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Sunday, September 30, 2007

Lane Judson to New York - WHO COULD CRYSTAL CALL? -

New York & Officer Involved Domestic Violence:
Policies and Strategies


A ROUNDTABLE EVENT
Sponsored by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Liza's Legacy Foundation

DATE: Friday October 12, 2007
LOCATION: The Well at the NYS Legislative Office Building, Albany NY
TIME: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Registration begins at 8:15 AM)

This event is Free of charge
& Open to the public

_______________________________________

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Lane Judson

Lane & Patty Judson's daughter, Crystal, was fatally shot by her estranged husband, Tacoma Washington's Police Chief David Brame, in a shopping center parking lot. He then turned the gun on himself, with their two young children running to the tragic scene. Since her murder in 2003 Lane has been working to educate others about the dynamics of domestic violence, and to spur policy changes for law enforcement agencies. With impressive support, the Judsons achieved passage of federal legislation in their daughter's name, ear-marking Department of Justice VAWA grant funds for officer-involved domestic violence. Through a mobilized network of action, Washington State law now mandates that each police agency have a specific officer-involved domestic violence policy, and a new one-stop for victims bearing his daughter's name has been opened in Tacoma - The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center. He has appeared on many television broadcasts, including CBS's The Early Show.

For more information on Mr. Judson please visit http://www.lanejudson.com
_______________________________________

WELCOMING REMARKS: David Soares, Albany County District Attorney

EXPERT PANEL RESPONSE TO KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
  • David Thomas, Ret. Cpl., Dir. of John Hopkins University DV Education Program
  • Anne Fitzsimmons, White Plains Assistant Chief of Police
  • Wanda Lucibello, Kings Co. Asst. Distr. Atty., Chief of Kings Co. DV Bureau
  • Amy Barasch, Exec. Dir. of the Office for Prevention of Domestic Violence
  • Roberta Valente, National Council on Juvenile and Family Court Judges
_______________________________________

For more information regarding this event, please contact:
http://lizaslegacy.org/events.htm

NYSCADV
350 New Scotland Avenue
Albany New York, 12208
Phone: 518-482-5465
Fax: 518-482-3807
Email: nyscadv@nyscadv.org

FAREWELL SONIA

Off-duty NYC police officer found shot to death in her L.I. home
Newsday
September 30, 2007
An off-duty New York City police officer was found shot to death in her home... Her 27-year-old live-in fiancee, also a member of the NYPD, had called 911 to report the shooting... "He said he heard a shot and found his wife dead from a single gunshot wound"...
... investigators do not believe Garcia's death was a suicide...
...Garcia, 28, was assigned to the 77th Precinct in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.

Policewoman shot dead on L.I. & NYPD beau eyed as killer
New York Daily News
BY ALISON GENDAR agendar@nydailynews.com,
JOE GOULD and CARRIE MELAGO
September 30, 2007
A Brooklyn cop was shot dead early yesterday in the Long Island home she shared with her boyfriend, a fellow NYPD officer... The brutal killing stunned friends of the young couple, who said Officers Sonia Garcia and Alexis Chaparro had planned to marry this spring...
Chaparro was questioned by cops for hours yesterday, but he stopped cooperating
about 4 p.m. and was released... Chaparro, 27, a Police Academy instructor and boxer, called 911 to report the incident about 5:15 a.m.... Garcia's uncle Francisco Hernandez told Channel 11 through tears, "It's incredible that he'd do that. He's crazy.. The fiancé's a crazy guy." Garcia's daughters, Ashley, 11, and Joselin, 7, were staying with relatives at the time of the shooting...

COP GRILLED IN LOVER SLAY
VICTIM ALSO AN OFFICER

NEW YORK POST
By JAMES FANELLI, KIERAN CROWLEY
and LARRY CELONA larry.celona@nypost.com
September 30, 2007
An NYPD cop returning from work was shot dead in her new Long Island home yesterday, and
her police-officer fiancé was later led out of the house in handcuffs
and grilled by police... Chaparro, a former Golden Gloves boxer who worked at the Police Academy and fought on the NYPD boxing team, said, "Why are you doing this? It hurts," as he was taken away in cuffs... he was released... "It is not a suicide," [Detective Lt. Jack] Fitzpatrick said. "We are now investigating all aspects of [Chaparro's] story. She didn't shoot herself"...

[ME] Hopefully the misdiagnosis of Trooper Coleman will help bring hope and intervention to others


SGT. 1ST CLASS MARK R. COLEMAN
Bangor Daily News
Posted May 20, 2012
MONTVILLE – Sgt. 1st Class and Maine State Trooper Mark R. Coleman, 54, passed away May 17, 2012, in Castle Point, N.Y., after a lengthy illness. Mark was born Oct. 16, 1957, in Concord, Mass. Mark was an airborne medic with the 11th Special Forces Group and most recently with the 181st Infantry Regiment. He later worked at Maine State Prison as a prison guard and bloodhound handler with his beloved dog, Jesse. He then worked as Maine state trooper with Troop D. In his spare time, Mark was a Scoutmaster for Pack 39 in Liberty/Montville, but most of all enjoyed spending time with his family at Chatham on Cape Cod, Mass. Mark is survived by his loving wife... sons... two brothers, a sister; a special niece... as well as several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews... In lieu of flowers and keeping with Mark’s love for dogs, memorial contributions may be made to Humane Society – Waterville Area, 100 Webb Road, Waterville, ME 04901...  [Full obituary here]

Because well-respected Maine State Trooper Mark Coleman was not correctly diagnosed initially, he found himself in legal trouble after an uncharacteristic incident, helpless against his own brain disease. He was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder but suffering from a frontotemporal dementia disease. Others may also be facing behaviors in themselves or loved ones that don't fit and hopefully as information on this disease is made more common, early interventions for others will be possible and helpful in controlling the symptoms.

Mayo Clinic - Frontotemporal Dementia: Frontotemporal dementia (frontotemporal lobar degeneration) is an umbrella term for a diverse group of uncommon disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain... Some people with frontotemporal dementia undergo dramatic changes in their personality... Frontotemporal dementia is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or as Alzheimer's disease... The most common signs and symptoms of frontotemporal dementia involve extreme changes in behavior and personality...

