DO YOU WANT TO BE THE JUDGE TODAY?

DO YOU WANT TO BE THE JUDGE TODAY?

Three different news stories caught my eye this morning and caused me to do a little reflection.

#1 Jury selection begins Monday in the federal trial of four former Minneapolis police officers in the death of George Floyd. The federal grand jury indicted the officers in May, alleging they violated Floyd's constitutional rights. 

In my opinion, the three officers who were with Derek Chauvin when he knelt on Floyd’s neck were guilty of not intervening in Chauvin’s excessive use of force. They should have and yet they were new or rookie officers who felt that they could not show up a senior officer. This kind of hierarchal organizational response is probably not unusual. Most people will not do or say something that may jeopardize their jobs. Do nurses correct doctor’s diagnoses? Do teachers question a principal's decision? Will a city worker challenge the job foreman? In most cases the answer is probably “no”! The three officers in the Floyd story probably were restrained by their reluctance to interfere with a senior officer’s approach and decided not to step out of line. It does not justify their passivity, but it is part of the explanation. In my opinion, the extent of their guilt in the crime will be very difficult to determine

 

#2 Suspects in the shooting of Lady Gaga's dog walker will have a preliminary court hearing on Monday. They are charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Ryan Fischer and the theft of two of the singer's French bulldogs. 

Two paid goons stole Gaga’s two bulldogs and shot their dog walker in the shoulder during a scuffle. The lady who paid the dummies to steal the dogs, returned the dogs to Gaga hoping to collect a large reward. This is a rather bizarre story that illustrates the creativity of the criminal(?) mind and the kind of story that could have been included in the stories of O Henry or Damon Runyon! It is a crime story, but it is more of a comedic episode that might be included in an episode of Seinfeld! It will be interesting to see how seriously the judge handles the dog-napping! Apparently, the two dogs are recovering from their trauma with regular counselling sessions with a dog-whisperer! 

#3   Actor Cuba Gooding Jr.'s next court appearance is Tuesday in his groping trial. Gooding pleaded not guilty to forcible touching and sexual abuse charges linked to several incidents in New York.

I don’t know about you but I am getting tired of the number of stories that involve inappropriate sexual behaviour of celebrities like Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Gooding, and baseball player Trevor Bauer. Our society has let individuals with some celebrity status think that they are above the laws that govern the rest of us and that they can behave as they wish. I am pleased to read when they have been charged and must face the consequences. I am not pleased when their money still allows them to circumvent the law such as Bill Cosby has done. He has now been released after three years in prison on a technicality! You can be sure that he paid some legal firm a good penny to uncover a microscopic legal or technical detail to dismiss his case. No wonder this kind of celebrity abuse of others continues. If you have enough money and time, you can buy your innocence involving any crime. Almost! It makes me sad!

So, my three questions requiring your expertise are:

1. What kind of sentence would you impose on the “bystander officers”?
2. What sentence does the dognapper and the “brains behind it” get?
3. Will Gooding go to jail or buy his innocence by using his $$?