During the six months prior to June 2000, we had sent two full reports to all of the Agencies involved, FHP, FDLE, Tampa Police and the Hillsborough State Attorney. They were also sent to the Florida Inspector General and Governor Bush. One report titled Series of events, documented all of the evidence which we have previously listed on page two of this site, with the exception of the eyewitness to Kevin's murder and Corporal Jetton's actions in moving the evidence of the scene. These were not established until Mr. Merston's Investigation took place. The second report laid out the opinions of experts that the evidence in FHP's possession, by legal definition, represented a Prima Facie Case of Murder. It pointed out that all of the agencies concerned had been instructed by the FHP Report that this was a traffic accident and that NO AGENCY HAS EVER CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO KEVIN'S DEATH AS A POSSIBLE MURDER OR EVEN A SUSPICIOUS DEATH. In spite of all the evidence presented to them the heads of all these agencies continued to insist that Corporal Jetton had conducted a thorough and competent investigation and that no evidence existed to indicate that Kevin's death was anything other than a traffic accident. Below are some of their responses to the evidence that was presented to them. Every issue raised in the reports submitted to these agencies was repeatedly ignored in the responses that we recieved. As a result we were forced to write again to all the agencies concerned, asking that they please respond to the specific questions about the evidence and the allegations made about the actions of the officers involved. Below are samples of the letters that were sent to all of the agencies concerned. Not one response has ever been recieved answering the questions and allegations contained in the letters and reports to these agencies. In October 2000, Investigator Merston, in conjunction with other investigators, compiled a five-volume report recommending a complete independent investigation into Kevin's death and the actions of the investigating officers. This report contained documented evidence which raised serious concerns regarding the altering and fabrication of evidence at the scene. Furthermore, that the evidence of an eyewitness, along with other corroberating statements, gave reason to believe that Corporal Jetton was fully aware, early in this investigation, that Kevin McGinley was a victim of Murder. This report was sent to the Attorney General at the United States Dept. of Justice, pointing out that there had been clear violations of Kevin's and his family's civil rights. It urged a complete review of the photographic evidence to establish the full extent of any evidence tampering that had occurred and an immediate interview of the truck driver to establish where Kevin was struck. It further recommended a full Federal Investigation into any collusion and conspiracy that had occurred by the investigating officers with intent to pervert the course of Justice. This seemed the only remaining avenue whereby we could obtain a credible investigation into the evidence of Kevin's murder, and establish the truth behind the police actions in this case. All requests for Justice within the State of Florida had gone unanswered. Letters to Governor Bush from a member of the British Government, representing Kevin as a British Citizen, remained unanswered. Letters from the British Consulate, expressing concerns on behalf of the British Government, to Secretary of State, Katherine Harris and FDLE, also remain unanswered. Mr Merston and the other investigators were appalled when the entire fifteen hundred page five volume report was returned to them within just three working days of receipt by the Justice Department stating it was not their concern. When has the Justice Dept. ever reviewed anything within three days of receipt, let alone a complex 1500 page report? It would have been impossible to do in that short period of time. In desperation we went back to Governor Bush believing that surely, with the evidence of Mr Merston's report regarding the eyewitness to Kevin's Murder, he would have to respond to this injustice. On February 15th 2001, we sent the following letter to Governor Bush requesting an opportunity to present to him the evidence of Kevin's Murder and the evidence indicating criminal misconduct on the part of State Law Enforcement officers. We were staggered when we recieved a response, not from Governor Bush who the letter was personally addressed to, but from Colonel Hall of FHP. It stated that FHP had conducted a thorough and competent investigation into Kevin's death, an opinion shared by FDLE and other agencies, he respectfully disagreed with the opinions of the Family. What was Governor Bush doing sending an obvious complaint about FHP to that very organization for a response? And how could Colonel Hall disagree without at least looking at the new evidence the Investigation report was presenting? Could it be coincidence that all of this occurred at the very time of the presidential