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Due to Corruption, Cronyism, and Incompetence in Law Enforcement and the Justice System, We Need Drastic Reform to Protect the Innocent!

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News Regarding Lorain County Police and Prosecutorial Misconduct:

Prominent Democratic Attorney (now Judge Burge) Attacks Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will's Record - “I thoroughly believe he tried to railroad and frame my client,” Burge said. “Once I became convinced he was capable of prosecuting someone who he had good reason to believe was innocent I didn’t want him making the decisions on who to prosecute in this county.”  Burge, who said he is a Democrat, argues that Will and others who worked the Ramadugu case had evidence that would have cleared his client, but chose to ignore it." Also, Will supposedly worked 2,546 hours for the city at the same time he was billing the county for 1,024 hours at the prosecutor’s office in 1998 (2080 hours per year is a normal full-time job, which means he claims to have worked an extra 1490 hours, which is over 186 extra full-time days or 37 extra work weeks in a year in addition to his regular full-time job. You do the math.)  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Police Officer Sues Lorain County Prosecutor, Dennis Will, for Abuses of Power - An Elyria police officer, Hetzel See, contends Will forced officers to behave unprofessionally in his dual role as an Elyria police captain and as assistant county prosecutor, and alleges he ordered officers to testify before county grand juries in cases they had not worked.  See said he does not support Will's bid to become county prosecutor and worries that Will could abuse his power. (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Updated U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Decision - September 2007.  "Fired police officer, Hetzel D. See, Jr., brought suit against Chief of Police Michael Medders alleging, among other things, a violation of See's First Amendment rights when disciplinary actions were taken against him after he made statements to the FBI about activities in the police department." "See contacted the FBI to reported alleged illegal or immoral activity within the police department.  Specifically, See voiced concerns about the grand jury procedures used by the department... Medders's conduct in the department... including "the "blank check" that Medders gave to Captain Dennis Will permitting Will to work unnecessary overtime, and See's belief that Medders had manipulated results of an investigation in order to protect a public official."

Police Officer Wins $2 Million in Punitive Damages Against Corrupt Cops -- Hetzel and Darlene See sued the City of Elyria and Michael Medders on a civil rights violation theory claiming that Hetzel was wrongfully terminated by the City's police chief after he went to the FBI about a gambling operation that allegedly involved city officials. (More Details About The Case)

More Evidence of Ongoing Prosecutorial Misconduct from the Office of Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will - Per the December 27, 2008 issue of the Chronicle Telegram. In the Nicole Diar case "The Supreme Court found that some comments and questions from the prosecutors in the case were improper." Linda Prucha of the Ohio Public Defender's office said "The Supreme Court should have overturned Diar's conviction because of prosecutorial misconduct...It prejudiced the jury because it painted her in a very negative light because of the prosecutor's words and not the evidence." Diar has maintained her innocence since her conviction. (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Attorney Wants Dennis Will Off Montelon Case - Morning Journal, March 2, 2010, Lorain -- Terry Gilbert, defense attorney for Joseph Montelon, wrote a letter to Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will yesterday requesting Will remove himself from prosecuting Montelon, a former Lorain police officer who is being investigated for being the writer of disparaging letters against Lorain city and county officials, including Will and Lorain police Chief Cel Rivera since the former police officer accused Dennis Will "of 'prosecutorial misconduct' for bringing rape charges against a person whom you 'knew was innocent' — comparing you to former Durham County, North Carolina prosecutor Mike Nifong, who gained notoriety and was disbarred due to his misconduct in the 2006 Duke University lacrosse rape case," and "The writer also accused (Will) of 'theft of office' for falsely billing excessive hours,"   (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

