Friday, April 15, 2011

04152011 - Probation Officer Rory Wagner - Stalking - Roseville

Charges: Misuse of LEIN

Roseville Probation Officer Has Been Arrested for Stalking and the Misuse of Private Law Enforcement Information

Wagner will be arraigned on Monday, May 2, 2011 in St. Clair Shores District Court.
Posted: 04/30/2011

Excellent, thoughtful and fair probation officers regularly supervise my clients. Unfortunately, many clients run into probation officers that are bigoted, predisposed and malicious. When I try to speak to probation supervisors, I regular feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall as the supervisors generally go into defensive mode. As proof that probation officers are human too, consider that a Roseville Probation Officer with the Roseville District Court was arrested last Friday by Roseville Police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office on charges of stalking and improper use of the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information system.

Probation Officer Rory George Wagner faces two counts of misdemeanor stalking related to another court employee and a Roseville Police officer. He is also charged with one count of unauthorized disclosure of LEIN information. The maximum possible sentence for that offense is up to two years in prison and up to five years probation. If convicted, Wagner will likely be placed on probation given that he probably has no prior convictions. I hope for his sake that he is not assigned to a probation officer that is demeaning and treats him like a second-class citizen. If he is assigned to such a person, it is likely any complaints that he has will fall upon deaf ears. How ironic?













Roseville probation officer awaits court date for stalking
April 25, 2011
By Sara Kandel
C And G News
http://www.candgnews.com/news/roseville-probation-officer-arrested-stalking

A Roseville probation officer faces an April 27 court date after being charged with two counts of stalking earlier this month.

Rory George Wagner, a probation officer with the 39th District Court, was arrested on two counts of misdemeanor stalking and one count of unauthorized disclosure of Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information, also a misdemeanor charge. He was arrested on April 15 for the two stalking charges that carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail and five years probation and the LEIN violation, which carries a maximum sentence of 93 days in jail.

Deputy Chief Anthony Cona said the incident involved Wagner harassing another court employee and a member of the Police Department.

When he was taken into custody, police reportedly found a handgun in his possession and he was brought to a local hospital for observation.

Thomas Stotz, Wagner's defense attorney, said they would not be commenting on the case at this time.

An interim bond was set at $10,000. Since he is an employee of the Roseville court, a formal hearing was to be held today in neighboring St. Clair Shores, but it was adjourned and rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 27.

His job status will be determined by the 39th District Court administration.









Roseville officer accused of stalking co-worker
Published: Sunday, April 24, 2011
By Gordon Wilczynski
For The Oakland Press
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/04/24/news/local_news/doc4db357b956c8c941995652.txt

Roseville’s chief probation officer has been fired for improper use of a police computer and stalking a female employee and will face criminal charges, court officials said.

Rory Wagner remains hospitalized suffering from a mental condition, officials said. He is expected to be arraigned next week by 40th District Judge Mark A. Fratarcangeli in neighboring St. Clair Shores.

An interim bond was set Friday for Wagner at $10,000.

Judge Joseph F. Boedeker of the 39th District Court said he fired Wagner when he became aware that he was using the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) machine to ascertain the names of people from their vehicle license plate numbers.

Boedeker said he did not know that Wagner was stalking the female employee.

“I didn’t know this was going on and that criminal acts had been occurring,” Boedeker said earlier this week.

Police obtained a warrant last week and charged Mr. Wagner with the misdemeanor offenses (today).”

Stalking is punishable with up to one year in jail while improper use of the LEIN machine is a 93-day misdemeanor.

Boedeker said that since the incidents involved a court employee, the judges in 39th District Court recused themselves and sent the case to 40th District Court.

Police said Wagner, who had been employed as a probation officer in Roseville-Fraser for the past five years, was arrested at a monastery in Addison Township last Friday

One source told The Macomb Daily that Wagner tried to commit suicide before he was subdued by Roseville officers and deputies from Oakland County.

