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Thursday, May 19, 12noon-1pm, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, 345 S. High St.
For nearly 18 months now, the family of Casey Goodson, Jr. has had to fight for accountability for his murder. While this fight has long focused on Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Meade (@convictmeade), the fight also requires accountability from the government agency that enabled a sheriff’s deputy with a violent history to take Casey’s life.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office hired, trained, and enabled a violent deputy who eventually took the life of Casey Goodson, Jr. Following Casey’s murder, they never fired Jason Meade or took any official action against him. They instead allowed him to retire and keep his pension, funded by taxpayer dollars.
Eventually, Meade was indicted for murder, but only after the prosecutor’s office delayed that indictment by waiting six months to appoint special prosecutors. Gary Tyack’s office ran on a platform of police reform and thus far that promise has not only gone unfulfilled, but they have decided to stand with Jason Meade to the detriment of this family and this community.
Casey’s family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Franklin County. Instead of resolving this matter or allowing the lawsuit to proceed while the family pursues their own accountability, Franklin County has successfully asked the Court to delay the civil lawsuit until the conclusion of Meade’s criminal trial. This could last until 2023 at the earliest. As we’ve since with CPD Officer Andrew Mitchell and others, this criminal process could actually take years.
Franklin County has to let the people know where they stand. You cannot claim to be for the people while fighting the people.
Casey was murdered on December 4, 2020, and Franklin County has taken no steps to allow his family and this community to heal from this tragedy. They are prepared to sit and wait and see what happens with Meade after some indefinite period of time, as if that changes the fact that a citizen of this county was murdered in cold blood by an employee of this county.
Our Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office is not only actively defending a murderer, but an office that is supposed to protect the citizens of this county and obtain justice for us continues to delay and deny justice through every step of this process. That is not the will of the people and justice will not be denied.
Stand with us in continuing to fight for Justice for Casey Goodson, Jr. and his family and in showing that the power is with the people. See you Thursday, May 19.
Hosted by Convict Meade, Black Liberation Movement Central Ohio, JUST [Justice, Unity, and Social Transformation], Black Queer and Intersectional Collective [BQIC], and Showing Up For Racial Justice Central Ohio.
