06112007 - State Staffer Charles Baltimore - Charges dismissed - Congressman Rogers

April 24, 2007: Charles Balitmore, Senior Staff Member to Congressman Mike Rogers

ROGERS’ STAFFER USED STANDARD GOP DEFENSE

BLOG: Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
June 2007
http://rogerswatch.blogspot.com/2007/06/rogers-staffer-used-standard-gop.html

If you needed any more examples that people with influence, power and money – other than Paris Hilton - can get away with just about anything, the case of Mike Rogers senior staff member Charles "Tony" Baltimore is just one more.

You may recall that Baltimore was arrested for domestic assault in April by Lansing Police at a downtown Lansing club after what police described as an "altercation with a female companion.”

According to the Lansing State Journal, District Court Judge Charles Filice dismissed the charges today. However, there appears to be more to the case, and it appears there was some merit to the charges.

The LSJ reported, ..."As a condition of the dismissal, Baltimore has to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as well as a batterers' intervention service. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Linda Maloney said they will monitor his attendance. In the event of noncompliance, we could consider reissuing the charges,” she said...

Back in April spokesperson Sylvia Warner, Rogers’ press secretary, said action would be taken when Rogers knew more about the situation.

"The congressman obviously takes this very seriously," Warner said back in April. "The congressman wants to know, himself, exactly what the situation is."

Warner said Rogers would take "appropriate action" as soon as he had all the information about the incident.

He now, apparently, has all the information. What action is he planning to take? Why is Rogers still silent? Apparently, some sort of altercation occurred, or why the batterers’ intervention service? Just because there is no civil action does not mean Rogers cannot or should not take action.

However, it appears Baltimore will take the standard defense we have seen other prominent Republicans take when caught in a misdeed: rehab.

It appears that promise of action by Rogers evaporated after the charges were dismissed.

“Tony continues to be an important member of the congressman’s staff,” said Sylvia Warner, Rogers’ press secretary. “The merits of the issue were reviewed by a judge and dismissed. We are pleased the matter has been resolved.”















Court Docket: Lawmaker's aide sees charges tossed
Livingston Daily, MI
Jun 12, 2007
http://www.dailypressandargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/NEWS01/706120307/1002

A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, expressed support for a senior staff member after authorities dismissed a domestic assault charge against the employee.

In Ingham County's 54A District Court, Judge Charles Filice dismissed the misdemeanor case against Charles "Tony" Baltimore, who was arrested in April after police said he was involved in an "altercation with a female companion" at a downtown Lansing club.

"Tony continues to be an important member of the congressman's staff," said Sylvia Warner, Rogers' press secretary. "The merits of the issue were reviewed by a judge and dismissed. We are pleased the matter has been resolved."

Baltimore's attorney, Hugh Clarke Jr., said prosecutors asked Filice to adjourn a trial scheduled for this morning and then dismiss the charge in 30 days. Filice instead dismissed the charge.

As a condition of the dismissal, Baltimore has to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as well as a batterers' intervention service. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Linda Maloney said they will monitor his attendance.

"In the event of noncompliance, we could consider reissuing the charges," she said.

















Charges against Tony Baltimore dismissed
Midday update
Lansing State Journal
Kevin Grasha
Published June 11, 2007
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070611/NEWS01/706110359/1001/NEWS

A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers expressed support for a senior staff member after authorities dismissed a domestic assault charge against the employee.

In 54A District Court today, Judge Charles Filice dismissed the misdemeanor case against Charles "Tony" Baltimore, who was arrested in April after police said he was involved in an "altercation with a female companion" at a downtown Lansing club."

Tony continues to be an important member of the congressman’s staff," said Sylvia Warner, Rogers’ press secretary. "The merits of the issue were reviewed by a judge and dismissed. We are pleased the matter has been resolved."

Baltimore's attorney, Hugh Clarke Jr., said prosecutors asked Filice to adjourn a trial scheduled for this morning and then dismiss the charge in 30 days. Filice instead dismissed the charge today.

As a condition of the dismissal, Baltimore has to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as well as a batterers’ intervention service. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Linda Maloney said they will monitor his attendance.

"In the event of noncompliance, we could consider reissuing the charges," she said.













