Don Carpenter/Mobile Broadcast News

4/5/2014

Following the verdict and a mad dash, with members of the Associated Press, New York Times, and Pittsburgh print and TV media, I found myself lined up outside the federal courthouse in “Media Alley”.

As we waited for Jordan and all of the attorneys to come outside for interviews, we discussed the jury’s findings among ourselves. None of us could believe that the jury didn’t find that excessive force was used by the officers and we couldn’t fathom how anyone could consider that there had been a false arrest but the brutal level of force used was acceptable.

No one in Media Alley could come up with a good reason.

Pedestrians on the street walking by asked what major news story we were reporting on. “The Jordan Miles case verdict just came in,” I would reply.

“Oh, that,” was the response. A few people had no idea who Jordan Miles was or why this case was so important for the city of Pittsburgh or it’s residents. I spent a few minutes trying to quickly explain the case to those who didn’t know.

Joel Sansone and the Miles family were first to exit the courthouse.

Mr. Sansone spoke with media for about ten minutes.

Audio: Joel Sansone  react to the verdict

“We are gratified today that in America, the poor can still stand up against the people who oppress them,” he began.

“There was a great deal this jury did not know and were not told because the judge ruled as inadmissible evidence that these police officers had acted the same way on numerous occasions in the past,” Sansone continued.

“I hope the officers got the message—that they are not the law, we are the law. There is significant evidence that there is something seriously wrong with these police officers.”

“I’ll tell you what, the Civil Rights division of the US Attorney’s Office ought to be on this right away.”

Following Sansone’s media question and answer session, Jordan Miles broke his silence for the first time in years in a two-minute statement.

Miles expressed that he looked forward to putting this behind him and going back to school. He added “It’s not over. It’s not over because God didn’t say it’s over.

Miles’ Facebook status later in the evening said the same thing.

The Miles family and Joel Sansone then left the federal courthouse, the media scurrying ahead of the entourage to get their B-roll footage. Jordan looked tired and kept trying to turn away from the cameras, further proof that he never wanted the media attention, or the money, just accountability for the officers.

For more information in the aftermath of the trial, follow @anarchywaltz,@justice4jordan on Twitter, as well as, the Justice For Jordan Miles Website atwww.justiceforjordanmiles.com