Monthly Archives: February 2020

FPPC INVESTIGATING STANISLAUS CANDIDATE…….

The Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating judicial candidate Ken Hara over allegations that he failed to report a nearly $10,000 contribution from the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee.

Hara, a Stanislaus Superior Court commissioner, is running against attorneys Jared Carrillo and John R. Mayne to fill the seat of Judge Marie Silveira, who is retiring.

The committee made a $9,807.90 contribution to Hara on Feb. 10.

The contribution is considered a late filing because it is in excess of $1,000 and was given after the closing date of the last campaign statement required to be filed before the election. Late contributors must be filed with the California Secretary of State within 24 hours.

The Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee filed within 24 hours but Hara did not and had not as of Friday, according to the Secretary of State website.

Hara did not respond to repeated attempts to reach him. Friday evening, Hara emailed the following statement:

“All required election documents have been filed with the California Secretary of State and the Stanislaus County Clerk and Recorder. Copies of the documents have also been provided to the Fair Political Practices Commission.”

The committee made the same contribution to Sam Getrich, a candidate in another judicial race, and he reported it on time.

The FPPC has sent several letters to Hara informing him that complaints were made anonymously and by a person identified as Hasten Cupit. A letter sent to him Monday says the enforcement division will investigate the allegations.

A woman named Danielle White emailed The Bee regarding the complaints, saying her husband filed one of them. She said they both are volunteers for Carrillo’s campaign.

The average case takes 105 days to investigate, said FPPC’s communications Director Jay Wierenga.

“But a majority of cases probably are concluded before that, as the more complex and complicated cases take longer and thus spread out the average,” he said.

Wierenga said any violation of the Political Reform Act can result in penalties ranging from a warning letter to a fine up to $5,000 per violation.

The amount of the penalty is assessed based on the seriousness of the violation, harm to the public, previous history of violations and types of penalties given to others for similar violations, he said.

The commission also takes into consideration the sophistication of the violator, like whether he or she is an experienced politician, political campaign organization or a first-time candidate on a shoestring budget.

DAWG SAYS: PERSONALLY, I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS AND A SIMPLE OVERSIGHT BUT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. SIMILAR TO WHAT FRANK CARSON DID IN 2014. WILL THE DISTRICT ATTONEYS OFFICE FILE A FELONY AGAINST MR HARA LIKE THEY DID FRANK CARSON? IF NOT, WHY NOT?

SACRAMENTO MAN ARRESTED-HELD IN JAIL NEVER CHARGED…….

SEE THE LAWSUIT FILED BELOW

A man said he spent 27 days in the Sacramento County Jail without being charged or making a court appearance.

Taylor Brophy was arrested for DUI in March 2019 but claims in a lawsuit he was lost in the system for almost a month with no idea what was going on in his case. Brophy claims other inmates heard his case called by a judge, but Brophy was not there to answer.

“We don’t know all the facts yet, but from what we’re hearing firsthand, it’s really scary,” Sacramento attorney Mark Reichel said about the case.

Reichel said everyone, no matter the circumstance, is entitled to be seen and heard by a judge in a timely manner.

“Ordinarily in California, 99 percent of the time on a first time DUI, as soon as you’re sober enough, you’re out the door. They don’t have places to hold you so they do want you out of there,” Reichel said.

Brophy is suing Sacramento County for damages, claiming he “suffered financial loss, extreme emotional distress, mental anguish — and damage to his reputation.”

The lawsuit claims when Brophy was tested, his blood-alcohol level was not above the legal limit.

SEE LAWSUIT HERE:

dui-arrest-no-charges-suit-1582610857Download

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jails Brophy was held in, could not comment on pending court matters, but a spokesperson said charges other than the DUI may have been in play during Brophy’s time in jail. She said he may have owed time for a past conviction on unrelated charges.

“When you have a system this big, with this many people, that functions of this level at times chaos these types of things are going to happen,” Reichel said.

Weighing in on the lawsuit, Sacramento attorney Mark Reichel said ‘Ordinarily in California, 99 per cent of the time on a first time DUI, as soon as you’re sober enough, you’re out the door.

‘They don’t have places to hold you so they do want you out of there.’

After his release on April 13, 2019, Brody said jail officials never gave him a reason why he was kept in jail.

The suit claims Brophy is entitled to both ‘economic and non-economic damages’ from Sacramento County.

