As mentioned last week, I submitted a California Public Records Act request for a copy of any one of the tape recordings made when San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a loud party complaint in Mentone. During that call a very drunk District Attorney Mike Ramos confronted deputies and told them to leave. He could have been arrested for Penal Code Section 647(f) or 148(a). However, he was not. At least one of the deputies recognized him.
Today I received a letter from San Bernardino County Counsel advising that the tape recording is confidential. At least they did not deny its existence or that the incident occurred. However, we all know this types of tapes are made available to the media on a regular basis. Just look at COPS or any of the other shows that document real incidents. And, how often are 9-1-1 tapes, videos from patrol units, etc., released to the public.
This situation is just what this situation looks like: an attempt to cover up a criminal act by a District Attorney who is up for re-election. Sheriff Hoops, you should be ashamed of yourself!
For those that would like to read the letter, here it is: CC-DT-203637_EXCHANGE_04292010-091423
Send this letter along with a request for an investigation to the US Attorney and the Attorney General. They are admitting the incident occurred or they would have stated that no such recoring exists. The SO and the County Council are clearly covering this up. The fact that they admit it exists warrants an investigation. cc the LA Times, the Press Enterprise and the Daily Press. Forget the Sun, they are co-conspirators.
I sent the letter along with an explanation to as many media outlets I could quickly find email addresses for. If anyone has a good list of email addresses for the media and email addresses for the Attorney General’s Office and FBI, please send them to me at sharon@iepolitics.com
I am very proud of Sharon for submitting this public records request. Are there any lawyers who can file a Petition in the Superior Court to compel production of these records?
Where are Guzman and Conaway on this story?
Just wondering does it ever stop?
I hope just another nail in Hoops and Ramos’s coffin as we near election time.
It is not the most important topic we have discussed here, but I can guarantee our readers if a citizen or rank and file County employee had done this same thing, an arrest or discipline would have followed.
But again we are dealing with the I AM above the law attitude, the rules DO NOT really apply to me because of who I am.
Maybe they are discussing the matter on the links today at Vic Stull’s fundraiser at 5:30 at the Arrowhead Country Club?
Where are the ambitious young news hounds with cameras going after these guys?
Well Sheriff Hoops I appreciate your openess regarding your willingess to ignore justice in order to play CYA for your buddy. You have made my election choices so much easier. Thank you.
If the State Attoney General is in bed with Mike Ramos, you might need to contact the Federal Public Integerity Unit. Due to the issue of “conflict of interest”
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/pin/
Truth, no it never stops. Some people have jobs like building a house. When it is done, you can drive by that house for 50 years and be satisfied with your work. On to building the next house.Other jobs are like mowing a lawn. You have to do the same thing week after week in the same pattern.
Keeping politics free of corruption is like keeping your kitchen sink free of dirty dishes. Just checked. 17 pieces and my wife is using two more as we speak.
This goes to show you the arrogance that these people have. It is kind of like the old saying goes “Don’t do as I do, do as I say”.
You know what happened after the deputies left the residence. I bet you they had a good laugh at them after showing them they had no respect for there positions. And for nothing to be done by their boss shows you exactly what he thinks about his employees.
This is the exact thing that we have been talking about on this blog for sometime now.
Nothing done to Ramos or the upper level management over the POST issue but they do not have a problem issuing discipline to an employee for a lot less serious allegation. They will even deny the involvement of other current employed upper management employees involved in the POST issue and allow them to issue discipline to employees. If you think that the only Captain involved in this scam is Gray then I have some property for you in Flordia at a good price. Don’t worry according to my real-estate agent the current global warming should have that water problem cleared up in no time.
If there was any doubt in your mind if this type of activity has been going on this should solve your doubt problems.
I challenge anyone to get drunk and when the cops show up get into their faces and see what happens to you. And when you find yourself a guest at there house see if one of Ramos DA’s will file charges on you or will they just say it was all a miss understanding.
And I hate judging the watch commander on duty that night but I think that I would have drove back to the location and would have told them exactly how it was going to be and anyone, including Ramos, that did not comply would find themselves in the back seat of a patrol unit.
With a new sheriff may be this type of crap will come to an end. Think about it I am sure that a new sheriff will not keep the current staff and bring in his own personnel. And when he gets ready to retire he will not appoint one of his “Good Ole Boys” to the position so that he can get all of the free press prior to election day.
Good luck Paul.
Truth, no it never stops. These good ole boys will do whatever it takes to protect each other. And I mean whatever.
I received the following response from the Public Inquiry Unit for the Attorney General; as we explained in our responses of April 28, 2008, September 19, 2008, and January 12, 2009 our office cannot be of assistance to you.
