Officer discretion and contempt of cop




Policing Matters show

Summary: On July 26th, a nurse in Utah named Alex Wubbels was arrested for refusing to draw blood from an unconscious patient who had suffered severe injuries from a car crash. Wubbels argued that she wouldn't allow the blood to be drawn unless the man was under arrest or there was a police warrant. This was despite the fact that Section 1.3 of the Utah Commercial Driver’s License Handbook states that “If you operate a CMV [commercial vehicle], you shall be deemed to have given your consent to alcohol testing.” The video of the incident sparked a national outcry. In this week’s podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the balance between enforcing the law and falling prey to the “contempt of cop” trap some subjects will set.