So I was watching “Cops” the other week. Yes, the show. And yes it was a Saturday night. Don’t ask me why I was watching “Cops” on a Saturday night…the show just came on, and I loved that show growing up as a kid, so I thought to myself, “why not Tom, why not?” Now, watching the show as an adult, with years of experience working at a criminal defense law firm and dealing with criminal attorneys, I have a different perspective. As you can imagine, I was outraged with what the officer said at the very end. Let me explain.
So the cops are dispatched to the scene after a neighbor calls 911 regarding a couple that was arguing. When the cops conduct their lack luster criminal investigation they make the determination: that since the man had what seemed to be a minor scratch on his forearm, the woman was the one guilty of a domestic violence charge. The only questions that were asked were ones that are designed to find someone at fault, not to find out the truth. Domestic violence lawyers who are experienced will bring this up in the defense. They didn’t ask any other questions that might have been useful in this investigation like “What do you do for a living”? This question is very important! Because, from my observation, it seemed like the man could have been a mechanic because of the dirt under his finger nails and the tools that were scattered around his garage. From my experience changing the oil and spark plugs in my car, one can certainly scratch themselves pretty good! Just ask my right ring finger that still has a scar on it! I’m certainly not saying that this is exactly what happened. The scratch could have very well been from the woman and she may have actually been guilty of domestic violence. But what I am saying is that with so much on the line, you have to look into every single aspect of the case. An experienced domestic violence lawyer or criminal defense attorney would certainly do so. When the officer’s investigation was done and the mother was in handcuffs in the back of the police car filling her lap with tears, the officer’s statement to the camera guy was “Well, I hope I got this right.” Are you kidding me?
The officer in some way or another has forever changed this woman’s life. She is being accused of domestic violence. Either a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence or more likely, a felony domestic violence charge. These charges will affect her future. What the show doesn’t tell you is her back story and her history. What does she do for a living? Does she have a professional license? Is this going to ruin her career? If so, she’s in huge trouble – all because some cop “hoped he got it right”. If she loses her job, that means she’s got to look for a new job. So in today’s market, where unemployment is sky rocketing, she has to look for a new job, only now she has a criminal background!? Ya, good luck. Moreover, if you’re looking for a new job, that means you have no income coming in, and that will affect the way you take care of your family. How will she pay her bills? How will she keep a roof over her head? These are questions that a cop doesn’t think about – but domestic violence lawyers and criminal defense lawyers do. Forget about jail, (which is a serious possibility), but the reality is, you don’t always have to go to jail for a criminal charge to ruin your life. The average American is a couple of pay checks away from being out in the streets…think about it….because this police officer didn’t! He is “hoping, hoping he got it right.”
