Over at Cato’s Police Misconduct web site, we have identified the worst case for the month of April. It was the story of the five Chicago police officers who each took the witness stand to testify about how evidence was obtained in connection with a drug case. Each officer got up on the witness stand and told the same story, but not one of them was telling the truth. Video evidence offered by the defense contradicted the coordinated falsehood that the police agents offered up. This practice (called “testilying” by some) is a serious flaw in the U.S. justice system. Every now and then, like here, the veil is pulled back—this time thanks to video evidence.
A few questions to consider:
- Was this the very first time that these officers committed perjury?
- How many cases like this are out there?
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