Law prof files ethics complaint against Mosby over Freddie Gray case
A law professor notorious for his controversial opinions has filed complaints against the prosecution of the racially-charged Freddie Gray case.
Fox News reports that George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf has filed complaints against Baltimore state's attorney Marilyn Mosby with the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland, alleging that Mosby and two other deputies committed ethics violations, used “fraudulent or misleading tactics," withheld evidence from the defense, and brought charges without probable cause against the Baltimore police officers involved in the April 12, 2015 arrest of Freddie Gray, who died of injuries suffered inside of a police van.
Mosby announced last week that all charges against the police officers involved would be dropped after three of the officers were found not guilty and another’s case ended in a mistrial, and has faced criticism for pursuing what many consider politically-motivated prosecutions.
Banzhaf also alleges in the complaint that Mosby violated state rules of professional conduct for attorneys along with the rules of conduct by making public statements about the case.
“My concern is that this will encourage other prosecutors from other large cities to do the same,” Banzhaf explained. “The line she [Mosby] is giving her supporters is that the case was a success and that she has been victimized in just bringing them up on charges. I think her supporters, which she depends on to be re-elected, support what she did.”
Banzhaf has filed several complaints throughout his career, perhaps most notably against Gov. Spiro Agnew, who later went on to become Richard Nixon’s vice president.
More recently, he made waves in 2014 by remarking that college students accused of rape are now given fewer due process protections than are illegal immigrants at deportation hearings, and arguing that colleges “shouldn’t be involved” in campus rape cases.
[RELATED: Prof: ‘Illegals at border have more rights than college students accused of rape’]
Previously, Banzhaf had announced plans to sue a Catholic University back in 2011 after they reverted back to single sex dorms, and was part of the effort to get rape charges dropped against three Duke University lacrosse players in 2007.
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