Behind bars by mistake
Women tell how police arrested them on warrants describing other people
By Sarah Langbein, Special to the Rocky
Published July 7, 2008 at midnight
Photo by Ken Papaleo © The Rocky
When police took Christina FourHorn, front, out of her house in handcuffs in March, an innocent FourHorn said she couldn't stop crying. Standing behind her, left to right, at her Sterling home last week are husband Sid, daughter Britney and mother-in-law Yolanda Guerra.
Christina FourHorn and Valerie Rodriguez were not guilty of anything more serious than having names similar to two wanted women.
But that was enough to land each in jail.
Both women were put behind bars by Denver police based on arrest warrants meant for someone else. Their legal teams at the American Civil Liberties Union allege their incarcerations were a result of sloppy detective work by the Denver Police Department. In each case, a simple check of the physical descriptions and other identifying information would have told police they had the wrong women, they said.
So they fought back.
'This has to be a mistake'
Rodriguez, 32, turned to a Denver television station to bring attention to her plight when her own detective work couldn't clear her name.
The Aurora woman was stunned that her application for a seasonal job at the post office revealed a supposed criminal past.
"I kept thinking: 'No way, this has to be a mistake,' " she said.
So she quickly called back the post office and asked them to double-check their records. They must have made a mistake, she told them.
But the postal employee said their records showed she was wanted for assault and disturbing the peace.
A trip to the Denver courthouse provided some answers but not enough. So she began calling around to different police districts for clarification. But when that got her nowhere, she drove to police headquarters.
That landed her in jail.
Rodriguez said her repeated pleas to police that they had the wrong woman were brushed aside.
Rodriguez was arrested on a warrant filed nine months earlier by officer Timothy Scudder. A woman said she had been assaulted by an acquaintance named Valerie Rodriguez while the two were at a gas station in Five Points. But the information in the warrant described a different Valerie Rodriguez.
Police should have been looking for a woman who went by the name "Big Val," and who doesn't look like Rodriguez. And a comparison of photographs could have proved that, she said.
"So you're not a prostitute?" Rod riguez said the cop asked her at police headquarters.
"I felt so belittled. It was so humiliating," she said.
Eight hours after she was jailed, Rodriguez was released on bond. At her first court date, no one showed up and the charges against her were dropped. The public defender told her that similar situations happen all the time, she said.
Police change manual
Rodriguez and the Denver ACLU sued the police department.
"I had to take it that far because I felt violated," she said. "It can flip somebody's world upside down.
The city settled the case for $18,000 in July 2007. The police department agreed it would change its operations manual to reflect that searching a law enforcement database by itself is not sufficient police work to obtain information for a warrant. That happened in the manual's October edition, said Mary Dulacki, records manager for the city's Department of Safety. A training bulletin also went out in August, saying detectives must make a positive identification and corroborate their information before making an arrest, Dulacki said.
Rodriguez said the changes are "a steppingstone," and she wants police to do more.
"What I wanted was changes," Rodriguez said. "There's no amount of money to pay somebody to go through this humiliation."
Transported to Denver
FourHorn agrees.
"It will never be in the past," she said of her arrest. "You wonder how many people this happens to and they just let it go because they don't know what to do."
FourHorn, 34, was in the shower when three Sterling police cars pulled up outside her house in March of last year.
She was preparing to get her daughter from school when the knock came at her front door.
The officer asked for her name and age before telling her she was under arrest, that she was the subject of an outstanding warrant in Denver for assault and robbery.
It had her name on it, police told her.
But not exactly.
An arrest warrant filed by Denver Detective Mark Dalvit targeted Christin Fourhorn, a 26-year- old, tattooed woman from Oklahoma who weighed 160 pounds. She was accused of attacking her boyfriend in Denver the previous year. But the warrant listed Four Horn's address.
"Anyone who knows me knows I don't come to Denver," Four Horn said. "They took me out in handcuffs and my neighbor just happened to drive by. I couldn't quit crying."
In disbelief, FourHorn called her husband from jail.
"She said 'I'm in jail,' and I had to say 'What?' about three times," said her husband, Sidney Four Horn.
Christina FourHorn had no criminal record, and that's what Sidney FourHorn tried to explain to police.
"I told them they had the wrong person, but I know they hear that all of the time," he said.
He waited at the Logan County Jail, sure his wife would be cleared once she was fingerprinted. But that never happened.
