indicted

Harris Co TX Pct 3 dep constable indicted for allegedly groping woman in custody while investigated on other claim [0] http://bit.ly/GYpuQU

RCMP subject of class action sexual harassment lawsuit, initiated by ex-mountie alleging 20yrs of harassment [0] http://t.co/FpNm0Skt

Convicted in sexual assault

A New York City police officer was found guilty on Tuesday of predatory sexual assault in an attack on a 25-year-old woman at gunpoint in Upper Manhattan in August, and faced a possible sentence of life in prison.

The jury remained deadlocked on other charges, including rape, against the officer, Michael Pena, 27, and was still deliberating. The Police Department terminated Mr. Pena’s employment upon his conviction.

The jury was ordered to continue deliberating on Wednesday on two rape counts and two additional charges of predatory sexual assault after a report of bias was made against one juror, who had been a senior adviser to Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

The victim, a teacher who was waiting for a ride to her first day in a new job when Mr. Pena grabbed her that morning, gasped and sobbed as the jury forewoman read the verdict. The victim then left, surrounded by supporters, without commenting.

The partial verdict in State Supreme Court in Manhattan came after a member of the jury told the judge that another juror, whom he identified only as Lloyd, had mentioned that his former law partner, Richard Aborn, had run against the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., in 2009. The complaining juror said he felt that the other juror had held the prosecution to an unduly high standard.

“It’s something that I’m aware of that I wanted your advice on,” the complaining juror told Justice Richard D. Carruthers.

The judge instructed the juror not to mention his concerns to the other jurors or to let them affect how he viewed the case and the deliberations, and then sent him back to the jury room.

Mr. Vance’s office soon discovered that “Lloyd” was Lloyd E. Constantine, who not only had been close to Mr. Aborn, but also knew Mr. Vance. Mr. Constantine is best known as a mentor, law partner and former adviser to Mr. Spitzer.

Just after noon, Justice Carruthers told the lawyers that one juror’s “social relationship,” which “might have some relevance” to the trial, had been brought to his attention.

The judge and lawyers interviewed Mr. Constantine in one side of the courtroom. Speaking quietly and without a microphone, he said that he had played tennis with Mr. Vance and acknowledged that he had been a law partner of Mr. Aborn’s.

Mr. Constantine said he had not been asked any questions during the jury interview process before the trial that would have required him to divulge those relationships. He said that he decided on his own that the relationships would not impair his impartiality and that to disclose them without prompting would be “a blatant attempt on my part to get out of” jury duty.

Mr. Pena’s lawyer, Ephraim Savitt, said later that the complaining juror had said he felt that Mr. Constantine had brought bias to the deliberations and “might not be fair and impartial.” But Mr. Savitt did not seek to have Mr. Constantine removed from the jury and replaced by an alternate.

“He’s saying he’s neutral, and I’m willing to accept that,” Mr. Savitt said outside the courtroom.

Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Constantine became estranged after Mr. Spitzer resigned amid revelations that he had patronized prostitutes, and Mr. Constantine wrote a book, “Journal of the Plague Year: An Insider’s Chronicle of Eliot Spitzer’s Short and Tragic Reign.”

In his book, Mr. Constantine blamed Mr. Spitzer’s dalliances in part on his giving up tennis dates with Mr. Constantine.

“The lack of tennis with me, or anyone else, had also deprived Eliot of an important physical release,” he wrote.

Mr. Vance attended the opening and closing arguments in the case but apparently did not notice or recognize Mr. Constantine. His office declined to comment because the trial had not ended.

Huntington Beach CA

Huntington Beach CA sued alleging cops entered home w/o warrant, groped a woman while searching under her skirt, then used excessive force while falsely arresting two people. [3] http://bit.ly/GISzT1

Phoenix AZ cop arrested

Phoenix AZ cop arrested for taking nude pics of woman without her permission as she slept [0] http://bit.ly/GLpWTj

Thebes IL cop gets

Thebes IL cop gets probation in plea deal for releasing suspect in exchange for sexual favors [0] http://bit.ly/GLpF2O

Richmond VA deputy gets

Richmond VA deputy gets suspended sentence after convicted on felony charge for sex with female inmates [0] http://bit.ly/GV3ZF6

Woodville MS

Woodville MS police chief ordered to pay $500 on simple assault conviction for smacking probation officer’s butt [0] http://hatne.ws/GUf5uT

unecessary cavity searches

7 Milwaukee WI cops & supervisor on desk duty while investigated for alleged brutality & unecessary cavity searches [0] http://bit.ly/GQEX6u

Iredell Co NC sheriff & deputy sued by woman claiming deputy sexually harassed her after reporting husband for DV [0] http://bit.ly/GSVTuB

 

Harvey IL police face class action suit by rape victims over 200 untested rape kits uncovered in raid on police dpt [5] http://bit.ly/GJ3XAg

Why doesn't the justice department act? Where are they?

