imported post
Hawkflyer wrote:
Citizen wrote:
SNIP Actually, that was a rhetorical comment. I'm not really at a loss for why.
I guess I'll tell it now. I've been sitting on it for several months. This is for more than just the OPer. Its for the forum.
As to Citizen's
SNIP I agree with what you have said as a theory. But the fact is that it cannot be implemented in the real world at any reasonable cost, or time scale...
In short your idea is right on target if the target is to create a Judge.
Oh, I think there is lots of room between "none" and "judge."
Look at some of us here on this forum.While we've had time to pick things apart, the analyzing can be helped along for the new LEO by insightful discussion or lawyer-written analysis to go along with the text of an opinion.
Also, there are only so many 4A cases that a patrol cop would have to learn. The opinions start overlapping themselves and citing each other fairly quickly. I'm betting an attorney very familiar with 4A case law could sort the important ones,put them insome intelligent order for study, and add some commentary and analysis to assistunderstanding and prevent misunderstandings.
For example, the first sorting might be into one set for traffic stops,one set for foot stops, and one set for approaching or operating on private property or people's homes. Shoot, just take the "you mays" and "may nots" from the General Orders and chase up the cases upon which they are based as a starting point.
The fun thing about 4A cases is that they are very readable. And because many depend on earlier precedent, there is a sort of logic thread one can follow. Just follow the cites backwards. Or, as I am sure will be easier to understand, give the student the early precedent and let him follow the thread forward.
Then, when you "graduate" to detective, or where ever the smart critical point occurs, the officer can start reading up on warrants and informants and so forth.
Heck, you can even tie it to his promotion "points" system or whatever. The more cases he's familiar with from personal study, the more points, or dollars in his pay, or whatever.
Maybe this rough plan has some hitches. I'd be surprised if there weren't.
My main point is that he doesn't have to train to be a judge before he can wear the uniform. He can get started in the academy on the main ones.
And a very importantbenefit will be that he really understands the full dimensions of the "you mays" and "may nots" in his General Orders. This will open the door to takingpersonal responsibility for getting it right. As opposed to doing what someone else tells him or what others are doing.
Its really just a matter of understanding andapplying the policy itself, ratherapplying what someoneelse represented to be the policy.
If I can do it from my computer, and look them up myself, and sort them out as I go, etc., I'm sure police can, too. I'm not all that smart.