The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration is the place to turn for accurate information, compassion and hope...

NIH Fact Sheets - Frontotemporal Disorders: Until recently, many of these conditions were routinely misdiagnosed as AD or a psychiatric disorder, and very little was known about the underlying pathologies of the frontotemporal disorders.... In a very short period of time we have made tremendous inroads into understanding the pathology, early symptoms, and disease course... Although there is still no cure or preventive intervention, some treatments – notably anti-depressant medications – can help ameliorate behavioral problems resulting from a frontotemporal disorder...

Frontotemporal Dementia Initially Misdiagnosed As Psychotic Disorder: A Case Report; Taral Sharma, MD, MBA; First published in Psychiatry Weekly, Volume 7, Issue 2; January 23, 2012.
[misdiagnosis law enforcement public safety Maine state politics fronto temporal lobar degenerative disease]

[MA] Why couldn't ex-police chief Sabourin reach out for help?

EDITORIAL: Battering knows no bounds
The Sun Chronicle
September 29, 2007
[2 excerpts] The name of a defendant on charges of domestic assault, uttering threats to kill and resisting arrest in Attleboro District Court Thursday was a shocker: Roland Sabourin. He is a former Attleboro police chief of 15 years. An affidavit submitted to the court included an account by his wife, Sara, of 15 years of mental, emotional and physical abuse...
If anyone should have been aware that help is available in spousal abuse cases, it should be Sabourin, who as chief supervised the implementation of new systems of dealing with such cases.
Yet as personal stresses mounted - Sabourin suffered from cancer and was involved in some legal difficulties - he apparently did not reach out for help. Why?

[PA] Officer Eckert never held accountable for domestic violence

Lancaster Police Officer Kenneth Eckert was charged and suspended last March for a sexual attack on his roommate's girlfriend.
Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray then said, "Police officers are human beings. From time to time, people do things that are inappropriate."
Yesterday news says he's pleading guilty to indecent assault, fined $300, on probation for 2 years, to undergo a drug & alcohol evaluation, and a sex-offender evaluation.

There was no mention of his former girlfriend who had a protection order against him - his on-duty sexual and physical attacks against her, or the fact that his department opted to not even investigate it.

Last year Chief John Rochat said, "I'm unaware of anything of a criminal nature which occurred in Millersville. We are not currently conducting any additional investigations."

He has resigned, his department says, in the last few months.

Friday, September 28, 2007

[WI] Officer Lee charged with trying to kill his wife, Chao

Wausau Police Officer Charged with Attempted Murder
WBAY, WI - 4 hours ago
By Adam Aaro
Sep 28, 2007 08:17 PM
[Excerpts] A 15-year veteran of the Wausau Police Department is charged with attempting to murder his wife. Shawano County authorities say Chueng Lee, 45, crashed his truck last week. They now believe Lee crashed on purpose with the intention of killing his wife, Chao, who was in the front seat... "We had officers who are friends with Chueng, and so we have to come to grips with the reality of the situation and also offer support to Chao at this point"... She also said Chueng made threats before. Chief Hardel says his department was unaware of any past history, "And I can guarantee you if we would have had that information we would have fully investigated that."

[FL] Judge Moran's wife recants - "I'm the abuser. I lied to police."

Elaina, wife of Jacksonville Florida's Chief Circuit Judge Donald Moran Jr., now says her bloodied face and swollen jaw was not from a punch, but the hardwood floor when she tripped and fell. (Video)



From last entry: "...POLICE SAID THEY HAD NO PREVIOUS REPORTS OF ABUSE INVOLVING THE MORANS..."

Police: Judge cleared, warrant will be sought for wife
Florida Times-Union, FL
By Jim Schoettler jim.schoettler@jacksonville.com
092707
"I lied. I tried to get him and hurt him. I'm the abuser. I lied to police. You could probably arrest me for that,"
Elaina Moran told investigators Tuesday... Moran also said she repeatedly struck her husband during the incident... and suffered a bloody mouth and swelling when she fell and hit her chin on the floor... But he never hit her, the report said. The report states that police no longer consider Judge Moran a suspect and they would seek a warrant charging Elaina Moran with battery domestic violence and falsifying a police report...

Moran decision by next week
Police present evidence to prosecutors, including the 911 call from judge's wife

Florida Times-Union, FL
By Jim Schoettler jim.schoettler@jacksonville.com
9/28/2007 - 11:50 am
State Attorney Harry Shorstein said Wednesday he intends to make a decision by early next week... Elaina Moran, 56, called police to the couple's San Marco home late Monday alleging she'd been struck by her husband... She told the officers she called police about two months ago for another dispute. Police records obtained by the Times-Union show a 911 call made from the home Aug. 3 in which the disposition was listed as
"peace restored."
No other details were available... Police found drops of blood in a bedroom, bathroom, on Elaina Moran's shirt and in her hair. They also found a broken phone that may have been thrown... The Times-Union requested a copy of the 911 call, photographs and other reports from police Wednesday, but a spokeswoman said the materials were being withheld as part of the ongoing investigation...

State Attorney: No Charges To Be Filed In Moran Case
firstcoastnews.com
9/28/2007
State Attorney Harry Shorstein says no charges will be filed in the domestic battery incident between Chief Judge Donald Moran and his wife... The Chief Judge told investigators she threw a phone at him and "started to strike him in the back with closed fists."
Moran said his wife rushed at him, he stepped to the side, and she fell and hit her face on the hardwood floor...
Moran said he has never hit his wife. He also said his wife is being treated for depression and has a history of this type of behavior for 10 to 15 years... Chief Judge Moran released a statement Friday afternoon through his attorney Hank Coxe. "As a father and husband, my duty to family comes first and foremost and during this very difficult time, our family asks for the community's support as well as the prayers," wrote Moran. "I realize that we have some very serious and personal issues to resolve and I recognize that the road to recovery for both our family and me will be difficult. For my wife, our children and myself, I ask for the time and space necessary to heal with the love of our friends and family and the support of professionals as we move forward"...

