Posted on 06/08/2023 5:07:03 AM PDT by marktwain
Scot Peterson, the retired school resource officer for Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is on trial for seven counts of child neglect (felonies), three counts of culpable negligence (misdemeanors), and one count of perjury.
On the afternoon of February 14, 2018, a 19-year-old with a long history of anti-social behavior murdered 17 people and injured 17 others in Parkland, Florida at the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. Parkland is located in Broward County. The school resource officer at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School was Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson.
The 19-year-old murderer had been seen entering campus through an unlocked gate at 2:19 p.m., carrying what was described as a “rifle bag.” Through a series of policies designed to keep crime and discipline statistics low, several opportunities were missed to stop the young man before he started killing. A detailed account of the policies in place and how they failed to stop the murders can be read in “Why Meadow Died” by Andrew Pollack and Max Eden.
Police officers do not have a legal duty to enforce the law in any particular incident, even if they have been contacted and informed a crime is taking place. A police officer may be fired from his job. Police officers are almost always immune from lawsuits for doing nothing. They are almost never criminally charged. Richard W. Stevens wrote an excellent little book detailing this reality titled Dial 911 and Die, in 1999. The facts in the book are essentially unchanged. It is nearly impossible to win a lawsuit against a police officer for failing to act. Criminal charges have been extremely rare.
Former Deputy Scot Peterson is being charged for what he did not do.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
You do acknowledge that the courts often get it wrong, yes? Or is this ‘settled law’ to you?
A public servant, paid for by public tax collections, has duty to those whom he serves. It’s like the military. It’s not a meal ticket. It’s service in exchange for opportunity and modest compensation. There is risk of bodily harm and even death. This is why we honor our heroes. There is no honor for cowards.
The courts have been used to destroy many great institutions. This is another.
In Peterson’s case, we agree.
I think the courts are wrong, but the point is that as things are (as opposed to how we wish they were) the jackass did nothing wrong per the last half-century plus of court decisions, neither party has really done anything to fix it (legislatively) and you cannot hold someone legally responsible for conduct that was legal in the time and place it occurred.
It is extremely unfortunate.
States could and should have long since fixed this with laws stating the minimum duty of police officers is more than what several Supreme Court decisions have said they are in the absence of any other laws. But almost none have.
The SCOTUS has already ruled that police do not have the duty to protect you.
Important point that can make a difference in perspective. This was not a small school building. It looks like it is a 45 acre campus with several multi story buildings.
A coworker who was on the opposite side of the campus just testified that it was difficult to even detect where the shots were happening because of the echo and reverberations off the other buildings.
Sad. The poor families still grieving understandably. Let the guy get on with his life. If God forgives him, we ought. If God forgives the sins of those killed and me and us, forgive this guy and move forward with the grief of loss amd getting the remaining here to heaven.
Let the guy be to square himself with God and honor God with what remains of his life.
... yes but should we make being a wussie a crime.
absolutely you take a position that requires you not to be
Why should cops be any different?
Because they are.
Most don't know it, though.
And he didny
This man served as a role model for many in the Uvalde, TX LE community.
Well, this is what his trial is all about. If parents (read jurors) want to be weak in the spine and find him not guilty on the felony charge then they will send a message to all school districts. The message is that it’s ok to hire some old man who has no committment to “duty” and will run like a rabbit at the sound of the guns.
In my opinion, he should be sentenced to at least 1 year as opposed to being found to have zero responsibility for the deaths of 17 kids.
Yeah, except it’ll get overturned on appeal. The real solution would be for Florida (and every other state) to pass laws defining what officers are required to do as a minimum duty.
Totally agree.
But, if you are going to be posted to protect school children from shooters, you better SWEAR to get down the hall and confront the sob or not take the fn job!
And what would the minimum duty be.
Spell out what duties they have to do. Some would only do those.
Others would use them as the excuse to do more.
Trouble is police officers are humans some good some bad.
I don’t think we want robots as officers.
Parkland Shooting School Officer On Trial — FL vs. Scot Peterson
Law & Crime Network
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyukSwx-2vI
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