officers - The Black Vault

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Judge Rules Trial of Officers Does l\lot Represent Double Jeopardy
By DAN WHITCOMB
City l\lews Service
LOS ANGELES CCI\IS) - A judge today ruled that an upcoming federal trial
does not put three current and one former police officer in danger of
double jeopardy, even though they were acquitted of similar state charges.
''In this case you've got exclusively a federal question,'' u.s.· .
District Judge John Davies said, referring to the civil rights violation
case brought against the men implicated in the Rodney King beating case.
''The core of this case is that the officers were allegedly subjecting
Mr. King to the deprivation of his civil rights,'' Davies said.
He said th~ U.S. Supreme Court has already determined that the state and
federal governments are ''separate sovereigns.'' Accordingly, he said, each
can bring charges against a defendant for essentially the same offense.
While there are ''good and equitable reasons'' for the case not to be
tried, Davies said, it is beyond the scope of his judicial power to prevent
prosecutors from bringing th, charges.
Even if he were to dismiss the charges on double jeopardy grounds,
Davies said, ''the case would soon be returned