Police officer violence and brutality awards are 'cost of doing business.' NYU
Article Abstract:
Paul Chevigny claims in his book 'Edge of the Knife: Police Violence in the Americas' that the damages police departments have to pay on police brutality claims do little to deter such conduct and are regarded as a cost of doing business. Behind this failure lies the theory that violent police conduct deters crime so that more violence will have even more of a deterrent effect. The connection between police accountability and civil damage claims seems generally very weak across the US. Requiring that damages be paid out of police budgets instead of general city funds might help.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1996
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Assessing the verdict and its legal fallout
Article Abstract:
The change of venue from Los Angeles to Simi Valley was a critical factor in the acquittal of the four police officers charged with using excessive force on Rodney King. It was a mistake not to call Rodney King as a witness, as this would have injected the human factor into the case. The negative aspect of calling him would have been the lack of credibility of a witness with a criminal record. The Justice Department should definitely bring a federal civil rights action.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1992
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5th Circuit not shocked by police abuse
Article Abstract:
The US Court of Appeals ruled in the 1998 case of Petta v. Rivera that there was in that region of the country no clearly established right to be free of psychological harm and so a police officer charged with excessive force enjoyed qualified immunity under 42 USC 1983. The court recognized the officer's action as clearly inappropriate but stated it was not the kind of harm recognized by 5th Circuit law.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1998
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