Category: Setting The Bar Low

Posted onDead heads

Fullerton Cop Cops Plea in Clumsy Computer Theft Caper

by 73 Comments on Fullerton Cop Cops Plea in Clumsy Computer Theft Caper

Fullerton cop Kellly Mejia finally had her day in court and pled guilty to swiping an iPad in a Miami airport TSA security check point. She got a slap on the wrist from the judge: a “theft class,” a dinky fine, some community services hours and best of all will get this expunged if she she keeps her nose clean for a whole year.

How can you tell if Goodrich is lying?

Lou Ponsi of the Register cites FPD spokessphincter Andrew Goodrich who claims Mejia was fired at the end of October after being on paid leave since May. Ponsi is obliging in pointing out that Mejia is a former Fullerton cop, glossing over the fact that she was a Fullerton cop when she committed her crime.

Of course we peons are not permitted to know what she was actually fired for, since the public is not privy to police personnel matters no matter how egregious a cop’s offense may have  been; whatever Mejia was canned for, presumably it wasn’t for committing larceny in Florida, since she hadn’t pled guilty of anything yet on October 28th. Was there something even worse the we shall never know about?

Andy?

Court Case No.:  F11011505 State Case No.:  132011CF0115050001XX
Name:  MEJIA, KELLY JANETH Date of Birth:  04/10/1986
Date Filed:  05/09/2011 Date Closed: Warrant Type:
Assessment Amount:  $603.00 Balance Due:  $0.00 Stay Due Date:  02/07/2012
Hearing Date:  02/07/2013 Hearing Time:  09:00 Hearing Type:  R
Court Room:  REGJB – JUSTICE BUILDING, ROOM No.: 2-3
Address:  1351 N.W. 12 ST
Previous Case: Next Case:
Judge:  COLODNY, YVONNE Defense Attorney:  AMSEL, ROBERT
Bfile Section:  F021 File Location:  COURT Box Number:
Charges:

 

 Seq No.  Charge  Charge Type  Disposition
 1  GRAND THEFT 3RD DEG  FELONY  FINDING OF GUILT

 