elections? In desperation the Family contacted a National organization, Parents of Murdered Children (POMC). This is a fine organization that has at its disposal dozens of experts in all fields of criminal justice. Their Chief Council was so appalled he immediately flew out to meet with the family and review the evidence. He is a former Deputy Chief of the Arizona State Attorney's Office with many years experience prosecuting high profile cases. He categorically stated that, in his opinion, the evidence in the family's possession proved beyond any reasonable doubt that Kevin had been murdered. He contacted a member of the Florida Legislature and together they requested a meeting with the Hillsborough State Attorney, Mark Ober. At this meeting Mr. Ober was presented with the full investigation report containing the evidence of Kevin's murder and the evidence calling for a full investigation into the actions of the police officers involved. The Chief Council of POMC re-iterated his belief that the evidence clearly proved Kevin was murdered and requested the State Attorney convene a Grand Jury Investigation into all aspects of the case. The State Attorney agreed to review the report and assigned an investigator to the case, however, for four months he refused to allow anyone to meet with the Investigator to present the details of the evidence in the report. Below is a summarized report that was presented to the State Attorney outlining some of the evidence contained in the full Investigation Report that accompanied it. After four months we received a two paragraph letter stating that there was insufficient competent evidence to bring charges. The State Attorney has since refused to justify why he is ignoring an eyewitness to a murder and a confession from the murderer. Why he is refusing to interview the truck driver and establish which FHP report is the correct one. Why he is refusing to establish how evidence at the scene was moved and misrepresented. He refuses to answer questions from the family, the Chief Council of POMC, the State Representative and letters from the British consulate expressing the concerns of the British Government. In his response Mr Ober states that he consulted with Tampa Police over their INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION, yet in Chief Holder's letter, printed above, he states "we did not, and will not, agree to re-investigate this incident". FHP, the Inspector General and FDLE also state that Tampa Police investigated Kevin's death. In his letter above, the Inspector General even states he took steps to ensure that FHP would have nothing to do with the Tampa Police Investigation. Who is misleading who? Below is a letter sent to Mr Ober, Hillsborough State Attorney, requesting an explanation as to why he has failed to address any of the evidence that was presented to him or justified his refusal to grant an independent investigation of that evidence. We have never recieved a reply to this Letter. All of the Law Enforcement Agencies involved in this case have point blank refused to conduct an investigation into the evidence of Kevin's Murder. When an Investigation was done for them, they refused to pursue the evidence presented to them or investigate clear evidence pointing to Criminal Misconduct and Collusion on the part of the Investigating Officers. They refuse to dispute the evidence, acknowledge the evidence, investigate the evidence or answer any questions about the evidence. The Government of Florida refuses to respond to letters of concern or requests to intervene and ask the agencies involved to account for their actions. These Agencies and Publicly Elected Officials are assaulting the very principles on which the Justice System of this Country is founded. WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING SO VIGOROUSLY TO PREVENT A SIMPLE, BASIC, COMPETENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE EVIDENCE OF KEVIN'S DEATH ? WHY ARE THEY SO DETERMINED TO PREVENT THE TRUTH FROM BEING ESTABLISHED? Every Parent, who worries each time their child walks out the door, must demand answers in this case. Every Citizen, who relies on these Agencies for the protection of their Families, must demand answers in this case. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS. Below are the e-mail addresses of the agencies involved. If you are concerned that the killers of Kevin are walking free, feeling that they can take someones life at will without any consequences, e-mail these agencies and ask why they are allowing this to occur. Here is a letter you might wish to send them asking for an explanation. You can copy and paste it to your e-mail. If they have nothing to hide they should have no problem responding in detail to you. Dear Sir I am writing to express my extreme concern over the investigation into the death of Kevin McGinley in Tampa, Florida, on February 13th 1998; Florida Highway Patrol Case Number 798-03-09. I have reviewed the evidence in this case, as presented on the web-site www.plea4justice.com, and the manner in which the police and