Man Who Alleges His Humboldt County Marijuana Was Stolen by Police Filed a Federal Lawsuit Friday

Zeke Flatten Rohnert Park Police and FIre

Zeke Flatten on the left and the badge for Rohnert Park Police and Fire on the right.

Zeke Flatten, a former police officer who alleged that law enforcement officers stole three pounds of Humboldt County cannabis from him last December, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Rohnert Park, two officers that worked there, the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, and its former police chief as well as “other co-conspirators to be identified” later.

Chief Steve Hobb on the home page of the Hopland Tribal Police Department.

Chief Steve Hobb in a screenshot taken from the home page of the Hopland Tribal Police Department this spring.

The suit alleges that there are multiple similar victims, that the officers accessed a private information network used by law enforcement officers throughout the nation to select who to target, that a large amount of the money the officers seized was used to enrich themselves, and that some of the cannabis taken from their victims was then sold on the black market.

We broke the story last spring about Flatten’s allegations and both KQED and the Press Democrat investigated and reported further. In part, the story was responsible for this reporter winning the Unsung Hero award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Officer Joe Huffaker

Officer Joe Huffaker after receiving “a lifesaving award” in 2015. [Crop of a photo found on the City of Rohnert Park Police and Fire Facebook page]

Flatten told us in the story we reported earlier that when he was driving south on Hwy 101 just north of the Mendocino Sonoma County line on December 5 of 2017, two law enforcement officers, who claimed to be with the ATF, stopped Flatten and took three pounds of cannabis he says were intended for research on products he intended to develop. They then left without running a warrant check or following any of the normal procedures. The entire stop took less than five minutes.

Flatten was almost instantly suspicious that the officers were not behaving legally.

After reaching out to various law enforcement agencies to report what had happened, Flatten approached us. He told us at the time he had identified Tribal Police Chief Steve Hobb as one of the two officers within the first day. He eventually also identified Rohnert Park Officer Joseph Huffaker as the other.

In response to the stories we wrote in February, Sgt. Jacy Tatum of the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety issued a press release purporting to describe Flatten’s traffic stop. (Download and read the press release here.)

Sgt Jacy Tatum

Jacy Tatum being sworn in as sergeant in 2015. [Photo from the City of Rohnert Park Police and Fire]

However, according to Flatten’s lawsuit, Tatum referenced the wrong illegal stop. Tatum was involved in so many illegal seizures, the suit alleges, he wasn’t able to keep them straight. “Tatum’s statement to the press was too hastily contrived, and his involvement in the illegal seizures too prolific…,” reads the suit. “As a result his press release defended the wrong illegal seizure, and instead of diffusing the scrutiny plaintiff’s allegations had brought, it brought the allegations more clearly into focus.”

During our investigation this spring and later this summer, we spoke to several Humboldt County cultivators whose cannabis was taken as part of the traffic stop that Tatum actually described. They all spoke of a stop that occurred several weeks later than the one in which Flatten’s cannabis was seized.

Huffaker and Tatum were placed on administrative leave during an investigation into the allegations made by Flatten. Tatum subsequently resigned as did his superior officer, Brian Masterson. Hobb resigned from his position as the Chief of Police of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians back in February and has been hired by Clearlake Police Department as a patrol officer.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Flatten on Friday states that he is just one among many victims of Tatum and Huffaker. Flatten’s attorney, Izaak Schwaiger, told KQED’s Sukey Lewis Friday that the way these law enforcement officers have conducted operations in Sonoma and Mendocino counties illegally “for the better part of a decade now is wrong. It’s organized crime. And it’s got to stop.”

For those following the controversy around asset forfeiture, it is of particular interest the suit alleges that information to help target victims was gathered through a private surveillance database known as Black Asphalt, which is maintained by Desert Snow, “a for-profit entity specializing in interdiction training for police officers.” The organization has been connected before to cases where traffic stops of a dubious nature led to thousands of dollars being seized by law enforcement.

Flatten’s suit goes on to claim that Sgt. Jacy Tatum, Officer Joseph Huffaker and former Tribal Police Chief Steve Hobb, as well as others, acted “under the color of state law, and, in concert with each other” to steal his property “through the outrageous abuse of police powers” and they or people acting for them later used “surveillance, harassment, threats, and intimidation” against Flatten.

It argues that Tatum and Huffaker also “over the years seized thousands of pounds of cannabis and hundreds of thousands of dollars of currency without issuing receipts for the seizures, without making arrests for any crimes and without any official report of the forfeitures being made.” And then, the two officers “sold the seized cannabis to black market vendors.”

The suit also alleges that the City of Rohnert Park benefited from the money seized by their employees to the tune of $1.2 million dollars between 2016 and 2017 alone and by implication indicates that the money seized led the City to gloss over signals that their officers were breaking the law.

Flatten told us earlier this year that speaking out against the officers has put him and his family at risk. He believes it has led to unknown persons placing him under surveillance. Flatten alleged in previous articles that his phone was cloned allowing information to be transferred from it to another device without his knowledge. He believes his wife was followed and blocked within a dead-end street in an attempt to intimidate her. And, in this lawsuit, he alleges that a GPS device was “hardwired beneath his car’s dashboard.”

GPS device found in Zeke Flattens's vehicle in September

A GPS device allegedly found secreted in Zeke Flatten’s vehicle on September 27 of this year by his mechanic. [Photo provided by Zeke Flatten]

During the initial traffic stop, Flatten says both officers handled his rental car paperwork. Flatten says he immediately sealed the paperwork in an envelope to preserve any fingerprint evidence. When we last spoke, over half a year after the investigation into his allegations began, Flatten told us that no law enforcement agency had yet requested to have the papers tested for fingerprints. This, he told us, made him question the thoroughness of any investigation being done.

Earlier Chapters:

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Kathleen J Little
Guest
5 years ago

SHAME ON YOU EX-Tribal Police Chief Steve Hobb FORMERLY of Hopland Band of Pomo Indians!! I expect this of our “white” folks, but of our Native Americans, too?? Clearlake Police Department are the only ones who would have you, not that you are deserving of a job in law enforcement ever again!!! There are good people that live in Clear Lake, are you going to ‘rip them off’ too? Open your eyes Lake County!