UPDATE on Montelon Case -- Prosecutor Dennis Will Ordered by U.S. District Court to Cooperate with Questioning Regarding His Role - Morning Journal, Nov 4, 2011 by Richard Payerchin - “What we are learning is that Dennis Will was very involved in this investigation of Montelon and that he and the chief and other police personnel collaborated together to seek criminal charges especially based on a search of (Montelon’s) house for those anonymous letters (written to expose corruption within local law enforcement), which were in our opinion protected by the first amendment,” Gilbert said. Dennis Will clearly suggested that the anonymous letters were criminal in nature, even though there were no threats to Rivera, Gilbert said. Anyone who could read them would see the letters are protected by the right of free speech to criticize government officials. Gilbert said he will ask Will about why a county prosecutor would want to use the criminal justice system to suppress free speech. “So we’re very interested in what the county prosecutor has to sat about his role in paving the way for this search warrant at Mr. Montelon’s home,” Gilbert said. “But it appears that there is a rather extensive web of people that worked together to basically find out who was writing these letters and put a stop to that by using the criminal justice system.”  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Prosecutor Will Abused Power in Judge Ewer's Car Deal, Lawyer Says - Plain Dealer, August 24, 2007 - Hunter said Thursday that it' shocking for a prosecutor to get involved in a civil business matter.  The Ohio Ethics Commission forbids public employees from using public resources to conduct private matters.  And officials are forbidden from using their public titles in private business matters.  "The Lorain County prosecutor abused his power by meddling into a private matter between a county judge and a Florida car dealer over a $32,000 van purchased on eBay," a Florida attorney says. (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Police Whistleblower Who Criticized and Accused Prosecutor Dennis Will and Lorain Police Chief of Fraud and Misconduct Won't Face Criminal Charges for Expressing Constitutional Right to Free Speech (JUSTICE IS SERVED!) - The Morning Journal, Nov 2, 2010, by Kelly Metz -- "Gilbert said what needs to be done now is Lorain police and Rivera need to be “held accountable for their actions.” (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Elyria YOUTH SEX CRIMES Detective Kisses 17-Year-Old, But Not Fired and Criminal Record Expunged - In 2008, Elyria, Ohio police detective Eric "Van Kerkhove was suspended for 10 days and removed from his job as a youth sex crimes detective for kissing a 17-year-old girl in the women’s restroom while working an off-duty security job at Marc’s. Van Kerkhove also pleaded no contest to criminal trespass and disorderly conduct charges in connection with the incident." Anyone else would be slapped with the label of sexual predator or pedophile, but being a cop he gets his record expunged, gets to keep his job, and can live among children (with parents having no warning or awareness of his past behavior) even though they removed him from his job as a youth sex crimes detective, which speaks volumes.  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Bogus Charge Against Oberlin College Student Dropped!  Feb 15, 2008 - The Oberlin Review (Patrol Officers Sanderson and Stephanie Reitz also sustained injuries from the arrests, including abrasions to the knuckles. Sanderson was treated for a lumbar back strain, while Reitz took ten weeks off from work to recuperate from a rotator cuff injury...junior and senior students were forced to the ground and the first-year student sustained a cut below her right eye for which she was later treated by an EMS squad...Despite student accusations, Norenberg said, “The finding was that there was no excessive use of force." Captain and Public Information Officer Clifton Barnes said in his review of the incident that he would issue a reprimand against Patrol Officer Southworth for disregard of departmental policy " (Click Here to Read the Full Article)  These are highly educated students with no reason to lie, plenty of witnesses which led to charges being dropped, and a police department with a history of abuse, some of which is mentioned on this site.  So taxpayers paid police officer Stephanie Reitz to take 10 weeks off from injuring her knuckles and rotator cuff?  Makes you wonder who was doing the injuring?  But OF COURSE the finding after the police investigated THEMSELVES is that there was "no excessive use of force" despite numerous claims to the contrary.  This also, once again, goes to show you that if you can afford to pay them, prosecutors are more than willing to let you buy your way out of charges, so certain people with money are more likely to not have charges on their records even if they commit crimes and those too poor to buy their way out get records which leads to "labeling," bias, a lower likelihood of being able to get a good job, keeping them in poverty, and is a means of covert oppression and unequal justice.

Oberlin Police Suspended for Filing Inaccurate Police Report and Other Offenses -- Sgt. David Jasinski, Steven Chapman, and Jonathan Witt - Cops Suspended for Barging into Rooms.  The police report is a far cry from the scene that three students described in citizen complaints.  Oberlin police were accused of entering several rooms without warrants or permission, including the room of one student who slept in the nude. The officers were also accused of using foul language with students while conducting their search.  It was apparent that the report written by Patrolman Chapman and approved by officer in charge Sgt. Jasinski described neither the actions of the involved Oberlin police department officers, nor the actual sequence of events.  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Oberlin Cops Southworth and Scalli Treat Students Harshly Claims Black Oberlin College Student Passenger - During a routine traffic stop, two students were detained for almost 45 minutes while dogs were brought out, they were patted down, accusations of drug possession were alluded to, and the car was thoroughly searched with no drugs or other illegal substances found.  The law states that "When the driver has produced a valid license and proof that he or she is entitled to operate a car, the driver must be allowed to proceed on his or her way, without being subject to further delay by the officer for additional questioning.  In order to justify a "temporary" detention for further questioning, the officer must also have reasonable suspicion of illegal transactions in drugs or of any other serious crime."  The young black male student, Jared Glenn, said "I was a little shocked.  Now I'll admit that I personally have never been pulled over by the police before but I have been in the car while my friends were pulled over, and what happened on the corner of Main and College was like nothing I had ever experienced before.  This may seem extreme to some, but I was literally waiting for them to pull me out of the car and put me in handcuffs.  In my head it was only a matter of minutes before I would have become another young black male on the hood of a car with a police officer holding him down from behind.  If it weren't for Andy (white male) vouching for me, I could have very well ended up there."  (I have personally seen and heard of this exact occurrence happening frequently in Oberlin, in particular white cops patrolling primarily the predominantly minority neighborhoods, targeting black youth, and detaining them based on supposition for extended periods of time when stopped for purportedly routine traffic violations.  A friend of mine once told me she loved Oberlin since it was such a safe town -- she said unfortunately the only place that wasn't safe was around the police who are supposed to serve and protect.  A very sad state...) (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Oberlin College Students, Professors Boycott Over Police Brutality - After a confrontation between the Oberlin police and demonstrators (during a demonstration against bigotry), many students boycotted classes last Tuesday while professors canceled other classes to attend a communitywide forum on what they say was police brutality.  "Two or three police trampled into the crowd and tackled the student speaker from behind, strangling him in a choke hold,'' according to a statement by the protest's organizers. The Student Defense Committee charged that the officers removed their badges, beat demonstrators and dragged them by their hair.  42 complaints were filed with the department the next morning (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Victim Account of Oberlin Police Brutality at Bigotry Demonstration The president of the Oberlin College called the cops who brutally beat people, and then to save face put victims up on felony charges. I knew very immediately what it felt like to be framed. I didn’t do anything at the demonstration, neither did anyone else. Six people fought in court for 1-2 years, at a cost of $10,000…[t]he demonstration was a broadly defined march against bigotry. In the months leading up to demonstration, there had been violent hate crimes, asian guy chased with baseball bats, Latino guy getting death threats, a gay guy with graffiti on his door. People got frustrated that nothing was happening. The demo ended up on the grass in front of the president’s house, where the cops attacked.  Jumped on Steve and started choking him. To get to him they had to walk over people, and kicked and clubbed people out of the way. It got to be a melee. People clubbed here, choked there.

Records Show About a Third of the Lorain Police Department's 119 Officers and Dispatchers Have Been Disciplined or Sued for Alleged Inappropriate Conduct Since 2000 - The Plain Dealer, Oct 1, 2006.  " Court and police records show at least 72 instances of officers or dispatchers fighting, drinking to excess, losing their guns, insulting residents, harassing women or violating other policies. Another officer reported his personal car stolen.  He admitted later that he had smashed it into a pole. Police files also show more than a dozen instances of officers disciplined for disrespectful behavior toward the public. Some cursed at drivers. One told a woman her neighborhood was known as "shantytown." Another told a domestic abuse victim that women abuse the system. Worse, the files show more than a dozen cases of officers using unjustified force or misusing their authority - from using a stun gun on a handcuffed prisoner to harassing an ex-wife's boyfriend. One off-duty officer was cut off in traffic. He went to the motorist's workplace the next day and confronted the man, his personnel file shows. The officer said the other man picked a fight. The officer was counseled about his behavior, the least serious form of discipline.  Councilwoman Kathy Tavenner said too many officers use their badges to break the law and intimidate people. She said Rivera and Mayor Craig Foltin, a congressional candidate in the 13th District, have lost control of the police force. Lorain resident Melissa Foisy is less forgiving. Last December, an officer, off duty and drinking, tried to stop her son Matthew from speeding in a parking lot. The officer stopped the car, reached in, grabbed the teen and berated him for having a behavior disorder, according to his personnel file. Rivera gave the officer a written reprimand. "Police are supposed to be protecting the city," Foisy said, "not threatening the people who pay their salaries."

Reporter Says Cops Harassing Him for Investigative Series - North Country Gazette.  LORAIN, OHIO--- "Would police officers harass a reporter who was undertaking an investigatory series about alleged police corruption? ...the managing editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer told Lorain city officials in a letter that reporter Mark Puente was being harassed by members of the police department.  Plain Dealer editor Thomas O'Hara has alleged that Lorain cops harassed members of reporter Mark Puente's family at a high school football game and also let the air out of tires of the reporter's car while it was parked at the Lorain City Hall... Police officials say that officers would never harass a reporter. Although officers in the department have been investigated, disciplined and at least three fired and criminally charged for improper actions while on the job, the police union claims that's not news and that the reporter shouldn't be questioning the integrity of the department. " (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Oberlin Police and Rape Case - Cleveland Scene - Dec 20, 2001.  But police records show that, before the arrest, officers interviewed only Jones and Mahdi.  Even a cursory investigation by Oberlin police would have produced a number of witnesses to counter Jones's claims. Even though the judge dismissed the case, they had been arrested, thrown in jail, and stripped of their visas. Their names were linked with sexual assault in at least five newspapers, and their legal bills totaled at least $5,000 (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Retired Lorain Cop Says Sex-on-Duty Hierarchy Existed - "A retired Lorain police sergeant has said that when he was on the force, his fellow officers engaged in “nonconsensual sexual misconduct” with members of the public while they were on duty and weren’t meaningfully disciplined for it.  Davis, who retired in 2007, is the second former Lorain police officer to accuse the department of condoning sexual misconduct by officers...Raskin wrote that Sanchez said during a deposition that a select group of officers were allowed to get away with sexual misconduct. Duff wrote about a woman who accused now-former Lorain police Officer Stanley Marrero of having sex with the victim in a domestic violence call in 2000 after telling the woman’s husband to leave the scene.  Marrero received a three-day suspension, Duff wrote, adding that during a deposition of Rivera, the chief agreed that Marrero’s conduct in that case “shocked the conscience.” Although he wasn’t charged in that incident, Marrero has been convicted of intimidation, dereliction of duty and public indecency, and is awaiting trial on a rape charge stemming from a 1993 incident in which he allegedly forced himself on a woman while responding to a call at her home.  Duff also lists numerous other incidents of alleged misconduct by other officers, including stalking, forced sexual encounters, armed threats and other behavior he contends shows a pattern of ignoring misconduct by Lorain police over the years." (Click Here to Read the Full Article) 

Lorain Cop Jesus Sanchez Only Gets 60 Days in Jail for 2 Years of Stalking, Sexual Assault, and Terrorizing Female Victim - Lorain Morning Journal - April 7, 2009.  "Sanchez destroyed her life, leaving her so fearful of police and others that she rarely leaves her home, can’t sleep and is losing patches of her hair from the stress." He "began calling her, stopping by her house, pulling her over and trying to kiss her. In one instance, Long testified during the trial, Sanchez held her arms above her head, rubbed her pregnant belly, kissed her and tried to force his hand down her pants." (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Ex-Wakeman Cop Gets Probation for Lorain Racially-Motivated Assault - Article by Cary Ashby - Norwalk Reflector Newspaper Staff Writer, October 8, 2008.  "LORAIN - A former reserve Wakeman police officer was sentenced Monday to one year of probation and fined $100 for a racially-motivated attack in the spring.  On April 18, William C. Hodge, 35, of Lorain, threw his police badge at his ex-girlfriend and grabbed the shirt of a 26-year-old Lorain man sitting in the driver's seat of a Chevrolet Astrovan, Lorain County Sheriff's Deputy Byron Herndon wrote in his report.  Herndon said Hodge jumped into the passenger side and tried to punch the man, reportedly telling him, You're dead, n----r."   (Hodge's wife had tried twice in the past to get domestic protection orders, but both times was refused -- READ MORE)

Wife of Lorain Ex-Policeman Has Billboard Urging Calls About Police Abuse - The Cleveland Plain Dealer - March 12, 2009 - "Marsha Sanchez said she has heard numerous stories of officers harassing people and using excessive force. Reporting the abuses to the Police Department is useless, she said. The ad, at Leavitt Road and East 21st Street, directs people to report incidents to the U.S. Department of Justice and lists the telephone number. "Throughout my husband's investigation we kept hearing from people who said they were being harassed by the cops," she said Wednesday. "They would get pulled over for nothing, thrown up on the car and abused. And who do you report it to, the cops?  She said people don't know where to turn for help, so she had the billboard ad put up last week. It will remain for at least a month.  Laura Sweeney, spokeswoman for the Department of Justice, declined to say how many calls the billboard has generated. She confirmed that there is an ongoing investigation into the patterns and practices of the Lorain Police Department. The Justice Department always looks for input from people during such investigations, she added."  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Lorain Woman Files Lawsuit Against Police Officer Stanley Marrero - The Chronicle Telegram, April 5, 2008 - "Instead of "To Serve and Protect" it should be "To Rape and Molest."  "A Lorain woman filed a $15 million federal lawsuit Thursday against the city, Police Chief Cel Rivera and suspended police officer Stanley Marrero, claiming the city and Rivera stood by and ignored her complaints that Marrero was forcing her to engage in sexual relations with him.  The lawsuit is the latest legal blow to Marrero, who is awaiting trial on theft in office, menacing by stalking, intimidation of a crime victim, and public indecency charges...According to the lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, Marrero first began harassing the woman in April 2001 and the behavior continued through May 2007." Attorney Mike Duff also represents another victim in this case.  "During the time the woman accuses Marrero of stalking her, he allegedly fondled her breasts at her home and in a city police substation, made numerous harassing phone calls to her and held her against her front door while fondling her breasts and masturbating, according to the lawsuit.  Marrero also allegedly pulled the woman over while she was driving, even though she had done nothing illegal.  The lawsuit stated that the woman had filed complaints against Marrero with the department, but nothing was done.  Because her complaints were ignored, the lawsuit stated, the city and Rivera created "a culture and environment in which police officers are led to believe that such behavior is not only tolerated by authorized as policy."  The end result, the lawsuit stated, was to put the public "at substantial risk of being the victims of violent or sexually motivated behavior" from Lorain police officers."  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Lorain Police Officer James Wolford Suspended, Demoted - by Michael Sangiacomo, February 11, 2009. LORAIN — Lorain police officer James Wolford was suspended for 25 days and demoted from sergeant to patrolman for several violations of policy, including telling a boy he would "hit him with a 2-by-4," officials said....the administrative charges against Wolford included inappropriately or incompetently handling police calls and engaging in gross or unprofessional conduct."
(Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Ayesha Wiley, a Neuroscience Lab Animal Caretaker at Oberlin College, vs. Oberlin Police Department.  She Claimed Malicious Prosecution and Police Abuse - The Court Backed the Police and the Prosecutor (which is typical) with subjective Probable Cause as Justification.  Below are Excerpts of  her Claims from Court Documents which are not Disputed  -- Does What She Endured Sound Legal to You?  - May 2009.  "Wiley alleged that she was living with her ex-fiancé, John Howard, when he had a heart attack in August 2003. Many of her belongings were in his house, and she had possession of his car, wallet, credit cards, and bank book. After Howard’s heart attack, his ex-live-in-girlfriend, Houghland, told the Oberlin City Prosecutor, James Walsh, that she wanted Howard’s things and wanted Wiley out of his house. She persuaded Walsh to cause Wiley’s arrest so that she could lock her out of Howard’s house.  Wiley further alleged that Walsh instructed the Oberlin Police Department (“OPD”) to arrest her for driving under a suspended license. On August 29, Wiley was arrested for this reason. Houghland and Howard’s children used this opportunity to lock Wiley out of Howard’s house, without a legal eviction proceeding, and steal her belongings. The arresting officers, Steve Chapman and Henry Wallace, took the car along with some of Wiley’s property, and the property was never returned. The OPD failed to properly investigate her claim of stolen property. Wiley also alleged that Walsh had her falsely arrested on two other occasions: (1) for domestic violence in September 2003 (Case No. 03CRB00952) and (2) for violation of a temporary protective order (“TPO”) in October 2003 (Case No. 03CRB01013). She claims the prosecution of these cases terminated in her favor. However, the record includes conflicting evidence of the ultimate resolution: (1) Walsh made a motion to have both charges dismissed in January 2004, citing Howard’s unavailability for trial, and (2) a journal entry stating that Wiley pled no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct in Case No. 03CRB00952 and charges of violating a protective order in Case No. 03CRB01013 were dismissed...Count One alleged that the Oberlin Police Officer Defendants – Wallace, Chapman, Thomas Miller, Mark Ellis, Timothy Diewald, Michael Moorman, and Vincent Ortiz – violated her Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures by stopping her vehicle on August 29, 2003, because of her race and without probable cause. Count Two alleged that the City Defendants (i.e., the police officers and Prosecutor Walsh) violated the Fourteenth Amendment by acting recklessly and with callous indifference to her rights. Count Three alleged that the City Defendants prosecuted her without probable cause in violation of her rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Count Five alleged that the City’s unconstitutional policies or failure to adequately train and manage the police officers resulted in the violation of her constitutional rights. Count Four alleged malicious prosecution under Ohio law."  

Lorain County Police Say Hanging An Air Freshener From Your Rear View Mirror and Other Objects Could Be A Violation of State Law - The Chronicle Telegram, July 15, 2006 -- "Elyria police Sergeant Mike Behne said. "Ohio state law says that anything blocking the drivers view is illegal, and if the officer believes the air freshener is obstructing the view then the officer can pull the person over." " That means that air fresheners as well as fuzzy dice, graduation tassels, Mardi Gras beads, baby shoes and anything else that motorists hang from their rearview mirrors could be reason enough for police to initiate a traffic stop,' Behne said. "That’s hooey, according to a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union.  “The only reason they can legitimately pull you over is if the air freshener is the size of an open newspaper,” Ohio ACLU Law Director Jeff Gamso said. “I’ll go to court with anybody charged with this, and we will win every time.  Many officers believe air fresheners can be a sign that the person in the car is trying to cover up the scent of marijuana, and therefore keep an eye out for the scented ornaments."  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)   TONS OF PEOPLE INNOCENTLY HANG SMALL AIR FRESHENERS AND OTHER ITEMS FROM THEIR REAR VIEW MIRRORS, WHICH IS IN NO WAY ILLEGAL, AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF POLICE TRYING TO MAKE UP PETTY EXCUSES TO SUBJECTIVELY PULL OVER WHO THEY WANT TO TARGET.  IF THEY'RE GOING TO PULL ONE PERSON OVER FOR HAVING AN AIR FRESHENER, AND NOT EVERYONE WHO DRIVES WITH ONE, THEN IT IS NOT EQUALLY APPLIED, UNJUST, AND IN VIOLATION OF YOUR RIGHTS.

Investigation of Lorain Police Begins - Lorain Morning Journal, Aug 17, 2009 - "A U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Lorain Police Department's alleged use of excessive force will begin today. Eight officials from the justice department will examine police operations through Aug. 21." I AGREE WITH THE BLOG COMMENT AT THIS SITE THAT SAYS D.O.J. NEEDS TO TALK TO THE VICTIMS SITTING IN JAIL AND NOT THE COPS -- THE ONES WHO WERE BEATEN WITHOUT JUST CAUSE, REVIEW SURVEILLANCE TAPES, SOLICIT INPUT FROM RESIDENTS, & TALK TO WITNESSES.  (Click Here to Read the Full Article) 

Oberlin Police Arrest Bus Driver for Developing Film with Pictures of Her Daughter Taking a Bath - In 1999, a technician at a Fuji Film processing lab turned in to authorities a roll of film containing pictures Cynthia Stewart, a bus driver in Oberlin, Ohio, took of her young daughter while taking a bath, something parents often do and charged her with felony pornography charges.  Add to that the zealous Lorain County prosecutor and inflammatory news coverage, including a front-page Plain Dealer story and local TV news broadcasts that flashed the mother's mug shot on the screen, and headline banner in the small-town local paper, and you have all the ingredients necessary for the financial and emotional destruction of a family that has done nothing wrong, nothing unusual, nothing that would seem remarkable.   SHE WAS FOUND INNOCENT, RIGHTLY SO (Read the Details), BUT HAD SHE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE OUT A $20,000 LIEN ON HER HOME, AND TO AFFORD ANOTHER $20,000 TO SPEND ON ATTORNEY FEES FROM THEIR FAMILY'S SAVINGS TO FIGHT THE CHARGES, WOULD THE OUTCOME HAVE BEEN THE SAME?  The poor often do not have that luxury and cannot fight charges even when they're innocent and even with so-called "public defenders" (as they tend to yield to whatever deal the prosecutor wants for fear of future repercussions), therefore there IS NOT equal protection under the law.  AND THERE IS NO PUNISHMENT, FINE, OR OTHER RISK ON THE PART OF THE PROSECUTION OR POLICE FOR LYING, COERCING, MANIPULATING, OR PURSUING CASES WHERE THE DEFENDANT IS INNOCENT.  WITH NO RISK AND UNLIMITED RESOURCES, THE PROSECUTION CAN GO AFTER EVERYONE, GUILTY OR INNOCENT, WITH NO FEAR OF PUNISHMENT.  THE LAW NEEDS TO CHANGE!!!

Ohio Innocence Project Takes Up Bus Driver's Case - Rhett Johnson writes, "We are rigorously pursuing her case and firmly believe she is innocent." Nancy Smith and Joseph Allen's story was dramatized for a Discovery Channel series called "Guilty or Innocent?" Allen says he pled "guilty" on his lawyer’s advice: "I only know my attorney had me to sign some papers because he told me cases like them was hard to win." Guilty or innocent, Allen had the conviction on his record"

Ousted Former Republican Judge Paulette Lilly Fined $300 for Deceptive Campaign Ads   - "Avon Lake attorney Kreig Brusnahan, who filed the complaint against Lilly, said he was pleased that most of the complaint survived review and that the former judge was being held accountable. “This entire campaign was designed to deceive the voters, and it failed, fortunately,” Brusnahan said. “If we can’t trust Paulette Lilly to follow the rules when it comes to elections and ethical considerations, how can we expect her to follow the law as a judge?...Lilly’s legal problems aren’t entirely over, however. She remains the target of a probe by a special prosecutor who is investigating her use of county resources while she was in office." (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Wife of Elyria Police Officer Vincent Ligas Tells Police She Is Fearful of Her Husband - "Stephanie Ligas told police she was afraid of him because he had allegedly told her in the past that she couldn't do anything to him since he was a police officer..." The former head of the Elyria police union [Vincent Ligas] who was fired in October [2006] following allegations he used a union credit card for personal expenses was charged with domestic violence Monday... Stephanie Ligas told police that her husband was supposed to pick the children up around noon, but he arrived early. She told him she had changed the locks again, and he replied that he could still break in whenever he wanted...  When he was president of the Elyria Police Patrolmen's Association, former police Officer Vincent Ligas racked up more than $6,300 in personal charges on his union credit card, prosecutors said. "The union was funding Mr. Ligas' social life," Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Laura Swansinger told a jury... Ligas used his credit card for gas, restaurants, clothing, two vacations and to order a $200 set of golf clubs... The union didn't know there was a problem until the union's vice president, Officer Daniel Sumpter, received a call from a union official asking why the credit card, which had been canceled, hadn't been paid off... (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Lorain Police Chief Rivera Says Hands Tied When It Comes to Disciplining Officers - The Chronicle Telegram, April 12, 2008 - "Rivera responded Wednesday that his hands are tied when it comes to disciplining officers, and that every time he's wanted to fire officers in the past, an arbitrator has overruled him and allowed the officer to remain on the force... A Lorain police officer finally caught the brunt of a 30-day suspension without pay Thursday after being disciplined 12 times in the past two years... Toothman is one of six officers that have been accused of violating department rules since Jan. 1.  Of the accusations, three were related to attendance violations, and three stemmed from more serious incidents."  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Lorain Cops Use Tasers on Kids - An investigation by the newspaper The Morning Journal found that Lorain police officers used tasers on juveniles in two separate incidents in the space of four days:

- 9 June 2005: A 12-year-old boy was tasered on a school bus after an altercation with another pupil. The school bus driver called in a police officer and locked the doors. A group of 20 to 30 people had gathered around the bus and began banging on the windows to protest how the police officer was treating the boy, who continued to resist. When the officer heard a window shatter she used the taser in "drive stun" mode in the chest against the juvenile. More police were called to remove the people who had surrounded the bus. The police department has stated that it is reviewing the incident.

- 12 June 2005: A 16 year old, who had been involved in a street fight, ran from a Lorain police officer and hid under the decking of a nearby house. When the boy refused the officer's request to show his hands the officer used his taser on him twice. The boy said that the officer "was still shocking me while he was putting on the [hand]cuffs"(42)

Retired Cop Indicted for Attempted Rape of 12-Year-Old  - Nov 8, 2010 Chronicle Telegram (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Lorain Officer Arrested for Domestic Violence - Morning Journal, Dec 25, 2011 by Jason Henry - Lorain Police Officer William Lachner, 44, was arrested for domestic violence early Friday after his girlfriend reported that he had assaulted her during an argument. Lachner allegedly struck 32-year-old Rona Proudfoot, of Lorain, in the head multiple times, according to the police report. (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Lorain Police Officer Cited for DUI after Suspensions, Conduct Violations - Morning Journal, Dec 21, 2011 by Kelly Petryszyn - This isn’t Wolford’s first trouble as an officer. He was suspended from Jan. 6 to 15, 2011 for making false accusations against a superior officer, according to a previous story.  He was also suspended for 25 days and demoted from sergeant to patrolman in February 2009 as a result of several Rules of Conduct Violations. In this case, Wolford refused a field sobriety test and also refused to take a sobriety test at the police station.  Wolford is under an administrative license suspension, Schmittle said. He is also on desk duty until further notice. Wolford is a night shift patrol officer.  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Former Lorain Police Officer Emilio Morales Finally Sentenced After Prior Suspension and Other Charges Dismissed- Morning Journal, Sep 17, 2011 by Kate Snyder - Morales, 49, took a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with records, which were reduced to misdemeanors. The remaining four counts of tampering with records, single count of theft, five counts of theft in office and three counts of falsification were all dismissed.  Morales was on the Lorain police force from August 1991 until his firing in 2008.  He also served a 48-day, unpaid suspension earlier that year: 30 days for dumping guns down a sewer and 18 days for three other incidents.  (Click Here to Read the Full Article)

Police Officer Corey Earl after Domestic Violence Charges, Forgery, and Bad Checks Being Given Opportunity to Erase his Criminal Record - Nov 9, 2011 Morning Journal by Kate Snyder. "He was accepted into a year-long diversion program, and if he completes it successfully, the charges will be dropped and his record expunged...Earl was arrested in January 2009 for stalking after his ex-girlfriend told police he was stalking her and her family, texting and calling her repeatedly and tailing her home from work, according to a court document. The recent charges against Earl pertain to an incident where Earl allegedly cashed “a check that belonged to someone else. Also in January 2008, the Amherst Law Director’s office dismissed a charge Earl violated a protection order concerning his ex-wife.   (Click Here to Read the Full Article Regarding Expunging His Record)   Click Here to Read the Full Domestic Violence Article)

Criminals do not change, and the average person would not get such special treatment.  Certainly someone entrusted with upholding the law should not be given a slap on the wrist for criminal behavior -- their punishment should be worse.

WHY DO MOST OF THESE SCUMBAGS STILL HAVE JOBS AS POLICE?

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Stories of (almost) REAL Justice Served

Scumbag Chicago Cop who Beat Injured Man Shackled in Wheelchair Gets Prison

Four Philadelphia Cops Fired for Another Beating of Unarmed Men Caught on Videotape

6 Years in Prison for Corrupt Cop Who Falsified Drug Charges to Convict an Innocent Person

Ex-Wakeman Cop Gets Probation for Racially-Motivated Assault

Lorain Cop Jesus Sanchez Jailed for Stalking

Retired Cop Sentenced to 52-1/2 Years for Attempted Rape of a 12-year-old

WHERE DO THEY GET ALL THESE LOSERS?

WHAT CAN YOU DO?   You don't have to stoop to being the violent and ignorant bullies they are.  Remember the pen is mightier than the sword!  Write, publish, use your cameras and cellphones (including installing audio and video in your car if you can afford it) and continue exposing them to the media for what they really are and pressuring your elected officials to force a comprehensive reform of the law to ensure that police, prosecutors, judges, and other members of the justice system can't get away with it anymore and must truly serve and protect everyone equally.

If you hire a lawyer, get one who is experienced and from outside of the county where you are defending yourself or filing your lawsuit to there will be less fear or allegiances,  Visit THIS LINK which has a list of contacts where you can file formal complaints or get assistance.

Also, if you're a minority or live in an impoverished area avoid opportunities for police to prey on you -- taking these actions can put them out of business:

- Try not to drive around in the middle of the night when the worst cops are out.  They will choose to stop you over a white or wealthy person. Be careful where you park - stay off the street, sidewalks, away from fire hydrants, etc. Walk or take the bus during the day more than drive when you can.  This also saves gas & is good exercise.

- Do not be at OR EVEN NEAR loud parties or other places where there may be fights, alcohol, drugs, guns, etc. because if you're nearby, even if you're not involved, you WILL be blamed if something happens.  If anything, be inside a private residence with only a couple people and little noise.

Yes, having to take such actions when others don't is unfair and unconstitutional, but it will protect you from the results of racial and economic biases and oppression, and keep you from getting unfair charges on your record which will affect future job prospects, driving privileges, future income, how people label & view you, etc., and if police can't ticket you and bring in income they will be forced to either meet their quotas by ticketing whites and the wealthy or will lose their jobs.  You have the power to put them out of business!  I would say the sacrifice is well worth it!!!!

Investigate Abuse by State

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

"How Much Justice Can You Afford?" 

- Lorain County prosecutor offering to cut a deal if given more money in restitution that would result in reduced or eliminated jail time per the client's attorney.  This is not equal protection under the law if those who are wealthy can buy their way out. This is discrimination.

"Evidence of innocence is irrelevant." 

- Mary Sue Terry, Former Attorney General

 http://www.afsc.org/pwork/0499/049906.htm 

THERE IS NOT EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW - Federal statistics show that although many more whites than minorities are arrested for criminal behavior in the U.S. each year, on average for every 6 whites, 6 blacks, and 6 Latinos arrested for the same alleged offense, only 1 white is prosecuted and the rest are let off the hook by a predominantly white so-called justice system of cops, prosecutors, and judges, whereas 5 out of 6 blacks, and 3 out of 6 Latinos, are charged with crimes and often coerced into confessions with threats even when they maintain their innocence, resulting in unfair labeling of minorities as criminals that leads to fear and misperceptions as to who criminals really are.  Those charged may lose transportation, become unable to acquire a good job because of their record and earn a decent living, and snowballing court fees from repeat arrests by officers who predominantly patrol high-minority neighbors are often reminescent of the infamous "Black Codes," and this is covert oppression of minorities and the disadvantaged who may not have the financial or other resources to effectively fight the charges.  This may be partly racially motivated, but also driven by profit and the desire of those in law enforcement to maintain and protect their positions and power.  If there was no crime, those who work in law enforcement and the justice system would be out of work, so where there is no crime they must "find" or create crime to finance and justify the existence of their jobs, of the courts, jails, cops, prosecutors, lawyers, and judges.  

LEARN WHAT ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

(Reference FBI Crime Statistics - http://www.pen.org/printmedia.php/prmMediaID/952)

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