America at its Finest

In the case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, I think the police did an excellent job of delivering on America’s promise of “Justice for all.”

A lowly hotel maid and African immigrant accused one of the world’s most powerful men of attempted rape. The police could have brushed off her charges as unsubstantiated – or set them aside “for further investigation.” Instead, they took the chambermaid’s charges seriously and moved quickly to arrest Strauss-Kahn before he could take off for France, a country that almost certainly would have refused to extradite him to the U.S. for trial.

In the spirit of American justice, we must presume Strauss-Kahn innocent until proven guilty. Still, it was inspiring to see the police leave that decision for the courts, rather than arbitrarily deciding for themselves in favor of a rich and powerful suspect.