the State authorities are portrayed as handling this investigation. It appears that law enforcement has not only failed to investigate the evidence indicating Kevin McGinley was murdered, they have actively refused to do so. Furthermore, the authorities have apparently refused to investigate evidence indicating that Officers deliberately misrepresented the evidence at the scene and withheld the evidence of an eyewitness to Kevin's murder. In the interests of fairness, I would respectfully request that you review the evidence contained on this site and respond SPECIFICALLY AND IN DETAIL to all of the evidence and allegations contained therein. I strongly believe that when concerns such as these exist, it is the duty of those in authority to fully respond, if they are to retain the confidence and support of law-abiding citizens. I look forward to, and expect, receipt of your detailed response with all the urgency that this situation demands. Sincerely, E-Mail Addresses : Florida Highway Patrol........FHP@hsmv.state.fl.us Florida Dept. Law Enforcement.........RickLober@fdle.state.fl.us Florida Attorney General..................ag@oag.state.fl.us Florida Inspector General..............hsmv-info@hsmv.state.fl.us Governor Bush....................jeb@myflorida.com Tampa Police.....................e-mail Tampa Police Dept. The Hillsborough State Attorney refuses to provide their e-mail address, however, they can be faxed at 1 813 272 7014 Throughout the three and a half years of this investigation, FDLE, Tampa Police, The State Attorney and the Inspector General, all continued to express their high confidence in the Professionalism, Competence and Integrity of Florida Highway Patrol regarding their handling of this and other investigations. A recent Investigation by a Major Florida Newspaper, However, paints a completely different picture. Titled THE LOST PATROL, it provides a harrowing account of how this Agency conducts itself. The following are examples of how Florida Highway Patrol Operates: * The first trooper to arrive on the scene of a fatal crash in Pasco County drove the suspect home and, within days, bedded her. The same trooper had previously bungled four significant crash investigations -- in one hit-and-run, he never even went to the scene of the accident. Two of the botched cases occurred in four months, and, though the penalty is supposed to increase for repeated errors, he was given a written reprimand both times. He also drove with a suspended license, smashed up a patrol car and was sent to drivers-ed class, but never got more than an eight-hour suspension. * A Sarasota trooper investigating a deputy's car crash listed the wrong speed, the wrong damage amount, the wrong road width, the wrong vehicle ID number and the wrong cause of the accident. He did not ticket the deputy, who left the scene to dump beer cans out of his car. * After handing out 2,000 speeding tickets, three Jacksonville troopers and their supervisor created phony certification to show their equipment had been calibrated, when, in fact, it had not. * FHP investigators in South Florida blamed a black youth minister for a fatal collision they later determined was caused by a drunken FBI agent driving the wrong way on the interstate. * The executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, who oversee FHP, was accused of improper meddling and multiple instances of unethical conduct. A comptroller's investigation concluded that he interfered with a criminal investigation and gave sworn testimony that conflicted with that of others. He was never even reprimanded. * In a Federal Court case a FHP Officer was found to have withheld evidence in an arrest affidavit. He testified that this was a routine practice and his supervisors were aware of it. The federal Judge was outraged, she stated "To conceal the true facts surrounding an arrest in an affidavit submitted to a judicial officer is reprehensible." Pasco County Judge Robert Cole, described the troopers' conduct as"striking at the very heart of the system," He urged the Director of FHP to "vigorously investigate" and "take appropriate action". FHP described the incident as a "failure of policy," they never disciplined the officer, nor did they punish the supervisors who approved his conduct. * The Newspaper Investigation denounces FHP over the way they treat the Families of Homicide Victims. It states " Their greatest misfortune was the deaths of their children on state highways. When they most needed information and closure, the Florida Highway Patrol caused them more pain." In a series of cases, grieving families said patrol investigators treated them with indifference, if not heartlessness. The patrol wouldn't answer their calls. Investigations, some loaded with mistakes, dragged on interminably, while the patrol made excuses. * In another Court case the lead highway patrol investigator admitted to making multiple misstatements in sworn affidavits. The Judge is on record as stating "I have to wonder what is true and what isn't when he testifies." A former prosecutor describes FHP's