Around 30 years ago, on March 2, 1991, Rodney King spent the evening drinking and watching basketball with some friends.  A little after midnight, he got into his car and started driving down the Los Angeles freeway.  When the California Highway Patrol attempted to stop him for speeding, he led law enforcement on an 8 mile high-speed chase.  Most people recall that when he was finally pulled over, he received an excessively severe beating by members of the Los Angeles Police Department, which was caught on video, and which sparked national outrage at the misconduct of the police.

In this episode, Paul explains the doctrine of qualified immunity, what it does and what it does not shield government actors from.  Additionally, listeners will hear the difference between parole and probation, examines how change of venue can impact a jury pool, and how a federal civil rights prosecution works.  

This is the story of the prosecution of the LAPD officers whose use of force was so excessive that it set the city of Los Angeles on fire for six full days.

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