Judge sets date in Sandra Bland wrongful-death case

Sandra Bland's death added fuel to the ongoing Black Lives Matter and other movements against discriminatory and brutal policing

A demonstrator holds a Sandra Bland sign during a vigil on 28 July in Chicago (AP Photo/Christian K. Lee)

A US judge has set the date for a trial over Sandra Bland, a black woman who died in a Texas holding cell after a traffic stop in July, court staff told The Independent.

Ms Bland’s death, like that of other black Americans who have died in police custody, added fuel to an ongoing movement to address what activists call the brutal, often discriminatory policing of US communities of color.

Ms Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, brought the wrongful death suit against the Texas Department of Public Safety and involved officers. The court staff, who spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to address the press, said that a jury trial date of January 23, 2017 was set on Thursday but is “subject to change”.

The court staff would offer no further comment on the circumstances behind the court date — more than a year away.

A medical examiner ruled shortly after her death that she had hanged herself, three days after her detention after she was stopped by a white highway patrol officer. The arresting officer Brian Encinia’s dash camera footage shows that the traffic stop had quickly devolved into a physical altercation. Mr Encinia says that she was arrested for assault.

Ms Reed-Veal told local news following a status hearing in her wrongful death suit Thursday that she was not heartened by the court date.

"I'm coming here before you to tell you I'm not OK. Coming out of this hearing today, I'm not OK. My daughter is gone. I have now celebrated one holiday without her,” Geneva Reed-Veal said, according to ABC13.

“It is tough. I walked into these doors with continuations, dates, delays. I'm coming out of these doors with continuations, dates and delays."