Paso Robles CA pays police chief $250k to leave job after complaints of sexual harassment & ticket quotas [0] http://bit.ly/GDXINy

 Yakima WA gang unit leader subject of unspecified investigation after other unspecified misconduct substantiated [4] http://bit.ly/GLiaOh

 DeKalb Co GA police sgt subject of state investigation for allegedly talking rape victim out of charging his pal [0] http://bit.ly/GJV23x

 Colstrip MT police chief w/history of complaints suspended while investigated for another unspecified complaint [2] http://bit.ly/GJUr1Y

Former officer of the year sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday

Ex-Mount Rainier policeman apologizes to victim's family, asks for forgiveness after off-duty shooting, sex offense

A former Mount Rainier police officer of the year who pleaded guilty to the July 2 shooting of a man he tried to force to engage in sexual activity will serve 10 years in prison.

Prince George's County Circuit Court Judge Crystal Mittelstaedt sentenced Gene Gillette of Capitol Heights on Wednesday to 10 years in prison plus five years of supervised probation and 15 years on the Maryland sex offender registry.

Gillette, 27, pleaded guilty in November to attempted second-degree murder, fourth-degree sex offense and using a handgun to commit a crime after a July 2 incident where he picked up a 20-year-old man at a Capitol Heights Shell gas station while off duty, drove him to Gillette's Capitol Heights home and tried to perform oral sex on the man without his consent, according to the state prosecution.

The man choked Gillette and then tried to flee in Gillette's vehicle, prompting Gillette to fire his police-issued weapon and strike the man six times, according to the state prosecution.

Gillette initially told police that he fired his weapon because he was being carjacked, according to the state prosecution.

Gillette asked the victim, who was in court seated next to his family, to please forgive him and that the incident has changed his life "drastically." Gillette thanked his family for their support and said that while the media portrayed him as a "horrible person," he was thankful his family knew he wasn't.

Gillette also apologized to the city of Mount Rainier, looking out at fellow officers in the courtroom, because he said he was known as the city's "golden child." Gillette was named the city's Officer of the Year in 2009 and 2010.

"Please let them know that I'm sorry and I'm doing well and I pray for them every day and I pray for you every day," Gillette said.

Before the sentencing, the victim's sister-in-law testified that he was once carefree with "no limitations" but began to suffer nightmares after the shooting and continues to suffer physical pain. She said on a good day it could just be shoulder pain and a bad day it could be "his entire body."

The victim's sister-in-law said he has lost his trust in police.

"We've all felt as though we can't trust law enforcement like we used to," the sister-in-law said of her family.

Prior to the sentencing, Gillette's defense attorney, William C. Brennan Jr., emphasized the support Gillette has received from family and friends in the form of 18 letters to the court testifying to his character such as his devotion to his grandmother and his role as a mentor to other police officers.

Brennan said Gillette’s listing on the sex offender registry would greatly impact his ability to be employed after his release and that he wouldn't be recognized for good behavior if he's placed in protective custody while jailed. Brennan said because Gillette was a police officer, a correctional institution cannot risk putting him with the general prison population because he could be retaliated against.

Mount Rainier Police Chief Michael Scott said in a Tuesday email to The Gazette that the police department had no additional comment regarding Gillette.

"We continue to trust the State's Attorney and her staff and the court system to ensure that justice is done for all concerned in this tragic and unfortunate series of events," Scott wrote.

Town and Country MO police sued

Town and Country MO police sued by cop claiming she was sexually harassed & retaliated against for 10 years [3] http://bit.ly/FOFF7a

Hattisburg MS cop gets fine

Hattisburg MS cop gets fine & clean record in plea deal for extortion, accused of raping nurse under color of law [0] http://bit.ly/yCkCmB

Alleged NYPD Officer's Rape Victim Tearfully Recounts Sex Attack in Court

Through his lawyer, Michael Pena has admitted attacking the woman, but claimed he never managed to have intercourse during the assault.

A schoolteacher who was snatched off a Manhattan street and allegedly violently sexually assaulted by an off-duty NYPD officer says she was afraid for her life during the attack.

The woman tearfully recounted the assault on the witness stand Friday, as officer Michael Pena stood trial on charges of predatory sexual assault and rape.