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago

Racist much Kathleen?

Kym – If I commented that I would expect this behavior from a Native American but not from “white” folks would that be okay? If not, why?

If comparing the current President to an orangutan is okay, then is there a green light to compare his predecessor to an ape? If not, why?

Brian
Guest
Brian
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

(Im not Kym, but Id like to put my 2cents on this)

Race doesn’t lead to intelligence.

Obama (who I did not vote for) is intelligent but black.

Trump (who I did not vote for) is unintelligent but white.

My opinion is that if you call Trump a monkey, it’s a derogatory statement on his intelligence.

Calling Obama a monkey is a derogatory statement on his race.

No one has a choice for their skin color, but people can act with more intelligence easily.

As a sidenote for Trump, I would recommend a 2020 slogan of #MARA; Make America Rake Again.

Really?
Guest
Really?
5 years ago
Reply to  Brian

Often bigots do not think they are bigots. And get very upset when someone implies they are.

Fndrbndr
Guest
Fndrbndr
5 years ago
Reply to  Really?

The old racist rant again! True racism comes straight from the heart. Often different races use slurs to define friendship between themselves, when a person from a different race also a friend uses the same term in the same context they are most often labeled a racist. Most likely it’s the exact opposite.

dogglife
Guest
dogglife
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

Why not? Our current president intentionally turns himself orange (I assume either tanning bed or spray on tan) giving him an orangutan like appearance so yeah he does have a choice to not intentionally turn himself orange. Where as calling someone an ape because of their race is about as racist and low class as you can get.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  dogglife

You can’t be serious. Nobody’s that … gullible.
If you are serious, then I challenge you to watch him on livestream video’s such as RSBN or others where his hair is almost white and his skin is … OMG… his skin is normal pigment.
It’s the MSM that puts the orange tint overlay on him. Even OANN cast the orange about 20 minutes into the broadcast of one of his rallies, for whatever reason.
Step away from your orange casting tv stations, far far away.

Brian
Guest
Brian
5 years ago
Reply to  shak

Can you provide a link to the video and the time that “oann” casts an orange tint on him?

I just want to see if your right one time this year, just once.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Brian

Condemnation without investigation serves no one.

Brian
Guest
Brian
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

“Condemnation without investigation served no one”

I thought you supported Trump!

That’s all he knows, why don’t you quit crying and post the proof of fake orange being cast on him by media.

Or are you defending shaky shaks accusations that so far have no proof?

Thick skin; I have extra if your feeling thin.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Brian

Go find it yourself. You’re the one who’d rather condemn than research.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oann+tv+trump+rally

Brian
Guest
Brian
5 years ago
Reply to  shak

So, what your saying in other words is this:

You don’t know if what you’re saying is true.

Because:

You are willing to post a general link to YouTube with search results.

But:

You are not willing to post the “evidence” of your claims.

So:

You want me to prove your claims with my time.

As you said;

“Find it myself”

But actually:

You can not post a direct link with the time because what you said is likely just something you heard, but you did not actually research.

For all your “seek the truth” ranting, you are unwilling to do the same.

You want me, and others, to believe in your misinformation.

Here I am, trying to give you a chance to be right just once this year, but you failed miserably.

I will link to this in future disagreements about your no-research misinformation campaign.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Brian

You’re good at putting words in other people’s mouths, but unfortunately, they’re the wrong words.
You want proof? You go search for it.
I have a memory feeling it was the last day when he did the 3 rallies, but I could be wrong.
You only have to watch the first 1/2 hour of every rally until you find it. Enjoy!

Smearing others for your own lack of abilities to do your own homework is beyond the word sad.

Brian
Guest
Brian
5 years ago
Reply to  Brian

You’re ridiculous.

Every time.

You fail with facts.

You want me to watch 30 minutes of every rally to find proof of your exotic memories?

Oh, man. You just can’t be wrong in your mind.

dogglife
Guest
dogglife
5 years ago
Reply to  shak

Let me guess Shak Alex Jones turned you onto the conspiracy of the fake media to make Trump look orange. You can clearly see the white around his eyes from wearing tanning goggles.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  dogglife

You’re so brilliant, I bet you can find links to the ‘make up’ that people who go on tv are applied with. Look for the “black bags” cover up makeup. Sometimes the makeup artist overdoes it.
Or just continue obsessing over your honey pot aka AJ.
Your choice.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago
Reply to  dogglife

You may not realize it but we are ALL apes. Every last one of us.

Interesting though that those who would scream against one man being compared to an ape seem to the same ones who gleefully compare the President to one.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

“You may not realize it but we are ALL apes.”

Iconoclast: One Journalist’s Odyssey Through the Darwin Debates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLdZzf8HoUU&t=305s 12:52

Huh?
Guest
Huh?
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

Orangutans are smarter. Please don’t insult apes.

rollin
Guest
rollin
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

If you said that you expected that behavior of Native Americans but not whites you would have been edited and maybe even threatened to be banned. Certainly you would be attacked by multiple commenters (and rightly so). On the other hand, If you criticize whites it’s not only overlooked, but applauded. You may get a standard comment like: I don’t have time to police every comment. The fact remains however, that criticisms of whites are widely accepted and even encouraged by the left. This is the hypocrisy of the left and why it is such a repugnant ideology.

Kathleen J Little is likely white and too stupid to recognize that her self loathing is not just unimpressive, but pathetic and sad. It will do nothing to improve race relations and will, in fact, make matters worse.

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago

If you think native american are any more moral than other races, besides being a racist, you’re an idiot.

I know we are supposed to avoid direct insults but blatant racism is so repugnant.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  hmm

You do not have to rebutt something with personal insult or name calling. Which is why Kym has it in her rules. Unnecessary insults, even if in the dubious name of defending others, is why civility in politics is so hard to come by. It just pushes people further and further into disrespecting each other.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Oh, but bigotry is fine because it’s not personal?