In the days that followed, Christina FourHorn was transported to a jail cell in Denver. At home, her husband was pulling receipts and debit-card activity to prove his wife was in Sterling the day of the alleged attack. He was getting her medical records ready to show she had been home sick.
FourHorn's bail was set at $35,000, and her family hired a bondsman from Sterling. By then she had sat in jail for five days.
At the end of the month, the family drove from Sterling back to Denver for her second court appearance, only to find out that the charges had been dropped.
And it's no wonder. Most of the facts didn't add up.
"I'm 90 pounds heavier than this girl," FourHorn said.
She also doesn't have a tattoo.
"Why didn't they come to my jail cell and ask to see my arm?" she wondered.
She's never lived in Oklahoma. She's seven years older. And they don't look alike, as FourHorn had tried to explain to the detective.
FourHorn, who works for the state and takes care of the mentally disabled, now keeps paperwork with her at all times to prove the charges against her had been dropped. To this date, her Colorado Bureau of Investigation record still shows a Class 3 felony.
FourHorn and her lawyers at the ACLU are suing the Denver Police Department. She said her goal is not financial gain but "to at least be back to where we were before this," she said referring to the money shelled out for bail, the time away from work and the leave of absence her husband took to help prove her innocence.
These women aren't alone.
ACLU points to others
Several others have alleged similar circumstances, including Bradley Braxton, a black man who spent nine days in jail on a sexual assault case perpetrated by a white man. And now Denver is deciding how much to pay him for the mix-up. The tab could total $30,000.
And, according to the ACLU, four others are moving forward with claims against the city.
"There are undoubtedly many more who don't know to call the ACLU," said ACLU Legal Director Mark Silverstein. "Denver needs to take this issue seriously. It needs to determine how often these mistakes occur and must take immediate steps to set up whatever training or new procedures are necessary."
It's difficult to know how many other people this has happened to. The police department and city say they don't keep records specific to mistaken identity arrests. And they won't comment about pending litigation.
What is clear to these women, though, is that no amount of money can undo the feelings their time in jail left behind. FourHorn and Rodriguez fear they could be snatched up again.
Differing details
VALERIE RODRIGUEZ
* City: Aurora
* Age: 32
* Height: 5-foot-2
* Weight: 180 pounds
* Criminal record: None
VALERIE "BIG VAL" RODRIGUEZ
* City: Denver
* Age: 50
* Height: 5-foot-2
* Weight: 150 pounds (described by the witness as skinny and about 120 pounds, but described in police report as "heavy-set")
* Criminal record: Lengthy, also alleged drug user
CHRISTINA FOURHORN
* City: Sterling
* Age: 34
* Height: 5-foot-7
* Weight: 250 pounds
* Criminal record: None
CHRISTIN FOURHORN
* City: Denver
* Age: 26 (at the time of alleged crime)
* Height: 5-foot-5, tattoo on left arm
* Weight: 160 pounds
* Criminal record: Lengthy
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July 7, 2008
3:10 a.m.
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longpasttime writes:
It's hard to believe in our "information age" that things like this can still happen. When individuals as different as these two were from their criminal suspect counterparts cannot be deemed to be innocent, something is wrong with the system or the process. I can almost understand with a common name like "Rodriguez", but the name "Fourhorn" is most definitely a rare name. In either case, the police need to be more certain of their facts before initiating something as serious as arrest. Once in custody, it should not take days upon days to establish that the individuals in custody are NOT the perpetrators of the crimes they are accused of. It is simply too easy to establish identity with our fast-paced, Internet-accessible world we have today, and these individuals should have been released within HOURS, not DAYS! I know cops have a tough job, but mistakes of this magnitude are inexcusable, and someone should have to answer for it!
July 7, 2008
3:36 a.m.
Suggest removal
happymike44 writes:
I was arrested on the allegation of committing a crime.
I had all the money in my wallet taken and never returned.
Later the people who made the allegation admitted they lied
I am free today because of a really good lawyer.
I had to put my house up for bond at the time of the arrest the cop only kept saying you can afford this look at the neighborhood you live in.
The arrest warrant stated that the man who reported the crime stated he did not witness it.
That it had been told to him and he felt he had no choice but to report it and he had pressured the officer into the arrest.
So that everyone will understand what happened I was arrested under a hearsay statement.
Completely illegal in the first place the officer has never apologised for the arrest.
I am glad to see these women stand up for themselves.
I have not been able to and still fear the lying pos human being who arrested me.
I hope these women strike a blow against the d.p.d. for what they have done.