She said Pena ordered her into a courtyard and threatened to shoot her in the face if she resisted.

Through his lawyer, Pena has admitted attacking the woman, but claimed he never managed to have intercourse during the assault.

New York law imposes lighter punishments on would-be rapists who fail to complete the act.

Pena could get life in prison if convicted on the top charges.

Pena joined the police force in 2008. He has been suspended without pay.

After Pena was charged, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly called the allegations "very disturbing" and ordered an investigation into his background to see if there was evidence of other misconduct.

Pena's case is the second rape trial involving NYPD officers in the last year. In May, a jury acquitted Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata of raping a woman, but found them guilty of official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

The two were called to help a drunken woman get out of a cab in December 2008.

The woman said she awoke to being raped after passing out. Moreno said he cuddled with her in her bed, but there was no sex. Mata said he was napping on her sofa.

Both officers were fired from the force within hours of the misdemeanor verdict. Moreno was sentenced to a year in jail and Mata received a two-month sentence.

Former SJ cop pleads no contest to sex charges

(03-16) 17:34 PDT SAN JOSE -- A former San Jose police officer pleaded no contest Thursday to charges of molesting two teenage boys, according to the Santa Clara District Attorney's office.

Patrick D'Arrigo, 44, faces a maximum of three years and eight months in state prison for one count of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor age 14 or 15 and one count of oral copulation with a minor, said Deputy District Attorney Stuart Scott. He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

D'Arrigo was arrested on Aug. 31 for molesting a 15- and 17-year-old in his Gilroy home. He had met a group of high school boys on Craigslist, Scott said.

D'Arrigo joined the San Jose police department in 1994. In 2008, he was one of two officers accused of covering up a drunken-driving crash involving a district attorney's investigator. The district attorney's office took the case to a grand jury, which opted not to indict D'Arrigo or the other officer.

He was placed on administrative leave in July 2008 and fired in January 2010 because of the incident. He appealed the decision and was reinstated in December 2010.

His attorney did not return calls for a comment.

D'Arrigo resigned from the San Jose police department on Feb. 28, said Officer Jose Garcia, a spokesman.

"We are glad Mr. D'Arrigo is being held accountable for his actions, and the victims are in our thoughts," he said in an e-mail. Scott said he plans to argue "for significant jail time" for D'Arrigo.

"You got multiple victims, and you got a person who was a police officer at the time the acts took place," he said. "Although there's no evidence that he used color of authority during the time, he's someone we want to make sure is held responsible for that sort of dereliction of duty."

D'Arrigo is scheduled to return to court on April 30 for sentencing.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Twitter: @VivianHo. vho@sfchronicle.com

Pittsburgh officer awaiting trial on sex crimes scolded by judge for news conference

PITTSBURGH — A judge on Wednesday scolded a fired police officer on house arrest for appearing with his attorneys at a news conference to proclaim his innocence on charges that he tried to extort sexual favors from women while on duty and tried to rape one of them last month.

The officer, Adam Skweres, apologized to Allegheny County Judge Edward Borkowski, who ruled that the officer can remain on house arrest until his trial but will no longer be allowed to leave his home to meet with his attorneys.

Borkowski accused the attorneys of trying to taint the jury pool by lauding Skweres' military record at the news conference on Monday. The judge said, "The only thing missing was an Air Force or military flyover."

Borkowski said he considered holding the attorneys in contempt of court but decided not to when he learned that county probation officials — who are overseeing Skweres while he's on house arrest — gave him permission to go to their law offices for the news conference.

The judge accused the attorneys — both of whom regularly represent people accused in high-profile criminal cases in the Pittsburgh area — of using Skweres as a "pawn" to satisfy their "insatiable" appetite for media exposure.

"It's an affront to this court that the court does not take lightly," Borkowski said. "It's befuddling that you would let this happen."

James Ecker, one of the defense attorneys, said Wednesday that he and Skweres' other lawyer, Philip DiLucente, "have nothing more to say."

DiLucente said at the news conference that the attorneys called it because police Chief Nate Harper had tried the case in the media and more or less held out Skweres as guilty until proven innocent.

The 34-year-old Skweres is charged with bribery, official oppression, coercion and indecent assault in the first three encounters that date to 2008 in which prosecutors say he offered the women legal assistance in exchange for sex acts. Prosecutors say Skweres told one woman that he'd write a favorable letter in her child custody case if she had sex with him and told another woman he could influence her boyfriend's case in exchange for sex.

Skweres was charged with attempted rape, indecent assault and other crimes for an encounter in another woman's home on Feb. 11.

