Unanswered Questions and Broken Promises: The Renee Good Shooting and What It Says About Government Accountability [Published in The Legal Intelligencer]
The shooting of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a federal raid in Minneapolis has raised major questions about the extent of government power and the vital importance of transparency and accountability in preserving democracy. Immediately after Good was killed, federal investigators took sole control of the probe and restricted access to case materials, disturbing the legal community and leading to the resignations of six federal prosecutors.
Furia Rubel CEO and general counsel, Gina Rubel, recently published an Op-Ed examining this crisis of confidence in the American judicial system. She noted that federal power and accountability have been in tension since the country’s founding, leading to the overthrow of British rule and the establishment of the separation of powers in the Constitution. Rubel identifies key questions raised by this crisis:
- Who investigates government force?
- Whose story is centered?
- Is the public informed and empowered?
When federal authorities restrict independent review of their actions, power is unchecked by accountability. If we are to remain true to our country’s democratic principles, we must speak out on behalf of the rule of law.
As Rubel writes, “The Constitution was born out of a determination that government must be constrained by law and answerable to the people it serves. How the nation responds to Good’s death, not just in words but in a transparent, impartial investigation, signals whether that promise still holds meaning.”
Read Unanswered Questions and Broken Promises: The Renee Good Shooting and What It Says About Government Accountability (Subscription is required.)