who was the lawyer for the rodney king police officers

by Guillermo Collins 10 min read

Who are the officers charged with beating Rodney King?

Mar 10, 2011 · Then Los Angeles City Attorney Ira Reiner (later, ironically, the district attorney who chose to prosecute the officers in the first trial), was quoted in the Sept. 18, 1981, Los Angeles Times, as saying, “If police officers cannot use the [choke]holds . . . then the officers will use potentially more dangerous techniques, such as the use of batons and karate kicks.”

What happened to Rodney King in the Rodney King case?

Burris, 63, helped win a $3.8 million jury verdict for Rodney King over a videotaped beating in 1991 at the hands of Los Angeles police. He defended basketball star Latrell Sprewell against...

What did Rodney King do?

In March 1991, Rodney King led police officers from the California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Unified Police District in a high- speed pursuit. When King finally stopped his car 7.8 miles later, he was beaten with police batons as the officers allegedly attempted to get him to comply with their orders to lay down.

Why are there no Rodney King tapes?

Sergeant Stacey Cornell Koon, the supervising officer at the arrest of Rodney King, wanted nothing so much as to be known as a good cop who did his job in a professional manner. Forty-one at the time of the King incident, Koon believed then--and continued to believe throughout his trials--that his actions may well have saved Rodney King's life.

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Apr 21, 2021 · The tragic turn of events started when Rodney King, who was on parole, led police on a high-speed chase in March of 1991. He would be charged with driving under the influence, a violation of his parole. When he was stopped, he was beaten and repeatedly kicked by police officers. The stunning assault took place nearly three decades before George ...

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Who was Rodney King's attorney?

SANTA ANA – Irvine-based attorney William J. Kopeny — best known for representing serial killer Randy Kraft and Theodore J. Briseno in the Rodney King beating trial — has died.Jun 8, 2016

How old was Rodney King when he died?

47 years (1965–2012)Rodney King / Age at death

What was Rodney King's net worth when he died?

Rodney King Net WorthNet Worth:$250 ThousandDate of Birth:Apr 2, 1965 - Jun 17, 2012 (47 years old)Gender:MaleHeight:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)Profession:Construction worker1 more row

Who was Rodney King's wife?

Crystal Watersm. 1989–1996Danetta Kingm. 1985–1988Rodney King/Wife

How many mistrials were there in the Simi Valley?

There was one mistrial and four were acquitted in a Simi Valley courtroom. The officers were tried a second time in federal court and two were convicted of violating King’s constitutional rights. They were sent to federal prison. Two other officers were acquitted a second time.

How much money did Rodney King collect?

He collected $3.8 million for badly losing the fight he started. However, the money did not buy him a “happily ever after" ending as King continued to abuse alcohol, drugs and some of the women in his life. In the end, Rodney King the millionaire died alone at the bottom of his pool.

What does the song "I fought the law and the law won" mean?

There is a country song that says, “I fought the law and the law won.” It is safe to say two officers landing in federal prison while the suspect walks away a millionaire does not constitute a win for the officers involved.

How many people would have died if Rodney King had been arrested?

On the other hand, Rodney King lived his life knowing that 2,000 people would not have been seriously injured, 53 people would not have died and 1,100 buildings would not have been destroyed if he had just complied with a lawful arrest. He collected $3.8 million for badly losing the fight he started.

When did Rodney King die?

Mar 3, 2020. “Rodney King, the man who was at the center of the Los Angeles police brutality case that later sparked the Los Angeles riots, has died.”. When ABC World News announced Rodney King's death on June 17, 2012, I imagined how a high school history teacher may try to integrate that news into their lesson plans.

Who is Dan Marcou?

Lt. Dan Marcou is an internationally-recognized police trainer who was a highly-decorated police officer with 33 years of full-time law enforcement experience. Marcou’s awards include Police Officer of the Year, SWAT Officer of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year and Domestic Violence Officer of the Year. Upon retiring, Lt. Marcou began writing. He is a co-author of “ Street Survival II, Tactics for Deadly Encounters ,” which is now available. His novels, “The Calling, the Making of a Veteran Cop,” “SWAT, Blue Knights in Black Armor,” “Nobody’s Heroes” and Destiny of Heroes,” as well as his latest non-fiction offering, “Law Dogs, Great Cops in American History,” are all available at Amazon. Dan is a member of the Police1 Editorial Advisory Board.

Did the police survive the Rodney King case?

The officers in the Rodney King case all survived physically, but they did not all survive legally and no one can calculate the emotional damage caused to each officer at that scene. Police training is still evolving, but we continue to find better ways to train officers to survive their careers on all these levels.

Why was Briseno suspended?

In 1987, Briseno was suspended from the force for using force on a handcuffed child abuse suspect. Chastened by the suspension, Briseno never again became the target of an excessive force investigation. The Holliday videotape showed Briseno step in between King and the baton-swinging Laurence Powell.

