Thursday, March 15, 2007
California Highway Patrol investigates itself (secretly)
Search warrant, court order in CHP probe sealed
The California Highway Patrol has searched the Rancho Cordova home of one of its own lieutenants as part of a criminal probe into CHP contracts.
Yet a Sacramento Superior Court judge has sealed the search warrant file from public scrutiny -- and sealed his own court order that sealed the records as well.
Charity Kenyon, an attorney representing The Sacramento Bee, has filed a motion urging the court to immediately unseal the search warrant and court order, saying statewide Superior Court rules were not properly followed.
"Law enforcement is investigating law enforcement in secret," she said.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Gary Ransom issued a search warrant on Jan. 11, giving CHP officers permission to search the home of Lt. Gregory H. Williams.
Williams was put on leave last fall after an investigation into $600,000 in contracts for license plate scanning systems, which are used by CHP officers to spot stolen cars.
CHP investigators are reviewing a $101,116 contract for five such systems awarded to Miner Fabrication, a company operated by Williams' daughter Krystal and son-in-law Chad Miner. Miner Fabrication acted as a reseller for PIPS Technology Inc. and also supplied brackets to mount the scanning cameras on CHP cars.
Williams has never commented on the probe, but his daughter has said neither of them did anything wrong.
CHP officers executed the warrant at Williams' home on Jan. 18 and a report about the search was returned to court Jan. 25.
But, after a Bee reporter learned of the warrant and started asking questions, Ransom ordered all records about the Williams search sealed between Feb. 28 and March 5, court officials said.
CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader said the court sealed the records "so as to protect the evidence already obtained and to ensure the ongoing investigation is not compromised."
Kenyon's motion asserts the court's actions have undermined public access to court records.
The California Rules of Court recognize that the public and news media have the right to be notified about motions to seal court records. The rules give the public and the media a right to argue in court against any motion to seal any court records.
Kenyon's motion states that the public was not notified of plans to seal the Williams warrant.
http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net
The California Highway Patrol has searched the Rancho Cordova home of one of its own lieutenants as part of a criminal probe into CHP contracts.
Yet a Sacramento Superior Court judge has sealed the search warrant file from public scrutiny -- and sealed his own court order that sealed the records as well.
Charity Kenyon, an attorney representing The Sacramento Bee, has filed a motion urging the court to immediately unseal the search warrant and court order, saying statewide Superior Court rules were not properly followed.
"Law enforcement is investigating law enforcement in secret," she said.
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Gary Ransom issued a search warrant on Jan. 11, giving CHP officers permission to search the home of Lt. Gregory H. Williams.
Williams was put on leave last fall after an investigation into $600,000 in contracts for license plate scanning systems, which are used by CHP officers to spot stolen cars.
CHP investigators are reviewing a $101,116 contract for five such systems awarded to Miner Fabrication, a company operated by Williams' daughter Krystal and son-in-law Chad Miner. Miner Fabrication acted as a reseller for PIPS Technology Inc. and also supplied brackets to mount the scanning cameras on CHP cars.
Williams has never commented on the probe, but his daughter has said neither of them did anything wrong.
CHP officers executed the warrant at Williams' home on Jan. 18 and a report about the search was returned to court Jan. 25.
But, after a Bee reporter learned of the warrant and started asking questions, Ransom ordered all records about the Williams search sealed between Feb. 28 and March 5, court officials said.
CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader said the court sealed the records "so as to protect the evidence already obtained and to ensure the ongoing investigation is not compromised."
Kenyon's motion asserts the court's actions have undermined public access to court records.
The California Rules of Court recognize that the public and news media have the right to be notified about motions to seal court records. The rules give the public and the media a right to argue in court against any motion to seal any court records.
Kenyon's motion states that the public was not notified of plans to seal the Williams warrant.
http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net
# posted by SanDiegoDUI @ 9:24 AM 
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