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

It’s better for the purposes of debate if you refrain from personally insulting the participants. If you really believe that someone is a bigot and you prefer that bigotry not exist, reasoned argument MIGHT cause a change. Personal insult offers nothing to create additional thinking. In fact,it hardens people into resisting further thought. The point has nothing whatever to do with bigotry being fine or excusing it. The point is that personal insult is worse than useless towards effecting change.

Willie Caso-Mayhem
Guest
5 years ago

[edit]There here to protect and serve not steal and deal.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

“They’re here to protect and serve . . .”

It is not the duty of US police to protect Americans. Their job is to protect the Corporation and arrest code breakers. Sapp v Tallahassee 38 So.2nd 363

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Another na-sayer.😱

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

I didn’t write the ruling.

THC
Guest
THC
5 years ago

Very troubling indeed, just goes to show police officer have been turned into no more than a revenue source for the states and the country.

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/justices-rule-police-do-not-have-a-constitutional-duty-to-protect.html

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  THC

This is just a local problem more than State or National. That’s why Arcata didn’t hire a police Chief from there own pool of officers and had to bring in an outsider.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

” . . .just a local problem.” Hardly. The script stretches coast to coast. Sometime check out another CA INC county Agenda and compare it to “The County” of Humboldt’s. You will find they all do the same thing at almost the same time. The last one of the year is always a doozie because many of us are either out of Humboldt, or trying to recapture a little of the memory of the holidays – a brief relief from this marathon.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

When was the last time you left the boarders of Humboldt besides your computer?

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

OOB – out of bounds.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

True that HumCo. Stretched like a solid roll of saran wrap.

Dan F
Guest
Dan F
5 years ago

That type of statement will get you put on the “Admin Naughty List”, or at least my comment of nearly the same thing got me there!!! So we shall see if it does you!!!

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan F

To argue a point will not. To make personal insults will. There is a difference.

diesel dually
Guest
diesel dually
5 years ago

This guy is not news. He is a marijuana addict, pretty paranoid, and appears to be quite disingenuous. I think he is protesting, and protests a bit too much.

He transported weed, and was busted. His mania and misguided outrage and greed for publicity is legend.

I don’t believe him, he has not presented any proof of anything, and, he seeks to destroy a law enforcement entity with his bizarre allegations.

It will be interesting to see how quickly his case is lost.

In a region of random cop-haters, the lawbreakers are all complaining rather a lot.

As always, let’s see the evidence, let’s prove something, and in a crazy game like drug-dealing in Sinaloa Del Norte, what the fuck did you expect? Mr Flatten should have had a legal problem, but instead he is creating one for his own entertainment, while he was charged with, nothing?

It does seem like certain individuals may have departed from normal police procedure, perhaps…

Zeke, watch your back, when taking on a large brotherhood of well protected persons…

You may get one or two guys fired, hell, already got one, but you will never win against law enforcement in general.

In my opinion, the fame is not worth the fuss. Move on, go forward Zeke! It’s Mendo, not Hollywood.

hmmm
Guest
hmmm
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

diesel dually, I think this paragraph says a lot. Cops aren’t put on administrative leave on a whim:

“Huffaker and Tatum were placed on administrative leave during an investigation into the allegations made by Flatten. Tatum subsequently resigned as did his superior officer, Brian Masterson. Hobb resigned from his position as the Chief of Police of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians back in February”

diesel dually
Guest
diesel dually
5 years ago
Reply to  hmmm

I am not really talking about what the cops did.

Flatten clearly broke the law.

Those officers, as I have repeatedly stated, appear to have exhibited some poor procedure, and the records appear to have been poorly maintained.

I have not seen proof of anything at all, besides the fact that Flatten transported currently illegal amounts of material, and he admitted it!

Everything after this event, remains to be proven, by evidence. I do not believe evidence will show that Mr Flatten’s claim is supportable, and his allegations seem inflated substantially.

Police should be held to a high standard of ethics and behavior. These officers may have gone outside procedure. The end.

I require proof by evidence, not mere speculation and conjecture.

tax payer
Guest
tax payer
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

so if someone breaks the law then it is ok for police officers to break the law? like steal cash and what not?

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  tax payer

👍🏾👍🏾

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

The reason you haven’t “seen proof of anything at all” is because it’s an ongoing investigation that you have no part in other than posting your comments on here defending criminal cops. Why the hell do you think you, me, or anyone else not involved in this investigation would be shown proof of anything?

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Where has he defended criminal cops? Are you assuming the cops are criminals and therefore any statement saying that nothing has been proven is defending criminal cops? It is confusing.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Well I’m not going to spend time quoting diesel dually to show you what I mean but if you read his comments it should be clear that his opinion is that because Flatten is a criminal he should forget about all of this and move on, even though diesel believes the cops acted unprofessionally. To me that is defending the criminal behavior of these cops.

diesel dually
Guest
diesel dually
5 years ago

Never defended any cops, said that they MAY have acted outside of procedures, and MAY have failed to keep proper records.

The only one we KNOW broke laws, was Flatten, by his own admission.

Someone will have to show proof that the sworn officers broke laws, and Flatten alleges a conspiracy that was ongoing over time. I do not see any proof.

Thanks!

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

What law are you saying flatten broke? He was transporting cannabis for research. With the correct paperwork, which he may or may not have had, it’s not illegal. He wasn’t charged. Come on diesel tell us what law he broke.

James Marmon MSW
Guest
James Marmon MSW
5 years ago

Like my dad always said, “two wrongs don’t make a right”

Silverlining
Guest
Silverlining
5 years ago

Is that the “ Dude? “

W
Guest
W
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

I like your use of the word currently to back up your statements. You have to go by the laws of when this happened not what the law is now.

Groba dude trustafarian osnt
Guest
Groba dude trustafarian osnt
5 years ago
Reply to  W

Yes, please be moderate and careful what you say!

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

“In a region of cop-haters, the lawbreakers are all complaining rather a lot.”

