Rhode Island Asst. AG given 6-month suspension

Someone messed around and found out (and yes, I know that is not the real acronym, but this is a family publication).

Devon Flanagan, an assistant attorney general in Rhode Island, was caught on video giving police a hard time after apparently having been asked to leave a restaurant.

She was eventually charged with trespassing and resisting arrest, among other charges, and now she has been suspended.

Entitled

The video of Flanagan is a great example of an entitled generation and public officials who think they are the smartest person in the room.

Flanagan, in my opinion, was intoxicated in the video, and the officer was more than patient with her while she kept telling him how important she was and informing him of his protocols.

Eventually, the officer had had enough, slapping the cuffs on her and tossing her in the back of his vehicle.

Then her friend started mouthing off, and she too was treated to a tour of the back of a police car…

Embarrassing

I honestly thought the Attorney General would defend her and cry that the police were overly aggressive, but that was not the case.

Instead, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha shredded her, stating, “On August 14, Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan mistreated the Newport Police Department and embarrassed herself, the Office, and frankly, me. We hold our attorneys to the highest personal and professional standards, and Ms. Flanagan plainly did not meet those standards here."

This was a sign of things to come, as he was clearly weighing his disciplinary measures about what he would do to her.

Suspended

After seeing the video, and considering her position, if I were the AG, I would have fired her and sent her on her way.

Neronha was a bit kinder, however, suspending her for six months unpaid leave. He stated, “Today, I met with Ms. Flanagan and placed her on unpaid leave for six months. I sincerely hope she takes this time to reflect on the seriousness of her conduct and makes corrective changes in her life.”

On Thursday, reports broke that Flanagan had also pleaded “no contest” to the charges filed against her, meaning she is not fighting the charges and hoping for some leniency from the court.

The court was very lenient, basically giving her six months to stay out of trouble, which, if she does, could lead to all the charges being dropped. That is far nicer than I would have been, especially considering her position. If I were the judge, I doubt I would have put her in jail, but she would have a record to set an example for public officials that this behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.