Police cannot be sued for car chases

[Atlanteax]

A sign that Common Sense is not yet completely obliterated by naive Liberals (note that this is a different category of liberals, as there are those that are rather pragmatic about these sort of things).

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04/30/scotus.chase/index.html

U.S. Supreme Court rules that those injured in car chases cannot sue the police for injuries suffered.

[Sean of the Thread]

As an innocent bystander on the roads during these often needless chases I feel much more secure now.

[Gan]

LOL at the felon suing the police for his getting injured when he was the one breaking the law and posing the greater danger.

[Jorddyn]

U.S. Supreme Court rules that those injured in car chases cannot sue the police for injuries suffered.

Good.

Jorddyn, hates stupid criminals

[Celephais]

As an innocent bystander on the roads during these often needless chases I feel much more secure now.

I didn't RTFA, and I definatly think the criminal should entirely be responsible, but if an innocent bystander gets hurt, does this ruling apply to them at all (some subclause?), or is this ruling only for the criminal?

As an aside, I'm torn as to if I think a bystander should be able to sue the police or just the criminal (but I'm sure that debate wille explode shortly). On one hand it's obviously the criminal's fault, on the other, the cops could just follow him with a helicopter and not make things worse (and then they'd be blamed if he kills someone and there is no cop there to stop him, lose lose).

[CrystalTears]

Or the cops can follow him on a horse and have it shit on the criminal's head when he catches up.

[Jorddyn]

As an aside, I'm torn as to if I think a bystander should be able to sue the police or just the criminal (but I'm sure that debate wille explode shortly).

Not only do I think an innocent bystander who is harmed should have the right to sue the criminal, I think all related medical and repair bills should actually be in the criminal's name, so when s/he doesn't pay up, the victim isn't screwed again. Let the criminal deal with the bill collectors and bankruptcy.

Of course, I'm sure that breaks all sorts of privacy laws.

Jorddyn

[TheEschaton]

I feel like I studied this as proximate cause in some case. Innocent bystanders are covered in terms of the criminal's negligence, but people in news copters which crash, not.


-TheE-

[Gan]

Should police be authorized to pursue suspects that are wanted in connection of a crime, even if such a pursuit takes place in automobiles?

At what point should police not pursue? At what point should they pursue?

Is it upon comission of an aggrivated felony? What if the suspect has outstanding warrants and is discovered days after the crime? So many variables to consider...

I personally think that a criminal who is convicted of a crime, and in either the comission or evasion/capture of said crime, should be culpable for all damages to persons or property during the comission or evasion/capture. Go after their property, future income, prison comissary, etc. Make the cost for running so high that it is its' own natural deterrence.

[Tea & Strumpets]

Any good cop is not going to be getting into some long drawn out car chase. A good cop just rolls down the window, hangs his head and arm out the window, and shoots the criminal's tires out.

[Warriorbird]

Because good cops are the ones we see on TV.

They gave the cops Vipers down on Highway 540 in North Carolina because the kids in Supras were running circles around them.

[Methais]

A good cop also vigorously turns the steering wheel sharply to the left and right during a high speed chase, while keeping the car driving in a straight line.

[Hulkein]

Cop did a pretty good job imo.

[Latrinsorm]

Make the cost for running so high that it is its' own natural deterrence.I think once a person has reached the point of "I'm going to try and run from the police", the idea of "but it might cost me money!" isn't a very weighty proposition.

[Ignot]

Well, if they didnt chase him and he ended up breaking into my mom's house and killing her i would be pretty pissed that nobody chased that fucker. I guess it is a grey area and i feel okay leaving it in the hands of the police to make the decision...but not jacksonville police, they are retarded.