The Attorney General has no jurisdiction in matters involving the administration of estates. Contact the public administrator.
As you know, our office does not have jurisdiction over attorneys. Contact the State Bar.
As you know, our office does not have jurisdiction over judges. Contact the Commission on Judicial Performance.
Our office also does not have jurisdiction over Probate Referees. You may wish to share your concerns with the State Controller’s Office.
If you do not know an attorney, you may obtain a referral by contacting the San Bernardino County Bar Association.
Honestly, these bullies are out of control.
Well said Senor.
And for those who think this issue is just an abberation, it is not.
Depending on where you work, this same type of cover up or special treatment of certain person extents on down into friends and family members of anyone who knows someone.
What do I mean?
Let’s take this issue, say Ramos wasn’t even in Yucaipa, we will say that night he was at home with his wife.
But the person who owned the house was, and the same exact situation took place.
The two Deputies make an arrest. That person arrested is a good friend of Ramos. Ramos get’s notified of the arrest and phone calls go out to Hoops.
Does it happen, YES. AND not once in awhile.
Besides that issue, the average street cop has to worry about WHO is related to who, who knows who, but what might happen if he takes action.
Some Deputies could care less, but if they don’t hear from their supervisor, then the matter goes away quietly.
ANYONE connected to someone, NO matter who they are or how they are related can come into play here. IF not at the moment it happens, it can be after the fact.
Remember my story about Robin Pellisier and his simply phone call to Penrod after the fact, and the Deputy involved is now under investigation?
I will give a better example in another posting.
ACU the thing that I find amazing is that it is my understanding that there were a few prior investigations that were not near the magnitude of the POST one and the Department did not waste any time in investigating them nor did they spare the man power, money or other resorces necessary to hang the employee. There was no criminal activity involved in the cases from what I understand. Then they have or attempted to slam the hammer down on the people involved with excessive days off, transfers and demotions.
Yet let the management staff take money that does not belong to them and forge their time cards and college credit units and one can get demoted to the jail, one can pay back the money and retire and another can get transferred to the jail with a job.
Wish I have enough information on these cases to post and comment on but I don’t. May be you can help.
Senor yes, you are correct and it involves a Detective who was being investigated out of Victorville for not investigating child abuse cases the way a certain person in CAC thought they should have been.
YES the powers to be jumped on that one real quick, in my opinion for only one reason, some one was holding a long time grudge, nothing more. PRIMARY reason.
Well as usual the knee jerk reaction will prove fatal once again for the stupid ones.
I understand 5 investigators were sent up to look into a lot of reports. Seems it didn’t turn out the way some expected. Hate how that happens.
But as we know that doesn’t matter, if some one in power decides your wrong, YOU are going to get something from them, they can’t say their wrong when proven wrong.
And this case was administrative in nature, not criminal in anyway. Lots of man power and time pumped into that fishing expedition.
If the same energy was placed on the Yucaipa scandal, we would not be talking about that in here.
I hear they are trying to discipline a Sergeant in that matter also. Guess it is that new theory some Sergeants are being subject too of, “failure to supervise”.
Guess we can expect a Deputy Chief to be getting disciplined behind his or her failure to supervise Captain Gray.
OR is that wishful thinking??
I should have mentioned this case a long time ago. Like I said before to many cases out there to keep track of.
But so many cases Hoops won’t explain them away on a good day.
ACU not sure about that one but interesting.
So they think that reports were not investigated right and a Sgt did not supervisor a employee and they waste all of that time and money on investigating it but they don’t have these resourses available to investigate the POST scandle or some Detective beating the crap out of someone in Arizona.
I guess the next question would be what did they do to those two employees because it sounds like they may not be on the “Good ole boy program”, or are they.
I don’t know who the Sergeant is in that case, I think the case is pending in civil service.
I don’t think either one is on the good old boy roster.
You guys really think 647 charge would stick? A guy comes out in his front lawn to talk to deputies, isn’t really combative, and is known to one of the deputies. Even if the arrest goes down, the DA drops the case (1st offense) or at the most, takes a lesser of some sort.
The significant factor is the cover up of the 911 tape. Come on Mike, what do you have to hide?
The concern is not whether the charges stick but rather our DA participating in such behavior and our DA and Sheriff covering it up. If nothing really happened, let us have the tape to prove it.
Oh Denise….why oh why are you posting on this blog? Everyone knows you were named as one of Ramos’ girlfriends and how you threw Cheryl Ristow under the bus in your interviews with the Sexual harrassment investigation. I find it rather funny that you miss high and mighty” I would NEVER sleep with that old grandpa” would be blogging here in this forum. Oh, and your comments here arent even related to the post. What gives?
