The Derek Chauvin Trial

@engineer,

engineer wrote:

More likely he is just another convicted felon in the queue waiting for his court date in an understaffed system.

You seriously believe it’s “more likely” that this man is not receiving any special attention?
The powerful police Union and everyone in the system who wants to protect the status quo know that the sentence he receives could directly affect their lives and the way cops are thought of forever.

It doesn’t take a lot to believe that the same kind of convenient bureaucracy that prevents body cam footage from being released makes district attorneys protect patrolmen could be preventing timely sentencing.

In any case, my understanding of the way “justice” has (or hasn’t) been historically meted out to police officers doesn’t make me prone to give the system the benefit of the doubt.

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@Joeblow,

Joeblow wrote:

I can't find it, but I think 8 weeks may have been what the judge initially stated. I was surprised when you wrote 2!

Okay, if that’s the case then I’m just being paranoid.

I reserve the right to be paranoid in matters regarding police receiving justice.

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Maryland launches review of cases handled by ex-medical chief after Chauvin trial defense

Quote:

Fowler said he would have classified Floyd’s death as “undetermined,” which raised concerns from some in the medical community.

“Dr. Fowler’s stated opinion that George Floyd’s death during active police restraint should be certified with an ‘undetermined’ manner is outside the standard practice and conventions for investigating and certification of in-custody deaths. This stated opinion raises significant concerns for his previous practice and management,” a letter signed by 400 doctors said.

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@snood,

snood wrote:

Joeblow wrote:

I can't find it, but I think 8 weeks may have been what the judge initially stated. I was surprised when you wrote 2!

Okay, if that’s the case then I’m just being paranoid.

I reserve the right to be paranoid in matters regarding police receiving justice.

Looks like I misspoke too. It's a volatile situation.

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@vikorr,

A strict interpretation of the words in the First Amendment is that no speech is ever illegal, however, it really is necessary to allow punishment for speech in a tiny number of situations, but that number should be kept as small as possible. Expressing opinions, no matter how repugnant must never be illegal, however the law really does need to have a way to protect people from shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater, or libel, or directing people to commit imminent violence.

You can keep asking me more and more questions in an effort to find a defect in my reasoning, if you like, but there is no defect and I'll just keep giving you the correct answers. It will be tedious to prove to you, but proceed if you must.

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@Brandon9000,

Quote:

You can keep asking me more and more questions in an effort to find a defect in my reasoning, if you like

I wasn't seeking a defect - I was asking about the direct contradiction between the outrage you displayed (that is how it appeared to me) about (insulting a police officer being an offence) being unconstitutional....and the many freedoms of speech that are illegal, or frowned up. I actually like your reasoning - as it appeals to and is consistent with a principle rathers than the constitution.

The only inconsistency I see, and it's minor...is if you believe bullying a teenager until they commit suicide is or should be illegal...the bullying is usually done via insults, putdowns etc by many different people (and police would get insulted by many different people). Only the age would differ.

As I said about the above example though - I consider that a rather minor inconsistency (as I could explain it away myself, largely based on age and emotional maturity). Outside of that - good reasoning.

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https://apnews.com/article/columbus-shootings-death-of-george-floyd-racial-injustice-arrests-89cc1cbfd8d7e452c4b4670e319cdfa9

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Has anyone observed that were it not for a mobile phone video that a murderer would now be walking free?

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@Wilso,

Probably. It's way to late to out law smart phones.

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@roger,

lol

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@Mame,

And that's a good thing. If it doesn't prevent anything, at least it helps the prosecution.

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@Wilso,

Wilso wrote:

Has anyone observed that were it not for a mobile phone video that a murderer would now be walking free?

I have noted that the score is now 1 caught and convicted to thousands and thousands never caught and convicted over the last 170 years <sigh>

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The mentality that grew out of slavery, the Civil War, and reconstruction has not left our institutions and much of the population. If we can't enact systemic changes soon, it may be too late. Another Republican president in the current situation may be all it takes to halt any thought of ending racist laws and cops getting off to shooting black people.

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@Mame,

Mame wrote:

I wonder what kind of psychological testing recruits have to go through, and if there is ongoing counselling for them.

Nobody has spoken to this but I think this is imperative.

1 Reply

@vikorr,

I think there's a difference between people being mean to someone and an organized campaign to destroy someone.

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@Brandon9000,

There is a big difference....but it isn't always (and I would think rarely) an organised campaign of being mean in order to 'destroy someone' that drives a teen to suicide - but a lot of teens engaging indivudually (or in small groups) in bullying of the same person. And at other times there can be just the one person that makes a teens life so miserable that the teen takes their own life. Other times it can be the disbelief in a sexual assault (and ridicule or victim blaming) by invidividuals...that compound the trauma until the teen takes their own life.

In any event, people get outcomes from what they tolerate. I've never seen disrespect have any result other than negative results...and there are definitely negative outcomes in allowing institutions to be disrespected...but even I don't think insulting a police officer should be criminalised. Society will continue to reap negatives result from that...but that is where society currently is at.

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Oh mein Gott! Is it even legal to end a sentence with the word at?

Sure it’s a popular Southern expression and use extensively by Trump supporters, although I suspect it’s nearly universal.

But we need to make sure ending sentences with a preposition and banjo playin' is a custom we stop practicing.

This is just the kind of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.

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@Tryagain,

I don't think Tryagain knows what the word "pedantry" means.

1 Reply

@Mame,

Mame wrote:

Mame wrote:

I wonder what kind of psychological testing recruits have to go through, and if there is ongoing counselling for them.

Nobody has spoken to this but I think this is imperative.

Although 90% of police organizations do some kind of psychological screening, it’s watered down and ineffectual, and applicants can find plenty of study material about how to pass.

Minneapolis provides us a good picture of the seriousness (or lack of it) of police agencies and psych testing. Their test was even less rigorous than average. And their evaluator was found to not have the proper license. And questions are being raised about minorities getting screened out inappropriately.

https://www.apmreports.org/story/2017/12/14/minneapolis-police-recruits-psychological-testing

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@Tryagain,

Quote:

Oh mein Gott! Is it even legal to end a sentence with the word at?

Yes - in questions like "What are you looking at?"

But in relation to your sentiment - it's like ending a sentence with 'is'. I think ending a sentence with 'is' is uglier than ending with 'at', so added 'at', especially as where society 'is' is somewhat hard to define / only able to be generalised about, making where it is truly at, something of a question.

1 Reply

The Derek Chauvin Trial

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