http://fresnocriminaldefense.com/courts-courthouses/an-officer-of-the-court/ The Law Office of Fresno Criminal Defense Lawyer Rick Horowitz Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:38:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://fresnocriminaldefense.com/courts-courthouses/an-officer-of-the-court/comment-page-1/#comment-681 Eric Essman Tue, 12 May 2009 23:00:43 +0000 http://fresnocriminaldefense.com/?p=340#comment-681 Mr. Horowitz: I found your article interesting. Unfortunately I do not agree with you about the public perception of police officers and prosecutors being the "good guys" and defending attorneys being the "bad guys". I wish police officers were thought of as the good guys because that is what they are the vast majority of the time. Unfortunately most people think of them in a less than favorable light. Video clips such as the one you posted showing two officers striking a suspect without explaining what went on immediately before that incident, lends fuel to the fire when it comes to having a fair minded view of our police force. Every incident has at least three parts to it. What went on immediately before the incident, the incident itself and what happened immediately after the incident. To judge a police officer on a few seconds or even a few minutes of a video clip is not fair or just. I am sure that if you were defending a client who was being prosecuted on the basis of a video clip, you yourself would bring up these same issues.I think most competent attorney's would. But yet when it comes to the police no such issues deserve consideration. They are found guilty (in the public eye) without benefit of knowing the context of their actions and without knowing what prompted them to act in such a fashion. Police are usually presumed guilty (by most people)until proved innocent and that saddens me very much. Police are the people who keep us safe at night, so when the morning comes we can engage in our respective professions and have the time to write blogs and engage in recreational activities. I think that in general the police do a great job and are not given a fraction of the credit they deserve. They put their life on the line every day for people they do not know and for people who are ready to find them immediately guilty of anything the are acussed of. I do enjoy your column but wish you could view the police force in a fair and even handed manner. Mr. Horowitz:
I found your article interesting. Unfortunately I do not agree with you about the public perception of police officers and prosecutors being the “good guys” and defending attorneys being the “bad guys”. I wish police officers were thought of as the good guys because that is what they are the vast majority of the time. Unfortunately most people think of them in a less than favorable light. Video clips such as the one you posted showing two officers striking a suspect without explaining what went on immediately before that incident, lends fuel to the fire when it comes to having a fair minded view of our police force. Every incident has at least three parts to it. What went on immediately before the incident, the incident itself and what happened immediately after the incident. To judge a police officer on a few seconds or even a few minutes of a video clip is not fair or just. I am sure that if you were defending a client who was being prosecuted on the basis of a video clip, you yourself would bring up these same issues.I think most competent attorney’s would. But yet when it comes to the police no such issues deserve consideration. They are found guilty (in the public eye) without benefit of knowing the context of their actions and without knowing what prompted them to act in such a fashion. Police are usually presumed guilty (by most people)until proved innocent and that saddens me very much. Police are the people who keep us safe at night, so when the morning comes we can engage in our respective professions and have the time to write blogs and engage in recreational activities. I think that in general the police do a great job and are not given a fraction of the credit they deserve. They put their life on the line every day for people they do not know and for people who are ready to find them immediately guilty of anything the are acussed of. I do enjoy your column but wish you could view the police force in a fair and even handed manner.

]]>