Norm's post, below, reminded me of something irksome:  It is easier to defend a police officer in a Section 1983 lawsuit than it is to defend a citizen charged with a crime.  Does anyone who has handled both Section 1983 and criminal cases disagree?  Almost certainly not.

Assuming my view is accurate (if you disagree, please post a comment): What does that tell us about such things as the presumption of innocence, burdens of proof, and reasonable doubt?

What does it tell us about the judiciary's views of police and citizens?  You'd think that judges would be outraged by law enforcement and prosecutorial misconduct.  Yet most judges simply do not seem to care.  Why?