Tucson Weekly Covers Checkpoint Lawsuit

 

dui_checkpt_2In this week’s Tucson Weekly, an article was published regarding my ongoing civil rights lawsuit. The lawsuit names several Tohono O’odham police officers and stems from an illegal general law enforcement checkpoint conducted with U.S. Customs and U.S. Border Patrol agents in 2002.

My last blog entry related to this case provided an update on a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals hearing that was held in San Francisco on November 20, 2008. The court hasn’t ruled on the appeal as of yet but hopefully will in the next month or so.

Not surprisingly, one of the first responses I received regarding the article came from an individual claiming to be a retired police officer. This is what Jim DeConcini had to say:

“As a retired police officer with 30 years experience, I had experiences with liberal nut-cases like you once in a while.

You are a poster child for the “I hate America and especially it’s law enforcement officers” club.

Those guys at the roadblock are probably still laughing at and mocking you. I am and I wasn’t even there.”

I say not surprisingly because comments such as this from those claiming to be associated with ‘law’ enforcement are far too common.

It seems that questioning aggressive police enforcement tactics targeting the general public instead suspects based upon investigation and probable cause means you hate all law enforcement. While seeking accountability through the American judicial system for wrongful acts committed by such public servants means you hate America.

Nothing of course could be further from the truth. Most individuals, myself included, have nothing but respect for peace officers who conduct their duties in a professional, lawful and appropriate manner. The problem arises from those officers or agents who think the rule of law doesn’t apply to them and are somehow due respect based solely on the badge they wear as opposed to their deeds on the streets.

While I have no reason to believe Mr. DeConcini wasn’t anything other than an upstanding officer during his thirty years of service, his comment makes it clear what is wrong in many law enforcement circles today. Good cops protect bad cops at the expense of the very public they all claim to be serving and protecting.

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