Brickbat: Both Sides of the Coin

Former Fresno police officer Rey Medeles has been charged with two counts each of grand theft and preparing false evidence. Officials say he stole more than $60,000 in cash from the department's evidence room. Even as he faces criminal charges, the city is defending him in three separate civil rights lawsuits filed by local business owners, who say he stole from them and illegally arrested them when they complained. Under the California Peace Officer Bill of Rights, the city must defend officers from such suits if it determines an officer's actions are part of the scope of their work.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Under the California Peace Officer Bill of Rights, the city must defend officers from such suits if it determines an officer's actions are part of the scope of their work.

It's telling the city thinks it's within the scope of work to steal money (when not already in police possession) and to falsely arrest. If only the public had some kind of bill of rights of its own somewhere.

[Rossami]

In fairness, they're only accused at the point that the city has to cough up money for the legal defense. Given that false accusations are a thing - and specifically, are a thing that's often used to discredit your own accuser - paying for a court and lawyer to figure it out seems reasonable.

That said, I do wish the CA "Bill of Rights" had a clawback provision for the legal costs of cops who are found guilty.

[Adans smith]

Steal from thee, not from me said the king.

[Chumby]

The guy should have been an illegal alien rapefugee and gotten on the govt dole.

[AT]

What makes you think he wasn't one?

[LIBtranslator]

"Under the California Peace Officer Bill of Rights, the city must defend officers from such suits if it determines an officer's actions are part of the scope of their work." G Waffen Bush's Faith-Based Asset-Forfeiture Looting Sharing proclamation established even before the 2008 asset-forfeiture Crash that looting is part of the scope of an officer's work. And this being a California law it goes without saying that the suckers who elected the looters who passed it must be robbed to cover the costs, right?