Last week I published a diary about a local dustup between local police and the Victoria County District Attorney, Steve Tyler. I have since received several comments and emails about the story, or rather my posting of the story on a national blog like DKos, that have left me wondering if maybe I was hasty in my conclusions, and my (admittedly rather breathless) opinion was reached prematurely.
The feud in Victoria County is not national news, nor should it be. A professional disagreement between local law enforcement officials should not even be a blip on the national issues radar. I chose to comment on this article for a different reason entirely.
Disclosure- some of the statements I make below are from an email exchange I had with someone claiming to be related to a member of the Victoria P.D. Being the very definition of an unpaid amateur blogger, I figure can plagiarize myself any way I want.
I live in central Texas (read my comments and previous posts and you can figure out where). I am a Democrat, but first I am a liberal, a lefty, or a 'progressive' if you consider the first two to be pejorative terms, as some people are wont to do (especially here in Bush country). I believe that good government is possible, and I don't believe we can trust government to those who don't believe in it.
Most of my friends and associates, whether conservative or progressive or just apathetic, have a certain level of disdain and distrust for government, and the police and the justice system are often the most visible part of that system. Too often I have known people- decent, hardworking, peaceful people- to be railroaded through the justice system on minimal evidence, because they cannot afford decent legal counsel. In these cases, it is often the prosecutors, who build their careers on conviction records, who decide the fate of the accused, not the judge or jury.
This particular case seemed interesting because the discretion exercised by DA Tyler, here, seemed to favor the accused, instead of the state. This is, I believe, in keeping with the highest traditions that our judicial system was founded upon. Though, all doe-eyed optimism aside, this case just seems like an honest disagreement between professionals with different standards who aren't used to working together.
For the nice folks who wrote me emails regarding my take, let me say this: whether you believe Mr. Tyler to be an example of judicial virtue, standing up against an overzealous police organization, or a vindictive anti-law enforcement roadblock waging a PR war against honest, hardworking cops is entirely up to you. As for me, I find that stories about people standing on principle, giving the benefit of the doubt to the accused are rare, but when they do appear they never fail to give me (and others) hope for a system where public officials do adhere to some kind of ethical standard. While I did not intend to portray the Victoria police in a negative light, I do not believe it is harmful to law enforcement, or the justice system in general, when issues like this are discussed in the open.
The Victoria Advocate now has an editorial calling for Chief Ure and D.A. Tyler to sit down and work out their differences. As more evidence surfaces in this story, I will write about it. Until then, thanks to everyone for reading my scribblings and for the constructive criticism a few of you have provided.