[Vision2020] Head's Up: Sheriff's Office

[Art Deco]

As part of their job investigators need to follow leads and ask questions within reason.

I long ago learned from a legal counsel (who, during the time I knew him, never lost a jury trial -- in part because of his detailed, expert knowledge of law and case law) some simple rules to follow/conditions to be observed when interdicted by law enforcement.  Here are some of them.

If you receive a visit from a law enforcement officer which you did not initiate:

Do not let them in your home or any outbuilding unless they have a search warrant.  

Ask  the officers for their identification and ask for a business card.  Failure to produce both should lead you to terminate the interview and to ask them to leave your property/premises immediately.

Ask if the interview is being recorded.  Judge the truthfulness of the reply.  If you suspect untruthfulness or evasion, then terminate the interview and to ask them to leave your property/premises immediately.  If you have a recorder, excuse yourself, get the recorder, and record the interview.

Ask them to explain the exact purpose of their visit and why you are the subject of the interview.  If you suspect untruthfulness or a purposely incomplete explanation, then terminate the interview and to ask them to leave your property/premises immediately.

Talk to them outside until you are absolutely sure of the purpose of their visit and that you are sure you are not the subject of an investigation in any way.  Beware of off-subject questions.  If questions occur during the course of the interview which lead you to believe that their original explanation of their visit was not accurate or complete, then terminate the interview and to ask them to leave your property/premises immediately.

Do not lie to law enforcement officers.  That is a crime.

If it appears that you might possibly be being interrogated because your are a possible suspect or person of interest, then refuse to answer any questions, and ask the officers to leave your property immediately.  Add also that should you receive a properly executed and served subpoena, you will appear in court in answer to such and act in accordance with the law -- that would make arresting you as a material witness a very risky business.

My property is posted to keep out hunters, crackpots, etc.  Such posting applies also to any police agency unless they have legal process, have been called by the ourselves, made an appointment, or there is a genuine emergency which needs access to my property or ourselves in order to respond quickly and correctly.

Having a lawful society is very important and unless there is a possibility of harm to oneself, one should generally be glad to assist law enforcement.  Most of the time their actions are legal, and are motivated by reasonable, objective, professional concerns.  But not always, as some of us have found out from our own and other's experience.


There are some troubling aspects of the visit to Saundra by the LCSO.

An appointment should have been made.  Someone may not be available (like out of town), they may be sick, engaged in activities which they do not wish to interrupt, or, like Saundra, asleep.  Hence, it is not only just courtesy at issue, but the possibility of wasting time and taxpayer money.

It is not professional for an officer not to have a business card, especially someone who alleges they are a detective.  You need to know and to keep a material record of whom you are dealing with.

Was Anderson truthful in saying that his call was motivated by Saundra's postings on V 2020?  

If so that would be really scary.  Not only would that be a violation of Saundra civil rights, but would send an intimidating message that one should not criticize a political figure with views similar to another religious crackpot to whom Sheriff Rausch in the past has shown great favoritism -- a religious crackpot who has endorsed Bouma on his blog.  If Saundra was targeted solely because of her public political views, then the ugly scepter of voter intimidation by law enforcement is alive in Latah County.  Not a pretty sight and one we should all be alarmed at.

As Saundra points out, the postcard is an invitation to attend Freeze Church -- it says that it is not enough to vote for Bouma and McGraw; hence it already assumes the recipient will do so; hence the exhortations are for additional religious, not political activity -- a point of law that any defense counsel will probably argue should anyone be charged with a crime alleging that laws regarding political material have been broken.

I would have no problem sending out a mass mailing showing Bouma's views.  But I would sign my name just as I do with all the public written criticism I have made of Bouma.  But to emphasize Saundra's most telling point:  If I wished to do so, I would send out the postcards so that they would arrive on the Friday, Saturday, or Monday before the election.  

If, on the other hand I were Bouma and wanted to make my embarrassing, if not crackpot religious and political views off-limits for the rest of the campaign, raise money on the "poor, poor, unjustly attacked me" gambit, and also give an excuse for not answering any impromptu questions, then I would make the timing of Postcardgate as it happened -- perfect.


In the case of Postcardgate, the LCSO is in possession of some of the actual documents.  It is amazing what a well-qualified documents expert can infer from a document and the language on it.  It would seem to me that if it hasn't already happened, one should be called in ASAP.

Like Saundra, I'd like to see the culprit(s) caught and exposed before election day.


