I was surprised to read in the Herald that Prosecutor Julia Thomas defended Detective Melissa Stout for lying to a victim to try to elicit testimony from her that she was reluctant to give. "Thomas said Stout's lies to the victim are a common tactic in interviews. The lie is only witness tampering if the goal is to get a person not to tell the truth."

Lying to and manipulating any individual, especially a teenager, is wrong and completely immoral on so many levels. If it is legal, we have allowed law enforcement too much latitude, and we need to enact laws to rein them in.

The only protection that we have against being falsely convicted of a crime is the rule of law, the presumption of innocence, and the burden of proof that is placed upon the prosecution. Law enforcement needs to use every honest means of gathering evidence. If we cannot trust the police, they become to us a symbol of corruption and a source of fear rather than a symbol of security and a source of safety.

•Susan Cheever, Orem