REHOBOTH BEACH — Following Kathy Jennings’ decision to dismiss charges against four Delaware State University students, civil rights attorney and candidate for Delaware Attorney General Dwayne Bensing released the following statement:
“While I welcome Kathy Jennings’ recognition of errors made in these cases, Xander Nicholl, Angelin Clauvin, Keyon Scott, and Eric Barnett are owed an apology by the officers and the Delaware Department of Justice. But an apology, while necessary, is not sufficient. The underlying conditions that allowed this to happen must be addressed.
The deprivation of any person’s liberty without cause is a serious concern that undermines the public trust required to keep us all safe. Unjustified arrests needlessly and permanently disrupt an individual's personal life, financial security, and mental health. Unfortunately, though, Superior Court data shows that at least one-in-five arrests ultimately result in nolle prosequi or dismissal; and that’s not counting arrests for criminal matters for lower-level alleged offenses addressed in our other courts. These are not just abstract statistics–they are real lives and wasted tax dollars that should be spent addressing serious crimes.
We need transparent answers, real accountability, and concrete reforms to ensure that this never happens again. As Attorney General, one of my first acts will be to immediately review the charging criteria and processes used by local law enforcement agencies and the Deputy Attorneys General, release those findings, and restore the public trust required to keep us all safe.
I applaud NAACP State Conference of Branches President Fleur McKendell for her swift advocacy on behalf of these students.”
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