Pensacola's Independent News reports that late yesterday "the State Attorney announced ... that they have reviewed the ruling of Judge John Simon concerning death of Victor Steen. The State is in agreement with Judge Simon’s ruling that no crime was committed. Therefore, this office will take no further action in this matter."
What a surprise. We expected the State's Attorney to wait at least a day or so before announcing his foregone conclusion.
Showing posts with label police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label police. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
"Citizen Contact"
An Escambia County small claims-type judge, sitting by request of the State's Attorney office and informed exclusively by evidence presented only by the prosecution without any opposing counsel's presence, has ruled "that Officer Jerald Ard's pursuit of Victor Steen after spotting him in the early morning hours of Oct. 3 was lawful." The county judge's full opinion is here.
Now, who could have predicted this?
A number of things leap out at anyone who reads the opinion closely. Some that may support the police officer's defense and some that cast doubt on it. For now, however, we want to focus on just one of them. It's a minor issue in some respects, but one that affects everyone who may have the misfortune to be peddling past a Pensacola police officer in the future.
The judge explicitly finds that when Officer Ard began chasing the teenaged bicycler with his patrol car, he had no probable cause to believe a crime had been committed, much less that Steen might have committed it:
In very nearly two decades' residence in the Florida Panhandle, we have not seen the day -- or, rather night -- pass without spotting at least one bicyclist in the Pensacola area navigating through the gloom without lights. It shocked us years ago when we first moved to the beach. The fact is, almost no one in Escambia County rides a bicycle with the "appropriate front and rear lamps."
We can't explain it, other than by inferring it reflects a chronic, long-term lack of enforcement of the bicycle laws. Too bad some lawyer wasn't allowed in the "inquest" courtroom to inquire about the last time Officer Ard, or any other Pensacola policeman or county deputy sheriff for that matter, arrested a bicyclist for violating Florida Statute 316.2065.
Now, all of a sudden, they're free to willfully run them down whenever they want to make "a citizen contact"?
Now, who could have predicted this?
A number of things leap out at anyone who reads the opinion closely. Some that may support the police officer's defense and some that cast doubt on it. For now, however, we want to focus on just one of them. It's a minor issue in some respects, but one that affects everyone who may have the misfortune to be peddling past a Pensacola police officer in the future.
The judge explicitly finds that when Officer Ard began chasing the teenaged bicycler with his patrol car, he had no probable cause to believe a crime had been committed, much less that Steen might have committed it:
Officer Ard intended to make a "citizen contact" with Mr. Steen in an effort effort to discover whether there was any criminal act committed...Nevertheless, the judge concludes that the patrol car chase (at speeds never mentioned) was "lawful" in part because "Mr. Steen operated his bicycle between sunset and sunrise without the appropriate front and rear lamps." In other words, the boy was bicycling through the dark without a light or reflectors.
In very nearly two decades' residence in the Florida Panhandle, we have not seen the day -- or, rather night -- pass without spotting at least one bicyclist in the Pensacola area navigating through the gloom without lights. It shocked us years ago when we first moved to the beach. The fact is, almost no one in Escambia County rides a bicycle with the "appropriate front and rear lamps."
We can't explain it, other than by inferring it reflects a chronic, long-term lack of enforcement of the bicycle laws. Too bad some lawyer wasn't allowed in the "inquest" courtroom to inquire about the last time Officer Ard, or any other Pensacola policeman or county deputy sheriff for that matter, arrested a bicyclist for violating Florida Statute 316.2065.
Now, all of a sudden, they're free to willfully run them down whenever they want to make "a citizen contact"?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Spy Profits
Today's south Florida Sun-Sentinel:
"Yes," he wrote, "we are being watched." But, what "conspiracy theorists forget about is the effectiveness of the American way of life."
Would that American way of life, by any chance, include the profit motive?
It's the only highway leading to Pensacola Beach, so up to 100,000 vehicles travel that road on any given weekend, Gulf Breeze Police spokesman Kevin Jenks said.Some time ago, a callow and confused columnist for the Gulf Breeze weekly newspaper scoffed at "conspiracy theorists" who object to the "seemingly endless network of video cameras" that track our every move through Gulf Breeze. No Big Brother, here, he argued.
* * *
Since installing the cameras in 2006, Gulf Breeze has issued 3,300 violations and has generated $261,575 in revenue, Gulf Breeze officials said.
"Yes," he wrote, "we are being watched." But, what "conspiracy theorists forget about is the effectiveness of the American way of life."
Would that American way of life, by any chance, include the profit motive?
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