A local attorney who asked to remain anonymous said Wagner was an excellent person to work with.

He said Wagner always treated attorneys and their clients fairly.

“He was always very fair with me,” the attorney said. “Wow. I cannot believe this. This really makes me sick.”

Sources close to the investigation said Wagner dated the court employee. They said she ended the relationship and started dating a Roseville police officer.

Wagner then used the LEIN machine to find out the identity of the man the court employee was dating, court records indicate.

He then allegedly stalked the woman and officer.









   


Those Who Judge Will Be Judged
Posted Apr 23 2011
by neilrockindpc in Blog
http://www.rockindlaw.com/1508/blog/those-who-judge-will-be-judged/

An article appears in today’s The Oakland Press about a probation officer from Roseville who is accused of stalking and abusing his access to criminal histories, etc. I’m not surprised. Nothing makes a probation officer any more inherently law-abiding and resistant to emotional impulse than the rest of us. However, I am sure that this probation officer sent his fair share of people to jail. Likely he judged a few people in his day. When judging others be careful about being judged yourself. Here’s the article, quoted below:

The chief probation officer for the city of Roseville has been fired for improper use of the LEIN machine and stalking a female employee and will face criminal charges, court officials said.

Rory Wagner remains hospitalized suffering from a mental condition. He is expected to be arraigned next week by 40th District Judge Mark A. Fratarcangeli in neighboring St. Clair Shores.

An interim bond was set today for Wagner at $10,000.

Judge Joseph F. Boedeker, chief judge of the 39th District Court, said he fired Wagner when he became aware that Wagner was using the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) machine to check the name of people from their vehicle license plate number.

Boedeker also said he didn’t know that Wagner was stalking the female employee.

“I didn’t know this was going on and that criminal acts had been occurring,” Boedeker said earlier this week. “Police obtained a warrant last week and charged Mr. Wagner with the misdemeanor offenses (today).”

Stalking is punishable with up to one year in jail while improper use of the LEIN machine is a 93-day misdemeanor.

Roseville Detective Sgt. Keith Waller is in charge of the investigation. Boedeker said Waller signed the complaint.

Boedeker said that since the incidents involved a court employee, the judges in 39th District Court recused themselves and sent the case to 40th District Court.

Police said Wagner, who had been employed as probation officer in Roseville-Fraser for the past five years, was arrested at a monastery in Addison Township last Friday.

One source told The Macomb Daily that Wagner tried to commit suicide before he was subdued by Roseville officers and deputies from Oakland County.

A local attorney who asked to remain anonymous said Wagner was an excellent person to work with. He said Wagner always treated attorneys and their clients fairly.

“He was always very fair with me,” the attorney said. “Wow. I cannot believe this. This really makes me sick.”

Sources close to the investigation said Wagner dated the court employee. They said she ended the relationship and started dating a Roseville police officer.

Wagner then used the LEIN machine to find out the identity of the man the court employee was dating, court records indicate. He then allegedly stalked the woman and officer.

                   











BRIEF: Roseville probation officer arrested for stalking, misuse of law enforcement information
April 22, 2011
Detroit Free Press
http://satellite.tmcnet.com/news/2011/04/24/5464086.htm#1

Apr 22, 2011 (Detroit Free Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A probation officer with the Roseville District Court was arrested last Friday by Roseville Police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office on charges of stalking and improper use of the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information system.

Rory George Wagner, 42, faces two counts of misdemeanor stalking related to another court employee and a Roseville Police officer, and one count of LEIN information -- unauthorized disclosure. He faces up to two years in jail and up to five years probation.

Roseville Police said when they found Wagner, he was holding a gun, and was taken to a hospital for observation. An interim bond was set today at $10,000 and he will be arraigned on Monday in St. Clair Shores.