DiLucente has previously said the allegations are "out of character," noting Skweres is a five-year veteran officer who served 12 years in the Army Reserves, including a one-year tour in Iraq.

Since then, city civil service records have surfaced showing Skweres was not found "psychologically suited" for police work when he first applied for a job in 2006. He appealed that finding, and after a second psychologist cleared him, he was hired in February 2007.

Big Lake MN suspended their

Big Lake MN suspended their police chief in their effort to fire him after spending thousands to settle sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuits [0] bit.ly/yYjIkR

East Chicago IN cop was suspended

East Chicago IN cop was suspended 6mo for fondling himself & making lewd comments to a burglary victim on camera. [0] bit.ly/xoxgXN

100 cops in 9 Minnesota

100 cops in 9 Minnesota law enforcement agencies sued for using police database to look at pics of cute cop [0] http://bit.ly/Awa9Oq

Denver CO cop with a

Denver CO cop with a history of excessive force and sexual misconduct was arrested on a domestic violence charge involvong his girlfriend [0] bit.ly/xOCc1q

Orange CT cop gets

Orange CT cop gets probation in plea deal after charged with sexual assault for having sex with his bother’s girlfriend while posing as his twin brother. [0] bit.ly/AyNNLq

Kern Co CA deputy arrested

  •Kern Co CA deputy arrested on allegations he sexually assaulted woman while she was being booked into jail [0] bit.ly/y3Syhn

Wichita KS cop sentenced

•Wichita KS cop sentenced to probation for sexually battering at least 2 women while on duty, resigned after charged [0] bit.ly/wXk0Qp

Stamford CT cop

 •Stamford CT cop gets suspended sentence after pleading guilty to showing nude pics of self to woman he pulled over [0] bit.ly/AmLuMr

Fired Brooksville cop arrested on stalking charges

BROOKSVILLE --

A former Brooksville police officer who was fired late last month for gross negligence is now in jail after again being accused of stalking.

Bryan Drinkard, 44, is charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft and stalking, according to a Hernando County Sheriff's Office report.

In light of a warrant being issued for the charges, deputies arrested him at roughly 3:30 p.m. Friday while he was at a Sunoco gas station in Brooksville, the report shows. In his possession were a 9 mm pistol and a 12 gauge shotgun, along with ammunition.

He was taken to Hernando County Jail and is being held on a no bond status.

Cpl. Wendy McGinnis, a sheriff's spokeswoman, said Friday night that no other information was available, because the case is still ongoing.

Drinkard was the subject of a Brooksville Police Department Internal Affairs investigation last month after his former girlfriend — an administrative assistant with the department — claimed he was stalking her.

During that time, she claimed Drinkard harassed her by phone, followed and stalked her and her family, and without invitation, showed up at her children's school function.

She added Drinkard removed her checkbook and jewelry from her house. The IA report shows Drinkard returned the jewelry after the accuser's mother called him and threatened to report it as a theft. He returned the checkbook after the accuser asked for it back, the IA report shows.

In the end, the allegations weren't sustained.

However, he was fired Feb. 29 for gross negligence and misconduct after officials say he returned his.45-cal. Glock to the department by leaving it loaded and on the counter at the police station.

During Drinkard's law enforcement 20-year career, he's had 44 internal affairs investigations filed on him. During his tenure as a deputy at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, 12 allegations were sustained and another was partially sustained.

He was forced to retire after his arrest on a stalking charge, for which he was acquitted, according to public records.

Fort Worth TX police

•Fort Worth TX police capt fired for using city-owned computer to surf for porn & “gratifying himself” while on-duty [0] cbsloc.al/zmzGkA

Orleans Parish

•Orleans Parish LA deputy had to be captured after fleeing when charged for sexually assaulting an inmate [0] bit.ly/ylfshL

Arlington TX

Arlington TX cop w/history suspended 20d for exposing self to women after DUI stop, didn’t recall how penis got out [0] bit.ly/xpSeiX

Phoenix AZ

Phoenix AZ cop suspended while investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting 3 women within 6 mos [1] bit.ly/yp07nY

Sexual assault

Sexual Predator in a Police Uniform: Pittsburgh Officer Adam Skweres Arrested for Serial Sex Assault

Pittsburgh Police Officer Adam Skweres was arrested on February 17 after attempting to extort sex from a woman in exchange for legal assistance – the fourth accusation of sexual assault against Skweres since 2008.

On February 11, Skweres reportedly visited the home of a woman (whose name has not been made public) whose boyfriend had been arrested by the officer last November. Skweres had kept in touch with the couple on the pretext of using them as informants. With her boyfriend in jail, the woman was alone when the officer showed up in full uniform.

