Cop Arrests Black Magistrate at Her Own Desk — She Handles Police Misconduct Cases, Badge Revoked Fo

February 14th, 2024. County Justice Center. Magistrate Diane Whitmore, 41, Georgetown Law graduate and seven-year veteran of the magistrate bench who specialized in police misconduct cases, was reviewing warrant applications in her own chambers when Officer Derek Paulson—badge number 2847, six years on the force—entered without knocking and demanded her identification. What happened next would cost the county $2.4 million and end Paulson's law enforcement career forever.
Paulson dismissed Whitmore's judicial ID as potentially fake, refused to verify with courthouse security, and arrested her in her own chambers—handcuffing a sitting magistrate wearing judicial robes with her nameplate clearly visible. When she calmly cited her Fourth Amendment rights, Paulson responded: "I don't have to explain myself to you." The bodycam captured everything. The devastating irony: Whitmore's afternoon docket included two excessive force hearings against Paulson himself. She had denied eleven of his warrant applications for constitutional deficiencies and reviewed 47 of his cases. Internal Affairs' eleven-week investigation uncovered a pattern: seven complaints over six years, 67% of his arrests were Black individuals in a county that's 23% Black, and use of force applied in 34% of arrests involving Black subjects versus 8% for White subjects.
Paulson was terminated May 10th, 2024. His law enforcement certification was permanently revoked and entered into the national decertification database. The county paid Whitmore $2.4 million. Total cost: $4.025 million. The department implemented eight major reforms including the "Whitmore Protocol," civilian oversight, and Early Intervention Systems. Former Sergeant Ronald Hughes faces decertification for dismissing nineteen complaints. The state passed the Judicial Protection Act in 2025. Whitmore was promoted to Senior Magistrate and now trains officers nationwide. Her bodycam footage is used in 23 state police academies and 47 law schools.
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This incident is documented through:
Police bodycam footage (public record)
Court documents (public domain)
News reports (verified sources)


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