The Kickham Comment - Boston Criminal Attorney Blog
There’s been a lot of talk lately, across the country and in Massachusetts also, about whether or not police patrol officers and other law enforcement personnel should wear body cameras. This debate has been fueled, of course, by allegations of police brutality & police misconduct, and the resulting lawsuits, following the shooting of minority defendants in various incidents across the country.
As a Boston criminal defense attorney, it’s my professional opinion that this is a great idea: It provides both suspects as well as police officers an objective method of proof as to what did and did not occur in any given situation: If an arrested suspect or a suspect who has been shot by police has been the victim of unnecessary force, there will be an objective source of evidence to prove it. If a police officer has not used excessive force or otherwise done anything legally or procedurally prohibited by law or Department regulations, that can also be proven, immediately. Forget the talking heads on the cable news shows. Forget the endless blathering by those who make their careers on race-baiting and inflammatory accusations (I don’t have to name names here, do I?). Forget the shout-fests on both liberal and conservative “news” channels. The objective evidence will be right there – and it won’t lie. Continue reading