美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Let Local People Solve Local Problems,' Memphis Says In Bid To End DOJ Oversight

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Five years ago, the U.S. Justice Department concluded that juvenile¹ courts in Memphis were failing to give children due process. Investigators² uncovered significant racial disparities. And they reached a deal with the federal government to try to fix things. Now with the new president and a new attorney general in charge, local officials in Memphis are asking to terminate that federal oversight³. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports.

CARRIE JOHNSON, BYLINE⁴: When the new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, visited Memphis a few weeks ago, he heard an earful from local officials over the breakfast table. Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell told the attorney general it's time to end expensive federal oversight of the juvenile courts because, he says, they've already made a lot of changes. For instance, public defenders⁶ now represent 60 percent of the kids who appear in court, up from none five years ago. Luttrell recently told county commissioners⁷ they can step up and finish the job.

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MARK LUTTRELL, JR.: You all can hold us accountable. You all can step in and do precisely⁸ what DOJ is doing right now. And that's what I would hope you'd do. That's one of the reasons that I made the appeal to D.C. - was to let local people solve local problems.

JOHNSON: But good government advocates say the request is premature⁹.

JOSH SPICKLER: The racial disparities, the disproportionate minority contact, the equal protection deficiencies that were pointed¹⁰ out five years ago have not changed really at all.

JOHNSON: Josh Spickler is a former public defender⁵ in Memphis, who now runs the nonprofit Just City. Spickler says an independent monitor has found the county has made little progress in ensuring white and black children are treated the same way.

SPICKLER: And I would argue that in a county that is 53 percent African-American, it is the single most important item that this oversight should be addressing.

JOHNSON: Spickler sent his own letter to the Justice Department, urging its civil rights lawyers stay on the case. The controversy¹¹ in Memphis represents part of a much larger debate. President Trump¹² and his attorney general are skeptical¹³ of federal involvement in local law enforcement matters. In fact, Jeff Sessions has signaled he'll cut back on investigations¹⁴ of discrimination or excessive force by local police and courts. A Justice Department spokesman says federal authorities are reviewing the county's request. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

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1 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

2 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

6 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

8 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

9 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

12 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

13 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

14 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。