Rogers staffer arraigned on domestic violence charges
Midday update From LSJ.com
Lansing State Journal
By Derek Wallbank
Published April 24, 2007
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/NEWS01/70424002/1001/news

Charles "Tony" Baltimore, a senior staff member in Congressman Mike Rogers' Lansing office, was arrested on domestic violence charges, Lansing Police and court administrators said today.

Baltimore was arrested late Saturday night at a downtown Lansing club after what police described as an "altercation with a female companion".

"The congressman obviously takes this very seriously," Rogers' spokeswoman Sylvia Warner said. "The congressman wants to know, himself, exactly what the situation is."

Mary Kelly, Deputy Court Administrator for the 54A District Court, said Baltimore will appear before Judge Charles Filice on May 7 for a preliminary hearing.

Warner said Rogers would take "appropriate action" as soon as he had all the information about the incident.








[MI POLICE OFFICER INVOLVED PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW ENFORCEMENT MURDER SUICIDE]

06052007 - C.O. / Reserve Officer William Pattison - Appeal - Milford PD

Also See:

Corrections Officer / Reserve Officer William Pattison charged with CSC

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2006/08/reserve-officer-william-pattison.html

PATTISON'S APPEAL: CASE # 278461

06042007 - Firefighter Stephen Bissett - Yale/Brockway FDs

June 04, 2007: Firefighter Stephen Bissett, Yale / Brockway Fire Departments Brockway Fire Department




Firefighter in standoff is placed on leave
Man arraigned on domestic violence, weapons charges
Port Huron Times Herald, MI
By MOLLY MONTAG
Times Herald
Wed, Jun 6 2007
http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/NEWS01/706060303/1002

BROCKWAY TWP. - A member of the Yale and Brockway Township fire departments has been placed on administrative leave after a police standoff early Sunday morning.

Stephen Bissett, 32, was arraigned Monday on charges of first-offense domestic violence, reckless discharge of a gun and possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol

All of the charges are misdemeanors. If convicted, he faces a maximum 93 days in jail. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 11 in St. Clair County District Court.

Yale City Manager John Osborn confirmed Tuesday that Bissett has been placed on leave. He said city officials will review details of the case before making a determination about possible disciplinary action.

"We'll take a look at that and see if anything should be involved in terms of discipline," Osborn said.

St. Clair County sheriff deputies were called about 1:40 a.m. Sunday to the 7800 block of Jorden Road for a report of a drunken man threatening his girlfriend and threatening to shoot animals at her farm.

After arriving on the scene, deputies were able to get Bissett's girlfriend and her three children out of the house, but he refused to leave, police said.

A special-response team negotiator talked Bissett out of the home more than an hour later. He then was arrested.

Don Priess, chief of the Brockway and Yale fire departments, said Bissett is a paid, on-call volunteer for the Yale Fire Department. He is a volunteer for the Brockway Township Fire Department.

Bissett has been with each department for about a year, previously serving as Sandusky firefighter.

Priess said he and other firefighters learned of the situation Sunday morning when dispatchers alerted the departments to an emergency situation in their coverage area

Bissett phoned fellow firefighters from inside the house, Priess said, and they repeatedly urged him to turn himself in to the police. The man didn't immediately do so, Priess said, because he was worried about what the police would do to him.

Priess said he and other firefighters support Bissett and, once the situation is resolved, would like him to stay with the department.

 

It appears that Stephen Bissett is still with the Fire Department:


Tragedy strikes family again

Fire destroys home
BY CATHY BARRINGER

Staff Writer

2013-02-04 / Front Page

http://browncitybanner.mihomepaper.com/news/2013-02-04/Front_Page/Tragedy_strikes_family_again.html

BROCKWAY TWP. — A family already touched by tragedy is suffering more heartache after losing their home to a five-alarm fire Friday night.

The single-story house of Jack and Debbie Derouin, who lost their 17- year-old son Devon in a hunting accident last fall, was a total loss even though firefighters from five area fire departments battled the flames for hours to save it.

Brockway Township Fire Chief Dave Fredrick said the Jan. 25 fire broke out around 10:30 p.m. as the family was cooking French fries in the kitchen at the home in the 6000 block of Welch Road.

He said the grease fire lashed up and quickly took off.

“Me and the fire captain (Steve Bissett) were out there before the fire trucks arrived, and within seconds, it went from a possible structure fire to full flames,” Fredrick said. “We knew it wasn’t good. They got out with the clothes they had on.

“The biggest burn area was in the middle of the house,” he continued. “It burned right through the roof and there’s nothing left of it.”

