Story Archive

Constitutional Policing

“They are scared for their lives and they had no choice,” says attorney Lisa Battalia, describing the plaintiffs in a civil rights case involving the Seattle, Wash., Police Department. No, not citizens who sued the police for excessive use of force and won a consent decree forcing the department to rein in its cops — that case was brought by, and won by, the U.S. Justice Department — but 123 cops who don’t like being reined in. They say it’s unconstitutional for judges and bureaucrats “to second-guess what patrol officers actually faced at the moment.” The officers haven’t yet found a lawyer to present their theory of police supremacy in court: their union isn’t backing them, so they’re getting assistance from Battalia, a divorce mediator from the other Washington. (AC/Seattle Times) ...So she’s used to working with abusive relationships.