Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending October 4, 2008

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office:

On August 16, 2008, Deputy F.L. Brennan arrested James W. Conley, 19, of Rappahannock Academy for being Drunk in Public. Upon further investigation of the incident, Conley was charged with Possession of Cocaine. He was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 28, 2008, Deputy S. Mullane stopped Delores M. Baker, 54, of Ruther Glen, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Baker was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Refusal to Submit to a Test. She was held on a $1,500 secured bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 28, 2008, Deputy C.S. Wooldridge was called to assist Caroline Fire and Rescue Personnel. After investigating, Donald R. Jackson, Jr., 42, of Ruther Glen was charged with Being Drunk in Public. He was released on his own recognizance and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 28, 2008, Deputy C.M. Polliard stopped Karen B. Warren, 38, of Fairfax, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Warren was charged with Being Drunk in Public, Possession of PCP and Improper Stopping on a Highway. She was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set. A passenger in the vehicle, Michael A. Coleman, 43, of Stafford, was charged with Possession of PCP and was also arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Stafford County for Possession of PCP. He was held on a $5,000 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

On September 29, 2008, Deputy D.W. Mundie stopped Stephen C. Boyle, 20, of Mechanicsville, Maryland, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Boyle was charged with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving Suspended and Possession of a Radar Detector. He was held on a $5,000 secured bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 30, 2008, Deputy C. M. Hall (SRO) observed a male juvenile smoking in the bathroom. Upon further investigation, the 15 year old was charged with possession of marijuana and released to his parents.

On September 8, 2008, Investigator M. M. Ellett was assigned to investigate the larceny of firearms in the Ladysmith area. On October 1, 2008, Warren V. DeLoach, Jr. was arrested on three counts of larceny. He was released on a $1500 bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On October 1, 2008, Deputy T.P. Connolly was on patrol when he encountered Billie Jo Williams, 37, of Ruther Glen. Upon further investigation, Williams was served an outstanding warrant for Petit Larceny. She was released on her signature and a court date of October 3, 2008 was set.

On October 1, 2008, Deputy R.J. Anderson responded to a Ruther Glen address for an assault call. Upon further investigation, John R. Skinner, 34, of Milford was charged with Breaking and Entering and Assault. He was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date was set.

On October 1, 2008, Deputy G.J. Hamilton and Investigator M.M. Ellett responded to a Bowling Green address for a larceny call. After investigating, a male juvenile was charged with Breaking and Entering, Larceny of a Firearm and Grand Larceny. He has a pending court date in Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Additionally, Jessica N. Spurell, 22, of Ruther Glen, was charged with Obstruction of Justice. She was released on a summons and a court date of December 2, 2008 was set.

On October 2, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall responded to the Caroline Middle School for an unknown situation. Upon investigating, Delores M. Baker, 54, of Ruther Glen, was charged with Being Drunk in Public. She was released on a summons and a court date of November 26, 2008 was set.

On October 2, 2008, Deputy P.E. Ford stopped James A. McFall, 39, of Fredericksburg for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, McFall was charged with Driving Revoked-Habitual Offender, 3rd offense. He was ordered held without bond and a court date of October 3, 2008 was set.

On October 3, 2008, Investigation M.M. Ellett responded to a Ruther Glen address for a forgery and construction fraud call. Upon investigating, Wayne T. Allen, 42, of Ruther Glen was charged with Construction Fraud, Forgery, and 2 counts of Operating without a Professional License. He was released on a 43,500 unsecured bond and a court dte of October 3, 2008 was set.

On October 3, 2008, Deputy P.E. Ford stopped Tamara L. Mariner, 48, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Mariner was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Speeding. She was released on her own recognizance and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On October 4, 2008, Deputy P.E. Ford responded to a Ruther Glen address for a trespassing call. Upon investigating, Kunte K. Foxx, 30, of Ruther Glen was charged with Assault. She was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond and a court date of October 7, 2008 was set.

On October 4, 2008, Deputy B.N. Doucet was on patrol in the Ruther Glen area when he encountered Kadeen L. Montgomery, 19, of Ruther Glen. Upon further investigation, Montgomery was charged with Possession of Marijuana. He was released on a summons and a court date of November 7, 2008 was set.

