1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: Hi, This is Rafara and the producer of The girl 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Friends Untouchable. In this episode, we'll be exploring the lens 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: the authorities when to try and fight corruption in Kansas City. 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: While there's a lot of hope in this episode, as 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: well as stories of how people push back against a 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: broken system, there will also be some discussion of murder 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: and sexual assault. If you or someone you love has 8 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: been affected by any of the themes that come up 9 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: in this episode, we've left some links in the description 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: that offer resources and support. Take care of yourself. Okay, 11 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: let's address the elephant in the room. You are not 12 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: hearing the dulcet tones of Nicki Bridgardson or Kadija Hardaway. 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: As you can probably tell, I don't even have an 14 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: American accent, but as the producer of this series, I 15 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: spent the past year having hours worth of conversations with 16 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: people from Kansas City about Roger Glubski and the corruption 17 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: his story exposed. However, Kansas City isn't an outlier. Police 18 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: corruption and institutional racist is an international problem that often 19 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: affects black and marginalized people the most. Stories like these 20 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: shake our trusts in the institutions designed to protect us. 21 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: But we can't just sit by and despair. If we 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: want to see real change, It's up to us, the people, 23 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: to speak truth to power and hold these institutions to account. 24 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: In this series, we've had two different approaches to change 25 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: in the system. One group of people want to change 26 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: things from the ground up by challenging those institutions, like 27 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: Nikki and Khadija. 28 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 2: You know me and you didn't go into this to 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: make friends, right. We went in there to do the 30 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 2: right thing. 31 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: And we've also heard from people who want to change 32 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: the system from within, like Mark Debris, the first black 33 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: district attorney in Windot County's history, who came into public 34 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: service after a life of community activism. 35 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 3: Lord pushed me into this to tackle injustice from the 36 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 3: inside out. 37 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: Given what people in Wye Dot County have been through, 38 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: it's not surprising that different groups have strong feelings about 39 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,239 Speaker 1: how to move forward. Both are trying to change the 40 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: system for the better, but which method is more effective? 41 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 2: If you are really looking to change the system, you 42 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 2: can't do it by working within it. 43 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 3: I can sleep at night knowing that I did my 44 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 3: part bringing justice to this community. 45 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: Oh God, God, God, I'm refarra Masaruvera from the teens 46 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: at novel and I Hot podcasts. This is the Girlfriend's Untouchable. 47 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 4: You Big. 48 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: Bonus, Episode four, The Government's Guide to Making a Change. 49 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: Mark Dupree is a man who's taken on various different 50 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: roles in his community. He's a pastor, a lawyer, an activist, 51 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: and a politician, and he believes that the systems checkered 52 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: past is exactly why good folks must get involved and 53 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: shake it up from the inside. 54 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 3: I was born and raised here in Kansas City, Kansas, 55 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 3: in the Inner City. My parents were Pentecostal pastors, so 56 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 3: we did a lot of ministry work, dealing with gangs 57 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 3: and trying to help our community in ministry. 58 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: Du Preden only want to get into law to fight 59 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: against injustice because was the right thing to do. One 60 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: of the reasons he wanted to get into the justice 61 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: system was because he belongs to the group most likely 62 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: to be racially profiled and mistreated by the police. 63 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 3: As a black man in America, it was very clear 64 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 3: that the system had biases and still does and as 65 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 3: a black man in this country, growing up, I had 66 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 3: to learn how to adjust. I had to learn how 67 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 3: not to be a victim, and so I was taught 68 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 3: by my parents, right, if you're driving as a young 69 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 3: black man, to always have your wallet on the dashboard 70 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 3: and never to make any such movements. 71 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: He also knew that if a black man like him 72 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: became the victim of a crime, he couldn't necessarily trust 73 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: the cops to come to his rescue. 