# Police Departments vs. DA’s offices **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496 "2009-07-19T01:12:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![standardissue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@standardissue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standardissue)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/1 "2009-07-19T01:12:33Z")
Police Department vs. DA’s office There has always been some tension between the police departments and the DA’s offices. This is definitely the case in our local town. The head DA did not like my husband’s views on the DA’s catch-and-release program for violent offenders. My husband is a police officer you see– he helps catch some of the violent offenders and the DA’s office releases them. When I say release…… this is not the normal “Our Justice system at Work” release. The DA’s office has a dirty little secret – they only accept a PRESET number of cases (and……only cases that are slam dunks w/ little chance of losing the case). What happens to the rest of the cases you ask? They are dismissed without even being reviewed! What about cases involving Drugs, Burglary, Rape, Car Theft, and even Murder? Yep……the DA’s office sites lack of “funds” to prosecute as the reason this happens. Our good city is made to suffer. On with the story…… the head DA declared he will not prosecute ANY case that has my husbands name on it…All cases will be automatically dropped – no review- no questions asked. He even put this in writing and sent it to the Chief of Police. Needless to say this cost my Husband his job. When the DA says jump the Chief of Police asks “how high”. No one wants to go up against the DA…… We have been left hanging in the wind. I need ideas on how to fight this…… We have 4 young kids and may possibly lose everything due to the loss of his income. Any and all ideas are welcome…… ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/2 "2009-07-19T01:19:10Z")
District Attorneys are not stupid. They have to go to law school, after all. If the DA was willing to state, in writing, that he will not prosecute any case brought to him by a particular officer, then chances are good that he has a very good reason for it. How many of these cases were screwed up due to things like improper arrest procedures, invalid searches, improper handling of evidence, improper interrogations, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/3 "2009-07-19T01:21:28Z")
That sounds suspiciously like your husband getting blacklisted due to cutting corners/violating the rights of suspects. My suggestion: vote for a different head prosecutor. ---
**Author:** ![standardissue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@standardissue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standardissue)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/4 "2009-07-19T01:56:41Z")
Nope you are wrong on both accounts – no violation of civil rights – The DA’s feels his law degree gives him the right to act like GOD. Here is a Direct Quote form our Head DA on how he keeps his emotions out of these decisions he makes on dropping cases. Question from Reporter: “Do you have to work to keep the emotion out of your decisions?” ## Response form Head DA: “It reminds me of a situation that I hear about that doctors go through in battle situations. There’s a doctor who’s sort of standing in the door, looking at wounded soldiers who are being brought in, and he’s saying, “I’m at a field hospital, and I’ve got limited resources that I can deal with. This soldier is going to die. We can place him aside and give him morphine. Here’s another one whose injuries are not as great and we can take care of him, and we can restore him to health.” As medical care improves and you can helicopter somebody back to a field hospital and then have them in Germany in thirty-six hours in a really good hospital, you see the survival rate go up. The court system is sort of the same way. If the state’s going to fund it on the cheap, the citizens are going to feel it in what we’re able to do and what we’re not able to do. Folks don’t like to hear that, but resources become important to us in the criminal justice system.” The Sad Fact is - Our Justice System is no longer about Justice for all…… It is about absolute Power and absolute Greed. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/5 "2009-07-19T01:57:57Z")
What does that quote have to do with the DA unilaterally rejecting a particular officer’s cases? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/6 "2009-07-19T02:03:19Z")
Some posters are suggesting that your husband is a big screw up. I think it is more likely that the DA is a lazy loser and needs someone to run against in the next election. Someone who can get your husband and those like him to say that he doesn’t prosecute enough cases. In the meantime, what state and county does this DA have jurisdiction in? Just in case I wanna become an armed robber. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/7 "2009-07-19T02:03:33Z")
When I become god/District Attorney, nothing will please me more than arbitrarily blacklisting cops. :rolleyes: There’s much more to this story that we will never be told, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/8 "2009-07-19T02:04:51Z")
Here’s the full article, by the way: [Charlotte Magazine - News & Features, Restaurants, Entertainment, Shopping & Style](http://www.charlottemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3371&Itemid=406) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/9 "2009-07-19T02:11:05Z")
I just was going to post the same article. Note that the D.A. has been in office for 32 years and never been opposed. There’s nothing here that a message board can possibly do. If any real evidence exists, take it to the state attorney general’s office. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/10 "2009-07-19T02:13:43Z")
Another interesting article on the subject: [http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10660048](http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10660048) Apparently when the DA told the Chief of Police that he was getting cases without sufficient evidence to prosecute, the Chief agreed that they all had to take responsibility for getting solid cases to the DA’s office and are partnering to ensure that happens. Really sounds like a terrible situation to me. I’m not sure exactly what you mean by “fight” this. If the DA doesn’t trust your husband’s police work, and your Chief isn’t willing to go to bat for him, it sounds like he may not be the cop you think he is. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/11 "2009-07-19T02:33:16Z")
Since the OP is basically looking for advice, this is better suited for IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![standardissue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@standardissue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standardissue)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/12 "2009-07-19T03:52:20Z")
Moderator…Thank you for the moving the inquiry to the correct location…I am new at this. Exapno Mapcase……Thanks for the idea on the Attorney General…… Another arrow for our quiver! Yes… Other legal steps are already in the works. Individuals in police department have been very supportive – This all boils down to politics…… Oh how I loath that word. Ladyfoxfyre……Think what you want……It is your right…… Everyone has the constitutional right to their own option…… That is one of the many factors that make our Country great! Yes, there are always different sides to every situation…… I was simply asking if anyone knows of additional resources. Until someone draws a line in the sand and stands up for what they believe in – nothing is going to change. By the way; I am not the only one who thinks some DA’s have a God like complex. Take a look at this quote. “The prosecutor has more power over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America.”—United States Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson - Below is the link for the full context of the previous quote\* [The Justice Project – Legal Help Online](http://www.thejusticeproject.org/wp-content/uploads/pr-improving-prosecutorial-accountability1.pdf) Just how broke is our local city; take a look and see for yourself. Not all bad, not all good with LOTS of room for improvement. Let’s hope our city is willing to take on the mammoth task of fixing it. [http://www.neighborsforasafercharlotte.org/pdfs/TaskForceReport\_Draft102008.pdf](http://www.neighborsforasafercharlotte.org/pdfs/TaskForceReport_Draft102008.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-departments-vs-da-s-offices/503496/13 "2009-07-19T04:14:08Z")
> [@standardissue](#): > > Ladyfoxfyre…..Think what you want…..It is your right….. Everyone has the constitutional right to their own option….. That is one of the many factors that make our Country great! Yes, there are always different sides to every situation….. I was simply asking if anyone knows of additional resources. Until someone draws a line in the sand and stands up for what they believe in – nothing is going to change. Well, we don’t have to throw quotes around as if that’s going to change anything. My observation was made from a family full of law enforcement and my own experience with PD politics, and yeah, the situation still sounds fishy to me.