MELISSA R.

BARBERAN

BSCRIM: III BLK.2

THE CASE OF OFFICER JULIAN STEELE

This week the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down the very important decision involving police
misconduct.

It began with some robberies in a Cincinnati neighborhood in 2009. After one robbery, a residence
took down the license number of a car that was perceived to be moving about suspiciously. The
Police trace the plate to Alicia Maxton.

Now officer Julian steele enters the picture. When he finds out Ms. Maxton has children. He goes to
the school and arrest all three. To protect the identities of the minors. The court only provides us
with their initials. One of the minors is RM. RM was driven to the police station where he was
interrogated. Mom is not informed because Steele instructed the school people not to tell what was
happening to her children.

RM denies any involvedment in the robberies. Steele tells this minor that if he does not confess, his
will be jailed and she will loss custody of his siblings. Frightened, RM falsely confesses, and officer
steele, records the confession a second time. RM is then charged with the robberies and is
imprisoned.

The next day, Steele tells the school that he does not really believe that RM was involved in the
robberies. Among other things, RM did not much the physical description of the suspect.

Over the next week, Steele arranges several meetings with mom under the guise of discussing RM
case. One such meeting is at Steele apartment, and he tells mom that he might be able to get RM out
of detention because he can cut through all the damn red tape .And he wants to help out because he
did not personally believed RM was involved. Then steele changed out the subject to sex. Mom goes
along with the overture because she believed Steele has the power to get her sons release.

A few more days and, at last, this twisted scheme begins to unravel. A prosecutors new about RMS
arrest but mistakenly thought he went home after the booking procedures. When the prosecutor
discovers that RM has been in custody for 9 days, she immediately releases hjm and drop all the
charges. Now Steele actions come under scrutiny. Steele at various points told the school, mom and
the prosecutors that he did not really think RM was involved in any crime- even prior to arresting
him. Steele said the arrest would give him leverage as he continued the investigation, such as by
gettings moms cooperation if she were the robber.

Steele is charged with various crimes using the color of his office ---abduction, extortion, rape and
intimidation

The jury convicted Steele of two crimes: (1) intimidation of RM; and (2) abduction of RM. The court
affirmed steele convictions. He received a 5 year prison sentence with 5 additional years of
community control.