The five former law enforcement officers appear to be ready to plead guilty to their actions.

Lester Eugene Siler...42, had run afoul of law enforcement in Campbell County before. Illiterate, his trade was hawking drugs, mostly prescription painkillers like oxycodone. His home was his pharmaceutical storefront. In July 2003, Siler admitted in a Campbell County courtroom that he sold drugs on 10 different occasions within 1,000 feet of a school. He was judged guilty, sentenced and sent home, ordered to spend the next 11 years abiding by the law and the terms of his probation. The FBI transcript also suggests Siler had cut a deal, promising to join the Campbell County Sheriff's Department's war on drugs as an informant. Before long, though, Siler was back in hot water. A probation officer contended Siler had skipped out on required visits to the probation office and was smoking marijuana. In the FBI transcript, the deputies who showed up on his doorstep claimed neighbors were complaining that Siler was back in the drug business, a steady stream of customers trekking in and out of his home. "You ain't done nothing but sold dope," Webber tells Siler. It's not clear if these former lawmen were on official business. Webber claims in the transcript that no one else in authority knew they were there. It's also not clear if their goal was a drug arrest or a shakedown of a drug dealer. What is clear from the transcript is that these lawmen would stop at nothing to achieve it. ...It is also apparent from the transcript that the former deputies were confident they could carry out a violent attack on Siler with no fear of reprisals.

So as we can see the man had had a bit of a shady past, but the actions taken by the law enforcement were not justified. We could substitute "War on Drugs" for "War on Terror", "War on Democrats", "War on Thinking People"... The sheer confidence in getting information is extremely shocking and disturbing. I am visualizing the Gestapo and thumbscrews as an apt simile.

The recorded audio provided a chilling account of the actions of that afternoon. It is 45 minutes of what was stated by authorities to be a two hour action

[David] Webber [head of the agency's drug-fighting team] is heard first, telling Siler his "dope dealing's over." Franklin chimes in, telling Siler the lawmen are shutting down his drug business. Monday speaks next. "It's (expletive) over, son," Monday says. The beating begins then. ... The lawmen demand information from Siler, why he hasn't been in touch with them, who supplies him drugs and where he has stashed his cash. Webber reminds Siler that he is alone and outnumbered. "There's nobody knows we're (expletive) here," Webber says. "We're doing this on our own." The transcript indicates that Webber produces a form that, once signed, will state that Siler gave his consent for the officers to search his home. Siler apparently refuses to sign it. The beating resumes. Moaning, Siler apparently tries to say something to the lawmen, but Webber is not in the mood for conversation. "You're not (expletive) listening," Webber says. "You hear what I told you? I told you not to be talking. ? This (expletive) right here, he loves seeing blood...He'll beat your ass and lick it off of you." Franklin orders another officer to remove Siler's handcuffs so he can sign. Siler, who cannot read or write, asks one of them to read it to him. [Rookie Joshua] Monday refuses. "Just sign it," Monday orders Siler. Siler refuses. "Git (sic) up," Monday responds. "Git (sic) up. I said get the (expletive) up." Beating sounds follow.

Now I know that interrogations are tough events, but this is really pushing the line of torture.

they will jail his wife and have his children taken away from him. The transcript details more beating sounds, more moaning from Siler, who repeatedly asks to talk to Webber. ...Threats come next. The lawmen tell Siler. The transcript details more beating sounds, more moaning from Siler, who repeatedly asks to talk to Webber. ... Siler screams. More blows are heard. The lawmen continue to order Siler to sign...there would be no reprieve. Siler is going to die, the officers tell him. "I want to help you," Siler says. Webber responds, "No, I don't want your help. I want you to sign that form 'cause you're the one we want and we got 'cha (sic), and if you don't sign it, you probably won't walk out of here."

Sign this form or die? Your freedom or your life?

Siler is next threatened with electrocution. Webber tells him that they could take a battery charger, hook some wires to it and attach it to Siler's testicles. The federal informations allege that the lawmen later rigged up such a device and used clamps to attach it to Siler's body.

Abu Ghraib was definitely an inspiration to some people. And not just the Attorney General.

pointing a gun at Siler, threatening to shoot him. Monday is accused...with The transcript backs up the allegation. "Shoot his (expletive) ass," Green says. ... "Eugene, you're gonna sign this right here or I'm gonna (expletive) put a bullet in your damn head, and we're gonna (expletive) plant this BB gun," Monday says. Webber later adds, "Hey, Eugene, what loss do you think it's gonna be to us if you die, buddy? It's going to be no loss to us." ... The FBI transcript details an unrelenting assault that authorities contend did not end when the tape recorder suddenly stopped. The informations allege the attack on Siler included having his head forced underwater in both a fish tank and a toilet.

Waterboarding for everyone!

By day's end, Siler would wind up not in a hospital but a Campbell County jail cell, charged with running from the officers and tossing drugs to avoid an arrest. His wife, too, would be charged.

The man must have been in tremendously horrible physical shape. To not afford him the chance to get to a hospital is simply inhumane.

The fact that he was a formerly convicted drug dealer is a non-starter. If police are able to conduct activities with someone that doesn't rate highly in their scale of society, who is next? What is extremely disturbing is that this did not happen in the dank bowels of some police interrogation room, rather in the guys own home - out there in Red America. Blue or Purple America is just as likely seeing this as well.

To think that the Attorney General - lawyer for the citizenry - has supported such actions of torture in the past without recompense. How many atrocities like this are occuring in America and are never noticed and if they were raised without support of audio - would he stand up for the promotion of justice? I am not confident that I can answer that question with a yes.

As Nelson Mandela said (paraphrased) - society is not measured on how well it treats its highest ranking citizens, but how it treats its lowest.

Miranda is tetering on death.