Bad Facts Make Bad Law
That’s an adage I remember from law school…it essentially means that sometimes facts that are unique to a single case or situation are wrongly applied in a broad precedential way.
I was reminded of that last night as the White House weighed in on the verdict in the case of the former Minneapolis police officer, found guilty of three separate criminal counts for causing the death of George Floyd 11 months ago.
I don’t know the standards of Minnesota law, and did not pay close enough attention to the trial to know if the evidence matched up with those elements of the offenses or not. But we all know about the video. So I’m willing to believe that the judicial system worked and a proper verdict was rendered, until I see evidence to the contrary.
That part is fine. The part about politicians knocking each other over to get to an open microphone to claim victory and suggest the broad meaning of the verdict is not.
This case has very little to do with resolving any policing or crime issues in our country. It was one officer acting badly and being held accountable for it. To suggest that suddenly we have a breakthrough…or to suggest that this was part of a broad systemic racism element, for that matter…ignores the facts.
This was one set of facts, decided by one jury, in one court. It has nothing to do with the most recent police shooting in that area other than geography. It has nothing to do with any other officer-involved shooting case. It’s not part of a trend, positively or negatively.
And politicians who act empathetic and cry fake tears while looking heavenward and talking about one verdict being part of a movement…they’re playing a dangerous game with the craven end goal of simply broadening their power without actual regard for the people they say they are honoring. That seems criminal, too.
