18 October—Today, the bad news that’s no longer news. In April 2014, a state trooper lost control of his cruiser and struck another vehicle, injuring the driver, but the accident wasn’t followed up with charges or even an investigation. And the police offered no explanation. Information on the accident is still unavailable and there has been no recorded civil or criminal litigation, although there probably was an out-of-court settlement. But the trooper involved is now a detective with the Western District Major Crime Squad, being paid well into six figures in salary and fringes.

Makes you think how good it is to be a cop.

Then, fast-forward seven years to last April, when State Police Sgt. John McDonald, who in November 2019 had been charged with a number of very serious offenses he committed two months earlier, essentially got off scot-free. Having drunkenly run a stop sign in his cruiser, causing a T-bone crash in Southbury, you may recall that McDonald seriously injured a woman and her daughter. But not himself.

But after a dozen continuances, during which he remained on fully paid desk duty, prosecutor Jeffrey Doskos and Judge Kevin Murphy finally decided that McDonald—a colleague of theirs in the employment of the state—didn’t have to serve any time other than 100 hours of community service and minimally attending a drunk-driver program.

Equally disturbing is that McDonald’s offenses would be felonies for civilians. But felony conviction would cost him his job and his pension. So his plea deal reduced his offenses to misdemeanors. And he gets to keep his six-figure job (along with his cruiser and state gasoline) as well as his handsome pension, which doubtless will be enhanced by tons of overtime in his last three years.

And let’s not forget McDonald’s drunken state police buddies who clearly broke DESPP rules at the party at an Oxford brewery. Has anything been done with or about their offenses? Will anything be done?

Makes you think how good it is to be a cop. And qualified immunity didn’t even come into these travesties.

Tomorrow, some encouraging news on qualified immunity . . .