His name is becoming recognizable, but what is Benjamin Crump’s record when representing those allegedly wrong by the justice system?  While there are many success stories as a lawyer, history also shows that when Crump signs up to defend a (typically) black client, an assemblage of peers has almost always found the defendant not guilty and that the police acted within the law.

This is worth noting because in our national conversation of race and policing, while there are times that police act outside the law (and need to be fully prosecuted — no one is disputing this point), generally speaking the totality of a case runs counter to the narrative. When tensions are unnecessarily flared, only death and destruction follow. Neither is healthy for the predominantly black community that this affects nor the United States as a whole.

This year alone, Crump is representing the survivors George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, and now Dijon Kizzee. It seems probable that all four cases could result in exculpatory verdicts for the officers.

How did we get here?

The first high-profile Crump case occurred back in 2002, when he represented the surviving family of Genie McMeans, Jr., who was killed by a new black female police officer. The deceased initiated contact with the officer, yelled at her, and disobeyed her orders. When he eventually made a move to retrieve something from his car, he was fatally fired upon. Crump took the case, but after a short deliberation the officer was subsequently cleared of any charges by a grand jury. 

Fast forward to 2012 when Crump returned to the civil rights arena after a young black man named Ronald Weekly, Jr. accused the Los Angeles Police Department of racially profiling him and applying unreasonable force. In reality, he was a street bum that resisted arrest. A federal jury unanimously cleared all officers and the city. 

In that same year, Crump skyrocketed to national infamy for his involvement in the case of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. Lest readers forget, NBC intentionally misrepresented Zimmerman in the 9-1-1 call and portrayed him as a white man (he is Hispanic), thus planting the seed for the falsifiable narrative of white-on-black brutality. Crump again took the case and was again on the losing side. Zimmerman was found not guilty by a jury of his peers.

That same year, Crump represented the family of Alesia Thomas, who had been sought for the abandonment of her two children and when ultimately approached was high on cocaine. While she died in police custody, and Crump contended the police were directly responsible for her death in their custody, the female police officer that was eventually charged was found guilty of only felony assault, not murder. The dropped charge existed because the autopsy was inconclusive about the application of force in light of the deceased’s own actions and severe intoxication.

In 2014, the infamous Ferguson incident occurred, where the not-so-gentle giant Michael Brown, high on marijuana and black privilege, robbed a convenience store and proceeded to violently resist lawful commands. After assaulting a policeman and attempting to take his sidearm, Brown was shot and killed. Crump alleged, and the media and the White House likewise asserted, that a white racist police officer murdered an innocent young black man. Although both a grand jury and Eric Holder himself searched in the last few unburned buildings for evidence that the officer had evil motives, none surfaced. 

In the next forced-narrative incident, teenager Tamir Rice was tragically killed after the police were called about a person waving a firearm at a local park. Still brandishing the weapon when officers arrived at the scene, he was quickly and lethally subdued. Both local prosecutors and a subsequent grand jury declined to charge the officers, citing that given the circumstances, the officers responded reasonably. No charges were filed.

A year later, Crump took the job of representing a deceased Mexican immigrant, who, while being high on methamphetamines, hurled rocks the size of softballs at officers. Three officers, one also of Hispanic origin, fired several shots and killed him. For some reason, this warranted the intervention of the leftist Mexican president to decry American police brutality. Despite the political pressure of the case, no charges were brought against the officers.

Crump next took the case of a black Oklahoman named Terrence Crutcher. Police were dispatched after Crutcher, who as it turns out was out of his mind from acute PCP intoxication and an even more hallucinogenic substance called TCP, was parked in the middle of a street, wandering aimlessly, and making every interaction difficult for the responding officer. After he reached into his vehicle against repeated commands, he was shot and killed. The officer was charged with first-degree murder and jury of her peers found her not guilty.

That brings us to the present date. The George Floyd incident has led to months of unnecessary riots, looting, and death, all in the name of a problem that doesn’t actually exist. Crump is supporting the survivors in their quest for black social justice, which is not actual justice, and the case is currently eroding before his eyes. The lawyer’s own despicable actions of concealing officer body cameras footage from public view could have supported a community dialogue around use of force, but instead we were left with a one-sided still image of a white officer kneeling on a black man. Based on the available evidence, including transcripts, autopsies, and the withheld bodycams, as well as the steep demands of a second-degree murder charge, this officer could and should walk.

He is also defending the Breonna Taylor “estate,” and as more information comes out about her it is equally unimpressive. Involvement in the drug underworld and shady dealings don’t exactly corroborate the idyllic EMT image the media painted for us. This case is also pending, but after several months no charges have been brought against the officers, although one was fired.

And finally, Benjamin Crump is presently in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the shooting death of the anti-choirboy Jacob Blake. A solid background of the Blake situation can be found at American Thinker. Suffice to say, he had a felony warrant out for his arrest, has a violent past, and repeatedly ignored officer commands, and powered through taser discharges.

Based on the litany of failed judicial attempts, is it any wonder ordinary Americans have grown tired of the false narrative of systemic racism, black oppression, and police brutality? If America is so racist, why has Crump managed so legal victories? The best he could do was win a felony assault case, but even then, he had pushed for an initial murder charge that he didn’t get.

Here’s the truth: Every single one of Crump’s clients was a potential threat to the police and surrounding public. They acted dangerously and unpredictably while intoxicated from mind-altering drugs. Their deaths are tragic but entirely the fault of their own individual choices, not the police, and that is what juries find time after time.

So, isn’t it obvious? Americans want justice to be served but are living in a world of crying wolf. When something tragic does happen, we rightfully question the narrative and motives of the actors involved. This can change, but patterns of behavior need to change first.

Author’s note: The article has been revised since its original publication to correct for inaccuracies. The original submission mistakenly identified as Mr. Crump as the president of the Florida Bar; he was president of the National Bar Association. It was also written that Mr. Crump “defended” individuals; it has since been rewritten to include the word “represented.”

Parker Beauregard writes cultural commentary for ordinary Americans. He has been published on American Thinker, Liberty Nation, Right Wire Report, and blogs at thelastbesthope.xyz. Contact him at thelastbesthope@protonmail.com.