Corruption In San Bernardino: I have read several of your posts and you seem to want this blog to be a help to you in your probate case. I think that the reason you have not gotten anyone answering you threads is because your case involves a very specific realm of knowledge that none of us have.
You have made many points and raised many questions, but I have not been able to get my arms around your plight. I can’t offer legal advice, but if you e-mail me at browtree@dslextreme.com, I can ask the questions of a reasonable man and make sure that you have your case in a clear and concise form that would make it easier for the press or a disciplinary agency to understand.
ACU if that Deputy Chief does not get disciplined and I were that Sgt I think that I would do something about the double standards. As the old saying goes, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”.
Oh I forgot talked to SEBA and remember they favorite saying, “Well it’s their department and they can do what they want to do”.
I sure hope that Schrader does not have this opinion and view.
Let’s not forget how Sheriff Rod Hoops, and D.A. Mike Ramos engaged in the malicious prosecution of several 11 and 12 year old girls and boys from Hermosa Elementary School in Rancho Cucamonga. This prosecution for P.C. 242 (Battery) took place because another male student was accidentally hit in the mouth with a ball while playing a school authorized game of Dodge-Ball.
The young boy did not complain to teachers. The next day, his mother came in to the school complaining why her son’s minor cut to the inside of his lip was not tended to. The school resource officer at the time; Deputy Tina Shaffia, chose to conduct a criminal investigation to appease school staff, and began calling in students to interrogate them. All while failing to make a Miranda admonishment. The family did not want prosecution, and offered to sign a complaint refusal form. Neither the sheriff’s dept. nor the D.A. would accept this. This case was well publicized on local TV news, and John & Ken of KFI did an entire hour on this case.
Although my children are in their late 20′s, I can’t imagine my grandchildren ever having to experience such nonsense. In professional football, you get a 15 yard penalty for unnecessary roughness, you don’t get prosecuted.
Two of the student’s fathers worked for Fontana PD, and their chief tried to fire one of the fathers that refused to have his daughter plead guilty, and went to the press. Sheriff Rod Hoops no doubt played a role in that. When Hoops was contacted by the families, he refused to intervene and stop this malicious prosecution, and refused to call back any of the parents.
If I were on the Rancho Cucamonga City Council, I would seriously consider whether Sheriff Rod Hoops should continue in that capacity, and if he is truly suited to make decisions concerning the enforcement of laws in San Bernardino County, and the proper usage of limited resources. I’m sure the Rancho Cucamonga City Council thought to themselves;
“You know Sheriff Hoops, we have researched the concerns our residents believe to be of high priority to them, and it turns out prosecuting little girls and boys for injuring another boy in a Dodge-Ball game was not one of them.”
I hope all the new sheriff candidates are aware of this case, and if not, pass it on to them and/or cut and paste this posting where they will see it. I don’t know who the best replacement for Hoops would be, but any of them I believe would not allow deputies to bully little girls and boys with impunity or stand by and do nothing while it occurs.
Carol Dean that is a very interesting story indeed. Your perception of appeasing school officials by doing a criminal report is true more often than not.
Some school official think by having the police do a report on every little incident they are covered liability wise.
In your case, the school could of dealt with the kids administrativly if THEY thought there was a problem.
Prosecuting ANY kids that age under such circumstances was nothing more than a clear lack of sound judgement.I would not have taken a police report on that incident.
If the boy in question was beaten, that might be another issue, but as you describe it, it should have never happened.
I can spend hours talking about school officials and some of the stuff they tried to get us to do. Some of these officials DO THINK they are in charge of the police while they are assigned to their schools.
Nothing worse than a school official who is also trying to call the shots on criminal issues too. THEY are clueless in many cases.
But here is the problem that many Deputies face with school officials, THE Deputies don’t know when to say NO to some of the nonsense these officials demand that we get involved with.
Just ask some principals and teachers, they know way more than any cop does about doing his or her job.
Thanks for the story.
Ms.Dean, I should add I find it very interesting that Sheriff Hoops might be more concerned about a child being injured in a dodge ball game, than he would with a drunk driver on the road with a car load of kids.
If you wish to find more answers to your incident you might want to look at the school administrators and see how they might be connected to Hoops or Ramos or even the Commander of Rancho Cucmanoga Station.
Generally that is a dead give away on why these petty issues receive so much attention.
Yes, the corruption runs so deep. I recall listening to John & Ken and Bill Handel from KFI when they covered this. Even the Judge, Raymond Van Stockum, had threatened one of the child’s attorney’s that if their client did not plead guilty, he was going to find them guilty anyway during a juvenile court trial. All Judge Van Stockum’s courtroom needs now is a Confederate Flag and a black ceiling fan.