The uproar following the shootings by the cops helped expose the policy of "racial profiling" by the New Jersey state troopers, who would routinely pull over drivers who happen to be Black and Latino, allegedly for speeding, on suspicion of possession of illegal drugs.

The state troopers involved still face indictment on charges of falsifying records to cover up racist acts. This involves what has now been revealed to be a widespread practice of "ghosting," where after stopping Black motorists troopers record in their log book that the car they pulled over was occupied by whites.

In response to the dropping of criminal charges by Smithson, the U.S. Justice Department announced November 3 that it will investigate whether or not to prosecute the troopers on federal civil rights charges. The big business media has been campaigning in a similar vein. For example, an editorial in the November 2 Newark Star-Ledger titled "Bring the troopers to trial," encourages the state to bring the case to trial again and notes that "whatever happens to the criminal case against the troopers, we must not forget that profiling, an offense against every citizen and the law itself, has to be eliminated. Confidence in justice depends on it."

Keshon Moore, the driver of the van who was the only one of the four young men not injured, told the Star-Ledger he was "dumbfounded" by the ruling and said that the troopers "go home scot-free. We're left with bullets in our bodies and careers ruined."  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home