I only have one thing to say to them YOU TEACH THEM A LESSON THEY WILL NEVER FORGET.
SO THEY WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN TO ANYONE ELSE AND GOOD FOR YOU.
July 7, 2008
4:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
windbourne writes:
HappyMike,
it is funny. We arrested and incarcerated Americans into gitmo and denied them their rights most of all their access to lawyers and yet most Americans said that it was ok.
I hear about your case, and KNOW that it occurs all to frequently. Yet I suspect we will have ppl like Hank/Sasquatch and his neo-con friends soon calling you a liar or saying that they police was right in doing so, without a thought about the consequences to themselves.
The more that we allow our rights to be stripped from ANY American in the name of terrorism or expedience of justice, the more that we become what we did not want to be; a totalitarian state.
July 7, 2008
6:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
ItsJustme writes:
Windborne - please provide the name of one person who was arrested and incarcerated at Gitmo whose rights were violated once they were identified as American.
July 7, 2008
6:20 a.m.
Suggest removal
stevea writes:
Remember, boys and girls, that this sort of thing will never happen again, now that we have "trained" Terrorism Liaison Officers among us, who will be watching what we do. Had there been TLOs involved in the cases mentioned here, nobody would have been wrongfully arrested.
By the way, what sort of illiterate idiocy allows "5-foot-5", "5-foot-7" etc?
July 7, 2008
7:09 a.m.
Suggest removal
7_ogNiOj writes:
"Let's face it: Denver has a serious gang probem. The gangsters wear blue and carry a badge."
Not much more to say.
July 7, 2008
7:12 a.m.
Suggest removal
Mike_In_Hartsel writes:
As computerized as we are this should never happen.
July 7, 2008
7:18 a.m.
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sparkyisfourty writes:
My husband and I were stopped for going 17 in a 15 on our Harley. The cop said my husband had a suspended license and a restraining order against him. My husband being a driver was concerned because that is not good for someone who drives for a living. Took alot of questions and investigating, but the cop finally realized the kid with the same name was only 18 and my husband 42. Luckily after a while he looked at the date of birth. CRAZY!
July 7, 2008
7:56 a.m.
Suggest removal
Francesca writes:
Interesting how NCIC data can become easily convoluted. I was a witness to an altercation between individuals while we were gathered at a city park last Friday to watch the fireworks. The officer asked for my ID because I was willing to give a statement about what happened. Well, they ran my driver's license and I came up as a "person of interest." I have a CCP, was not carrying concealed that evening... however I became a suspicious person and was escorted (by three officers) to sit in a the back of a locked patrol car (while my family stood there outside watching) while they ascertained that I was not a criminal. Of course I can't do a d@mn thing about it, else risk losing my carry privilege. Nice experience for my kids though. Not.
In this age of data overload, no telling what can happen to an innocent person. What happened to these ladies shouldn't have. They really do have a gripe as it went too far.
July 7, 2008
8:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
Marshdale writes:
I hear about peoples posessions coming up missing all of the time in lock-up. Especially money. Who is stealing this money? It certainly is not the janitor. Police departments in general are pretty good, but the thieves among them are discusting human beings and put a black cloud over all of them.
July 7, 2008
8:26 a.m.
Suggest removal
mrfxx writes:
Come on Milehighguy: "A day or two in jail is a bad thing, but not life or career ending, for an innocent person. Innocent people have little reason to fear." Want to bet?
For Ms. Rodriguez, there was already damage to her career (her inability to get additional part time work for the holidays) - and since the article says the charges were dropped, as opposed to expunged (ie: erased from her record) she may lose other work.
Ms. FourHorn sat in jail for 5 days before she was bailed out - and according to the article, her CBI record still shows a class 3 felony despite the charges being dropped and her ability to prove that it was mistaken identity - again which could cost her job. Ms. FourHorn is only seeking reimbursement of costs - which is incredibly generous of her, all things considered.
Of course, rather than suing the government entities responsible for these screwups I am SURE you would prefer both these ladies lose their jobs and go on welfare, correct? And I am equally certain that you would have happily sat thru what both these ladies (and others) have sat thru without a single whimper, just knowing in your heart of hearts that there is no way any innocent is ever harmed by these situations.
July 7, 2008
8:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Hate to see the anti-cops comments be applied to all cops. Think about how many cops do their job better than this, and that's why you never read about them. They probably get more upset than anybody when police work is done this way, because it tends to reflect poorly on all ot them.