Caroline County Sheriff’s Office Wrap Up

According to Sheriff Tony Lippa, Caroline Deputies made 16 drug arrests, 1 DUI arrest, 17 domestic violence arrests, 163 other criminal arrests and 13 animal control summons or arrests during the past week. The deputies served 272 civil papers, issued 197 traffic summonses, handled 9 motor vehicle crashes, responded to 35 alarm calls, and dealt with 8 juvenile offenders. The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center dispatched 591 calls for service and handled 1,741 telephone inquiries. The CCSO also logged 36 calls assisting outside agencies and had 250 self-initiated calls.

So, which Caroline County Supervisor is leaking information from closed session meetings of the Board of Supervisors?

A couple months ago, a Caroline County citizen raised objections regarding the Caroline County Board of Supervisors, Caroline’s Promise, and Caroline’s Promise’s faith based initiatives. Separation of church and state and all that.

Feel free to argue amongst yourself as to whether you agree with Caroline’s Promise’s policies and programs or not, but that’s the topic of discussion for another post.

Here’s the topic of this post, however: If you heard over to the Caroline County forum on that waste-of-electrons known as FredTalk, you will see people taking about what the Attorney General said in an legal opinion that was provided to the Caroline County Board of Supervisors during a closed session meeting.

This opinion should be covered under closed session meeting standards, as well as under attorney/client privilege, and not be discussed with members of the public.

The opinion which information was leaked from was an informal/unofficial opinion that the Board requested to see if there were any problems that needed to be rectified immediately.

The Board has also requested an official, formal opinion that will be released to the public in the future, which hasn’t finished being prepared at this point.

County Administrator Percy Ashcraft has confirmed that a leak has occurred and stated that the leak didn’t come from anyone on the county staff.

He pointed out that there were only eight or nine people in the room. Three or four people were county staff: Percy Ashcraft; the county attorney; the deputy county administrator, and possibly Ashcraft’s administrative assistant (she skips the closed sessions sometimes due to the fact that no minutes have to be kept for closed sessions).

None of these persons have the position or reason to leak this information. The County Administrator’s Office would be smart enough not to discuss anyone without the proper “clearance”, and the county attorney should understand the principles of attorney/client privilege.

So, folks, who does that leave?

Well, those five lovely folks on the Board of Supervisors.

Now, which member of the Board of Supervisors has connections to that waste-of-electrons known as FredTalk?

Why, that would be Jeff Sili. His wife loves to post on that forum using the alias “oharascarlett” and is bestest buddies with the persons talking about the information contained in the legal opinion.

Not only that, but isn’t Susan Sili on the Board of Directors of Caroline’s Promise? Why, yes, I believe she is.

Sidebar: Anyone else see a conflict of interest in the Board of Supervisors appropriating money to an organization that is being ran by family members of the supervisors?

Of course, this isn’t the first time that confidential information has been leaked from the Board of Supervisors.

The last time around, it was Susan Sili posting about who would be hired for a job — nine days before there was an official announcement!

The person who was hired? A good friend of the Silis!

If I’m not mistaken, it’s against the law to leak information from a closed session. Even if it isn’t against the law, it’s a violation of the Board’s attorney/client privilege.

Has the Board of Supervisors launched an inquiry into this matter?

Are criminal charges being pursued at this point? Impeachment? Censure? Etc.

I hope the cops slashed the tires, ripped the bumpers off, and let hobos use the car as a toilet…

New York Daily News:

In the annals of shameless lawsuits, this one takes the cake.

A Coney Island businessman is suing the city for damaging the Bentley he was driving when he killed a Brooklyn dad in a hit-and-run accident.

Harry Shasho, who pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, says the NYPD failed to safeguard the battered black 2005 Bentley GT luxury sedan that was impounded as evidence of the fatal crash. He’s asking for at least $190,000.

[…]

Shasho, 38, who owns a fancy Coney Island car detailing shop, struck Couch and left the scene without stopping Oct. 1, 2005. He later surrendered to cops and was sentenced to five years’ probation and community service.

[…]

Shasho says the Bentley was in “excellent condition … with no noticeable defects or damage” when he turned himself in, according to the suit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.

The police report tells a different story.