I have three brothers who were peace officers -since retired, and I have a great respect for officers who stand in the republic. Few know the difference.

Hopefully, Zeke’s litigation papers name names in their personal capacity and not a bogus title.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

“a marijuana addict.” And your proof of claim would be?

Charlie M
Guest
Charlie M
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

You are in denial and NOT FROM HERE FOR SURE!!! This isn’t isolated to these officers and cops like these have been operating unchecked up here for 25 years or more!!! Prosecute these “pigs” who put good law abiding officers with good moral fiber at risk!!! It’s imperative we hold law enforcement officers accountable for their misdeeds in order to protect the integrity of officers everywhere and keep public respect and trust .

Kicked off the mountain
Guest
Kicked off the mountain
5 years ago
Reply to  Charlie M

Thank you. Finally, someone saying what really needs to be said.

Y Knot?
Guest
Y Knot?
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

Nobody would want his three pounds of moldy weed, the cops probably laughed at him and hurt his ego.

Complete lib nonsense…

Stickyfingers
Guest
Stickyfingers
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

Kym, this sounds like a direct threat. I hope you or Mr. Flatten reports it. The FBI branch that has Mendocino county in it’s jurisdiction has been receptive to complaints about local police corruption in the past.

Also, this might be the tip of the iceberg. Rumor has it there was a legal shop in SF that consistently bought from police. Shop’s initials are G.R.. There may very well be more than 3 officers involved.

Fortunian
Guest
Fortunian
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

You, diesel Dully, are not correct. How does one become an marijuana addict? [edit] Everywhere you go you will find at least one cop on the take. Do some research. It is unbelievable but true. The police job is to enforce the law and to arrest the people who break the law. They are not there to RIP people off and think that because they are police officers that they are above the law. There are great law officer and there are the bad cops.

Pike Mortar
Guest
Pike Mortar
5 years ago

I have to assume that Zeke submitted the photo of himself. That was the least creepy looking image he could find? His general appearance makes me question his sanity; some of his allegations seal that deal for me.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago

40%of Humboldts protect and serve is on the take. And this comes from State and Federal. And maybe he was dealing at one time and got ripped off by fellow officers so now he’s pissed off.

diesel dually
Guest
diesel dually
5 years ago

Like I said, all the little dope smoking cop-haters of Humboldt, are just as full of crazy-paranoid nonsense as Mr Flatten.

Perhaps you would prefer Martial Law to the corp of professional law enforcement that currently exists?

If you want law enforcement to follow the letter of the law, perhaps you should always do so, yourself!

One last time, drug traffickers who think they are entitled to protection of law, are quite liable to have a rude experience with the enforcement arm of said law. I certainly hope that Mr Flatten escapes without being charged with the crime he admits that he committed.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

Professional what a joke. I’ll admit they have there good days but its usually a cop that’s not home grown. “You go on now and sell your stuff under the table and I’ll be at your Sunday family dinner.”

diesel dually
Guest
diesel dually
5 years ago

Read the job description:

Dangerous low-paid job, in a region which is essentially un-policeable, and which tends to be inhabited by a large number of anti-social drug abusers who have no respect for law, order, or themselves. Enjoy the derision of everyone, and, the carelessly but unfairly applied criticism of the general populace who distrusts and disdains your service. Risk your life daily while attempting to maintain order, apply the laws of the County and State and Nation, and attempting to maintain your health and sanity. Have a great career of marginally disrupting crime while watching the courts undo your work!

Always stay vigilant, give up your personal safety and the concept of having a normal life! Earn the disrespect of nearly everyone, and, just try to live here on what we pay!

Be all you can be!

Willie, would YOU take this job? Who are you to question someone’s ethics, personal commitment, and the motives of any person who enters public service?

tax payer
Guest
tax payer
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

low paid? have you even seen the salaries these cops make. hell even just to be the guy that sits at the evidence locker gets paid pretty good

Pike Mortar
Guest
Pike Mortar
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

You forgot to add: being micromanaged by admin REMFs, being damned if you do and damned if you don’t, walking a tightrope between legality and morality, making decisions in a dark alley in a microsecond that will be judged by social media users in the comfort of their own homes for years to come… I could go on.

I would put more trust in the cops referenced in the article than I would Zeke, based strictly on the fact that by his own admission, he is a criminal… and now he, as an admitted crook, is making allegations that so far can’t be substantiated. A lawsuit being filed is proof of nothing but a greedy lawyer.
Administrative leave is proof of nothing but political caving by admin humps. Show me a criminal charge being filed against LE and I’ll put more stock in the allegations.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago
Reply to  Pike Mortar

That’s what crooked cops Always rely on, for people to think “he’s a cop so I would believe him over this person” You need to look at the evidence. I’m not saying one way or the other who’s to blame here but you gotta keep an open mind. Just going by the evidence, it smells fishy.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

The trouble is that it a very, very rare criminal who doesn’t think only of what serves himself. It’s the nature of 99% of all criminals. His version of truth, even if he bothers to concern himself with truth, is viewed totally from his own self interest. I can’t tell you the number of times criminals I have had to deal with have said the police violated their “rights” by not follow childhood rules about “fair play”. I’ve heard endless stories about how the police had no right to pick on them even though it would be obvious to any sensible human that there are no such rules. For example one man refused to talk about the fact he burglarized a house and only would talk about the police violating his right to be on a public sidewalk even though he had left a trail of the stolen goods as he went. He still had an armful when the police stopped him. Or the hospital nurse arrested for having sex with anesthetized female patients yet all he would talk about is the violation of “patient confidentality” when he told his own doctor what he did and the doctor reported it to the police (as the doctor was required to do.)

Criminals almost always have a very distorted understanding of the law and their own behavior. So it is not unreasonable that it is hard for them to overcome that public perception. If every line a criminal handed out were to be investigated, nothing else would ever be done.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

The forefathers of this country were”criminals”. You compare apples and oranges. Ya rape and burglary should be in the same category as cannabis?!?! Your hate has crippled your brain.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

Such exaggerations are just why I am very suspicious of pot and its users. If pot users would acknowledge that it is not all good and totally harmless- attitudes just shy of worship- it might be easier to accept they are capable of being sensible and dealing with the negatives.

