Now, you'd think I am trying to say that dashboard cameras are great and the problem is solved when police officers have to carry body cameras. Well, no. It is not even half the battle. Even if we get a system where we trust a police officer's words the same as that of an accused, the defendant still needs to have legal support that will work hard to get the footage and more importantly a police force that is willing to work with defendants in giving them the evidence the defense needs to undermine the prosecution's case.
The main problem is the blue code of silence where police officers fear speaking out against other police officers for fear of retaliation. I am afraid this is a systemic problem with no easy solution. Who watches the watchers?
Edit: Here is some more details on the case.
From NBC Miami http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Cops-Set-Up-Woman-After-C...
> The disturbing video shows Alexandra Torrensvilas, 23, handcuffed in the back of the squad car as the officers get their stories straight on what they are going to say happened.
> Officer Joel Francisco, 36, an 11-year veteran, crashed into the back of Torrensvilas' vehicle at a light on February 17 at midnight. The cop radioed to other officers who converged on the scene and hatched a way to bail Francisco out.
> Officer Dewey Pressley, 42, arrives and questions Torrensvilas, who tells him that she has been drinking. The 21-year veteran officer seizes the opportunity and arrests her for DUI. But the plot thickens from there.
> The cops begin to brainstorm believable excuses for the accident.
From http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/two-fired-h...
> Pressley, a Hollywood police officer for 22 years, and Francisco were fired in January. So were three other Police Department employees who were at the crash scene: Sgt. Andrew Diaz, Community Service Officer Karim Thomas and crime scene technician Andrea Tomassi, none of whom have been charged in the case.
From http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-04-09/news/fl-disney-c...
> Neither Pressley nor Francisco mentioned in their written incident reports that Francisco was on his cellphone at the time of the crash. Both mentioned the cat.
> Pressley was acquitted of official misconduct, a felony, but convicted of falsifying records. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and is free pending appeal.
> Francisco's deal matches the jury decision and the sentence in the Pressley case. Had he been convicted of all charges at trial, Francisco would have faced nearly 30 years in prison.
It seems like Lawyer larence Meltzer represented the accused in this case of State v. Alexandra Torrens-Vilas according to http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/33316-fl-lawrence-meltzer-1293... . Do you imagine the state would volunteer this dash cam tape if it had fallen on a overworked public defendant?