attitude as follows: "We are the highway patrol. We're right, simply because we can't be wrong.' And, of course, all too frequently the sad irony is they aren't even close to right." * The following is an account of another Parents experience with FHP. Phyllis Doughtie said that during its nearly yearlong investigation into her son's death, the patrol wouldn't return her calls. The investigator waited months to send evidence to the lab. Mrs. Doughtie eventually learned that the first trooper called to the scene had an affair with the suspect in her son's death. Battered by her experiences with the patrol, Mrs. Doughtie, a schoolteacher, lost faith in the system. "Now, every day, I stand in my classroom and put my hand on my heart and say the Pledge of Allegiance," she said. "And when we get to the part where it says, "and justice for all,' it doesn't come out of my mouth. It's a lie. I won't say those words. * The Newspaper investigation revealed files on officers who kept their jobs though they ignored subpoenas, solicited a prostitute, beat their wives, lied under oath or falsified records -- behavior that could send an ordinary person to jail. * A retired Major of Florida Highway Patrol describes their present standards as follows: "They did not lower standards, they threw the standards out the front door.". " believe me, it doesn't boil up from the bottom, it comes down from the top." One cannot help wonder, if these other Agencies consider FHP to be an example of Professionalism, Competence and Integrity, what standards do they set themselves? Or is this just an example of the "Good Old Boys" Network in action? Cover up for your fellow Officers regardless of their misdeeds and the consequences, after all they are the Law, so where else can you go? The Newspapers Investigation Report is in three parts. You can read it in its entirety by clicking on the links below. |
UPDATE...........AUGUST 2001 |
In June 2000, we recieved a call from Inspector Merese of FDLE Executive Investigations. This was in response to the request of Governor Bush's attorney that they review all the evidence in this case along with our complaints against the investigating officers of FDLE and FHP. We had been informed by Governor Bush's attorney that Executive Investigations dealt specifically with allegations of wrongdoing by public officials and law enforcement agencies. Inspector Merese informed us that he had sent everything back to the regional office for them to handle. I asked Inspector Merese how he could possibly justify sending this to the very people that were the subjct of our allegations. His response was that this decision had been made at a higher level than him. Upon receiving this call we sent the following letter to Governor Bush's attorney. We have never recieved a response from Governor Bush to this letter. A response was recieved from FDLE on his behalf, it is printed below. |
">
">
">
">
During the six months prior to June 2000, we had sent two full reports to all of the Agencies involved, FHP, FDLE, Tampa Police and the Hillsborough State Attorney. They were also sent to the Florida Inspector General and Governor Bush. One report titled Series of events, documented all of the evidence which we have previously listed on page two of this site, with the exception of the eyewitness to Kevin's murder and Corporal Jetton's actions in moving the evidence of the scene. These were not established until Mr. Merston's Investigation took place. The second report laid out the opinions of experts that the evidence in FHP's possession, by legal definition, represented a Prima Facie Case of Murder. It pointed out that all of the agencies concerned had been instructed by the FHP Report that this was a traffic accident and that NO AGENCY HAS EVER CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO KEVIN'S DEATH AS A POSSIBLE MURDER OR EVEN A SUSPICIOUS DEATH. In spite of all the evidence presented to them the heads of all these agencies continued to insist that Corporal Jetton had conducted a thorough and competent investigation and that no evidence existed to indicate that Kevin's death was anything other than a traffic accident. Below are some of their responses to the evidence that was presented to them. Every issue raised in the reports submitted to these agencies was repeatedly ignored in the responses that we recieved. As a result we were forced to write again to all the agencies concerned, asking that they please respond to the specific questions about the evidence and the allegations made about the actions of the officers involved. Below are samples of the letters that were sent to all of the agencies concerned. Not one response has ever been recieved answering the questions and allegations contained in the letters and reports to these agencies. In October 2000, Investigator Merston, in conjunction with other investigators, compiled a five-volume report recommending a complete independent investigation into Kevin's death and the actions of the investigating officers. This report contained documented evidence which raised serious