Jan. 16, 2006, 10:42PM
Ousted officer reinstated, attorney says
An arbitrator reverses the firing in the case of nude photos taken from a suspect's phone

By HARVEY RICE
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

A Houston police officer fired for his involvement in the transfer of nude photos from a DWI suspect's camera phone has been reinstated, his attorney said Monday.

An arbitrator reversed the firing of Officer George Miller in an opinion released Friday, attorney Marc Hill said.

Hill said Miller was reinstated because he did not commit a firing offense.

"The city played it as a big embarrassment, and the only people who ought to be fired are the politicians, that is, the politically appointed chief of police and his assistant," Hill said.

A separate arbitrator hearing the case of Officer Christopher Green, the other officer fired by Chief Harold Hurtt, has not issued a decision, said Green's attorney, Rusty Hardin.

Police spokeswoman Johanna Abad said Hurtt stood by his decision to fire the two officers.

Ned Gill, attorney for the woman, said his client is disappointed with Miller's reinstatement. "She does think the officer, if he is going to be an officer, should get some sensitivity training," Gill said.

"She's putting this behind her and getting on with her life," he said.

Hurtt indefinitely suspended Green, 34, and Miller, 38, in May after a four-month investigation of the officers' Nov. 25, 2004, arrest of a female college student on a DWI charge.

Green was accused of transferring nude photos of the woman to his personal digital assistant and showing them to other law enforcement officers and courthouse personnel.

Hardin said Green transferred the photos by photographing them.

Miller was accused of leaving the woman a voice mail message suggesting that they meet at an Italian cafe.

Green said the photos were evidence of prostitution, and Miller said he was trying to help her get a lawyer.

The two appealed Hurtt's decision to an arbitrator agreed on by the officer's attorneys and the city, the attorneys said. The arbitrator decided that each appeal should be heard by a separate arbitrator.

The woman, then 26, is a native of China. She was convicted of drunken driving in a September jury trial.

OK, it was stupid of him (I would've done it, but not told anybody ), but absent any other problems, I don't see any reason why he can't have his job back.

Oh, man that is awesome!  

If your dumb enough to take nude pics on your damn CELL PHONE, you deserve for everyone to have them.  Just like last night, I talked some girl into sending me some tit shots.  She emailed em to me,  she should expect them to make their way around the net shortly. *checks watch and waits for the IM's*

Pics?

I can't believe some of your responses.

That cop was WAY overboard and doesn't deserve to be in a place of authority anymore.

Turn it around and imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend.

Quoted: Pics?

+1

Quoted: I can't believe some of your responses. That cop was WAY overboard and doesn't deserve to be in a place of authority anymore. Turn it around and imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend.

The naked pics of my wife and former girlfriends are NOT on a cell phone, and it would take DETERMINED hacking to see them.

Quoted: Quoted: I can't believe some of your responses. That cop was WAY overboard and doesn't deserve to be in a place of authority anymore. Turn it around and imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend. The naked pics of my wife and former girlfriends are NOT on a cell phone, and it would take DETERMINED hacking to see them.

+1  They'd have to dig a disc out of my folder in my room to see them.  Anyone dumb enough to put em on a cell phone deserves it.

Quoted: Quoted: I can't believe some of your responses. That cop was WAY overboard and doesn't deserve to be in a place of authority anymore. Turn it around and imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend. The naked pics of my wife and former girlfriends are NOT on a cell phone, and it would take DETERMINED hacking to see them.

+1

Quoted: If your dumb enough to take nude pics on your damn CELL PHONE, you deserve for everyone to have them.  Just like last night, I talked some girl into sending me some tit shots.  She emailed em to me,  she should expect them to make their way around the net shortly. *checks watch and waits for the IM's*

Email User: tyman

lol IM me ur email

Quoted: Quoted: If your dumb enough to take nude pics on your damn CELL PHONE, you deserve for everyone to have them.  Just like last night, I talked some girl into sending me some tit shots.  She emailed em to me,  she should expect them to make their way around the net shortly. *checks watch and waits for the IM's* Email User: tyman

+1

Quoted: Turn it around and imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend.

Then that would mean my wife is a f**in whore!

Quoted: The naked pics of my wife and former girlfriends are NOT on a cell phone, and it would take DETERMINED hacking to see them.

<----Is a determined hacker  

Those two should be hung out to dry.  If that isn't criminal stupid I don't know what is.

He should have stayed fired.

I am Jack's total lack of surprise.

Quoted: Quoted: Turn it around and imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend. Then that would mean my wife is a f**in whore!

EXACTLY!!

He's not professional enough to be a police officer.

Quoted: The naked pics of my wife and former girlfriends are NOT on a cell phone, and it would take DETERMINED hacking to see them.