Additional Info:
Probation Start Date: Probation End Date:
Probation Length: Probation Type:
Defendant in Jail:  N Defendant Release to:  CASH/NOEMY MEJIA DE FERNANDEZ,
Bond Amount:  $5,000.00 Bond Status:
Bond Type:  CASH BOND Bond Issue Date:  05/03/2011
Dockets:
Seq. No. Date Book/Page Docket
55 02/08/2012
TRIAL PROS. ASSIGNED: GRIFFIN, HEATHER
54 02/08/2012
DEFERRED PROSECUTION AGREEMENT & SPEEDY TRIAL WAIVER
53 02/08/2012
MEMO RE: DEFERRED PROSECUTION PROGRAM ACCEPTED
52 02/07/2012
COURT FEE PAYMENT 603.00 RECEIPT # 3480008
51 02/07/2012
REPORT RE: (BY) CLERK SET FOR 02/08/2012 AT 09:00
49 02/07/2012
MOTION TO VACATE JUDGMENT AND SENTENCE FILED 02/07/2012 ORAL SET FOR 02/07/2012 AT 12:30 GRANTED
48 02/07/2012
REPORT RE: SENTENCING SET FOR 02/07/2013 AT 09:00
47 02/06/2012
REPORT RE: PLEA SET FOR 02/07/2012 AT 09:01
46 02/06/2012
MEMORANDUM OF COSTS AMOUNT 603.00
44 02/06/2012
STAY GRANTED – DUE 02/07/2012
43 02/06/2012
DESCRIPTION ASSESSED PAID BALANCE
CRIME STOPPE 20.00 20.00 0.00
ADD’L FINE/F 225.00 225.00 0.00
CRM COMP TR 50.00 50.00 0.00
STATE LETTF 3.00 3.00 0.00
COUNTY LETTF 2.00 2.00 0.00
ADD’L COURT 65.00 65.00 0.00
REPLCMNT SUR 85.00 85.00 0.00
CRIME PREV F 50.00 50.00 0.00
TEEN COURT F 3.00 3.00 0.00
PROSECUTION 100.00 100.00 0.00
TOTAL: 603.00 603.00 0.00
LAST ASSESSED: 02/06/2012 LAST PAYMENT: 02/07/2012
40 02/06/2012
CLOSING JUDGE GLICK, LEONARD E
37 01/09/2012 E-SUBPOENA: TORRES, HECTOR ID: 030-02366 FOR: TRIAL ON 02/06/2012 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 01/09/2012 RECD/NOTFD: 01/09/2012 ACKN: 01/09/2012 S
36 01/09/2012 E-SUBPOENA: CORREA, GILBERT ID: 030-02120 FOR: TRIAL ON 02/06/2012 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 01/09/2012 RECD/NOTFD: 01/09/2012 ACKN: 01/10/2012 S
35 01/09/2012 E-SUBPOENA: JACOBS, DAVID ID: 030-01666 FOR: TRIAL ON 02/06/2012 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 01/09/2012 RECD/NOTFD: 01/09/2012 ACKN: 01/09/2012 S
34 01/05/2012
TRIAL HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 02/06/2012 AT 09:00
31 11/21/2011
MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE FILED 11/21/2011 SET FOR 11/21/2011 AT 14:09 GRANTED DEFS
30 11/21/2011
REPORT RE: TRIAL DATE SET FOR 01/05/2012 AT 09:00
29 11/21/2011
REPORT RE: PLEA SET FOR 01/05/2012 AT 09:00
28 11/16/2011
MOTION TO/FOR: TO CONTINUE
27 11/15/2011
NOTICE OF HEARING 11/17/11
25 10/24/2011 E-SUBPOENA: TORRES, HECTOR ID: 030-02366 FOR: TRIAL ON 11/21/2011 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 10/24/2011 RECD/NOTFD: 10/24/2011 ACKN: 10/24/2011 S
24 10/24/2011 E-SUBPOENA: CORREA, GILBERT ID: 030-02120 FOR: TRIAL ON 11/21/2011 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 10/24/2011 RECD/NOTFD: 10/24/2011 ACKN: 10/24/2011 S
23 10/24/2011 E-SUBPOENA: JACOBS, DAVID ID: 030-01666 FOR: TRIAL ON 11/21/2011 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 10/24/2011 RECD/NOTFD: 10/24/2011 ACKN: 10/24/2011 S
SENT: RECD/NOTFD: ACKN: 10/24/2011 S
22 08/29/2011
MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE FILED 08/29/2011 SET FOR 08/29/2011 AT 09:31 GRANTED STIP
21 08/29/2011
TRIAL HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 11/21/2011 AT 09:00
20 08/23/2011
MOTION TO/FOR: TO CONTINUE TRIAL
18 08/01/2011 E-SUBPOENA: TORRES, HECTOR ID: 030-02366 FOR: TRIAL ON 08/29/2011 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 08/01/2011 RECD/NOTFD: 08/01/2011 ACKN: 08/01/2011 S
17 08/01/2011 E-SUBPOENA: CORREA, GILBERT ID: 030-02120 FOR: TRIAL ON 08/29/2011 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 08/01/2011 RECD/NOTFD: 08/01/2011 ACKN: 08/02/2011 S
16 08/01/2011 E-SUBPOENA: JACOBS, DAVID ID: 030-01666 FOR: TRIAL ON 08/29/2011 AT 09:00 ISSUED BY: CJIS
SENT: 08/01/2011 RECD/NOTFD: 08/01/2011 ACKN: 08/01/2011 S
15 06/02/2011
TRIAL UNIT ASSIGNED: FELONY DIVISION 21
14 06/02/2011
TRIAL PROS. ASSIGNED: ABRAMS, IVAN
13 06/01/2011
DISC EXHIBIT: STATE’S DEMAND FOR DEFN DISCV/DEMAND FOR ALIBI
12 06/01/2011
TRIAL HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 08/29/2011 AT 09:00
11 06/01/2011
INFORMATION FILED
5 05/09/2011
BOND RECEIVED POWER/RECEIPT # 46776
9 05/06/2011
DEMAND FOR VIEW OF EVIDENCE
8 05/06/2011
DEMAND FOR DISCOVERY
7 05/06/2011
WRITTEN PLEA OF NOT GUILTY
6 05/06/2011
NOTICE OF APPEARANCE ROBERT G. AMSEL
4 05/03/2011
INTAKE UNIT ASSIGNED: FSU – CASE SCREENING
3 05/03/2011
INTAKE PROS. ASSIGNED: BETTENDORF-PL, KRISTI-KF
2 05/03/2011
ARRAIGNMENT HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 06/01/2011 AT 09:00
1 05/03/2011
CAB AMT/ 5000 ISSUED 05/03/2011 POWER/46776
Well, just another in an embarrassing series of black eyes for the FPD who steadfastly maintain that there is no Culture of Corruption in the FPD, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
Good luck with that “theft class,” Kelly.
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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

Sidewalk Hijackers Support The Dinosaurs

by 59 Comments on Sidewalk Hijackers Support The Dinosaurs
Caution - ethical behavior narrows ahead...

