Oscar Grant's Murderer, Johannes Mehserle, Given 2 Year Prison Sentence

Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights

It has been 674 days since 22 year-old Oscar Grant III, was murdered on a subway platform in Oakland, California by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer, Johannes Mehserle. Today, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry decided that Grant's life was worth 24 months as he sentenced Mehserle to a blink behind bars. Mehserle will also receive 292 days credit for time already served behind bars.

"Where is the accountability?" asked Cat Brooks, co-chair of the ONYX Organizing Committee, prior to the sentencing. "The verdict was unjust so the sentence will be unjust. And we are angry about it. We are tired of burying our children and we are tired of the open season on black men in this country by police who are then returned to their families with a slap on the wrist."

His pre-emptive anger was clearly justified. Experts said Judge Perry probably already knew what sentence he would impose, but the pleas made by both sides would not go unnoticed. Wanda Johnson, Grant's mother, cried as she gave a victim impact statement during the sentencing.

"Those statements can be very persuasive and my sense is you will see some very emotional testimony from both sides in that courtroom," said Steven Clark, a San Francisco Bay area defense attorney and former prosecutor who has followed the case.

Emotion obviously wasn't enough.

"I live every day of my life in pain," she said. "My son is not here because of a careless action."

While anger in African-American communities has simmered to the boiling point, Office Mehserle is not without his supporters. On Justice 4 Johannes, a biography describes him as a "kind, thoughtful, intelligent, well mannered and respectful young man," the victim of improper training by BART.

Mehserle, this paragon of virtue, who either by design or ineptness, murdered an unarmed father of a six-year-old girl, cried in the courtroom, saying, "I want to say how deeply sorry I am. Nothing I can ever say or do will heal the wound. I will always be sorry for taking Mr. Grant from them."

He is the first peace officer in the history of California to face a murder charge for unjustified homicide or murder.

And he received the same verdict that Michael Vick received for KILLING DOGS.

Today, our judicial system had the opportunity to either confirm or challenge the perception of inequality and sentence disparities that have plagued minority communities. We asked in barbershops and beauty salons, schools and offices, corners and churches: Will we finally see justice? Or will the excuse of improper weapon training prove sufficient grounds for leniency?

Today, we got our answer.

 

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