Police Have Rights, Too

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/opinion/police-have-rights-too.html

Version 0 of 1.

To the Editor:

“When Police Unions Impede Justice” (editorial, Sept. 4) was spot on but had one questionable element.

You write that even if the Chicago Police Board votes to dismiss the officers, “they will be able to challenge their dismissals in court.” What’s wrong with that?

Judicial review of agency action that is, for example, arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, contrary to law or unsupported by substantial evidence is a familiar and critical part of the rule of law.

The process for disciplining police officers may have serious flaws, but this isn’t one of them.

EUGENE R. FIDELL

New Haven

The writer teaches at Yale Law School.