EXPERT WITNESS: Breaking the Policemen's Blue Code of Silence

In Expert Witness: Breaking the Policemen’s Blue Code of Silence, the author, Bouza, a 30 year police veteran, describes his experiences as an expert witness testifying on behalf of people harmed by the police. A mesmerizing story teller, Bouza describes in searing narrative the scores of legal cases in which he served, bringing a rare behind the scenes look at the police world. Whether it is the case of the Central Park Jogger and the NYPD, Rodney King and the LAPD, Attica State Prison and then Governor Nelson Rockefeller, protestors trying to protect thousand-year-old trees, or the scores of unknown people seriously mistreated and harmed by the police with their cover ups and "testilying", Bouza breaks the blue code of silence and tells it the way he, a seasoned police professional with no illusions, sees it. This book is a must read both for the lay person fascinated by police work and crime stories as well as for the professional – whether attorney, law student, law enforcement officer, or criminal justice student. Bouza does not shy away from the use of force by police, but insists that it be applied lawfully. “I am an unapologetic supporter of the use of police violence, even lethal force, but it has to be guided by the law, the standards of reasonableness, and the U.S. Constitution.“ Bouza knows the obstacles to the truth emerging when the police are accused of wrongdoing. Navigating the maze of “testilying”, the Blue Code of Silence, and cover-ups is difficult. Penetrating the hermetically sealed culture of the police world is both daunting and beyond the reach of outsiders, but in this book, Bouza has pierced the Policemen’s Blue Code of Silence. Maybe lawyers can compare their cases against these and deduce their chances of success. Even citizens who had been wronged by cops might weigh their prospects against the dramas described here. And for the general reader, he hopes to enlighten and entertain, both with a better understanding of the justice system and the bizarre actions of other humans mostly acting badly.