And why not? Life is good when you can get away with grabbing a public sidewalk and build a building on it. “Are you crazy, Joe?” I can hear you saying. No. FFFF shared the story, here.

The sidewalk grabber was Mr. Anthony Florentine, proprietor of the Tuscany Club. Here he is chipping in to save the Three Dithering Diplosaurs:

And the guy that let Florentine get away with the heist was none other than former Fullerton Development Services Director F. Paul Dudley, whose incompetent tenure caused harm to Fullerton that will probably never be fixed. A member of Fullerton’s $100,000 pension club, Dudley makes extra cash lobbying his former employers on behalf of developers. So he’s working to keep the Old Boys in office, too:

Of course Dudley had help in brushing off the sidewalk scam, and then papering it over. And he had help in the persons of Don Bankhead and “Dick” Jones, previously beneficiaries of Florentine’s campaign largess.

What nice people.

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

So Who Do Downtown Developers Support?

by 27 Comments on So Who Do Downtown Developers Support?

Update: Gentle Friends, I forgot to remind you that Pelican Ontario was also shaken down, er, contributed $300 to Pam Keller for her Fullerton Collaborative just ’cause they care so darn much for Fullerton.

Here’s a snippet from the anti-recall Protect Fullerton Form 460 – indicating a healthy contribution from Pelican Ontario LLC.

What is Pelican Ontario? Why that’s the partnership proposing “Amerige Court,” that god-awful downtown Fullerton monstrosity in which millions of dollars worth of land is to be given to the developer for free. What’s that you say? Free? Of course. Because to people like McKinley, Jones, and Bankhead giving public resources to private interests without due consideration isn’t a gift of public funds, it’s being pro-business. We get stuck with the traffic and they get the campaign contributions.

You have to admit it takes a lot of nerve to attack Tony Bushala as a downtown developer when he isn’t, and at the same time take the money from people who have millions of reasons to prop up the Three Dyspeptic Dinosaurs. But these worthies are not bothered by ethical nuisances like hypocrisy.

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

Bankhead, Jones and McKinley Are Proud of Their Supporters

by 136 Comments on Bankhead, Jones and McKinley Are Proud of Their Supporters

View the Report

The Anti-recall squad is boasting of its broad range of fundraising support, including developers, city contractors, and the police union. Naturally the Fullerton cops have given liberally to the defense of the Three Dithering Dinosaurs – a whopping $19,000 last fall. If you peruse the FPOA’s Form 460 you will certainly discover some familiar names. Names like Goodrich, Mater, Tong, Hampton, Nguyen, Mejia, Power, Siliceo, Coffman, Blatney, Craig, Thayer, Wren and other by now familiar characters who have a vested interest in supporting the sclerotic regime that has permitted a Culture of Corruption at the Fullerton Police Department.

But the names that really jump out at you are serial sex pervert Albert Rincon, and the two goons, Manny Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, who have been charged with the murder of Kelly Thomas. I don’t know about you, but I would just feel ashamed having those names on my list of supporters. But apparently shame is not an emotion experienced by Mssrs. Bankhead, Jones and McKinley . These fine gentlemen say they are proud to be supported by law enforcement.

Well, I predict that they are going to come to regret that pride.

 

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Posted onBehind Closed Doors

It’s All About Image

by 115 Comments on It’s All About Image

UPDATE:

Sorry guys, I forgot to add this gem from the article:

In the weeks after the July incident, more trouble surfaced: an officer facing charges for stealing an iPad at a Miami airport; another facing termination after reports of sexual misconduct; police raiding the wrong house in search for a probationer.

This sentence sure makes it look like Ponsi is finally starting to lay the facts on the table, until you realize that we broke the Mejia story in June, before, the Thomas murder (Ponsi swiped that from FFFF without attribution); the raid on the wrong house occurred in 2010; Rincon’s debauchery started years and years ago and included the complicity of the entire department. And of course there is no mention at all of incidents that must have involved higher ups, like the Gochenour suicide and the beating, false arrest and phony prosecution of Veth Mam. 

