I'm in no position to comment on the treatment by police of Professor
Henry Gates, but if the case focuses attention on police misconduct, it will serve a valuable purpose.
Last week's decision by the Supreme Court, holding that a high school
student's Fourth Amendment rights were violated by a strip search (based on allegations that she was using proscribed medication),
is welcome. The decision was a no-brainer, but we should applaud whenever the Court protects our rights against
overzealous law enforcement.