04152011 - Probation Officer Rory Wagner - Misuse Of LEIN - Roseville

Charges: Stalking of Roseville police officer

Roseville Probation Officer Has Been Arrested for Stalking and the Misuse of Private Law Enforcement Information

Wagner will be arraigned on Monday, May 2, 2011 in St. Clair Shores District Court.
Posted: 04/30/2011

Excellent, thoughtful and fair probation officers regularly supervise my clients. Unfortunately, many clients run into probation officers that are bigoted, predisposed and malicious. When I try to speak to probation supervisors, I regular feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall as the supervisors generally go into defensive mode. As proof that probation officers are human too, consider that a Roseville Probation Officer with the Roseville District Court was arrested last Friday by Roseville Police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office on charges of stalking and improper use of the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information system.

Probation Officer Rory George Wagner faces two counts of misdemeanor stalking related to another court employee and a Roseville Police officer. He is also charged with one count of unauthorized disclosure of LEIN information. The maximum possible sentence for that offense is up to two years in prison and up to five years probation. If convicted, Wagner will likely be placed on probation given that he probably has no prior convictions. I hope for his sake that he is not assigned to a probation officer that is demeaning and treats him like a second-class citizen. If he is assigned to such a person, it is likely any complaints that he has will fall upon deaf ears. How ironic?













Roseville probation officer awaits court date for stalking
April 25, 2011
By Sara Kandel
C And G News
http://www.candgnews.com/news/roseville-probation-officer-arrested-stalking

A Roseville probation officer faces an April 27 court date after being charged with two counts of stalking earlier this month.

Rory George Wagner, a probation officer with the 39th District Court, was arrested on two counts of misdemeanor stalking and one count of unauthorized disclosure of Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information, also a misdemeanor charge. He was arrested on April 15 for the two stalking charges that carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail and five years probation and the LEIN violation, which carries a maximum sentence of 93 days in jail.

Deputy Chief Anthony Cona said the incident involved Wagner harassing another court employee and a member of the Police Department.

When he was taken into custody, police reportedly found a handgun in his possession and he was brought to a local hospital for observation.

Thomas Stotz, Wagner's defense attorney, said they would not be commenting on the case at this time.

An interim bond was set at $10,000. Since he is an employee of the Roseville court, a formal hearing was to be held today in neighboring St. Clair Shores, but it was adjourned and rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 27.

His job status will be determined by the 39th District Court administration.









Roseville officer accused of stalking co-worker
Published: Sunday, April 24, 2011
By Gordon Wilczynski
For The Oakland Press
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/04/24/news/local_news/doc4db357b956c8c941995652.txt

Roseville’s chief probation officer has been fired for improper use of a police computer and stalking a female employee and will face criminal charges, court officials said.

Rory Wagner remains hospitalized suffering from a mental condition, officials said. He is expected to be arraigned next week by 40th District Judge Mark A. Fratarcangeli in neighboring St. Clair Shores.

An interim bond was set Friday for Wagner at $10,000.

Judge Joseph F. Boedeker of the 39th District Court said he fired Wagner when he became aware that he was using the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) machine to ascertain the names of people from their vehicle license plate numbers.

Boedeker said he did not know that Wagner was stalking the female employee.

“I didn’t know this was going on and that criminal acts had been occurring,” Boedeker said earlier this week.

Police obtained a warrant last week and charged Mr. Wagner with the misdemeanor offenses (today).”

Stalking is punishable with up to one year in jail while improper use of the LEIN machine is a 93-day misdemeanor.

Boedeker said that since the incidents involved a court employee, the judges in 39th District Court recused themselves and sent the case to 40th District Court.

Police said Wagner, who had been employed as a probation officer in Roseville-Fraser for the past five years, was arrested at a monastery in Addison Township last Friday

One source told The Macomb Daily that Wagner tried to commit suicide before he was subdued by Roseville officers and deputies from Oakland County.

A local attorney who asked to remain anonymous said Wagner was an excellent person to work with.

He said Wagner always treated attorneys and their clients fairly.

“He was always very fair with me,” the attorney said. “Wow. I cannot believe this. This really makes me sick.”

