"I'm Ophelia Ealy," she told him, holding flowers for Roberts' mother. Ealy was on hand to support the Roberts family as they listened to testimony about May 31, the night Aaron died at the hands of Seattle police officers Greg Neubert and Craig Price. Ealy has also lost a son: Michael Randall Ealy died in a struggle with Seattle police in December 1998.
But Ophelia Ealy showed up to offer more than empathy for the Roberts' loss. She came to support the family as they navigate the frustrating inquest process.
"I think it's horrible," says Ealy outside of the courtroom.
Case in point: Inside, five lawyers stand before the judge--two paid for with public funds, to represent the officers and the city, and three working for free, representing the family. King County does not provide attorneys for families involved in inquests.
"I'm out of a lot of money. I keep fighting and get deeper and deeper in debt," says Ealy, who has supported her three grandchildren since their father's death.
In September, King County Executive Ron Sims tried to help by approving a new inquest guideline that calls for the King County Bar Association--a private group--to create a pool of attorneys willing to represent families for free.
But it might be hard for the bar association to find volunteers. "There's not likely to be very many people willing to handle that," says King County Council Member Larry Gossett. Indeed, the job can take months, and can involve at least $50,000 in expenses.
"[King County] should provide counsel for the family just like they do for everyone else," says the ACLU's Mark Aoki-Fordham.
After the Roberts inquest wraps up in mid-October, activists may push the county to do more than just create a list of pro-bono lawyers. They want families to get the same treatment as the cops.
Good luck. Steve Nolen, a criminal justice policy advisor to the county executive, explains the county's position: They cannot legally provide lawyers to families during inquests. "Somebody has to be going to jail or have the potential to be incarcerated [in order to get a public defender]," Nolen says.
