Update, FMPD Released the Search Videos

The News-Press has the video, which does not match up to McDonald’s claim: http://www.news-press.com/story/news/crime/2015/12/31/fmpd-body-camera-footage-doesnt-show-cavity-search-city-road/78139200/

FMPD Ought to Release the Video of the Questionable Search

News reports have surfaced this week that people are accusing FMPD officers of an improper, invasive search. Michael McDonald was pulled over by officers, who say they smelled a strong odor of marijuana. They sought to search Mr. McDonald, and gave him a pat down. Officers indicate they felt something that felt like a baggie, and that when they asked McDonald about it, he became “very uncooperative and hostile” toward officers. However, they also indicate that he admitted that it was a bag containing marijuana.

Michael McDonald

Mr. McDonald then agreed to retrieve the marijuana, and handed it to officers. They patted him down again, and felt something else concealed in his pants. And that’s where things started to go really wrong.

Officers say McDonald did not respond to their commands, They say he tried to kick an officer in the face (leading to a felony charge for resisting with violence). Officers literally held his legs down. They physically spread his legs and cut his underwear to recover baggies containing heroin and cocaine from inside his undergarments. He alleges that they further probed his rectum with a finger during the search.

When NBC-2 first aired the story, they included a response from Chief Eads, who indicates he has seen both the cell-phone video, and the officer body-cam videos and that no cavity search occurred. I said, hey, that’s a great reason for officers to wear body-cams… so that if they are accused of something they didn’t do, the video evidence can exonerate them. I think body cams will be more of a help to law enforcement than a hindrance.

Then, NBC-2 reported the following day that they have made a public records request for the videos, but the police department has refused to release them. That’s a bad look, FMPD. If the video shows what you say it shows, then RELEASE THE VIDEO!

FMPD told NBC they weren’t releasing the video because there is an ongoing criminal investigation (which is an exception to the Sunshine Laws on public records). That sounds at least a little questionable, as Mr. McDonald was arrested and charged that day: which was 2 weeks ago. It sure sounds like they are claiming that an investigation is ongoing, to avoid releasing the video. Again, bad look FMPD. If the video exonerates your officers, release the video! Don’t make excuses.

Seriously, the news story might be over by now if the video proves that the officers did nothing wrong.

There still may be an issue with the way the search was handled, even if there was no cavity search. While an odor of marijuana gives officers sufficient probable cause to conduct a search, and search that involves removing or arranging clothing to “permit a visual or manual inspection” of private areas is governed by Florida’s strip search statute,Fla. Stat. Sec. 901.201. That statute says that such a search must be conducted “…on premises where the search cannot be observed by persons not physically conducting or observing the search…” The fact that such searches are being performed in public, on the roadside, in full view of people with camera phones, does not sound like it is in compliance with the statutory strictures. Of course, we’ll have a better idea when FMPD releases the video.

NBC has also reported on a similar incident involving an allegedly invasive search, also on video, just a few weeks prior and only a short distance away from Mr. McDonald’s search. As a criminal law practitioner, I have seen cases where officers just grabbed people shorts and pulled them down on the side of the road, so there may be a policy training issue with local law enforcement (it is not limited to FMPD). Or maybe not. Maybe they have done nothing wrong, as the chief said. Many of these questions will be answered when they meet their statutory obligation under the Sunshine law to release the video. If it’s bad, don’t cover it up. If it exonerates the officers, the city should want the video released!

Florida Man’s Greatest Hits of 2015

Another year, another 365 days of crazy exploits from Florida Residents. Esquire has compiled some of their favorites, here: http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a40729/year-in-florida-man-2015/

Woman Arrested after Motorized WalMart Cart Ride

Only in Florida:

Josseleen Lopez

A Citrus County woman, Josseleen Lopez, was detained by store staff after taking a bite of sushi, and putting it back on the shelf. She had a half-empty bottle of wine and a mostly-eaten rotisserie chicken on her cart as she road around the Walmart. After her arrest, officers found drug paraphernalia and she admitted she had recently smoked meth.

She has been charged with petty theft and possession of paraphernalia. She could have been charged with underage possession of alcohol, and theoretically could have gotten a DUI on the motorized shopping cart: which would qualify as a vehicle under Florida law.

Real-Life Grinch Steals Presents from Fort Myers Non-Profit Outreach

This is terrible… on December 23, a bunch of thieves broke into a not for profit outreach program, the Nation’s Association, and stole the presents they had compiled to give to children who aren’t going to have much of a Christmas. They even stole stockings and vandalized other decorations: a true Grinch (or Grinches).