74 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 3: There was often victims of crime in my community and 75 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 3: we would see the perpetrator not be arrested, justice wouldn't come. 76 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 3: That's why I became a criminal defense lawyer and see 77 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 3: the victimization of my community members in the system not 78 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 3: working to help them. It was at the age of 79 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 3: fourteen where I had an opportunity to meet an African 80 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 3: American judge and I went down to the courthouse and 81 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 3: I walked into the courthouse and that one day shadow 82 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 3: experience turned into a seven year mentor mentee relationship. He 83 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 3: taught me that I can do more than pray, that 84 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 3: I could be involved in the criminal justice system, and 85 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 3: that led me to go into law and graduate from 86 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 3: law school and worked for judge and then I did 87 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 3: public defense work for some years. 88 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: Growing up in the nineteen nineties, topre belonged to the 89 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: generation the felt the promise of the civil rights movement 90 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: had not been realized. The cracker cane epidemic and so 91 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: called war on drugs had devastated black communities across the 92 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: States in the late eighties and the early nineties saw 93 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: a of public unrests when the brutal beating of Rodney 94 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: King at the hands of police officers sparked the La riots. 95 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 5: Coming out of the civil rights movement. 96 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 3: We're trying to get into fairness and equality and that 97 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 3: everyone has a right, black, brown, broke everyone. We're all equal. Well, 98 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 3: not everyone agreed with that. You have people who were 99 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 3: in authority and who could police those black and brown communities, 100 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 3: but still have their same old school mentality that you 101 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 3: do what I say because I can make you do it. 102 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: Do pre went into practicing law with an air of optimism. 103 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 1: He was ready to fight for justice and make a 104 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 1: difference in his community, but he quickly realized that the 105 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: actions of the courts and the law of prosecutorial incentives 106 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: could sometimes get in the way of justice. 107 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 3: As a prosecutor, the old school mindset was the more 108 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 3: cases I win, the more convictions I get, the more 109 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 3: notches that come onto my belt and what you find 110 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 3: historically again across the country is you have forty six 111 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 3: percent of all wrongful convictions are due to prosecutorial misconduct. 112 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 3: The police were the ones who was given the authority 113 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 3: to keep everyone safe, while at the same time their 114 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 3: biases as human beings came through. Because of that a 115 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 3: culture that allowed that authority to go to some folks' heads, 116 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 3: and if you were the badge at that time, you 117 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 3: got to do pretty much whatever you wanted to do. 118 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 3: And so how does something like this happen? I think 119 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 3: it's the lack of text and balances that was there. 120 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 3: I think it absolutely was discrimination and racism that was occurring, 121 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 3: and then the lack of accountability. Now, we later find 122 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 3: that in the eighties and in the nineties that that 123 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 3: police department was being investigated by the Department and Justice, 124 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 3: and was being investigated by others, but none of those 125 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 3: things were able to stick to the point that records 126 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 3: were shredded. 127 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 5: That's not the story of just that department. 128 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 3: That's the story of this country specifically during that time. 129 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: It was in light of these facts the Marketer Priest 130 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: set his sights on the District Attorney's office. 131 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 3: I decided to run for DA twenty fourteen. I ran 132 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 3: as the DA to make change, to hold people accountable, 133 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 3: to hear the community, and to be in the community. 134 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 5: And that's what I did. 135 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,719 Speaker 3: And so the citizens of this community wanted to get 136 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 3: rid of all of those allegations of corruption, and quite frankly, 137 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 3: many of those folks had experience and had been touched 138 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: by the system and the flaws that were in it. 139 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 3: The community still believes in making these changes and holding 140 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 3: people accountable, not just those outside the system, but holding 141 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 3: people accountable inside the system. 142 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: Mark Duprix was elected in twenty sixteen, taking office as 143 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,319 Speaker 1: Kansas's first black DA in twenty seventeen. 144 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 3: I am the only African American elected DA in. 145 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 5: The entire state of Kansas. 146 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 3: In twenty seventeen, I was, and I still am. Before me, 147 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 3: everyone who sat in this chief Law Enforcement official seat 148 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 3: at the DA was not a person of color, and 149 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 3: across the country to this day, ninety two percent of 150 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 3: those who are sitting in elected DA seats are white men. 151 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: As soon as the assumed office, the people of Wyandot 152 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 1: County started knocking on his door, sending emails a mail 153 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 1: calls because the community was desperate for change. One of 154 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: Dupre's first major breakthroughs was the exoneration of Lamont McIntyre, 155 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: But that was just the start. 