But I agree that the cops should use photos when they have them available. The first woman went to the police station herself, and they were probably unprepared for that. And she was only held for 8 hours so her case is not so egregious as the other.
But the second case seems pretty bad. When the DPD went all the way up to Sterling to arrest Fourhorn, you'd think they would have a photo or at least take the time to read the identifying information (e.g. tattoo) and then confirm a match before they took her all the way back to Denver. This woman spent five days in jail for nothing, and if the first one was paid $18K for 8 hours, a commeasurate amount for 5 days would be $270K. Maybe that will be enough for a notation in the detective's personnel file about the need to confirm identifying information before making an arrest, you think?
Maybe not.
July 7, 2008
8:35 a.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
+Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
WHAT PART OF THE 4TH AMENDMENT DOES THE DPD NOT UNDERSTAND??
Oh yeah, the TOP LEO in the US said that the Constitution is " just a G*DDAM PIECE OF PAPER...And the other LEOs say " I'm just following orders "...
Newsflash: That defense didn't work at Nurenberg...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurenber...
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
The time for the big A is getting closer...
July 7, 2008
8:56 a.m.
Suggest removal
GlacierDragon writes:
My whole name is uncommon - and there's another woman with the exact same name. One of my coworkers was looking up people's tickets to find out their birthdays. I had one ticket (I didn't slow down when the speed limit changed because the car behind me was tailgating. Turns out the tailgater was a cop...) but someone with the same name had a whole *slew* of tickets in another location that, fortunately, my coworker knew I'd never visited. My Dad also was trying out a new program to do background checks on potential workers. He entered my information and she came up. I'd hate to see what happens if DPD ever has cause to look me up now.
July 7, 2008
8:59 a.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
Support the ACLU
http://www.aclu.org/
The next one could be you.
July 7, 2008
9:13 a.m.
Suggest removal
newshound writes:
I can't believe that DPD (and police in general) can be this ignorant. What ever happened to finding out with a certainty who you are arresting. The worst part is, taxpayers are footing the bill for the police department's lack of common sense.
July 7, 2008
9:16 a.m.
Suggest removal
blacksho89 writes:
Boy, every story on here has happened to happymike, too!
How old are you, Mike? 150? 200 years old?
July 7, 2008
9:20 a.m.
Suggest removal
Dhakala writes:
The ACLU should sue to make Denver keep track of mistaken identity cases. What you want to change you first must measure.
July 7, 2008
9:26 a.m.
Suggest removal
HSTOWEL writes:
windbourne your statement that, "We arrested and incarcerated Americans into gitmo and denied them their rights most of all their access to lawyers" is a complete lie. There were no Americans incarcerated at Gitmo. All Americans were brought back into the USA and charged in Federal Court. Maybe you should get your facts straight before you begin spouting your garbage.
July 7, 2008
9:26 a.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
If nothing else, it's good to be reminded that the ACLU does some worthwhile work.
July 7, 2008
9:34 a.m.
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stella writes:
I'ts not the DPD but my husband is currently on his 6th month of fighting the Denver Parking Magistrate for a parking ticket on a vehicle that he has never owned, registered to someone with his same name. The ticket went unpaid and the city went on a fishing expedition to find someone willing to pay up. You'd think it would be fairly simple to get this expunged but 6 months later, we are still here...fighting over $60 and a potential credit blackeye. It really shouldn't be that hard, in the age of instant information, to figure this out.
July 7, 2008
9:47 a.m.
Suggest removal
happymike44 writes:
It may not seem like a big deal to some of you.
But try getting out knowing your innocent and having the police breathing down your neck.
Also since my lovely run in with the pos person who knowingly arrested me and did so under false imprisonment.
Once you have you freedom taken from you by someone who refuses to listen to your rights or destroys your home doing the arrest.
God I hope no one has to go through what they have or I have gone through.
I now suffer from nightmares and have trouble leaving my home without taking a witness with me.
Also I fear since the officer mde a mistake and knows my name I now live with the fear of he knows where I am all the time.
But I have no clue to him or his ageda he has for me.
So I do not feel sorry for the police or the city of Denver.
For if you refuse to do your job correctly then you must pay for your mistakes.
I thought this could never happen to me in my entire life.
I now know this can happen to anyone rich or poor.
Forget innocent until proven guilty because those boys in blue did not take the same ethics course the rest of us took.
July 7, 2008
9:57 a.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
" In a Mature ( read DYING ) society, the civil servant become the civil MASTER "
-RAH
Who do you see more of on the streets, the obvious BLUE gang member or the member of the Bloods or the Crips???....