Sources close to the investigation said Wagner dated the court employee. They said she ended the relationship and started dating a Roseville police officer.

Wagner then used the LEIN machine to find out the identity of the man the court employee was dating, court records indicate.

He then allegedly stalked the woman and officer.









    Those Who Judge Will Be Judged
Posted Apr 23 2011
by neilrockindpc in Blog
http://www.rockindlaw.com/1508/blog/those-who-judge-will-be-judged/

An article appears in today’s The Oakland Press about a probation officer from Roseville who is accused of stalking and abusing his access to criminal histories, etc. I’m not surprised. Nothing makes a probation officer any more inherently law-abiding and resistant to emotional impulse than the rest of us. However, I am sure that this probation officer sent his fair share of people to jail. Likely he judged a few people in his day. When judging others be careful about being judged yourself. Here’s the article, quoted below:

The chief probation officer for the city of Roseville has been fired for improper use of the LEIN machine and stalking a female employee and will face criminal charges, court officials said.

Rory Wagner remains hospitalized suffering from a mental condition. He is expected to be arraigned next week by 40th District Judge Mark A. Fratarcangeli in neighboring St. Clair Shores.

An interim bond was set today for Wagner at $10,000.

Judge Joseph F. Boedeker, chief judge of the 39th District Court, said he fired Wagner when he became aware that Wagner was using the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) machine to check the name of people from their vehicle license plate number.

Boedeker also said he didn’t know that Wagner was stalking the female employee.

“I didn’t know this was going on and that criminal acts had been occurring,” Boedeker said earlier this week. “Police obtained a warrant last week and charged Mr. Wagner with the misdemeanor offenses (today).”

Stalking is punishable with up to one year in jail while improper use of the LEIN machine is a 93-day misdemeanor.

Roseville Detective Sgt. Keith Waller is in charge of the investigation. Boedeker said Waller signed the complaint.

Boedeker said that since the incidents involved a court employee, the judges in 39th District Court recused themselves and sent the case to 40th District Court.

Police said Wagner, who had been employed as probation officer in Roseville-Fraser for the past five years, was arrested at a monastery in Addison Township last Friday.

One source told The Macomb Daily that Wagner tried to commit suicide before he was subdued by Roseville officers and deputies from Oakland County.

A local attorney who asked to remain anonymous said Wagner was an excellent person to work with. He said Wagner always treated attorneys and their clients fairly.

“He was always very fair with me,” the attorney said. “Wow. I cannot believe this. This really makes me sick.”

Sources close to the investigation said Wagner dated the court employee. They said she ended the relationship and started dating a Roseville police officer.

Wagner then used the LEIN machine to find out the identity of the man the court employee was dating, court records indicate. He then allegedly stalked the woman and officer.

                    BRIEF: Roseville probation officer arrested for stalking, misuse of law enforcement information
April 22, 2011
Detroit Free Press
http://satellite.tmcnet.com/news/2011/04/24/5464086.htm#1

Apr 22, 2011 (Detroit Free Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A probation officer with the Roseville District Court was arrested last Friday by Roseville Police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office on charges of stalking and improper use of the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information system.

Rory George Wagner, 42, faces two counts of misdemeanor stalking related to another court employee and a Roseville Police officer, and one count of LEIN information -- unauthorized disclosure. He faces up to two years in jail and up to five years probation.

Roseville Police said when they found Wagner, he was holding a gun, and was taken to a hospital for observation. An interim bond was set today at $10,000 and he will be arraigned on Monday in St. Clair Shores.

04152011 - Probation Officer Rory Wagner - Arrested - Roseville

Charges: Stalking of ex-girlfriend

Roseville Probation Officer Has Been Arrested for Stalking and the Misuse of Private Law Enforcement Information

Wagner will be arraigned on Monday, May 2, 2011 in St. Clair Shores District Court.
Posted: 04/30/2011

Excellent, thoughtful and fair probation officers regularly supervise my clients. Unfortunately, many clients run into probation officers that are bigoted, predisposed and malicious. When I try to speak to probation supervisors, I regular feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall as the supervisors generally go into defensive mode. As proof that probation officers are human too, consider that a Roseville Probation Officer with the Roseville District Court was arrested last Friday by Roseville Police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office on charges of stalking and improper use of the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information system.