It describes the car as crumpled and the windshield “depressed and fractured” by the violent impact with Couch that left his body parts strewn across the street.

The suit seeks damages from the city, the NYPD and the Brooklyn district attorney’s office.

It accuses the NYPD of failing to properly care for vehicles, “particularly those which require special care and treatment due to value, style [and] model.” Noticeably missing from the suit is any mention of why Shasho was arrested. It doesn’t even mention Couch, 54, an assistant manager at a Duane Reade drugstore.

[…]

Reached by the Daily News, Shasho denied filing a lawsuit and hung up. Shasho’s lawyer refused to comment.

I find it hard to believe…

…that a judge would actually accept this plea deal (New York Post):

Durham was sentenced Wednesday to life behind bars with a chance for parole in 30 years after pleading guilty last month to aggravated murder for Adam Calbreath’s brutal slaying.

Multnomah County, Ore., Judge Eric Bergstrom agreed to the unusual plea deal – which included buckets of fried chicken, pizza and lasagna – because it saved the expense of a trial and possible appeals.

A murder trial could have cost the county about $4,000, officials said.

Durham’s insatiable need for greasy food – which included gorging on KFC and Popeye’s chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, carrot cake, along with a pizza, two calzones, lasagna and ice cream – cost Oregon taxpayers only $41.70.

Bergstrom signed off on the deal, and the killer downed the food in two sittings – the first a few weeks ago, and the second on Wednesday.

[…]

Don Hons, 32, a friend of Calbreath’s who attended the sentencing, said Durham deserved no favors – but told The Oregonian newspaper he was glad the judge made the food deal in order to get the killer locked up.

“If a couple buckets of chicken are going to help to get a conviction, then get some biscuits to go with it,” he said.

Expect someone to start shouting “racism!” in 3, 2, 1…

H/t: Ace of Spades HQ

Obligatory moron escapes from courthouse post

NBC 4:

Authorities are looking for a prisoner who escaped from a courtroom Thursday afternoon in King George County.

Virginia State Police said Ritchie Faltz. Jr. was sentenced Thursday to serve 90 days for misdemeanor destruction of property.

When Faltz heard his sentence, he assaulted a law enforcement officer, ran from the building and was last seen heading into some nearby woods, authorities said.

Faltz, who is from King George County, has family and friends in the Dahlgren and Fredericksburg areas.

He is described as white, 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 840-553-3445 or 540-775-2049.

Richmond Times-Dispatch’s story and The Free Lance–Star’s story.

And now the obligatory clip from Next Friday (content/language warning):

Outragous

Wesley Snipes gets 36 months (3 years) in federal pen for not filing his taxes.

Meanwhile, a man that didn’t file tax returns for three years only got 8 months in federal pen.

Meanwhile, a guy gets one year in prison for running a business of his city office and tax evasion.

Meanwhile, a former teacher only gets 5 years for child pornography.

Meanwhile, a guy gets five years for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Meanwhile, a guy that downloaded child pornography that included the sexual torture of infant and toddlers only gets 7 years.

Need I continue?

So much for proportionately.

UPDATED: Rodney Rodis to be sentenced tomorrow.

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Former priest Rodis to be sentenced today tomorrow

Poor devout family man money-stealing piece of waste.

UPDATE, 02/20/2008, 9:58 p.m.: Alright, now RT-D is saying tomorrow and The Free Lance–Star concurs.

By the way, how much time did Shelia Boone get sentenced to? She was supposed to be sentenced on February 8th but neither the Richmond Times-Dispatch nor The Free Lance–Star did a story on the sentencing that I can find.

Why was this POS released on bail?

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Man whose truck hit trooper is arrested again:

An Abingdon man who was charged with drunken driving after his pickup struck a state trooper Friday night in Smyth County was arrested again yesterday morning, on charges of intoxication in public and possession of drugs, state police said.

Barry Dean Marshall II was a passenger in a car that was pulled over at 2:17 a.m. by a Chilhowie police officer.

[…]

The officer saw the vehicle along northbound Interstate 81 at the 36-mile marker, according to the arrest warrant. Chilhowie is a Smyth County town about 30 miles northeast of Bristol.

Chilhowie police arrested Traci Tashona Peake, 21, on a charge of driving under the influence.