Wayne A. Fox
1009 Karen Lane
PO Box 9421
Moscow, ID  83843

waf at moscow.com
208 882-7975

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Saundra Lund 
  To: 'Vision 2020' 
  Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 12:03 PM
  Subject: [Vision2020] Head's Up: Sheriff's Office


  I just wanted to give a head's up to those here & elsewhere who have
  publicly questioned Gresham Bouma's -- and presumably Ike Young's -- fitness
  for the offices for which they're running:  expect a visit from Detective
  Anderson of the Latah County Sheriff's Office.

  I apparently came to his attention because he's read my V2020 posts, so
  others with the guts to speak unfavorably about Bouma's religious extremism
  shouldn't be surprised if you, too, get a visit.  Apparently, free
  expression in Latah County earns the interest of the LCSO when one's focus
  is a religious bigot running for office.  Your tax dollars hard at work!

  Be aware that LCSO detectives apparently don't wear uniforms with badges or
  carry business cards, so perhaps ask for identification to verify that the
  person is who he claims to be, which is something I didn't think to do.  My
  dh told me afterwards that he actually saw the patrol car, so I guess I was
  really talking to a detective.

  Also be aware that law-abiding tax-paying citizens who have done nothing
  wrong other than publicly present & comment on the religious extremism of
  political candidates can be rousted out of bed.  Yes, that's what happened
  to me:  I was still in bed deeply asleep when I got my visit.  My dh
  informed the detective I was asleep, but that wasn't good enough, if you can
  believe that.  I can understand dragging people out of bed to arrest them,
  of course, but to just ask questions?!?!  Tip to the LCSO:  getting people
  out of bed because you're curious about what they might know isn't a way to
  make friends and influence people.  You obviously know who I am since you
  showed up at my door, so you've got my phone number, too.  Not calling first
  is just plain rude and not a particularly effective way to inspire
  cooperation.  With a little advance notice, I might have had some coffee &
  cake to offer you  :-)

  To me, there seems to be some real desperation associated with the
  investigation:  the crime Det. Anderson mentioned to me was that the
  postcard is being viewed as campaign material sent without financial
  disclosure.  Now, since I was rousted out of bed without a chance to even
  brush my teeth, I didn't laugh out loud, but please!!!  No intelligent
  person would view that piece of work as campaign material; if anything, it
  was a church invitation designed to appeal to haters.  Perhaps we should all
  be reassured that there's so little real crime in Latah County law
  enforcement is looking for things to make into crimes to keep them busy.
  Unfortunately, I doubt that's the case, so I suppose the child molesters and
  meth makers and other real criminals are probably glad LCSO is being kept
  otherwise occupied.

  Det. Anderson asked where I got the info I've posted, and I told him:  right
  from Bouma's church's Web site & newspapers.  Sheesh -- it's right there for
  God & everyone to see for themselves!  It's quite disturbing to me that my
  attempts to be an educated voter & share what I've learned & what I think
  has apparently made me a suspect or a person of interest or whatever.

  I also pointed out that had the postcard been a genuine attempt to torpedo
  Bouma's campaign, it would have been sent much closer to the election rather
  than weeks in advance giving Bouma plenty of time for spin -- there's no
  such thing as bad publicity.  The timing of PostcardGate is extremely
  curious & suspicious to me.

  I said I found it very interesting that even with a substantial reward
  offered, no one has come forward with information.  I'm of the belief that
  *if* the postcard was a genuine despicable hoax unknown to Bouma's campaign,
  someone would have come forward because most people have big mouths,
  especially when money is involved.

  I also find in interesting that both Bouma & Young are now using the mailers
  as excuses to hide from we-the-people.  Which, needless to say, is yet more
  black marks against their fitness to hold elected offices, IMHO.

  I told Det. Anderson I hope they aren't neglecting to investigate ***all***
  sides.

  I wished Det. Anderson good luck  :-)  Other than his rudeness dragging me
  out of bed, he seems a pleasant enough fellow, and I hope he cracks The of
  Crime of the Decade -- shoot, maybe even of the century -- right here in
  Latah County, and I hope he's successful quickly!  Along with everyone else,
  I'm extremely curious about who is behind PostcardGate, and I hope the
  culprit/culprits are identified ***before*** the election.


  FYI,
  Saundra Lund
  Moscow, ID

  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
  nothing.
  ~ Edmund Burke

  ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2010 through life plus
  70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
  the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
  author.*****

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