concerns regarding the altering and fabrication of evidence at the scene. Furthermore, that the evidence of an eyewitness, along with other corroberating statements, gave reason to believe that Corporal Jetton was fully aware, early in this investigation, that Kevin McGinley was a victim of Murder. This report was sent to the Attorney General at the United States Dept. of Justice, pointing out that there had been clear violations of Kevin's and his family's civil rights. It urged a complete review of the photographic evidence to establish the full extent of any evidence tampering that had occurred and an immediate interview of the truck driver to establish where Kevin was struck. It further recommended a full Federal Investigation into any collusion and conspiracy that had occurred by the investigating officers with intent to pervert the course of Justice. This seemed the only remaining avenue whereby we could obtain a credible investigation into the evidence of Kevin's murder, and establish the truth behind the police actions in this case. All requests for Justice within the State of Florida had gone unanswered. Letters to Governor Bush from a member of the British Government, representing Kevin as a British Citizen, remained unanswered. Letters from the British Consulate, expressing concerns on behalf of the British Government, to Secretary of State, Katherine Harris and FDLE, also remain unanswered. Mr Merston and the other investigators were appalled when the entire fifteen hundred page five volume report was returned to them within just three working days of receipt by the Justice Department stating it was not their concern. When has the Justice Dept. ever reviewed anything within three days of receipt, let alone a complex 1500 page report? It would have been impossible to do in that short period of time. In desperation we went back to Governor Bush believing that surely, with the evidence of Mr Merston's report regarding the eyewitness to Kevin's Murder, he would have to respond to this injustice. On February 15th 2001, we sent the following letter to Governor Bush requesting an opportunity to present to him the evidence of Kevin's Murder and the evidence indicating criminal misconduct on the part of State Law Enforcement officers. We were staggered when we recieved a response, not from Governor Bush who the letter was personally addressed to, but from Colonel Hall of FHP. It stated that FHP had conducted a thorough and competent investigation into Kevin's death, an opinion shared by FDLE and other agencies, he respectfully disagreed with the opinions of the Family. What was Governor Bush doing sending an obvious complaint about FHP to that very organization for a response? And how could Colonel Hall disagree without at least looking at the new evidence the Investigation report was presenting? Could it be coincidence that all of this occurred at the very time of the presidential elections? In desperation the Family contacted a National organization, Parents of Murdered Children (POMC). This is a fine organization that has at its disposal dozens of experts in all fields of criminal justice. Their Chief Council was so appalled he immediately flew out to meet with the family and review the evidence. He is a former Deputy Chief of the Arizona State Attorney's Office with many years experience prosecuting high profile cases. He categorically stated that, in his opinion, the evidence in the family's possession proved beyond any reasonable doubt that Kevin had been murdered. He contacted a member of the Florida Legislature and together they requested a meeting with the Hillsborough State Attorney, Mark Ober. At this meeting Mr. Ober was presented with the full investigation report containing the evidence of Kevin's murder and the evidence calling for a full investigation into the actions of the police officers involved. The Chief Council of POMC re-iterated his belief that the evidence clearly proved Kevin was murdered and requested the State Attorney convene a Grand Jury Investigation into all aspects of the case. The State Attorney agreed to review the report and assigned an investigator to the case, however, for four months he refused to allow anyone to meet with the Investigator to present the details of the evidence in the report. Below is a summarized report that was presented to the State Attorney outlining some of the evidence contained in the full Investigation Report that accompanied it. After four months we received a two paragraph letter stating that there was insufficient competent evidence to bring charges. The State Attorney has since refused to justify why he is ignoring an eyewitness to a murder and a confession from the murderer. Why he is refusing to interview the truck driver and establish which FHP report is the correct one. Why he is refusing to establish how evidence at the scene was moved and misrepresented. He refuses to answer questions from the family, the Chief Council of POMC, the State Representative and letters from the British consulate expressing the concerns of the British Government. In