The Crime Report, the Voice of Law and Order

“Double Standards”

Chief Deputy S.A. "Arch" Jones' son arrested for DWI and Hit and Run, and on October 27th he was still employed with the Sheriff's Office.

The elected Sheriff of New Hanover County, Sheriff Ed McMahon (D)(we just had to put the “D”, because during the election, there were many people that were confused and telling lies that McMahon was a Republican) has asked for many resignations from his personnel during his administration for his “Zero Tolerance” policy.

"I continue to stand firm on my position concerning alcohol related incidents," Sheriff Ed McMahon said in a statement of his zero-tolerance policy. http://www.wwaytv3.com/2011/09/07/nhso-lieutenant-quits-after-dwi-arrest

McMahon said his office will not tolerate charges in alcohol-related offenses.

"We as law enforcement are held to a higher standard," McMahon said, adding that he didn't see a pattern between the DWI and assaults.

"The policy is clear," said McMahon. "I have a zero tolerance when it comes to alcohol related incidents involving deputies." http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100607/ARTICLES/100609726

The first problem I have with his “policy” is that it resembles a trouncing of the 5th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, the same Constitution that we as law enforcement officers swear an oath to God to uphold and protect. While there is no, “innocent until proven guilty” entered in the text of the Amendment, it is per se.

: The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads, in part, "No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law ..."

: What this means, in plain terms, is that constitutionally you cannot be executed, imprisoned, or fined without the proper course of justice taking place. As you found out, due process, itself, is not defined in the constitution, but is universally recognized as meaning what we term as "a fair trial."

: Going forward from there, a fair trial by a jury of one's peers requires that the jurors approach the case with the thought that the prosecution is required to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Since the trial begins with the prosecution not having introduced a single piece of evidence, it follows that a defendant must be innocent, until proven guilty.

These department members were forced to resign or terminated before being adjudicated by the courts. If found guilty by the courts, I could understand termination more than allowing the member to resign, but to affect these members’ life and liberty without due process is, in my humble opinion, wrong. I could however, see suspending them until the outcome of the case. As I understand that if they were to lose their driving privileges due to the civil revocation, that they would be “riding the pine” until their privileges were restored.

Continued

"The word is, that this New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department member, went into the Vice and Narcotics evidence lock up and took a seized window air conditioner unit and placed it in his daughter’s window at his home. "

We at Blue Line Radio heard the disturbing news of yet another negative issue involving the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Vice and Narcotics Unit. We hinted to it in our most recent article, or “Evidence Denied” part one. Now, out of concern that there is absolutely nothing that is going to come of this, we have decided to bring this dark issue out into the light. But first, some insight as to how and why this type of thing could happen within our Sheriff’s office. It happens because of conditioning. It happens because of negative role models and leadership.

First, we have to remember that the former Sheriff, Sid Causey, was the unit commander for over the last sixteen plus years as a staff member, then continued to control it through one “direct report” commander during his administration as Sheriff. This would be the same Sid Causey that in the year of 2000, as Captain in the V/N Unit, drove down to Tampa Florida to seize illegal drugs on information gleaned from a defendant in the New Hanover County Jail; this is without the knowledge of the Tampa Police. Then, after being told “nicely” by the Tampa authorities not to come back to Tampa to work drug cases on their own, Causey slips into Tampa to bond out a drug defendant, go to the bank and retrieve over $80,000.00 in cash. This is when a “tip” was called into the Tampa drug unit and Causey was told that he was going to be investigated and to leave Tampa. Both DEA Tampa and DEA Wilmington, felt that if Causey’s unethical if not criminal conduct were disclosed, that it may jeopardize the international drug case deemed, OPERATION XTERMINATOR.. So, no further action was taken against Causey and he later became the next elected Sheriff after Sheriff Lanier decided not to run in the 2002 election.

There were other incidents of misconduct and possible criminal behavior by Causey and his drug unit.

full story can be found by clicking here

Evidence handling of New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office in question.

The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Vice and Narcotics Unit may have serious issues when it comes to chain of custody in preserving evidence of crimes. As law enforcement officers make arrest and confiscate evidence, they do so in a manner to follow protocol. This is in order to bring factual basis that a crime has been committed to the courts, so with that fact, evidence must be preserved with the utmost integrity. Failing on this point, would jeopardize the prosecution of a case and could possibly cause the case to be dismissed.

full story can be found by clicking here

For more than eight years the Blue Line Radio Show has always signed off thanking our sheepdogs watching over the flock. Today, even more than ever, we extend our hand to the men and women who serve our community so bravely. Thank you.

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