Police Officer Indicted On Civil Rights Charge

In a July 22, 2009 Press Release, the United States Department of Justice (”DOJ”) announced that a police officer in the East St. Louis, Illinois Police Department was charged in a two count federal indictment stemming from a January 2006 incident in which the officer allegedly punched a handcuffed arrestee in the mouth.  See, DOJ Press Releases, 7/22/09, www.usdoj.gov .  According to the DOJ Press Release, the indictment charges the police officer with a felony civil rights violation and with making alse statements to the FBI.  In this regard, the indictment alleges that on January 30, 2006 the police officer assaulted an arrestee by punching him in the mouth while he was handcuffed at the East St. Louis Police Department station.  As stated in the Press Release, an indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison on the civil rights charge and five years on the false statement charge.