TOO BUSY, JUST TOO BUSY

Everyone who watches enough police drama on television knows the Miranda warnings as well as any police officer or lawyer.  They include the ubiquitous “you have the right to an attorney” and the promise that one would be provided to the defendant.  One police officer apparently decided to add a few words of his own, in deeds, if not in the statement itself. It became, “you have the right to an attorney and one will be provided to you… if I’m not too busy.”

When the defendant invoked, the officer never called for an attorney.  His excuse in court was that he just got too busy with transporting another defendant and with paperwork and so on. Just too busy.

It didn’t fly.