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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Taxpayers foot bill for political persecution by Town Council and Police Chief

At the QIA "town  meeting" where 5 members of the Quartzsite Town Council held an illegal quorum  with several Town employees in attendance, it was revealed that the "ad hoc" attack on popular Mayor Ed Foster cost "$13,000" in legal fees alone. 

Yesterday, local patriot and critic of incumbent council members Mike Roth was sentenced to one year unsupervised probation for "disrupting a public meeting" that was actually in recess (but the jury wasn't properly instructed of that fact). The lower court had previously dismissed the charges "in the interest of justice" but somehow Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert managed to convene a grand jury to try Roth in Superior Court. Roth is appealing the conviction and the jury was hung on the charge of "resisting arrest", which has been moved back to the lower court. Estimated cost so far is somewhere between $10,000 and 15,000 and climbing. 

When questioned about the sentencing,  Roth stated "If the good people of Quartzsite would like to really see justice served, disband the Quartzsite Police Department and elect a Constitutional Town Council that has the courage to fire Chief of Police Jeff Gilbert. The day will come when it will be revealed that this was nothing more than a sad attempt by an out of control police chief, and Town Council, at silencing someone who is merely questioning authority. Time to wake up people, this isn’t your Grandparents America anymore!" For in depth discussion, see: http://www.parkerliveonline.com/2010/10/12/conviction-in-quartzsite-council-disruption-case/#comments

Legal fees for Town Attorney Pam Walsma are so far over budget for the fiscal year that it is not unrealistic to predict her bills will eat up most, if not all of the monies in the general fund. Yet, the Town Council  just can't seem to stop themselves from digging a financial hole from which the town may not escape.

Last year, Mr Felton, owner of B10 campground on the west end of Main St.  protested action by then Mayor Wes Huntley and our current council. His attorney stated something to the effect "if you do this, we will sue". And sue they did. Currently, the case has been docketed for the Arizona Supreme Court.

A local businessman reached an out of court settlement for "police harassment" over the summer, but it was kept quiet.,

If Quartzsite loses it's insurance, it cannot keep it's incorporation. Currently, the town is in the "high risk" pool because of previous claims and the Arizona League of Cities and Towns provides coverage. Who is in charge of that? Why Mr. Simms, the nice man that came to the training session and warned the police chief about taking it upon himself to arrest people at Town Council meetings..."You might get sued!"

And speaking of getting sued, recent arrests of current candidate Jennifer Jones and husband John,  well as former candidate Russell Sias leave open the potential for additional legal fees far in excess of what the town can afford, and the citation against the Jones' landlord by "Building Official" Al Johnson opened the door for "Proposition 207, the Arizona Property Protection Act". This makes the town liable for ALL of Jim and Stephanie Aaron's legal fees regarding the property at 645 N. Central commonly known as "J & S Covers".

Outspoken critic of town officials Jerry Wilcox reports that charges against him which resulted in his arrest and the towing of his vehicle were dropped today. He is investigating the possibility of filing a claim against the Town for damages as well.

Former Mayor Richard Oldham reports that the Town appears to have retained an outside legal firm in the prop 207/eminent domain action against him, over his property located west of the "Main Event" on Main St. Oldham received a letter from this firm a couple of weeks ago.





7 comments:

  1. Have the chickens filially come home to roost over the political reprisals by Chief Jeff Gilbert, the Town Council, and Town Manager Alex Taft? Have they foolishly maneuvered the town into a NO-WIN situation that will further deplete the Town’s coffers until they cannot even make payroll? Lets not forget the totally useless expenditure of over $13K in legal fees just alone over the Ad-Hoc debacle!

    At the present rate of Attorney fees being collected by the Town Attorney Pamela Walsma (over $56K and the year isn’t over) and now having to prepare for the up coming Federal Injunction (This will be a ball buster at $300/hr) will they have any money to continue? Now do you want a Real Estate Attorney to represent you in Federal Court when you really need a experience qualified Federal Attorney to represent you? How much money will be wasted on Walsma before they get wise? Anyone give any thought about that 3+ hr one-way trip to Phoenix each day at $300/hr fee plus expenses?

    Lets not forget the up coming trials involving Michael Roth, Russell Sias, Jade Jones, and John Jones? I have read the so-called Police Reports and IMHO, they have NO case against the Quartzsite-4. However, the Quartzsite-4 in return has a GREAT case (Did I forget to mention the qualified with experience Federal Attorneys’ waiting to file in Federal Court.) against each person involved in both State and Federal Courts! It is being said through the “Cholla Telegraph” that Jerry Wilcox’s case was dropped because of lack of funds to take it to court. How is the Town of Quartzsite gong to face four trials where the defendants will ask for and receive jury trials with change of venues to Yuma or Havasu?