Fredrick said four to five people were able to escape the blaze, but Jack Derouin did have both hands wrapped for minor burns.

Besides Brockway Township, fire departments from Speaker, Kenockee, Emmett and Mussey townships responded to the fire. Fredrick said nearly 40,000 gallons of water from the City of Yale’s hydrants were used to extinguish the flames.

Fredrick, who has consoled the Derouins before, said firefighters made a special effort to find the family’s personal treasures including the urn containing the ashes of their late son.

“That was one of the things we tried to save,” he said. “They really wanted the urn. Me and the guys were digging like dogs until 5 a.m. Saturday. We did manage to find the top of the urn, but that was it.”

The Derouins’ son had been scouting for deer on property in the 12000 block of Wilkes Road on Sept. 20 around 7:30 p.m. when he was killed by a hunter’s bullet. Devon’s death was the only fatality during the 2012 hunting season, according to the Michigan DNR (see story on page 11).

The hunter, Jeremiah Bedwell, 24, of Port Huron Township, was sentenced to 11 months in the county jail with work release for carelessly discharging a firearm resulting in death.

Fredrick said the story does has a happy ending after firefighters recovered heirloom jewelry that Debbie Derouin had hidden in the floor of the home.

“She made a hole in the floor and covered it with plywood,” Fredrick said. “I told her that it was probably gone. We moved the plywood and underneath were three or four boxes of (her grandmother’s jewelry). It meant a lot to save that.”

Fredrick said the community has rallied behind the family with generous amounts of support.

“The word — with technology — didn’t take long to spread,” he said. “People started giving food, clothing, money, gift certificates. It was neat to watch. People in this town really step up when something like this happens. It’s the talk of the town about how they can help. It hits close to home for all of us.”


[MI POLICE OFFICER INVOLVED PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW ENFORCEMENT MURDER SUICIDE]

06022007 - Firefighter Gerald Thoma Jr.- Fruitport Township FD

June 02, 2007: Firefighter Gerald Thoma Jr. , Fruitport Fire Department After Firefighter Gerald Thoma was arrested for punching his teenage son in the face/nose, Fruitport Township Supervisor Ron Cooper (on the right in this photo) defended Thoma. "The kid may have fallen on the floor for all I know. It's a domestic thing. It's a discipline thing," Cooper stated, in making it clear to the public that Thoma's job was not at jepordy. Fruitport Fire Department Fire Chief Kenneth A. Doctor along with Township Supervisor Cooper refused to reprimand/ suspend / or dismiss Firefighter Thoma from the department, following Thoma's arrest for assaulting his son. Although Thoma had signed a "Last Chance Agreement" with the department a few years prior (due to a previous run in with the law), Fire Chief Kenneth Doctor refused to hold Firefighter Thoma to that agreement after his latest dv arrest.


SEE ALSO:
FIRE CAPTAIN GERALD PAUL THOMA JR, FRUITPORT FD ARRESTED FOR RAMMING HIS VEHICLE INTO AN ACQUAINTANCE'S VEHICLE AND HOUSE: http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2003/06/fire-captain-gerald-paul-thoma-jr.html



June 02, 2007: Firefighter Gerald Thoma Jr., Fruitport Township Fire Department
Original Charge: Misdemeanor domestic violence.

Sentence: Plea agreement. Pled guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence. Sentenced to probation, fines and costs and anger-management class.

Employment status: Violated the "Last Chance Agreement" he signed with the City after his 2003 arrest by violating a criminal law. City officials made it clear after Thoma's 2007 arrest that they were not going to fire him for the domestic violence crime.





Fire captain again faces a criminal charge
Muskegon Chronicle By Heather L. VanDyke
Friday, August 03, 2007
 http://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1186155959184030.xml&coll=8

