Po Po x 2

I've run across two bits on the internets recently that are *sorta* related. First, I found this post on Hack a Day entitled "Don't Talk to the Police." Someone posted it on IP the other day and I decided to watch the videos. Basically, it's a 50-minute seminar on the Fifth Amendment given by a defense attorney and then a police investigator. It's very interesting (if you like that kinda thing, and I do) so if you want to give them a listen, I'm embedding them here.

First, the criminal defense attorney's presentation (27 min.).



Next, the investigator's presentation (21 min.).



What did I take away from this? Nothing that my criminal defense attorney father hadn't already taught me. But, for those of you who don't have the good (or bad) luck of having an attorney for a father (I say bad because you cannot lie to an attorney---they see it everyday all day and know what it looks like so don't even try....), it's a good lesson to learn now rather than later.

Then, as I was clicking along on the information superhighway, I found this tidbit on the Freakonomics blot from the NYT yesterday entitled "How Cops Really Want to Act." The article isn't too long---it's all these anecdotes from actual cops about how they have (or would) resolve crime through "street justice."

There's some interesting ideas. For example, one guy who got caught stealing jewelry was discovered and the police called up some of the women in the neighborhood who allegedly had their jewelry stolen by this particular person. The women then came over to this guy's apartment and stole his stuff. Or one guy who would catch someone selling drugs in the neighborhood and then make the dealer give his money to the neighborhood---shelters, churches, etc.

The comments, however, go on forever. And rightly so. While it may help some feel like justice has been served in the short term, so many rights and *laws* are violated in this idea, I can't even comprehend why these guys would admit some of this stuff. Now, granted, I got picked up for drinking alcohol when I was a minor and instead of taking me up to the police station at the county seat, the town cop called...my *dad*.... Tears (and grounding) ensued. And, I never got *caught* again. See the distinction?

I know that you do....