– Joe Sipowicz

When you’ve had some practice, it’s amazing how much you can write without saying anything. In fact, between the first sentence and the last, people adept at it can cram all sorts of empty stuff into their essays. The conclusion is always the same. Reading such drivel is like eating a bag of marshmallows.

Here is our old friend Lou Ponsi of the Register doing his usual gig. The story is all about Fullerton’s image in the wake of the Kelly Thomas murder by members of the Fullerton Police Department. To his credit Ponsi finally describes the DA’s version of the actions of Ramos and Cicinelli: a “rain of blows.” Everything else is fluffery designed to avoid the critical main crux of Fullerton’s present problems: that out of control rogue cops have been permitted to prey upon the citizens of and visitors to Fullerton, and the Kelly Thomas episode was not an isolated case at all.

Ponsi’s story includes the obligatory interview with a Chamber of Commerce booster-type – Davis Barber (who also pretends to be a real reporter, yet tips his hand rather badly) and some business owners defending the honor of Fullerton. Oh, and of course there’s the de riguer academic “expert,” who arrives upon the scene to compliment the City for bringing in Michael Gennaco.

As usual you can avoid getting the sort of responses you don’t want by asking all the wrong questions.

Did Ponsi ask Acting Chief Dan Hughes to explain the actions of Rincon, Mater, Power, Mejia, Tong, Hampton, Cross, Goodrich, et al? Has he yet asked anybody to explain the call that came in the night of July 5th; or why the cops involved were permitted to watch the video and coached to re-write their reports?  Did he ask those interviewed if they knew about the serial transgressions of all these cops?

Bet not.

The strategy of the FPD and its apologistas now seems to be to make FPDs problems mostly about image and lack of communication with the public. The Kelly Thomas thing? Oh, yeah, mostly about two aliens who didn’t know how to deal with the mentally ill homeless.

Come on in and take the tour. Glad to see ya. Big hugs. Air kiss!

 

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

Salutation From The Great Lakes State

by 37 Comments on Salutation From The Great Lakes State

We get a lot of e-mails from folks all over the place. The following, from a guy named Howard, is not atypical. A familiar thread is the theme of municipal cultures of corruption and lack of leadership across the republic.

Name: Howard McLay
Privacy: You may publish this under my name

Subject: Fullerton Leadership Mess

Since the death of Kelly Thomas, I have read the FFFF blog weekly.
I’m amazed at the depth of coverage of this clowncil.

I am also amazed at the height of the corruption and spending within the city.
This leads to an amazement of “How did it get this bad” considering all the info published in the FFFF blog.

This is not a criticism by any means of the good people involved or the people of Fullerton. For I live in Wayne County Mich where there is a FBI investigation ongoing with our leader, and the world knows about the Detroit mayor.
So my amazement is really…how in the world did our government get so lax in oversight, in checks and balances, to have these messes all across America.

My hope is that your recall, and the investigation into the killing of Kelly, comes to a just ending.  Keep up the pressure!

Howard, thanks for the kind words and well-wishes. We will indeed keep up the pressure!

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

Don Bankhead The Perpetual Politician

by 46 Comments on Don Bankhead The Perpetual Politician

Here’s a clip of the Channel 4 coverage of the Recall signatures submission.

It’s entertaining and sort of sad at the same time. The sad part is the sight of the lonely “no recall” sign in Don Bankhead’s front yard, and of course the interview with Bankhead who seems completely lost, as usual. His wishful thinking about bad signatures is really sort of pathetic, and you might even begin to feel a sort of pity for the old fool. But of course he loses potential sympathy by claiming to rely on the experience of those with more campaign experience that he. The inference is clear enough: Good Ol’ Don is just an amateur, citizen-type elected representative: an innocent octogenarian babe in the woods.

Yes, I am the king!

But wait a minute! Let’s back up that bus and check out Lunkhead’s electoral experience:

1988 – Fullerton City Council

1990 – County Sheriff

1992 – FCC

1994  – recall from FCC (June)

1994 – election to a different seat FCC (November)

1998 – FCC

2000 – California State Assembly Republican Primary

2002 – FCC

2006 – FCC

2010 – FCC

That’s ten elections in 23 years!

Jebus O’ Jebus. Bankhead is addicted to running for public office. He craves it like a cheap junkie craves black tar heroin. This June’s recall election will mark his eleventh election. Now it might be a bit unfair to count recall elections in the mix, but, nevertheless I humbly submit that there is no one in OC more with more political experience than Bankhead. And I don’t mean that in a good way.

