A restraining order is a court order that protects the requesting party from abuse, threats, stalking, and harassment. The person seeking the restraining order is the “protected party” and the person the restraining order is against is the “restrained party.” In...
In the case of an officer-involved shooting (OIS), it is better to be prepared and to know what to expect. Read these ten tips so you are ready for the worst-case scenario. 1. Know What Your Department OIS Policy is Are you allowed to watch your body cam footage? Does your department conduct its own investigation? Is there a set amount of time prior to you giving a statement? Thoroughly read...
How many of you have ever fought with your spouse… not because of what you said, but how you said it? After a few of those fights, you start to figure out that how you say things matters, even if the words basically mean the same thing. The same is true in the law. That is why you must be sure to use the correct verbiage when you want to invoke your interrogation rights under the so-called...
Unfortunately, it may come to pass at some point in your career; there is no easy, clear choice on a decision to make. An instance that merits discussion is when an officer faces potential criminal charges for on-duty conduct. The difficult decision comes when an officer under criminal investigation, or has real criminal exposure is faced with the decision of making a voluntary statement or...
What is Qualified Immunity? Qualified immunity is a judicial doctrine that protects state actors from liability in certain instances. Qualified immunity was created by several U.S. Supreme Court cases, most significantly Harlow v. Fitzgerald, Saucier v. Katz, and Pearson v. Callahan. Qualified immunity protects government officials from being held personally liable under federal law for conduct...
A “Public Safety Statement” is a statement an officer is required to give immediately after being involved in an officer-involved shooting, or other critical incident. It is important that officers understand what a “Public Safety Statement” is, and what it is not, so they can provide the best “Public Safety Statement” and preserve their rights going forward. “Public Safety Statements” are given...