Questions Surface About Pinellas County Corruption
Alert
COMMENTARY
PINELLAS COUNTY—Over the past several weeks, The North Country Gazette
has been taking a look at the operations of the office of Pinellas-
Pasco state attorney Bernie McCabe. There is evidence that McCabe may
have intentionally blocked investigations into public corruption in
Pinellas County.
The recently released report by the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement that discloses that Moses Jordan, a high level FDLE agent
assigned to the Tampa office, was forced to resign after McCabe and
others filed a complaint against him for a three year old incident in
which Jordan challenged jurisdiction at a crime scene involving a
state officer, gives a troubling inside look at McCabe and his
egotistical power. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/09/pinellas_turf_war/
Also resigning from the same office within days of Jordan was Lance
Newman, another high level FDLE officer, but officials were quick to
say that the two resignations had no connection.
Coming at approximately the same time of the internal FDLE into
Jordan’s actions was the resignation of former FDLE commissioner Guy
Tunnell as an investigator with the Bay County state attorney’s office
of Steve Meadows. Tunnell’s sudden departure, effective Dec. 31,
raised eyebrows in many arenas, especially since he retired six months
early and at a loss of over $18,000 in retirement funds. He wasn’t due
to retire until this summer and would have received a retirement
payment of over a half million dollars.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2007/11/30/sudden-retirement-of-ex-fdle-commissioner-suspect/
Controversy continues to swirl about the increasing number of taser-
related deaths in Pinellas County by police officers which McCabe
labels “excusable homicides”, the failure to bring any criminal
charges in the boating death of Jimmy Spicer even though the operator
of the boat, Ryan Horton, 19, was intoxicated at more than five times
the state limit and was on probation at the time for a prior
conviction for marijuana possession with conditions which prohibited
him from imbibing alcohol. Then there’s the mysterious death of Joey
Turner, found dead in the water after having been on a boat owned by
politically connected Paul Skipper, one of the largest real estate
developers in the Pinellas County area.
NCG has asked readers with information about McCabe’s office or
individual cases in Pinellas County to contact NCG at
ne...@northcountrygazette.org and this week, received extensive
information from one reader who wishes to remain anonymous due to
feared reprisals. Others with related information are invited to
submit it to NCG.
“I am closely following your articles about Pinellas County. It is my
opinion there is much corruption within the county. It appears that
Bernie McCabe has himself pretty well covered though. He has held his
position for too long. It is shocking to me that he hasn’t truly been
elected by the people. What happens to his campaign dollars?
“As you are aware, some of his prosecutors have been arrested for
DUI’s and nothing happens to them. They write if off as a mistake, a
mistake that no one else can make. (Lydia Dempsey Wardell, one of two
misdemeanor court supervisors for McCabe, known for aggressively
pursuing DUI cases, was arrested by Tampa Police for DUI in November
2004 with an blood alcohol level of 0.23 percent, nearly three times
the state threshold. She had three children in the car with her.
Bruce Bartlett, McCabe’s chief assistant, said “she made a mistake.
She’s extremely remorseful about her conduct”).
“And a judge views pornography on county equipment and again, no
criminal punishment. It is outrageous. The Reader’s Digest wrote an
article about the 10 worst judges in the country and Brandt Downey was
listed. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/092306JudgeRebuked.html
“I am convinced that Doug Crow (McCabe’s executive assistant state
attorney) is a vindictive prosecutor who is abusing his power and
getting away with it. (It was Crow and McCabe’s assistant Robert
Lewis, both of whom have contributed the maximum amounts to McCabe’s
election campaigns, who refused to consider accusations against
Michael Schiavo at the request of the Governor and his staff, saying
they found insufficient evidence of any prosecutable offense to
justify a criminal investigation. It was Douglas Crow who recommended
dropping the criminal case against the Church of Scientology, charged
with abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult and practicing medicine
without a license, in the Lisa McPherson case after she died while in
their care.)
