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Apologize for calling a cop a liar? I don?t think so!

By ambimb

Minnesota Judge Gregory Galler clearly doesn’t understand the criminal justice system: When criminal defense lawyers cross-examine police officers on the witness stand in court, its not unusual for the questioning to becomes aggressive and testy.But in Washington County earlier this month, District Judge Gregory Galler decided that defense attorney David McCormick went too far when his questions suggested an officer was being less than truthful.Galler ordered McCormick to write an apology to the police officer for “impugning the officers integrity,” according to court documents. McCormick has not apologized and probably won’t, to which I say: Mr. McCormick, I salute you! A person who doesn’t understand that cops lie, or that defense attorneys must press police officers hard in cross-examination to be sure they are not lying or to expose their lies, fundamentally understands the adversarial nature of the criminal justice system...continue to full post

Full post as published by Public Defender Stuff on June 16, 2010 (boomark / email).