Probation Officer Rory George Wagner faces two counts of misdemeanor stalking related to another court employee and a Roseville Police officer. He is also charged with one count of unauthorized disclosure of LEIN information. The maximum possible sentence for that offense is up to two years in prison and up to five years probation. If convicted, Wagner will likely be placed on probation given that he probably has no prior convictions. I hope for his sake that he is not assigned to a probation officer that is demeaning and treats him like a second-class citizen. If he is assigned to such a person, it is likely any complaints that he has will fall upon deaf ears. How ironic?













Roseville probation officer awaits court date for stalking
April 25, 2011
By Sara Kandel
C And G News
http://www.candgnews.com/news/roseville-probation-officer-arrested-stalking

A Roseville probation officer faces an April 27 court date after being charged with two counts of stalking earlier this month.

Rory George Wagner, a probation officer with the 39th District Court, was arrested on two counts of misdemeanor stalking and one count of unauthorized disclosure of Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information, also a misdemeanor charge. He was arrested on April 15 for the two stalking charges that carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail and five years probation and the LEIN violation, which carries a maximum sentence of 93 days in jail.

Deputy Chief Anthony Cona said the incident involved Wagner harassing another court employee and a member of the Police Department.

When he was taken into custody, police reportedly found a handgun in his possession and he was brought to a local hospital for observation.

Thomas Stotz, Wagner's defense attorney, said they would not be commenting on the case at this time.

An interim bond was set at $10,000. Since he is an employee of the Roseville court, a formal hearing was to be held today in neighboring St. Clair Shores, but it was adjourned and rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 27.

His job status will be determined by the 39th District Court administration.









Roseville officer accused of stalking co-worker
Published: Sunday, April 24, 2011
By Gordon Wilczynski
For The Oakland Press
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/04/24/news/local_news/doc4db357b956c8c941995652.txt

Roseville’s chief probation officer has been fired for improper use of a police computer and stalking a female employee and will face criminal charges, court officials said.

Rory Wagner remains hospitalized suffering from a mental condition, officials said. He is expected to be arraigned next week by 40th District Judge Mark A. Fratarcangeli in neighboring St. Clair Shores.

An interim bond was set Friday for Wagner at $10,000.

Judge Joseph F. Boedeker of the 39th District Court said he fired Wagner when he became aware that he was using the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) machine to ascertain the names of people from their vehicle license plate numbers.

Boedeker said he did not know that Wagner was stalking the female employee.

“I didn’t know this was going on and that criminal acts had been occurring,” Boedeker said earlier this week.

Police obtained a warrant last week and charged Mr. Wagner with the misdemeanor offenses (today).”

Stalking is punishable with up to one year in jail while improper use of the LEIN machine is a 93-day misdemeanor.

Boedeker said that since the incidents involved a court employee, the judges in 39th District Court recused themselves and sent the case to 40th District Court.

Police said Wagner, who had been employed as a probation officer in Roseville-Fraser for the past five years, was arrested at a monastery in Addison Township last Friday

One source told The Macomb Daily that Wagner tried to commit suicide before he was subdued by Roseville officers and deputies from Oakland County.

A local attorney who asked to remain anonymous said Wagner was an excellent person to work with.

He said Wagner always treated attorneys and their clients fairly.

“He was always very fair with me,” the attorney said. “Wow. I cannot believe this. This really makes me sick.”

Sources close to the investigation said Wagner dated the court employee. They said she ended the relationship and started dating a Roseville police officer.

Wagner then used the LEIN machine to find out the identity of the man the court employee was dating, court records indicate.