“There are increasing allegations that he (Crow) is unreasonable. I
had a powerful defense attorney tell me it is very difficult to deal
with Doug Crow. He acts childishly and takes everything personally. I
have personally heard other defense attorneys make very similar
statements. But Doug Crow is allowed to get away with it. He has
ruined many people’s lives and boasts about it. He also allegedly has
Troy Walker from the FDLE doing investigations for him. “In my
opinion, Walker’s reputation is such that he writes his reports and
then does an investigation. He is also known to defense attorneys as
having the same reputation as Crow. I believe Walker’s investigations
are very sloppy and very slanted. It still amazes me he is still there
with (Moses) Jordon and (Lance) Newman.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/09/pinellas_turf_war/Walker
allegedly signs off on his own reports.
“I believe Doug Crow is an Achilles heel for McCabe. It is my opinion
that once Crow makes it a problem for McCabe, he will put him on a
shorter leash.
The mindset of Crow is troubling, to say the least. When the Florida
Supreme Court reversed the murder conviction of James Floyd in 2005
because the Pinellas state attorney’s office had withheld evidence,
Crow said it most likely was an “honest mistake”.
Floyd had been sitting on death row, sentenced to die for allegedly
murdering an 86-year-old woman. Pinellas prosecutors had failed to
produce statements from a neighbor who had claimed to see two other
men entering the woman’s house at the time of her death. They also
failed to tell the defense about inconsistent reports from detectives
and about how a snitch tried to barter his testimony for a lighter
sentence on his own criminal charges. Anything for a conviction seems
to be the motto in Pinellas County.
“Pinellas County also has bonds higher than other counties. They are
100 to 200% higher. This is a factor why the Pinellas County Jail is
overcrowded. Judges don’t lower bonds and the bonds don’t fit the
crime. Florida’s law states defendants are entitled to a reasonable
bond, unless there is a flight risk or a threat to society. If someone
is sitting in jail for two years waiting to go to trial, the bond is
obviously not reasonable. Again, no one challenges Pinellas County.
The defense attorneys have to pick their battles.
“Pinellas County is also very slow to go to trial and won’t negotiate.
So many cases are in limbo for years. The judges appear to allow the
prosecution continuances, even on a case a few years old. It’s a very
scary thing to be in the justice system in Pinellas. And the very sad
part is there is nowhere to go—no one to turn to. The St. Petersburg
Times won’t even write a negative article about it. Again, they have
themselves pretty well covered.
“Our Constitution was written to keep people free. You are innocent
until proven guilty. It is better to let a guilty man walk than to
send an innocent man to prison.
“Now the prosecutions across the country are win at all costs,
regardless of the evidence. It appears their philosophy is to
overcharge and bully. Florida’s budget gave more to prisons than
education. There is something wrong.
“I can assure you what I am saying is truthful. Because I fear of
retaliation, I don’t want to give names”.
NCG is continuing it’s review of McCabe’s office and its operations.
Coming next will be an in depth look at the death of Jimmy Spicer, the
21-year-old man who was killed by a boat propeller trying to help move
a boat which had become stuck on a sandbar. Although the Pinellas
County Sheriff’s Department charged the intoxicated Horton with BUI
manslaughter, McCabe’s office refused to prosecute and dismissed the
charge.
Anyone who wishes to help defray the costs of the public records
requests and other expenses associated with gathering information for
this special report or who wishes to support the efforts of NCG may do
so by using the PayPal button on the home page, www.northcountrygazette.org
5-16-08
stopsci...@hushmail.com
> http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/16/pinellas_county_corrupt...
>
> COMMENTARY
>
> PINELLAS COUNTY—Over the past several weeks, The North Country Gazette
> has been taking a look at the operations of the office of Pinellas-
> Pasco state attorney Bernie McCabe. There is evidence that McCabe may
> have intentionally blocked investigations into public corruption in
> Pinellas County.
>
> The recently released report by the Florida Department of Law
> Enforcement that discloses that Moses Jordan, a high level FDLE agent
> assigned to the Tampa office, was forced to resign after McCabe and
> others filed a complaint against him for a three year old incident in
> which Jordan challenged jurisdiction at a crime scene involving a
> state officer, gives a troubling inside look at McCabe and his
>
> Also resigning from the same office within days of Jordan was Lance
> Newman, another high level FDLE officer, but officials were quick to
> say that the two resignations had no connection.
