Former East Cleveland detective Ian McGinnis was sentenced to 30 months in prison this spring after being convicted on multiple charges related to three separate arrests between 2020 and 2022. But supporters and critics alike are asking whether the punishment was about justice—or politics.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office described McGinnis’s sentence as a long-overdue moment of accountability.
“East Cleveland residents deserve better,” the office stated after the sentencing, a tagline that made headlines and drew applause from some reform advocates. However, behind the headlines, many in law enforcement and legal circles are raising concerns, suggesting that the case appears more about public relations than actual wrongdoing.
According to court records and trial testimony, McGinnis was convicted on 10 counts, including attempted felonious assault, interfering with civil rights, and dereliction of duty.
Yet none of the suspects involved in the three incidents were hospitalized or reported injuries at the time of arrest. One key witness testified he didn’t know he was a “victim” until the prosecutor told him he was.
A use-of-force expert, certified and approved by the court, testified on McGinnis’s behalf, stating that the detective’s actions were within standard police policy. But prosecutors dismissed the testimony, and the jury never received clear instructions on what constitutes lawful force. In at least one case, key body camera footage that supported McGinnis’s defense was reportedly withheld from court proceedings.
Supporters argue the prosecution cherry-picked frames from body cam footage to exaggerate McGinnis’s actions, portraying a foot chase stumble as a calculated kick and a control hold as an intentional strike.
“This wasn’t about enforcing the law,” one former East Cleveland officer said. “This was about finding a headline.”
Critics of the trial have also raised concerns about bias in the courtroom. The judge shifted the burden of proof onto the defense to show McGinnis acted lawfully, a departure from the standard that requires prosecutors to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
McGinnis, a decorated detective with no prior disciplinary record, now faces not only a prison sentence, but a permanent ban from law enforcement after being forced to surrender his state certification. Meanwhile, cases involving civilians with more severe offenses, such as violent assaults and drug trafficking, have drawn lighter or no prison time in the same court.
“This wasn’t a trial,” said one law enforcement advocate. “It was a production. The prosecutor needed a conviction, not a conviction based on law, but one that looked good in the media.”
In the end, it appears McGinnis wasn’t convicted based on facts but on optics, according to the video from the Infamous Ex-Chief.
The case involved 10 charges, three arrests, and zero hospitalizations. A certified use-of-force expert testified that his actions followed department policy.
From manipulated bodycam footage to a key witness who admitted he didn’t know he was a victim until prosecutors told him so, the case played more like political theater than a pursuit of justice.
For those who believe officers deserve due process like anyone else, the McGinnis case is a sobering reminder of how far the system can fall when narrative takes precedence over law.
Watch the full video from the Infamous Ex-Chief here.