Police: Moran's wife lied about scuffle
Arrest warrant sought; family cites drinking

Florida Times-Union, FL
By Jim Schoettler jim.schoettler@jacksonville.com
9/28/2007
...Judge Moran's attorney, Hank Coxe, said he and his client were "pleased the Sheriff's Office did a thorough investigation." Coxe said the judge urged prosecutors not to charge his wife after he learned that police no longer consider him a suspect.
Coxe said he does not believe Elaina Moran has sought out an attorney, adding, "I trust she'll have no reason to need one"...
Michael Hallett, chairman of the criminology and criminal justice department at the University of North Florida, said research has shown that most people who recant do so out of some type of fear. But Hallett acknowledged that he had no idea what occurred in the Moran case... When asked whether people lie about being domestic violence victims, Ellen Siler, chief executive office of Jacksonville's Hubbard House, said it is rare. She said more often than not, victims recant because they fear the abuser or worry about the embarrassment the case may bring to family members. Siler declined to discuss the Moran case specifically...

No Charges In Domestic Incident At Judge's Home
News4Jax.com
September 28, 2007
...State Attorney Harry Shorstein announced he will not pursue any charges in the case. After two days of investigation of an incident at the Moran's San Marco home, police recommended that Moran's wife, Elaina, be arrested on charges of domestic battery and falsifying a police report. The area's top prosecutor disagreed.
"I concluded based on all the circumstances of this case that it wouldn't be prudent to prosecute,"
Shorstein announced. Among the reasons Shorstein cited for not filing charges were that false reports happen frequently and prosecution in this case might discourage others from filing domestic violence reports. "We believe the prosecution of Mrs. Moran would possibly impede or inhibit the disclosure of domestic violence cases in the future"... Elaina Moran called police late Monday night and said her husband had hit her during a fight. "I need help," she is heard telling a 911 operator. "My husband beat me up"...
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal official judge recant florida state politics]

[PA] Trooper Foley arrested for killing his girlfriend's husband


Excerpts from the news:
A state trooper was arrested in the bloody slaying of a dentist [Dr. John Yelenic] who was in the middle of an acrimonious divorce from the woman with whom the trooper was living... [Trooper Kevin] Foley likely entered the house through an unlocked back door, said Deputy Attorney General Anthony Krastek... Foley, who was jailed without bond Thursday, "had a well-known hatred for Dr. Yelenic" that he commented on daily and even told fellow troopers he prayed for Yelenic's death... Trooper Deana Kirkland advised Mr. Foley last year before the murder that he should stop talking about wishing for Dr. Yelenic's death. She said he responded, "I just can't help it."... Foley once asked another trooper if he would like to help kill Yelenic... Yelenic, who was mired in bitter divorce proceedings, hadn't been sleeping well, so he began staying downstairs, nodding off on a couch while watching television, and was known to have an occasional cocktail to chase the insomnia... Bobbi Mack, of Murrysville, another one of Yelenic's friends, said Yelenic had been threatened while he was amidst his divorce.
"It was terrible... He couldn't seem to get help legally from anybody.
I said, 'Why don't you call the police?'
He said, 'They won't help me'"..
.
The dentist's attorney, Effie Alexander, earlier told investigators that the victim offered her money to pay for an investigation should he be killed because he believed that Foley, as a trooper, could help cover up such a killing, the grand jury said... Neighbors heard loud noises and the sound of a fight inside the house. Nearby dogs barked. No one called police... The grand jury said bloody shoe prints in Yelenic's house matched a brand of shoe that Foley had been known to wear... Foley also was seen leaving a hockey game uninjured around midnight on April 12, 2006, and was seen the next day with a 2-inch gash above his left eye and a scratch below it... Surveillance video taken from two businesses showed a vehicle matching Foley's near Yelenic's home around the time of the murder... "This is obviously a very dark and disturbing day for the Pennsylvania State Police and law enforcement agents anywhere," said state police Commander Robert Lizik...

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

[FL] WHO CARES ABOUT JUDGE MORAN'S WIFE?

Jacksonville Florida's
Chief Circuit Judge Donald Moran Jr.

"THE AREA'S CHIEF JUDGE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER HIS WIFE CALLED POLICE ON MONDAY NIGHT AND ACCUSED HIM OF BEATING HER..."

If you contemplate what this means and watch who's involved, this is perhaps the most frightening of all, because victims risk their lives to make it to the judge, seeking fairness, and right decision. I am contemplating using the word "official battery" for what I see when the entire legal system working as a whole looks more like Invasion of the Body Snatchers than justice.

And there is nothing in any of the three articles that addresses Mrs. Moran's safey.

Nothing at all.


Gleaned from the articles and bios: ...MORAN IS CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT OF FLORIDA, PRESIDING OVER FLORIDA FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, WHICH COVERS DUVAL, CLAY AND NASSAU COUNTIES... HE CHAIRS THE FLORIDA DRUG COURTS STEERING COMMITTEE, IS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SERVED AS PRESIDENT FOR THE NATIONAL METROPOLITAN COURTS, AND IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE OF CIRCUIT JUDGES FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA... HE IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COURT BUDGET, JUDICIAL ASSIGNMENTS AND COURTHOUSE RULES... HE WAS AN ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY FROM 1973 TO 1977 AND A COUNTY COURT JUDGE FROM 1977 TO 1983, WHEN HE BECAME A CIRCUIT JUDGE.

...POLICE RESPONDED TO A DOMESTIC BATTERY CALL AT THE HOME OF DONALD MORAN JR...

...MORAN'S WIFE, ELAINA, CALLED OFFICERS TO THEIR HOME MONDAY NIGHT ALLEGING THAT SHE'D BEEN STRUCK BY HER HUSBAND AND WAS BLEEDING BADLY FROM HER MOUTH, THE REPORT SAID...

...OFFICERS FOUND BLOOD IN THE MASTER BATHROOM OF THE HOME, A BROKEN CORDLESS TELEPHONE, AND BLOODY TISSUES ON THE BATHROOM COUNTER...

...THE RESPONDING POLICE OFFICER WROTE: "THE VICTIM'S MOUTH WAS BLOODY AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER MOUTH APPEARED TO BE SWOLLEN. I ALSO WITNESSED SPATTERED SPOTS OF BLOOD ON THE VICTIM'S WHITE SHIRT AND ON HER HAIR"...

...POLICE FOUND DROPS OF BLOOD ON A BEDROOM FLOOR AND BATHROOM COUNTER. THEY ALSO FOUND A BROKEN CORDLESS TELEPHONE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THROWN DURING THE ALTERCATION, THE REPORT SAID...

...SHE REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT...

...ELAINA MORAN CALLED POLICE TO THE SAN MARCO HOME SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT MONDAY AND TOLD THEM HER HUSBAND WAS ALREADY GONE...

...ELINA, TOLD OFFICERS THAT AN ARGUMENT OVER HER HUSBAND'S "ARROGANT ATTITUDE" TURNED PHYSICAL...

...SHE TOLD INVESTIGATING OFFICERS, "SHE WAS ANGRY AND STATING THAT SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS TYPE OF ABUSE." WHEN AN OFFICER ASKED WHAT TYPE OF ABUSE, SHE SAID, "BEING BEATEN BY HER HUSBAND"...

...MORAN SAID SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN DRINKING AND WERE ARGUING OVER A FAMILY MATTER. SHE SAID SHE PUNCHED HER HUSBAND OR THREW SOMETHING AT HIM. SHE SAID HE PUSHED HER BACK, THEN SAID HE ACTUALLY HIT HER AND SEVERAL OF HER TEETH FELT LOOSE...

...DURING THE INTERVIEW, MORAN TOLD POLICE "SHE WAS TOUGH AND SHE KNOWS SHE INSTIGATES MANY OF THEIR FIGHTS, BUT SHE SHOULD NOT BE BEATEN," THE REPORT SAID...

...MORAN'S WIFE TOLD OFFICERS SHE DIDN'T WANT TO PRESS CHARGES AGAINST HER HUSBAND...

...SHE ALSO SAID SHE DIDN'T WANT TO PRESS CHARGES IN THE CASE, SAYING HE WORKED HARD FOR HIS CAREER...

..."THE VICTIM AGAIN STATED THAT SHE DID NOT WANT ANY CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST HER HUSBAND BECAUSE HE WAS A GOOD MAN AND WORKED HARD FOR HIS CAREER"...

...MORAN ALSO TOLD THE OFFICERS SHE CALLED POLICE ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO FOR A SIMILAR INCIDENT...

...WHEN ASKED, ELINA MORAN SAID SHE'D CALLED POLICE BEFORE FOR SIMILAR INCIDENTS...

...MRS. MORAN ALSO TOLD OFFICERS THE TWO HAVE HAD MORE THAN ONE TURBULENT TIME DURING 28 YEARS OF MARRIAGE...

...POLICE SAID THEY HAD NO PREVIOUS REPORTS OF ABUSE INVOLVING THE MORANS...

... POLICE SAID TUESDAY
THEY HAD NO RECORD
OF THAT REPORT...


...MORAN CHANGED HER STORY SEVERAL TIMES AS POLICE QUESTIONED HER, THE REPORT SAID...

...SHE ADMITTED THAT SHE PUNCHED HER HUSBAND,
BUT THEN
CLAIMS HE BEAT HER IN THE LIVING ROOM, THEN FLED THE HOME...

...SHE SAID THE ARGUMENT OCCURRED IN THE LIVING ROOM BUT CHANGED THAT LOCATION TO AN UPSTAIRS HALLWAY...

...THE REPORT SAID THAT ELAINA MORAN, 56, WAS ON AN "EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER" AS POLICE SPOKE WITH HER AND THAT SHE WAS "UNCOOPERATIVE"...

...SHE SPOKE ABOUT HOW SHE WAS HEARTBROKEN AND THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO KILL MORAN SOMETIMES...

...SHE DESCRIBED HER HUSBAND... AS A GOOD MAN WHO WOULD NEVER HURT ANYONE BUT ALSO SAID SHE ENDURED ABUSE FROM HIM THROUGHOUT THEIR MARRIAGE...

...MORAN DID NOT WANT TO COMMENT ON THE MATTER. A MAN WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE AT THE MORANS' HOME SAID THE JUDGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND HUNG UP...

MORAN'S ATTORNEY, HANK COXE, "ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN DEFENSE ATTORNEYS IN JACKSONVILLE AND THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE FLORIDA BAR":

..."CHIEF JUDGE MORAN HAS DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG. HE HAS COOPERATED WITH EVERYONE INTERESTED IN HIS COOPERATION. THERE ARE PERSONAL FAMILY ISSUES HE INTENDS TO KEEP WITHIN THE FAMILY"...

..."HE HAS FULLY COOPERATED WITH ANY AGENCY THAT WANTED TO TALK TO HIM, AND IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE PERSONALLY PRIVATE WITHIN THE FAMILY"...

..."HE IS DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS WHOLE EVENT HAS TAKEN PLACE, BUT HE'LL MOVE ON. HE'S TOUGH, THAT'S WHY HE'S BEEN CHIEF JUDGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS"...

...HE ALSO SAID
NO CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED,

AND THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE
THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS NOT CHARGING MORAN WITH A CRIME..

...THE DECISION ON WHETHER THE JUDGE FACES CHARGES ULTIMATELY RESTS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT...





...THE CASE WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY DETECTIVES WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTERVENTION UNIT.
[JACKSONVILLE UNDERSHERIFF FRANK] MACKESY SAID WHETHER ANY ARRESTS ARE MADE WILL BE DETERMINED BY POLICE IN CONSULTATION WITH PROSECUTORS. HE SAID
THE CASE WILL NOT RECEIVE
ANY SPECIAL TREATMENT...


"I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY JEOPARDIZE HIS CAREER" JSO [JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE] CHIEF RICK GRAHAM TOLD CHANNEL 4... HE IS OVERSEEING THE INVESTIGATION...

...HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AND SAID THAT
NO ABUSE HAPPENED...


...GRAHAM SAID HE WOULD NOT COMMENT ON ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN MORAN AND HIS WIFE BECAUSE
I
T IS BETWEEN THE JUDGE AND HIS WIFE AND NOT FOR PUBLIC DISSEMINATION...

...STATE ATTORNEY HARRY SHORSTEIN SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE REPORT

BUT DIDN'T KNOW

HOW THE INVESTIGATION WILL BE RESOLVED...

THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAYS AN ARREST IS STILL POSSIBLE. "IF JUDGE MORAN IS ARRESTED, IT DOESN'T MEAN HE WOULD BE FIRED"...

Sources:
I am adding her to my prayers and she wants someone to talk to - cloud.

[PA] Proposing a dv policy for Pittsburgh Police

Proposal on domestic violence policy angers FOP
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
By Karen Roebuck kroebuck@tribweb.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Excerpts: The Pittsburgh police union says a domestic violence policy proposed Tuesday for police employees comes with ridiculous requirements and unfairly holds them to higher standards than other city workers. "It's just a matter of a sense of fair play," said James Malloy, president of Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1. "This has just gotten out of control here. We don't have an epidemic of officers abusing their spouses"... "Domestic violence is something that is a clear and obvious problem in our community," said City Council President Doug Shields, who proposed the policy at yesterday's council meeting. "To me, domestic violence is the wellspring of a lot of bad things that happen in our society... The proposed law stems from a public outcry that followed the June promotions of three police officers with allegations of domestic violence or disturbances in their pasts. None was convicted. The proposal also would help prevent domestic violence on the force, because it calls for stricter screening during the hiring process and more intervention when warning signs are seen, Shields said. Shirl Regan, executive director of the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, praised the policy and said she supports all the provisions. "It's just a beginning"...

Monday, September 24, 2007

[CT] Update: Judge upholds Officer Adams reinstatement

50 caliber Desert Eagle hand cannon

Judge upholds Windsor cop's reinstatement
By:Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer
09/18/2007
[Excerpts] A Hartford Superior Court judge has upheld a state arbitration panel's order that the Windsor Police Department reinstate Officer Dennis Adams despite allegations that he held an unloaded pistol to a girlfriend's body and repeatedly pulled the trigger 3½ years ago... Adams was accused of a number of acts of misconduct involving his former girlfriend, Jessica Grady. At the time, Grady was a morning radio personality at WPKX-FM, known as Kix 97.9, in Springfield... The four-page decision by the three-member arbitration panel, which split 2-1, didn't include clear findings of fact... the panel did express skepticism about Grady's version of the gun incident... The panel also questioned Grady's credibility... The panel described Grady's testimony as "inaccurate or... exaggerated"...

Earlier entries:
[CT] Fired for pulling trigger on girlfriend, Officer Adams reinstated - Friday, January 26, 2007
[CT] Gun-to-girlfriend's head Officer Adams gets sweet deal - Sunday, June 24, 2007

[CO] Kathleen says husband Denver Sgt Witkowsk hit her face with gun

Denver cop faces felonies in alleged assault on wife
By Ivan Moreno, Rocky Mountain News
September 21, 2007
A Denver police officer accused of hitting his wife in the face with a gun was charged Thursday with two felonies and three misdemeanors... "Right as the sheriff pulled up, he [Sgt. John Witkowski] ran out of the closet at me with his gun knock me to the ground held his gun to my head." She wrote that after Witkowski knocked her to the ground, her brother pulled him off, but that she suffered bruises to her nose and head... Witkowski was released from jail after posting $50,000 bail.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

[FL] Officer Velez - No anticipated charges for alleged terroristic threats

Dade cop relieved of duty over alleged threat
MiamiHerald.com, USA
BY DAVID OVALLE dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
Posted on Fri, Sep. 21, 200
FLORIDA - A Biscayne Park police officer has been relieved of duty with pay after allegedly threatening to shoot his wife, her co-workers and her son at grade school. Officer Jose Velez, 31, has not been arrested, according to Coral Gables police. NO CHARGES ARE ANTICIPATED, said Sgt. Javier Bruzos, a spokesman... She told police that Velez claimed he was going to go to her office and shoot "her and everyone else in the office while he was wearing his uniform."' He also said he would go to her son's elementary school and kill him, the report said...

Friday, September 21, 2007

[FL] Cops intercept ex-cop Saltare


Police say [ex-officer Eloy] Saltare of Miramar attacked a woman he had dated for two years... "At one point Saltare walked to the window of the car and began striking the window"... The woman drove off and he, driving next to her, "produced a firearm which he pointed several times at the victim, yelling at her to stop"...

Chase, Shooting Suspect Is Former Police Officer
NBC6
September 19, 2007
...The victim was Saltare's ex-girlfriend, who called police begging for them to help her after the two got into an argument in Miami Lakes near Northwest 67th Avenue. "She, of course, was in fear for her life"... Police responded to the area and said they spotted Saltare in a black Dodge Charger chasing his ex-girlfriend. Police said Saltare then noticed them on his trail. "The suspect then took off for the Palmetto Expressway, where he fired shots at the officers right behind him," Zabaleta said... Police said they discovered Saltare was a former police officer with the Belle Glade Police Department...

Man jailed after shooting at police in Miami-Dade
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
By Macollvie Jean-Francois
September 19, 2007
...Eloy Saltare, 36, was arrested Tuesday on aggravated assault with a firearm, said police spokesman Detective Alvaro Zabaleta... Saltare and an ex-girlfriend were arguing in the area around Miami Lakes Drive and woman got in her car to leave. Saltare followed her in his black Dodge Charger... Scared, the woman called police as she drove away and officers responded, catching up to the Dodge... While speeding off, he fired a weapon at the officers pursuing him... Saltare posted $7,500 bond Wednesday...

Ex-Officer Accused of Firing at Florida Police
Officer.com / The Sun-Sentinel
MACOLLVIE JEAN-FRANCOIS mjfrancois@sun-sentinel.com
Staff Researcher BARBARA HIJEK
September 20th, 2007 10:10 AM EDT
...Eloy Saltare, 36, a former law enforcement officer for three different Florida agencies, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm... No officers were hurt and the one who fired a weapon remains on full duty while Miami-Dade police reviews the shooting. An investigation is standard procedure whenever an officer fires a weapon... Saltare worked for three local law enforcement agencies between 1997 and 2006. He was fired from the Seminole Police Department and left the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Belle Glade police department, according to state records. His firing from Seminole police involved official misconduct, but details were not available late Wednesday...

Ex-cop accused of shooting at police
A former police officer in Palm Beach and Broward counties was booked into a Miami-Dade jail after a confrontation with police.

MiamiHerald.com
BY DAVID OVALLE dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
Posted on Thu, Sep. 20, 2007
The man accused of firing at Miami-Dade police Wednesday night as he led officers on a car chase on the Palmetto Expressway is a former police officer in Broward and Palm Beach counties... Police say Saltare of Miramar attacked a woman he had dated for two years. The woman told police she noticed his black Dodge Charger following her. "At one point [Saltare] walked to the window of the car and began striking the window"... The woman drove off and he, driving next to her, "produced a firearm which he pointed several times at the victim, yelling at her to stop"... Miami-Dade police detectives found him with the pistol, one bullet in the chamber... Saltare was charged with assaulting the woman. It was not immediately clear whether he would be charged with shooting at Valls, a Miami-Dade officer since 2003... Saltare has been a law enforcement officer since August 1997 when he joined the Broward Sheriff's Office. In 1999, he had a short stint with Seminole police before leaving for Belle Glade. After Belle Glade, he returned to Seminole between March 2001 and July 2002 before again returning to Belle Glade. He was employed there until July 2006. Saltare did not remain an officer after the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office took over last year.

Guns abound, guns all around, in good times and in bad

SOURCE : Violence Policy Center Report Regarding Murder/Suicide

Excerpts from

American Roulette
Murder-Suicide in the United States

May 2006

...Police may have higher murder-suicide rates Several of the murder-suicide incidents in this study involved either current or former law enforcement officers... It has been estimated that twice as many police officers commit suicide than are killed in the line of duty. Studies that compare suicide rates show that law enforcement suicide rates exceed rates for both the general population and age/gender matched groups. No studies deal specifically with police officers involved in murder-suicide, but
one reason for the higher rates cited above for law enforcement may be the easy accessibility to firearms.

Experts note that the nature of police work — control over and responsibility for others — along with easy access to firearms probably plays a role in their heightened risk for murder-suicide...

...The most common catalytic component in murder-suicide is the use of a firearm. Firearms allow shooters to act on impulse.
Every major
murder-suicide study ever conducted has shown that a firearm — with its unmatched combination of lethality and availability is the weapon most often used to murder the victims, with the offenders then turning the gun on themselves...

The presence of a gun allows the offender to quickly and easily kill a greater number of victims. If there had not been easy access to a firearm, these deaths may simply have been injuries, or not have occurred at all.

Efforts should be made to restrict access to firearms where there is an increased risk of murder-suicide, for example where an individual has a history of domestic violence
and/or has threatened suicide...

[CA] TIMEBOMB Rodrigues dv, rape, and intimidation charges - Tick. Tick. Tick.

"...The suspect also threatened to kill the victim if she ever said anything..."

[There are so many comments below that you will need to click on the "Load more" link at the bottom of the page to see those that are most recent.] 

Who will protect these women once he's fired? Hopefully the county can, but it doesn't look good. I'm shaking my head. These women are destined to live in fear for as long as this deputy - or ex-deputy lives. That's the whole of it. Firing someone who has puffed up with twisted power is not the end of the story for the victims.

Standard domestic violence services back away. They may say they don't but they do.

Deputy a Suspect for Rape
Hollister Free Lance, CA
Sep 18, 2007
By Michael Van Cassell

The San Benito County Sheriff's Office is investigating Sgt. Mike Rodrigues on allegations of rape, intimidation of a witness or victim and two violations of a restraining order... Rodrigues has not been arrested... On Sept. 10, a deputy took a report of rape by force, a felony... "The victim stated she was raped and was not allowed to leave the residence. The suspect also threatened to kill the victim if she ever said anything"... Sept. 11, a sheriff's deputy filed a report... "The listed suspect called the victim per a third party and advised her to re-cant her statement to the sheriff's department." On that same day, a sheriff's deputy took a report at 4pm for a violation of a domestic violence prevention court order... At 12:15pm Wednesday, a sheriff's deputy took another report for a violation of the same domestic violence prevention court order... "While I was at the victim's residence conducting a welfare check the suspect called the residence in an attempt to speak with the victim, violating a domestic order"...

Hill Aims to Fire Troubled Deputy
Hollister Free Lance, CA - Sep 20, 2007
By Michael Van Cassell
Sheriff Curtis Hill confirmed Wednesday his office intends to fire Sgt. Mike Rodrigues, the deputy under investigation for suspected rape and other crimes. "We've given him a notice of intent to terminate"... he is entitled to a hearing to explain his side of the story... Rodrigues remains on paid administrative leave... In late August, two women, one his wife, filed requests for restraining orders against Rodrigues... Both of those requests will be heard before San Benito County Superior Court Judge Steven Sanders on Sept. 28. The court order bars Rodrigues from possessing a firearm...

Deputy Implicated in Rape Complaint
Gilroy Dispatch
By Michael Van Cassell
Sep 19, 2007
...more recently two women, one his wife, have filed requests for restraining orders against Rodrigues, preventing him from carrying a firearm. They will be heard at the same time, San Benito County Superior Court Judge Harry Tobias ruled Tuesday. Amber Cecena, the cousin of Sgt. Mike Rodrigues' wife, Kristi Rodrigues, filed a restraining order request Aug. 28. Tobias Tuesday continued the court hearing for Cecena's restraining order request against Rodrigues to Sept. 28, when fellow Judge Steven Sanders is scheduled to hear a restraining order request from Kristi Rodrigues. Tobias said the orders are related and should thus be consolidated. "The threats against Ms. Cecena seem to be a message to the wife,"... In addition to the restraining orders that restrict him from carrying a firearm, Rodrigues shot an unarmed man who later died from

a drug overdose,the gun shot wound,shocks from a Taser gun,struggles with law enforcementand pepper spray,
a forensic report concluded...

I am praying for legions of angels to surround these women.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

[NV] "The dedication of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office"

Hard choices are test of institution
Record Courier Staff Reports
September 19, 2007

It doesn't give us any pleasure to report the two recent incidents involving Northern Nevada law officers. Nevada Highway Patrol Sgt. Norman Richard Bailey was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and was sentenced on Thursday. Later that same day Deputy Jason Cypher was arrested for domestic battery and driving under the influence.

