I have absolutely nothing against policemen. I have a number of very good friends who are excellent officers. But, like every other group of people in the world, there are bad apples. Hopefully a person becomes a police officer because he or she cares about justice, protecting people, and generally likes to be of service to others. But, now that camera phones, surveillance cameras and other video recording devices are so common, we’re finally starting to see widespread evidence of cops abusing their power. And as a result, the criminal defense attorneys who work with our clients have had many great results in their defenses.

I just watched a news story showing a police officer from Florida push a woman down some stairs, and then decided to charge her with battery. A misdemeanor battery charge is a pretty serious crime to be accused of…not to mention the costs associated with hiring a criminal defense lawyer! A few months ago there was a bike parade in NYC and bystanders caught an officer walk into the street and give the ole “forearm shiver” to an innocent bicyclist… then charge him with resisting arrest! Now resisting arrest charges aren’t as bad as a misdemeanor battery charge, but you still have the headache of dealing with it and hiring a criminal attorney to defense you in order to protect your criminal record. A few months ago a pastor traveling through a check-point was stopped for no reason, interrogated and eventually tazered by border patrol officers. I spoke with a woman today whose 14 year old daughter was thrown to the ground from her 4 ft. high bed for no reason in the middle of the night! These things go on all the time and our criminal law firm strives to bring out the truth in court.

I completely accept that officers need to have the authority to use force in certain situations, but I hear way too many stories about police officers over-stepping their authority. Criminal defense attorneys need to be willing to step up and defend people when they have, in fact, been abused. We live in a nation with civil liberties and rights. We need to support police officers and help them do their jobs well, but we also need to be willing to stand up to those who don’t deserve the badge, those who abuse their power. We’ve all seen movies about hero policemen who “shoot first and ask questions later.” That’s great for the movies, but when it comes to real life we’re talking about mistakes that can ruin lives. If your rights have been violated, if you have been physically assaulted, I believe you deserve a criminal defense lawyer who will stand up for you in court.

My advice to you is, “Yes sir, no sir.” And, it doesn’t hurt to have a cell phone camera!

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972588-1,00.html