Watch your mouth.

[GrayBlue]

Hypothetical scenario. Hypothetical...

ER nurse asks "What is she in for?" pointing to a handcuffed suspect.
Officer answers "She robbed someone."

Contained scene. By stander asks "What's going on here?"
Officer answers "Some guy beat up his wife." while asking for the by stander to move on.

Really? Did you see her rob someone? Did you see the guy beating up his wife?

If the subject is someone you know who is rich enough to have a personal lawyer who'd sue you for slandering, would you say it?

[BlacknWhite]

Hypothetical scenario. Hypothetical...

ER nurse asks "What is she in for?" pointing to a handcuffed suspect.
Officer answers "She robbed someone."

Contained scene. By stander asks "What's going on here?"
Officer answers "Some guy beat up his wife." while asking for the by stander to move on.

Really? Did you see her rob someone? Did you see the guy beating up his wife?

If the subject is someone you know who is rich enough to have a personal lawyer who'd sue you for slandering, would you say it?

WTF?? Maybe im up to early...what are you talking about?

[913]

WTF?? Maybe im up to early...what are you talking about?

LOL. +1

[PtlCop]

Hypothetical scenario. Hypothetical...

ER nurse asks "What is she in for?" pointing to a handcuffed suspect.
Officer answers "She robbed someone."

Contained scene. By stander asks "What's going on here?"
Officer answers "Some guy beat up his wife." while asking for the by stander to move on.

Really? Did you see her rob someone? Did you see the guy beating up his wife?

If the subject is someone you know who is rich enough to have a personal lawyer who'd sue you for slandering, would you say it?

Sir, have you been drinking tonigt?

Yes, i'd say it, and have...even about professional athletes i've arrested. I've never been sued for it either.

If they're in handcuffs and under arrest, then I believe that they're guilty of whatever it is I have them under arrest for and could really care less if they get butthurt over being called out for being a spade, when they are in fact a spade.

[NTxSarge]

I'll bite this one.

I firmly believe in what I'll call "The Need to Know Principle".

The bystander doesn't need to know anything and will be told to move on. The nurse needs to know that her patient is possibly a danger to her. She gets told what he is being charged with.

And if the robber wants to sue me for being concerned about the safety of the medical personnel ------- So Be It!

[Kieth M.]

ER nurse asks "What is she in for?" pointing to a handcuffed suspect. Officer answers "She robbed someone."

Contained scene. By stander asks "What's going on here?"
Officer answers "Some guy beat up his wife." while asking for the bystander to move on.

#1 The E/R nurse is allowed to know a little, as she has to prioritize treatment. The better answer to the first question is, "Robbery." Nothing more needs to be said in regards to the crime. I was at Cedars-Sinai once, with the victim of a vicious rape. The nosey, pushy, catty E/R nurse asked me what happened in the rape. I told her, "when I know you'll be the one attending to her, I'll discuss it." Sure enough, she wasn't.

#2 "We're investigating a domestic violence...what did you see? Can I get your name and info?" That usually gets them moving on.

In regards to the challenge, "Did you see it?" My usual answer is, "No, but I have arrested thousands of people whose crimes I did not personally see them commit. I'm allowed to, per the penal code of ______, you have a nice day, sir."

[DAL]

I have found that "I don't know, I'm just helping out another officer," works quite well. Throwing in "did you see it" also helps get rid of them.

[EnWhyPeeDee]

You had enough probable cause to effect an arrest...how is that slander if you tell someone what you arrested someone for?

[DAL]

You had enough probable cause to effect an arrest...how is that slander if you tell someone what you arrested someone for?

Saying that someone did something is different from saying that the person has been arrested on the charge.

I think that invading the privacy of the victim is a bigger concern.

[mdrdep]

What somebody has been arrested for is disclosable public records. You can just leave it at that. The nurse may need a few more details if it goes to his injuries.

+1 on asking nosey bodies if they saw what happend. Also a video camera in the ghetto is a great way to get the lookie lous away from your crime scenes. Just point it at people and they start to run away like it was some sort of friggin ray gun

[PtlCop]

Slander must be untruthful, and you must KNOW that it's untruthful...and spread it anyway. If you've arrested somebody, you better firmly believe that they did it, enough to be able to say to someone "this guy robbed somebody" and really believe that he did it.

This is a pointless question. If you've made an arrest and you don't believe the person actually did it, then you've got bigger problems than slander.

[just joe]

I have no idea what you are talking about. Do you mean you are making stuff up or are they really under arrest for what you are telling people. If they are being charged with it, it is public record.

[DAL]

Slander must be untruthful, and you must KNOW that it's untruthful...and spread it anyway. If you've arrested somebody, you better firmly believe that they did it, enough to be able to say to someone "this guy robbed somebody" and really believe that he did it.

I would not be worried about slander, but I do not believe your statement of the law is correct. Only when the defamed person is a public figure must actual malice, which is either knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth, be shown. That is why TV stations and newspapers say "allegedly."

[FJDave]

What somebody has been arrested for is disclosable public records. You can just leave it at that. The nurse may need a few more details if it goes to his injuries.

+1 on asking nosey bodies if they saw what happend. Also a video camera in the ghetto is a great way to get the lookie lous away from your crime scenes. Just point it at people and they start to run away like it was some sort of friggin ray gun

Man, you ain't kiddin'! It works like a citronella candle in mosquito season!

[DAL]

I have no idea what you are talking about. Do you mean you are making stuff up or are they really under arrest for what you are telling people. If they are being charged with it, it is public record.

I think that what is being discussed is the difference between stating that someone has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and saying that he committed a robbery. Stating that someone has been arrested, if he has been arrested, is a truthful report of a public proceeding and so is absolutely privileged under defamation law, whereas stating that someone actually committed the crime is not -- unless he has been convicted.