Cypher has not been convicted and is innocent in the eyes of the law.

If there is some comfort to be found in these two stories it is evidence that when a crime is suspected and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office responds, it doesn't matter who the suspect is.

We can't imagine it's easy to arrest one of your own in any of these circumstances. But it's that difficulty that makes it even more noteworthy.

It's not the easy things that test our institutions, but the difficult ones.

The dedication of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office to perform its duty on the difficult things is a testament to its leadership and professionalism.

[PA] A note from slain deputy's wife, Amy - "...I fear my life every day."

If you follow the links to these articles below, ask yourself, how many people knew that Amy's life was in danger, AND how much can police agencies be aware of and still have the officer on the streets?

How much can police agencies know about the threatened life of an officer's spouse without stepping in to protect her?

Lehigh Deputy Derrek Duh's BOSS regarding Amy Duh and the resulting protection from abuse orders:

"When the PFA is withdrawn,
it becomes none of my business,"
said Lehigh County Sheriff Ronald Rossi...

The pressure was on Amy to WITHDRAW the orders because while they are in effect Deputy Duh could not carry a weapon, so could not work as a deputy or officer. That sheriff would be the power behind the protection order.
Does he sound like he cares about Amy?
WHO OR WHAT
was supposed to protect Amy

if not the Sheriff?
The Express-Times
September 18, 2007
..."I am writing this letter to let the police know if anything happens to me (Amy Duh) I would like to tell you that Derrek Duh has threatened my life many times. I was told he will shoot me, stab me or beat the s--- out of me anyway to kill me. I have many reports with Bethlehem Township police station. I have two PFAs on him. He had to turn his guns in but he still carries a gun with him. I don't know where he got it from. So if one day you find my body and I am dead, Please, Please look at Derrek Duh. And please make sure my son Garrett Duh is put with my parents for a better life. Their names are Ronald and Beverley VanBuskirk Please help me and my son." Signed Amy Duh "I wrote this because I don't know if one day he will snap and kill me. I fear my life every day."

LEHIGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATEMENT
Statement issued by Lehigh County Sheriff Ron Rossi
09-18-2007
"This morning, Derrick Duh, an employee of the Lehigh County Sheriff's office was found dead, along with his wife, Amy, in their Bethlehem Township home... This is a tremendous personal loss to myself and the staff of the Sheriff's office. We ask that you respect

the privacy of our office

and the families in this difficult time of grieving."

Officer used service weapon in murder-suicide
Amy Duh asked for PFA to be withdrawn so husband could return to sheriff's department.

Allentown Morning Call, PA
10:42 PM EDT, September 19, 2007
Two weeks ago, Amy Duh tried to save her marriage and her husband's law enforcement jobs. Tuesday she died for the effort. On Sept. 4, Duh asked a Northampton County judge to lift her protection-from-abuse order against her husband, Derrek. She said they had decided to go to counseling...
"I would prefer
it withdrawn
if possible
so he can have
his job back"...

Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden rescinded the PFA... With the order lifted, the part-time Tatamy police officer and Lehigh County deputy sheriff got his service weapons back... "When the PFA is withdrawn, it becomes none of my business," said Lehigh County Sheriff Ronald Rossi...
Six days later, Duh, 35, followed through on one of his many threats to kill his 33-year-old wife...

Couple had abusive, volatile relationship
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sarah Cassi scassi@express-times.com.
The Express-Times
...Amy Duh said Derrek Duh would repeatedly call and send her text messages, verbally harass her and her friends and reroute calls from her phone to his phone... "He said he hopes that I die and that he was going to make me and my friends disappear"... In April, Amy Duh wrote Derrek Duh pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot himself. "I was afraid he was going to turn it on me and my son so I took my son outside away from the situation"...

Valley lawman kills wife, himself
Bethlehem Twp. couple had fought so much in recent months that both filed for protection orders.

The Morning Call
By Matt Assad matthew.assad@mcall.com and Michael Duck
September 19, 2007
..."You're going to have to pick [your grandson] up at school today," Duh told Beverley VanBuskirk in a tone so matter-of-fact that she didn't believe he was serious. "I just shot Amy"... Amy Duh, 33, a former dental assistant who most recently worked at a nursing home in Fountain Hill, filed for divorce in May...
"When I was going to leave in April, he pulled out a gun and said he was going to shoot himself... When I dropped my son off to him, he verbally harasses me in front of our son, saying he was going to kill me"
... Derrek Duh, who has worked part-time as a Tatamy police officer for 18 months in addition to his job as deputy sheriff, also filed for protection from abuse on May 17. Both of the couple's filings that day were dismissed a week later, but Amy's second protection filing, in July, was granted... One friend called Derrek Duh a loving father, Tatamy Police Chief George Achenbach described him as a good policeman, and Deputy Fire Chief Hasonich said he felt only confidence when entering a burning building with Duh... Denise Rogers, who used to work with Amy Duh, remembers her as a beautiful woman everyone liked. "Amy was like the nicest girl. She never did anybody any wrong," said Rogers, who still works at the same Salisbury Township dental office where Amy Duh worked at the time of her wedding. "We used to have so much fun," Rogers said. "We would go out all the time, her and I. We were like best friends"...

Cops were frequently called to home
Derrek Duh argued with his wife and his girlfriend. Tatamy-issued weapon used in crime.

Thursday, September 20, 2007
By BEVIN MILAVSKY bmilavsky@express-times.com
The Express-Times
...Mary Hazzard, assistant administrator for Cedarbrook, Lehigh County's nursing home where Amy Duh worked in the Fountain Hill facility, said Amy was always smiling and respectful... "We're certainly going to miss her. We're all still in shock and disbelief that this happened to one of ours"...

Psychological tests needed for cops
Letter to the Editor
The Express-Times
September 20, 2007
...I have to question how Derrek Duh was a deputy sheriff for Lehigh County and a part-time police officer for Tatamy after his wife filed two protection-from-abuse orders. Amy Duh's allegations in the PFAs should have been enough for Lehigh County and Tatamy to further examine the mental health of their employees... They are paid with tax dollars to abide by the law and protect those in their charge, which is a huge responsibility. This tragedy might have been averted had Derrek Duh not been left to his own devices, if continuous psychological screening had occurred... Juliann Skrapits...