As for hate, it is the pot advocates that react with hate if any one dares to raise questions about it. That overreaction is just what is so alarming. That they never seen to be able to discuss it without hostility signals that the user is not in control of themselves.

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago
Reply to  Pike Mortar

We all know who uses the term REMF.
Good going sticking up for dirty cops.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  Pike Mortar

But what about the fact that Flatten is an ex cop himself? Doesn’t that mean you would trust his word if you’re basing trust on one’s occupation? Seems to me his word would be more trustworthy considering he stopped being a cop then became a “criminal” as opposed to active cops who are criminals.

T
Guest
T
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

It is a tough job, you got that right diesel dually. You made a couple points in that last statement actually, not like your first couple which were total nonsense. But boo hoo hoo, work is hard, if you work you already know this. $93,531per year is the AVERAGE salary of a California police officer. $41,000 is the AVERAGE salary of a entire household in Humboldt county.
You need the right temperament for the trade though to be a police officer deserving of the shield. Honesty, integrity, and high moral standard are essential as well as a pretty thick skin. If you believe the trash diesel dually spouts however you are way too shortsighted and bitter to even think about being a police officer deserving of the publics respect. A bad cop is a good cops worst enemy. Taking them out is good for everyone.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  T

I wouldn’t do the work for that. It’s hard enough work without having to deal with so much of the public unfairly dumping on them at every turn. And hardly ever acknowledging them when they do exceedingly good work.

Besides those figures for a basic salary for all police seem rather high. https://www1.salary.com/CA/police-officer-salary.html list Rohnert Park average salary as $60,691.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Wow. What a lot of overtime. I wonder if it’s all valid. But my wondering is not an accusation.

BTW that is not an unusually large amount for a benefits package as usually 20 to 30% of salary is typically what is paid for benefits which generally include statutory things like SDI.

tax payer
Guest
tax payer
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

hi Kym and thank you for the info. i would just like to point out that the reason benefits are different from pay is because you dont get income taxed for your benefits. thanks again

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

What is a Fire public Safety Officer anyway? Is it another name for patrol officer?

Orange Sunshine
Guest
Orange Sunshine
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thanks Kim. Most people never consider total compensation when discussing “salary” for public employment positions. Many people in the private sector do not have the benefits such as medical, dental, and vision care; retirement; paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave. These benefits often equal the actual monetary income of those positions.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Yeah benefits wave a green light-go for corporate governmental service providers.

“Public service was never meant to be a career”. Jefferson. Hence, the “Benefits” in my opinion, are without merit. Let them pay for their own health care and social security retirement like the rest of us.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

What is a Fire Public Safety Officer anyway? Is it a patrol officer? Like police?

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

That sounds like a playing with position descriptions to maximize pay. But then that is only a suspicion. I don’t know how they run their department.

Itsabouttime
Guest
Itsabouttime
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

How much of that overtime is for driving from Rohnert Park to Mendocino? I bet it is a lot. He should pay that back.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

What exaggeration? Where did I exaggerate?

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

Taking your question as real- “Ya rape and burglary should be in the same category as cannabis?!?! Your hate has crippled your brain” is an extreme exaggeration from your own thinking, and nothing that can be construed from anything I said. Too much of this conversation, right from the start, is exactly that- you attribute to me what you think is a most hateful statement when I never said anything like it, then get super angry at me for it.

Not that I expect a sudden change to you actually reading first. The things you reply to are almost always your own constructions. I do not expect that to change.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

A concerned taxpayer and a fellow human being.

Silverlining
Guest
Silverlining
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

Go home Trevor.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

” . . . the corp of professional law enforcement that currently exists.”

Perhaps diesel, if you removed your blinders you could see truth — it’s constant, doesn’t change and can’t be destroyed.

C.O.P. btw, is an acronym for citizens on patrol.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

This is not a battle between good and evil. There is no need to think well of pot dealers in order to investigate whether the police were behaving in a criminal way themselves. Both could be criminals. If the police did abuse their office, that does not make the dealer one whit less a criminal. Nor, if the police officers are convicted, does that make the distorted views of pot dealers, that all law enforcement is corrupt, anything other than self service crap.

The police officers should be held to account if they are convicted. Not because the dealer is all that much a victim but because corruption in the police, if unchecked, spreads like a disease to all of society.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

“This is not a battle between good and evil.”

I stopped reading after that.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

He was transporting three pounds of cannabis he says was for research. Why are you calling him a dealer? That is libel. You are the biggest bunch of haters. Trying to justify the police corruption and demonize the complainant.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

I did not say he was a pot dealer,, although I suspect he was. Anyway the point I was making is that it is not necessary that the “victim” be innocent for the police to be guilty if they are so proven. Arguing that way means that it ok to abuse criminals and that is not true. Nor is it necessary to allege most cops are dirty. Which is where the comments were heading. The whole issue is whether these police acted criminally or not.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

If you think criminal cops only violate the rights of so-called “drug traffickers”, and their corrupt actions don’t cross over into the lives of law abiding citizens, then you’re a fool.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Agree.

Attack the process, as in jurisdiction, and not the irrelevant claims.

THC
Guest
THC
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

Your right, police officers are professionals, and it is a profession that I would not want to be employed as. But as a professional police officer they should be held to standards when they’re caught stealing from innocent people, or when they shoot people for no good reason, they should be held accountable like any other person in this country. It Only Takes One Bad Apple to ruin the bunch and there’s more than one bad apple in the police force.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  diesel dually

What crime? Please tell us what crime he confessed to committing.

Faro
Guest
Faro
5 years ago

On a separate issue all the new abatement notices this week were for Arcata, Fieldbrook, kneeland, freshwater, and blue lake. No huge greenhouses, just one or two small ones next to a house.