>
> Coming at approximately the same time of the internal FDLE into
> Jordan’s actions was the resignation of former FDLE commissioner Guy
> Tunnell as an investigator with the Bay County state attorney’s office
> of Steve Meadows. Tunnell’s sudden departure, effective Dec. 31,
> raised eyebrows in many arenas, especially since he retired six months
> early and at a loss of over $18,000 in retirement funds. He wasn’t due
> to retire until this summer and would have received a retirement
>
> Controversy continues to swirl about the increasing number of taser-
> related deaths in Pinellas County by police officers which McCabe
> labels “excusable homicides”, the failure to bring any criminal
> charges in the boating death of Jimmy Spicer even though the operator
> of the boat, Ryan Horton, 19, was intoxicated at more than five times
> the state limit and was on probation at the time for a prior
> conviction for marijuana possession with conditions which prohibited
> him from imbibing alcohol. Then there’s the mysterious death of Joey
> Turner, found dead in the water after having been on a boat owned by
> politically connected Paul Skipper, one of the largest real estate
> developers in the Pinellas County area.
>
> NCG has asked readers with information about McCabe’s office or
> individual cases in Pinellas County to contact NCG at
> information from one reader who wishes to remain anonymous due to
> feared reprisals. Others with related information are invited to
> submit it to NCG.
>
> “I am closely following your articles about Pinellas County. It is my
> opinion there is much corruption within the county. It appears that
> Bernie McCabe has himself pretty well covered though. He has held his
> position for too long. It is shocking to me that he hasn’t truly been
> elected by the people. What happens to his campaign dollars?
>
> “As you are aware, some of his prosecutors have been arrested for
> DUI’s and nothing happens to them. They write if off as a mistake, a
> mistake that no one else can make. (Lydia Dempsey Wardell, one of two
> misdemeanor court supervisors for McCabe, known for aggressively
> pursuing DUI cases, was arrested by Tampa Police for DUI in November
> 2004 with an blood alcohol level of 0.23 percent, nearly three times
> the state threshold. She had three children in the car with her.
>
> Bruce Bartlett, McCabe’s chief assistant, said “she made a mistake.
> She’s extremely remorseful about her conduct”).
>
> “And a judge views pornography on county equipment and again, no
> criminal punishment. It is outrageous. The Reader’s Digest wrote an
> article about the 10 worst judges in the country and Brandt Downey was
>
> “I am convinced that Doug Crow (McCabe’s executive assistant state
> attorney) is a vindictive prosecutor who is abusing his power and
> getting away with it. (It was Crow and McCabe’s assistant Robert
> Lewis, both of whom have contributed the maximum amounts to McCabe’s
> election campaigns, who refused to consider accusations against
> Michael Schiavo at the request of the Governor and his staff, saying
> they found insufficient evidence of any prosecutable offense to
> justify a criminal investigation. It was Douglas Crow who recommended
> dropping the criminal case against the Church of Scientology, charged
> with abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult and practicing medicine
> without a license, in the Lisa McPherson case after she died while in
> their care.)
>
> “There are increasing allegations that he (Crow) is unreasonable. I
> had a powerful defense attorney tell me it is very difficult to deal
> with Doug Crow. He acts childishly and takes everything personally. I
> have personally heard other defense attorneys make very similar
> statements. But Doug Crow is allowed to get away with it. He has
> ruined many people’s lives and boasts about it. He also allegedly has
> Troy Walker from the FDLE doing investigations for him. “In my
> opinion, Walker’s reputation is such that he writes his reports and
> then does an investigation. He is also known to defense attorneys as
> having the same reputation as Crow. I believe Walker’s investigations
> are very sloppy and very slanted. It still amazes me he is still there
So this is what the cult (Trudy, Angela, Britany, Tom, Alan, Nina
etc.) is trying to cover up. Major article, thanks.
Tom Newton
<e7e65545-f69c-4a7a...@t12g2000prg.googlegroups.co
m> Alert <flickin...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Poor "Anonymous". One of the very few cases where they have even
a little bit of real evidence to back up their claims of wrongdoing
by the Church of Scientology is proving to be yet another false
claim that has only persisted because of the lies posted by
"Anonymous".
