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Agreed. Though I'm tempted to say that this problem isn't getting worse and that our awareness is only becoming more acute, the existence of digital information

Agreed. Though I'm tempted to say that this problem isn't getting worse and that our awareness is only becoming more acute, the existence of digital information increases the potential for abuses of power. (No specific cases come to mind at the moment, but I'd wager that it happens more than occasionally.) So what can we do about it? Record the police. EDIT: Typo..

Zikes 11y ago
Recording is a step, however that only addresses a small part of the issue: proof of wrongdoing. Even in clear-cut cases with recordings, such as the Eric Garner incident, it does not seem to lead to real justice. Every other day I'm reading an article about cases where there are no doubts as to the events, but no charges are ever brought. I think the first thing that needs to be addressed is the lack of independent, third-party mediators, capable of policing the police and enforcing fair and balanced punishments. Second, we need to address the corruption, collusions, and abuses of power that come from being involved in the justice system. If you are a member of the court or a law enforcement officer and were, e.g. pulled over for a moving violation, there is a very good chance that revealing your profession will result in your release with no record or punishment. I have sat in a court while my father was being tried for a felony. Since my family are essentially nobodies, there was no one else in the court prior to proceedings beginning except us and the court staff. We listened as the prosecutor spoke in a familiar tone with the various staff in court, including the judge, about a recent vacation he had taken out of state. He mentioned that he was pulled over for speeding, but once he told the officer who he was he was let go, and he was very proud of it. About an hour later, he was calling my father a "monster with no regard for the law".
- theseatoms 11y ago
  > We listened as the prosecutor spoke in a familiar tone with the various staff in court, including the judge, about a recent vacation he had taken out of state. He mentioned that he was pulled over for speeding, but once he told the officer who he was he was let go, and he was very proud of it. About an hour later, he was calling my father a "monster with no regard for the law". Is this for real? Unbelievable. And yes, it seems that proof of wrongdoing is often not enough. Hopefully the public outrage that these cases ignite can be sustained and channeled productively, towards greater accountability and transparency.
  - Zikes 11y ago
    Unfortunately recording devices are not allowed in courts, and it was not a part of actual court proceedings, so there's no way for me to prove that it happened. I can put it forth only as a first-hand account. Regardless, that's the day I realized that the police and the courts are their own entity separate from and above the rest of society. Our only hope is to minimize contact.
- tzs 11y ago
  > He mentioned that he was pulled over for speeding, but once he told the officer who he was he was let go, and he was very proud of it. It's not uncommon to be let off with a warning for speeding if you aren't argumentative, don't try to make bullshit excuses, were not going dangerously fast, aren't in some intentional revenue-generating speed trap, and your record comes back reasonably clean when they run a check on your license. There was an AskReddit where someone asks cops what makes them decide whether to give a ticket or a warning that gives some interesting insights [1]. I've been let off with no ticket a couple times, and got the ticket a couple times. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/16zweo/cops_of_reddit_what_determines_if_you_give/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/16zweo/cops_of_r...
  - Zikes 11y ago
    I've also been let off with a warning a few times myself, but in this case he made it quite clear that it was his "status" that got him out of it, which seemed to be a point of pride for him. As I mention below, I could not provide a transcript for this incident, only my account.

Zikes 11y ago

Recording is a step, however that only addresses a small part of the issue: proof of wrongdoing. Even in clear-cut cases with recordings, such as the Eric Garner incident, it does not seem to lead to real justice. Every other day I'm reading an article about cases where there are no doubts as to the events, but no charges are ever brought. I think the first thing that needs to be addressed is the lack of independent, third-party mediators, capable of policing the police and enforcing fair and balanced punishments. Second, we need to address the corruption, collusions, and abuses of power that come from being involved in the justice system. If you are a member of the court or a law enforcement officer and were, e.g. pulled over for a moving violation, there is a very good chance that revealing your profession will result in your release with no record or punishment. I have sat in a court while my father was being tried for a felony. Since my family are essentially nobodies, there was no one else in the court prior to proceedings beginning except us and the court staff. We listened as the prosecutor spoke in a familiar tone with the various staff in court, including the judge, about a recent vacation he had taken out of state. He mentioned that he was pulled over for speeding, but once he told the officer who he was he was let go, and he was very proud of it. About an hour later, he was calling my father a "monster with no regard for the law".

theseatoms 11y ago
> We listened as the prosecutor spoke in a familiar tone with the various staff in court, including the judge, about a recent vacation he had taken out of state. He mentioned that he was pulled over for speeding, but once he told the officer who he was he was let go, and he was very proud of it. About an hour later, he was calling my father a "monster with no regard for the law". Is this for real? Unbelievable. And yes, it seems that proof of wrongdoing is often not enough. Hopefully the public outrage that these cases ignite can be sustained and channeled productively, towards greater accountability and transparency.
- Zikes 11y ago
  Unfortunately recording devices are not allowed in courts, and it was not a part of actual court proceedings, so there's no way for me to prove that it happened. I can put it forth only as a first-hand account. Regardless, that's the day I realized that the police and the courts are their own entity separate from and above the rest of society. Our only hope is to minimize contact.
tzs 11y ago
> He mentioned that he was pulled over for speeding, but once he told the officer who he was he was let go, and he was very proud of it. It's not uncommon to be let off with a warning for speeding if you aren't argumentative, don't try to make bullshit excuses, were not going dangerously fast, aren't in some intentional revenue-generating speed trap, and your record comes back reasonably clean when they run a check on your license. There was an AskReddit where someone asks cops what makes them decide whether to give a ticket or a warning that gives some interesting insights [1]. I've been let off with no ticket a couple times, and got the ticket a couple times. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/16zweo/cops_of_reddit_what_determines_if_you_give/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/16zweo/cops_of_r...
- Zikes 11y ago
  I've also been let off with a warning a few times myself, but in this case he made it quite clear that it was his "status" that got him out of it, which seemed to be a point of pride for him. As I mention below, I could not provide a transcript for this incident, only my account.