Law in Contemporary Society

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IsaacLaraIntro 6 - 09 Feb 2015 - Main.IsaacLara
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What I want to get out of law school is a law license so I can become a prosecutor. Before school I had worked full-time as a civilian police investigator for a few years examining allegations of misconduct within the NYPD. At the office I noticed that the people who made the most meaningful impact in the office were the attorneys, since they had the most familiarity and access with the judges who ruled on issues of police accountability. To earn this law license, I not only am attending classes but also pursuing externships that will inform my practice.
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That’s absolutely right. It’s not the prosecutors that are at fault. Like you said, it’s in their best interest to avoid charging the police with some kind of criminal misconduct because they work side-by-side with police officers. The system is therefore constructed in such a way that enables this kind of conflict-of-interest. However, the level of conflict-of-interest varies according to state law. For example, some states have established a permanent independent special prosecutor for serious police offenses. This helps avoid absolving the police for egregious misconduct. For example, in Philadelphia, two officers were caught on video beating an unarmed civilian and later filing a false police report accusing the civilian of resisting arrest. The prosecutors in that case have moved swiftly against these officers, charging them both with aggravated assault. Pennsylvania is not the only state to do this, however. Most states have laws authorizing governors to exercise the ability to appoint special prosecutors. So I believe the level of meaningful impact that I have as an attorney will depend on the jurisdiction in which I choose to work and live.
 
META TOPICMOVED by="EbenMoglen" date="1422462856" from="LawContempSoc.TWikiGuestIntro" to="LawContempSoc.IsaacLaraIntro"

Revision 6r6 - 09 Feb 2015 - 03:14:30 - IsaacLara
Revision 5r5 - 05 Feb 2015 - 01:34:19 - EbenMoglen
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