Woman arrested after pulling officer from wreck

[mlr1m]

When I first heard this on the radio I couldnt believe it. I googled it as soon as I got home. I wish the article had gone into more depth.
I would like to know what hard evidence they might have had against her if any.

Michael

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[kazzaerexys]

The major fault I see with this story is not with the police, its with the court.

The 10 months is ridiculous, and it is an open question whether that was normal functioning of the court or if it was local gov't trying to make a problem disappear.

If the nurse's account is accurate, though, the two days of coercive interrogation and the testimony of an unconscious police officer against the good Samaritan don't make the police here look that good, either. This is not taken by me as a generalization against all police, to be sure---Chicago officials hardly need much help in looking bad from most any angle.

[Cupcake]

Who arerested her……..Who restricted her food and water….. Who threatened her?
Why are there, what I suspect are fine LEOs, always so quick to defend the bad? Perhaps if more were willing to expose the less then honorable there would be added respect between those on the other side of the blue line.

I question the "very little" food or water bit. I'm not saying she wasn't really wronged, but I can't fathom a "starvation" treatment. I imagine she got what everyone else got, but maybe it wasn't what she (or most Americans) was used to.

[matiki]

I question the "very little" food or water bit. I'm not saying she wasn't really wronged, but I can't fathom a "starvation" treatment. I imagine she got what everyone else got, but maybe it wasn't what she (or most Americans) was used to.

I'm not saying I agree with it, but there's a judicial standard set and interrogating a suspect that hasn't eaten or had water in quite some time (or sufficient quantity) is almost the equivalent of interrogating someone who's semi-conscious, drunk, etc. I've had two interview & interrogation schools so far and in both this is emphasized over and over - don't get your interrogation tossed out, give them food, water. It's not that hard. I've been on the stand twice (as a store dic) and both times the defense brought the issue up only to have me point out my narrative that includes offering food, water, a bathroom break, etc. to the suspect.

[Cupcake]

I'm not saying I agree with it, but there's a judicial standard set and interrogating a suspect that hasn't eaten or had water in quite some time (or sufficient quantity) is almost the equivalent of interrogating someone who's semi-conscious, drunk, etc. I've had two interview & interrogation schools so far and in both this is emphasized over and over - don't get your interrogation tossed out, give them food, water. It's not that hard. I've been on the stand twice (as a store dic) and both times the defense brought the issue up only to have me point out my narrative that includes offering food, water, a bathroom break, etc. to the suspect.

Perhaps I didn't read closely enough. I thought they were talking about "very little food" during her 10 months of detention.

[SelfDefense]

Since we don't know all the facts it is rather unproductive to speculate. Somehow, I doubt they starved her for ten months.

Even if we take the defense's account at face value, the award is absolutely ludicrous. Seven million dollars for ten months of false incarceration? Sign me up!

Either her lawyer is extremely stupid for letting her sit in jail for almost a year or he is smart as a fox knowing the longer she sat the larger the potential payout.

This award should be cut to about $200,000, more than twice what she would have made in a year.

[HowardCohodas]

Does anyone else wonder just where the woman was supposed to have hidden the weapon she was accused of stealing while in sight of the officers she helped? Perhaps I missed something.

[Herknav]

I always wonder do you jump in and help and end up with a bad situation or stand back and be a good witness and let people die ?.

I'm sure everyone would jump in without thinking, but after reading this you got to wonder.

As a trained medical person, I believe she was required by law to assist at the scene of an accident. I would have tried to help as Joe Citizen--that's just me.

Thankfully, I've never been in her situation. Assuming what we've read is the truth, I think I'd be happy with 1) lost wages, 2) legal fees, 3) the firing of everybody who acted maliciously in this case, and 4) a written apology from the PD and the city.

Mi dos centavos,
Herk

[ccw9mm]

re-name the county......Crook or Crooked County ...

That's been it's name for decades, in my family.

[sgtD]

When I first heard this on the radio I couldnt believe it. I googled it as soon as I got home. I wish the article had gone into more depth.
I would like to know what hard evidence they might have had against her if any.

Michael

They don't need hard evidence if they had a signed statement, even though it seems to have been coerced. The statement must have included a confession of some guilt.