    The sad fact in all of this lies with the statements made at the training session by the League of Cities and Towns at the Quartzsite Town Hall. Only the elected officials are covered by the “High Risk” insurance and NOT the employees! Hope you have liability insurance with a good membership on one of them Trial Lawyers Policies! Now would be a good time to go seek advice from a qualified Trial Attorney and get their advice of where you stand and not the advice from the Town Attorney. After all this isn’t a Real Estate problem. You will be facing civil action before this is all over. However, like in the Rodney King case, it is very likely that you will be facing Federal Criminal prosecution for Civil Right and Federal Law violations too!

    http://www.quartzsitenews.tv/injunction.pdf

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrxVh4HqFPM&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiT1EcDdwKw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4guQeO8h33I&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

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  2. The cost of my show trial is estimated to be between 20,000 to 30,000 dollars. Money that could've been used to shore up the local food banks, or we could've paid down some of the Yakima debt, OR we could've spent the money on infrastructure improvements, or we could've had a big freaking party in the park complete with fireworks and food. Instead Chief of Police Jeff Gilbert and County Attorney Sam Vederman (Both traitors who have violated their oath of office) decided to spend the money on silencing political dissent. Good luck with that morons. The more you push us patriots around, the harder and smarter we fight.

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  3. Interesting facts Michael, $20K-$30K only to get 1 year of unsupervised probation and a hung jury on the third charge that is scheduled for retrial back in a lower court. How much more of their time will be wasted on your appeal and then a court ordered retrial on the two DC charges that you are sure to win!

    Before this is all over with the County of La Paz and the Town of Quartzsite will have spent over $100K-$150K without any convictions and then have to find the money to defend themselves against your Civil Suit for False Arrest, False Imprisonment, and violations of your 1st and 14th Amendments. Just how much could this end up costing the Town of Quartzsite because of Chief Jeff Gilbert?

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  4. The “Cholla Telegraph” has been singing out another story that there isn’t a Judge in La Paz County that wants to touch any of the Quartzsite-4 cases! Lets face facts here. All four were unlawfully arrested on “Chicken Shit Charges” that will not stand up in a Court of Law or Appellate Court. We won’t even go into any of the 1st, 4th, or even the 14th Amendment violations by the Quartzsite Police Department under the directions of Chief Jeff Gilbert. That remains to be addressed in a Federal Court of Law.

    Can you hear the old cash machine at Town Hall going CACHINE, CACHINE, CACHINE, CACHINE, draining the Coffers every time Chief Jeff Gilbert gets involved where he shouldn’t be?

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  5. That's a "no brainer", if Gilbert would stop doing all these illegal things, he wouldn't be costing the town money. Why some of you continue to support his actions makes no sense. Since the only insurance the town can get is "high risk", and they've just about to max it out. The Town of Quartzsite government will soon be history, as they will not be allowed to operate with no insurance. In many ways, this might be for the better.

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  6. Lets see here, according to the “Cholla Telegraph,” wasn’t a officer from the League of Cities and Towns Insurance Division present during the Town Meeting where Jade Jones was arrested without any Arrest Warrant for two misdemeanors along with Russell Sias (former council candidate) while attempting to present a VERY important Federal “Notice of Injunction”? I was informed that he point blank told the Council Members, Town Manager Alex Taft, and Chief of Police Jeff Gilbert after the Town Meeting, “YOU HAVE GOT TO CUT THIS SHIT OUT”!

    Wasn’t Chief Jeff Gilberts words something like, “I’m NOT interested in anything you have”? This from our very own Chief of Police, the head of our Town Police Department, and the so-called chief Law Enforcement Officer. Someone that even was trained at the F.B.I. Academy! How can he be so callous and uncaring? Now if it is to protect his paycheck he will jump in to take action even if it is unlawful and violates his “Oath of Office” to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America!

    Read this important document for yourself and see how fooling Chief Jeff Gilbert was in refusing and then arresting Russel Sias!

    http://www.quartzsitenews.tv/injunction.pdf

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  7. Chief Gilbert is a best a narcissist, at worst, Un-American. This town is foolish for allowing him to even be within city limits, let alone run their police force.

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