Posted on 01/28/2015 2:19:34 PM PST by redreno
A San Francisco deputy public defender was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon at the Hall of Justice after she asked why city police officers were questioning her client outside a courtroom, the public defender’s office said Wednesday.
Attorney Jami Tillotson was handcuffed to a bar in a Southern Police Station holding area located at the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant St. for an hour following what public defender’s office spokeswoman Tamara Barak Aparton called “blatant intimidation” by several police officers.
Police officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tillotson’s client had just made an appearance in Department 17 on the second floor with a co-defendant for a misdemeanor shoplifting charge when he left the courtroom and began getting questioned by a plainclothes police officer, Aparton said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Outrageous conduct by this cop. But, he probably made a lot of points with his boss. That conduct is probably condoned, at least in muted tones, by the Department.
If the attorney told him that her client would answer no questions, he should have stopped immediately.
That was no Cop TV show where they get away with whatever they want to. The lawyer should sure for false arrest.
She should sue too
I don’t know the details but it sounds somewhat like SF police are becoming like the Saudis, where the attorney goes to prison too if our so-called “justice” system is offended by the crime of defendant.
Like it or not we the people are facing an uphill battle to retain our liberty and fundamental principle of being innocent until the government proves us guilty. Civil forfeitures are but another example.
The cop should have simply taken the pictures he wanted and not engaged in further discussion. I don’t know of any law preventing a cop (or ME, for that matter) of taking someone’s picture in a public place.
I am guessing a cop is going to get suspended over this at the very least. the cop might even be guilty of a felony because he used his position to detain some ie kidnap.
I am sure there is a lot more to the story!
“She found HER client and his co-dfendant being asked questions...”
not arguing with you but it says in the article “suspect’s attorney” over and over so im not sure what that means if you’re saying otherwise. do you have differing info?
The article posted says in it twice that “her” client was being questioned. That’s what Im going by.
She said in the video, “he is not being represent by us”. She works for the public defender and I assume, that is the “us” she refers to...if he is not indeed her client then she had no standing to interfere.
It uses the “her” word.
I read the story because the bid wouldn’t open. I guess I’m wrong.
When making a post, don’t put the URL on the source line. It should be on the line for the source URL, which is below it.
You are joking, right?
I don't see that anywhere in the article. What are you quoting? An attorney telling police her to stop questioning her client is not "resisting, obstructing or delaying" an investigation.
These are police. They are above your civilian laws. They could have shot the lawyer, claimed they thought she had a gun in her briefcase, and then spent two weeks on paid vacation before returning to duty, and getting an award for making the tough call.
When was the last time a cop has been actually found guilty of an unjustified killing?
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