Among President Donald Trump’s latest executive orders is creating a way to protect police from paying legal fees to defend themselves for something they did on the job. A local civil rights lawyer calls the move dangerous.
Part of the order is to expand legal protections for police, especially those deemed wrongly accused by state or local officials. The order goes on to say attorneys general should build a way to defend officers and recruit free help from private law firms.
Phoenix attorney Benjamin Taylor said the order appears aimed at shielding police.
“That goes against what our laws say. That goes what our Constitution says. So absolute immunity is very dangerous,” Taylor said. “There has to be some sort of responsibility and some sort of consequences for officers who act badly.”
The order mentions unleashing law enforcement, aggressive policing and a future society with no tolerance for law breaking.
Taylor says the order may violate Fourth Amendment protections against illegal search and seizure.
The order also sets a 90-day deadline to start increasing the supply of extra military gear to local law enforcement.
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