Greg LaForge called the actions of Sheriff Curtis Hill and DA
John Sarsfield a double standard. I call it selective
enforcement.
Now that the Sheriff and the DA have opened the bag of what they
call potential
”
Brady violations
”
let’s take a look inside Sheriff Hill’s Brady bag
Greg LaForge called the actions of Sheriff Curtis Hill and DA John Sarsfield a double standard. I call it selective enforcement.
Now that the Sheriff and the DA have opened the bag of what they call potential “Brady violations” let’s take a look inside Sheriff Hill’s Brady bag.
Investigated by the California DOJ, Sheriff Hill was charged with beating three defenseless handcuffed prisoners in the county jail. The beatings were so violent, that Hill broke his hand. Through his defense attorney, Hill tried to convince the jury that the injury came from a kick from one of the vulnerable prisoners. The prosecution countered and brought in a doctor who testified that Hill punching like a “boxer” was the only way his injury could have been caused.
Sheriff Hill was first tried in San Benito County by then Deputy DA Pat Marshall. Sheriff Hill was then indicted by a Federal Grand Jury and tried by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office. Even though there were three independent law enforcement eyewitnesses to the beating and blood on the walls and floor of the jail, and all three victims were in fact handcuffed behind their backs, both trials ended in hung juries.
A hung jury simply means that some of the jurors thought Hill was guilty of the beatings.
What else is in the Sheriff’s Brady bag?
The case of the stolen cocaine, guns and money from the Sheriff’s evidence locker – an inside job and no arrests? Do you think the Sheriff has admitted to defense attorneys that the gypsies in the palace ransacked his booty?
What else is in the bag?
Based on the standard now set by Hill and Sarsfield for “Brady violations,” Sheriff Hill’s department has four deputies now working for him that need their cases looked at by the DA.
One deputy has been investigated for holding a rape victim against her will at his house. The same deputy has been looked into for beating his girlfriend. He was also stopped by the Salinas Police Department for cruising prostitutes and the Sheriff knows all of this. One deputy was investigated for writing a false report regarding a marijuana arrest. One deputy was involved in the jail beating mentioned above.
Another deputy was terminated because of an illegal search, but because of timeliness issues he was put back to work. That same deputy just last year, after going back to work, was caught lying on a report where he claimed to be a “Drug Recognition Expert.” That case was thrown out of court and Hill openly defended the fact that the deputy had lied. If you’re interested, the Sheriff can confirm all of this and even fill in the names for you. In fact, I wonder if Hill ever told Sarsfield any of this.
The DA must now give a “rats a–” and look into Sheriff Hill, his four deputies and their cases. If DA John Sarsfield does not apply his “Brady standard” to these people, then we do in fact have a double standard and an obvious case of selective enforcement.
Unwittingly, the Mutt and Jeff team of Hill and Sarsfield have lowered the Brady bar for defense attorneys and opened the Sheriff and his Brady Bunch to scrutiny the law doesn’t require. Remember, this is Sarsfield’s standard, not the law.
In closing, have said all of that, I really don’t believe any of the so-called Brady violations brought up by Mutt and Jeff are going to be reversed. This was nothing more than a political smoke screen and vendetta the equivalent of a public execution done to cover up their (Hill and Sarsfield’s) professional, political and ethical inadequacies. Hopefully, if and when this gets to court, the judge will put a stop to this farce once and for all.
Greg Zazueta,
Hollister
