Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has become a key figure in the discussion surrounding Kamala Harris’s potential vice presidential pick for the 2024 Democratic ticket. Critics have highlighted Walz’s controversial decision to activate the National Guard during protests against police brutality in 2020, bringing scrutiny to his leadership. Now, Minnesota police are urging Walz to remove a reform prosecutor from handling cases related to police use of force.
Following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, voters elected reform prosecutor Mary Moriarty, who pledged to prosecute police misconduct and adopt a restorative justice approach to prosecution.
In a letter sent to Walz, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association expressed concerns about Moriarty’s handling of use-of-force cases and requested her removal from all such cases. This pressure on Walz reflects the ongoing debate within the Democratic Party on how to address demands for police and criminal justice reform, with conservative and law enforcement groups advocating for the reversal of reforms implemented by reform-minded prosecutors.
The opposition to Moriarty is not limited to Minnesota, as critics of reform have sought to remove or limit the authority of prosecutors in numerous states where reformers have gained electoral success amid calls for criminal justice reform.
The letter to Walz from MPPOA highlights concerns about Moriarty’s impartiality and bias against law enforcement in handling use-of-force cases, suggesting that Attorney General Keith Ellison could take over these cases with proper funding. Ellison, known for his reform efforts, previously reassigned a case from Moriarty’s office involving juvenile murder suspects.
Meanwhile, critics in Minneapolis have been advocating for Moriarty’s removal from specific cases since the beginning of her term in January 2023.
Recently, MPPOA filed an ethics complaint against Moriarty’s office over the handling of murder charges against a state trooper, which were eventually dropped. This move has sparked further controversy and calls for Moriarty’s removal from the case.
Amidst these developments, Governor Tim Walz, a potential vice presidential candidate, faces scrutiny over his handling of the situation and his alignment with law enforcement interests. The debate surrounding criminal justice reform within the Democratic Party continues to be a divisive issue, with different factions advocating for varying approaches to police accountability and prosecutorial discretion.
It remains to be seen how these tensions will impact the upcoming election cycle and the broader discourse on law enforcement reform and accountability.
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