“It
is not a Justice System. It is just a
system.” Bob Enyart
In
July of 1999, a man named showed a lifeguard at a Reston Virginia Health Spa, a
member of the spa, naked photos of himself.
A few hours later a Fairfax County Police detective wrongly arrested a
man named James M. Brocco for the crime.
The
cop searched Brocco’s home and took him to jail. The police, who run their own publicity
department, immediately sent a new release stating that James M. Brocco had
been arrested for indecent exposure and included a photo of Brocco with the story. Several newspapers printed the stories.
The actual perpetrator was later
arrested. The case cost Brocco $3,500 in
legal fees. The cop who arrested was
protected from a wrongful arrest law since county government officials are
protected from liability with a few exceptions.