Texas Attorney – Supreme Court Justice Speaks on a “Disturbing Trend” Involving Alleged Police Misconduct
A man from Houston, Texas, was shot in the back by a police officer during a traffic stop. His appeal went to the Supreme Court, and it was rejected on April 24, 2017. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke out about the decision, complaining of a disturbing trend in the way cases of alleged police misconduct are handled in the high court.
According to Sotomayor, the justices have unhesitatingly reversed lower court rulings that found police officers guilty of excessive force. She also claims that the high court rarely overturns a ruling when police are “wrongly” not found to have engaged in misconduct.
Sotomayor said in a 2015 dissent, regarding a man who was fatally shot by a Texas state trooper when fleeing from officers, that a “shoot first, think later” method of law enforcement was being sanctioned by the high court.
Citing several cases, Sotomayor points out that the court seems to refuse to hold police officers responsible for their actions in charges of misconduct.
Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas also made comments, in response to Sotomayor’s claims. Alito stressed that the court has acted appropriately to every case, applying the correct rules of law to decisions made. Thomas said Sotomayor’s dissent failed to identify a single case to support her claims regarding how the high court responds to cases involving police misconduct.
The issue of police using excessive force has become a major subject of public discourse. Ironically, a movement in response to alleged police brutality targets officers for ambush and execution. Any normal human being would tend to be even quicker with the gun, with the threat of being targeted growing at an alarming rate.
A solution needs to be found that allows police officers to keep us safe without crossing the line and become the ones from whom we need to be protected.
–Guest Contributor
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smchugh