4 answers
James’s Answer
Laws apply to all individuals. Just because you study the law or you enforce the law does not mean you are above the law. And if you are Judge Dredd, you ARE the law.
Kim’s Answer
I'm not sure where you are going with this question. Sure, it used to be that cops would circle the wagons and protect their own. But now there is so much surveillance, recording of radio transmissions, gps on the patrol cars, etc etc etc that the likelihood of getting caught is high.
I will also say that a lot of cops used to let people, other than cops, get away with things. When I first started, 1984, it was common with DWIs to simply get them off the road----Call someone to come give them a ride home. No arrest. We also used to let minors empty their beer, people throw away a little bit of marijuana, etc. If a cop does this now, again, the chances of getting caught are high.
The other thing nobody talks about is how cops are sometimes held to higher standards than the rest of the community. For example, if a regular citizen is in a scary situation and panics and shoots somebody, that could be excused, given the circumstances. But a police officer, EVEN IF off duty, is expected to draw on their training and experience and act accordingly.
Now, if you are talking about current Civil Rights violations--- After leaving law enforcement, I did some work for attorneys representing people who had their rights violated by police officers. It is hard to win these cases because of the standards that have been set by the courts, as far as what it takes to actually prove that a cop did something wrong. I have watched many hours of dashcam video in which officers showed unbelievable self-restraint in dealing with armed mentally-ill people. And a few who did not. The courts basically give the officers the benefit of the doubt because they understand that many of the decisions are split-second decisions. Until this changes, it will continue to be difficult to win those cases that were handled wrongly. Some departments handle these bad officers through their Internal Affairs departments. Some do not.
Most cops do not consider themselves to be above the law. But, those cops don't make the news.
If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.
Linds’s Answer
Ask Michael Cohen...
Lawyers have to obey the law just as much as everyone else.
Rohit’s Answer
If you are part of law enforcement, there are certain boundaries at work and in personal life.
You have to adhere to law all the time.