She should have never gone in for questioning wihout an attorney present. I guess she should have just said NO, when asked to come in to make a statement, then it would have likely been up to them to establish probable cause for her arrest. If not, she walks away; if arrested she asks for an attorney. It's a shame, but that seems to be what it has come to in this world.

She should only utter the following, "Am I under arrest?" If No, "I'M LEAVING." If yes, "I WANT A LAWYER." Her mistake, they took advantage of it.

Unfortunate all the way around. Crooked cops, crooked D.A., shaby courts. Typical of Chicago since the late 1800s as far as I can see. They should make the city pay the 7 million. Maybe then the taxpayers, who will ultimately pay the bill, will wise up and vote the scumbags out.

[bluelineman]

Chicago. Go figure.

[kazzaerexys]

Perhaps I didn't read closely enough. I thought they were talking about "very little food" during her 10 months of detention.

Nope:

She was held for two days with little food and water and was threatened with violence [...] She was then charged and spent more than 10 months in the Cook County Jail awaiting trial.

Only two days on short rations...

[Hopyard]

Since we don't know all the facts it is rather unproductive to speculate. Somehow, I doubt they starved her for ten months.

Even if we take the defense's account at face value, the award is absolutely ludicrous. Seven million dollars for ten months of false incarceration? Sign me up!

Either her lawyer is extremely stupid for letting her sit in jail for almost a year or he is smart as a fox knowing the longer she sat the larger the potential payout.

This award should be cut to about $200,000, more than twice what she would have made in a year.

The conduct was apparently (based on the Federal Court Verdict) bad to such a degree that the very high verdict was necessary as a message to the authorities that they must clean up their act. Its not like Cook County cops have a reputation for being clean cut/ clean living good guys. There have been too many highly publicized incidents in the past couple of years for that conclusion. Maybe the judge (and jury) had just finally had it with the lawlessness. Personally, I think the Chicago Police Dept. needs to be taken over and run by a special master under the direction of a Federal Judge. (Take that SD!!!! :) Federalism and all. :)

Too bad the tax payers will have to foot the bill.

But, what else would you have a court do when it decides that the conduct by the city/county officials was so over the top that it must be severely sanctioned?

Something more went wrong here however. Where was the public defender? Was she provided one at all? Was the defender incompetent?
Either way, the county should pay.

P.S. I had a friend who was a retired Chicago Detective. I'm sure there are plenty of good guys there. But something appears to be fairly wrong in an endemic sort of way.l

[sgtD]

Personally, I think the Chicago Police Dept. needs to be taken over and run by a special master under the direction of a Federal Judge. (Take that SD!!!! :) Federalism and all. :)

Actually I would extend that to the entire City and County, where Chicago is concerned.

Normally, I'd suggest a state takeover, but in IL, unfortunaltely, Chicago is the state, so the whole system is corrupt.

[SelfDefense]

The conduct was apparently (based on the Federal Court Verdict) bad to such a degree that the very high verdict was necessary as a message to the authorities that they must clean up their act.

That is exactly an abuse of the judicial system. The 'authorities' still earn their salary and an outrageous award will not impact them at all. It will impact the city budget, i.e. the taxpayes will have $7 million less in services.

Its not like Cook County cops have a reputation for being clean cut/ clean living good guys. There have been too many highly publicized incidents in the past couple of years for that conclusion. Maybe the judge (and jury) had just finally had it with the lawlessness.

This is no solution at all to a widespread problem. This is a specific case. Why should a wronged person be granted a largess by the state far in excess of the damages incurred? The entire concept of a justice system is that an equitable result is achieved. Seven million dollars for less than a year is not equitable in any sense of the monetary and emotional damages the [supposedly innocent] woman suffered.

Even you suggest that the award was not for damages but rather to send a message. That is not the role of the judiciary.

But, what else would you have a court do when it decides that the conduct by the city/county officials was so over the top that it must be severely sanctioned?

The court should do its job. Nothing more. The court has no jurisdiction or power to decide the conduct of any other branch of government.

In this case, the court should be severely sanctioned. Who do you think has the power to do that?