Statement from Newark CCRB Chairman

 Richard Robinson on Historic Verdict 

Newark, N.J. – April 22, 2021 – The verdict handed down in Minnesota recently, regarding the Derrick Chauvin Murder Trial, is a monumental step in the right direction of restoring hope and undoing injustices that have been pervasive in Black and Brown communities. Although, the Criminal Justice System has failed us so many before, we now having an opportunity to look for true accountability. The murder of George Floyd was the result of inhumane police brutality that is perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy that has been lingering in our society for centuries. As a result, Black & Brown communities have been victimized and treated unfairly by members of law enforcement and by the inequities in the judicial system resulting in little or no recourse for Black and Brown people. Following this unprecedented verdict, I, as a Black Man, am now optimistic of our nation’s future as it pertains to the pursuit of justice for all, and the resolve of absolute transparency and true accountability. The conviction of Derek Chauvin, on all three counts, bestows upon the Black and Brown Communities in America a feeling of sheer optimism, a sense of finally belonging and the expectation of being treated as first class citizens in America.

Now that the world has witnessed this historic and profound verdict, let us move forward in establishing a meaningful and effective Newark, NJ Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). The need for an independent entity that functions to provide the aforementioned accountability and absolute transparency has never been more apparent than it is today. Our esteem Board of Commissioners, if equipped with the requisite powers outlined in Assembly Bill 4656, will lead the City of Newark to a role of inspiring and igniting the nation to utilize those principles to fight all instances of police brutality. No one else in the world should ever again have to experience the dehumanization and traumatic humiliation that was depicted in Minnesota and witnessed before the world.