THE
STOP
ki, the public defender. Another defense
attorney, who didn’t wish to be quoted
by name, went further: “The guy is a
menace to society.”
In a 2005 case, U.S. v. Zambrana,
U.S. District Judge Michael J. Reagan
overturned a federal drug conviction
because he didn’t find Reichert’s testimony credible.
Reagan’s assessment of Reichert’s
methods and credibility is blunt. He calls
Reichert “polished” and his testimony
“rehearsed, coached and robotic as to be
rote.” He continues, “It was a generic, almost default performance not dependent
upon the facts of this case, but suitable
for any case in which Reichert might testify to having found reasonable suspicion.”
In that case too, Reichert’s stated reason for pulling Zambrana over was that
Zambrana crossed over a lane divider.
According to Reagan’s opinion, Reichert
also stated that the motorist appeared
“nervous,” like Huff, and again nearly let
the driver go (he told Zambrano he was
“free to leave.”) Then, again nearly as an
afterthought, Reichert started in with
the “rolling no” questions. Reichert described Zambrano’s refusal to consent to
a search as “suspicious.”
Reagan writes that Reichert is so confident in his ability to observe body language to detect deceit, he appears to be
a “human polygraph.” Reichert taught a
class on how to conduct roadside searches, which Reagan wrote could easily have
HUFFINGTON
10.21.12
“One blemish on
your record and
you’re branded for
the rest of your life.”
been titled, “How to avoid the warrant
requirement in searching a vehicle.”
Reagan’s opinion, along with the fact
that Reichert was also convicted on federal charges of selling knockoff designer
sunglasses, led to Reichert’s dismissal
from the Collinsville Police Department
in 2006. But with the help of the police
union, Reichert sued to get his job back.
In subsequent hearings, the local
state’s attorney’s office said it didn’t trust
Reichert, as did the U.S. Attorney’s Office
for the Southern District of Illinois. Reagan and the state circuit court judge also
made clear that they felt Reichert was
untrustworthy. Despite these concerns, in
March 2009, an Illinois appellate court
ordered Reichert rehired.
Huffington has since obtained a copy