It's hard to tell the difference these days..they both behave the same...
Oh, BTW, before you start defending the gang in blue in Denver, you may want to read up on Denver history. The KKK used to RUN this town...
And if you defend the gang in blue, you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. My advice: Stop following ORDERS and use some common sense. If you have an US vs Them attitude, time to get out of THIS gang....
July 7, 2008
9:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
Cowboy63 writes:
How many times do the police hear "you got the wrong guy" when making an arrest?
Yes, the cops make mistakes. Their job is incredibly difficult and I wouldn't do it for any amount of money. Remember - this story is about TWO cases. It it a major hassle for these women - absolutely. It is a widespread problem - doesn't sound like it.
July 7, 2008
10:11 a.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
Cowboy63:
Justifying behavior doesn't make it right. This country was founded on the idea that HUNDREDS should go free before ONE person is arrested. The DPD PERVERTS that idea.
Give up defending indefensible behavior.
July 7, 2008
10:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
fastnloose writes:
hakj,if I read this right, you said your son was found guilty for a crime he did not commit.Sounds like he had his day in court,and whomever was involved in the hearing,found him guilty.Even though you said they had no evidence,someone felt they did.Your example really is not what this article is all about.
July 7, 2008
11:12 a.m.
Suggest removal
Cowboy63 writes:
hakj writes: "And you are naively mistaken if you think it is NOT a wide spread problem. The good ole boys’ club most certainly exists in the law enforcement departments throughout this country."
Well, I've been wrong before, but THIS story is about two people.
However, it would be nice if the DPD did keep stats on this sort of thing. No matter what the numbers, any wrongfull arrest is a major hassle to the individual.
It is important to remember, we are talking about a Bureaucracy and government employees here - mistakes are going to happen.
July 7, 2008
11:16 a.m.
Suggest removal
wow writes:
I was learning a lot reading these posts and wanted to thank every one for putting your experiences out there.
Then Kay showed up.
Again.
Go wash your head, Kay.
July 7, 2008
11:27 a.m.
Suggest removal
fastnloose writes:
Kay,you need to start hanging out with higher clientele.
July 7, 2008
11:35 a.m.
Suggest removal
momof5 writes:
I've never been jailed for this, but came close. My ex and his girlfriend got welfare benefits using my kids' Social Security cards and birth certificates. Jeffco decided I should pay the benefits back even though I proved I always had custody of my kids. I even showed them a restraining application that my ex filled out stating under oath that he never had custody but they went after me for the money.
Long story short Jeffco requested I pay back the money they got. I refused. They garnished my wages and suspended my driver's license. But I didn't know they suspended my license. I got stopped for a headlight that was out and the cop told me my license was suspended. He gave me a ticket and I had to get my daughter to come drive the car home. It took me months to clear this up and I had to pay the money they owed. Then I had to pay to have my license reinstated even though it should never have been suspended. It still crops up on my license and credit report that I was behind in child support and had my license suspended and my wages garnished.
July 7, 2008
11:42 a.m.
Suggest removal
gs writes:
Well that will be the last time I try to p*ss off PMSXpress. And Kaye, could you get a job please? we've heard all this before.
Otherwise, the problems does seem to be growing and, while I don't usually support the ACLU, they have their place and this issue is where it is at now.
July 7, 2008
11:47 a.m.
yerrite2no writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
July 7, 2008
12:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
JB writes:
Ok ok... I usually wouldn't say anything, but for Pete Sake Kay!! You show up on a blog EVERYTIME something comes up about the police or the courts, etc... everytime ranting and raving about how unjustly you've been treated!
Get over it! Granted, your writing does not make a lot of sense and is very hard to follow, but I think I've got the gist of it. First off, EVERYTHING you say about being in jail without criminal charges is clearly untrue. Perhaps you were found not guilty, perhaps the the charges were dropped, perhaps you made a deal... but there is no possible way you were locked up for as long as you claim to have been with zero charges...unless you were in Gitmo!
Kay... you filed countless and coutless lawsuits against people AND LOST! Then, you refiled them! Then, you failed to show up for an ordered court appearance and were found in contempt! Totally legit!
July 7, 2008
12:13 p.m.
Suggest removal
fastnloose writes:
Dear Kay,after reading all of your post today.I feel like I really know you.Thanks for Sharing.
July 7, 2008
12:29 p.m.
