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Attorney Mark Haushalter Appears on FOX 11 to Discuss Ezell Ford Case

Okabe & Haushalter Aug 15, 2016 Criminal Defense

FOX 11 recently turned to Attorney Mark Haushalter for his insight on the latest developments in the ongoing Ezell Ford case. A former prosecutor, Attorney Haushalter shared his doubts that the two LAPD officers involved in the controversial 2014 shooting would be criminally charged.

Appearing with Legal Analyst Areva Martin, Attorney Haushalter examined the particular predicament that District Attorney Jackie Lacey faces with the Ford case. “First of all, it’s extremely difficult to convict police officers… nine out of ten times, a defense attorney is going to win these cases,” Haushalter said. Haushalter also noted that public pressure from activists and protesters probably will not factor in a decision to prosecute the officers. “She [Lacey] is not going to make her charging decisions based on civil rights groups or protesters. So that time period [the two years since the shooting] is a cooling off time period.”

In August 2014, 25-year-old Ezell Ford was walking through Florence, Los Angeles when two police officers conducted an “investigative stop.” The two officers, Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas, claim that Ford was in a “gang area” and was acting suspiciously. There are conflicting accounts of the altercation that ensued, but according to the officers, Ford reached for an officer’s weapon and, in return, they opened fire on him. Ford was unarmed and there has been a public outcry for officials to hold Wampler and Villegas accountable for his death.

AWKWARD TIMING

Attorney Haushalter also pointed out another factor possibly affecting the decision not to prosecute the officers: retaliation. Wampler and Villegas have filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that their careers have suffered due to their involvement in the shooting.

If All of a sudden, Jackie Lacey comes out of nowhere and charges them with murder… we have a retaliation by the District Attorney’s office and the District Attorney’s office has just bought a lawsuit,” he explained.

You can watch the entire discussion—and more of Attorney Haushalter’s insight—here at the FOX 11 website.

If you or a loved one have been charged with a serious crime, we invite you to call us at Okabe & Haushalter today. Our experienced and sought-after Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys have built a reputation for hard-hitting counsel and favorable results both in and outside the courtroom.

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