Smith v. McCord

GORSUCH, Circuit Judge.

This case presents us with an unfortunate tale of poor lawyering. A 75 year-old man, John Smith, was in his home when he heard noises coming from his front yard. Mr. Smith opened his front door and was surprised to see an array of police officers, EMTs, police cars, and fire trucks splayed in front of his house. A suicidal man with knives was on the sidewalk and authorities were attempting to take control of the situation. Curious about the commotion and unaware of its cause, Mr. Smith approached an officer and asked if something was wrong. The officer didn’t answer but…