Kind of ridiculous to be hitting people like that.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Faro

If you live near someone using up a limited shared resource like water or driving you into the closed up house with pot stink every day or grading so that they push dirt into your carefully maintained drainage ditch, the fact that it is only “just one or two small ones next to a house” is a poor reason to not enforce the law.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

“pot stink” a reason to harass citizens. You’re right that growing is now illegal because of the legalization of cannabis?!? This “pot stink” whining is the stupidest shit i ever heard. How about cow shit, wood stove smoke, the putrid smell we grew up with here of the pulp mill. Pot smells like a flower because it’s the flowers that you’re smelling and only haters bitch about it. You probably hate the smell of yarrow as well. Go move to texas and whine about all the bullshit.

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

The trolling in RHBB is getting pretty ridiculous, huh? It’s almost as if one person using many, many different names just blitzes this site and loco every day trying to piss people off, huh? Making fun of people’s concerns, sticking up for dirty cops, calling people drug addicts, minimizing valid points, it’s all fun for a bored troll that takes pleasure in vexing people.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Trolls Abound

Your view is paranoid.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Sorry, this site went down before I could amend this post made in error. Now I can’t get rid of it though I tried. Of course I do not know you are paranoid. Below is more to the point.

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾from loco he be.😱

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

If your comment is directed at the “Guest” posting this series of comments, you are wrong. I post no where else period. And not even all Guests on here are me.

There is a peculiar mindset among some people that like to stereotype people so they know who to hate without bothering to try to understand what is written. I believe in trying to read and understand what is said without employing the mental laziness of attacking based on what I create in my own head about them. I may stop reading posts if I find the poster constantly unreasoning (especially if also lengthy,) but I really try not to criticize based on things they did not say.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Trolls Abound

That view is paranoid. It is effective in keeping from having to address issues that interfere with fantasies. The troll is the one who insists drug addicts are not drug addicts, all cops are dirty and name calling is valid debate.

No one gets to silence everyone who says things they don’t like. Not liking something is being trolled. The world does not owe anyone a perfectly agreeable audience for their own ideas.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

No, sorry, you are a troll because you constantly attack cannabis culture with insults. Your lumping the bad growers with with responsible ones is bigotry. It’s like saying all loggers are horrible because of the actions of some. Some of us are second generation growers and take affront to having our families and culture denegrated by haters. Why do you bring up this theory of yours about the selfishness of criminals on a thread about cannabis. And then you try to explain how civil and intellectual you are when you’re called on it. You’re a divider and spreader of hatred. No one on here is attacking your family, friends and culture yet you constantly attack a large segment of our counties population. Pretty much you are the definition of a troll. And you never did answer my last question.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

I said criminals because the activity, until this year was a crime. And generally people willing to commit crimes, especially as a living, are only going to consult their own self interest in the process.

Your previous comment on “ratting” on neighbors is typical of that sort of thinking. For you, a neighbor who objects to pot stink deserves no consideration because you don’t object. For me, if a neighbor complains about something, I take an interest in fixing it if I can. Just to keep good relations. Sometimes there is no satisfying a few really off the wall complaints but I would never automatically flick them off because I don’t find something to complain about myself. It’s why I keep the brush along the road trimmed back even though I never use that section of road. A person won’t listen to a neighbor is not being a good neighbor.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

When you rail against a whole segment of society and talk about how 99%of them are morally bankrupt, it’s bigotry. Dont act like you’re capable of intelligent and civil discourse after insulting a culture of people.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Trolls Abound

Trolls love to call people paranoid whan people call them on their trolling.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

Your view is totally self involved. You apparently think if you don’t object to it, others have no right to object. That self centeredness is the epitome of the problems pot growers 9and frequently users) create.

I didn’t like the pulp mill stink either and, if you are willing to be fair, you’ll also remember the millions of dollars the pulp mill was made to spend on stack scrubbers. By those objecting. And you would also admit that it is one thing to move next a dairy then object to the smells and a totally different one to complain about having a 100 cows moved onto five acres parcel with their loafing shed 100 feet from your house- which is in essence what pot growers have done.

Stink matters.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

So according to your logic, someone gets to complain if their neighbor plants a bunch of roses and they hate rose fragrance because they hate rose farmers. Cannabis cultivators are required to have scrubbers too. The pulp mills scrubbers weren’t very effective. You are the enemy of liberty when your prejudice makes you self righteous to push your Idiocracy on other people.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

Wow. Straight off the deep end there. You keep saying that the mill was bad. Did you mean no one a right to complain about it?

Well this going nowhere as apparently pot stink is fine with you and that is all that matters.

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

You’re getting trolled.

Faro
Guest
Faro
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

I just want to add that grading was not listed as an issue at any of the sites I looked, which was only a few.

I have to agree that the pot stink is the biggest non-issue ever that people keep bringing up. The smell created by cows and wood stoves is way more objectionable in my opinion (although I do love the smell of wood stoves).

I’ve had plenty of problems with my neighbors over the years, some are for very serious issues. if your neighbor has one little greenhouse but doesnt create any problems otherwise than you should be super grateful for a neighbor like that.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Legal cultivators use scrubbers, because of people who don’t like the smell. Do you have a grow next door? Does it “stink”. Be a good neighbor and ask them to scrub it better because it’s bothering you. I’m sure you will get a positive response.[edit]

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Faro

Faro @7:14 (for some reason, it won’t post as a reply to your comment)

The Mail Fraud Statute and the Intangible Rights Doctrine

Much as with the evolution of the Hobbs Act, federal prosecutors succeeded in persuading the federal courts to permit use of the mail fraud statute to prosecute public officials on political corruption charges. Prosecutors argued that when officials used the mail to further a scheme to defraud the public, they deprived the public of the “intangible right” of honest government. Prosecutors argued that the mail fraud statute was intended to protect the public from just such actions. –The Supreme Court and the Law of Public Service Ethics, pg. 35.

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
5 years ago

>”Kind of ridiculous to be hitting people like that, don’t they have bigger fish to fry?”

Voted for measure ‘O’ ? The (County) has got a lot of money to spend.