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reddog writes:
Your right the real terrorist are wearing blue and have a badge. How much more incompetent acts are we going to let this so called "chef of Police" get away with? The guy should be fired now, all he does is defend his cop shootin buddies.
July 7, 2008
12:43 p.m.
Suggest removal
Cwillyrun1 writes:
One mistake by a police department is one mistake too many. The public counts on law enforcement to have ALL of their information correct before making an arrest, otherwise law enforcement has betrayed the public trust and there's no excuse whatsoever for that. Am I surprised at anything like what the article mentions? No. Not to generalize, because there are some good officers out there, but too many are nothing more than criminals with a badge, allowing them to do what they want. Arapahoe County sheriff deputies, according to a former AC deputy running for Sheriff, are given quotas to fill each day. I believe for a patrol officer, it's 2 tickets per day, and for a traffic officer, it's 5 tickets per day.... even though quotas are against the law. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a police car come to a red light, turn his lights on, and once through the intersection the lights are turned off. That officer isn't in any kind of hurry, or responding to a call, so why are they abusing their privileges? Thornton police gave me a ticket, and when I went to court and pled not guilty at the preliminary hearing, the DA's office tried to tack on a charge of inciting a riot (obviously to get me to plead guilty), but when I provided a name and other information on a witness willing to testify, they dropped all charges knowing they lacked evidence to dispute it. Of course, Thornton's police department is one of the worst in the metro area. Now those aren't arrests, but they're still abuses of power by law enforcement. Anything they can do so they can state a criminal (or not) has been found guilty!
It seems to me that police officers (or deputies) aren't much more than revenue generators for the city or county they're employed by. Too often, they're lazy with investigations, or they don't investigate at all (my parents had a vehicle almost stolen, and the Thornton police officer that responded was irritated that he came out, saying, "You should've called this in and we could've taken the information over the phone" and I'm thinking, "get off your fat a** and get out and find fingerprints or whatever"). I guess they're too busy sitting somewhere with a radar gun waiting to pull someone over for speeding. Revenue generators!!
I think when law enforcement makes big mistakes like the article talks about, they should be sued. They should have to pay out, and have public notification of such, so the public knows they're paying for mistakes made by the police department.
July 7, 2008
12:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
gs writes:
Kay,
Get a job please! You were jailed for contempt and I am beginning to understand why. PLEASE!
July 7, 2008
12:52 p.m.
Suggest removal
zosopage writes:
Are our law enforcement people this dumb? Here is my story... I have never been arrested, but I know a person that was. This person is currently serving a 3 year sentence in southern Colorado for parole violation. I was over at his ex wifes house a couple weeks ago and here comes the Parker Police department asking me if I knew where he was, that they had been to his parents house, and were looking for him because he did not show up for a court date in Douglas county. Dumbfounded, I told the officers in that WTF voice, that they were wasting my tax money because he is in prison already. At first they didn't believe me, but then I explained to them about the high profile case and one of them recognized the case. My point is twofold. They waste money and man hours here and, more importantly, this guys kids came up to me thinking I was going to be taken away by the police like their dad was. And what about the neighbors? They are thinking the same thing undoubtedly. It is very easy to search for people on the net, and you would think our public officers already do that before they take hours out of their important days to do absolutely stupid policework.
July 7, 2008
12:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
JB writes:
Oh jeepers Kay-
I'll do you one better..seriously, just because you didn't get your way doesn't mean all the big bad boogie men are out to get you..BTW...If you testified and filed your writs with the same lack of clarity and poor grammer and rambling sentences that you use here...well that probably answers your questions for you!
https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/...
http://ca10.washburnlaw.edu/cases/200...
July 7, 2008
1:16 p.m.
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jbowen43 writes:
People in this country should thank their lucky stars they have the American Civil Liberties Union to protect their rights. It's for sure the government has no interest in doing that. More people should join and support the ACLU and proudly proclaim their membership. The critics of this fine organization are just ignorant of the facts.
July 7, 2008
1:18 p.m.
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JB writes:
kay-
That's not what this blog is here for. I posted links to just two of the courts decision. Anyone with Google can learn the rest, just as I did....
Back to the issue the article is about... It is bizarre that an officer wouldn't check the physical description! Especially after DAYS... totally unacceptable.
July 7, 2008
1:29 p.m.
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Cowboy63 writes:
Cwillyrun1 -
The cops are told to "go to this address and bring in this individual" - not investigate the charges.
