A civil verdict against the LAPD for concealing evidence has been upheld by the Supreme Court. The incident constellates around an arrest made in 2005 in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles. Police arrested Michael Walker at a liquor store for suspicion of robbery. They found no evidence that he had committed a robbery but jailed him anyway. They kept him in jail for 27 months because they believed he was a suspect in other liquor store robberies. His bond was set at $1 million.
According to the Los Angeles Times, two LAPD detectives argued that he should be held because a serial robber's activities ceased will he was in jail. They failed to share that no other evidence supported keeping Walker in jail. They also failed to admit that their assertion was wrong: two other robberies fitting the serial robber's modus operandi occurred while Walker was held. He successfully sued the Department for $106,000.
This case exemplifies some of the worst tendencies of a small minority of police officers. While their dedication to enforcing the law should be lauded, the rights of the innocent must be paramount. When they fail to prioritize these rights, they must be held accountable.