Power, Pain, Politics & Prosecution

Sunday, May 6 at 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM CDT

Black, African and African Americans, as well as Hennepin County Faith Delegates have invited Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to New Creation Church as a follow up to our "Repairing the Breach" meeting in the Fall, to further dive into details about the operations of the County Attorney seat.

Some key issues to be addressed are:
1) How prosecution charging decisions are made
2) The role of the plea agreement and their consequences.
3) Protecting immigrant families by ensuring a separation of duties between local and federal law enforcement.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few decades, prosecutors have held a key role in mass incarceration. While mass incarceration negatively impacts all communities, it disproportionately hits and hurts black people at alarming rates. Prosecutors have a huge amount of power when it comes to decisions such as charging, diversion, sentencing and expungement. They also exert tremendous power in the Minnesota legislature through the Minnesota County Attorneys Association.

Nationally, the role of prosecutors in driving mass incarceration has gained increasing attention. Around the country, reform-minded prosecutors have been winning elections. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, who has intermittently held that position since 1990, is again standing for re-election in 2018.

It’s time for prosecutors such as the Hennepin County Attorney become part of the solution, rather than the problem. Join us for a discussion with impacted people, community leaders, policy experts, and attorneys.

This is a Claiming Our Voices event. Claiming Our Voices is an initiative of ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota.