PacoVilla Corrections blog...Paco has your back!

Info On Suspected Washington Cop Killer.

2009-11-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

The police have named a "person of interest" in the murder of four Lakewood, Washington police officers this morning at a coffee shop near Tacoma.

Police are urgently seeking Maurice Clemmons, age 37. Clemmons spent some time in Arkansas as a guest of the state. At age 17 he was sentenced to 96 years in prison for robbery. His sentence was commuted by then-Governor Huckabee, citing Clemmons' age at the time of the offense. He was returned to custody once in Arkansas for violating parole.

He came to Washington State some time after his release on parole again in March of 2004. While in Washington he picked up a beef for 3rd degree assault on a peace officer and 2nd degree child rape. I have no information on the disposition of those charges.

The shooter came in to the Forza's Coffee Shop and walked up to the counter as if to place an order. The barista saw a gun under his coat and beat feet out the back door. The shooter then engaged the police officers who were at the time working with their lap tops. One of the officers grappled with the shooter and got some shots off at him. He may have been wounded.

Police are seeking Clemmons as he "may be able to provide information" in this case. The shooter is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.

In the old days they would have issued an "extreme precaution apprehension" notice on this guy. That isn't done any more. You newbies should ask an old fart what that means if you don't know.

Clicking on the title will link to a story on this subject, complete with an orange jumpsuit photograph of Clemmons.

Creative Smuggling 101.

2009-11-29T19:25:00.000-08:00

It is my understand that, at Avenal on Thursday, a PIA truck was going from point A to point B when a suspicious bundle fell from the underside of the truck. Upon closer inspection a total of 5 more packages were found attached to the bottom of the truck with magnets. The truck is normally parked in the staff parking lot over night. I couldn't tell from the photos if they material was tobacco or weed.

I admit I don't know about the physical layout of the Avenal parking lots but at my old stomping grounds we had a lot of trouble with visitors parking in the staff lot, and visitors walked through the staff lot to get to the entrance building so I am guessing these bundles are not being left by staff.

Thanks to Mike Harris for the 411 on this.

Four Cops Murdered Near Tacoma, WA.

2009-11-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

At about 830 this morning four members of the Lakewood, Washington police department were murdered in a coffee shop just outside McCloud Air Force Base. The three Police Officers and one Sergeant were all in uniform and going on duty. The marked vehicles were parked in front of Forza's coffee shop. They were sitting inside working on reports on their lap tops when the shooter came in and opened fire. This was definitely not a robbery gone bad but a deliberate attack on the law enforcement personnel.

One of the cops is known to have got some shots off although it is not known if the shooter was hit.

There was apparently only one shooter, a black male in his 20s or 30s, though that information has changed during the day. Early reports indicated the possibility of two shooters, one white and one black. There is no information on a possible getaway driver or vehicle.

Lakewood is a medium size department with about 100 officers on the force. Pretty much every cop in the state is looking for the shooter. There is a $10,000 reward already in play for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.

Intersections

2009-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

'Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.' (Matthew 26:14-16, NIV)

Two Men at Cross-purposes with God

In reviewing the gospel record of the life of Jesus, two of his twelve "chosen" disciples played key roles in his arrest and subsequent crucifixion: Judas Iscariot and Simon (Peter). In the choosing of his disciples, Matthew tells us that Jesus chose Peter first and Judas last among the Twelve. Peter and Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus throughout his three-year ministry, witnessed, participated in, and performed miracles, and had been numbered among a small core group, closest to him. And the record indicates both Peter and Judas abandoned their teacher and friend.

One important aspect of the gospel record, often overshadowed by the magnitude of the crucifixion and resurrection, is the context of the events leading up to Jesus' betrayal and arrest. Keep in mind, no one but Jesus knew that last meal he ate with the Twelve would be The Last Supper. Unlike a State dinner or commencement ceremony, there was no invitation (with RSVP) sent out weeks in advance for this last gathering of the Twelve. Little did Jesus' disciples know that all Hell would literally break out within hours of their breaking bread together for the last time.

This last day with Jesus was more than likely just like any other day spent with him: twelve young men vying for their master's favor while trying to grasp his lessons as best they could. The account is clear that Peter and the others continued to struggle with what Jesus was telling them. One could easily imagine in the midst of witnessing miracle upon miracle, being in the presence of Jesus was overwhelming, exasperating, and exhilarating. Being with Jesus was more than one could take in (let alone twelve) and digest properly.

In that context, it is important to understand the roles both Judas Iscariot and Peter played in the death of Jesus. Believe it or not, until Judas walked up and kissed Jesus on the cheek and Jesus was manhandled by the arrest party, none of the Twelve knew Judas Iscariot was the "betrayer." All of the gospel reflections about Judas Iscariot were in hindsight. For the benefit of the readership, Judas Iscariot was identified frequently by the gospel writers as "Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." In reality, Judas was not forced wear a lapel pin signifying him as a traitor or to walk in the back of the group, as they all traveled together.

Only Jesus knew the identity of Judas. I suspect that up until a few weeks or perhaps days of Jesus' arrest, Judas was unaware of his own duplicity in the matter. After all, Judas was the disciple trusted to carry the money for the group. If anyone traveling with Jesus thought the worst of Judas, why would they have entrusted their money to him? If Judas' only interest was money, he could have absconded with the cash long before his meeting with the Sanhedrin. The record indicates Judas was possessed by Satan before he went to betray Jesus. Sometime before being possessed, Judas had sought out the Jewish officials, struck a bargain for monetary gain, and promised to identify Jesus to the arrest party. Then he waited for the opportunity and slipped out during the last meal with Jesus to complete his plans.

Peter, on the other hand, was one of three disciples within the "inner circle" of Jesus. John, James, and Peter were clearly in leadership roles among the Twelve. Jesus' selection of the strong-willed Peter resulted in some of the more emotional, spiritual, and humorous accounts among the Twelve in the gospels. It was Peter who walked on water (and nearly drowned), declared Jesus as the Messiah, offered to build shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah at Gethsemane, asked Jesus to give him a bath, drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest's servants during Jesus' arrest, and denied Jesus three times as Jesus was being brought to trial.

Two men were at cross-purposes with God. Peter and Judas Iscariot had been hand picked by Jesus as his followers and experienced a life on the road few can imagine. Peter was chosen by God for salvation, having declared Jesus as Lord in his heart. Peter would carry on the ministry of the church after being restored by Jesus, following the resurrection. Judas Iscariot, however, was chosen by God for destruction, having determined in his heart to betray Jesus for a profit. Shortly after Jesus' arrest, Judas hanged himself.

At one intersection of two pieces of wood, the cross became an instrument of God for the purposes of both destruction and salvation. Upon the cross, the bondage of sin was destroyed and atoned in the suffering sacrifice (and body) of Jesus of Nazareth. Through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, eternal life was ushered back into the hearts and experiences of human beings. It was the purpose of the cross that empowered Peter to spread the good news of the gospel in the founding of the first church.

Without faith in the power of the cross and resurrection of Christ, the hanged man (Judas Iscariot) was cursed and destroyed. Here is the account of his demise from Matthew, Chapter 27:3-10:

'When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."

"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money." So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."'

Are you at cross-purposes with God? As Judas Iscariot demon-strated, you cannot hope to double-cross God and succeed. But as Peter proved, you can be at cross-purposes with God and receive salvation, restoration, and reconciliation through faith in Jesus.

(copyright 2009, Gregory Allen Doyle)

Retired Chapter Meeting In Monterey 12-5.

2009-11-28T21:45:00.001-08:00

There will be a meeting of the Retired Chapter of CCPOA at the old Holiday Inn in Seaside on Saturday, December 5, between 1 PM and 5 PM. A major item of discussion will be the issues about to come to a boil between several members of the retired chapter and the current Executive Committee of CCPOA.

I doubt I will be able to attend. I am in hopes Bob Weaver, Don Fredericks or one of the other dinosaurs will be able to send a full report to me.

Gun Of The Week.

2009-11-28T01:38:00.000-08:00

The Gun of the Week this week is not a particular gun, but a discussion. It may be more of a monologue depending on how many comments are received. I will be kicking around what I carried, what I carry now, and why.

My first serious carry gun was a Dirty Harry Special, a S&W 6 1/2 " .44 magnum. I lucked into it. I was walking through Montgomery Wards (when they still existed) on my way out of the mall and made a brief detour through the sporting goods department (when they still sold handguns) and a clerk was placing it in the display case. I asked how they came to actually have one in stock and was told a lady had ordered one some time previously for her husband, who decided he didn't want it. I snapped it up for straight retail. In gun shops at the time they were often going for a heavy premium over retail. This was before I worked for the Department but I did have a carry permit and I did actually schlep that thing around for a number of years. It's what I had, so it's what I carried, usually loaded with Silvertip .44 Specials, though I would carry one speed loader full of rhino rollers just in case.

Some years later I picked up a Colt .45 Government Model. I did some serious training with it at Gunsite and carried it for a number of years. In fact I still qualify yearly with it, though I have not carried it in some time. It's a tad big and heavy for me now days.

A ways down the road I picked up a nice used 3" model 64. That is a good carry piece. Not wonderful maybe, but good. I also tried a CZ-75 for a while, but it, like the Government model, is a tad big as a concealment weapon. I still have it, but have not shot it in a few years. Damn fine weapon though.

I carried a Makarov for a year or so. The caliber is minimal, but with Corbon hollow points it's not nothing and it carries very nicely. Its compact and very reliable. A bit slow to reload with the European style magazine release, but speed reloading is not usually an issue in real world self defense shooting. Usually. I altered a couple of magazine so they could be inserted fully loaded with the slide closed to make tactical reloading a realistic possibility with it.

I then picked up a Glock 19 (compact 9mm). I still carry that once in a while. It shoots well, it is reliable and carries a good quantity of ammo. It is a good all-around choice for concealed carry.

Some time after that I got a full size 10 mm Glock model 20. I carried it through a full week of the LFI basic class. I found out after I got it that Massad Ayoob, the main man at Lethal Force Institute, thinks that weapon and ammo combination is pretty much the state of the art right now for uniform duty weapons. I had a butt job done to mine to make it easier to handle, and it is one hell of a weapon. I still qualify yearly with it. It is my winter gun. (During the winter, when the trolls wear more clothing, I like something with a little more punch.) I carry it in a horizontal shoulder holster as I have developed a tad of sciatica over the years and wearing a strong side hip holster is impossible for me except for brief periods. If I wear one more than a couple of hours I can barely walk the next day.

Much of the year now I pack a Colt Detective Special in .38 Special. It carries very well in a pocket holster, it's very fast and pretty much invisible. It's very comfortable, though awkward to get to when sitting down. It's adequately powerful and completely reliable.

The point of all this is there is no one best weapon / ammunition combination and any number of them are capable of doing a perfectly adequate job of self defense for you. There are two things to think about here. The first is simple, it's better to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it. The second is also simple, the pocket pistol you actually have with you is better than the cannon at home in the safe.

Once you have made the decision that you want to be armed when you are in public you want to carry through with it. You can not accurately predict WHEN are are likely to need a weapon. The object of the exercise is to have it with you pretty much 100% of the time. Carrying a gun while you are mowing your lawn might be a bit much, but depending on where you live and what has happened in the area it might not.

Find a weapon that you like and that you have confidence in. It should be totally reliable and of adequate power to do the job. You should find a carry method that works for you and that you can use pretty much all the time. Then do it.

Self defense isn't just equipment, it's a mind set. Ideally the two go together. An unarmed person with the right mind set is much more likely to avoid, or survive, a bad situation than an armed person with his brain on auto pilot and his head up his ass. A trained, armed person with good situational awareness is a force to be reckoned with and is very likely going to be in a position to protect themself and their family if required. That's the object of the exercise. When the flag goes up you want to be the one who goes home when it's all over.

Remember, when seconds count the police are only minutes away.

Famous (Notorious) Pervert Makes Bail.

2009-11-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

That well known child molester and film personality Roman Polanski has made bail in Switzerland while awaiting extradition action to the U. S. French President Sarkozy, whose wife is in with the film crowd, was instrumental in pressuring the Swiss to let the notorious pervert out of prison.

The Swiss had, up until now, acting as though Polanski was a flight risk. I suspect that had something to do with the fact that he jumped bail in the U. S. 32 years ago and has successfully avoided being sent back. This is because, under French law, a French citizen can not be extradited out of the country. So now, all the perv has to do is figure out some way of getting out of Switzerland and back into France and he is again home free.

I'm not sure whether I would rather see the French made to look like the bunch of asswipes they truly are or the perv brought back to the U. S. to face charges.

Clicking on the title will link to a pretty decent news article on this subject.

Talk About A Security Breach .........

2009-11-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

By most reasonable definitions Alex Weins 28, of Dresden, Germany, would be called a xenophobic asshole. He is now a murderer, and he did it IN A COURTROOM.

Weins was had been found guilty of an impressive display of public harassment against Marawa el-Sherbini, a pregnant 31-year old Egyptian. She was in court for Weins' appeal of his conviction on the original charge, as was her husband and 3-year old son. Weins is a German citizen of Russian extraction. During the course of the trial Weins leaped from the dock and stabbed el-Sherbini 16 times, killing her. He also stabbed her husband who attempted to defend her. The husband was also shot in the leg by police who mistook him for the attacker.

The original case resulted from Weins calling el-Sherbini a "Islamist terrorist slut" in a public playground where she was supervising her 3-year old son.

Weins lost the appeal, and about two weeks ago was convicted of murdering el-Sherbini. He was sentence to life in prison.

Sacramento PRAVDA Wants To Close, Sell S.Q.

2009-11-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

In an editorial today the Sacramento PRAVDA (known officially as the Sacramento BEE and less officially though more accurately as the Sac-a-B.S.) applauded Bill Lockyer's decision, temporary though it may be, to not sell prison construction bonds needed to rebuild Death Row at San Quentin Prison. They instead recommend closing the place down and selling it. (Gee, what a surprise.)

PRAVDA also applauds Senator Mark Leno (SF) and Assemblyman Jared Huffman (San Rafael) for doing all they can to throw a monkey wrench into the works. They are taking the position that the new death row is illegal because Arnie vetoed the double celling provision for death row.

In any event, it's obvious the liberal power structure in much of the state (and the editorial office of the BEE) are doing everything they can to destroy the prison system in the formerly great state of California. For those of you who want to bother, clicking on the title will link to the editorial.

The Name Calling Has Begun (To No Great Surprise).

2009-11-27T02:19:00.000-08:00

According to the federal receiver, the locals are being unreasonable and obstructive. According to Steve Herum, the attorney for the locals, J. Clark Kelso, the federal receiver, and CDCr are "intellectually dishonest" and display "a profound lack of honor and decency".

Kelso moved Wednesday to have the action filed by the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, City of Stockton, and San Joaquin County from Superior Court in San Joaquin County to the Federal Court.

The locals believe they are being run over roughshod by the feds and CDCr. They believe (correctly by any reasonably honest evaluation) that the prison hospitals planned for the Stockton area will have a severe negative impact on local public agencies, local private medical hiring and infrastructure.

CDCr and the feds are taking the position that the locals should be glad for the jobs and should shut up and go away. Each side says, and maybe even believes, the other is being unreasonable.

Since Kelso works for the feds and at least part of the suit involves the feds, my own inexpert opinion is that it is likely to move to the feds and stay there. The locals plan to petition the court to return the case to local jurisdiction, and could at least theoretically win the point.

Clicking on the title will link to a Stockton RECORD story on this subject.

Parolee Convicted Of Killing Cop.

2009-11-27T02:09:00.000-08:00

Thee was absolutely no question whatsoever that parolee Alberto Alvarez killed East Palo Alto police officer Richard May on January 7 of 2006. The only question was whether or not the jury would buy the self-defense claim made by Alvarez. They didn't.

The prosecution said that Alvarez shot Officer May three times, then walked up to him as he lay on the sidewalk and shot him a fourth time, deliberately, in the head. May got off one shot, wounding Alvarez in the leg.

Officer May came across Alvarez as Alvarez was fleeing a fight in at a taqueira near University Avenue. Alvarez, who was on parole for illegal possession of a firearm, decided to shoot it out with the officer. He was found the next day, hiding like a rat in the back seat of a homie's car.

May had been a cop for over 15 years. He had a wife and three children.

On Wednesday, after deliberating for slightly more than one day, the jury decided that Alvarez was not only a slimeball but a liar as well. Starting December 7 the jury will deliberate as to whether or not Alvarez will get life without parole or the pseudo-penalty of death, which actually means a long and healthy life in safe and comfortable confinement, with high quality medical services supplied at great expense by the taxpayers of the formerly great state of California.

Senseless Murder In Hayward.

2009-11-27T00:41:00.000-08:00

A man walking his dogs with his 13-year old daughter was shot down in the street for no obvious reason Tuesday night.

Thomas Cunningham, 38, died at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley after being shot in front of a liquor store. Cunningham was leaving the store where he had bought some ice cream for his daughter. The shooter asked Cunningham to hold his dogs back as he was leaving the store. One of the dogs, a German shepherd, sniffed at the shooters leg and the man then produced a gun and shot Cunningham.

The police have a good description of the shooter.

Trial About To Start In BOP Workers Murder.

2009-11-27T00:31:00.000-08:00

In October of last year Michael Rutledge, 35, was murdered in front of his house in Stockton. He was a kitchen worker for the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Dublin facility. It was at first feared that the murder had something to do with his employment but it later turned out that it is likely it was a random killing by an opportunistic group of thugs.

Trial is about to start for Delisa Rochelle Bryant, 41, Joel Ladon Lewis, 20, and Gerell Lee Whatley, 20, in the robbery and murder of Rutledge. The morons were traced by using a credit card they took from Rutledge's body after they murdered him. Lewis and Whatley are also being charged in a string of robberies that preceded the murder.

It is possible this case will be unusual in that there may be two different juries seated for the same trial, one for Bryant and one for the other two. Bryant's lawyer asserts that a recording made during a jail house visit exonerates his client. In this recording Whatley is alleged to say that he and Lewis went to pick up Bryant after the murder.

The decision on the twin juries should come Monday, with jury selection starting Tuesday.

Thanksgiving...and giving back

2009-11-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has to work on Thanksgiving deserves our appreciation. Whether it's a correctional officer supervising a chow hall full of convicts as they thanklessly scarf down a feast they don't deserve, those staffing the local hospital or, yes, the poor schmo slinging Slurpee's down at the 7-11.

Thanks to all who work today, our Holiday is safe, comfortable and convenient.

With due deference to everyone who has to punch a clock or otherwise report for duty today, those who are on duty 24/7 are doing the heavy lifting: the United States Military.

In that context, please consider joining Paco in sending a donation to the United Service Organizations (USO) today.

Click any of the including links or images to access USO's website.

If you can manage a donation, know that USO ranks as one of the top charities in terms of the percentage of donations going directly to benefits and programs.* Your donation WILL make it to the troops, both abroad and at home.___*Source: CharityNavigator.org

Barring that...

"If you haven't got a penny, a ha' penny will do.
If you haven't got a ha' penny, God Bless You."

PS for CPO's: Please don't be a DUMP-TRUCK--DON'T CALL IN SICK ON THANKSGIVING! The reputation, friendships and (possibly) teeth you save will be your own

A Friend Will Help You Move, A GOOD FRIEND Will Help You Move The Body.

2009-11-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

Santiago Martinez, 28, is unlucky in love, or maybe he is just really, really stupid. It doesn't matter, we won't have to worry too much about him any more, at least in the real world. He was sentenced yesterday to death for murdering his girlfriend because she wouldn't help him hide his other girlfriend's body.

Martinez was sentenced to die by a Long Beach judge and jury for the 2003 murder of Myra Orozco, 24, also of Long Beach. Martinez killed the young woman by stabbing her 30 times, slashing her a few more, pushing her out of a moving car and running over her. He killed his girlfriend because she would not help him get rid of the body of Christina Wilkerson, who he stabbed 20 times and then shot. He is doing 52 years to life for that murder.

He will now, without doubt, be provided with quality services from the time of intake, including healthful and nutritious meals and Cadillac health care until he dies of old age on death row. Our tax dollars at work.

If You Want To Keep Them In It Helps To Lock The Doors.

2009-11-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

Torrie Smith, 31, of Orleans Parrish, was being processed as a prisoner on a domestic violence beef when she simply got up and walked out. That's probably not good.

Ms. Smith was being held on a charge of aggravated battery for thumping on her boyfriend and was being held at an intake center. A New Orleans P. D. officer is shown on video walking into the processing center. He left two doors open (unlocked?) as he made his entry and Ms. Smith just walked out.

She was recaptured the following day.

Clicking on the title will link to a WDSU item on the CorrectionsOne web site.

Terrorist's lips SEALed?

2009-11-25T05:02:00.000-08:00

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

By Rowan Scarborough

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers...(Full text at FoxNews.com)

3 Hots And A Cot, NOT. (At Least In Georgia.)

2009-11-25T04:48:00.000-08:00

The Clayton County (GA.) Jail has a problem. There has been a major failure in some of their kitchen equipment and they won't be able to get it fixed until January, if then.

Georgia law requires that the boys and girls get at least two hot meals a day. That isn't happening in Clayton County, and it's causing problems. For some reason or other cold pasta salad and Cheerios and milk are not as well received as burgers and ham and eggs. The food services people have been trying to heat meals for the 1900 inmates in the staff dining room, but they don't have equipment to transport the food so it's cold by the time it gets to the criminals.

The kitchen is also fairly decrepit in general, the floor and ceiling both in need of replacement. As one might expect, that is a big ticket item as is a whole kitchen of new equipment. The county commissioners did just vote to spend $60k to replace a number of steam heated pressure cookers, but that can not be done until January at the earliest. The old ones had to be shut down because they were so old they were dangerous.

Like many jails in the country Clayton County is also overcrowded, with about 400 of it's prisoners sleeping on the floor every night.

If they were in California the 9th Circuit would be looking to lock up the head of the jail, the inmates would all have suits filed by the ACLU and the Prison Law Office and there would be a federal court order requiring the county to spend whatever it took to install new equipment in a new kitchen ASAP.

Clicking on the title will link to an Atlanta JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION article on the CorrectionsOne web site on this story.

Stockton Is WAY BETTER Than Oakland.

2009-11-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

I feel so much better now. Stockton, my current city of residence, is rated as much less dangerous than Oakland, the city where I was born.

CQ Press is a Washington based independent book publisher. They recently compiled a list of the most dangerous cities in the country based on FBI statistics. Stockton was rated 45th a year ago and is now rated 36. (At least we are getting better at something, even if it is only being a crime-ridden cesspool.) Oakland was number 3 on the list. The no-doubt lovely town of Camden, New Jersey was numero uno.

Stockton's Mayor, Ann Johnston, blames the high rating of Stockton on the fact that the police department is scrupulous about reporting crime to the FBI data base and that this skews the numbers against Stockton. Who knows, it might even be true.

Tylar Witt To Face Adult Charges.

2009-11-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

Tylar Witt will face an adult trial in El Dorado County for murder in the death of her mother. The young woman is looking at the possibility of life without parole if convicted (unless of course the Supreme Court throws that penalty into the dustbin for crimes committed while under 18).

For those of Paco's readers who may have been living in their car for the last couple of months due to the furloughs the now 15-year old Ms. Witt and her 19 year old boyfriend are believed to have murdered her allegedly abusive mother. There is actually damn little doubt that they did it. The only real question is what forum the young woman's trial would take place in.

There are few possibilities left. The trial could be moved due to extensive local publicity. They could be tried together, they could be tried separately, they could even be tried together but with separate juries (though that rarely happens).

For Ms. Witt then the question becomes can she make herself out to be the poor little abused girl, manipulated by a much older guy into setting her mother up for murder? The flip side is that she is a sexually manipulative psychobitch who tricked her boyfriend into helping off her mom because mommie didn't want her banging a 19 year old, or maybe anybody else for that matter.

We have one person dead, who maybe wasn't much of a mother but probably didn't deserve to die for that. We have two more people, obviously more than a little disturbed, looking at sucking up huge amounts of public resources for years and years and years. Sometimes there are no good answers and what you are left with just plain sucks.

Reading the writing on the Green Wall...

2009-11-24T04:50:00.000-08:00

In 1972, Ivory Soapbox model Marilyn Chambers performed the seminal role in "Behind the Green Door, exposing herself as anything but "99.44% pure." 37 years later, the SPB looked behind the Green Wall to expose DORC's impurity. That's where the comparisons diverge: Ms. Chambers screwed everyone...DORC only screwed the pooch.

_____________[ZOOM]

Guards suspected in beating reinstated
By VIRGINIA HENNESSEY
Herald Salinas Bureau

A state appeals board has ordered reinstatement of eight correctional officers who were fired from Salinas Valley State Prison in the wake of revelations about a rogue gang of guards known as the Green Wall.
The state Personnel Board ruled last week there was insufficient evidence to support allegations that the officers stood by or helped beat up an inmate during an unauthorized "extraction" from a caged exercise yard.

A spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said her agency and the state Attorney General's Office will consider appealing the decision.

"Our department is reviewing the facts of the case and reviewing the decision of the state Personnel Board," said Michele Kane. "The CDCR has 30 days to file a petition for a rehearing and we are looking at all of our options."

The allegations were leveled six years ago by the inmate, Rafael Serrano, and another guard, Martha Jaramillo, who said she witnessed the assault on the handcuffed Serrano. In a ruling Nov. 9, the board said the two gave contradictory testimony and neither was credible.

Ordered reinstated with back pay were guards James Benefield, Fernando Chavez, Christopher Corotan, Walter Faulkner, Derrick Mackinga and Kevin Rawhoof.

The board earlier this year ordered the reinstatements with back pay of officers Ronald Sphar and Robert Martin...(Full text at MontereyHerald.com)

Given the liberal stripe of the ever-political California State Personnel Board, it must have been painful for that body to reinstate alleged members of the so-called "Green Wall." Yet, DORC gave the SPB no choice: shoddy investigations and suspect testimony cannot be easily overlooked...even when the subjects are "rogue guards."

Personally, I don't care what the "Green Wall" boys did or did not do: Paco would have fired them just for starting their little clique to begin with! After all, are they peace officers working in a dangerous environment or pubescent teens hanging out in the high school quad?

CLEARLY, any law enforcement officer who would join such a group lacks the maturity to wear a badge. So, assuming it can be proven any CO participated in the "Green Wall," those employees should be subjected to a psychiatric fitness-for-duty evaluation. But I digress...

In any case, the SPB's decision was NOT an exoneration of Green Wall members--It is a condemnation of DORC's investigatory and prosecutorial incompetence. SecrAttorney Cate, ostensibly a competent barrister, would do well to get behind the Green Wall decisions and clean up his own house.

Working his way back to blues...Sick Rick returning for a final helping of justice

2009-11-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

Placer County Kidnap Suspect Arrested
Victim Carjacked Near Vineyard Road, Deputies Say

PLACER COUNTY, Calif. -- A North Highlands man suspected of kidnapping a woman in her own car Thursday was arrested later in the day.

Rick Anthony Cooley, 31, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, carjacking, robbery and assault.

The 35-year-old Roseville victim said she was driving on Vineyard Road at about 7 a.m., heading to her job in Green Haven, when a man in a car stopped her and started talking to her...The victim got out of her car to exchange information...Cooley hit her in the face and forced her into her own car, then took the wheel...

Authorities said the victim talked to Cooley for the several hours while she was held captive asking him not to hurt her....Cooley drove her around Placer and Sacramento counties before letting her go near Duffy Lane and PFE Road in Roseville at about 10 a.m...

Cooley is being held at the Placer County Jail on $200,000 bond. Authorities said he is a two strike offender just off parole...(Full text at KCRA.com)

On 9/10/09, Mr. Cooley discharged from the gate, having maxed-out parole while serving a 10 month revocation term. Some 60 days later, he was back in jail facing a likely life sentence. He had been paroled on 8/15/05.

"Sick Rick" Cooley is an avowed Skinhead with a history of psychiatric, anger and alcohol abuse issues--He does not play well with others.

The victim is lucky to be alive. And, we are all fortunate Cooley will remain in custody for a very long time...

Curiouser And Curiouser.

2009-11-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

I have recently become aware of a small group, about a dozen or so, of former (mostly) DAPO employees who have been dissecting the I G report on the Garrido affair sentence by sentence. They have some major, major problems with the I G report. (Which isn't to say that they don't have problems with the way DAPO handled Garrido.)

This group is alleging that the report is rife with errors of fact and therefore poor or downright false conclusions. They have made a smattering of these available to me.

Among other things the report states that DAPO failed to refer Garrido for mental health assessment. He did, however, apparently have a special condition of parole which stated he was required to attend a Parole Outpatient Mental Health Clinic.

This group of reviewers also states that parole agents with the 40-1 passive case loads such as Garrido was carried on were told flat out to ignore GPS alerts. You might recall the I G report took DAPO to task on this failure.

In any event I have a contact who is associated with this group. I am told that they will be done dissecting the report in great detail in a week or so, after which it will be made available to the media. I suspect I will be able to make it available on Paco's "pages".

Cops Seek Murderous Pack In S. F. Killing.

2009-11-24T02:38:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco P. D. (which, by the way, has the worse homicide clearance rate of any major city in the country) is more or less in search of a group of 4 or 5 men who stabbed a man to death in the Mission District shortly after midnight on Sunday morning.

There are times when I feel that San Francisco is overrun with dangerous crazies and generic criminals. I have been there I think twice in the last ten years. Both times were in daylight and I was damn sure armed.

Unfortunately San Francisco's combination of political correctness, official tolerance of all forms of social deviance (including anti-social violence) and a police department whose leadership is chosen for their political sensitivity rather than their ability to to the job has turned that once fine city into a cesspool. Damn shame.

Bay Area Man Gets 40 Years In Road-Rage Murder.

2009-11-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

Doyal Malcom Webber, aka Ali Webber, age 20, was formerly a resident of the rather nice city of Hayward in the East Bay. He will be a guest of the state for the next 20-40 years, depending, as he was convicted of the second degree murder of Lon Dell Wilson, 25, on Hwy 101 two years back.

Wilson was on the way from work to his sisters place to babysit when he got into some sort of dispute with Webber, who was in the passenger seat of a Chevy Caprice. Webber shot Wilson, whose car then went off the road into a ditch where Wilson died.

There sure seems to be a lot of assholes in the world, carrying guns, who will happily shoot you over next to nothing, doesn't there?