Do Police have a duty to protect us?

Washington DC: United States Supreme Court (Photo credit: wallyg)

My groups on Google Plus tend to have the most interesting conversations. The latest discussion revolved around a news article where Josephine County, OR Sheriff’s office only works Monday-Friday 8-5. The police dispatcher listened as the woman was assaulted and raped by her old boyfriend and commented “they wished they could help”. (Click here to read the news article) I think that is incredible.   A lawyer connection (Michael Ehline, Ehline Law Firm PC, Redondo Beach, CA-thank you)  told me–NO duty.

Why exactly do we need police-to issue speeding tickets?

Here is our esteemed Supreme Court decision.  http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/28scotus.html?_r=0

Justices Rule Police Do Not Have a Constitutional Duty to Protect Someone

By LINDA GREENHOUSE, Published: June 28, 2005

WASHINGTON, June 27 – The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the police did not have a constitutional duty to protect a person from harm, even a woman who had obtained a court-issued protective order against a violent husband making an arrest mandatory for a violation.

The decision, with an opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia and dissents from Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, overturned a ruling by a federal appeals court in Colorado. The appeals court had permitted a lawsuit to proceed against a Colorado town, Castle Rock, for the failure of the police to respond to a woman’s pleas for help after her estranged husband violated a protective order by kidnapping their three young daughters, whom he eventually killed.

To read the full story click here

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