Two American cop stories

[theweaselking]

#1: US DOJ's report on Baltimore PD is both unbelievable and way too believable: constitutional violations, excessive force, and blatant racism, written directly into the operating manuals for the police department *and* demonstrated, blatantly, in front of DoJ auditors.

#2: US DOJ holds that holding poor defendents in jail because they can't afford bail is unconstitutional, violating the defendents' 8th 14th amendment rights

Comments

[unnamed525.livejournal.com]

The article says the 14th amendment.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

You're right. I was thinking "excessive bail", not "equal protection".

[matgb]

the misdemeanor offense of being a pedestrian under the influence

Whut.

If you go out and have a few too many you can get arrested just for being a bit drunk, regardless of how you're behaving?

The land of the free my arse.

[kafziel.livejournal.com]

Public intoxication is illegal in a lot of countries. UK included.

[harald387.livejournal.com]

Most of those countries will only stop you for it if you're clearly exhibiting signs of drunkenness and behaving in a way that's disruptive.

Baltimore PD will stop you for being black, then book you for being black and drunk, no matter how you're acting.