Skweres was acting strangely, asking the woman if she was wearing a “wire.” Alarmed by his unwanted presence and odd behavior, the woman ordered the officer out of her home, but he refused to leave. Instead he ordered her into the kitchen, where he turned on the faucet – presumably to mask any incriminating sounds in the event that the two of them were under surveillance – and wrote a demand for sex on a piece of paper.

When the woman refused, Skweres asked if she wanted his help to get her boyfriend out of jail. “Just let me have sex with you,” he demanded, before attempting to rape her. Terrified and helpless, the woman collapsed in a chair, where she was forced to perform oral sex on the officer. He then cleaned himself with a paper towel which he was careful to take with him.

Another woman, Melissa Watkins, accuses Skweres of doing almost exactly the same thing to her last December. Watkins, whose boyfriend is also in jail, was alone with her young daughter when Skweres materialized on her doorstep.

“He locked my front door and everything, he said, `so no one could bother us,’” Watkins told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “There’s a man with a badge and a gun in front of you, trying to proposition you. You don’t know which way it’s going to go.”

After asking Watkins if she wanted to “help” her boyfriend, Skweres unzipped his uniform trousers and demanded that the young mother service him.

“He kept asking me if I was smart enough to forget the conversation,” Watkins recalls. “I couldn’t even see a cop car without my throat closing up and feeling really nervous, like he could hop out at any time.”

Another woman claims that during a June 2008 custody hearing, Skweres offered to write a favorable letter to the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Families on her behalf in exchange for oral sex – and that he would compose a negative letter if she refused.

On July 14 of the same year, Skweres attempted to extract sexual concessions from Sarah Smith following a traffic accident.

Smith, in the company of a friend, was driving to work when her car was sideswiped by a man on a motorcycle. At the time, she had no liability insurance, and was driving with an expired license. So she was understandably overwrought when Skweres arrived on the scene. Her anxiety soon congealed into terror.

Skweres drew Smith aside and told her “he could make it look like it was my fault or he could give the motorcycle driver a ticket for failure to obey signs,” she recalls. This would depend on her cooperation, which was to take the form of sexual favors. The policeman told her that what he would require “wasn’t as bad as what would happen to me in jail.”

Smith was told that if she fled she would be arrested for resisting arrest, then raped in the back of the patrol car. Gesturing to his gun, Skweres told her: “If you say anything about this I’ll make sure you never walk, talk, or breathe again.”

This happened in 2008. The Pittsburgh police were aware of this case, and two others like it – but didn’t arrest Skweres, or even remove him from duty, until a week ago — after he allegedly attempted to rape a fourth victim.

Who can protect the public when police become predators?

Spokane Police Officer Fired

Spokane Police Officer Fired

Police Chief Scott Stephens has fired one of his officers for off-duty misconduct after Officer Alan Edwards misused police equipment in order to get the address of a woman he met in a bar.

Chief Scott Stephens made the decision that there was no way he could have allowed Edwards to stay on the force because Edwards lied to one of his fellow officers in order to get this lady's address, a violation of a policy that is supposed to protect the privacy of citizens in the community.

Officer Edwards was a hard-charging cop. When the gang unit when out to arrest a suspect in a 2009 attempted murder, he let KXLY go on the raid with him. He was also a veteran of the SWAT Team.

But, last December, Edwards became enamored with a woman he had met at a Spokane Valley bar and then used his police powers to track down her home address.

"He was trying to pursue some sort of relationship with this person and he absolutely went about it the wrong way," Chief Stephens said.

The chief says the night of the incident Edwards called one of his on-duty colleagues and asked her to look up the woman's name on the officer's computer in her patrol car.

"He contacted an on-duty officer and then led them to believe that what he was doing was a legitimate law enforcement purpose that he was following up an alleged theft and had this person run the name for him," Stephens said.

Edwards took down the woman's address and then showed up at her home, unannounced and uninvited later that night.

"It was a very brief conversation he had with this complainant in that he said he was there to check on her welfare, that he was basically worried about her and she pretty soon just told him to go away and he did," Stephens added.

When Edwards was confronted later about the woman's complaint against him Edwards admitted his involvement. His unwelcome advances cost Edwards his job and hurt the credibility of his fellow officers.

The decision for Chief Stephens was not only professional but was also personal.

"Officer Edwards and I served on the SWAT team together for six years. I do consider his a friend but I take my oath and my duty to the citizens of this city very seriously and although difficult I'm going to do what I believe needs to be done."

