Over the past few years, the Broward State Attorney's Office has been compiling a list of Broward police officers who are under investigation or have been arrested.
The other day, that list was released.
The notorious "Brady List" (named for the famous Supreme Court case that requires the prosecutor to turn over all exculpatory evidence to the defense) has been posted online.
This is a matter of public record and people should be aware of officers in their community who have been arrested or are under criminal investigation.
Now not all names on the list are there because of criminal activity. Officers who are involved in shootings are routinely investigated by the State Attorney's Office. Many of those shootings - in fact the overwhelming majority - are ruled to be justified uses of force.
However, as a criminal defense attorney, I do not like to see so many cops arrested and charged with crimes. While they are presumed innocent, as is every citizen, cops possess authority that ordinary citizens do not. For that reason, police officers need to be held to a higher standard and should never abuse their power.