I know a couple of cops and they are average guys. They screw up like everyone else but they are hardly out looking to ruin peoples lives. Paperwork is paperwork!
I do agree with your point about generating revenue. These guys are basically trying to get through their shift. These guys are neither Batman nor Nazi's.
Remember Columbine? The police and the firemen were hiding behind firetrucks in the parking lot while two amateur punks were shooting up the school. They weren't heroes or villians, they were just CYA'ing to get home at the end of the day.
July 7, 2008
1:44 p.m.
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gs writes:
Kay,
If I agree that judge Naughtyham imprisoned you unjustly for ruining his daydream about that last lap dance will you stop? There really is some content to the article and I'd like to see other opinions. Not just your story. Thanks.
July 7, 2008
2 p.m.
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MRSTTYLER writes:
7_0gNiOj YOU ARE SO RIGHT
July 7, 2008
2:19 p.m.
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JB writes:
One last nail for Kay...in case anyone was doubting ;-)
http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/...
Now Kay, PLEASE, please, please...if you're going to post, post on the topic at hand, without railing against all the big bad boogie men who've done ya wrong!
July 7, 2008
3:03 p.m.
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Cwillyrun1 writes:
cowboy, the problem with the police in that instance is that the officer who did arrive on scene didn't do squat to "protect and serve", as the motto goes. I'm aware that officers themselves don't investigate, it's the detectives that do it. But the officer was mad he was called out, and no other action was taken... no detective came out to even check for fingerprints (and further on that, I had heard an officer claim that checking for fingerprints in a situation like that can violate civil rights) or to ask neighbors if they saw anything. My parents understand what a failure the Thornton police department is, so they didn't bother calling the department to ask them to do their jobs. But I was mad and called, and the response I got was "have your parents come in and we can talk about it". My response to that was, "have your department do their jobs as they're required and no meeting will have to take place, and no time will be wasted on something that won't resolve the problem". Paperwork might take time up, but it's no excuse to be lazy.
Another instance of police abusing power........ I was driving westbound on I-70 coming upon Sheridan, and where it winds right before Sheridan, I was sideswiped by a car as I was in the right lane. I got off at the exit and drove north to the park, with the driver of the other vehicle following. He got out and as I was walking back to look at his car, I called 911. He raised a fist at me and threatened to kick me, and I told him he'd receive a beating for it if he did. He said he was an ex-cop, and I told the 911 operator he was drunk and threatening assault on me. He drove off before the police arrived, and they looked at my car and said he did sideswipe me. He was a former DPD living in Lakewood, and the Lakewood police couldn't find him (go figure, a drunk driver not wanting to get caught). The next day, I was told by the DPD they weren't going to do anything because this idiot claimed I drove by on the shoulder (yeah, right, the shoulder with 4 feet of room between the right lane and the guardrail?). And when I asked if it was okay to leave the scene of an accident like he did, they said it was okay to drive home and call it in. B***sh*t!!! I called them out on that right away, but it didn't matter. All they wanted to do was protect one of their own, even though he caused an accident, left the scene of the accident, was driving drunk and if it was one of us, would've been charged with attempted assault. They may not be out to ruin people's lives, but they aren't helping when they abuse their power either.
July 7, 2008
3:07 p.m.
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Cwillyrun1 writes:
KaySieverding...... don't let them bother you. You have the same right to post on here as anyone else, and as often as you like, just like anyone else. If someone doesn't like it or doesn't agree, they don't have to read your posts.
PS-Sorry you went through all of that, it sounds like a bunch of ****. Some may joke about it, unless they're put in the same position.
July 7, 2008
3:08 p.m.
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The_Punnisher writes:
Following orders is no excuse; You are as much a LIAR and GUILTY as the ones who lied in the first place...Oh, yeah, the computer didn't lie: BUT THE PERSON WITH THE INFORMATION DID!!!
I mention that because people obviously want to distance themselves from the NAZIS who used that defense; they were HANGED anyway...
The bottom line: Civil SERVANTS must lose the IMMUNITY that they have been given and treated as EQUALLY as a REGULAR citizen.
I personally think that the civil servant should be held to a HIGHER standard of conduct: when abuse of authority is found, EXECUTION ON THE SPOT!!!
That way we clean the gene pool and get rid of the people with abusive tendencies in the first place.
I'd rather have the Hell's Angels around defending my property than the ilk that are inhabiting the Denver ( IN ) Justice system..
( PS: I worked with BOTH groups, LEOs and Hell's Angels. Guess which group behaves better? )
July 7, 2008
3:17 p.m.