Here’s the story from NBC-2.

NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

It’s Against the law to Block Traffic, Even to Propose

A Texas man made headlines this week with the huge romantic gesture of blocking a highway to propose to his girlfriend. It may be sweet, but it’s also against the law. He is now facing a misdemeanor obstruction of a roadway charge. It did make a nice photo with the city int he background.

Hopefully his judge is a hopeless romantic!

Supreme Court to Review DUI Refusal Laws

The Supreme Court has decided to hear two cases involving Refusal to Submit to breathalyzers, known as implied consent laws. Many states make it a requirement for drivers to submit to controlled tests of their breath (or blood or urine) to determine alcohol content… and have penalties for the failure to do so. Many states, including Florida, make it a crime to refuse in certain circumstances. In Florida, a second refusal constitutes a first degree misdemeanor.

These laws have been upheld in Florida, and other places, on the theory that driving is a privilege, not a right. That is, if you accept the privilege to drive, the state can require you to submit to a lawful test. Florida prints it right on the front of drivers’ licenses (take a look along the bottom of your FL DL).

Just 2 years ago, the Court ruled that states cannot routinely take blood draws without getting a warrant. Many states, including Florida, had passed provisions for the immediacy of blood draws in certain circumstances: Florida had allowed them when there was an accident with serious bodily injury. The Court said that with modern technology, in most circumstances, it is possible to get a warrant rapidly, and therefore the state should get a warrant before doing a blood draw. It will be interesting to see how they come down on the refusal issue.

A Look at the real Cost of Prosecuting Marijuana Cases

 

Marijuana concerns

NBC-2 took a look at the actual cost to taxpayers of the prosecution of marijuana offenses. As a sample, they found that on one day there were 29 offenders in the Collier County jail for misdemeanor marijuana offenses. At a cost of more than $100 per day to house them, that totaled over $3,000.00 in incarceration fees- just for one day! Lee county, with a larger population, likely has even more marijuana offenders.

The costs calculated by NBC does not include the other costs: costs for the prosecutor’s office, court administration fees, and legal defense costs (because it’s a criminal offense, all defendants are entitled to have an attorney, and the state pays if they cannot afford it.) Some of these costs are offset by imposing financial assessments to the defendants… but the guys (and gals) in jail won’t be paying them.

Further, and one of the main complaints of those who are challenging are the collateral consequences: people are burdened with the stigma of arrest, they are followed around by their convictions and mug shots, and in Florida, a conviction also leads to a mandatory driver’s license suspension! That makes it even harder for people to put their mistakes behind them and to be productive members of society: if they can’t drive, a lot of people lose their jobs, for instance. That’s why it’s imperative to get an experienced criminal law attorney to represent you if you get arrested- even if it’s ‘just a little weed’.

Former Deputy Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Robbery

Michael Ronga

Former Lee County Deputy Michael Ronga was sentenced this week to six years in Federal prison (he also worked for Fort Myers PD, at an earlier time). He was convicted at trial a few weeks ago for beating an robbing man he had given a ride while he was on duty in his patrol vehicle. Prosecutors pushed for 10 years, which was in line with sentencing guidelines, though the court opted to go below the guideline sentence and he was only given the six years. His attorneys argued for home confinement. The sentence was surprisingly forgiving, in light of the breach of trust to the community for it to happen by an on-duty officer.

Why’s This Guy Smiling after he got popped going 110 on Alligator Alley?

• Noe Dejesus was arrested for DUI in Collier County after being clocked at 109 coming across Alligator Alley
• Dejesus was butt naked when cops pulled him out of the car

 

Noe Dejesus

Law enforcement received several calls of a car driving recklessly, and soon thereafter, troopers spotted Mr. Dejesus’ Cadillac going about 110 on I-75 Alligator Alley. Troopers pulled him over, and observed alcoholic beverage containers in the car. When they asked him to step out, they found out that he was completely naked.

Also inside the car were three women, several beer bottles, and a nearly empty bottle of Crown Royal Whiskey. They asked Dejesus to complete field sobriety exercises, but he declined to do so, and was arrested for DUI and driving without a license, both misdemeanors. Judging by his mug shot… he might have decided it was worth it.

It is unknown where he was coming from, but he was heading in the direction of his home in Lehigh Acres, and from the direction if he had been in Miami. No information was given about his lady friends.

via NDN.