Open Letter to Hon. Dennis E. Ward: Thank You - Support for Cariol Horne’s Pension
Strategies for Justice
606 Liberty Avenue, 3rd Floor #107
Pittsburg, PA 16522
May 7, 2021
Hon. Dennis E. Ward
Supreme Court Justice
Part 12 – 2nd Floor
25 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
RE: Thank You - Support for Cariol Horne’s Pension
To the Honorable Judge Dennis E. Ward,
We the undersigned would like to humbly thank you for objectively presiding over Cariol Horne’s civil case. Since Horne’s termination in 2008, she has undergone a lot of hardship including homelessness, depression, financial instability, defamation of her character and reputation, and the loss of her faith in justice being served, just to name a few. There are parts of Horne’s life that can never be restored with any court’s ruling.
Your ruling in Horne’s favor, however, restored her faith in justice being served, although almost 15 years after the fact. Your ruling allows Horne to start the restorative justice process in her life and validates the actions she took on November 1, 2006, in preserving the sanctity of human life – Neal Mack. Your ruling also sends an empowering message to other law enforcement officers, who want to honor their sworn oath of office by intervening on behalf of a citizen, but are too afraid of the de facto sanctions in the form of retaliation that awaits them for crossing the “thin blue line.”
We sincerely hope this will be the progressive beginning to rectify other injustices done to officers who have honored their sworn oath of office but were punished for doing so. Once again, we humbly thank you for your service regarding providing restorative justice for Cariol Horne and for making her whole.
Yours respectfully,
Terry Watson,
Founder, Strategies For Justice
National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, Inc.
Charles Billups, Chairperson, The Grand Council of Guardians, Inc.
Black In Law Enforcement of America
United Black Police Officers Association
Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association - NCR
Black Cops Against Police Brutality, Inc.
National Coalition of Law Enforcement Officers for Justice, Reform and Accountability (NCLEOJ)
Westchester Rockland Guardians Association
National Black Police Association
Congress Against Racism & Corruption in Law Enforcement (C.A.R.C.L.E.)
Black Shield Police Association
Guardians Association of the New York City Police Department
Rhode Island Guardians Association
Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. (MAMLEO)
Metropolitan Alliance of Black Law Enforcement, Chicago
The Guardians Association of the New York State Courts
Black Law Enforcement Alliance
William Ron Bailey (RET) Lieutenant Bridgeport/Chief Massachusetts
Community Organizations

