June 24, 2004

• Those damn cameras are ruining this country.
• This is especially disturbing just after the police have been given more power.
• Since it's a sequel, shouldn't Rodney have won this time? Officers to be quizzed Yeah, I think a pseudo-euphemism was a good choice there.
• Just another typical day here in Chicago. daley refuses to have any "Cops" style shows to be filmed here. Hmmmm wonder why??
• i haven't seen it yet, but before i look, i'll bet 100 simoleons that the guy is black...
• okay. yep, he's black. (i concede the "rodney king II" was a bit of a hint, though.) so this happened in compton, eh? i hope there are riots and looting again... i could totally use a new pair of flip-flops.
• People have no idea just how common this is. I am a criminal defense attorney and I have people claim to have beaten up by the police at least on a monthly basis. And there is virtually nothing that can be done about it. People do not believe that it really happens so much. Plus, it is not really a defense to the crime that the defendant is alleged to have committed. Investigation needs to be taken by the police (that'll work) and then a decision to prosecute needs to be made by the District Attorney's Office (always in bed with the police department). It simply never happens. It is only when it is captured on camera and the press gets hold of it that these first steps even get taken. I have wondered why the black community has not taken to carrying video cameras around with them whenever they can. After Rodney King, I thought that it was inevitable. They should at least have some means of audio recording in their vehicles. We'd be looking at a dozen of these videos on the news every week and police might actually stop this abuse. Worked pretty well in Iraq, after all.
• This reminded me of when second baseman Joe Morgan was assaulted by a couple of cops at LAX airport while he was talking on the phone, simply because he "fit the description" of a drug dealer. This one had a happy ending, as he sued the hell out of the city and won, but would that have happened if he wasn't rich and well-known?
• With all love and affection to my non-caucasian Monkey brothers and sisters, I say the following: I can't even begin to imagine what you must feel when a cop scowls at you. As a non-descript white male, 28 - 34 years of age (with the requisite Goatee™ confirming my Gen X disenfranchise-ness), I never get a second look for police. I consider myself pretty lucky, especially living in a high-crime city like Los Angeles. Would any of our "minority" Monkeys care to share their experiences?
• bernockle: Hasn't there been a court case in one state where video evidence of police malfeasence was ruled inadmissible because the court essentially held private citizens oughtn't be able to film the police without there consent? But yes, I am surprised there isn't more sue of this. I guess, though, that many people don't want to risk further retribution. Most places have enough laws on the books that we all violate something sometime, and angry, corrupt police officers looking for revenge could cause a lot of trouble. Oh, and jim, you can experience that bowel loosening fear by being a large, solidly built white male who is about the same size as someone who has recently assaulted a woman on the same night. Nothing like it, I can assure you...
• Yes, you are right about the admissibility of such video. However, no such laws would prevent television stations from showing it nor newspapers from reporting it. So it might not be admissible in lawsuits, but it would do an enormous amount of social good. Plus, it would inevitably lead judges to find ways to rule such video admissible. If I am pulled over for a bogus reason but they find a body in the trunk, then you can be damn sure that some judge is going to find some way to argue that there was reasonable suspicion to stop me. Enough social outrage could lead judges to rule similarly on vidoe of police misconduct.
• you can experience that bowel loosening fear by being caught by Moscow police without your passport. Well, I suppose my bowels are naturally loose. But it worked for me.