Gangsters in Blue

• Mapp v. Ohio turns 50. I’d put more credibility in conservative objections to the Exclusionary Rule if they offered plausible alternative policies to prevent law enforcement from violating the Fourth Amendment.
• Connecticut decriminalizes marijuana.
• Texas police conduct search based on a tip from a psychic.
• Shame on you, Apple.
• The word total means they’re really, really serious this time.
• Tennessee posts a strong entry in the “most moronic law about the Internet” competition.
• Good op-ed by Cato’s David Rittgers on police militarization.
• Fun collection of on-set movie photos.
• This is a pretty remarkable decision. More, please.

• Mapp v. Ohio turns 50. I’d put more credibility in conservative objections to the Exclusionary Rule if they offered plausible alternative policies to prevent law enforcement from violating the Fourth Amendment.
• Connecticut decriminalizes marijuana.
• Texas police conduct search based on a tip from a psychic.
• Shame on you, Apple.
• The word total means they’re really, really serious this time.
• Tennessee posts a strong entry in the “most moronic law about the Internet” competition.
• Good op-ed by Cato’s David Rittgers on police militarization.
• Fun collection of on-set movie photos.
• This is a pretty remarkable decision. More, please.

• A nuclear catastrophe is looming in Japan.
• Connecticut considering tougher sanctions for using a cell phone while driving, including letting cops take your phone for 48 hours, suspending your license, and up to three months in prison.
• D.C. residents out thousands of dollars after city reneges on promise to reimburse them for installing solar panels.
• Judge keeps city of Portland on the hook in lawsuit against road raging off-duty cop.
• Via commenter John Jenkins, Etsy exposes its users’ purchases to the world. Article includes the unlikely phrase “artisan dildos”.

Wow.

A memo discovered in Bell police files appears to outline a game in which police officers compete to issue tickets, impound cars and arrest motorists.

Titled the “Bell Police Department Baseball Game,” the memo assigns “singles,” “doubles,” “triples” and “home runs” to progressively more serious infractions, starting with parking tickets and moving on to vehicle impounds and felony arrests of drivers. “Non-performers,” the memo says, are “sent for minor league rehab stint.”

The discovery of the memo comes as the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Bell police violated the civil rights of residents through aggressive towing of cars and code enforcement. Part of the investigation focuses on claims by some officers that the department had quotas for issuing tickets and impounding cars, which they said was done to raise revenue for the city. Some officers said they were reprimanded when they did not meet goals.

It’s the first document suggesting a concerted effort to have officers pull over more cars, though it’s unclear who wrote the memo and whether department brass condoned it.

At least two Bell police officials said they were familiar with the memo, which they said circulated a few years ago. Bell Police Capt. Anthony Miranda said he thought a few patrolmen wrote it “to challenge themselves” and when department leaders found out about it, they “squashed it.”

“I think guys created it on their own and when the administration heard about it, they put a stop to it,” added Lt. Ty Henshaw. Department leaders said “It’s cool and fun and we appreciate the motivation, but it’s not going to look good.”

I suppose it’s possible that this memo and the contemporaneous complaints of illegal towing, ticketing, and other harassment of motorists, coupled with the resulting revelation that Bell city officials were drawing massive salaries while the city went deep into the red . . . are entirely coincidental. Seems unlikely, though, doesn’t it?

Also, assuming Capt. Miranda (great name!) is telling the truth, isn’t it at least a little problematic that upon learning that some of their officers were making a game of due process, Bell police officials merely “squashed” the memo, instead of investigating and disciplining the officers responsible?

Here’s my favorite part of the memo:

Honor system in place and violation will result in one day suspension.

Well of course. In our game to deprive motorists of their rights in order to enrich grossly overpaid city officials, there’s no place for cheaters! Honor among thieves, and all that.