Originally Posted By Dusty_C +1  They'd have to dig a disc out of my folder in my room to see them.  Anyone dumb enough to put em on a cell phone deserves it.

I don't care where the pics were, this is not a case of whether she deserved it or not. This is a case of a cop going to far with his authority. She has every right to keep  pics of herself on her phone. It's one thing for the officer to see it, it a whole other ball game when he males an effort to download them to his PDA and shares it with his buddies.

I don't care who you are, she doesn't deserve that.

I hope those of you that support these actions never have your wife or girlfriend pulled over by this cop. I would love to see the thread you would post it it ever did happen though. I bet it would be a little hyprocritical

Criminal, well.... seems like a cop should be required to get a warrent before flipping through your cell phone, pda's, laptop, etc.  What gives a patrol cop the right to flip through your personal files?  Childish, definately.  Fireable, I'dfucking like to think so.  Basicaly he violated the womans right to privacy.  She has every right to take nude pics of herself, and to share them with whoever she pleases.  The officer in question was quite obviously not the intended recipient of the nude pictures, and he violated her constitutional right to privacy by flipping through her personal data files.  Since you cant exactly hide a knife, gun, or drugs IN A DIGITAL DATA FILE he had no right to mess with it.  

It is NOT his job to download naked pics of a suspects phone.

A LOT of people lose their jobs for surfing porn sites on the clock. I don't see how this is any better.

We don't need cops with crappy judgement.

that cop had no business going through her cell phone in the first place. Had she been caught for drug dealing, I could understand snooping through her phone. The other cop also had no business trying to meet her at a cafe.

With that being said; mmmmm....... asians, I'd ruv her rong time

Green was accused of transferring nude photos of the woman to his personal digital assistant and showing them to other law enforcement officers and courthouse personnel. Hardin said Green transferred the photos by photographing them. Miller was accused of leaving the woman a voice mail message suggesting that they meet at an Italian cafe. Green said the photos were evidence of prostitution, and Miller said he was trying to help her get a lawyer.

Lack of character and good judgement.  Also, very poor liars.

And some around here are surprised when people call for officers to be held to a higher standard.

That asshole should have stayed fired.

And the lesson here is if you are going to fire a contract employee you better have you duck in a row.  




BTW;  i have seen jailer at the local jail look at the pics on nearly every camara phone brought in.  I have even seen them send the Um, "better" pics to another inmates phone. You get released from jail, got to call a friend for a ride and a big pick of the guy from the cell next doors cock is your screen saver...ew!

Quoted: I can't believe some of your responses. That cop was WAY overboard and doesn't deserve to be in a place of authority anymore. Turn it around and imagine if it was your wife or girlfriend.

I would be pretty pissed if my wife got arrested, had nude photo on her phone, was a stripper, or a chinese immigrant. Fortunately none of those things are likely.

Quoted: A Houston police officer fired for his involvement in the transfer of nude photos from a DWI suspect's camera phone has been reinstated, his attorney said Monday. The woman, then 26, is a native of China. She was convicted of drunken driving in a September jury trial.

I knew there was more to this story! She must work at a "Oriental Massage Parlor".

Quoted: Quoted: A Houston police officer fired for his involvement in the transfer of nude photos from a DWI suspect's camera phone has been reinstated, his attorney said Monday. The woman, then 26, is a native of China. She was convicted of drunken driving in a September jury trial. I knew there was more to this story! She must work at a "Oriental Massage Parlor".

Well, my thoughts on this would be definetely influenced since I know both these officers and both of them were damn good DWI officers.  On that note what they did was incredibly stupid.  

Ohhh I

Quoted: And the lesson here is if you are going to fire a contract employee you better have you duck in a row.   BTW;  i have seen jailer at the local jail look at the pics on nearly every camara phone brought in.  I have even seen them send the Um, "better" pics to another inmates phone. You get released from jail, got to call a friend for a ride and a big pick of the guy from the cell next doors cock is your screen saver...ew!

LOL, that's funny as hell. Explain to your friends how you spent your time in jail after they see those pics.

There is definetly much more to this story. I've seen how the media can spin and sensationalize alleged bad behavior by cops. I've seen the politics behind the disciplinary decisions made by city/police administrators. I've seen justice served by neutral 3rd parties who are far removed from the politcs and listen to the whole story. These arbitrators know how to sift through the bullshit. They usually make the right decisions.

The problem is that because of media/political pressure and personal vendettas, city/police administraors tend to over punish in cases like this. Rather than deliver sensible disciplinary action, they go for the throat and lose in the end. Then the officer who rightfully may have deserved some form of punishment, not only receives no punishment, he gets his position, time and money back. Essentially receiving a long paid vacation.

They never learn.