The price of justice

Jack wrote this in February, 2006:

I was drawn to the feed on Bud’s site.  Couldn’t resist reading it.

Seems the deputy sheriff folks in Florida have had sex with prostitutes four times recently in the pursuit of getting evidence to convict the ladies for criminal behavior.

One of the deputies was so grateful he left a $350 tip of public funds.  Great illustration of the kinds of sacrifices police officers have to make to serve and protect, all in the line of duty.  Unsung heroes.

When the information became public the Sheriff was asked whether he approved.  Paraphrasing his reply, “It’s necessary to get convictions.  This isn’t anything new.”

The contortions and expense our government’s going to in order to prosecute and punish crimes without victims  qualifies as a form of insanity, if we needed to see another.

Those prostitutes will likely have their day in an expensive courtroom, go to prison a couple of years at public expense, and return to the streets, justice having been served.

Meanwhile, those deputies  will be out there collecting more evidence.

The Gastronome

 Intelligence and language;

Pathogenic curses

To obscure;

To conceal

What any ant would know;

His kilobyte of brain

Large enough

To discern

Beeswax from earwax.

Jack

From Poems of the New Old West

Copyright 2002, Jack Purcell

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Afterthought:

I doubt it comes as any surprise to anyone that law officers are lacking in compunctions about prosecuting others for doing what they’re guilty of in an official capacity.

There’s a reason police officers in most states don’t go through routine the drug testing required of other public employees.  Particularly public employees driving vehicles on the job, making judgements about hot pursuits through busy streets and whatnot.

What’s changed is that now, instead of denouncing such behaviors when the officers get caught, the sheriff supports it and calls it ‘duty’.

Anyone who has ever worked in an environment where scandalous, or illegal practices extended to high management levels is familiar with what you see here.

The mail room boy announces, “If I go down, everyone here goes down with me!”

But the root-cause is the victimless crime and flawed human beings given the power to take advantage of it.  To make victims of victimless criminals.  The flesh is weak.

Jack