Slog - Comments on The OPA Alternative http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering According to a report from the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), the OPA sustained a surprising number of complaints against police officers last month. Complaints against officers who were busted for driving drunk and an officer who used a police vehicle for personal use were sustained, as was a complaint against a cop who was cited for obstruction, and dinged for being discourteous to another officer. Two other officers were also reprimanded for keeping a man in custody after they had determined he was not the suspect in an assault. In addition to the sustained complaints, other officers were given... Copyright 2008 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:39:26 -0800 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:10:54 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Packratt Thanks for keeping at it Jonah.

I truly appreciate your coverage of police accountability issues, for whatever that's worth.

I truly wish Hays and Lujan more luck than I've had trying to hold the city to account for not keeping their police officers accountable.

]]> Packratt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894131 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894131 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:50:16 -0800 Comment by Gitai Question: Does the city indemnify officers against lawsuits for their professional actions if the complaints are not sustained? How about if they are sustained?

It seems to me that if officers went broke for excessive force, they'd be a bit less inclined to to use it.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894133 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894133 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:53:00 -0800 Comment by Packratt Gitai,

A few years ago officers and the SPOG started using defemation countersuits as part of an effort to stop all the brutality lawsuits from flowing. It worked fairly well because not only were they suing the victims, but also their lawyers.

I would imagine that if the SPD and city stopped protecting their officers from personal liability for misconduct, that the countersuits would start up again in earnest. (if they're not going to soon anyway).

Of course... It's not that me or my opinion on anything is worth shit in Seattle, but that's how I've read it.

]]> Packratt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894159 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894159 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:10:50 -0800 Comment by Packratt Hey Jonah,

Not that you or anyone else in Seattle pays attention to a brain-damaged dumbfuck like me, but is the OPA report available online yet?

I checked the usual site and it's not there.

]]> Packratt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894163 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894163 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:14:21 -0800 Comment by Jonah S Hey Packratt,

here's the link:
http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/issues/pdf/opa_octNov2007_commendation.pdf

hopefully our slog-bot doesn't delete my linkage.

]]> Jonah S http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894166 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894166 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:16:45 -0800 Comment by Dave Coffman In my only dealing with the OPA involving an officer that was a complete ass, they kept pressure up on me to "dismiss" my complaint... to the point that I finally did do it.

I agree. Litigation against the a-hole factor may be the only way to go in Seattle. 95% of the police are great people. The remaining 5% are power leaches that figure they get their jollies out of abusing the system.

]]> Dave Coffman http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894180 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894180 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:23:18 -0800 Comment by Gitai @3 Sigh. Okay, that says to me that we need to choose the right people to sue if they try this strategy again. You get people who at least have a renter's policy that comes with $1 million in liability, and then the insurance company's lawyers come in too. They're a match for the Guild. Finally, you hit the Guild for filing SLAPP suits. Perhaps you could even find evidence of collusion between the Guild and officers who have a history of excessive force and get a RICO suit against the Guild. That would be sweet.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894182 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894182 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:26:25 -0800 Comment by laterite Anyone who thinks Seattle doesn't have political corruption has clearly never followed our law enforcement agencies.

]]> laterite http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894195 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894195 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:34:56 -0800 Comment by Packratt @5

Ah, thanks, I was thinking you meant the report for December cases, my mistake. Like I said, I'm just a dummy.

]]> Packratt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894198 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894198 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:38:52 -0800 Comment by Packratt @7

You're pretty sharp, Gitai, good thinking!

]]> Packratt http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894212 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c894212 City Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:48:40 -0800 Comment by K X One

It doesn't matter, it'll still be business as usual. Cops do whatever the fuck they want and let the courts sort it out later. It's disgusting that we pay them to ostensibly protect us.

]]> K X One http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c895176 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/01/better_living_through_lawyering#c895176 City Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:10:54 -0800