156 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 3: After we finished with Lamont's case, I had seen too 157 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 3: much information that said, you know what, I can't just 158 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 3: sit silent, right And many people said, well, Dupre, just 159 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 3: leave it alone. 160 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 5: You don't want to get into it. 161 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 3: He's been a dedicated officer for all these years, you know, 162 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 3: just leave it up. 163 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 5: Well, that's that good old boy mentality. 164 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 3: I scratched your back, you scratched mind, and I felt 165 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 3: like that, Yes, McIntyre had an injustice done to him, 166 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 3: but quite frankly, for forty years this individual had been 167 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 3: on the force, and I dare not say that he 168 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 3: was the only one doing this type of foolishness. 169 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: Dupre had heard rumors that prosecutors, police officers, and people 170 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: working in positions of authority had abused their power, but 171 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: he was about to find out that that corruption ran 172 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: even deeper, realization that would force him to push back 173 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: against the very office he'd assumed. After the break, we'll 174 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 1: hear what Mark Deprix has been able to achieve and 175 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: explore some of the limits to his agenda for reform. 176 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 4: And go you, You, and God You. 177 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: After McIntyre was exonerated in twenty seventeen, Wyin Dot County's 178 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: first black DA, Mark Duprix got to work addressing the 179 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: issues he saw when it came to the way the 180 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: justice system treated people in his community. 181 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 3: Doing this work, I came to the conclusion that it 182 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 3: was not just about protecting those who are outside the system, 183 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 3: but it is about making sure that the system itself 184 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 3: is doing what is right and what is just. It's 185 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 3: about doing justice and making sure that the victims of 186 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 3: all races are taken care of. And you don't just 187 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 3: win by any means necessary. You win based off of 188 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 3: the law, and if you lose based off of the law, 189 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,719 Speaker 3: guess what. The law still did its job. 190 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: But he saw that the DA's office hadn't always made 191 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 1: fairness and justice to priority when it came to how 192 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: they treated people. In fact, he was kind of horrified 193 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: when he saw how elements within his new office had 194 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: operated in the past. He believed there had been miscarriages 195 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: of justice, threatening of witnesses, and a failure to take 196 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: a stand against sexual violence. Law enforcement wasn't just protecting 197 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: and serving his community the way they were supposed to 198 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: on some occasions they were actively harming them, and the 199 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: District Attorney's office hadn't been doing enough to challenge them. 200 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 5: I'll tell you, I think it's important to note. 201 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 3: It's one thing to know corruption exists, right, or you 202 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 3: you can feel they're not treating us right. It's something 203 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 3: to know that on the outside of the system looking in. 204 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 3: It's a whole other thing when you're actually in the 205 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 3: system and you're the DA and you. 206 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 5: Actually have the evidence to show I wasn't dripping. This 207 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 5: was real. I knew they were biased. 208 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 3: I was like, oh, wow, really. 209 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 5: And so how did that make me feel? 210 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 3: It made me feel like, uh, you know, despite me 211 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 3: not ever wanting to be the prosecutor, I now see why. 212 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 3: I see why I'm here. I believe the Lord pushed 213 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 3: me into this, and it was for a greater cause. 214 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,680 Speaker 1: The system was broken. Wyandot County needed change and that 215 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: could only come with a real, true reckoning. Sir Mark 216 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: Dupre pushed for Prosecutor Tara Moorehead to be held to account, 217 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: but going up against people in positions of power like 218 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: Morehead isn't easy. 219 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 3: Tera Moore hit, who was a seasoned prosecutor who had 220 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 3: a desire to make sure she'd climbed the letter, but. 221 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: Dupre looking into the mcintie case put a spotlight on 222 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: Tara Moorehead's history of alleged misconduct, an investigation that led 223 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 1: to her being called before a panel at the Kansas 224 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: Board for Discipline of Attorneys and surrendering her license to 225 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: practice law. The Kansas Supreme Court formerly dispired her in 226 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: April twenty twenty four, but one official facing scrutiny wasn't enough. 