As part of the same incident, Smyth deputies assisting in the stop arrested Marshall, 32. He was charged with public intoxication and possession of drugs with the intent to manufacture or sell, according to the arrest warrant.

Marshall had been charged Friday night with driving under the influence after a pickup he was driving struck trooper K.S. Chapman on I-81, a few miles from where Marshall was arrested yesterday, Conroy said.

Chapman, who has been with the state police for five years, was listed Saturday in critical condition at Bristol Regional Medical Center. State police and hospital officials declined yesterday to release an update on his condition.

Conroy said Chapman’s family requested that his medical record remain private but he said he believes Chapman’s condition has not worsened.

General Assembly comes through on full-time funding for Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office?

There had been a question of whether the state would fund the conversion process for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office from part-time to full-time status this year.

Budget Amendment Item 73 #1h, #5h, #6h, #1s, #2s, #3s (sorry, can’t provide direct linkage):

Explanation:

(This amendment requests general funds to convert four part-time Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ offices to full-time status, in accordance with §15.2-1629, Code of Virginia. The amendment provides funding to convert the offices for Buckingham, Caroline, Charles City, and Middlesex counties to full-time status. Funding is needed a) to convert the salary of the Commonwealth’s Attorney to full-time; b) to convert the salary of the part-time administrative assistant to full-time; c) for additional office expense funding; and d) for start-up equipment costs in the first year.)

Let’s hope these amendments survive the budget process.

Thanks to Delegates Abbitt*, Hargrove, McClellan, Moran, Morgan*, Morrissey, Orrock, Peace, Putney*; and Senators Colgan*, Deeds, Marsh, McDougle*, McEachin, Stolle*.

*Indicates Chief Patron of an amendment

Delegate Peace is also Chief Patron of a budget amendment (Item 493 #198h) that would provide $50,000 to the Quin Rivers, Incorporated; which is a community action agency serving Charles City, New Kent, King William, King and Queen and Caroline counties.

Delegate Peace is Chief Patron of another budget amendment (Item 493 #226h) that would provide $25,000 for construction of the Dawn Library.

UPDATED: Charges against Lashawn Monroe certified

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Murder charge certified against Caroline man:

Felony charges were certified today to a Caroline County grand jury against Lashawn Monroe in the November slaying of Raquel Hunter.

Hunter’s body was found about 11 p.m. Nov. 10 on the ground outside the Madison Ruritan Club hall in Ladysmith. The hall had been rented for a birthday party for another teen.

Monroe, 22, is charged with murder and illegal use of a firearm.

Next stop: Grand jury.

Not sure if the charges will go to the special grand jury (not sure it has been formed yet) or if they will have to wait until April for the regular grand jury.

UPDATE: Richmond Times-Dispatch: Caroline murder trial advances:

A Ruther Glen man accused of killing a 16-year-old outside a birthday party on the night of November 10 had a murder charge against him certified by a judge to a grand jury today.

Lashawn Montque Monroe, 22, is charged in the death of Raquel (pronounced Rockwell) Tremain Hunter, 16, after a fight at the party at the Madison Ruritan Club in Ladysmith..

Party crashers, including Monroe, were ejected from the party, according to testimony in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court today. A melee ensued and the shooting took place about 11 p.m. in the Ruritan Club parking lot.

Javon Edwards, 18, testified that he saw “a big pile of people on top of each other,” including Hunter. He said he helped separate the fighters and noticed that Hunter “swung at somebody.”

He said he was standing next to Hunter when he heard a gunshot and saw a flash between Hunter and Monroe — and then watched Hunter slump to the ground.

Queried by Caroline County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael M. Weise and defense attorney John L. Mahoney, Edwards said he could not say who fired the shot.

“The flash came from the front of who?” Weise asked Edwards.

“The defendant,” Edwards said.

Detective Travis Nutter testified when he began interviewing Monroe a few hours later, Monroe denied having a gun. Later, said Nutter, Monroe admitted that he took a handgun to the party and fired it.

Nutter testified that Monroe told him he saw a “friend and someone else in a confrontation” outside the Ruritan building and when he heard a shot, “he pulled his gun out and shot as he was running away.”

A state medical examiner, Shane Chittenden, testified that Hunter’s body bore three bullet wounds.