Too bad.
You lose.
Again.
Despite all your lies, you keep losing.
Or is it because of them...
Tom
> http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/16/pinellas_county_corruption/
>
>
> COMMENTARY
>
> PINELLAS COUNTY?Over the past several weeks, The North Country Gazette
> has been taking a look at the operations of the office of Pinellas-
> Pasco state attorney Bernie McCabe. There is evidence that McCabe may
> have intentionally blocked investigations into public corruption in
> Pinellas County.
>
> The recently released report by the Florida Department of Law
> Enforcement that discloses that Moses Jordan, a high level FDLE agent
> assigned to the Tampa office, was forced to resign after McCabe and
> others filed a complaint against him for a three year old incident in
> which Jordan challenged jurisdiction at a crime scene involving a
> state officer, gives a troubling inside look at McCabe and his
> egotistical power. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/09/pinellas_turf_war/
>
> Also resigning from the same office within days of Jordan was Lance
> Newman, another high level FDLE officer, but officials were quick to
> say that the two resignations had no connection.
>
> Coming at approximately the same time of the internal FDLE into
> Jordan?s actions was the resignation of former FDLE commissioner Guy
> Tunnell as an investigator with the Bay County state attorney?s office
> of Steve Meadows. Tunnell?s sudden departure, effective Dec. 31,
> raised eyebrows in many arenas, especially since he retired six months
> early and at a loss of over $18,000 in retirement funds. He wasn?t due
> to retire until this summer and would have received a retirement
> payment of over a half million dollars.
> http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2007/11/30/sudden-retirement-of-ex-fdle-commissioner-suspect/
>
> Controversy continues to swirl about the increasing number of taser-
> related deaths in Pinellas County by police officers which McCabe
> labels ?excusable homicides?, the failure to bring any criminal
> charges in the boating death of Jimmy Spicer even though the operator
> of the boat, Ryan Horton, 19, was intoxicated at more than five times
> the state limit and was on probation at the time for a prior
> conviction for marijuana possession with conditions which prohibited
> him from imbibing alcohol. Then there?s the mysterious death of Joey
> Turner, found dead in the water after having been on a boat owned by
> politically connected Paul Skipper, one of the largest real estate
> developers in the Pinellas County area.
>
> NCG has asked readers with information about McCabe?s office or
> individual cases in Pinellas County to contact NCG at
> ne...@northcountrygazette.org and this week, received extensive
> information from one reader who wishes to remain anonymous due to
> feared reprisals. Others with related information are invited to
> submit it to NCG.
>
> ?I am closely following your articles about Pinellas County. It is my
> opinion there is much corruption within the county. It appears that
> Bernie McCabe has himself pretty well covered though. He has held his
> position for too long. It is shocking to me that he hasn?t truly been
> elected by the people. What happens to his campaign dollars?
>
> ?As you are aware, some of his prosecutors have been arrested for
> DUI?s and nothing happens to them. They write if off as a mistake, a
> mistake that no one else can make. (Lydia Dempsey Wardell, one of two
> misdemeanor court supervisors for McCabe, known for aggressively
> pursuing DUI cases, was arrested by Tampa Police for DUI in November
> 2004 with an blood alcohol level of 0.23 percent, nearly three times
> the state threshold. She had three children in the car with her.
>
> Bruce Bartlett, McCabe?s chief assistant, said ?she made a mistake.
> She?s extremely remorseful about her conduct?).
>
> ?And a judge views pornography on county equipment and again, no
> criminal punishment. It is outrageous. The Reader?s Digest wrote an
> article about the 10 worst judges in the country and Brandt Downey was
> listed. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/092306JudgeRebuked.html
>
> ?I am convinced that Doug Crow (McCabe?s executive assistant state
> attorney) is a vindictive prosecutor who is abusing his power and
> getting away with it. (It was Crow and McCabe?s assistant Robert
> Lewis, both of whom have contributed the maximum amounts to McCabe?s
> election campaigns, who refused to consider accusations against
> Michael Schiavo at the request of the Governor and his staff, saying
> they found insufficient evidence of any prosecutable offense to
> justify a criminal investigation. It was Douglas Crow who recommended
> dropping the criminal case against the Church of Scientology, charged
> with abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult and practicing medicine
> without a license, in the Lisa McPherson case after she died while in
> their care.)