He then allegedly stalked the woman and officer.









    Those Who Judge Will Be Judged
Posted Apr 23 2011
by neilrockindpc in Blog
http://www.rockindlaw.com/1508/blog/those-who-judge-will-be-judged/

An article appears in today’s The Oakland Press about a probation officer from Roseville who is accused of stalking and abusing his access to criminal histories, etc. I’m not surprised. Nothing makes a probation officer any more inherently law-abiding and resistant to emotional impulse than the rest of us. However, I am sure that this probation officer sent his fair share of people to jail. Likely he judged a few people in his day. When judging others be careful about being judged yourself. Here’s the article, quoted below:

The chief probation officer for the city of Roseville has been fired for improper use of the LEIN machine and stalking a female employee and will face criminal charges, court officials said.

Rory Wagner remains hospitalized suffering from a mental condition. He is expected to be arraigned next week by 40th District Judge Mark A. Fratarcangeli in neighboring St. Clair Shores.

An interim bond was set today for Wagner at $10,000.

Judge Joseph F. Boedeker, chief judge of the 39th District Court, said he fired Wagner when he became aware that Wagner was using the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) machine to check the name of people from their vehicle license plate number.

Boedeker also said he didn’t know that Wagner was stalking the female employee.

“I didn’t know this was going on and that criminal acts had been occurring,” Boedeker said earlier this week. “Police obtained a warrant last week and charged Mr. Wagner with the misdemeanor offenses (today).”

Stalking is punishable with up to one year in jail while improper use of the LEIN machine is a 93-day misdemeanor.

Roseville Detective Sgt. Keith Waller is in charge of the investigation. Boedeker said Waller signed the complaint.

Boedeker said that since the incidents involved a court employee, the judges in 39th District Court recused themselves and sent the case to 40th District Court.

Police said Wagner, who had been employed as probation officer in Roseville-Fraser for the past five years, was arrested at a monastery in Addison Township last Friday.

One source told The Macomb Daily that Wagner tried to commit suicide before he was subdued by Roseville officers and deputies from Oakland County.

A local attorney who asked to remain anonymous said Wagner was an excellent person to work with. He said Wagner always treated attorneys and their clients fairly.

“He was always very fair with me,” the attorney said. “Wow. I cannot believe this. This really makes me sick.”

Sources close to the investigation said Wagner dated the court employee. They said she ended the relationship and started dating a Roseville police officer.

Wagner then used the LEIN machine to find out the identity of the man the court employee was dating, court records indicate. He then allegedly stalked the woman and officer.

                    BRIEF: Roseville probation officer arrested for stalking, misuse of law enforcement information
April 22, 2011
Detroit Free Press
http://satellite.tmcnet.com/news/2011/04/24/5464086.htm#1

Apr 22, 2011 (Detroit Free Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A probation officer with the Roseville District Court was arrested last Friday by Roseville Police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office on charges of stalking and improper use of the Michigan Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) information system.

Rory George Wagner, 42, faces two counts of misdemeanor stalking related to another court employee and a Roseville Police officer, and one count of LEIN information -- unauthorized disclosure. He faces up to two years in jail and up to five years probation.

Roseville Police said when they found Wagner, he was holding a gun, and was taken to a hospital for observation. An interim bond was set today at $10,000 and he will be arraigned on Monday in St. Clair Shores.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

03232011 - Firefighter William Waite - Sentenced - Blair Township FD

Also See:

Firefighter William Waite charged with domestic violence [Dec 31, 2010]http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2010/12/firefighter-william-waite-blair.html

   



Fireman sentenced to three months in jail
Posted: 03.23.2011 at 4:02 PM
http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?id=596402

William Waite pled guilty in a domestic violence case.

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY -- The Grand Traverse County fireman who pled guilty in a domestic violence case was sentenced Wednesday. William Waite was sentenced to spend up to 93-days in jail with credit for time served.

According to the district court he will also spend two years on probation. The case stemmed from an argument with his girlfriend on New Year's Eve that turned violent.

