Thursday’s thumbs

A few thoughts on law enforcement, courts

It’s Thursday and another chance to fire off a few up or down thumbs about some of news developments in our neck of the woods and elsewhere:

It is undoubtedly a sad fact of life, but few will be surprised that law enforcement officers these days are well served by the presence of body cameras and Tasers. The public is well served, too. It’s not that their presence guarantees nothing will ever go wrong. Think George Floyd. But consider the many instances in which the cameras provide critical information about what transpired. Again, think George Floyd. Tasers, too, provide a less-than-deadly response when something more than a good talking-to is nonetheless needed. Arkansans may be forgiven for believing the work of Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife officers is in a different category, but consider enforcing laws in the many off-the-beatenpath locales in which they must travel. The Game and Fish Commission recently agreed to a 10-year contract for 181 cameras and Tasers for its enforcement officers and the infrastructure to support them. The project should improve safety for everyone and help answer critical questions when — not if — a conflict occurs. Transparency and increased safety are great benefits of the arrangement.

The highly partisan activities of Ginny Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, undoubtedly raises questions, given her activism in the “Stop the Steal” movement and direct communication with the White House about strategies to overturn the 2020 election’s results. Some Democrats have even called for Justice Thomas to either resign or recuse from cases involving the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol or the efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Common sense would suggest a Supreme Court justice’s spouse should refrain from behaviors that create potential conflicts of interest for the justice, but spouses have their own own lives and it’s unfair to demand they limit themselves to make life easier on their wife’s or husband’s public responsibilities. The responsibility falls to Clarence Thomas to step aside, by recusing when necessary, if a case presents a conflict or even an appearance of impropriety. If evidence arises that Clarence Thomas has ignored conflicts in prior cases in which he did not step aside, it’s then that the justice should take great strides to extricate the court from any compromising circumstance. Likewise, Ginny Thomas should get no special treatment as authorities investigate her involvement in Jan. 6 and the 2020 election.

It’s satisfying that two men convicted of bamboozling investors into spending their money on a proposed Elm Springs wind farm will spend years in federal prison and be forced to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution. The project was a fraud from beginning to end, according to the court. “You’re a con man’s con man,” Judge Timothy Brooks told one of the men. “That’s just who you are.” We can appreciate the judge’s disgust for the actions of people who used deception and preyed on people’s interest in renewable energy and their hopes of seeing their investments pay off. Our thoughts are with those investors who sunk considerable money into the scheme. We hope they emerge in some way made whole by the court’s ruling.

After two years of covid-inspired modifications to those wheels of justice that turn ever so slowly even in the best of times, it’s good to hear the criminal courts in Benton County are reviving in-person hearings on cases they’ll hear. That means less video conferencing and more getting the parties involved in the same room. One public defender said a return to the old ways of doing things will potentially help settle more cases since defense attorneys and prosecutors will get more time to speak directly. Reaching some disposition of more cases is desperately needed because of the slow-down that happened during the worst parts of the pandemic.

The comments sound unbelievable, but Tyler Franks would have no reason make this stuff up. He’s the Prairie Grove police officer who, almost a year ago, was shot several times — resulting in the loss of a leg — when he responded to a domestic disturbance. And he says he wouldn’t change a thing: “To break it down, I feel like this is part of my life,” Franks said during a recent interview. “This happened to me. I wouldn’t change it, honestly. I can be a good influence and inspiration to other people with the way I handled my incident, and I wouldn’t change it. It happened, and you have to make the best of it and carry on.” The best of it, according to Franks, includes opportunities to talk to other injured officers to offer encouragement. It sounds as though Franks understands that he’s fortunate to be breathing and still able to be with his wife and kids. Despite the challenges, that’s a blessing worth grasping.