Surveillance video doesn't lie?

Interesting story from the L.A. Times:

A Los Angeles judge abruptly ended a trial and exonerated a man of possessing cocaine Monday after a courtroom confrontation in which a defense attorney produced a surprise video of his client's arrest that sharply contradicted the testimony of two police officers.

The defense claims the officers planted evidence and that one told the other "Be creative in your writing" when it came to making his report. Prosecutors say the grainy tape appeared to have been altered but that it was still enough to prevent them from proceeding with the case.

The end of the article touches on the bigger picture:

Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who has studied the LAPD and pushed for reforms, said the department has tried in recent years to root out dishonest officers... But she said, there are some who take shortcuts and lie.

"In their minds, they're compensating for a system that's rigged to keep them from making the arrests and getting the convictions they want," she said.

| Sara Shepherd