In his comment to my earlier post, Ted Frank takes issue with any suggestion that he endorses “unbridled, vigilante street justice.” He writes:

“My argument was simply that the early and judicious use of force by competent law enforcement, including shooting looters, would save lives in the long run, something that has been empirically true in the past, and I think the facts bear me out on that in this case, as hundreds are going to die because of the failure to establish order early. That’s a far cry from calling for what Kopel suggested.”

I point to his comment out of fairness, because suggesting the use of force by law enforcement officials is clearly distinct from condoning vigilantism.

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Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.