Two NOPD Officers Convicted of Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice Crimes

In a major victory for justice and accountability, two officers with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) have been convicted of civil rights and obstruction of justice crimes in connection with the beating death of civilian Raymond Robair in July 2005, and a subsequent cover-up. Officer Melvin Williams was convicted of violating Robair's constitutional rights by beating him on July 30, 2005, and of obstructing justice by writing a false and inaccurate incident report regarding their interactions with Robair. Officer Matthew Dean Moore was also convicted of obstructing justice and making false statements regarding the incident to FBI agents in March 2010.

Key Takeaways:

• Two NOPD officers, Melvin Williams and Matthew Dean Moore, have been convicted of civil rights and obstruction of justice crimes in connection with the beating death of Raymond Robair in July 2005.
• Williams was convicted of violating Robair's constitutional rights by beating him on July 30, 2005, and of obstructing justice by writing a false and inaccurate incident report.
• Moore was convicted of obstructing justice and making false statements regarding the incident to FBI agents in March 2010.
• The evidence at trial established that Williams and Moore beat Robair repeatedly with a baton, leading to his death, and then attempted to cover up their actions by submitting false reports.
• The case was investigated by the New Orleans Field Office of the FBI and prosecuted by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
• Williams faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison, while Moore faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

Statistics:

• July 30, 2005: The date on which Officer Melvin Williams beat Raymond Robair.
• 1: The number of officers convicted of civil rights and obstruction of justice crimes in this case.
• 2.5 years: The number of years that passed before Moore was convicted of making false statements regarding the incident to FBI agents.
• 1,001: The number of pounds that Williams weighed, according to court testimony.
• 10: The number of days that Moore had been an NOPD officer before being convicted of crimes related to the Robair case.

Sources:

• "Two NOPD Officers Convicted of Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice Crimes," Department of Justice, retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/