The Right Thing For The Right Reason

      When I was seeking to become a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles part of the application process was to emphasize that, as a prosecutor, we were always to try to “Do the Right Thing for the Right Reason – Every Time!”  If we made a mistake along the way, they would have our backs, but if we did things for political, personal or vindictive reasons, etc., we would be held accountable.  After I became a trial court judge I have had many opportunities to speak to prosecutors and police officers, and I have often reaffirmed with them the importance of adhering to that challenge.  Why?  Because it is critically important not only that this happens, but that all people in our country believe that this is happening.  If not, our justice system and much of what we stand for as a country will be in peril.

      So it was with dire sadness that I recently saw the police body camera videos of the incident in Miami where Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was forcibly pulled from his car by several police officers after being stopped for speeding, pushed face-first into the ground and handcuffed.  (I assume you are familiar with it.)  It must be said at the outset that Mr. Hill was acting like a jerk in closing his car window and not re-opening it when the police instructed him to do so.  However, from what I saw, for the police to act as they did thereafter was simply vindictive and they had no legal reason to arrest Mr. Hill!  I understand that sometimes at traffic stops people pull guns on the police, so the officers logically should be on edge.  Thus under those circumstances it was appropriate for them to have opened Mr.  Hill’s car door, which they did.  But then they should have just left him alone with the car door open.  I understand that it is a crime in Florida (and probably most other states) to interfere with or obstruct police officers while in performance of their duties.  But not opening a window is not my view of obstructing the police under those circumstances. 

      So now will the police officers be held accountable?  I hope they are, and I hope that this is done publicly!  And that includes the supervisors who had the responsibility of training them about things like this that could arise.  Furthermore, along the way, we should all be thankful that most police officers are now required to wear body cameras when interacting with the public.  If people know they are being videotaped they will certainly have a greater tendency to act responsibly.  But for everyone at every level in our society, accountability is supremely important!  I hope you agree.

Quote for the week: “Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth; nothing easier than flattery.”   Fyodor Dostoevsky