Probable Cause

When I was young, I remember a version of the Bible which was titled “Good News for Modern Man.”  Given that this post involves the prosecution and subsequent acquittal of a police officer for excessive force in Fresno — arguably in the center of the Bible “Belt” of California — and given Supreme Court “Justice” Scalia’s not too distant comments about the “modern” and “professional” police force, it seems appropriate to play off that for this post’s title. 

First, let me be clear about something, because every time I write about police abusing their authority, it seems the police supporters come crawling out of the woodwork.  In Fresno, as with much of the Central San Joaquin Valley, the police can do no wrong, even when they do.  Having said that, this post is not my own personal pronouncement that the jury screwed up and let a guilty man go free.  I actually don’t know if that’s true. 

I am, however, going to talk about what the newspaper has reported, throw in a few comments from things I’ve heard from attorneys who are more familiar with the facts, and express my opinion.

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