Court battle resolves after Milwaukee judge rules on police bodycam policy

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A year-long court battle pitting the Milwaukee Police union against the city is over. Late in the day on Friday, a judge dismissed a challenge from the union. Now, body camera footage in critical incidents must be released to family within 48 hours and to the public within 15 days.

It's all in a 14-page document.  The union had sought to have that rule dismissed, claiming the city violated Wisconsin law by going above collective bargaining rules.

But the judge said the union failed to make their case.

Friday evening, a celebration was underway at the home of Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton, who was shot and killed by a Milwaukee Police Officer at Red Arrow Park in 2014.

Milwaukee police didn't wear body cameras when Dontre was killed in 2014, but that case was the reason the department had gotten body cameras. His mother, Maria Hamilton, has been outspoken in the push to reduce the amount of time it takes Milwaukee police to release footage to families now. And last year, the Fire and Police Commission agreed to take it from 45 days down to 15 days for the public and 48 hours for families in critical incidents.

The union challenged that in court citing, "public scrutiny of police has reached unprecedented levels," and "employees will experience new stress, especially those now tasked with complying with…disclosure deadlines." But the city stated the purposed of the 48 hours/15-day release was to "foster greater public trust…but increasing transparency."

While the judge didn't side with the city or the union, what she did do establishes the 15 days/48 hours rule.

"This is awesome. We love to see it, but also, we know that this is only the beginning of the fight for transparency and for community control of the police, happy to see this victory and ready to keep going," said Casey Serrano with Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

"We want to establish community control for all of Wisconsin and so there's gonna be an uphill battle," said Diego Garcia with Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

Maria Hamilton says every time there's another police shooting, it tears her apart and she never got to see what happened to her son.

"I don't have it. I still don't have it. I know that there's footage out there of the incident. I know there was intimidation of witnesses in the process," said Hamilton.

"But it's absolutely devastating to know that some of these families barely got footage after months and months of fighting," said Serrano.

The Milwaukee Police Association isn't giving up.

They tell us they'll be presenting additional evidence at an upcoming hearing saying, "releasing body camera footage before investigations have reached their logical conclusion is both short-sighted and will actually have a negative impact on the transparency the community seeks."