Kudos to the Jacksonville police officer who had the courage to turn in two fellow officers recently for committing a crime on the job. Apparently the officers wanted to look for drugs in a house located in a high-crime area, but they didn’t have a search warrant. So instead of developing the probable cause they would have needed to get a warrant, they decided to take matters into their own hands. They removed a room air conditioner and went into the house, then made up a story about a lady driving by who reported a burglary so it would look like they were justified in going into the house.
They didn’t find any drugs in the house. Now they’re in jail.
Sadly, too many officers take shortcuts. Over the course of the last 18+ years as a criminal defense attorney, I’ve seen it too many times. I’ve had clients tell me about it again and again.
I guess these officers feel like the ends justify the means, but they never do. Their actions taint all of the hard-working, dedicated officers who play by the rules while protecting the public.
The criminal justice system is designed to ferret out the truth, and most of the time it works. Usually, when it fails, it’s because a cop or a prosecutor decides that winning is more important than justice. It never is.
I’m sure the officers charged in this case will feel entitled to a fair trial, which they are. I’m sure they’ll want the evidence used against them to be obtained legally, which it should be. That’s the thing about the Constitution—it covers all of us, in all cases.
You can read more about this story at http://bit.ly/dChmmy.
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