his response Mr Ober states that he consulted with Tampa Police over their INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION, yet in Chief Holder's letter, printed above, he states "we did not, and will not, agree to re-investigate this incident". FHP, the Inspector General and FDLE also state that Tampa Police investigated Kevin's death. In his letter above, the Inspector General even states he took steps to ensure that FHP would have nothing to do with the Tampa Police Investigation. Who is misleading who? Below is a letter sent to Mr Ober, Hillsborough State Attorney, requesting an explanation as to why he has failed to address any of the evidence that was presented to him or justified his refusal to grant an independent investigation of that evidence. We have never recieved a reply to this Letter. All of the Law Enforcement Agencies involved in this case have point blank refused to conduct an investigation into the evidence of Kevin's Murder. When an Investigation was done for them, they refused to pursue the evidence presented to them or investigate clear evidence pointing to Criminal Misconduct and Collusion on the part of the Investigating Officers. They refuse to dispute the evidence, acknowledge the evidence, investigate the evidence or answer any questions about the evidence. The Government of Florida refuses to respond to letters of concern or requests to intervene and ask the agencies involved to account for their actions. These Agencies and Publicly Elected Officials are assaulting the very principles on which the Justice System of this Country is founded. WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING SO VIGOROUSLY TO PREVENT A SIMPLE, BASIC, COMPETENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE EVIDENCE OF KEVIN'S DEATH ? WHY ARE THEY SO DETERMINED TO PREVENT THE TRUTH FROM BEING ESTABLISHED? Every Parent, who worries each time their child walks out the door, must demand answers in this case. Every Citizen, who relies on these Agencies for the protection of their Families, must demand answers in this case. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS. Below are the e-mail addresses of the agencies involved. If you are concerned that the killers of Kevin are walking free, feeling that they can take someones life at will without any consequences, e-mail these agencies and ask why they are allowing this to occur. Here is a letter you might wish to send them asking for an explanation. You can copy and paste it to your e-mail. If they have nothing to hide they should have no problem responding in detail to you. Dear Sir I am writing to express my extreme concern over the investigation into the death of Kevin McGinley in Tampa, Florida, on February 13th 1998; Florida Highway Patrol Case Number 798-03-09. I have reviewed the evidence in this case, as presented on the web-site www.plea4justice.com, and the manner in which the police and the State authorities are portrayed as handling this investigation. It appears that law enforcement has not only failed to investigate the evidence indicating Kevin McGinley was murdered, they have actively refused to do so. Furthermore, the authorities have apparently refused to investigate evidence indicating that Officers deliberately misrepresented the evidence at the scene and withheld the evidence of an eyewitness to Kevin's murder. In the interests of fairness, I would respectfully request that you review the evidence contained on this site and respond SPECIFICALLY AND IN DETAIL to all of the evidence and allegations contained therein. I strongly believe that when concerns such as these exist, it is the duty of those in authority to fully respond, if they are to retain the confidence and support of law-abiding citizens. I look forward to, and expect, receipt of your detailed response with all the urgency that this situation demands. Sincerely, E-Mail Addresses : Florida Highway Patrol........FHP@hsmv.state.fl.us Florida Dept. Law Enforcement.........RickLober@fdle.state.fl.us Florida Attorney General..................ag@oag.state.fl.us Florida Inspector General..............hsmv-info@hsmv.state.fl.us Governor Bush....................jeb@myflorida.com Tampa Police.....................e-mail Tampa Police Dept. The Hillsborough State Attorney refuses to provide their e-mail address, however, they can be faxed at 1 813 272 7014 Throughout the three and a half years of this investigation, FDLE, Tampa Police, The State Attorney and the Inspector General, all continued to express their high confidence in the Professionalism, Competence and Integrity of Florida Highway Patrol regarding their handling of this and other investigations. A recent Investigation by a Major Florida Newspaper, However, paints a completely different picture. Titled THE LOST PATROL, it provides a harrowing account of how this Agency conducts itself. The following are examples of how Florida Highway Patrol Operates: * The first trooper to arrive on the scene of a fatal crash in Pasco County drove the suspect home and, within days, bedded her. The same trooper had