The Assistant Chief of the Blair Township Fire Department says they are still reviewing the case and they have not made a decision on whether or not Waite will keep his job.

Monday, March 21, 2011

03212011 - Sheriff Candidate Lance Laird - Sentenced - Jackson County



Also See:
Jackson County Sheriff Candidate Lance Laird [2012]








Jackson County Sheriff candidate Lance Laird sent to jail for 57 days for violating probation by testing positive for cocaine
Published: Tuesday, July 31, 2012, 10:26 AM
Updated: Tuesday, July 31, 2012, 2:23 PM
By Aaron Aupperlee The Jackson Citizen Patriot http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2012/07/jackson_county_sheriff_candida_1.html



JACKSON, MI — Jackson County Sheriff candidate Lance Laird will spend the Aug. 7 primary behind bars.


District Judge R. Darryl Mazur sent Laird, 36, to jail for 57 days after testing positive for cocaine while on probation. Laird claimed someone spiked his stuff with something causing the positive test.

"Mr. Laird, I'm not sure whether you're going to make this election for sheriff or not," Mazur said before imposing a sentence in the matter. "Candidly, I doubt it."

Laird, on probation for a domestic violence charge to which he pleaded no contest in March 2011, tested positive for cocaine when tested on June 16, according to information presented in court. The 57-day sentence is the remainder of Laird's 93-day maximum sentence for the domestic violence charge. Laird already spent 36 days in jail for the original charge and other violations.

During his violation hearing Tuesday, Laird accused Tammy Sanders, the woman he allegedly assaulted, of putting something in his stuff to create the positive test. Laird attempted to play a recording of Sanders admitting to "putting stuff in my things," he said. The audio could not be heard by Mazur or anyone else in the courtroom.

Mazur asked Laird what the essence of the recording was, and Laird replied, "She said, yeah, I put stuff in your shit."

Laird never used the words cocaine or drugs in his allegations against Sanders. Sanders was not in court to testify. Laird said she lies and would not be a credible witness. Mazur said it would have been more credible had Sanders come in to testify Tuesday. Laird's attorney was also not present. Laird said she had another hearing.

Kris Putman, Laird's probation officer, said Laird did not show up for tests on June 12 and June 13. Putman called Laird and told him to go test. Laird told Putman he was frustrated with the system. Laird did not provide enough urine on June 15. On June 16, his test was positive for cocaine. Laird requested the sample be sent away for verification. The verification came back positive as well.

Laird claims the initial domestic violence charge was based on lies and made against him because of an on-going custody dispute with Sanders. Photographs taken after the assault show Sanders with a cut lip and a bloody nose. Police reports provided by Laird show that Sanders had reported Laird hit her twice before. She had no marks, and police could not verify that an assault occurred in each. After the third report, when Sanders went to the Jackson Police Department with a bloodied face, Laird was arrested.

He pleaded no contest to avoid spending more time in jail awaiting a trial, he said in previous conversations.

Laird's stint in jail will his 15th, according to jail records. Charges against Laird in previous, unrelated matters, were dismissed, court records show. A jury convicted him of operating while impaired in 2008. He was found guilty of assault and battery in 1994. Laird has been convicted of traffic infractions and having a dog at large, according to court records. There have been eight civil actions filed against him.

He contends the county justice system is corrupt and has fought his probation and previous charges.

Laird has said as sheriff he would throw in jail prosecutors and judges who violate people's rights and use plea deals as instruments of coercion. He believes the county's criminal justice system is overrun with corruption.

"What would you do if you were sheriff?" Mazur asked.

"I don't think that's proper for the court," Laird responded. "I'm not here for my political agenda."

"I'm curious," Mazur said.

"Maybe you should ask me outside of court," Laird responded.

At the close of the hearing, Mazur said, "If you're elected sheriff, go ahead hold us all accountable."

Laird was placed in handcuffs and led out of the courtroom.