>
> ?There are increasing allegations that he (Crow) is unreasonable. I
> had a powerful defense attorney tell me it is very difficult to deal
> with Doug Crow. He acts childishly and takes everything personally. I
> have personally heard other defense attorneys make very similar
> statements. But Doug Crow is allowed to get away with it. He has
> ruined many people?s lives and boasts about it. He also allegedly has
> Troy Walker from the FDLE doing investigations for him. ?In my
> opinion, Walker?s reputation is such that he writes his reports and
> then does an investigation. He is also known to defense attorneys as
> having the same reputation as Crow. I believe Walker?s investigations
> are very sloppy and very slanted. It still amazes me he is still there
> with (Moses) Jordon and (Lance) Newman.
> http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/09/pinellas_turf_war/Walker
> allegedly signs off on his own reports.
>
> ?I believe Doug Crow is an Achilles heel for McCabe. It is my opinion
> that once Crow makes it a problem for McCabe, he will put him on a
> shorter leash.
>
> The mindset of Crow is troubling, to say the least. When the Florida
> Supreme Court reversed the murder conviction of James Floyd in 2005
> because the Pinellas state attorney?s office had withheld evidence,
> Crow said it most likely was an ?honest mistake?.
>
> Floyd had been sitting on death row, sentenced to die for allegedly
> murdering an 86-year-old woman. Pinellas prosecutors had failed to
> produce statements from a neighbor who had claimed to see two other
> men entering the woman?s house at the time of her death. They also
> failed to tell the defense about inconsistent reports from detectives
> and about how a snitch tried to barter his testimony for a lighter
> sentence on his own criminal charges. Anything for a conviction seems
> to be the motto in Pinellas County.
>
> ?Pinellas County also has bonds higher than other counties. They are
> 100 to 200% higher. This is a factor why the Pinellas County Jail is
> overcrowded. Judges don?t lower bonds and the bonds don?t fit the
> crime. Florida?s law states defendants are entitled to a reasonable
> bond, unless there is a flight risk or a threat to society. If someone
> is sitting in jail for two years waiting to go to trial, the bond is
> obviously not reasonable. Again, no one challenges Pinellas County.
> The defense attorneys have to pick their battles.
>
> ?Pinellas County is also very slow to go to trial and won?t negotiate.
> So many cases are in limbo for years. The judges appear to allow the
> prosecution continuances, even on a case a few years old. It?s a very
> scary thing to be in the justice system in Pinellas. And the very sad
> part is there is nowhere to go?no one to turn to. The St. Petersburg
> Times won?t even write a negative article about it. Again, they have
> themselves pretty well covered.
>
> ?Our Constitution was written to keep people free. You are innocent
> until proven guilty. It is better to let a guilty man walk than to
> send an innocent man to prison.
>
> ?Now the prosecutions across the country are win at all costs,
> regardless of the evidence. It appears their philosophy is to
> overcharge and bully. Florida?s budget gave more to prisons than
> education. There is something wrong.
>
> ?I can assure you what I am saying is truthful. Because I fear of
> retaliation, I don?t want to give names?.
>
> NCG is continuing it?s review of McCabe?s office and its operations.
> Coming next will be an in depth look at the death of Jimmy Spicer, the
> 21-year-old man who was killed by a boat propeller trying to help move
> a boat which had become stuck on a sandbar. Although the Pinellas
> County Sheriff?s Department charged the intoxicated Horton with BUI
> manslaughter, McCabe?s office refused to prosecute and dismissed the
> charge.
>
> Anyone who wishes to help defray the costs of the public records
> requests and other expenses associated with gathering information for
> this special report or who wishes to support the efforts of NCG may do
> so by using the PayPal button on the home page, www.northcountrygazette.org
> 5-16-08
--
The Truth will set you free:
http://www.sethcenter.com
stopsci...@hushmail.com
> On 2008-05-17, in
> <e7e65545-f69c-4a7a-81f8-4d9388e37...@t12g2000prg.googlegroups.co
>
Alert wrote:
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/16/pinellas_county_corrupt...
