Szczecin judge claims immunity from shoplifting charges

A Szczecin regional court judge has been apprehended by security guards at a local hypermarket on suspicion of shoplifting. However, police called to the scene could not search the suspect as he was protected by 'judicial immunity'. The judge was caught after a tip-off from a customer who said she had seen the man hide something in his jacket. Today, the board of judges will meet to discuss the incident, but there is little chance of the man being indicted as no evidence exists that he had stolen anything. Also the only eye-witness who might have cast some light on the issue has disappeared. "Therefore the judge may only be screened for improper use of his immunity," said Grzegorz Chojnowski, head of regional court in Szczecin. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A5) J.K.