Girlfriend says cop talked about plan to kill wife
Thursday, September 20, 2007
By BEVIN MILAVSKY bmilavsky@express-times.com
The Express-Times
The girlfriend of the part-time law enforcement officer who fatally shot his wife and then himself Tuesday morning said he was obsessed with killing his spouse. Michele Andreacchio, 28, of Bangor, said Derrek Duh was increasingly focused on Amy Duh's demise. "He constantly threatened it," she said. "We'd be out doing something and then out of nowhere he'd say, 'I have the perfect way to kill her.'"... She begged him to go back on the medication, but he told her he no longer needed it since she made him happy... he started carrying his service weapon around the house and was paranoid someone was out to get him. He also drank a lot, she said, often downing a quart of coconut rum a day...
She said she warned Amy Duh about the threats and told Derrek's family she had found suicide notes he wrote. "I told enough people that he was going to do this," she said. "And now that he did it, it's almost like, 'I told you so.'"...
Though Andreacchio listened to her boyfriend's rants about killing his wife, she never worried his wrath would be turned on her. "I was his confidante," she said...

Note: The news printing of Amy's note added "(sic)" where there just a couple of spelling errors. If she was HERE which she is NOT and I was her friend, I could point them out to her - but she's GONE and with her note published I know she'd expect a friend to fix it. So I did. I am so sorry for the families and loved ones involved. However the involved law enforcement agencies need to be held accountable for looking the other way.
In Tacoma Washington there was a $75 million dollar wrongful death lawsuit for the city & police brass knowing that our police chief was threatening his wife before he killed them both. Like the sheriff above our city said "It's a private matter."

What is different here?

Sometimes legal action is the ONLY THING that changes a rotten way of doing things. It may be the only thing that will.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

[OH] For the Record: Lorain Officer Gerek got PROBATION?

This is a record I've had for awhile but never posted because it is slightly older than the range I include - 2003 forward. I am posting it now because some of my officer-involved domestic violence sisters and I are focusing on Lorain Ohio due to the DANGEROUS Officer Corey Earl and his very at-risk wife, Laura - and it brings us more understanding of the area's history. (Makes us smarter.)
Lorain police officer Timothy Gerek Jr.
FOR THE RECORD

AS OF SEP 2007 TIMOTHY GEREK JR. IS STILL PICTURED (2ND FROM THE LEFT) ON THE LORAIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE HERE: Governor's Award of Excellence for LPD C.O.P.S. Unit






EXCERPTS:
OH Lorain officer indicted for rape, violence
The Morning Journal
CRAIG RIMLINGER and JAHI HARVEY
02/01/2002
Lorain police officer Timothy Gerek Jr. turned himself in for arrest yesterday after the Lorain County Grand Jury returned
a secret indictment charging him with rape and a misdemeanor domestic violence count... During the incident, Gerek threatened to kill their children if his wife left him or called police, according to a police report.
... Both charges are first-degree offenses... GEREK WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN LORAIN MUNICIPAL COURT, but the charge was dismissed and new charges resulted from the grand jury's indictment...

Indictment charges Lorain policeman with beating and raping estranged wife
The Plain Dealer
February 2, 2002
Kera Ritter; Plain Dealer Reporter
A Lorain police officer has been
indicted on charges that he beat and raped his estranged wife last December... Gerek's wife told police that she did not want to file charges against her husband because she was afraid of him. On Dec. 21, she filed for a protection order to keep her husband away from her and their two children. Gerek was released Thursday from the Lorain County Jail on $10,000 bond...

Lorain officer trades badge for reduced charge
The Plain Dealer
Rachel Dissell
July 10, 2002
A Lorain police officer
accused of beating and raping his wife pleaded guilty to a reduced charge yesterday. A plea agreement with prosecutors calls for Timothy Gerek Jr. to resign from the force immediately and never work as an officer again. In exchange, the rape charge was dropped and a charge of domestic violence was reduced to misdemeanor assault... Gerek's wife told authorities in December that her husband sexually assaulted her after a scuffle in their home... climbed on top of her while she slept on the couch and ripped away some of her clothes after she refused his advances. She stabbed him with scissors, but police determined that she acted in self-defense. Lorain County prosecutors decided not to take the case to trial because Gerek's wife was unwilling to testify...

Accused officer now wants trial
The Plain Dealer
August 24, 2002
A Lorain police officer who resigned from the force last month after pleading guilty to assaulting his wife
now wants to take the case to trial. Timothy Gerek Jr., charged with raping his wife, asked a Lorain County Common Pleas judge Thursday to let him withdraw the guilty plea. Gerek says he was pressured to make the decision in a matter of minutes. Cleveland lawyer Terry Gilbert is handling the case. Gerek has not been sentenced but did turn in his badge, gun and peace officer certificate the day after his plea.

Ex-officer rejected in request to change plea in assault case
His agreement included promise to leave law enforcement
The Plain Dealer
Rachel Dissell
September 21, 2002
A judge refused yesterday to let former Lorain police officer Timothy Gerek Jr. withdraw a plea admitting he assaulted his wife last winter. Gerek, originally charged with domestic violence and rape, claimed he was hurried into the guilty plea in the minutes before his trial was to start... Two months after the plea,
Gerek changed his mind
because he wanted to REMAIN
in law enforcement...
Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Lynett McGough
sentenced Gerek to
a year of PROBATION
and a $500 FINE.
SHE EXPRESSED CONCERN
THAT GEREK
WAS NOT STAYING AWAY
FROM HIS WIFE
AS THE COURT HAD ORDERED...
AND

WARNED

GEREK
not to contact his wife or he would serve a six-month jail sentence
that she

suspended...


Note: Gerek Jr.'s dad, Timothy Gerek, was also a Lorain Police Officer. So was his sister Shelly Coonrod for awhile - and she was (is?) married to a corrections officer at the Lorain County Jail. Their GRANDfather, Joseph Zieba, was a Lorain County Judge.