Prosecutors In 2 Counties To Swap Police-Shooting Cases
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The top prosecutors of two Maryland counties have announced they will review fatal shootings by police in each other's jurisdictions. The swap is designed to curb growing concerns that prosecutors are too close to officers in their own counties to handle such cases.
The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/1KHf5zr) reports the agreement between Montgomery and Howard counties will be announced Monday. The agreement, which also covers in-custody deaths, is believed to be the first of its kind in Maryland.
Montgomery State's Attorney John McCarthy says the approach is an example of how law enforcement agencies nationwide are reacting to public concern over a series of high-profile police shootings in places like Ferguson, Missouri, Cleveland and North Charleston, South Carolina.
Kay Chopard Cohen, executive director of the National District Attorneys Association, says many jurisdictions nationwide have similar pacts with nearby municipalities and include cases other than police shootings.
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
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