To Defend And Serve

The front page said it all, "Sheriff Stripped Of Duties." Returns to civilian life.  Pension in question.

Slowly people began to speak.  The ACLU could hardly contain them in the small room in the Courthouse.

"You, too? she asked.

"Which count is this?"

There were three lines with signs indicating the count.

Count One:  Misuse of seized goods.
Count Two:  Misuse of public office in racial profiling
                    Includes search without proper documentation
Count Three:Failure to execute duties assigned by Commissioners

"Yea, gads.  I need to be in several lines.  He stole my motorcycle, pulled me over harassing me. No charge, just pulled me over.  I am a physician, what the h?"

"I applied for an alcohol permit.  I didn't go to his church.  There ya have it," the well dressed man said.

There were over a hundred people.  The room was full and the line went down the hall. People were ecstatic The Mountain View told the story.  It was time.

Nearly every restaurant was full.  People were talking to one another.  It was like the floodgates were opened.  They could breathe fresh air.  They didn't realize how traumatized they had been.

It was in part, because the responsible newspaper mentioned that people needed to come forward.  They gave contact names and phone numbers.  

The ACLU would spend two weeks in town.  For starters.  This was a case that was priority one. Even the officers spoke up.

We signed up, went to the academy because we wanted a job in which we could be proud, we wanted to "defend and serve."