Sign the petition to prosecute the Lake County Sheriff that killed the sailor

[deckofficer]

From Lat 38..........

Wild, Wild Lake County

September 28, 2012 – Lake County, CA

Latitude readers probably best know Lake County as the place where, on a pitch black night in '06, Sheriff Deputy Russell Perdock slammed his powerboat into a nearly stationary O'Day sailboat at high speed, killing passenger Lynn Thornton, a just-retired employee of the state of California. In a move that drastically undermined our faith in law enforcement and district attorneys, Lake County District Attorney Jon Hopkins inexplicably didn't charge Perdock with any crime, but rather charged Bismarck Dinius, a passenger on the idle sailboat who happened to be sitting in the helm position, with manslaughter. His defense cost Dinius a small fortune, but he was acquitted by a jury in a matter of minutes — about as big a slap in the face that a jury could have given Hopkins.

According to a fine story in the August 25 Sacramento Bee by Stephen Magagnini, Lake County is one hell of a crazy place. In a 'clean out the old boy network' move in '10, Cuba-born Francisco 'Frank' Rivero was elected Sheriff, beating out the incumbent of 16 years, by campaigning on the promise to eat his hat if voters could find a more corrupt place in California.

"I'm a rough character to deal with when you're screwing around," Rivero told the Bee. "Aggressive law enforcement's taking place. We're going out, kicking down doors and taking people to jail in volume, which creates controversy."

No kidding. According to the story, his critics include the current district attorney, motorcycle gangs, an army of marijuana growers, both local newspapers, and the chairman of the Board of Supervisors who — and we're not making this up — is a bounty hunter who says he tracks down 900 bail jumpers a year (who apparently come from all over the country to lie low in Lake County), raises buffalo, and who says he called the sheriff when he found 7,500 pot plants growing on his property.

Rivero is proud to say that he's cut $1 million in waste from the Sheriff's Department while throwing many more criminals in jail. But his most controversial move was to ask the FBI to reopen the investigation into the boating death of Lynn Thornton. In a move that pretty much finished off what little faith we had left in the U.S. legal system, Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco, declined to reopen the case. Why, Melinda, why? You see nothing wrong with not charging someone for slamming his boat into another boat and killing someone? As for former D.A. Hopkins, who charged Dinius but not Perdock, he claims there was no corruption in his handling of the case. He reminds us of a woman who once tried to convince us that buttermilk was a diet beverage.

In related news, Perdock was let go from the Lake County Sheriff's Department in '10. But just a couple months ago he was sworn in to the Lake County Fire Protection District Board. As for Dinius, he and his attorneys are suing the county of Lake, the Lake County Sheriff's Office, 34 county employees (in their inpidual and official capacities), Jon Hopkins, former Sheriff Rodney Mitchell, Russell Perdock, Dennis Ostini, Lloyd Wells, C. Brown, Captain James Bauman, James Samples, Wesley Frey, Dean Pick, Andy Davidson, and Sacramento County Sheriff's Dept. Sgt. Charles Slabaugh. Attorney Laurence Masson alleges that the county's conduct was “unconstitutional and corrupt” following the incident and throughout the court proceedings, accusing the employees of “conspiring” or “aiding and abetting one another” to conceal and fabricate evidence and defraud the court in order to prosecute Dinius for a “homicide that he did not commit.” Masson argues that this not only constitutes malicious prosecution but is also a violation of Dinius's civil rights as granted by Title 42 section 1983 of the United States Code.

Like we say, it's wild up in Lake County.

[Lagoon4us]

AND Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco, declined to reopen the case??????

[deckofficer]

If you see this drunk heading towards you in a powerboat, take cover. This is Sheriff Deputy Russell Perdock, just looking at his mug leaves a stink of pickled pork.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

If you see this drunk heading towards you in a powerboat, take cover. This is Sheriff Deputy Russell Perdock, just looking at his mug leaves a stink of pickled pork.

Hang on dosen't he work for Boss Hogg??

[deckofficer]

I think he is Boss Hogg.

[wtmf]

Your in box is full.
send me the link and I will sign it. I was military police for 2 years and have a friend that is retired cop and I think it is time they live by the standards they inforce.

[minaret]

Why do they ALWAYS look the part?

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by wtmf

Your in box is full.
send me the link and I will sign it. I was military police for 2 years and have a friend that is retired cop and I think it is time they live by the standards they inforce.

Petition | Lake County, California Board of Supervisors, & D. A., Don Anderson: Prosecute former Deputy Russell Perdock for the death of Lynn Thornton. | Change.org


Thanks

[Bluewaters2812]

I am an ex LEO (Senior Detective). I have not been following this thread and have not read all the facts. I am always wary of cop bashing but I must say that it appears that there is sufficient cause and apparently, witnesses, for an independent and additional inquiry to be done to determine whether there are any fresh facts or information that would support the argument for a prosecution of any other individual. Such an inquiry should also be aimed at highlighting the handling of the investigation and if any shortcomings/wrongdoings are found, appropriate action and/or steps can be taken to rectify and put things right. No harm done if new evidence comes to light that exonerates (or doesn't) the LEO's.

I am not a US citizen so am not sure signing such a petition would help. I don't have a link to the petition but if it will help to launch a new investigation I think it is warranted and I would sign it.

[noelex 77]

Making defamatory posts is a sure way to get this thread closed.
I have removed a number of remarks.
If you want it to stay open think before you post.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by deckofficer

Petition | Lake County, California Board of Supervisors, & D. A., Don Anderson: Prosecute former Deputy Russell Perdock for the death of Lynn Thornton. | Change.org


Thanks

Signed, only six signatures needed now.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Making defamatory posts is a sure way to get this thread closed.
I have removed a number of remarks.
If you want it to stay open think before you post.

Sorry about that. It appears you have never been to Clear Lake. In every community you will have a few watering holes that are frequented by LEO (current and retired), but at Clear Lake every drinking establishment is such a place. I thought my term "pickled ****" was an apt description. There have been a few others on this thread who know first hand the make up of Clear Lake, and their assessment mirrors mine. It is so bad there that the real estate market reflects this. Generally a community with an abundance of LEO would be a safe area to live, but in Lake County, the good old boy's network is so rife with law breaking drunks that are LEO, it isn't safe for the citizens. This case is one of many, just the tip of the iceberg for what makes up day to day life at Clear Lake.

The new Sheriff wasn't kidding when he was running for office and told the citizens of Clear Lake "If you can find a more corrupt community than Clear Lake, I'll eat my hat".

Again, I'm sorry I offended you, but had you had the perspective of being a visitor to Clear Lake, you would understand.

[Celestialsailor]

Regardless...in order to allow people reading this thread a clear perspective of the situations, negative descriptions of the people there or the place itself does nothing to promote the cause. For that matter even relates to boating.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Regardless...in order to allow people reading this thread a clear perspective of the situations, negative descriptions of the people there or the place itself does nothing to promote the cause. For that matter even relates to boating.

I beg to differ. If folks are aware of the community disposition, then what happened in this case would make more sense to them.

I used to go to Clear Lake every other weekend to fly my hang glider and camp at the Middle Creek Campground. I love this area and would have bought a vacation/retirement home here if it wasn't as the new Sheriff put it, "the most corrupt place in California".

[Tripod]

Signed