Typically the Police Guild rushes to defend an officer when they are disciplined by the chief's office, however in this case the guild apparently believes Alan Edwards needed to be fired.

Edwards was notified about his termination Wednesday; the effective date of his termination is March 1.

Dismissed Waterbury officer sues police chief, town officials, state's attorney, trooper

Dismissed Waterbury officer sues police chief, town officials, state's attorney, trooper

WATERBURY — A former Waterbury police officer claims statements he made to his superiors regarding alleged sexual misconduct within the department went unheeded and set in motion a series of events that led to his termination.

The Waterbury Village Trustees have said they fired Adam Hubacz on Jan. 28 due to the Washington County state’s attorney’s refusal to prosecute any of the officer’s cases. State’s Attorney Tom Kelly has said he began turning down Hubacz’s cases in September because the officer admitted while applying for another job to inappropriate behavior, including having cheated at the Vermont Police Academy.

Hubacz contends Waterbury officials cleared him during the summer of any such wrongdoing, but did not attempt to change the state’s attorney’s mind. Hubacz said Waterbury’s police chief and manager wanted him out because of the allegations he made about his co-workers.

In an 80-page lawsuit filed this week in federal court in Burlington, Hubacz took aim at his former chief and manager, the Waterbury Police Department, the village, the village trustees, the state’s attorney and a Vermont state trooper.

He claims he applied for a job with the Montpelier Police Department in August 2010 because of “rampant misconduct” within the Waterbury Police Department, including inappropriate sexual acts by on-duty officers. Hubacz, 27, of Morrisville said Municipal Manager Bill Shepeluk and State’s Attorney Kelly were dismissive of his allegations. Then, according to the lawsuit, the municipal manager and the police chief blackballed him in retaliation.

Hubacz is asking the court to award him more than $75,000 in damages, including back pay and benefits, and to order his reinstatement at the Waterbury police department.

Waterbury Police Chief Joby Feccia and Shepeluk were on vacation Tuesday. Feccia did not return emails and a Facebook message seeking comment. Shepeluk, reached on his cellphone while driving to Connecticut, said the call was the first he had heard of the lawsuit.

“I have no comment right now,” he told the Burlington Free Press.

The court had yet to notify the defendants of the complaint, Hubacz’s attorney, Daniel Seff of Stowe, said Tuesday afternoon.

State’s Attorney Kelly and the Vermont State Police did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Scott Cameron, an attorney who represents the village of Waterbury in labor disputes, said counsel had yet to be assigned to defend the village and its officials in the lawsuit.

“This matter will be turned over to the insurance carrier for the village, and they’ll take a look at it and decide what to do,” Cameron said. “They’ll assign counsel.”

Regarding the allegations of sexual misconduct, Cameron said, “I don’t have any reason to believe it or not to believe it.”

“There are some very novel legal theories presented here,” Cameron said of Hubacz’s lawsuit. “And in my mind, many of them are not supported by existing law.”

Disgraced perv cop

New Lawsuit Claims SDPD Failed to Control Arevalos
A new lawsuit accuses San Diego's police department of not doing enough to prevent misconduct cases like that of disgraced former cop Anthony Arevalos.

The lawsuit names San Diego Police Department Chief William Lansdowne as a defendant, and claims that by disbanding the departments "anti-corruption unit" in 2003, he gave a "virtual green light" to officers that misconduct would not be punished.

"The fact that they knew, and let him on the street to do it again and again and again is gong to cost them a lot of money," said the attorney who filed the lawsuit, Mary Prevost.

Arevalos, now in state prison, was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison earlier this month for preying on young, female drivers during traffic stops made in the Gaslamp Quarter from 2009 to 2011.

LOOK

Prevost said one particular victim in the trial is evidence of the department's failure. The woman, who requested to only be identified as "Jane" said Arevalos waved a flashlight in her face and then shoved his hands inside her two years ago in Mission Valley.

Jane reported the incident, but Arevalos stayed on the job, where he assaulted several other women before his arrest and conviction.

"She feels that it failed her from the begining and that her justice will be done in civil court," Prevost said.

Prevost says federal judges, who have lifetime appointments, are more independent than state judges, who must campaign for re-election.

"They're looking for the police department, the sheriff's department, to all back them and support them when they run," she said.

Legal experts also say it's easier for plaintiffs to get an officer's personnel record, in federal court.

Those records can reveal more examples of bad behavior and discipline.

"Being able to get those records and perhaps getting them into evidence can be decisive in a civil rights case," Prevost said.

Naming Chief Lansdowne as a defendent would hold the department more accountable, she added.

