Sheriffs thank Golden for vote against Justice in Policing Act

By Todd Brackett, Lincoln County sheriff

J.R.R. Tolkien said, “Courage is found in unlikely places.”  

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden put a face to that statement when he stood before his peers and voted to  oppose the Justice in Policing Act of 2021.

Maine sheriffs recognize the undeniable need for ethics and transparency in law enforcement. Our citizens demand and deserve the accountability of all law enforcement professionals. No one wants this more than the overwhelming majority of police officers, deputies, chiefs and sheriffs who carry out their commitment to serve with integrity every single day. Officers who make unethical choices cause devastating damage not only to those they’ve sworn to protect, but to those of us who wear a badge with honor and pride.  

The Justice in Policing Act is flawed. While the intent was to create pathways towards rebuilding public trust, the bold stroke of eliminating qualified immunity would almost certainly cause ramifications that would, in essence, cripple our public safety infrastructure. 

Golden did what many among us could not imagine. In the chambers of Congress, the young congressman stood up to a resounding expectation to follow political lines by doing the right  thing. Representing the safest state in our country, Golden saw the importance of retaining  qualified immunity.  

Qualified immunity is a process that should be scrutinized and understood. Courts have long defined the criteria for “clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of what a reasonable person would have  known” in such an unusual way that it’s difficult to hold an officer accountable even in the most serious cases. We need to be working together to better understand qualified immunity, not broadly eliminating a process that has an appropriate place in public safety when used properly.  

Maine’s 16 county sheriffs represent different political parties, but we’ve come together to offer our deepest gratitude for the bold stance Golden took against significant pressure to vote with his party. We can only hope our Senate leaders recognize the tremendous decision that faces them, and follow the lead of Golden.  

Brackett is the sheriff for Lincoln County and the treasurer of the Maine Sheriffs’ Association. He wrote the commentary on behalf of Maine’s 16 county sheriffs.