previously bungled four significant crash investigations -- in one hit-and-run, he never even went to the scene of the accident. Two of the botched cases occurred in four months, and, though the penalty is supposed to increase for repeated errors, he was given a written reprimand both times. He also drove with a suspended license, smashed up a patrol car and was sent to drivers-ed class, but never got more than an eight-hour suspension. * A Sarasota trooper investigating a deputy's car crash listed the wrong speed, the wrong damage amount, the wrong road width, the wrong vehicle ID number and the wrong cause of the accident. He did not ticket the deputy, who left the scene to dump beer cans out of his car. * After handing out 2,000 speeding tickets, three Jacksonville troopers and their supervisor created phony certification to show their equipment had been calibrated, when, in fact, it had not. * FHP investigators in South Florida blamed a black youth minister for a fatal collision they later determined was caused by a drunken FBI agent driving the wrong way on the interstate. * The executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, who oversee FHP, was accused of improper meddling and multiple instances of unethical conduct. A comptroller's investigation concluded that he interfered with a criminal investigation and gave sworn testimony that conflicted with that of others. He was never even reprimanded. * In a Federal Court case a FHP Officer was found to have withheld evidence in an arrest affidavit. He testified that this was a routine practice and his supervisors were aware of it. The federal Judge was outraged, she stated "To conceal the true facts surrounding an arrest in an affidavit submitted to a judicial officer is reprehensible." Pasco County Judge Robert Cole, described the troopers' conduct as"striking at the very heart of the system," He urged the Director of FHP to "vigorously investigate" and "take appropriate action". FHP described the incident as a "failure of policy," they never disciplined the officer, nor did they punish the supervisors who approved his conduct. * The Newspaper Investigation denounces FHP over the way they treat the Families of Homicide Victims. It states " Their greatest misfortune was the deaths of their children on state highways. When they most needed information and closure, the Florida Highway Patrol caused them more pain." In a series of cases, grieving families said patrol investigators treated them with indifference, if not heartlessness. The patrol wouldn't answer their calls. Investigations, some loaded with mistakes, dragged on interminably, while the patrol made excuses. * In another Court case the lead highway patrol investigator admitted to making multiple misstatements in sworn affidavits. The Judge is on record as stating "I have to wonder what is true and what isn't when he testifies." A former prosecutor describes FHP's attitude as follows: "We are the highway patrol. We're right, simply because we can't be wrong.' And, of course, all too frequently the sad irony is they aren't even close to right." * The following is an account of another Parents experience with FHP. Phyllis Doughtie said that during its nearly yearlong investigation into her son's death, the patrol wouldn't return her calls. The investigator waited months to send evidence to the lab. Mrs. Doughtie eventually learned that the first trooper called to the scene had an affair with the suspect in her son's death. Battered by her experiences with the patrol, Mrs. Doughtie, a schoolteacher, lost faith in the system. "Now, every day, I stand in my classroom and put my hand on my heart and say the Pledge of Allegiance," she said. "And when we get to the part where it says, "and justice for all,' it doesn't come out of my mouth. It's a lie. I won't say those words. * The Newspaper investigation revealed files on officers who kept their jobs though they ignored subpoenas, solicited a prostitute, beat their wives, lied under oath or falsified records -- behavior that could send an ordinary person to jail. * A retired Major of Florida Highway Patrol describes their present standards as follows: "They did not lower standards, they threw the standards out the front door.". " believe me, it doesn't boil up from the bottom, it comes down from the top." One cannot help wonder, if these other Agencies consider FHP to be an example of Professionalism, Competence and Integrity, what standards do they set themselves? Or is this just an example of the "Good Old Boys" Network in action? Cover up for your fellow Officers regardless of their misdeeds and the consequences, after all they are the Law, so where else can you go? The Newspapers Investigation Report is in three parts. You can read it in its entirety by clicking on the links below. |
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
">
SIGN OUR ONLINE PETITION |
If you wish to contact us, please write to us at plea4justice@aol.com. Petition Online has disabled the display of e-mail addresses so we cannot respond to messages left on the petition. |
