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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Trillhaase: Jeers To Lying Cop

JEERS ... to Idaho State Police Cpl. Fred Rice. You can no longer rely on a cop to tell the truth when his testimony condemns someone to 25 years in prison. Rice walked into a 2006 trial of Jonathan Wade Ellington (pictured at 2006 trial) of Hayden. Then he lied. Ellington was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery for running over a woman in what was allegedly a road rage incident. Ellington's expert witness, Dr. William Skelton, said the defendant didn't have time to respond. Reaction time averages 1.5 seconds, he said. He also said wreckage from the accident indicated Ellington had been in the proper lane. Rice disputed the idea of an average reaction time and the reliability of the debris field. Like most people, the jury believed the police officer. More here/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. (SR file photo)

Question: Do you think the overwhelming number of cops tell the truth?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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