• This is either creepy or genius.
• Kid beats a speeding ticket with his smart phone.
• Former MADD chapter president arrested for DUI. Also, .239!
• Another illegal arrest for recording an on-duty police officer, this time in New Hampshire.
• An interview with Brian Aitken.
• Mitch Daniels’ disappearing felony.

• Cops don’t like red light cameras either . . . because they aren’t capable of extending “professional courtesy.”
• Lead investigator for Atlanta PD unit that carried out the raid on the Atlanta Eagle gay bar is arrested on DUI, marijuana charges.
• I’m flummoxed that someone would even ask this question. Speaks volumes about where the debate is right now.
• Obama intervenes to keep a Yemeni journalist in jail.
• Another testament to the perils of foreign entanglements: Is a U.S. company assisting Egyptian surveillance?
• I’m cheering for you fellow Hoosiers, but I’m skeptical. Indiana’s new native-distilled whiskey, on the other hand, is quite good. I’ve had both the bourbon and the rye.
• Just bought the e-version of this book. Looks fascinating. (This one, too.)

• Town kills off red light cameras because . . . they weren’t making enough money for Redflex.
• Attorneys ask judge to remove himself from a case. Judge refers attorneys to U.S. Attorney for possible prosecution.
• And now: Four Loko stings.
• Florida police chief charged for attempting to undermine the rape case against his friend.
• Study suggests cell phone use may improve driving.
• Knight Kiplinger wants to make 401(k)s  mandatory. Contributing to them, too. Really. Note the justification at the end. Hey, we can force people to purchase health care. So why not? The door has been thrown wide open. Expect more of this.
• I write about this stuff every day, yet sentences like this one never cease to blow my mind: “Tchachoua has the right to file charges in civil court and prove that he had the money legally, police said.”

• Sportswriter Mike Celizic has just a couple weeks to live, and he’s writing about the experience.
• Matthew Yglesias suggests that maybe heavy-handed licensing laws directed at barbers aren’t such a good idea, and might have some protectionist effects. His commenters cry “Judas!”
• A.P.: Obama administration filtering some FOIA requests through political channels, gathering information on those who make the requests and their motives.
• Woman accidentally gets t-shirt wet at an Orlando theme park. Police ask she cover up, then demand she give them personal information to enter into database. Having broke no law, she refuses. Naturally, they arrest her.
• California photojournalist wins settlement after an ugly confrontation with local police chief.  Pretty sure the fact that she was able to capture the incident on video had something to do with her winning a settlement—and the chief’s subsequent resignation.
• Kansas police unsure how they’re going to enforce bans on texting while driving. They’re right. It’s impossible to enfore. And some crazy blogger warned you this would be a problem.

• Don’t be gay, Sparky.
• May 20th is “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.”
• James Madison University police conduct illegal raid on student newspaper offices, demand unpublished photos of a campus riot. More here.
• The A.P. on cops who’ve been caught misbehaving on video.
• Indiana court (mildly) upholds the right to resist police who enter your home unlawfully.
• Now: Green-light cameras.

A quick roundup of recent stories on law enforcement officials and DWI laws…

• Ten police officers in Westchester County, New York admit to local newspaper that they routinely let other officers off after catching them driving drunk off duty.
• Off-duty, possibly drunk South Carolina officer pulled over after a chase demands “professional courtesy” she says is customarily granted to other officers. She was charged with reckless driving and disorderly conduct, but wasn’t arrested or given a breath test, and was allowed to go home.
• Chicago police officer shown to have faked dozens of DWI arrests won’t face criminal charges.
• Off-duty Massachusetts state police lieutenant crashes into pickup truck, causing the truck to flip several times. Officer admitted drinking earlier in the day and two open beer cans were found in his car. Other officers don’t administer field sobriety test for 2 1/2 hours, after allowing him to talk to his attorney. He was also never given breath or blood tests. He did get a $20 traffic ticket.
• From last year, DWI charges dropped against Nevada DA who caused two crashes within six hours while in California, and tested over the legal limit after the second. He was allowed to plead to reckless driving.