COMMENTARY
PINELLAS COUNTY—Over the past several weeks, The North Country
Gazette
has been taking a look at the operations of the office of Pinellas-
Pasco state attorney Bernie McCabe. There is evidence that McCabe may
have intentionally blocked investigations into public corruption in
Pinellas County.
The recently released report by the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement that discloses that Moses Jordan, a high level FDLE agent
assigned to the Tampa office, was forced to resign after McCabe and
others filed a complaint against him for a three year old incident in
which Jordan challenged jurisdiction at a crime scene involving a
state officer, gives a troubling inside look at McCabe and his
egotistical power. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/09/pinellas_turf_war/
Also resigning from the same office within days of Jordan was Lance
Newman, another high level FDLE officer, but officials were quick to
say that the two resignations had no connection.
Coming at approximately the same time of the internal FDLE into
Jordan’s actions was the resignation of former FDLE commissioner Guy
Tunnell as an investigator with the Bay County state attorney’s
office
of Steve Meadows. Tunnell’s sudden departure, effective Dec. 31,
raised eyebrows in many arenas, especially since he retired six
months
early and at a loss of over $18,000 in retirement funds. He wasn’t
due
to retire until this summer and would have received a retirement
payment of over a half million dollars.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2007/11/30/sudden-retirement-of-ex...
Controversy continues to swirl about the increasing number of taser-
related deaths in Pinellas County by police officers which McCabe
labels “excusable homicides”, the failure to bring any criminal
charges in the boating death of Jimmy Spicer even though the operator
of the boat, Ryan Horton, 19, was intoxicated at more than five times
the state limit and was on probation at the time for a prior
conviction for marijuana possession with conditions which prohibited
him from imbibing alcohol. Then there’s the mysterious death of Joey
Turner, found dead in the water after having been on a boat owned by
politically connected Paul Skipper, one of the largest real estate
developers in the Pinellas County area.
NCG has asked readers with information about McCabe’s office or
individual cases in Pinellas County to contact NCG at
n...@northcountrygazette.org and this week, received extensive
information from one reader who wishes to remain anonymous due to
feared reprisals. Others with related information are invited to
submit it to NCG.
“I am closely following your articles about Pinellas County. It is my
opinion there is much corruption within the county. It appears that
Bernie McCabe has himself pretty well covered though. He has held his
position for too long. It is shocking to me that he hasn’t truly been
elected by the people. What happens to his campaign dollars?
“As you are aware, some of his prosecutors have been arrested for
DUI’s and nothing happens to them. They write if off as a mistake, a
mistake that no one else can make. (Lydia Dempsey Wardell, one of two
misdemeanor court supervisors for McCabe, known for aggressively
pursuing DUI cases, was arrested by Tampa Police for DUI in November
2004 with an blood alcohol level of 0.23 percent, nearly three times
the state threshold. She had three children in the car with her.
Bruce Bartlett, McCabe’s chief assistant, said “she made a mistake.
She’s extremely remorseful about her conduct”).
“And a judge views pornography on county equipment and again, no
criminal punishment. It is outrageous. The Reader’s Digest wrote an
article about the 10 worst judges in the country and Brandt Downey
was
listed. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/092306JudgeRebuked.html
“I am convinced that Doug Crow (McCabe’s executive assistant state
attorney) is a vindictive prosecutor who is abusing his power and
getting away with it. (It was Crow and McCabe’s assistant Robert
Lewis, both of whom have contributed the maximum amounts to McCabe’s
election campaigns, who refused to consider accusations against
Michael Schiavo at the request of the Governor and his staff, saying
they found insufficient evidence of any prosecutable offense to
justify a criminal investigation. It was Douglas Crow who recommended
dropping the criminal case against the Church of Scientology, charged
with abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult and practicing medicine
without a license, in the Lisa McPherson case after she died while in
their care.)
