Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Taliban

I was surfing online the other day looking for training on my favorite subject, and came across a Police seminar on the FSTs (Field Sobriety Tests). I sent the organizer of the course an email asking if I could attend the program. I thought it might be fun and interesting to learn from a police perspective. The course instructor sent me back a rather intense email stating in no uncertain terms that his training was only for Police enforcement, and that allowing me to attend was like giving the Taliban nuclear weapons.

Wow! I was amused and laughed at his analogy. First, I have great respect for law enforcement. My father worked for the City of NY and then the state of NY in corrections for a great many years. Second, I do not believe I am the enemy of the police or the government. I am a check to the system, and what I believe to be a necessary component for the administration of justice and fairness. We, including the police, the government attorneys, judges, clerks, and defense lawyers are all important parts of a very integrated order and process. Lastly, I believe we should all strive to be well trained, educated, and honest when performing our jobs.

Well, there are other seminars on the same topic where I would be welcome. But, it is scary to believe that special and secret police DWI training should go on behind closed doors. Are there tricks to report writing and giving and grading the FSTs? Is making another DWI arrest more important than being fair? These and other questions dance in my head. I thought they were supposed to "protect and serve?" I am now thinking it is more like the police cruiser in the movie, "Transformers" that states on it's side, "to punish and enslave," anyway maybe I being a bit harsh, afterall I can be a threatening little man with a briefcase.

Besides this defense lawyer has feelings (yeah it's true), does not support terrorism or the Taliban, and though I do not own any guns, hunt, or practice martial arts I do enjoy police movies where the bad guys lose.