FRANK CARSON UPDATE……

Just a quick update on a couple things that I have heard and I want to emphasize these are just rumors at this time and I am attempting to get confirmation.

On February 26, 2020 Frank Carson had a short hearing date department to in front of Judge Zuniga, it was just a continuation date that was rescheduled for May 26, 2020. Department #2 is now been assigned to Judge Besse. I am not aware of the exact calendar that judge Bessie runs in that courtroom but is supposed to be a heavy calendar. Again I have no confirmation but I received information that judge Zuniga had insisted that the morning calendar for judge Bessie be heard in a different courtroom in the basement, as she was not willing to go to that different courtroom herself. Judge Zuniga’s hearing lasted all of five minutes, as it was just a simple continuation.

I have made several calls and left messages to the court staff to ascertain the truthfulness of that information but have received no response, and I will still continue to try to find out.

In addition, recently Dawgs Blog had reported that the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office had turned over the Frank Carson perjury case to the attorney general’s office and declared a conflict, based on all the civil lawsuits that are involved in this case now.

On this recent court appearance on February 26, 2020 Marlisa Ferriera did appear for the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office and the Atty. Gen.’s office was not present. After making some inquiries I received information, understand again that has not been confirmed, that the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office would not turn over the case to the attorney general’s office if they were going to simply dismiss the case. They wanted to continue the prosecution on this case, and possibly the appearance of Marlisa Ferriera in court two days ago is what has happened.

For two days I’ve been making contact with the Atty. Gen.’s office to ascertain if they were asked to take over the case and in fact I have talked to one individual who took my information and what I was inquiring about and passed it on to the appropriate people. At the time of this writing no response has been received by the Atty. Gen.’s office

So, until we get some confirmation, I will keep trying to gather this information for the sake of accuracy. And I must emphasize this is not confirmed information just something that I’m working on to find out for sure.

If anyone has any information in this situation, please feel free to contact me

DAWG

MARDI GRAS FLOAT OF THE DAY…….

One Mardi Gras float in particular has caused a bit of a stir on social media.

The float reportedly shows a ‘papier-mâché-Epstein’ in a prison jumpsuit with a woman that resembles Hillary Clinton, “appearing to strangle him from behind,” KTRH reports, adding, “The side of the float reads ‘Epstein didn’t kill himself.’”

One social media user also notes that “the float was followed by the ‘Swinging Epsteins,’ which consisted of a bunch of convicted ‘Jefferys’ walking down the street with nooses around their necks.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1231056946314334208

NOW THAT FUNNY RIGHT THERE!

ANOTHER DAWGS BLOG FACEBOOK ADVENTURE……

As everyone knows I put up a variety of different things here on Dawgs Blog. I try to have some fun and be informative.

On November 25, 2019 I put up this MEME all in fun and as a joke about our Government ways:

Face crooks in their strange ways has independent groups fact checking Facebook posts.

One group is PolitiFact, and that is what they did, fact checked a funny MEME and determined it was fake news. ( I could have saved them time and told them so)

Of course, it was fake news it was a joke and all in fun. It was not a commentary or editorial it was a funny MEME.

Here are the results of what then happened:

Note there is no appeal button to explain the situation, or any way to contact anyone about the MEME.

They restricted my distribution and gave no time frame nor how to avoid these issues in the future.

So, the post now looks like this:

I have contacted PolitiFact for any explanation why they would fact check a funny MEME but as of this writing they have not responded. I wonder if they get paid by the number of corrections.

I have decided this is one of those situations that shows how out of control some things in our society are and why we are in the dire division we see in our country today.

Another lesson learned. SMH

DIPSHIDIOT OF THE DAY: EX-TEXAS COP GERALD GOINES…….

69 CONVICTED ON POSSIBLE FALSE EVIDENCE BY NOW EX-COP…….

Prosecutors announced Wednesday they believe 69 additional people might have been convicted on false evidence from a former Houston police officer whose cases are being reviewed following a deadly drug raid.

The announcement comes after judges earlier this month declared innocent two brothers who had been convicted based on testimony from former officer Gerald Goines.

Goines’ work with the Houston Police Department’s narcotics unit has come under scrutiny following the January 2019 drug raid in which Dennis Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58, were killed.

Prosecutors allege Goines, 55, lied to obtain the warrant to search the couple’s home by claiming that a confidential informant had bought heroin there. Goines later said there was no informant and that he had bought the drugs himself, they allege. Five officers, including Goines, were injured in the raid.