Yellow
Guest
Yellow
5 years ago

Mr. Flatten when and how do you think they installed the GPS device under your dashboard ?

tax payer
Guest
tax payer
5 years ago
Reply to  Yellow

who cares about when (as long as it did happen) and what do you mean by how, they opened the door (even if they had to jimmy it) and wired it in

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

You were well aware that these times would be tumultuous ones as hardened world beliefs and old energies began to dissolve, creating massive resistance within the old world order. The world is in the midst of many major transitions as a result of the ever more intense higher frequencies of Light now pouring to earth and available to all. Those choosing to go with the flow of change will experience fewer painful issues than those who resist. You are being reborn, and as you know, birth is not always easy. The task of accepting new ways of seeing and being can be wrenching for those still solidly fixed in the old ways. These dear ones continue to stridently seek completeness outside themselves through people, places, and things all the while living in fear of the unknown, because a consciousness of duality can only manifest as duality –good/bad, sickness/health, lack/abundance, right/wrong. Secure and comfortable only within the boundaries of what is known and accepted by collective consciousness, and ignorant of their own innate power and identity, these people continue looking to the rules and beliefs of others for direction, until at some point this approach no longer works and they are forced to begin their journey of awakening.

Orange Sunshine
Guest
Orange Sunshine
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Hey Central Humco, been doing the 5MEO for long?

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

I don’t know what SMEO is.

The virus is the illusion of communication.

Example:
OOB defined: Out Of Bounds.

Orange Sunshine
Guest
Orange Sunshine
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

It’s not “S” MEO. It is a reference to 5methoxydimethyltriptamine. Your reference to duality made me think that perhaps you’ve had direct experience with non-duality through an ayahuausca experience. My mistake.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Not your mistake. Mine. apologies.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
5 years ago

Not one comment about a service used to track people and give up information on people of interest??????????

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

A service used to track people and give up information . . .

An anonymous? A squeeler? A spine-less? –wouldn’t have standing in a court of competent jurisdiction i.e., a witness under oath. A claim with a sworn affidavit. Due process.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

“information to help target victims was gathered through a private surveillance database known as Black Asphalt, which is maintained by Desert Snow, “a for-profit entity specializing in interdiction training for police officers.” The organization has been connected before to cases where traffic stops of a dubious nature led to thousands of dollars being seized by law enforcement.”

“officers accessed a private information network used by law enforcement officers throughout the nation to select who to target, that a large amount of the money the officers seized was used to enrich themselves, and that some of the cannabis taken from their victims was then sold on the black market.”

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

~oh oops. I read that bass-ackwards.

THC
Guest
THC
5 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

The services are nothing new, they have been around for decades. Do you use Facebook or Google search engines. Do you have a Ray’s Food Place, Target, Costco card? all of these places sell your information to anybody who wants to buy it. They have networks of license plate readers, facial recognition software algorithms Etc that track you everywhere you go these days.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/the-data-brokers-selling-your-personal-information/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_number-plate_recognition

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna894936

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
5 years ago
Reply to  THC

You forgot about the satellites.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Legallettuce

Satellites?

It would seem that on any given full moon night, we would see one or more sailing by between earth and the moon.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

BAM!
Thank you for that!

We also need to be aware of who controls Paypal’s decisions on who can & who can’t use Paypal. An even bigger one is who lost their “targeting” privileges over at the CFPB? Another one, who created the bill to target anyone spending over $1000.00 (used to be 10,000) which is so unconstitutional it reeks to high heaven, and who created the bill to ban self defense weapons for anyone using or growing a plant?
Yeh, they’re all tied together.
There are more questions but I’ve left enough to begin the connect the dots game.
It’s all behavior control.

Sid Viscosity
Guest
Sid Viscosity
5 years ago
Reply to  shak

And it’s all been one yuge lie. It’s tough to think we’ve been completely ctrl-alt-deleted when it comes to our memory of our true history, not the history that’s been repeated so many times. Check out the documentary, minds of men. They want us to forget. Shoots. I can’t believe we are slaves bitching about how enslaved we truly are. Yep. Slavery never ended, just became more savvy and subtle.
I wish more people here could look beyond the obvious, and take a look at civil assed forfeiture as reported over the years in countless reports. Wake the F’ up people!

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  Sid Viscosity

everything goes in 30-40 year cycles because our children don’t see and experience what we see and there is really no way to create the understanding. shak doesn’t like CFPB because Ms. Warren created it and his leader told him not to like it because he like to call her Pocahontas.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

CFPB lies about Wells Fargo and Equifax, hides DATA BREACH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwm9JmwzEAw

CFPB reportedly funneled billions of dollars into “Secret Democrat SLUSH fund”:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-06/cfpb-reportedly-funneled-billions-secret-democrat-slush-fund-consultant-claims

CFPB falsified Documents to SHAKE DOWN Lender: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/12/whistleblower-elizabeth-warrens-cfpb-falsified-documents-shakedown-lender/

and a hundred more I can post.

They targeted people.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  shak

VIDEO: CFPB, out of control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nejGl6ZV868

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Sid Viscosity

Very profound Sid, well said.
Even if everyone awoke just half way, we’d at least be half way to a bright new world.
Thanks for the documentary tip, I’ll go watch it now.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Sid Viscosity

Thanks Sid.

And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden –CSNY

Sid Viscosity
Guest
Sid Viscosity
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

(And) teach your children well…
which I have no doubt you are.

Scooter
Guest
Scooter
5 years ago

Why is it that everyone who touches cannabis thinks its OK to play gangster. The cops are jealous so they steal and lie, the greenrushers don’t give shit about the land or the neighborhood, the permitted growers think they are going to get away with being moonshiners for a few more years, and very few of them are actually getting state licenses. Then the county and state want way too much protection money for anyone but a gangster to play legal. This area is fucked. I have a new job and if you come to my hood and blow it up I will rat you out. I want my neighborhood back.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Scooter

Being a rat was never acceptable in any society. You want your neighborhood back?!?! Get the neighbors together and take it back!