“There are increasing allegations that he (Crow) is unreasonable. I
had a powerful defense attorney tell me it is very difficult to deal
with Doug Crow. He acts childishly and takes everything personally. I
have personally heard other defense attorneys make very similar
statements. But Doug Crow is allowed to get away with it. He has
ruined many people’s lives and boasts about it. He also allegedly has
Troy Walker from the FDLE doing investigations for him. “In my
opinion, Walker’s reputation is such that he writes his reports and
then does an investigation. He is also known to defense attorneys as
having the same reputation as Crow. I believe Walker’s investigations
are very sloppy and very slanted. It still amazes me he is still
there
with (Moses) Jordon and (Lance) Newman.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/09/pinellas_turf_war/Walker
allegedly signs off on his own reports.
“I believe Doug Crow is an Achilles heel for McCabe. It is my opinion
that once Crow makes it a problem for McCabe, he will put him on a
shorter leash.
The mindset of Crow is troubling, to say the least. When the Florida
Supreme Court reversed the murder conviction of James Floyd in 2005
because the Pinellas state attorney’s office had withheld evidence,
Crow said it most likely was an “honest mistake”.
Floyd had been sitting on death row, sentenced to die for allegedly
murdering an 86-year-old woman. Pinellas prosecutors had failed to
produce statements from a neighbor who had claimed to see two other
men entering the woman’s house at the time of her death. They also
failed to tell the defense about inconsistent reports from detectives
and about how a snitch tried to barter his testimony for a lighter
sentence on his own criminal charges. Anything for a conviction seems
to be the motto in Pinellas County.
“Pinellas County also has bonds higher than other counties. They are
100 to 200% higher. This is a factor why the Pinellas County Jail is
overcrowded. Judges don’t lower bonds and the bonds don’t fit the
crime. Florida’s law states defendants are entitled to a reasonable
bond, unless there is a flight risk or a threat to society. If
someone
is sitting in jail for two years waiting to go to trial, the bond is
obviously not reasonable. Again, no one challenges Pinellas County.
The defense attorneys have to pick their battles.
“Pinellas County is also very slow to go to trial and won’t
negotiate.
So many cases are in limbo for years. The judges appear to allow the
prosecution continuances, even on a case a few years old. It’s a very
scary thing to be in the justice system in Pinellas. And the very sad
part is there is nowhere to go—no one to turn to. The St. Petersburg
Times won’t even write a negative article about it. Again, they have
themselves pretty well covered.
“Our Constitution was written to keep people free. You are innocent
until proven guilty. It is better to let a guilty man walk than to
send an innocent man to prison.
“Now the prosecutions across the country are win at all costs,
regardless of the evidence. It appears their philosophy is to
overcharge and bully. Florida’s budget gave more to prisons than
education. There is something wrong.
“I can assure you what I am saying is truthful. Because I fear of
retaliation, I don’t want to give names”.
NCG is continuing it’s review of McCabe’s office and its operations.
Coming next will be an in depth look at the death of Jimmy Spicer,
the
21-year-old man who was killed by a boat propeller trying to help
move
a boat which had become stuck on a sandbar. Although the Pinellas
County Sheriff’s Department charged the intoxicated Horton with BUI
manslaughter, McCabe’s office refused to prosecute and dismissed the
charge.
Anyone who wishes to help defray the costs of the public records
requests and other expenses associated with gathering information for
this special report or who wishes to support the efforts of NCG may
do
so by using the PayPal button on the home page, www.northcountrygazette.org
-------------------------
The Truth will set you free:http://www.whyaretheydead.net
scientolog...@paris.com
> http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/05/16/pinellas_county_corrupt...
>
>
> PINELLAS COUNTY—Over the past several weeks, The North Country Gazette
> has been taking a look at the operations of the office of Pinellas-
> Pasco state attorney Bernie McCabe. There is evidence that McCabe may
> have intentionally blocked investigations into public corruption in
> Pinellas County.
