Taser overuse, misuse and abuse - set for sharp decline in USA?

What a week.

What a year!

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has confirmed that the sadistic, trigger-happy, taser-torture party is now OFFICIALLY over.

And if you thought that tasers were a lawsuit magnet before... LOL.

My guess is that this decision, when applied to tasers in US prisons and jails, will lead to them being used less often as a pain compliance device. The niceties of dart deployment versus the Touch Torture (a.k.a. Drive Stun) mode are probably too fine a point. Oh well, there will still be a market for electo-torture devices in various unnamed overseas dungeons.


The USA is clearly a litigeous society. In these circumstances, that's a very very good thing. This ruling will IMPOSE a much needed chill on the worst examples of taser overuse, misuse, and abuse.

And there's almost certainly a retroactive liability that should give municipal comptrollers nightmares over the next few months and years.

This ruling draws a line that should have been drawn many years ago. It's common sense to anyone with any common sense.

Political leaders and police decision makers need to implement immediate changes. Memos will be issued by the pallet load over the coming days.


For those keeping score, this decision is a massive loss for Taser International and their unthinking fan-boys, and a massive victory for taser critics.