Ferguson and the Justice Department Report

[Minimalist]

I hope a cadre of lawyers swoop in on Ferguson and sues the city, police department and culpable individuals for large sums of cash.

Except that who do you think pays for all that? Double whammy on the taxpayers.

Maybe then those "taxpayers" will stop supporting these fucking cops?

[Losty]

Seems like fraud to me. Isn't that a felony? Maybe they should all be criminally charged.

[SteelCurtain]

Except that who do you think pays for all that? Double whammy on the taxpayers.

Maybe then those "taxpayers" will stop supporting these fucking cops?

I'm not sure the taxpayers in Ferguson, MO are supporting their own police force/county commissioner...

[Thumpalumpacus]

Personally, I don't find it all that hard to obey the law.
It doesn't matter one whit if they issued lots of citations as long as the citations were true bills.
Break the law - Pay the fine. If you don't like the law, get it changed though political action.
You don't get to go through life giving society's rules the finger..

And what of charges when you didn't break the law?

I've fought traffic tickets in court where the only evidence presented against me was the police officer's testimony -- and where I had presented photos showing that the speeding charge was trumped up due to where the speed zone ended.

Guess who won?

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I hope a cadre of lawyers swoop in on Ferguson and sues the city, police department and culpable individuals for large sums of cash.

Except that who do you think pays for all that? Double whammy on the taxpayers.

It is worth it to ensure the equitability of justice.

Perhaps the most corrosive influence in seeing a country go down the tubes is the loss of faith in the justice system.

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As I said in my earlier post, "It doesn't matter one whit if they issued lots of citations as long as the citations were true bills."

That's a big if, brotha. I sure hope it doesn't step on your toes one day.

Organized and endemic police corruption has been documented time and again, corruption which often results in false charges, citizen abuse, and the suborning of police by criminal elements:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_scandal

http://www.criminaljusticedegreesguide.c...ndals.html

I don't know about anyone else, but any time I'm accosted by a man wearing a gun, I'm nervous, and I sure as shit don't trust him.

Especially after knowing what I know and have seen about police malfeasance.

Hope it works out for you.

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A cop would only do that if he thought it wasn't wasting his time.

[...]


90% of citations for an offense literally written as "Manner of Walking Along Roadway" were cited against African Americans.
EVERY SINGLE CASE of police dogs having been recorded biting a citizen was against an African American.
There was evidence of officers competing (sort of the "meow" game) for who can write the most citations in a single stop.
88% of instances of police using force were against African Americans.
85% of traffic stops were against African Americans.
93% of those arrested were African Americans.
Only 67% of Fergurson's population is African American.

I sure wish I could kudos that post more than once ... it was masterful.

[dyresand]

Not surprised there is biased cops in various counties in Florida they get worse they further south you go.

[Losty]

Further south from Florida? :p

I will never understand the people who say they don't care if the police violate their rights because they're law abiding citizens. What? If you're a law abiding citizen (and even if you're not for that matter), don't you think you deserve to have your rights respected by the people you pay to serve and protect you?

[dyresand]

Further south from Florida? :p

I will never understand the people who say they don't care if the police violate their rights because they're law abiding citizens. What? If you're a law abiding citizen (and even if you're not for that matter), don't you think you deserve to have your rights respected by the people you pay to serve and protect you?

There is a huge difference from north central and southern Florida.

[Losty]

Further south from Florida? :p

I will never understand the people who say they don't care if the police violate their rights because they're law abiding citizens. What? If you're a law abiding citizen (and even if you're not for that matter), don't you think you deserve to have your rights respected by the people you pay to serve and protect you?

There is a huge difference from north central and southern Florida.

I personally have found that most of Florida is a nice place. North central Florida is the worst part of Florida and would be more properly named as really South Georgia.

[JesusHChrist]

Personally, I don't find it all that hard to obey the law.
It doesn't matter one whit if they issued lots of citations as long as the citations were true bills.
Break the law - Pay the fine. If you don't like the law, get it changed though political action.
You don't get to go through life giving society's rules the finger..

You need to read the report.

Are these true bills? Not wearing a seatbelt while sitting in a parked car? Giving your name as Mike when it is legally Michael?

One charge, Making a False Declaration, was for initially providing the short form of his first name (e.g., “Mike” instead of “Michael”), and an address which, although legitimate, was different from the one on his driver’s license. Another charge was for not wearing a seat belt, even though he was seated in a parked car. The officer also charged the man both with having an expired operator’s license, and with having no operator’s license in his possession. The man told us that, because of these charges, he lost his job as a contractor with the federal government that he had held for years.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/....html?_r=0

You know what prompted the cop to write these citations? The man declined to allow his car to be searched as is within his 4th amendment rights.

Is exercising your rights giving the finger to society? Actually, I think it is an out of control police force acting as agent of government corruption that is giving the finger to society. What these criminals have done is far more detrimental to society than miscellaneous low-level crimes. They have attacked the very fabric of a civil society - rule of law, equal protection, civil rights.

[dyresand]

There is a huge difference from north central and southern Florida.

I personally have found that most of Florida is a nice place. North central Florida is the worst part of Florida and would be more properly named as really South Georgia.

There is those counties i know what you mean they have those counties in the south too because i was gonna go fishing and i went through this town and well lets just say Dixie flags everywhere and keep it at that.