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The (Second) Frank Jude Trial Ken Brosky (08/16/07)
The second Frank Jude trial was, to a certain extent, a success. For those of you who don't know, Frank Jude is a mixed-race individual who had attended a party over a year ago hosted by off-duty Milwaukee cops (and in the neighborhood of Bay View, where I just so happen to live). Jude was confronted over a missing badge and then beaten senseless by a number of cops (How many? We'll never know). Not only was he beaten, he was tortured. So a few of the police went to trial, and none of them were found guilty. Why? Because apparently, there's a "Code" the Milwaukee police adhere to, and it goes something like this: Protect Thy Brother. It's a code of secrecy, and it got everyone off scot-free because no one testified against their "brothers." Two cops did choose to testify against the police, however their testimonies weren't strong enough to convict anyone because neither of the police who "Broke the code" could accurately identify who was doing what during the attack. These two officers also testified that, in response to their righteous decision to testify and thus uphold their oath, they were ostracized while on the job. The female officer testified that she could no longer count on backup. So the federal prosecutors came in and vowed to make it right. Good choice, especially given Scott Biskupec's shady history thus far. And they got a number of police to plead guilty and "rat out" their fellow officers for reduced jailtime. And the three of the four from the original trial were found guilty of various charges. The main reason? The charges brought against them in the federal trial were easier to prove ... the officers had, simply put, violated Frank Jude's civil liberties. There's a lot more to this story ... it has it all, really! Free paychecks, conspiracies, and rumors of a corrupt group of police officers called "The Punishers" who run around violently extracting justice just like their comic-book counterpart. The majority of police in Milwaukee are good. I know that. Do I? I do. Maybe. I hope. I trust them.
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