Spence’s Op’ed in USA Today

Garry Spence authored an interesting op-ed in USA Today. I attended the Death Penalty Seminar at Spence’s Trial Lawyers’ College. He is, without question, one of the great defense attorneys of our time. I have very little to disagree with in Spence’s op-ed. He cites to Mullenix v. Luna. Luna was a case involving a drunk driver fleeing in his vehicle. The driver called dispatchers and threatened to fire his gun. Police officers set up spike strips. Officers in pursuit were ordered not to fire at the vehicle. Barely one second before the vehicle hit the strips, a police officer fired 6 shots into the car killing the driver. Every judge that heard the case refused to extend qualified immunity to the officer – until it reached the Supreme Court. I’ve spent a decade thinking about 4th Amendment jurisprudence and how it might successfully apply to service members (eg: qualified immunity). In the Haditha case, we were leading the charge trying to create new protections for military warriors. The 4th Amendment doesn’t need a re-write, nor does the concept of qualified immunity. First, there needs to be some organization to how and by whom the decision to use force is judged. This is true both in the civilian world and the military system of justice. Mob indictments by prosecutors joining protesters are not the answer. And yes – the police need to do a better job of policing their own. In nearly every case, the accused officers presented red flags that questioned why they were still on the street. Perhaps it’s time that we – as lawyers – start thinking about how we can adapt the law to best protect both police officers and military service members who use force in good faith.

Categories

Related Posts

  • Maywand District Killings

    Feb 01

    The Maywand District killings involved the deaths of at least 3 Afghan civilians by a group of U.S. Army soldiers in 2010. The soldiers became known as the “Kill Team” and were members of the 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. They were based at FOB Ramrod in the...

    View Article
  • My Lai

    Sep 19

    On March 16, 1968, Soldiers were accused of killing hundreds of civilians in My Lai, Vietnam. The Company Commander – Captain Medina – was accused of shooting a woman, a small boy, and generally failing to control his troops. He was acquitted of all charges.As a young Judge Advocate, Gary Myers became involved in the court-martial of...

    View Article
  • Abu Ghraib

    Sep 15

    In 2003, reports of prisoner abuses at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison were made public.With a presidential election looming in 2004, the politics surrounding prosecution of cases was significant. Mr. Myers became a key player representing one of the Soldiers. The case was memorialized in the book “The Lucifer Effect.” ​ ​News Articles The New...

    View Article