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Cowboy63 writes:
Cwillyrun1 writes: "They may not be out to ruin people's lives, but they aren't helping when they abuse their power either."
You got a point there. I've been on many a military base and without fail the drunkest, most disorderly individuals were always off-duty cops.
Punnisher - (sigh)
Take a deep breath, Sonny. It's amuzing how a guy who advocates "execution on the spot" wants to weed out people with abusive tendencies. What's wrong with that picture?
July 7, 2008
3:46 p.m.
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davies writes:
Gene: Just to further pique your curiosity, if I recall correctly it was a $3,000 lap dance. Now that's what REALLY got people wondering...
July 7, 2008
4:24 p.m.
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The_Punnisher writes:
Take a deep breath, Sonny. It's amuzing how a guy who advocates "execution on the spot" wants to weed out people with abusive tendencies. What's wrong with that picture?
I'll ask YOU ( I suspect a LEO behind the handle ) what is wrong with the CITIZEN becoming judge, jury and executioner? THE CITIZEN HAS THAT RIGHT when the GOVERNMENT has shown the inability to do it's job...
THAT IS WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS WROTE ABOUT!!! That also was part of the debate AGAINST forming the US in the first place!!
Sonny: READ YOUR HISTORY; THEN LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE!!!
I WOULD set up as JJE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE JOB.
" When the need arises — and it does — you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out — that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse. "
-RAH
I think we are abut to reach that point very soon now..8-/..
July 7, 2008
5:03 p.m.
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The_Punnisher writes:
Kay, I'll do you one better.
We can do what you ask, it is just a matter of the government having the WILL to implement it.
I would also like to add that we have built a FOOLPROOF lie detector that is based on the BRAINWAVES of the person subject to it. fMRI studies have made that claim, but people have had a vested interest in throwing these claims out. The same " authorities " would fear that loss of ( imperfect ) power.
This is very similar to the fictional VERIDICATOR H. BEAM PIPER wrote about in his " Future History " stories.
A LEO would be VERY afraid to be put on the stand...and that fear goes up the chain. THIS is why I would not be afraid of the JJE job; I trust the MACHINE to tell the truth..
( You would be surprised at what machines I have worked with in my 40 years with them )
July 7, 2008
5:07 p.m.
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enginerd writes:
DPD is not only careless about whom they arrest, but they have policies designed to screw crime victims while ignoring the criminals.
My son had his car stolen a couple of years ago. Fortunately, it was found relatively intact. Unfortunately, it was found by DPD. They did absolutely nothing to try to catch the thieves who not only stole the car but forged a couple thousand dollars worth of checks on the checkbook they found in it. DPD impounded the car and extorted $100 from the victim to get it back, and they refused to dust it for prints or investigate in any way. That is their policy.
After reading this article, I guess he's lucky they didn't arrest him for the bad checks.
July 7, 2008
6 p.m.
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Vector049 writes:
Police = army of the rich.
July 7, 2008
6:15 p.m.
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fastnloose writes:
What started out as a neat topic,hit the crapper several long winded post back.Just my opinion!
July 7, 2008
8:17 p.m.
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davies writes:
Gene: After reading some of these posts, I can empathize with the judge. I'm just too cheap to pay!
July 7, 2008
8:38 p.m.
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The_Punnisher writes:
Speak for yourself. We have the brain maps. We KNOW when a person makes a lie up, you can watch it REALTIME on an fMRI...
[sarcasm]Scary, isn't it.[/sarcasm]
Not to the HONEST person who has nothing to hide....
Compare that to a HUMAN judge....
July 7, 2008
8:56 p.m.
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gs writes:
Actually I think someone was jailed due to felony annoying.
July 8, 2008
6:37 a.m.
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jack_carlson writes:
I personally had my entire life and career ruined because of an incident of this sort, and I wasn't guilty of anything. I have zero respect for law enforcement now (they are lazy), and even less for prosecutors (they can be genuinely evil). I no longer believe anything that I hear from prosecutors. In my case, they rushed me to a conviction, and they KNEW I was innocent. Didn't matter to them though.
July 8, 2008
8:19 a.m.
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nicktaste writes:
i was falsely arrested in dever before for not having a license
their computer said it was invalid, incorrectly
I spent time in jail overnight for it
They dropped the charges... 5 years later I check and
"driving w/ out a license/ insurance" is on my record
so even though they dropped their false charges, it still ended up staying on my record
thanks dpd