09-26-2012, 11:09 AM
It's not so much "Island or tribal justice" but "small town justice". The officers know all the players involved and who has what rep. When you put together your case, it better be solid. You have to have all your ducks lined up and there are a series of hurdles before a DA even sees the packet. A sergeant can make the decision that no crime occured and the whole thing disapears. After you have a few years on the job you understand which cases are going to get pressed. There's nothing that takes the wind out of your sails like getting a "DA reject" on a case you presented that you know is solid. I can tell you for a fact that the line officers don't give a rip if there's bed space or not. If I got you dead to rights, you can sleep on the floor until we find you a rack to stretch out on. There's no arrest quota. What really needs to change is the silly marijuana arrest. Dealing? Yes..that's a case but simple possesion should be an infraction. It should be the same as J walking.