Talk about your negative experiences with the police/law enforcement

[Torie]

Got shoved around, and to the ground, unnecessarily by the Sheriffs in jail for my DUI. They didn't like my asserting my rights to a blood test, and didn't like me hobbling around in my medical shoe due to recent toe surgery. Nor did they like that I pointed out that they had told me I would be out in about 8 hours, and now it was going on 15 hours, and then they threatened to hold me in the tank for the legal maximum of 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds. They only calmed down a bit when they found out I was a lawyer. After that experience, I came to the opinion that there should be video cameras in jails - not to monitor the prisoners, but rather to watch the cops and record their actions. Indeed, the jail sheriffs were so gratuitously brutish, that I brooded about just what they would do to the Hispanics in Santa Ana when nobody was watching, when unleashed and they got out on streets (they start off with jail duty).  Clearly whatever psychological fitness tests they give to these guys, are totally inadequate to cull out the amoral and sometimes sadistic bullies that slip through the net. I tried to get an appointment with the County Sheriff to discuss it all, but to no avail, and I got deflected by other issues in my life, and moved on.

The whole incident still bothers me though - a lot. I sometimes fantasize about being elected county sheriff, and then cleaning out the Augean stables otherwise commonly known as County jails of those badged denizens that contaminate them, or causing rather drastic behavior modification thereof.

[Torie]

Got shoved around, and to the ground, unnecessarily by the Sheriffs in jail for my DUI. They didn't like my asserting my rights to a blood test, and didn't like me hobbling around in my medical shoe due to recent toe surgery. Nor did they like that I pointed out that they had told me I would be out in about 8 hours, and now it was going on 15 hours, and then they threatened to hold me in the tank for the legal maximum of 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds. They only calmed down a bit when they found out I was a lawyer. After that experience, I came to the opinion that there should be video cameras in jails - not to monitor the prisoners, but rather to watch the cops and record their actions. Indeed, the jail sheriffs were so gratuitously brutish, that I brooded about just what they would do to the Hispanics in Santa Ana when nobody was watching, when unleashed and they got out on streets (they start off with jail duty).  Clearly whatever psychological fitness tests they give to these guys, are totally inadequate to cull out the amoral and sometimes sadistic bullies that slip through the net. I tried to get an appointment with the County Sheriff to discuss it all, but to no avail, and I got deflected by other issues in my life, and moved on.

That is just outrageous. Assholes like them are giving the law enforcement bad name.

Not for nothing Torie, these same cops have probably responded to  calls where a drunk driver killed someone and you are fortunate that you didnt hurt yourself or others. Pulling the, do you know who I am card typically goes over like a wet fart.

The jail sheriffs just do the jail. They have not been out on the street yet. I never brought up what I did for living. They looked up what I filled out when admitted into the jail. I deliberately did not want to tell them, so that I could experience how they treated folks who they would not think twice about abusing as much as possible, and because, yes, it might have backfired anyway as you suggest. I certainly was not expecting, and did not deserve, special treatment. How they treated all of us was just outrageous. We were incarcerated solely to dry out, and for no other reason - in theory at least, and none of us were creating issues or problems.  Believe me or not as you wish.