We, Citizens for Police Accountability, urge the City of Santa Monica NOT to appeal the unanimous federal jury verdict in which the City and one of its police officers were found liable for use of excessive police force against Justin Palmer, an African-American man and father of four.
During the trial in downtown Los Angeles, Palmer testified he was attempting to charge his electric vehicle at night at a local park on April 21, 2015, when Santa Monica police officers slammed him to the ground and then pepper sprayed him. Palmer, who suffered multiple injuries, filed a civil rights lawsuit and was awarded $1.1 million in damages.
Rather than waste resources on fighting the Palmer verdict, we urge the City of Santa Monica to go forward in the spirit of equity and fairness, to continue its police-community dialogue on racial justice, and to consider this verdict an opportunity to surface deeper issues that warrant lawmakers' attention.
Please do not appeal.
Why is this important?
Update: (9-28-16) On Tues., Sept., 27th, the Santa Monica City Council unanimously agreed not to appeal the jury verdict, but to instead pay Justin Palmer $1.1 million in damages and $1 million for attorneys' fees.
CORRECTION AND CLARIFICATION: Though at first the plaintiff Justin Palmer named the City as a defendant in the case, the City was dismissed as a defendant prior to trial -- this after the City agreed to pay damages in the event the jury issued a judgement against one or both of the officers. While the City was not found legally liable for the one officer's conduct on the job, the City did accept responsibility for paying the judgement against him. We apologize for any confusion.
Note, the plaintiff and defendants recounted different versions of the events preceding Palmer's arrest when police asked to see Palmer's identification.
----------------------------------------
The Coalition for Police Reform (CPR) in Santa Monica started this petition to urge the City to respect the jury verdict in the Justin Palmer civil rights trial and to focus on adopting best police practices while addressing issues of racial profiling, racial justice, and excessive use of police force. The Coalition anticipates continued dialogue with the City to promote greater understanding between police and the diverse communities they serve. CPR members responsible for this petition include Julie Alley, Joanne Berlin, Gina Frazier, Robbie Jones, Audrey Lyness, Sheri Walker, Michele Wittig, and Marcy Winograd.
