The complexity of today’s criminal laws can make it easy for even normally law-abiding citizens to run afoul of them. False allegations, such as frequently occur in domestic assault cases, may result in the filing of a criminal charge.
Once police determine that a felony or a misdemeanor has been committed, the rules and procedures they follow to arrest and process the accused should be the same for everyone. The treatment of police officers and other members of the law enforcement community accused of committing crimes should be no different than what the average person is put through.
State police in Kentucky recently demonstrated how allegations of wrongdoing are handled when the accused is a law enforcement official. A report of threats of violence by a sheriff against his wife and her family resulted in an arrest warrant being issued.
When police stopped the sheriff to execute the warrant, they arrested him on a criminal charge of making terroristic threats against his wife. He was also charged with DUI and several traffic violations. The sheriff now faces a criminal conviction on serious charges with the same penalties as would be faced by someone who is not in law enforcement.
The arrest of a local sheriff clearly illustrates that police and prosecutors will enforce state criminal laws without regard to who the person they are pursuing might be. The penalties and long-term consequences of a criminal conviction can be faced by anyone.
If you have been charged with a crime, your criminal defense against the charges should be a priority. A consultation with a Bowling Green criminal defense attorney would be a good place to start.
Source: WLKY, “Breckinridge County sheriff charged with DUI, terroristic threatening,” Emily Maher, Oct 6, 2015
"*" indicates required fields