227 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: The mcintie case had revealed a culture of intimidating witnesses 228 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: and failing to protect victims, a pattern that could only 229 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: thrive in an office that lacked accountability. So duprisa to 230 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: try and create safeguards to protect victims and witnesses and 231 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: ensure the integrity of the justice process. 232 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 3: The law has changed quite a bit, right, you can't 233 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 3: threaten a witness. 234 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 5: That's the biggest thing. You can't threat witnesses. 235 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 3: But more importantly, there are offices in place where now 236 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 3: those individuals have the ability to report when it happens, 237 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:29,359 Speaker 3: so that prosecutors who are going rogue, can get penalized, 238 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 3: can lose their license, not just their job, but their 239 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 3: license to practice law. So there's been huge change in 240 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 3: what I would say in reform into accountability for not 241 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 3: just prosecutors, but for lawyers and law enforcement alike. 242 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: As well as championing more community focused policing. The DA 243 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: set out to change the culture in his own office. 244 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 3: I came in and I had to release I believe 245 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 3: six or nine prosecuting attorneys. It left me with very 246 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 3: few and I had to hurry up and hire a 247 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 3: whole bunch of new ones. 248 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: It's important to note that the Italese Daye pre released 249 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: are not publicly accused of or implicated in any wrongdoing. 250 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: According to our reporting, Debrie's reforms drew a hard line, 251 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: which made him enemies the old God who were used 252 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: to being in power. We're not about to vanish withou 253 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: putting up a fight. 254 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 5: It was tough, you know, all kinds of things. I 255 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 5: received death threats. 256 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 3: All of this stuff happened because we wanted real justice 257 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 3: from the inside out. My children had to grow up 258 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 3: in a way that I didn't. They had to experience, unfortunately, 259 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 3: teachers who were married to law enforcement who talk bad 260 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 3: about their father. Teachers would come to my kids and 261 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 3: tell them that your father hates police. 262 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: But Dupre remained seidfast. 263 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 3: I think the best thing that can happen for this 264 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 3: community is that they see accountability, that no one is 265 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:04,640 Speaker 3: above the law. 266 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: Dupries started working with the FBI. He took them around 267 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: the community and they began digging around. 268 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 3: They sent it over to the US Attorney's Office for 269 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 3: actual prosecution, at which point then the question became, how 270 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,920 Speaker 3: do we get some of these witnesses who may have 271 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 3: been victimized by this detective Dupries. 272 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 1: Changes over the past few years have been wide ranging. 273 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: Oh School prosecutors have been phased out, bad prosecutors have 274 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: been taken out of commission, and the police department's culture 275 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: has started to change, while some residents are still unhappy 276 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: about what they perceive as a lack of real measurable change. 277 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: The way dupreputs it, why Dot County is moving forward. 278 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 3: We have a new police chief, an African American police 279 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 3: chief who grew up here in this community. As many 280 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 3: of those officers and detectives during that era has retired 281 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 3: moved on, and so we have a police department who 282 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 3: is really focused on justice and every community, and our 283 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 3: crime rate has gratefully decreased over twenty seven percent, and 284 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 3: where community based. 285 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 5: We're focused on the community. 286 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 3: What we've done in our office is made sure from 287 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 3: the top that training is known. We've also made it 288 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 3: very clear that witnesses and victims of crime are our partners. 289 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,400 Speaker 3: They are not to simply do what we say when 290 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 3: we say it. It was normal practice for threats to 291 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 3: be made, and if prosecutors approach them as you need 292 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 3: to do what I tell you to do because I 293 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 3: need to close this case, then that's where the culture 294 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:49,360 Speaker 3: of threatening witnesses, the culture of creating evidence, the culture 295 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 3: of withholding evidence, the culture of winning by any means, 296 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 3: that's where that culture is formed. 297 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 5: So again, there's been great reform. We're focused on the 298 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 5: community and seeing. 299 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 3: That they have individuals righting wrongs, built that trust that says, 300 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 3: maybe my grandmother couldn't trust them, but right now we 301 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 3: have the ability to trust in a law enforcement and 302 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 3: in a DA who really cares. 