Noah Feldman, Columnist

It's OK to Hold Police to a Higher Standard

Ohio court whiffs by striking down a sex-crimes law.

August 1, 2016 at 6:54 PM UTC

Corrected

August 1, 2016 at 7:50 PM UTC

Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A professor of law at Harvard University, he is author, most recently, of “To Be a Jew Today: A New Guide to God, Israel, and the Jewish People."

Respect my authority.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

Can police be held to a higher standard than civilians? The Ohio Supreme Court said no last week, in striking down a law that criminalizes sex between a police officer and a minor. The court’s ruling, based on the principle of equal protection of the laws, probably goes too far. Law enforcement has special privileges, and can rationally be subjected to special burdens.

The case involving police officer Matthew Mole is a bit disturbing. After an online courtship, Mole met a young man in the middle of the night at his home for a sexual encounter. Mole testified that he thought the man was 18; in fact, he was 14.