We all want to trust the police and see them as upright protectors of justice. While many police officers are very professional and take their responsibility very seriously, there are others who are corrupt and use unscrupulous tactics that harm the common citizen.
Bad cops exist everywhere and there is no shortage of them in Pennsylvania. Some of them will even go as far as to lie under oath:
Ex-cop admits lying in DUI case
HERMITAGE — As a citizen, Raymond Bogaty wants to believe the police.
“We all want to believe the police,” he said.
But, as Mercer County Public Defender, Bogaty has occasionally suspected that a story told by a policeman has not been the whole truth.
“I’ve been doing this for 37 years,” he said. “You always have concerns about truthfulness. You, at times, suspect the truth is not being told.”
Still, it’s rare to catch a policeman in a lie, or to get an admission that someone has lied, he said.
That unusual event occurred Tuesday when Mercer County District Attorney Robert G. Kochems and Hermitage Police Chief Patrick B. McElhinny released statements saying that Hermitage patrolman Dennis Best had admitted lying under oath in a 2008 case.
Criminal justice is intrinsically a human endeavor and due to the lack of transparency and oversight when it comes to the police, the situation is ripe for honest mistakes, purposeful and conscious misleading actions (lies) and even corruption. This can lead to false conviction if we do not successfully expose the lies and mistakes in the police officer’s account. This is why it is important to have an attorney who had trial experience in DUI cases and who has the guts to cross-examine the police.
If you feel the police have violated your rights call The McShane Firm to protect your freedom and liberty. Call 1-866-MCSHANE.
Justin McShane
PA DUI attorney Justin J. McShane is the President/CEO of The McShane Firm, LLC - Pennsylvania's top criminal law and DUI law firm. He is the highest rated DUI attorney in PA as rated by Avvo.com. Justin McShane is a double Board certified attorney. He is the first and so far the only Pennsylvania attorney to achieve American Bar Association recognized board certification in DUI defense from the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. He is also a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Approved Agency.
Melissa Zito says:
I was arrested on DUI and Psyc Eval 302 on Nov. 30, 2011 by Falls Towndhip Police because someone hit me from behind in an automobile accident. The hospital zeroed all my bills, due to the false arrests. What can I do? I have lost my license.
danny nale jr. says:
this is almost funny… from a outsider…but in that same year just months b-4 that happend this same officer said i alonel beat him and his partner up in my own appartment in my underwere haha what a joke.send him to the hole and c how he likes is..
danny nale jr. says:
also.. where is the justice in this case….
Anony Mous says:
The cop involved resigned, but the DA decided not to file charges against him.
Once again, one set of rules for cops and one set of rules for citizens. If a regular citizen lied under oath, you could expect a charge. Wear a badge and you can get away with almost anything.
One key piece of evidence: video footage. ANY encounter with a police officer should be recorded. You have the right to record police on duty, so use it. Services on phones, like Qik (which is what I use), record and automatically upload to the internet.
It is very difficult to get away with a lie, either you or the cop, if the entire thing is on video and untouchable by the cops.