 

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Posted onDick Jones

Doc HeeHaw Ain’t Skeered Of No Change

by 56 Comments on Doc HeeHaw Ain’t Skeered Of No Change

Here’s everyone’s favorite Fullerton council yokel F. “Dick” Jones robbing folks who are forced to listen of three minutes of their lives – precious time they’ll never get back. True there are none of the usual vertiginous rants about make-believe central Asian countries, Hitler, syphilis, or Galveston’s Red Light District; but I challenge you to follow a single thread woven into this rhetorical demolition derby.

I especially liked the irony of the Angry Big Gummint swerve there in the middle of the speech from this biggest of all Big Gummint boobs. Being afraid of change? Was that supposed to be some kind of joke?

And he doesn’t know the difference between a storm drain and a sewer? Really?

We now know Dr. Heehaw won’t pay twelve bucks for a car wash; and of course we already know this jackass is utterly clueless about why over 17,500 of his fellow Fullerton voters signed up to recall him.

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Posted onLaw N Disorder

The Lost Cause of Lou Ponsi

by 58 Comments on The Lost Cause of Lou Ponsi

Reporting on the submission of signatures by Fullerton’s Recall proponents, OC Register employee Lou Ponsi demonstrates that despite numerous opportunities to actually start acting like a real reporter, he just hasn’t got it in him. Nope. Nada.

Almost inconceivably Ponsi is still regurgitating the same Andrew Goodrich garbage peddled in mid-July 2011:

“Thomas was suspected of burglarizing cars in the Fullerton Transportation Center on July 5 when approached by officers. A physical confrontation ensued, and Thomas died five days later.”

Suspected of burglarizing cars? Really? Say Lou, do you even understand that there has been no evidence of car burglaries?

A physical confrontation ensued? Damn, that’s got to be the understatement of the year! And there’s some sort of antiseptic connection between the massive bludgeoning by the cops and Kelly’s death.

Is Ponsi still acting like Goodrich’s water boy to curry favor with the FPD? Is he really that incurious about what happened on the night of July 5th, 2011? Does he believe his job is to post community events schedules and let it go at that?

Who knows? But I know one thing: if this assclown ever removes his head from his nether orifice it will be a modern-day miracle.

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Posted on"Dick" Ackerman

Bulls Eye! Charges of Illegal Lobbying Leveled Against Anti-Recall Team Leader

by 44 Comments on Bulls Eye! Charges of Illegal Lobbying Leveled Against Anti-Recall Team Leader
Everything's for sale!

Well, really, are you surprised? You shouldn’t be.

Political fixer, bag man, phony charity rip-off artist, carpetbagging spouse, lynch-type mob manager, lobbyist and, not coincidentally, head of the Fullerton anti-recall effort, Dick Ackerman, is about to be haunted by the Ghost of Crookedness Past.

Vern Nelson, the editor of the Orange Juice Blog, and staunch defender of the OC Fairgrounds against a swindle set up by Toad-in-Residence (and, not surprisingly, Anti-recall campaign manager) Dave Ellis, will be delivering a challenge to the DA’s whitewash of Dick Ackerman’s role as an illegal lobbyist in the slimy attempt to sell off the Fair to a group of insiders composed of Fair Board members themselves.

The dirty deal took place in the summer of ’09 when Ackerman started making calls to legislators on behalf of enabling legislation (that he only admits he “helped write”) even though he, himself had been out of office for less than a year – in direct violation of State law. Predictably, our honorable DA gave Ackerman a clean bill of health in the fall of 2010; but Lo and Behold!, in early 2011 Norberto Santana of the Voice of OC uncovered Ackerman’s actual billing records! You know, those embarrassing records the DA didn’t bother to look for. These records indicate illegal calls to legislators – which is exactly what Ackerman apparently told DA investigators he didn’t do. Uh, oh! Dick’s in a wringer!

When Santana published his discoveries, DA spoksholetress Susan Kang was quick with the smarmy defense: we reached the conclusion we did based on the evidence we had.

Wow. It’s amazing what you can’t find when you don’t look!

Well, Nelson is now calling Ms. Kang’s bluff and challenging on our do-nothing DA to do his job by re-opening the Ackerman case.

A year has passed, but the Statute of Limitations hasn’t.

 

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