BREAKING: After calling the medical examiner, the prosecution rested Monday morning in the trial of Eric Rivera who is accused of firing the gun that killed Sean Taylor. The defense will present a case this afternoon. Herald Reporter David Ovalle has watched the whole trial and keeps tweeting that he doesn't see how the defense lives up to the promises they made to the jury in opening without calling the defendant. There isn't a better trial lawyer in the Dade SAO than Reid Ruben and he has lived with this case since the beginning. The defense had better be careful. The cross will not be pretty.
Miami Dade Office Vicki Thomas was called to a Publix in South Dade last week where she encountered a woman stealing a shopping cart of $300.00 worth of groceries. Officer Thomas, a 23 year veteran of the force and grandmother of three issued the woman a PTA for theft, and then, with the knowledge that the defendant was a young mother of three and that her children were hungry and her boyfriend had just lost his job, Officer Thomas went on a quick shopping spree and purchased a $100.00 worth of groceries to tide the family over until the defendant started her new job as a receptionist. The Herald article is here.
In our field we often trade stories of police officers that are of a less than flattering nature. But Officer Vicki Thomas did a great thing for which she deserves recognition far and beyond this simple blog. Well done Officer Thomas. Well done indeed.
TEXTS FROM A LAWYER
More texts between our lawyer "Lenny" and his sarcastic secretary "Zoe".
We attack or question cops every day. BUT there are a lot of GOOD men & women out there protecting our asses everyday , risking their lives. Officer Thomas is one of the good guys/gals.
ReplyDeleteDidn't some other cop out of state do the same thing last week and catch nationwide news coverage?
ReplyDeleteMaybe this Christmas a bunch of lawyers, PD's ASA's and well to do defense lawyers pick an intercity school and find money to buy clothes for poor kids.
We did that about 15 years ago and the MPD helped out big time.
I'm just sayin....
DUI arrests are rebounding since Pinellas restored sheriff's DUI unit. During the first nine months of 2012 only 521 people were arrested for DUI by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. During the first nine months of 2013, the number increased to more than 1,200 DUI arrests.
ReplyDeleteThese cops have the incentive to show up for court, they get paid. Back on Track program is killing the wallets of cops and lawyers.
That's a great story
ReplyDeleteWhose that chick that everyone calls "The Hip-Hop Diva of DUI"? I saw a glimpse of her as she breezed by me in the hallways with a large retinue and I caught just a whiff of Obsession.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing.
I deposed a cop, wish I could remember his name, who arrested a juvie. He ended up inviting the juvie over to play with his kids and letting the family use his mailing address to get the juvie into a better school.
ReplyDeleteI was awed by this guy.
There are heroic cops out there in Miami.
Whne I sat on the bench I learned there are far more of the good guys than the assholes, who wear a uniform, and face down danger every day. When they are bad and get caught, there should be no mercy for the violation of our trust. But when they show that they understand who they are, and show that they are aware they are part of a community, not just tangential, then we can not reward them enough. Good job Officer Thomas. You are a credit to your department, your profession and your community.
ReplyDeleteOfficer Thomas did her job within the law, but she also recognized that Publix, as long as they got the merchandise back, isn't going to be losing sleep over this. However, this woman is a terrible example for her children. She's essentially teaching them that if you want something, just get it by any means necessary. If your kids are hungry, you don't need to steal over $300 worth of food to tide you over. Send that boyfriend of yours to recycle cans until he can find a job. She's her kids' primary example. Stealing is never OKAY. I speak from experience. I'm sorry that her kids are angry, but her story is that she used to get food stamps, which means the kids get free breakfast and lunch at school. Not the most nutritious, but beggars can't be choosers. I wish her the best and kudos to all the hard-working moms and dads who go without so their children can have one meal a day.
ReplyDelete6:00 pm,
ReplyDeleteI do not know if you are Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mint romney or Michelle Bachman, but your sympathy is underwehelming. "beggers can't be chosers", really? Are you that callous that you can not see desperation when it is put right in your face.
You are right, stealing is never right, but one would hope that we had lost the Inspector Gilbert attitude (for your edification, it is a reference to Les Miserable. Maybe you should grow up and learn from Jean Valjean. Forgiveness and compassion for the lesser among us.