Opinion ID: 2321350
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lawson's Letter to Dr. Travis

Text: After speaking with Milburn and Brown and investigating the doors into CMRC himself, Lawson wrote a letter to Travis with the subject line Re: Alleged University Police Corruption and Misconduct. The letter detailed Lawson's concerns about the arrest, namely that Blue and Ducellier had apparently made the arrest after entering the room without probable cause. Lawson expressed his belief that the arrest had violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as well as Department policy [3] (E.21, 23) Lawson also alleged that Waiters and his deputy, Lieutenant Djakarta Hall, had been delinquent in failing to investigate the arrest: Both [Waiters and Hall] had a duty and responsibility to recognized [sic] and identify that the fact [sic] and circumstances of the incident obviously indicates that both [Blue and Ducellier] were violating our resident student's Fourth Amendment Rights guaranteed under the United States Constitution Bill of Rights when they entered our resident student's rooms, uninvited, without consent, without a warrant and without any exigent circumstances. [Blue and Ducellier] repeatedly did this to many resident students prior to the both of them approaching and entering Room 405 and making the arrest. Lawson showed the letter to Milburn, who advised him to send the letter to Travis rather than Waiters because Waiters had already praised the arrest. Lawson also sought the advice of Dorothy Holland, the University's Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Judicial Coordinator. Holland testified that, during their meeting, Lawson became significantly upset when he began talking about the letter and his concerns about the Department: [W]hen he first started talking ... it was obvious that he was upset, he was concerned, he was angry. And at one point during the meeting he actually got upset, emotional.... I've known Lawson for a long time and I've never seen him get emotional that way.... Holland then told Lawson, [I]f you don't trust the Chief of Police, you need to be having this conversation with Dr. Travis. Lawson followed the advice of Milburn and Holland and delivered a copy of the letter in person to Travis on March 5, 2007. Lawson also attached a cover page in which he requested that Travis keep the letter and its contents confidential until he had an opportunity to present suggested strategies for handling this situation to [University President Mickey Burnim] and [Travis].... I believe I have some good suggestions that are effective, proper and right. Upon receiving the letter, Travis called Lawson to tell him that he would have to notify Waiters because the letter was outside the chain of command. After discussing the letter with Waiters, Travis assigned Glen Isaac, the University's Labor Relations Manager, to investigate Lawson's allegations. Following his investigation, Isaac concluded that Ducellier and Blue had properly conducted the arrest; thus, Lawson's Fourth Amendment concerns were unfounded.