Jessamyn pointed to This One by Judah Hamer, president of the Vermont Library Association.
Librarians are entrusted with protecting the private information of thousands of innocent community members who use library computers. When law enforcement officials believe they need access to information, it is their responsibility to seek the approval of a judge who can make a rapid, impartial decision about constitutional matters that protect all of us: due process, probable cause and privacy.
who screwed up?
When a detective first arrived at the library at 4:30 p.m. and asked to take library computers, the librarian informed him of the library’s board-approved and legally binding policy, which required a valid court order to release public computers. The officer agreed and said he would go obtain the order. Instead, he returned with four additional police officials and proceeded to argue for an hour with the librarians and the library board chair, employing tactics that clearly violate the core values of the Vermont State Police. The police officials left and finally returned at 11 p.m. with a court order.
Ow ow ow ow! It hurts cutting of my nose. Good thing I’m spiting my face.
Why is it that everyone is ready to believe that any other civil servant is a craven idiot but unwilling to conceive of the cops making a mistake?