How Drug Warriors (Read: Taxpayers) Pay for Their Crimes…

…against children and other living things.

Remember the infamous 2003 Goose Creek PD screw-up, in which some of South Carolina's finest barged into Stratford High School, guns a-drawn, plasti-cuffed a bunch of kids, and turned up zippo illegal drugs (we're confident Coach Kleats and the rest of the P.E. staff were packing human-growth hormone, minoxidil, Viagra, what have you)?

Well, now the final curtain may be drawn on that Barney Fife-level fooferaw:

The controversial drug sweep in 2003 at Stratford High School also could be a costly one—to the tune of $1.6 million, according to a plan to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from the raid.

Under the plan, students in the hallway during the sweep would split $1.2 million. Their lawyers would divide an additional $400,000.

And, needless to say, nobody–the school district and the cops and the other defendants–would have to admit they'd done anything wrong. Because, to parphrase Love Story, the drug war means never having to say you're sorry.

I look forward to following the tax bond campaigns that will be launched to pay for the fines.

Full account here.

Stoner Update/Erratum: Jacob Sullum blogged this yesterday man.

Comments

[joe]

This wasn’t a case of “a few bad apples.” The police were carrying out the actions they were directed to by the School Dept and Police Dept.

Yes, those departments’ bosses – the public – are responsible, in exactly the same way a corporation’s bosses – the shareholders – lose money when a corporation is found liable in a civil case.

Or did I just happen upon the motive for your outrage?

[Paul W]

Per the link, all but $110,000 of the judgement will be paid for by the school district’s and city’s insurance carriers. While this will probably affect the future rates both will pay, it won’t necessitate “tax bond campaigns … to pay for the fines.”

[Number 6]

I’m sure you didn’t, Joe.

[b-psycho]

Joe: if the public were truly the bosses there then they wouldn’t have pulled such a stunt. These things happen because we’re SUPPOSED to be in charge but in reality are dragged along like a midget trying to hold back a Great Dane from chasing a squirrel.

[Democracy: its a Bitch]

I would love to see the last few platforms that the mayor(s) of Goose Creek (or Stratford or whatever the municipality is) got elected on.

In my hometown, all the candidates ran on a safety campaign in the last mayoral election, even though the violent crime rate is extremely low, and probably a lot lower than when I grew up there in the 60s and 70s and 80s.

Sometimes you get what you vote for.

[Paul]

This wasn’t a case of “a few bad apples.” The police were carrying out the actions they were directed to by the School Dept and Police Dept.

Yes, those departments’ bosses – the public – are responsible, in exactly the same way a corporation’s bosses – the shareholders – lose money when a corporation is found liable in a civil case.

I think we’ve been unfair to joe by throwing the epithet ‘liberal’ at him. We’re way off base.