303 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 1: When I initially talked to DA Dupree, I got the 304 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: sense that change was actually happening, that Kansas City and 305 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,639 Speaker 1: the rest of Wine Dot County were about to transform. 306 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 1: Duprez are compelling talker. He knows the right points to 307 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 1: tana journalist, and hearing him speak sometimes felt like being 308 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: in a Sunday morning Salmon I was buying into the 309 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,439 Speaker 1: vision he was laying out, and it felt like he 310 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: really did believe that you can change the system from 311 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 1: the inside. But there are people like our girl friends 312 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: Nicki and Kadija who believe that the most effective way 313 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,360 Speaker 1: to create change is to challenge the systems of authority 314 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: and speak truth to which we'll hear more about after the. 315 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 4: Break and you glad you and God you. 316 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 1: Marked depres. Making history by becoming Kansas's first black district 317 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: attorney is something that Nikki and Kadija respect, But making 318 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,719 Speaker 1: history doesn't make you immune to criticism. Each time I've 319 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: spoken to them, I've gotten this sense that there's still 320 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: a lot of unfinished business in wyan Dot County search 321 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: for justice. Some people feel that Dupree's administration hasn't gone 322 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: far enough when it comes to supporting the victims and 323 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 1: survivors who spoke up but haven't gotten justice yet. 324 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 2: In the case of Nico, her story was riddled with abuse, 325 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:03,400 Speaker 2: sexual rare meant by Gelupski, prosecutorial misconduct by Terror Moorehead. 326 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: Her story was not used to charge those people with 327 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 2: any crimes or look in and investigate into any of that. 328 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 2: Nobody listened to her beyond exonerating Lamont McIntyre, and so 329 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 2: that left NKO feeling very used. 330 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: The women has shared that stories put themselves out on 331 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: the line, and some of them aren't sure it was why. 332 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 2: That a lot of the pathways of justice was wrapped 333 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 2: up in that federal trial, and when Gulupski committed suicide, 334 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:40,199 Speaker 2: that pretty much ended that pathway. We were working with 335 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 2: the Department of Justice on creating new pathways of systemic 336 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 2: change for wind Dot County to resolve some of these issues, 337 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 2: but the external factor of the Trump administration has completely 338 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 2: broken down that relationship. 339 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,479 Speaker 1: When I spoke to Depris, it almost seemed as if 340 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: he was describing an idealized version of Windot County. But 341 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 1: Nikki thinks this outlook missus the mock because she feels 342 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: like the old God still calls the shots. 343 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 2: The corruption, the nepotism, the lack of care about people 344 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 2: who don't look like you, or who are marginalized, or 345 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 2: who have a harder life, those biases really have seeped 346 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 2: their way into the culture of our local government and 347 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 2: it has really shaped the policies that have been made 348 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 2: over the years, and. 349 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 1: According to Niki, there are some straightforward changes that d 350 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,679 Speaker 1: Dupree could push FORULL to improve the lives of people 351 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: in the community. 352 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:37,919 Speaker 2: Mark dupri has every ability in his elected position to 353 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 2: do a lot more than what he is doing. I 354 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:45,680 Speaker 2: strongly feel that Wandotte County should be decriminalized for marijuana use. 355 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 2: They use marijuana possession to target black and brown people, specifically, 356 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 2: especially in the East area. And he could just make 357 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 2: the decision that in his office he is not going 358 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 2: to prosecute marijuana possession, and then that d in Sient 359 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 2: advises the police department from even looking at marijuana possession, 360 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 2: and that protects his community. And that is something he 361 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 2: has the entire authority to do and he doesn't need 362 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,120 Speaker 2: anybody else to do it. But he's not doing it. 363 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 2: Policing the black and brown community is a part of 364 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 2: the system that upholds his job. Right, How can you 365 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 2: not try to do something more or at least be 366 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 2: more vocal about it in the public. 367 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: But Nicki and Kadija don't see it as just to 368 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: depreach you. It's an issue with power itself. 369 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 2: Can you really change the system by just working within it, 370 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 2: and there's a lot in you. You've got to have 371 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,400 Speaker 2: more than just him, and then he's got whole thats 372 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 2: got to change the whole thing. 