Sunday, October 29, 2006
Complaint Against Alleged Sunglass Stealing Detective will Not be Made Public Without Probable Cause
From boston.com: Boston University School of Law CrimProf David Rossman discusses the fact that the complaint against a homicide detective who allegedly stole a pair of sunglasses from a boutique will not become public unless a Boston Municipal Court clerk finds probable cause for the charge.
"As a matter of routine this is the way police treat matters of larceny dealing with less than eye-popping amounts," said Rossman.
Rossman said that while probable cause is a low standard, court clerks sometimes do not find it in cases that appear to warrant charges. He cited the case of Cambridge City Councilor Anthony D. Galluccio, who was not criminally charged by Boston Municipal Court Clerk Magistrate Daniel J. Hogan in April despite testimony from three witnesses who said the councilor appeared to be driving drunk in December when he was involved in a four-car crash, and by two police officers who said Galluccio was so disruptive that he had to be restrained. Rest of Article. . . [Mark Godsey]
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/crimprof_blog/2006/10/complaint_again.html