This a bit of COIN I learned as a prosecutor
Quote:
Originally Posted by
MikeF
But you didn't realize at the time that the wife was emotionally abusive, spent every dollar in the house, and had her own mental problems. After your intervention, you realize that both the husband and wife were to blame, and you never should have gotten involved in a family dispute.
Cops know this as well. I can't count the number of times during arraignments that I would sit there looking at a police record for a defendant with 6-15 charges of assault IV domestic violence, with each annotated with "victim refused to sign the complaint"; while some dirtbag in the box was blowing kisses and swapping "I love yous" with some gal sporting a black eye in the gallery.
Sad, no question about it, but do you really want to step into the middle of that mix as the new head of a household with her and her patchwork family of kids from multiple past failed relationships?
Running along with the LE analogy
The cops can remove the guy from the house;the prosecutor can charge him; and the judge can sentence him if he pleads or is found guilty. All of which has everything to do with the guy; and nothing to do with the wife, kids, household or neighborhood, except to remove him from them.
What to do with the wife, kids, household or neighborhood is the job of the social workers. That is not the job of LEOs in particular; or of the criminal justice system in general. That is a point that Slap has made repeatedly - and wisely (IMO).
I'll forego discussion of armed social workers.
Regards
Mike