Letters: Judge’s ruling wasn’t justice for Kyle Howell
Kyle Howell of Westbury testified on Nov. 18, 2015, that he was trying to get rid of a bag of marijuana and that Nassau police Officer Vincent LoGiudice punched and kneed him in the face during a 2014 car stop. LoGiudice has pleaded not guilty to felony assault charges. Howell took the stand in Mineola at the Nassau Supreme Court. (Credit: News 12 Long Island) Credit: Howard Schnapp
The final blow to Kyle Howell, the victim of a brutal beating at the hands of Nassau County Police Officer Vincent LoGiudice, was delivered by Judge Patricia Harrington when she declared, “not guilty” [“Protesters call for firing of Nassau cop,” News, Dec. 13].
To add insult to injury, the judge asserted that this trial was not about justice for Kyle Howell, and the prosecution failed to meet its burden.
At the end of a grossly skewed bench trial, we agree, this case was never about justice for Howell. It was about protecting the criminal defendant and the privileges afforded him by a system that does not value black, brown and poor lives. This trial was about a man hiding behind a shiny badge, brutally attacking a citizen and playing the odds of the judicial system. It was about a failed prosecution that undercharged one defendant, failed to charge a second assailant and did not meet its burden of proof.
This trial was a reminder to us all that if you are the victim of police brutality and you dare speak up, the injustice system will re-victimize and re-traumatize you. It was about reminding all citizens to remain passive, submissive and silent.
Frederick K. Brewington and Sergio Argueta, Hempstead
Editor’s note: The writers are the co-conveners of The Corridor Counts, a grass-roots advocacy organization.
