Wouldn’t it be cool if the blogosphere could save a life? Radley Balko is on the case. (Cited by Gene Healy.)
It is disputed whether the warrant authorized a no-knock entry into Maye’s apartment, but why should that have any bearing on the case? The criterion for self-defense is whether Maye reasonably believed that grave danger existed, and by definition if the cops broke in without warning Maye necessarily could not know whether or not they were “authorized”.
Cops need to recognize that, when they execute a no-knock warrant, they are deliberately making themselves look like felons.
It may go beyond appearances; they may actually be felons. It’s all a question of whether the government itself has the authority to do such a thing…it can’t delegate a power that it doesn’t have can it? I know these no-knock laws have passed review before but then so did the Jim Crow laws… It’s a matter of context.
The death sentence has been overturned, and the “reliable” confidential informant turns out to be a raving bigot; see Balko’s blog.
Balko reports that “the DA’s office has now said it will no longer pursue the death penalty.”
And now he’s free. Go Balko!