I’m not sure if this is one of those bad apples that makes the majority look bad, another isolated incident I keep hearing so much about, or a case of an officer who simply wanted to go home to his family at night. Regardless of the typical law enforcer apologist excuse you select, it’s important to remember that the rules are different for men with government badges:
A former Kenosha Police officer who planted evidence in a homicide investigation will not see jail time.
Kyle Baars was sentenced Wednesday to one year probation for felony misconduct in public office.
He was given permission to serve that probation in Illinois, and will be required to serve 80 hours of community service. He could serve a year in jail and one year of extended supervision if he violates the terms of his probation.
Baars could have been sentenced to 18 months in prison and given a $10,000 fine.
The former officer had admitted planting a bullet and an identification card in a backpack during an investigation into the 2014 shooting death of a Kenosha man.
On Wednesday, Baars called planting the evidence “a bad decision” but argued that he should be given credit for eventually admitting his actions and testifying at the homicide trial for one of the defendants that he had planted evidence.
One year of probation for planting evidence in the investigation of a legitimate crime? It’s good to be in the king’s employ. The sentence is ridiculous but the way the officer was handled with kid gloves is almost as ridiculous. Neither his fellow officers, the district attorney, or the judge ripped his ass properly. Instead he received a mild chiding by the judge for blaming other people.
This is just another case of the court system treating agents of the State differently than the rest of us. I’m fairly certain any non-state agent who planted evidence in a criminal investigation would receive a bit harsher of a sentence than one year of probation. I also doubt that excuses such as a “distinguished career” would be considered a legitimate legal defense. The sentencing would likely include the judge delivering much harsher words than a mere “Tsk, tsk. You shouldn’t have done that. That was naughty.”
Police are like you and me, only better!
From the article on kenoshanews.com:
He said his prosecution and guilty plea were hard on his family and caused him mental anguish.
“I am now a second-class citizen,” he said.
Well boo hoo! You should have thought of that before you planted the evidence, you ASSHOLE.
It becomes more and more clear with each passing day that justice for criminal cops won’t come from the “Justice” department. It must be had by other means.