Judge rejects Justice Department request to delay hearing on Baltimore cops

Attorneys for the Justice Department on Monday asked for a 90-day delay to “review and assess the proposed consent decree.” The next day, Baltimore officials filed a motion against the requested delay, saying it would undermine the public’s trust and confidence in the police reform process.

“To postpone the public hearing at the eleventh hour would unduly burden and inconvenience the court, and other parties, and most importantly, the public. Accordingly, the motion for public fairness hearing is denied,” U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar said in rejecting the department’s request. The hearing remains scheduled for Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was hoping to delay the hearing in order to slow down the process of having the consent decree approved. Sessions on Monday ordered a review of all of the department’s consent decrees and police reform efforts, raising questions about those in Baltimore, Ferguson, Chicago and others.

It is expected to be easier for the department to amend or invalidate consent decrees that have not been approved by a court yet.

Under former President Obama, the Justice Department issued a scathing report of the Baltimore Police Department, finding stops, searches and arrests that disproportionately affected minority residents. The city agreed to a consent decree in the final days of Obama’s presidency.

But the Trump administration’s review is aimed at determining whether language in those agreements makes it harder for police to do their jobs, or weakens protections for police.