In 2009, while newly elected State Attorney Michael McAuliffe was still building a reputation for cracking down on public corruption, his office charged two former West Palm Beach police officers with battery and official misconduct in the beating of a handcuffed robbery suspect captured on video.
Prosecutors actively pursued the case until September, when they dropped all charges against one officer and allowed another to plead to a misdemeanor. The move prompted speculation that McAuliffe dropped the case to garner favor with the local police union for his upcoming re-election bid. Three weeks later, a retired police officer filed an ethics complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics against McAuliffe, citing a meeting between him and union officials shortly before the case ended as evidence.
McAuliffe and prosecutors in the case deny the allegations. At the time the charges were dropped, they attributed the decision largely to an enhanced version of the police video a defense attorney played for them in early September . They say it shows that the suspect provoked the officers' attack.
Prosecutors actively pursued the case until September, when they dropped all charges against one officer and allowed another to plead to a misdemeanor. The move prompted speculation that McAuliffe dropped the case to garner favor with the local police union for his upcoming re-election bid. Three weeks later, a retired police officer filed an ethics complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics against McAuliffe, citing a meeting between him and union officials shortly before the case ended as evidence.McAuliffe and prosecutors in the case deny the allegations. At the time the charges were dropped, they attributed the decision largely to an enhanced version of the police video a defense attorney played for them in early September . They say it shows that the suspect provoked the officers' attack.
Source: Topix.com
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