The Bredesen administration is again under investigation. The Tennessean reports that Lt. Ronnie Shirley--the Tennessee state trooper who "fixed" Bredesen's then Deputy Governor's speeding ticket in 2004--is alleged to have run illegal criminal background checks on private citizens and state employees.
Nashville attorney David Raybin, a former prosecutor, said police are supposed to use access to these databases for official use only. The idea is, citizens grant the police and government power to have access to that information, and that's given with the trust it will be used responsibly, Raybin said.
Raybin said it would be a crime if a police officer accessed such information for personal use, and not official business.
“It doesn’t matter what motive" the officer has, Raybin said. "Whether it’s prurient interest or for political purpose. Using any service for private purposes and not government business is illegal.”
No comments:
Post a Comment