>
> The recently released report by the Florida Department of Law
> Enforcement that discloses that Moses Jordan, a high level FDLE agent
> assigned to the Tampa office, was forced to resign after McCabe and
> others filed a complaint against him for a three year old incident in
> which Jordan challenged jurisdiction at a crime scene involving a
> state officer, gives a troubling inside look at McCabe and his
>
> Also resigning from the same office within days of Jordan was Lance
> Newman, another high level FDLE officer, but officials were quick to
> say that the two resignations had no connection.
>
> Coming at approximately the same time of the internal FDLE into
> Jordan’s actions was the resignation of former FDLE commissioner Guy
> Tunnell as an investigator with the Bay County state attorney’s office
> of Steve Meadows. Tunnell’s sudden departure, effective Dec. 31,
> raised eyebrows in many arenas, especially since he retired six months
> early and at a loss of over $18,000 in retirement funds. He wasn’t due
> to retire until this summer and would have received a retirement
>
> Controversy continues to swirl about the increasing number of taser-
> related deaths in Pinellas County by police officers which McCabe
> labels “excusable homicides”, the failure to bring any criminal
> charges in the boating death of Jimmy Spicer even though the operator
> of the boat, Ryan Horton, 19, was intoxicated at more than five times
> the state limit and was on probation at the time for a prior
> conviction for marijuana possession with conditions which prohibited
> him from imbibing alcohol. Then there’s the mysterious death of Joey
> Turner, found dead in the water after having been on a boat owned by
> politically connected Paul Skipper, one of the largest real estate
> developers in the Pinellas County area.
>
> NCG has asked readers with information about McCabe’s office or
> individual cases in Pinellas County to contact NCG at
> information from one reader who wishes to remain anonymous due to
> feared reprisals. Others with related information are invited to
> submit it to NCG.
>
> “I am closely following your articles about Pinellas County. It is my
> opinion there is much corruption within the county. It appears that
> Bernie McCabe has himself pretty well covered though. He has held his
> position for too long. It is shocking to me that he hasn’t truly been
> elected by the people. What happens to his campaign dollars?
>
> “As you are aware, some of his prosecutors have been arrested for
> DUI’s and nothing happens to them. They write if off as a mistake, a
> mistake that no one else can make. (Lydia Dempsey Wardell, one of two
> misdemeanor court supervisors for McCabe, known for aggressively
> pursuing DUI cases, was arrested by Tampa Police for DUI in November
> 2004 with an blood alcohol level of 0.23 percent, nearly three times
> the state threshold. She had three children in the car with her.
>
> Bruce Bartlett, McCabe’s chief assistant, said “she made a mistake.
> She’s extremely remorseful about her conduct”).
>
> “And a judge views pornography on county equipment and again, no
> criminal punishment. It is outrageous. The Reader’s Digest wrote an
> article about the 10 worst judges in the country and Brandt Downey was
>
> “I am convinced that Doug Crow (McCabe’s executive assistant state
> attorney) is a vindictive prosecutor who is abusing his power and
> getting away with it. (It was Crow and McCabe’s assistant Robert
> Lewis, both of whom have contributed the maximum amounts to McCabe’s
> election campaigns, who refused to consider accusations against
> Michael Schiavo at the request of the Governor and his staff, saying
> they found insufficient evidence of any prosecutable offense to
> justify a criminal investigation. It was Douglas Crow who recommended
> dropping the criminal case against the Church of Scientology, charged
> with abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult and practicing medicine
> without a license, in the Lisa McPherson case after she died while in
> their care.)
>
> “There are increasing allegations that he (Crow) is unreasonable. I
> had a powerful defense attorney tell me it is very difficult to deal
> with Doug Crow. He acts childishly and takes everything personally. I
> have personally heard other defense attorneys make very similar
> statements. But Doug Crow is allowed to get away with it. He has
> ruined many people’s lives and boasts about it. He also allegedly has
> Troy Walker from the FDLE doing investigations for him. “In my
> opinion, Walker’s reputation is such that he writes his reports and
> then does an investigation. He is also known to defense attorneys as
> having the same reputation as Crow. I believe Walker’s investigations
> are very sloppy and very slanted. It still amazes me he is still there
One of the best articles I've seen in awhile (and there are beginning
to be more and more of them). I believe other news agencies or sites
also covered this. scientology = FAIL
