TYT: Ignorance Of Law Now A Protected Excuse For Cops

[WhoIsNumberNone]

“Well, you heard it here first: Ignorance of the law is an excuse, so long as you’re the police. Or so the U.S. Supreme Court has said in a 8-1 decision that symbolically strengthened the hand of the police to make stops even on the basis of nonexistent laws.

The court split hairs, explaining Monday that police ignorance is excusable only when the crime for which the defendant was convicted is different from the nonexistent crime for which he was stopped and searched. If that sounds iffy, it is. Here’s why.

The case, Heien v. North Carolina, had its origins in a weird fact pattern. In brief, the police stopped the defendant’s car because it had a rear brake light out. A subsequent search revealed drugs in the car. But a North Carolina court later determined that state law doesn’t prohibit driving with a failed brake light, so long as at least one is working."* The Young Turks hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian break it down.

[bananas]

1. it's not just a police state, it's a stupid police state

There's now an incentive not to train officers and to hire from the bottom of the barrel, which is just going to cause more disrespect towards the police. Training an officer just makes the city liable when he abuses his authority in a criminal fashion, not training him shield the city and saves training costs. They also save money by hiring stupid thugs that nobody else would hire. "A Clockwork Orange".

[libodem]

2. All the cards are stacked against us

Nothing seems fair or just in the world of law enforcement. The suggestion of corruption and graft within the very agency set up to hold other people accountable for their actions seems fury inducing.

Maybe that is the point? They must want citizens furious, petrified and uncooperative?

Cops seem to enjoy moving target practice and distributing extra judicial justice.

Hell, who needs a jury these days.

This shit just wrecks my image of "peace" officers and teaching kids to trust them. This ruins my whole childhood interpretation of what protect and serve is intended to be. I know it sounds foolish but I'm saying it. This hurts my feelings. It makes me sad for what this country used to stand for. This was the shit Nazis pulled and how we thought of the Russians. This doesn't represent what my country is supposed to be. It has to mess with everyone's mind.