Comments on: Don’t Tazerberry Me, Bro: Cop Threatens Starbucks For Cutting Off Free Coffee

By: Don’t Tazerberry Me, Bro: Another Cop Suspended for Demanding Free Starbucks Coffee « JONATHAN TURLEY

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:27:24 +0000

[...] Starbucks appears to be the undoing of many a police officer, click here. [...]

By: puzzling

puzzling — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:56:18 +0000

Paying for protection? Extortion.

The mindset of many in government today has more similarity to organized crime than to quaint notions of serving the public trust.

By: Jill

Jill — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:51:55 +0000

Jim,

That’s an interesting observation. I suppose we don’t know our “rights” anymore. Thanks for pointing this out.

Jill

By: Jim Burrows

Jim Burrows — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:47:23 +0000

In some ways, stories like this one and another recent story do a lot to explain why we get so little traction in protecting civil liberties. I’m thinking of the comment that reporter Linda Trest made when talking about the story she broke on “Sgt. Bill”, the phony DEA agent, when she reported that “people weren’t sure whether you still needed search warrants. You know, they said, “we know they can now tap our phones. Maybe they don’t need search warrants anymore either.” People were confused. Because he said he was a federal agent, they thought maybe he was allowed to play under different rules.”

If we as a culture think that Jack Bauer’s world is ours, that it is OK for the police to extort Starbucks, that Sgt. Bill probably doesn’t need a warrant any more, then we are well down the road to the rule of men, not the rule of laws.

These little stories should be making us as nervous and as determined to fix the Republic as the big profile things. All of a sudden John Yoo looks like he’s talking sense. That’s a scary thought.

By: BARTLEBEE

BARTLEBEE — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:00:05 +0000

Oh.

Thought that was his first name, lol.

Lt Major, ay? Sounds like he’d be in charge of lots of people then.

Lots of people, who most likely do what he does.

By: mespo727272

mespo727272 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:39:45 +0000

Bartlebee:

Make that Lt. Major.

By: BARTLEBEE

BARTLEBEE — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:18:13 +0000

The only thing shocking about this story is that anyones shocked by it.

This is routine for most police forces around the nation, and isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

Note this was no “beat cop”. This guy was a Lieutenant. If that was “his” modus operandi, then imagine what the men and women under him are doing in a given day.

By: mespo727272

mespo727272 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:11:02 +0000

marie:

“Why do so many stories come from Florida?”
*****************

‘Cause it’s south of Virginia. It’s like a “sliding scale” of stupidity–sliding south.

By: marie

marie — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:15:43 +0000

Why do so many stories come from Florida?

By: jonathanturley

jonathanturley — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:10:03 +0000

Jill: You have outdone yourself. I will now change the headline accordingly.

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:04:26 +0000

I meant bro!

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:52:01 +0000

Don’t tazerberry me dude!