"The fact that they knew, and let him on the street to do it again and again and again is gong to cost them a lot of money."

The SDPD has not responded to a request for comment on this most recent lawsuit.

One expert said the city could challenge Jane's credibility because she admitted she was drunk when she was allegedly molested.

Cop-cadet sex in spotlight after Santa Maria shooting

Cop-cadet sex in spotlight after Santa Maria shooting


Professor: Most relationships between officers and youth members of the Police Explorer program never become public because a youth is unlikely to report it
SANTA MARIA, Calif. — When an on-duty police officer was shot and killed by a colleague a month ago, residents of this agricultural community north of Santa Barbara were horrified. Outrage grew when they learned the shooting occurred as fellow officers tried to arrest the policeman on suspicion he was having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl in the city's "Police Explorers" program.
But inappropriate relationships between officers and youths in the junior police program aren't all that rare. No organization keeps statistics but an Associated Press examination of news accounts during the 21 years since the Explorers was spun off from the Boy Scouts of America found at least 97 cases involving officers accused of sexual assault on minor girls, and sometimes boys, in the program.
Anthony Benjamin, 30, a Victorville Sheriff's Deputy, agreed to a plea bargain in 2011 giving him nine months in jail on two counts of oral copulation of a 17-year-old Explorer. (AP Image)


And that's likely a fraction of all such incidents, said Samuel Walker, a University of Nebraska-Omaha criminal justice professor and expert on police misconduct and accountability. Most relationships never become public because a youth is unlikely to report it and even if fellow officers are aware, they're reluctant to do anything,
"More often than not other officers know that something wrong is going on and they don't report it," Walker said. "Police departments are like villages: everybody gossips and everybody knows."
The Explorer program is run by Learning for Life, a subsidiary of Boy Scouts of America that pairs young people 14 to 21 with police mentors who take them on ride-alongs, and teach them to write reports and direct traffic in the hope they'll be inspired to pursue law enforcement careers. It is open to anyone, male or female.
Learning for Life representatives would not speak directly to AP, but answered written questions submitted through a public relations firm. National Director Diane Thornton said mentors, before participating, go through a training program aimed at keeping young people safe. Explorers under 18 can't go on ride-alongs after midnight and should not be used in covert operations or as confidential informants or sources, she said.
In Santa Maria, the department apparently did use an underage Explorer in a covert operation — the alleged female victim. She was part of a sting in January set up to get Officer Alberto Covarrubias to reveal the relationship so officers could make the arrest. He did divulge the information, sources say, but the arrest went awry when the 29-year-old, married officer resisted and shots were fired.
The shooting has shaken the department. In a recent vote, officers overwhelmingly expressed no confidence in Chief Danny Macagni. He declined to comment for this story and a department spokesman refused to talk about the Explorer program.
"I can't talk to you about anything regarding the Explorers at this point," Lt. Rico Flores said. "It's obvious we still have an internal investigation going on, so it's premature to look at anything involving the program and make any changes."
Thornton wrote that each law enforcement agency is responsible for monitoring and establishing policies to "further protect Explorers." She said the organization will work with the Santa Maria department as it evaluates its program.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in southeast California changed its policies last year after Deputy Nathan Gastineau, 31, was charged with lewd acts upon a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old Explorer. In August 2011, another deputy, Anthony James Benjamin, 30, agreed to a plea bargain giving him nine months in jail on two counts of oral copulation of a 17-year-old Explorer.
After those incidents, Sheriff Rod Hoops suspended the program for his 216 Explorers. When it resumed there was a 10 p.m. curfew for teens. A limit was established for the number of times an Explorer can ride with the same deputy, and a watch commander now must sign off on all ride-alongs.
"It's a good program," sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said. "We've got a couple of deputy chiefs who started out as Explorer scouts."
Neither Learning for Life nor the Boy Scouts keep track of sexual abuse cases involving Explorers. Neither do organizations such as The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or the U.S. Office of Violence Against Woman. The University of Nebraska-Omaha did a simple web search in 2003 and found 39 such cases in the media dating to 1995.
Among the places where busts have occurred are Nogales, Ariz., where last year Officer Mariano Garibay received a two-year prison sentence for sex with a 16-year-old Explorer. Also last year, former Burlington, N.C., Officer William Matthew Hill pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old Explorer. In Brownwood, Texas, in 2007 Sgt. Vince Ariaz, the founder of the local Explorer program, pleaded guilty to reduced charges of sexual assault on a 15-year-old Explorer and was sentenced to three concurrent 20-year terms.
In California, the San Benito County Sheriff's Department suspended its program after rumors surfaced following a camping trip with Explorers and officers to Yosemite National Park. The deputy and the girl under suspicion denied wrongdoing, but three years ago when the officer was accused of spousal rape investigators went back to the former Explorer for corroborating evidence. She admitted an affair and said she had been afraid to speak up at the time.
"Where it hurts is that in law enforcement we are held to a higher standard," said Curtis Hill, who was undersheriff at the time and later served as sheriff. "We're in a position of trust. These young people are looking up to them as examples of a future career path. When you mix in that human condition sometimes these employees forget the higher standard."
Andre Pena, a fourth-year Explorer in Clovis, Calif., said he's never seen anything but professional relationships between officers and young people in the program. His experience has inspired him to pursue a criminal justice degree with plans to return to the city's police force after graduation.
"I think the biggest change in me over the years is growing my leadership skills," he said. "When I first joined it was to get an inside look at law enforcement as a possible career choice, and it has strengthened the idea for me."
While everyone acknowledges the rate of abuse is low among the 105,000 young people in the Explorer program each year, for those who are victimized the damage can be lasting.
"You have an under-aged person incapable of making mature decisions who is pressured by someone you've always been told you can rely on. It has a devastating impact," said attorney Dennis Steinman,
who successfully sued on behalf of a girl in the Explorer program in Tualatin, Ore., who was sexually abused by four officers. The abuse causes victims to "question their own self-worth, their own sexuality, their own importance in life," he said.
Violations of trust by priests, teachers, coaches and others with authority over children are tragic occurrences that make salacious headlines. But with police it seems especially egregious since they enforce sexual assault laws and should be sensitive to the long-term emotional and psychological harm caused by sexual exploitation, said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
"When it's a police officer who represents a broader kind of authority, who are you going to tell?" he asked.

