Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Idaho rancher killed by deputies over a wounded bull.

Behold have kept them,master all they were free.

I read an article the other day written by the Prosecutor in the trial of some NYPD cops. They have a State Law that prevents any of a cop's prior abuses to be brought up at trial.

The gist of the article was the difficulty in prosecuting cops as compared to one of us commoners. That was only one of a multitude of reasons.

During the trial or during sentencing?

At trial. She made it sound as if the rule was peculiar to cops, something their Union lobbied for.

I'll see if I can find it.

Your state undoubtedly has a similar law of evidence that would prevent a prosecutor from mentioning any of your prior abuses (if you had any) at your trial (if you were to be tried for something), absent some narrow exceptions.

It's not a special law for the protection of LEOs.

It's not unique to cops, it's a standard for Court.

I can't enter evidence of a past DWI in order to convict an alleged drunk driver. Ditto on an assault for a wife beater.

Sentencing, however, is another issue.

ETA...,beat to it.

You guys and your facts.

Ruining it all!

Has Gene been pulled over yet today?

I copied this from the article I mentioned. You would NOT want to read the complete article.

t’s hard to prosecute cops. There are two main reasons for this: The first is the special deference that jurors, judges, and prosecutors show officers thanks to the widespread perception that they are heroic public figures valiantly trying to protect us. The second is the bevy of special laws around the country that are designed to shield police officers from the very tactics the police regularly use on ordinary suspects. For example, in most states, law enforcement officers cannot be questioned until they have been given a few days to get their stories straight. And many states have passed laws—such as Section 50-a of New York’s Civil Rights Law—that are specifically designed to make it almost impossible to obtain or use at trial records of a police officer’s prior brutality or misconduct. These two factors can make convicting police officers extremely difficult, and it is no accident; it is the direct result of the sustained effort by police unions to protect officers from even the most deserved discipline or prosecution."

I googled "how hard is it to prosecute cops" and there are pages of articles all saying this same thing.

The statistics cited in some of the articles are amazing as far as offenses vs. charges brought.

You guys really do have a license to kill.

Why wouldn't I want to read it......?

You did read both the black and white parts of the post you quoted, correct?

Are you really 007?

No gadgets......or cool cars.

Just a license to kill, damn.

Apparently...... 17 years (give or take a few months). I'm way behind!

The website is "Slate"... search for this:

The Myth of the Hero Cop
Police officers earn more than you think for a job that’s less dangerous than you imagine.

I took the time to read it and the NY link.......

Do you believe that an LEO's personnel file should be utilized as evidence during a trial?

Honestly, much of the article was irrelevant for "me". For instance, I'm not going to have to deal with disclosing an assault conviction for one of my guys. He's not going to have a job with a conviction......

George

A couple of weeks ago a St. Louis "yout" killed a Kentucky State Trooper during a traffic stop on I-24 in Western Kentucky.

A few hours later he was shot dead by a Kentucky State Trooper group.

I got no problem with that at all. It's probably not by the book, but I don't care. I've got my opinion and it's going to be what it is.

On the other hand, If I was a law officer on the scene of this incident, I have no doubt that I could have handled it without anybody getting killed or even being charged with a crime.

,...and I ain't nobody special.

Too bad to see LE/groupies intentionally misdirect this thread.

I think the record should be subject to discovery.

The Lawyers can argue over relevancy with regard to its contents and the Judge can rule.

If I was charged with a crime of violence, the State would be questioning my neighbors and friends, hoping to establish a pattern of violent behavior. They would have a list of all my prior arrests and/or convictions.

A LEO's abuse victims would likely be scattered among the general population. How would one find HIS victims without the help of the State.

I've never had groupies.......

I guess I won't converse with Gene anymore, though I certainly wouldn't put him in that bracket.