373 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: But while they were hesitant to work with the authorities, 374 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,119 Speaker 1: they've seen the impact that being persistent can have on 375 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: creating change within the system, for example. And that's sup 376 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: pole of the Conviction Integrity Unit to presopp it was 377 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: an initiative to empower the community to challenge law and force. 378 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: It later became the Community Integrity Unit and now gives 379 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: the community even more powers to scrutinize and challenge law 380 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: enforcement in Wine Dot County, a sign that's sometimes working 381 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: together can be the most effective way to change things. 382 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 6: Unless the community rallied around Mark depri for an initiative, 383 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 6: he doesn't have much he can do without the backing 384 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 6: of community. That's how we got the Conviction Integrity Unit. 385 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 6: He would not have been able to do that had 386 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 6: we not supported that. If there was no grassroots organization 387 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 6: in Wine Dot County, this would not be happening. And 388 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,439 Speaker 6: so every community does need to establish some sort of 389 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 6: grassroots organization that holds these government institutions accountable. What will 390 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:52,120 Speaker 6: always work is fellowship and engagement, and as long as 391 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 6: we are continuing to build together and collectively sharing our 392 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 6: stories and collectively doing work, we outnumber them. And I 393 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 6: think being able to have avenues where the community can 394 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 6: actually see what's really going on behind the curtain would 395 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 6: go a long way to make sure that there are 396 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 6: accountability measures in place, but also build trust. 397 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:20,479 Speaker 1: Wyan Dot County and Kansas City, Kansas still have a 398 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 1: long way to go, but the Gallupski story made people 399 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,960 Speaker 1: realize that nobody is above the law and a lot 400 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:29,439 Speaker 1: of progress can be made when a community comes together 401 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: to hold power to account. Since the story came to light, 402 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: Nicking Kadija have seen more people coming together, putting a 403 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 1: spotlight on potential wrongdoing and calling it out. While they 404 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: don't always see eye to eye and have different opinions 405 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,880 Speaker 1: on how to enact change, officials like Math and activists 406 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: like Nicking Kadija are doing the crucial work it takes 407 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,440 Speaker 1: improve their community and protect its people's rights. 408 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 2: I believe in some ways we were moving in the 409 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 2: right direction. We just have so much that we have 410 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 2: to make up for the road. 411 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: Justice can be long and arduous, often littered with more 412 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: stepbacks than tangible signs of progress. Pushing back against old 413 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 1: systems isn't comfortable, and change can take years, decades even, 414 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,439 Speaker 1: But when you love your city and are that deeply 415 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: invested in its future, it's a journey worth fighting for. 416 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: In the next episode of The girl Friends Untouchable, Kadida 417 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: will be having a really thought provoking conversation with doctor 418 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: Marvel Parker, whose husband Wheeler Parker, was a witness to 419 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 1: his cousin Emmett Till's kidnapping at the hands of a 420 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: lynch mob. 421 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,919 Speaker 7: The open caskin funeral of Immitil is said to have 422 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 7: been the catalyst that sparked the civil rights movement. Rosa 423 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 7: park said, when she refused to give her seat up 424 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,399 Speaker 7: on the bus, she thought about Immittiel and she stayed 425 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 7: in her seat. And we know that one act was 426 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 7: the birth of the Montgomery bus boycott that brought that 427 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,679 Speaker 7: to Kina Town, that gave birth to the civil rights movement. 428 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 7: Emmit's death was the spark. 429 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: The Girlfriend's Untouchable is produced by Novel for iHeart Podcasts. 430 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: For more from Novel, visit novel dot Audio. This episode 431 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 1: was hosted by me Referro Mazarura. It was produced by 432 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 1: Mohammed Ahmed and Refarro Mazarura. The editor is Joe Wheeler. 433 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: The researcher is Sayana Yusef. Production management from Charie Houston 434 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 1: and Joe Savage. The fact checker is Fendo Fulton. Sound design, 435 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: mixing and scoring by Daniel Kempson with additional engineering by 436 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:05,120 Speaker 1: Nicholas Alas Alexander. Music supervision by Refara Mazarura, Nicholas Alexander 437 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: and Joe Wheeler. Original music by Amanda Jones. The series 438 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 1: artwork was designed by Christina Limcol. Novel Director of Development 439 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 1: is Selena Metta. Willard Foxton is Novel's creative director of Development. 440 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: Max O'Brien and Craig Strachan are executive producers for Novel. 441 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: Katrina Novel and Nikki Etel are the executive producers for 442 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: iHeart Podcasts. The marketing lead is Alison Cantel. Special thanks 443 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 1: to will Pearson and a special thanks to Carli Frankel 444 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 1: and the whole team at wm E