289 - Qualified Tyranny

Governments protecting their own with mock trial is nothing new. When our Founding Fathers published the Declaration of Independence, they listed 27 specific grievances against the king, including:

For protecting [the military], by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

Today courts are protecting law enforcement by mock trial from punishment for violating the law and our rights based solely on their opinion of what is "clearly established statutory or constitutional rights". The Supreme Court recently opined on two cases where the question of a law enforcement officer's "qualified immunity" was in question. But we really have to ask ourselves two questions. First, is it constitutional to provide government officials special treatment under the law? Second, do the courts have the legal authority to determine when "statutory or constitutional rights" have been established?