“We need to clear people convicted solely on the word of a police officer whom we can no longer trust,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

Nicole DeBorde, Goines’ attorney, said the announcement by Ogg’s office was a way to “poison” potential jurors in Goines’ case and for Ogg to promote herself ahead of a hotly contested Democratic primary on Tuesday for her office.

“But because these unfounded and unsupported allegations conveniently align with her very public use of the case in her campaign and offer an end run around the rules prohibiting her from discussing the facts of the pending case, she issues press release after press release, the latest in her last push before Super Tuesday,” DeBorde said.

Earlier this month, Otis Mallet and his brother Steven were declared innocent by judges after their attorneys and prosecutors agreed that Goines had lied during their trials about buying drugs from the siblings in 2008. Otis Mallet was sentenced to eight years in prison and later paroled while his brother pleaded guilty to a drug charge and was sentenced to 10 months in jail.

A final ruling on the Mallet brothers’ cases is pending before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Prosecutors on Wednesday filed motions asking judges to appoint attorneys for the 69 individuals so that their cases can be reviewed to see if their convictions should be overturned.

Most of the 69 cases are related to drug charges in which individuals received sentences ranging from a few months in the county jail to four years in state prison. Goines was the only witness to the drug offense in all these cases, prosecutors said. None of the 69 individuals are still imprisoned.

Since the raid, prosecutors have been reviewing thousands of cases handled by the Houston Police Department’s narcotics division, Goines and another ex-officer, Steven Bryant.

Ogg said Wednesday that defendants in cases from 2008 to 2019 in which Goines played a substantial role are entitled to a presumption that he provided false evidence to secure their convictions.

Goines is facing two counts of felony murder in state court for the deaths of Tuttle and Nicholas and is facing seven counts in federal court over allegedly providing false information in the raid.

Bryant is also facing state and federal charges in the deadly raid. Both men were relieved of duty after the shooting and later retired.

DAWG SAYS: TO BE SURE THIS IS NOT THE NORM FOR LEO’S, BUT THE EXCEPTION. BUT THERE IS NO MECHANISM IN PLACE TO ENSURE THESE THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN. ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT A STRONG MOTIVATOR TO NOT DO THESE THINGS AS THEY ARE NOT UNDER ENOUGH SCRUTINY DURING THE PROCESS. ESPECIALLY WHEN APPLYING FOR WARRANTS AND SUCH WITH JUDGES. THEN THEY ARE JUST ALLOWED TO RETIRE AND MOVE ON WITH NO REAL ACCOUNTABILITY.

SHAKIRA AND J-LO: OVER 1300 COMPLAINTS ON HALFTIME SHOW…….(VIDEO)


Families all over America gathered on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the Kansas City Chiefs battle the San Francisco 49ers, turning one of America’s most beloved sports events into a cheerful family affair.

Then came half time.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received 1,312 complaints from viewers who had something to say about the halftime show featuring pop queens Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.

The singers danced on poles, twerked, belly danced and made more than a few sexually suggestive gestures.

Some of the complaints, which were sent to CNN by FCC officials and first obtained by WFAA, came from parents who felt their children were exposed to a “porno show.” Other adults thought the show encouraged sex trafficking.

And some people were upset no public warnings were given before the show, which one viewer said was less a musical act than an “X-rated strip club performance.”

HERE IS THE VIDEO:

Here are just a few of the complaints:

Not appropriate for children

Many parents were left fuming after watching the show with their kids. Nearly half of the 1,300 complaints mentioned that the halftime show was inappropriate, especially for children.

  • “Jennifer Lopez’s performance at the Super Bowl halftime show was extremely explicit and completely unacceptable for a event where families including children are watching,” a Utah viewer said. “I had to send my children out of the room so that they weren’t exposed to something they should not have seen.”
  • “My family was very excited to watch the Super Bowl tonight,” a viewer from Washington complained. “However, I was not prepared to explain to my 11 yo daughter why Jennifer Lopez was dressed so scantily or why she kept grabbing her crotch. My daughter was asking if she was feeling sick from having so much skin showing.”
  • “The half time show was very sexual in nature. I have never seen so many sex poses outside porn magazines,” a New York viewer said. They also complained about “sexy tongue wagging” and “butt shaking.”
  • “What are you teaching young girls?” a Wisconsin viewer said. “Dance around half naked to make men excited then claim #MeToo for harassment? It’s ok to be some sexual being and shake your naked rear end and expose your crotch and dance on a pole in front of the world?”

