Crime & Safety

Convicting Cops a Tough Challenge, Experts Say

How might the case against two Fullerton officers charged in the beating death of Kelly Thomas play out?

Laura Nott, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|
https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/47876/2011/09/raw/7da42db89190bfd484dc28c6c5b54efb.jpg
https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/47876/2011/09/raw/25efaed7aea3e7577b480c72e0fa0862.jpg
https://patch.com/img/cdn/users/47876/2011/09/raw/8992a7ce113bf81619a0375d90d64260.jpg

Police officers are rarely charged with murder and jurors have been loathe to decide against them at trial.

Two Fullerton police officers have been charged with felonies in the death of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic homeless man. The Los Angeles Times looks at how the case may play out.

Says Laurie Levenson: "If they get a conviction on a murder charge, that would be extraordinary."

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Los Alamitos-Seal Beach