Ken Nelson

Future judge?

This set of questions, asked by our Supreme Court, makes me think most of them are morons.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer said that a certain amount of personal texting was to be expected. “You want to let them have a few,” Breyer said. “You need pizza when you are on duty.”

or this gem:

“He’s talking to the girlfriend,” Justice Kennedy said, and the caller “gets a voice message that says: ‘Your call is very important to us. We will get back to you.’ ”

They went straight into debating internal police department policies that they have no experience, or standing, to get into.

This is simple. Ontario PD provides a phone, or a pager, and says “you have no expectation of privacy with this device”. End of story.  The officer could say “I need privacy, I quit”. Or he could say “okay, I’ll bring my own phone”.  Ontario’s policy isn’t onerous. It doesn’t say no personal communication – just keep it minimal, and we are watching.

I notice no questions from Justice Scalia – he must have been bemusedly quiet as the other morons on the court had their policy discussion.