The ‘Me Too’ movement (and sex trafficking)

Many complaints mentioned the “Me Too” movement and sex trafficking.

“In our country there has been a push for women’s rights and more opportunities along with the Me too movement which is a good thing,” one Ohio viewer said. “This takes us back to where women get their worth from their sexuality not their brains/personality and I don’t appreciate it on a family friendly broadcast.”

“This is not appropriate family entertainment as the Super Bowl advertises. It was appalling! And then having young girls join the spectacle,” a Kentucky viewer said. “No wonder there is sex trafficking when you call this family entertainment. And where’s the Me Too women? Do you not see the hypocrisy?”

“Jlo grabbed her crotch, danced on a stripper pole,” said a Pennsylvania viewer. “Costumes were barely there! With everything going on now with the Me Too movement this is not something that should have been on TV prime time.”

“A disgusting spectacle was on display during the halftime show of the Super Bowl yesterday and I’m sickened by the idea that this was broadcast in to so many homes in America and possibly around the world,” an Oregon viewer said of the show, broadcast by Fox. “Selling sex seems to be the job nowadays, despite human trafficking and the Me Too movement. Shame on Fox.”

Boycotting Pepsi

A lot of the complaints included threats about boycotting Pepsi. Well, not even just Pepsi. People said they planned to also boycott the Super Bowl, its halftime shows and even the entire NFL.

“Jennifer Lopez’s gyrating on a stripper pole with her butt and her crotch smack in front of my eyes, my husband and children was an affront to women and children and violates your rules,” one person from Tennessee said. “I will be boycotting Pepsi and their products and unless you can guarantee a decent half time show next year, we will boycott the Super Bowl.

“It was EXTREMELY offensive to me and my family. Together, those who object will boycott Pepsi and the NFL if this is acceptable entertainment for their games,” another viewer from Maryland complained.

“I am appalled at how a television network allowed such a disgusting display of the degrading of women and basically a porn show during the hours of family viewing,” a New Jersey viewer said. “This has pushed me to boycott this network and the NFL. Both obviously missed the description of what it is to empower a woman.”

“I am very offended by the performance of porn on a supposed family occasion,” yet another viewer said. “I will be boycotting the Super Bowl and especially the vulgar half time shows that have progressively gotten worse through the years.”

“I was one of those who turned the channel as soon as I saw what the show was about. Fox and the NFL should be held accountable for the show. Yet one more reason to go back to boycotting the NFL,” a Texas viewer complained.

Super Bowl LIV averaged 102 million viewers across several channels and streaming outlets, according to Fox. So while less than one-thousandth percent of viewers had something bad to say about the show, the complaints were strong worded — and it’s safe to say some people were pretty mad.

DAWG SAYS: 102 MILLION VIEWERS AND ONLY 1300 COMPLAINTS, THIS IS A NON-ISSUE, SIMPLY TURN OFF THE TV.

New Mexico Governor to Sheriffs: Enforce Gun Law or Resign

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a red-flag gun bill Tuesday that will allow state district courts to order the temporary surrender of firearms, and she urged sheriffs to resign if they still refuse to enforce it.

Flanked by advocates for stricter gun control and supportive law enforcement officials at a signing ceremony, Lujan Grisham said the legislation provides law enforcement authorities with an urgently needed tool to deter deadly violence by temporarily removing firearms from people who pose a threat to themselves or others.

Some sheriffs from mostly rural areas opposed the bill in committee hearings as a violation of constitutional guarantees to due process, free speech and the right to bear arms. Public rallies were held for and against the legislation.

Lujan Grisham said sheriffs should have the opportunity to oppose any proposed policy change, but “they cannot not enforce.”

“If they really intend to do that, they should resign as a law enforcement officer and leader in that community,” she said.

New Mexico Sheriffs’ Association President Tony Mace of Cibola County said the new law goes too far by potentially impounding guns before any crime is committed and that he and other sheriffs will assert their discretion over its enforcement.

“We don’t work for the governor, we don’t work for the Legislature,” he said. “We work for the people that elected us into office.”

New Mexico lawmakers last year expanded background check requirements to most private gun sales and banned firearms possession for people under permanent protective orders for domestic violence.

