ACLU-MN Statement on Kimberly Potter Sentencing

The ACLU of Minnesota has this statement on today's sentencing of Kimberly Potter, the police officer who killed Daunte Wright. Please attribute to ACLU-MN Legal Director Teresa Nelson:

"While the ACLU-MN opposes mass incarceration, and we have worked hard to reduce mass punishment and the significant racial disparities that are endemic to our criminal system, we are deeply troubled by the judge’s decision to issue a significant downward departure in sentencing Kimberly Potter to 24 months for first-degree manslaughter – compared to the more severe sentence given to Mohamed Noor.

"We want to emphasize the troubling racial implications of Noor – who was convicted of a lesser offense than Potter - receiving a 57-month sentence that’s more than twice as long as Potter’s. Noor also sought the same type of reduced sentence as Potter, but was denied.

"The difference in the treatment of Potter and Noor paints a clear picture of Minnesota having two separate and unequal systems of justice, one that is demonstrably tougher on people of color. We are saddened to see these racial disparities reaffirmed once again today, and we will keep fighting to end them."