; ○ Violations and neglect of duties concerning the failure, subsequent to Mr. Garner’s death, to train NYPD officers adequately on appropriate guidelines on the use of force and the prohibition on the use of chokeholds; ○ Violations and neglect of duties in connection with filing false official NYPD documents concerning Mr. Garner’s arrest and making false statements in connection with the NYPD’s internal investigation of Mr. Garner’s death; ○ Violations and neglect of duties concerning the unlawful leaking of Mr. Garner’s alleged arrest history and the unlawful leaking of Mr. Garner’s alleged medical history; ○ Violations and neglect of duties in connection with incomplete and inaccurate statements to the media by the City concerning the July 17, 2014 stop and arrest of Mr. Garner; ○ Violations and neglect of duties in connection with the medical care provided to Mr. Garner; and ○ Violations and neglect of duties concerning the City’s investigation and adjudication of, and imposition of discipline for, the aforementioned violations and neglect of duties, including (for example) false statements by NYPD officers concerning Mr. Garner’s arrest. Click here to view petition to New York Supreme Court. .