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SEARCH"There's no crime called refusing to die while a mass murderer is in your school," said Eugene O'Donnell, a former New York City police officer and prosecutor.
The sheriff's deputy charged with failing to protect students during the mass shooting in a Parkland, Florida high school has a simple defense, some legal experts said - he did not have a duty to save the victims.
"There's no crime called refusing to die while a mass murderer is in your school," said Eugene O'Donnell, a former New York City police officer and prosecutor who teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Scot Peterson, 56, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of child neglect, negligence and perjury, and is in jail on $102,000 bond. He has not yet entered a plea but his lawyer says he will "vigorously" fight the charges, reports Reuters .
Several law professors and defense lawyers said they were unaware of a previous case in which a law enforcement officer had been charged for failing to take an action.
The neglect law that Peterson is accused of breaking is usually used to prosecute caregivers such as parents and daycare providers. Peterson has a strong defense that the statute does not apply to law enforcement officers, according to several legal experts.
Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
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Can an individual be prosecuted for despicable criminal conduct based on evidence obtained in violation of the United States Constitution? Ultimately, the Ninth Circuit judges wrote, “In the circumstances of this case (United States v. Holcomb, 23-469 (9th Cir. 2025)), respect for the Constitution and the rule of law requires an answer of “no.”
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<strong>“</strong>Cashless bail policies allow dangerous individuals to immediately return to the streets and further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced,” the administration said.
Read More →The DOJ said in a press release that the “sanctuary city” policies of the City of Los Angeles are illegal under federal law.
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Officers can be criminally prosecuted for using force when their actions led to escalation during contact with subjects.
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In the Tenth Circuit case of Cuervo v. Sorenson, the Court ruled officers cannot deviate from the language of the warrant.
Read More →The Civil Rights Division will be taking all necessary steps to dismiss the Louisville and Minneapolis lawsuits with prejudice, to close the underlying investigations into the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments.
Read More →House Bill 4404 would create a presumption of civil immunity for individuals who are cleared criminally after using force in self-defense, shifting the burden of proof onto plaintiffs.
Read More →Seattle police Capt. Eric Greening sued former Chief Adrian Diaz last year alleging that Diaz retaliated when Greening brought up concerns about racial and gender discrimination.
Read More →Jim Leighty, a local activist, filed two federal lawsuits last year claiming both agencies deleted or hid critical comments he had written below multiple posts, while keeping comments that were pro-police in nature.
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