What did Koon say in 1991?

Looking back at March 3, 1991 many years later, Koon said, "I wouldn't change what happened one iota.". Koon was a well-respected fourteen-year veteran of the LAPD with a masters degree in criminology. In his years on the force, he earned over ninety commendations and just three reprimands. His courage was legendary.

How many times did Wind kick King?

In the Holliday video, Wind is seen kicking King (six times) and striking King with his baton numerous times. The baton blows were in response to instructions by Sergeant Stacey Koon to deliver power strokes against King. The kicks were later determined to be a violation of police department policy.

How much did the King case cost Powell?

Prior to the King incident, Los Angeles had settled one excessive force claim against Powell for $70,000. He had also been identified as striking a handcuffed prisoner and cursing a black motorist simply for driving in a white neighborhood. Powell's early career on the LAPD was more promising.

What was Rodney King's problem?

His problem was alcoholism. He had been drinking from an early age.". Friends described King as usually friendly and gentle, but strong-willed and capable of blowing up after drinking. King was born in Sacramento in 1965. As a boy, Rodney showed considerable athletic promise. He enjoyed fishing with his father.

What were the problems with Rodney King?

His problem was alcoholism.

Why was Wind tarred?

Although tarred because of the racist "Gorillas in the Mist" message sent from the Powell-Wind car, Wind was anything but a racist.

What happened to Rodney King?

He would be charged with driving under the influence, a violation of his parole . When he was stopped, he was beaten and repeatedly kicked by police officers. The stunning assault took place nearly three decades ...

How long did Koon and Powell serve in prison?

Koon and Powell were later found guilty of violating King's civil rights and they each served 30 months in prison. All four cops lost their careers. King died in 2012 at the age of 47 in an accidental drowning. 5.

Who was charged with excessive force?

Sergeant Stacey Koon, Officer Theodore Briseno, Officer Timothy Wind and Officer Laurence Powell were all charged with excessive force, but they were acquitted. The officers scored the legal victory even though the beating was recorded. "When the verdict came out, it was a stunner for people coast to coast.

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Overview

Citations

1. ^ "Rodney King to marry juror from LA police beating case". BBC News. September 9, 2010.
2. ^ Lester, Paul Martin (2018). Visual Ethics: A Guide for Photographers, Journalists, and Filmmakers. Routledge. p. 85. ASIN B07955S7GR.
3. ^ Stevenson, Brenda E. (2015). The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins: Justice, Gender, and the Origins of the LA Riots. Oxford University Press. p. 284.

Early life

King was born in Sacramento, California, in 1965, the son of Ronald and Odessa King. He and his four siblings grew up in Altadena, California. King attended John Muir High School and often talked about being inspired by his social science teacher, Robert E. Jones. King's father died in 1984 at the age of 42.
On November 3, 1989, King robbed a store in Monterey Park, California. He threatened the Korea…

Marriage and family

King had a daughter with his girlfriend, Carmen Simpson. He later married Denetta Lyles (cousin to rapper Mack 10) and had a daughter. King and Lyles were eventually divorced. He later married and had a daughter with Crystal Waters. This marriage also ended in divorce.

1991 police assault in Los Angeles

Early in the morning of Sunday, March 3, 1991, King, with his friends Bryant Allen and Freddie Helms, was driving a 1987 Hyundai Excel west on the Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. The three had spent the night watching basketball and drinking at a friend's house in Los Angeles. At 12:30 a.m., officers Tim and Melanie Singer, husband and wife members of the California Highway Patrol, noticed King's car speeding on the freeway. They purs…

Post-arrest events

King was taken to Pacifica Hospital after his arrest, where he was found to have suffered a fractured facial bone, a broken right ankle, and multiple bruises and lacerations. In a negligence claim filed with the city, King alleged he had suffered "11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, broken [bones and teeth], kidney failure [and] emotional and physical trauma". Blood and urine samples were taken from King five hours after his arrest. The blood alcohol content(BAC) from K…

Los Angeles riots and the aftermath

Though few people at first considered race an essential factor in the case, including Rodney King's attorney, Steven Lerman, the Holliday videotape was at the time stirring deep resentment among black people in Los Angeles, as well as other major cities in the United States, where they had often complained of police abuse against their communities. The officers' jury consisted of Ventura County residents: ten white, one Latino, one Asian. Lead prosecutor Terry White was bla…

Federal civil rights trial of officers

After the acquittals and the riots, the United States Department of Justice(DOJ) sought indictments of the police officers for violations of King's civil rights. On May 7, federal prosecutors began presenting evidence to the federal grand jury in Los Angeles. On August 4, the grand jury returned indictments against the three officers for "willfully and intentionally using unreasonable force" and against Sergeant Koon for "willfully permitting and failing to take action to stop the un…