ACLU: Coroner’s inquest “smoke and mirrors”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has formally asked State Attorney Bill Eddins to withdraw his request for a coroner’s inquest in the Victor Steen case, and to either make a prosecutorial decision himself or request a special prosecutor be appointed.
Victor Steen, 17, was killed by Pensacola Police officer Jerald Ard in October of last year. While attempting to detain Mr. Steen, Officer Ard struck the teenager with his patrol vehicle. Mr. Steen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Despite the fact that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement performed a lengthy investigation, State Attorney Bill Eddins declined to decide whether or not Officer Ard should be prosecuted. Instead, he has requested a coroner’s inquest, a procedure that the ACLU calls “arcane.” The inquest is currently scheduled for February 25. At the inquest, case material would be presented to a county judge, who would then make a non-binding recommendation to the State Attorney.
“Using an inquest to avoid making a decision about whether to prosecute this case is a waste of time, a waste of money, and is disrespectful to Mr. Steen, who lost his life,” said Benjamin Stevenson, an ACLU of Florida attorney based in Pensacola. “This is an arcane practice that is rarely used elsewhere in the state. This move is political cover — it’s time for the State Attorney to make a decision and not drag this out. This inquest is smoke and mirrors with the intent to fool the public into thinking that an independent and binding review of the facts will occur, when in fact, it will not. With FDLE having investigated this matter for three months, it is doubtful that the State Attorney will learn anything new.
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