Maybe justice will be served this time

I guess elections *do* matter, because I'm pretty sure the corrupt cops named in these indictments would have been given a free pass by the Bush-era DOJ...

From CNN.com -

Five people, including three police officers, have been indicted in the fatal race-related beating of a Latino man in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Two indictments charge the five with federal hate crime charges, as well as obstruction of justice and conspiracy, authorities said in a written statement. A federal grand jury handed up the indictments last week, and they were unsealed Tuesday.

The charges stem from the July 2008 beating and murder of Luis Ramirez, a Mexican immigrant, in Shenandoah. Two teenagers, Derrick Donchak and Brandon Piekarsky, beat Mr. Ramirez while shouting racial and ethnic slurs (hence the hate crime charges).

The federal indictment alleges that Piekarsky, Donchak, and four police officers, including the chief of Shenandoah's PD, conspired to obstruct investigations into the crime.

Note: while CNN is reporting that 3 police officers have been indicted, the USDOJ's press release says 4. I'm going to go with the DOJ's number, under the presumption the DOJ knows who they've indicted (which is a rather large presumption, I know :)).

While it is heartening to see the action regarding the murder itself (especially given the fact that the killers were sentenced to less than 2 years in jail on state charges), the obstruction and conspiracy charges are what are really encouraging.

Especially given the amount of obstruction and conspiracy spewing forth from the similarly bigoted offices of the Maricopa County Attorney and Sheriff.

While none of this will bring Mr. Ramirez back to his friends and family, it could work to prevent future murders and coverups by officialdom.

At least one can hope...