The Police State's Lawyers - an exposé

In the aftermath of Oscar Grant’s murder in 2009, directors of the Bay Area Rapid Transit district announced they would turn over the agency’s internal affairs probe to what they called an “independent, third-party law firm.” BART board member Carole Ward Allen explained the decision saying, “It was essential for the public to have complete confidence in the findings of this internal investigation; and the best way to guarantee that confidence was to bring someone in from the outside with an impeccable record to conduct the investigation independently.”

BART leaders quickly selected the Oakland-based law firm, Meyers Nave, to carry out the investigation. At the time, this action failed to prompt a close look at the firm’s background, practice areas and clientele.

An examination into Meyers Nave’s work on the Oscar Grant case and its work for various police departments around the state, reveals a firm that is anything but an independent third party. Meyers Nave is instead a law office deeply intertwined with municipal governments and police forces. Its lawyers strongly identify with government clients who account for all of the firm’s business.

Read the full article at the SF Bayview - http://sfbayview.com/2011/the-police-state%E2%80%99s-lawyers-meyers-nave/