139 Comments
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John R Hoffman's avatar

We must continue to lower any expectations...it is, after all, TEX-ASS!

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Wondering Woman's avatar

More proof that Texas is seriously fucked up. I hope its come to Jesus moments happen in my lifetime so I can have the satisfaction of seeing Greg Abbot and Ken Paxton in prison.

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Cleora's avatar

I live in El Paso, the only part of TX that is seriously blue instead of entirely fucked up. I believe Greggie and Kenny both need prison time, but I think one or both of them are on Trump's short bus...er, list...for VP so good luck!

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Wondering Woman's avatar

To be fair, Texas does have some good things going for it, including barbecue and music. I will add El Paso to that list.

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Permanently Confused@68's avatar

Texas, China, Russia: Too damn big, and too damn big for their britches.

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Teddy Barnes's avatar

So.......these two neanderthals have been fired right? Right????? Held personally responsible right? Right????? The Houston PD got around to arresting the lying drunk POS at the center of all this right? Right?????? FUCK. TEXAS.

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carovee's avatar

That is just an insane story. I know the cops were hella racist, but really, what was the point of going back to arrest Hughes?

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Rohder Huucho's avatar

Hi. Although the question may have been meant to be rhetorical, there actually is an answer: It's the first to come to mind when you read the piece; racist cops. No other explanation possible to my mind; just imagine all the extra paperwork involved and the extra hassle, avidaffits etc. Add all of that on top of the other stuff a day's work might bring doing that job. So, there's a real-world answer to a (presumably) rhetorical question born out of frustration over this type of sh**...

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carovee's avatar

True. They went to great lengths just to be terrible.

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mike's avatar

Fuck Texas, and everything in Texas. Did I mention that Texas sucks?

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kelley's avatar

Jesus fucking christ

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Rohder Huucho's avatar

I'll see your 'Jesus fucking christ' and raise you a 'JfC!!!' (read as in all bold capitals). Also too: !!!?!

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Lil Snot's avatar

Nice Times! I always like it when bad cops get bonked in the head.

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RMS's avatar

except that it ended poorly for no one except Hughes

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Led Tassle's avatar

CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM

From: Leonard Leo

To: All My Preciouses With Lifetime Appointments

Subject: Stopped Clocks

Because our movement is getting a little too much unwanted attention lately, you are hereby released from your blood oath to The Noble Cause to each issue one, but remember only one, decision between now and the general that will give our media machine cover.

Clarence, that CFPB decision was epic. We were probably going to lose that one anyway because Beer and Uterus have been slipping on occasion.

Preferably pick choices that merely maintain a status quo not involving bodies and only allow cases or agencies to exist. We can always reject precedent later.

And remember, come November it's BACK TO WORK.

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Deidre Snutz, Mind Goblin's avatar

Next time, they won’t leave a live witness. “Stop resisting, stop resisting!” The racist cop’s mating call.

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Sammy Beam's avatar

That's exactly what the experts in the Houston PD locker rooms are saying where these two messed up.

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twinsbrewer's avatar

If I fucked up at my job, and cost that job millions in lawsuits, I'd be beyond immediately fired.

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Gary Seven in Space's avatar

Make the Cop Union pay it!

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Permanently Confused@68's avatar

Cop unions are a scourge on the country.

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Ward From Cali's avatar

Robyn doesn't get into why this is a qualified immunity case, or why even the Fifth Circuit ruled against the cops.

Here's why. Hughes executed a citizen's arrest. By law, cops are not permitted discretion in citizen's arrest. The arrest has already taken place, the cops are merely taking custody of the arrestee. They are REQUIRED to do so.

Citizens are not afforded the protections of probable cause. If no crime has actually been committed, or the arrestee did not actually commit the crime, they are liable both civilly and criminally for false arrest. By releasing the arrestee the cops are breaking black letter law AND denying the arresting citizen any ability to defend himself against a charge of false arrest.

In practice, the application of these laws are squishier than they seem on paper, of course. But there's no question that these cops disregarded a legally-mandated duty. These duties have been a part of statutory law from the very founding of the United States and are constitutionally valid beyond any question. Thus, qualified immunity does not apply.

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Zen Gali's avatar

Reading the original post, my first thought was, "why attribute to malice what can be accounted for by ignorance, stupidity, and bias?"

Not that they're mutually exclusive, but maybe this would've turned out differently if the cops knew ANYTHING about the 'laws' they are supposedly enforcing?

I guess this is the justice 40+ years of de-funding public education buys us (combined with historical and systemically entrenched racism, obviously)?

Pleasantly surprised to see this come out of the Fifth Circuit.

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rawrtigerlily's avatar

Thank you Ward, this adds a lot of useful color to the picture.

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Bagels of Doom's avatar

"qualified immunity" is one of the most cynical terms in the English language.

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SethTriggs's avatar

Holy shit.

Well the modern slave patrol did its job. That's life in an unreconstructed country.

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Bel-Ami's avatar

So, racism is systemic in policing and cops are notorious liars? Ya don't say.

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Permanently Confused@68's avatar

John Roberts, and most Republicans would disagree.

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Bel-Ami's avatar

Yes, well... we know the sort of country they are trying to turn the US into,

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