After doing some reading (on an unrelated matter), I came across something, and immediately thought of the issues being dealt with in a lot of these threads. Part of the issue being raised is that police are not following the law, and their defense is they are following 'The Guide', which is their policy. Most of these threads in the legal section we talk about NJ and Federal Law, and how it effects us. The problem is that it often doesn't matter, because of different, often contradictory, policy or protocol.

 

Any one swept up into legal mess is usually astonished at what they see. They cannot believe what the police, prosecutors and judges are doing. It is so blatantly wrong. Well, I can assure you that everything they do is logical and by the book. The confusion you have with them is you both are using different sets of books. You are using the old First Set of Books- the Constitution, the general laws or statutes and the court ruling sometime call Common Law. They are using the newer Second Set of Books. That is the collection of the policy, procedures and protocols. Once you know what set of books everyone is using, then everything they do looks logical and upright. And do not bother trying to argue with me that there is no Second Set of Books.

 

 

There is a name for what happens when a bureaucrat is destroyed by the First Set of Books for attempting to enforce the Second Set of Books. It is called the Abu Ghraib Syndrome. The people within the law enforcement community no longer seem to know the difference between the law, with its checks and balances, and the policies, procedure and protocols that constitute The Second Set of Books. In some cases you do not even know who wrote the policy, procedure or protocol. It could have been the local high school gym teacher for all anyone knows. Many of these bureaucrats are eventually going to learn the different between the First and the Second Set of Books. And my guess is that many of them are going to learn it the hard way. Because the only checks and balances in The Second Set of Books is The First Set of Books.

 

 

The above quotes are from a 15 page letter Tom Ball wrote prior to lighting himself on fire in front of the Cheshire County Court house in NH earlier this year. Puts things in perspective I think.

Aint that the truth. I like the way he put it.

I've read the entire letter before. The system really screwed that guy and he really brings to light what has happened to the legal system in the United States. What happened to him could happen to most anyone.