Defense: Women In Cop's Coercion Sex Case Copied Each Other

Defense: Women In Cop's Coercion Sex Case Copied Each Other

PITTSBURGH -- A suspended Pittsburgh police officer was ordered by a judge on Friday to stand trial on charges that he offered legal assistance to four women in return for sexual favors and tried to rape one of them.

Adam Skweres, 34, of Lincoln Place, is on home confinement but was allowed to appear at his preliminary hearing, where the women gave testimony as Skweres stood just a few feet away.

One of the accusers cried in Municipal Court as she described the sexual contact that she claims Skweres forced on her. "I think they all copied each other -- one after another after another after another," defense attorney Jim Ecker said. "And I think, in (trial) court, you'll find a different story."

"I think credibility is a huge issue in this case, and today was not the forum where you're going to win or lose a case like this," defense attorney Phil DiLucente said. "But certainly, there's issues with this case."

Skweres pleaded not guilty and made no other comment. His charges include attempted rape, indecent assault, coercion, official oppression and bribery.

One woman testified Skweres threatened to send her to jail during a July 2008 incident, telling her, "You don't know what a pretty girl like you could do for a guy like me."

The woman said Skweres also told her, "It didn't have to be sex, it could be other things," and if she reported him, she'd, "Never walk, talk or breathe again."

A second woman testified Skweres threatened to get her into child custody trouble in July 2008 if she didn't submit to sex acts.

She said Skweres told her they'd start with oral sex and, "We'll go from there."

Martha Watkins was the third woman to testify.

She previously spoke to Channel 4 Action News, telling reporter Keith Jones that Skweres -- who had previously arrested her fiance -- came to her home on Dec. 28 and "asked for oral favors, repetitively told me it would only take five minutes and it would get all of my fiance's charges dropped."

According to the criminal complaint, the officer told her to "lose the clothing" and unzipped his pants, but she refused the sex. The fourth accuser testified Skweres tried to rape her and indecently assaulted her, exposing himself and forcing contact for five to 10 minutes.

A new charge of drug possession was added to the list on Friday, based on the discovery of crack cocaine when police executed a search warrant on Skweres' personal vehicle.

Also on Friday, it came to light that a conversation between Skweres and one of the women may have been the subject of a wiretap during the police investigation.

Skweres was arrested Feb. 16 and held in the Allegheny County Jail for more than a week. He had two court-ordered evaluations before being released on a non-monetary bond with house arrest and electronic monitoring.

The city has filed paperwork seeking to fire Skweres but the police union says that can't happen until his case is finished in court.

"He abuses the badge," Police Chief Nate Harper has said. "He abuses the right to be a police officer by using that to get his own means satisfied."

Skweres' brother, Joseph, has told Channel 4 Action News that the officer intends to fight the charges.