By Ivan Pereira
The Queens Criminal Court judge approved the officers' waiver for a trial by jury during a special hearing Friday afternoon. The attorneys representing Detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper said they asked for the bench trial because they did not feel comfortable with a grand jury from Queens, citing an influx of negative media coverage against the officers
“We feel the jury pool has been poisoned,” said Michael Paladino, the president of the Detectives' Endowment Association which is representing the officers.
Last March, Oliver and Isnora were indicted on manslaughter charges while Cooper was indicted on reckless endangerment for the death of Richmond Hill native Sean Bell. The officers, along with their partners Mike Carey and Paul Headley, fired 50 shots at Bell and two friends outside the Kalua Cabaret on Nov. 25, 2006, in Jamaica after they mistakenly believed he and his friends had a gun.
On Wednesday, the State Supreme Court's Appellate Division denied a motion issued by the officer's lawyers to move the trail to Albany. In their argument, the attorneys cited a poll that showed 62.9 percent of Queens residents felt the shooting was unjustified due to media.
Rev. Al Sharpton joined Bell's family and friends in court to hear the decision and slammed the officers for removing the community from the case.
“I think the people of the city and the people of Queens should look at the fact that they are supposed to trust the police, who don't trust us,” he said.
The criminal trial is tentatively set for Feb. 25 in Queens Criminal Court.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