Highlighting discontent in rural communities, elected commissioners declared Roosevelt County a “sanctuary” for Second Amendment guarantees on Tuesday, recognizing the right of the local sheriff “not to enforce any unconstitutional firearms law against any citizens.” The county of roughly 20,000 residents adjacent to Texas is the latest of at least a dozen New Mexico counties to embrace the sanctuary label.

This year’s red-flag legislation allows police and sheriffs’ deputies to petition a court for the surrender of household firearms within 48 hours from people who appear to pose a danger to themselves or others.

Petitions can be based on sworn affidavits filed by relatives, employers or school administrators, and authorities can be held liable for officers who fail to enforce the law.

The gun-control advocacy group Moms Demand Action is planning a yearslong campaign to publicize the law and outline how people can petition law enforcement for extreme risk protection orders, said Emelie De Angelis, a state chapter leader.

She said her group is emphasizing that district attorneys can seek red-flag orders from judges in areas where sheriffs may show reluctance.

“We were really adamant that particularly with our sheriffs’ situation — a lot of them saying that they don’t want to enforce this — that the DAs had to stay in” the law, she said.

Lujan Grisham outlined her motivation for signing the red-flag law by invoking the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, and the 2018 mass shooting that killed 17 students at a Florida high school.

Red-flag laws gained momentum after it was learned that the young man accused in the Florida attack was widely known to be mentally troubled yet had access to weapons.

“Now this state is responding,” Lujan Grisham said. “We’re looking at the opportunity to do as much as we can for threats that could create mass violence.”

A red-flag order would set off a 10-day deadline for a court hearing on whether the initial order to surrender firearms is extended for a year. A flagged gun owner can request an extension of up to 30 days for the hearing.

Failure to relinquish firearms as ordered is a misdemeanor that can lead authorities to remove weapons. The law takes effect on May 20.

DAWG SAYS: MORE DIVISION BETWEEN THE STATE GOVERNMENTS AND THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO ASSES ARE ON THE LINE BY POOR LEGISLATION BY COWARDLY POLITICIANS.

DIPSHIDIOTS OF THE DAY: SAN FRANCISCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY…..

OVER CORONA VIRUS

San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) declared a state of emergency for the city on Tuesday amid concerns over the international coronavirus outbreak.

While no coronavirus cases have been confirmed in San Francisco, “the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness,” Breed said in a statement.

“We see the virus spreading in new parts of the world every day, and we are taking the necessary steps to protect San Franciscans from harm,” she added.

The new state of emergency will allow city officials to assemble resources and personnel to expedite emergency planning measures and boost the ability to deploy a rapid response to a potential coronavirus case in the city.

The move follows a similar declaration from Santa Clara County earlier this month. The declaration is effective immediately for seven days and will be voted on by the board of supervisors on March 3.

The statement from Breed comes amid stark warnings from U.S. health officials over the chances of an outbreak of the virus in the U.S.

“As more and more countries experience community spread, successful containment at our borders becomes harder and harder,” Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Tuesday.

“It’s not a question of if this will happen but when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illnesses,” she added. “Disruption to everyday life might be severe.”

More than 77,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in China, where the virus was first detected, but more than 2,000 cases have been identified in other countries. Fifty-seven cases have been confirmed in the U.S., including 40 people who had been repatriated to the country from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Some lawmakers have expressed skepticism that the administration is taking bold enough action to curb the risk of the virus spreading in the U.S., with some saying the $2.5 billion it requested in in emergency coronavirus funding was insufficient.

“It seems to me at the outset that this request for the money, the supplemental, is lowballing it, possibly, and you can’t afford to do that,” Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar during a hearing on the agency’s budget request.

DAWG SAYS: NO STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR THE HOMELESS, NO STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR ALL THE NEEDLES ON THE GROUND, NO STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR ALL THE POOP ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR THE CORONA VIRUS BUT HAVE NO ACTIVE CASES.

THINK THEY ARE LOOKING FOR FREE MONEY?

FRANK CARSON UPDATE…….

Frank Carson had a short hearing today in Department #2 in front of judge Zuniga in regard to his FPPC form 700 perjury case. Marlisa Ferreira was there to represent the district attorneys office.

The case was continued to May 6, 2020 @ 9:00am for trial setting.

There was some more information made available in regards to the Attorney Generals office taking over of the case, but I need to confirm some more facts prior to publishing.

To be continued hopefully soon.