I was very pleased at the outset of this article as Toobin was describing Scheindlin’s work ethic as a judge. There are very few people that put in that amount of work and it’s nice to see that one of them holds the position of a Federal Judge. The fact that Scheindlin goes the extra mile to ensure that the she rules correctly shows that she truly cares about the American legal system and that it’s carried out properly. I also appreciate her courtroom manner in that she doesn’t allow herself to be swayed or her authority questioned.
It seems that Scheindlin is carefully reviewing the element of the Floyd case as well as the US law to ensure that the correct decision is made on her end. At the same time, there is the possibility that her decision will impact the policy of stop and frisk so greatly that it may be abolished by De Blasio, a stop and frisk critic. That could prove to be an issue for NYC, especially if stop and frisk has had a greater impact on reducing crime than people think.
I don’t agree with Scheindlin’s ruling in the case of Antonio Fernandez. I understand the reason for why the case was thrown out, but I see a problem with letting the leader of a dangerous street gang walk just because there was a slight breach in etiquette. The fact that he was brought up on charges for cocaine and heroin three years later is testament that he should’ve been tried the first time he was arrested.
In the section that discusses the situation of Charles Bradley I lost some respect for the NYPD. Reading about his experience bothers me because of the fact that these men and women are supposed to “protect and serve,” not harass innocent citizens. I truly hope that these instances of Charles Bradley and also Amadou Diallo are the actions of a select few within the NYPD.
While I applaud the judge’s actions, I don’t necessarily agree with the fact that she is the only one being given this type of case. I don’t think the fact that she has control over making all rulings in this area is the best way to go about finding the best solution. With things of this nature I believe the best outcome will result from getting multiple opinions and interpretations from various judges.

Question: Will an issue arise from Scheindlin’s comments about basing the Ligon decision on the outcome of the Floyd case?