A Fruitport Township fire captain with a criminal record has been charged with domestic assault for allegedly punching his 16-year-old son.
Gerald Paul Thoma Jr., 43, was charged with the misdemeanor stemming from a June 2 incident in which he is accused of punching his son in the face during an argument.
Fire Chief Ken Doctor said Thursday that Thoma, who has been on the department for more than 20 years, is not suspended from his job and will continue to work as a fire captain on a full-time basis "for now." He declined further comment.
According to the police report, Thoma and his son got into an argument just before 11 p.m. that escalated into an alleged assault at their home at 3148 E. Pontaluna. The argument apparently was over whether the son could go to a skate park with friends, said Police Chief Paul Smutz.
Thoma's wife, Geraldine Thoma, told police she was at the home when the incident occurred but did not witness it, Smutz said.
The son called 911.
The veteran fire captain -- who is 6 feet 1 inch tall, and weighs 230 pounds -- is accused of punching the teen in the nose three times, Smutz said. When officers arrived at the scene, "they saw blood coming from (the son's) nose, and it was swollen," Smutz said.
Township Supervisor Ron Cooper said Thoma's job is not in jeopardy at this time because he is "not convicted of anything.""If he is found to be guilty, then that could have an effect on his job," Cooper said. "I don't see why we would take a man's job away from him because he's been accused of something."
Cooper said he had not read the police report."It's an accusation," he said of the punching allegations."The kid may have fallen on the floor, for all I know. It's a domestic thing. It's a discipline thing."
It was not clear whether the teen indicated he wanted to press charges against his father, but in domestic assault cases, if there is physical evidence to support it "an arrest has to happen," Smutz said.
Thoma was arrested and lodged the same night in the Muskegon County Jail.
A jury trial is slated for 9 a.m. Aug. 20 in 14th Circuit Court.
Thoma's June 2 arrest came about four years after his last run-in with the law. In June 2003, Thoma was charged with a five-year felony for malicious destruction of a building causing more than $1,000 in damages.
Connie Smith, who was township supervisor at the time, did not take the incident lightly. Thoma was placed on a 30-day unpaid suspension and had to sign a "last chance agreement" to keep his job The agreement indicated Thoma couldn't use illegal substances or alcohol or become involved in any criminal activities for the "lifetime of his career" at the Fruitport Township Fire Department.
It also required Thoma to continue a substance abuse treatment program he began after the June 14, 2003, incident.
Cooper said he has looked at that agreement, but other township officials agreed no action should be taken at this time.
Thoma was arrested for ramming his Dodge truck into an acquaintance's house at 1479 S. Mill Iron in Muskegon Township. He also rammed the acquaintance's vehicle that night and returned to the same home days later to offer the victim money to "settle the matter" to reduce his criminal charge, police said.
Thoma pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors: operating a vehicle while impaired and malicious destruction of property causing $200 or more in damages stemming from that incident. He was sentenced to 45 days in the county jail and 24 months of probation and was ordered to pay court costs and fines.






Fire captain pleads to domestic violence charge
Posted by mlive.com
From local reports
October 11, 2007 01:27AM
http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2007/10/fire_captain_pleads_to_domesti.html
FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP -- A Fruitport Township fire captain has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence for punching his 16-year-old son in the nose.
Gerald Paul Thoma Jr., 43, entered the plea Tuesday before 60th District Judge Michael J. Nolan. Nolan sentenced Thoma to probation, fines and costs and anger-management class.
According to a police report, Thoma and his 16-year-old son got into an argument June 2 that escalated into an assault at their home at 3148 E. Pontaluna. The son called 911.
Police said Thoma punched the teen in the nose three times.
It's not Thoma's first criminal conviction. In June 2003, Thoma was arrested for ramming his truck into an acquaintance's house and vehicle in Muskegon Township while attending a party there.
He eventually pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to 45 days in the county jail and 24 months of probation.






Fireman's job depends on anger management
Posted by Heather L. VanDyke
October 24, 2007 22:32PM
http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2007/10/firemans_job_depends_on_anger.html
A Fruitport Township fire captain convicted of assaulting his son will keep his job as long as he completes anger management classes, according to the fire chief. "He continues to work with the department," Fire Chief Ken Doctor said Wednesday.
Jerry Thoma Jr., 43, pleaded guilty last week to the misdemeanor domestic assault charge and was sentenced to anger management classes, probation and fines and costs.
The assault stemmed from a June incident involving his 16-year-old son. Police arrested Thoma June 2 after they said he punched his son in the nose three times at their home at 3148 E. Pontaluna following a heated argument.
Township officials decided they wouldn't review his job status until after his sentencing.
On Monday, the township board of trustees held a closed session -- requested by Thoma -- to review the issue. Thoma was not present, but Doctor was. Doctor said Thoma will remain on the job as long as he "successfully completes the court's requirements."




MI POLICE OFFICER INVOLVED PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW ENFORCEMENT MURDER SUICIDE