Cuyahoga Drug War is an Assault on Minorities
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Louis E. Filippelli
March 6, 2002
Hats off to the Rev. Marvin McMickle for bringing to light a problem that has been ignored for much too long in our community.
Our criminal justice system, especially its treatment of minorities, is a disaster and deserves to be blasted.Sitting on a grand jury for four months, McMickle witnessed a part of our justice system that is essentially a well-kept secret from most citizens. The prosecutor’s office pretty much controls the grand juries, and practically everyone arrested is indicted. Since police target the minority neighborhoods, most defendants are either African-American or Hispanic.
Three of every four felony cases are drug-related, and the vast majority are for petty offenses. It is no wonder our court dockets are jammed, and the numbers keep growing. Last year, an absurd 19,000 indictments were issued.
Maybe Cuyahoga County Prosecutor William Mason and his staff need to concentrate on prosecuting violent criminals and live within their budget. Mason would not have to go over the heads of our county commissioners to get money that has been earmarked for other social agencies.
Lastly, other minority leaders need to follow McMickle’s example and raise a stink about this issue. The black community is being hoodwinked into thinking it is being protected from drugs when, in reality, the goal seems to be to give as many people as possible a criminal record.