Judge Beverly J. Woodard

IN PRINCE George's County, it is now clear that the police, without provocation, can beat an unarmed young student senseless -- with impunity. They can blatantly lie about it -- with impunity. They can stonewall and cover it up for months -- with impunity. They can express no remorse and offer no apology -- with impunity.

The agent of this travesty of justice, and this impunity, is Judge Beverly J. Woodard of the Prince George's County Circuit Court. Ms. Woodard has presided in the case involving John J. McKenna, a young University of Maryland student who was savagely beaten by two baton-wielding Prince George's cops in March 2010, following a men's basketball game on the College Park campus.

The beating of Mr. McKenna was videotaped; had it not been, the police, who filed no report and then falsely claimed that he instigated the incident and attacked them, may never have been investigated or charged. Yet despite the fact that a jury convicted one of the police officers, James Harrison Jr., of assault nearly two years ago, Ms. Woodard has now thrown the verdict out and closed the case.