Iowa Justice Alliance, officials take first step on initiative

CEDAR RAPIDS - For the first time since the November officer-involved shooting of a black man, several Cedar Rapids area leaders gathered Tuesday to discuss the demands of a group whose objective is to change how such cases are handled in the future.

Representatives from the Iowa Justice Alliance met with several officials - including Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Sean Berry, Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett and Marion Police Chief Joseph McHale - in a closed meeting to discuss their initiatives in the hopes of addressing concerns they have with the law enforcement and judicial systems.

The subject of the meeting was the 12-step initiative released by the group earlier this year, which calls for mandates such as an independent prosecutor for grand jury deliberations and a citizen-review board for the police departments.

'It is a discussion we have to have, and we hope it won't be a negotiation,” said Betty Andrews, president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP and facilitator of Wednesday's discussion. 'We hope it will be a group of community members that are working together for the betterment of the community.”

The Alliance was formed in the wake of the officer-involved shooting of Cedar Rapids resident Jerime Mitchell by Officer Lucas Jones in during a Nov. 1 traffic stop. The resulting grand jury investigation cleared the officer of any wrongdoing in its December 2016 verdict.

Jones has returned to active duty from administrative leave, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman, who attended the meeting, said Tuesday.

Mitchell and his wife filed a lawsuit in March, suing Jones and the city of Cedar Rapids over the incident.

For both sides of Tuesday's discussion, the meeting itself was a step toward resolution.

'I thought it was productive and promising, given that so many folks in law enforcement and other public officials and community leaders are willing to sit around the table to address some really hard issues,” said Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker and member of the Iowa Justice Alliance.

Of the 12 steps presented, the 20 attendees only delved into the first two.

The second item that calls for a special prosecutor in grand jury deliberations was a source of much back-and-forth throughout the meeting as Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden answered the group's questions on the grand jury process.

Before the grand jury convened, proponents for Mitchell had called for the County Attorney to step aside to allow an independent prosecutor to oversee the case. But Vander Sanden emphasized at the meeting he was bound by Iowa Code to oversee the case.

'It's important for people like me (to want a separate prosecutor) because there is an insisting perception that officers and attorneys who know each other collude,” Walker said.

Vander Sanden then was asked by Iowa Justice Alliance member Jason Robinson if he would consider stepping aside for a special prosecutor in future grand jury cases, should the law allow it.

'No, I would not do that because it feeds into the perception that you can't get justice from your local officials,” Vander Sanden responded.

'I was not going to lateral the case to somebody else because legally I didn't think I had the authority to do that,” Vander Sanden said after the meeting. 'Secondly, the people expect their local elected officials to make tough decisions and learn from them. I'm not going to run from them.”

The first initiative from the Alliance, which calls for independent investigators for officer-involved shootings, has been enacted for the Cedar Rapids and the Marion police departments for some time.

Gardner noted the Linn County Sheriff's Office is undergoing a six-month process to write a policy requiring outside investigators for any deputy-involved incident.

The Alliance and other officials have planned further meetings later this month to continue the discussion of the initiatives.

'We understand that it's a marathon and that this stuff is really, really important,” Walker said. 'I'm hopeful because we had so many stakeholders - both from law enforcement and the community - willing to sit around a table and have these conversations. So over time, I'm confident we'll get to an outcome that both serves the people and enhances our justice system.”

The 12 steps for addressing justice in Cedar Rapids

This list was put together by the Iowa Justice Alliance

' Mandate outside independent investigators for officer-involved shootings.

' Mandate special prosecutors for officer-involved shooting cases referred to a grand jury.

' Mandate that prosecutors present sworn testimony from all available victims, witnesses and persons involved in officer-involved shooting cases, allowing recovery time for injured parties before concluding the presentation of evidence to a grand jury.

' Institute a racial profiling policy that mirrors the Iowa NAACP proposed legislation and that bans discriminatory pretextual stops.

' Implement a citizen review board, modeled after Iowa City.

' Require mandatory checks to confirm officers' audio and video recording equipment is operable before a shift and discipline any officer who fails to turn on his or her equipment during traffic stops and other police detainment.

' Publish the agency's use of force policy and racial profiling policy.

' Require yearly police officer training in diversity, implicit bias and the use of de-escalation tactics.

' The county attorney and chief of police should personally meet with the Jerime Mitchell family to answer their questions about the Nov. 1 shooting and the ensuing grand jury process.

' Law enforcement professionals and city officials should work with members of the community and representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice to develop and implement a memorandum of understanding around community policing strategies.

' Mandate the hiring of more diverse law enforcement officers making assertive efforts to promote open police department positions in diverse communities, including churches and social organizations; and include guidance and supports for getting through the hiring process.

' Require law enforcement officers to live in the communities in which they police.