ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. (WHEC) — A former corrections officer was sentenced to prison for the murder of Robert Brooks, an inmate from Greece. News10NBC was in court all day covering the verdict.
“In the matter of the people vs. David Kingsley, the jury have returned verdicts of guilty,” the judge said.
Two other officers were acquitted of all charges.
“A person can only be placed in jeopardy for the charges one time. If the jury comes back with an acquittal, the verdict against the prosecutors, the weight of the prosecution’s evidence and the finding of not guilty, is permanent and final and can never be recharged,” said Aaron Pam, a Senior Associate with the Tully Rinckey Law Firm.
“Obviously, the two gentlemen were acquitted. I felt different, but I respect the jury’s verdict. And now we’ll see what the United States Attorney does with them,” said William J. Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County DA, who served as prosecutor for the case.
State Sen. Jeremy Cooney and the healthcare union 1199 SEIU, of which Robert Brooks Jr. is a member, called for Gov. Kathy Hochul to pass a bill aimed at improving prison safety. Cooney said, “This is an important reminder that we have more work ahead to achieve true justice and ensure these types of tragedies never occur in New York again.”
“We all witnessed Robert’s brutal murder on video for the world to see, yet the decision made by the jury today is painful and difficult to understand,” the union said.
The Brooks family released a statement expressing satisfaction with the guilty verdict but disappointment over the acquittals. They plan to pursue a federal civil rights lawsuit and urged Gov. Hochul to pass the Robert Brooks Bill.
Gov. Hochul’s office stated she is reviewing the bill and is committed to significant prison reforms but did not provide specifics.
That bill aims to improve prison safety include an $818 million investment in fixed and body-worn cameras in state prisons, deployment of 88 body scanners for visitors, inmates, and staff, and a law firm review of practices at Marcy, Mid-State, and other state prisons following the deaths of Robert Brooks and Messiah Nantwi.
