Elizabeth Smart Testimony

One of the most important aspects of her case parallels what happened recently in the case of the girl who had been snatched and kept in a backyard for years: police incompetence.

The police, not the brightest group of guys and women on the block, act even worse than what you see on Law and Order: SVU's view of headstrong and half-out-of-control investigators.

Elizabeth  Smart's sister clearly identified the man as not being the house painter, an ex-con, who had stolen some minor objects from the house. He died in jail, under arrest, falsely accused.

But, the police "knew" better and pursued their angle on it.

This prevented them from focusing on the correct suspect.

That same thing happened in the case of the girl snatched and held for 18 years. The police pursued the step-father and subjected him to three exhausting lie detector interviews, while pursuing their "theory" of the crime.

The police failed to adequately search the house of the kidnapper who was a registered sex offender. Can't look in the backyard?

Recently, a man, a black American man, died in jail after being there for more then 20 years, found guilty of a rape he had not committed, proven by finally doing the DNA test  after his death!.

Those are our police and our DAs. Usually, they get it right, but "usually" for them turns into a license to call themselves "infallible".