Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) applauded Senate passage of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act today.  The legislation, authored by Dodd, will provide the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigations with the authority needed to effectively investigate and prosecute unsolved Civil Rights Era-murders. 

“At long last, I am proud to say that today we’ve taken one step closer to righting the wrongs of the past and bringing to justice those who have perpetrated heinous crimes based on racial hatred,” said Dodd.  “While the Emmett Till bill cannot alter history or heal the wounds incurred by these senseless acts of violence, it can work to restore belief in the fairness of our justice system. By passing the Emmett Till bill, we send the message that we will never forget the horrible crimes that occurred in our past and that will do everything in our power to apprehend and prosecute the criminals that committed them. For too long this important legislation was needlessly blocked, but today the Senate finally passed this historic legislation and I urge the President to act quickly to sign this bill into law.”

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act will provide the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) the authority needed to reopen Civil Rights-era criminal cases which have gone cold by designating a Deputy Chief in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ and a Supervisory Special Agent in the Civil Rights Unit of the FBI. These individuals will be tasked with spearheading and coordinating efforts by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors to bring long-time fugitives to justice. Both positions will focus on investigating and prosecuting the unsolved murder cases that occurred prior to 1970, during the Civil-rights era.

Dodd originally introduced the legislation in February 2007 and the bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously. The bill was also introduced by Representative John Lewis of Georgia and passed the House of Representatives on June 20, 2007, by a vote of 422-2. 

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