Five police unions are urging senators to oppose the nomination of Adeel Mangi for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals over his affiliation with the Alliance of Families for Justice.
Mangi sits on the advisory board for the Alliance, a group that supports individuals who killed police officers.
“In letters to various senators, the organizations highlight Mangi’s role on the advisory board of the Alliance of Families for Justice (AFJ), an organization not only co-founded by a cop killer, but that also has described other convicted cop killers as ‘freedom fighters,'” reads a press release from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
The five groups sending the letters were the Rockland County Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the State Troopers NCO Association of New Jersey, and the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association.
The letter from the National Sheriffs’ Association read, “The fact that Mr. Mangi, as an Advisory Board member, aligns himself with an organization advocating for the release of convicted cop-killers is seriously disturbing. This stance is not only tone-deaf to the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers, but also disrespectful to the victims of heinous crimes, as well as the family and friends of officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”
“Mr. Mangi’s association with the Alliance raises concerns about a potential bias against victims and law enforcement, which could impact his decision-making as a lifetime appointed judge,” the letter added.
The National Association of Police Organizations wrote, “It is one thing to stand up for the rights of those shunned or mistreated by society. It is a far different thing to exalt unrepentant killers who were convicted following legal trials in courts of law. Mr. Mangi is smart enough to know the difference, and has made his choice.”
From the Rockland County Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association: “It is pure disrespect to the men and women of Rockland County Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, past and present, the citizens of Nyack, and Rockland County that terrorist cop killers who were convicted beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law could be held as heroes and icons to a man seeking the great responsible of upholding the rule of law.”
“We strongly condemn any person or group who advocates in favor of those who have attacked and killed law enforcement officers,” they continued. “Advocating for unrepentant copkillers in the name of justice is an insult to all those who don the uniform every day to serve and protect.”
Similarly, the State Troopers NCO Association of New Jersey wrote, “We strongly condemn any group who advocates in favor of those who have attacked and killed law enforcement officers. Advocating for unrepentant cop-killers in the name of justice is an insult to all those who don the uniform every day to serve and protect.”
The New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association emphasized that while they can “respect a lawyer who represents criminal defendants to the best of their ability,” they cannot respect a lawyer “who so blatantly promotes the opinion that the police are criminals, and the cop-killers are the victims. He has disqualified himself as an impartial decider of facts where police are involved, and we therefore ask that his nomination be defeated in the Senate.”
