A cop makes a good DUI arrest, writes an honest report, and the suspect usually ends up pleading guilty or plea bargaining; the cop never appears in court. But if a cop makes a bad drunk driving arrest — and falsifies the report to get charges filed — the innocent suspect will probably refuse to plead guilty and demand a jury trial. Result: the cop ends up in court and, since most arrests occur during the night shift, racks up time-and-a-half overtime payments.
4 Officers Charged with Falsifying Reports on OT Scheme Plead No Contest
Honolulu, HI. Aug. 13 – Four Honolulu police officers, charged with falsifying DUI arrest reports so that officers who weren’t present would qualify for possible overtime, have pleaded no contest and have the chance to clear the charges from their criminal records.
Duke Zoller and Aaron A. Bernal, both sergeants, and officers Christoper and Patrick Bugarin were members of what used to be called the Selective Enforcement Unit, which conducted nighttime DUI checkpoints. It’s now called the Night Enforcement Unit.
All four were scheduled to stand trial on charges of tampering with a government record and being an accomplice in state court Monday.
Unusual? Hardly. See, for example, my post Cop Makes $172,000/year on DUI Arrests (this Houston DWI Task Force cop’s normal salary was $72,000).
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