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

Alright! This is the only way. Grassroots up.

festus haggins
Guest
festus haggins
5 years ago

How come no one has mentioned that the Zeke Flatten guy is a ex-cop. You think maybe he got caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing and now has a (small) erection for the cops?

Willie caos- mayhem
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thank you Kym.

JRWhitmore
Guest
JRWhitmore
5 years ago

You lost me at 3 pounds of research Marijuana.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

LEGAL-PERMITTED-AND ARRESTED

04/22/2016 • Mark Thornton (https://mises.org/profile/mark-thornton)
Marijuana was legalized, the owners were permitted and they asked the government to conduct a business inspection. Instead the police busted them and stole all their stuff!

We may be winning the war against the War on Drugs, but we still have a long ways to go. The Washington Post reports
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/03/30/what-life-is-like-after-police-ransack-your-house-and-takeevery-
belonging-then-the-charges-are-dropped/) on the Shattuck family who were not only arrested but all their possessions were stolen by law enforcement based on the asset forfeiture law.

A self-described Michigan “soccer mom” who had “every belonging” taken from her family
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/why-armed-drug-cops-took-every-belonging-from-amichigan-soccer-mom/) in a 2014 drug raid has been cleared of all criminal charges, 19 months after heavily armed drug task force members ransacked her home and her business. But in many ways, her ordeal is only beginning.

Annette Shattuck and her husband, Dale, had been facing felony charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession with intent to manufacture marijuana and maintaining a drug house. But last month, Michigan Circuit Court Judge Daniel Kelly threw out all criminal complaints filed against the Shattucks “on the grounds of entrapment by estoppel,” according to court filings
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/files/2016/03/Shattuck_OpinionOnDefendantsMotionToDismiss_recd02.22.16.pdf ).

Entrapment by estoppel occurs when a government official leads a defendant to believe that their conduct is permissible under the law.

Law enforcement uses all kinds of trickery in order to increase criminal convictions in order to justify their existence and budget. Fortunately, the judge saw through their activities and invoked “entrapment by estoppel,” which is something I have heard of but is unfortunately not used by enough judges to protect the innocent from out of control drug warriors.

Paul
Guest
Paul
5 years ago

How and why is it that so many people on the right want to quote the Constitution and the rights it conveys to the people when it serves their purpose and when it doesn’t, they demand justice from law enforcement by use of the code? And so many of the folks on the left want to tear apart the constitution and use it for toilet paper until something happens to them and they cry foul and demand their constitutional rights?

When the cops break the law, there is no law. Everyone deserves their due process, and everyone has the right to remain silent (when needed), in order to not incriminate themselves. Civil Law allows anyone to go after crooked government agencies under the Administrative Procedures Act. Look it up. Its one of the few ways we can get our country back. Time to educate yourselves.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Paul

Civil law and common law are two different animals. And mixing law forms in the public can be dangerous.

Land jurisdiction (stand), or fraudulent commercial law of the Sea Merchant (bent over) -guilty until proven innocent.

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/history/americas-economic-history/judge-rules-administrative-court-system-illegal-after-81-years/

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago

One person made most of these comments. Be aware that this is how the threads in loco and here are.
The overt Nazi ism and bigotry that is perpetuated by one commenter under many names in loco comment threads is appalling. He has to thinly cloak it here but is getting more bold. It’s too bad that one person is allowed to push his sick agenda over and over again every day.

Dan F
Guest
Dan F
5 years ago
Reply to  Trolls Abound

I quite agree this Troll & his (UN0 stable of socks caused the Wether thread at LoCO to be divided into 2 sections!!! “Democrats, the (mostly) civil folks & the Off the Deep End Troll Types in the Republicans section!!! It’s just one very big Cluster Frack now IM(ns)HO!!!!

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan F

That’s right Dan. He is now busy with this site posting as a myriad of different people agreeing with each other . Sad to see. Kyms threads are heading in the same direction as Locos……just a matter of time.

Connie Dobbs
Guest
Connie Dobbs
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan F

Thanks for sharing your truth, Don.

Sid Viscosity
Guest
Sid Viscosity
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan F

Dan. Interesting perspective.

If you really want to understand the programming of why so many people have the same belief systems, take a look at everything your mind scape had to digest since you’ve been able to take in information and incorporate that into the reality that you call your own.
Divide and conquer is a good example of how the people in power continue to expand their power while the common folk just end up footing the bill.
I appreciate a critical thought process, and I do see a few here amongst the shallow water types.
There’s truly so much that we should agree on, yet for some reason we tend to isolate and alienate our neighbors and some friends and even family, for arguing for or against anything along party lines.
I recently was made aware of a documentary, “First Kill”,

Very rare documentary about Vietnam war with first-hand testimonies from participants.

“The documentary consists of interviews with Michael Herr and several Vietnam veterans. The depth of the interviews provides insight into the feelings that accompany violence, fear, hate, seduction and pleasure.”

These kids were put into a very difficult situation when they were just becoming adults.

Why, may I ask, is there any need for war?

Let’s stop being cannon fodder and begin to realize the 3D chessboard that keeps us fighting each other generation after generation.

Intelligent discourse and critical thought shows up every once in a while. It truly isn’t for everyone.
Let’s encourage it whenever possible. The next generation has a massive wake up call coming through in their lifetime. Are you confident that they are prepared?

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago
Reply to  Sid Viscosity

This generation will be facing a massive wake up call beginning today and continuing throughout December. We all need to wake up.
Julian Assange testified behind closed doors today.
James Comey Dec 3rd
Loretta Lynch will testify on the 4th
Epstein’s trial is set for Dec 4th
Huber testifies on the Dec 5th
DHS to report on voter fraud on Dec 22
and a few others tossed in for good measure, like General Flynn’s sentencing. (or pardon?)
Tomorrow, Nov 28th is the big Press Conference with all the big actors from the military investigative fields. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/military-investigation-services-along-state-and-federal-law-enforcement-agencies-hold
“Military Investigation Services along with State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies to Hold Press Conference at the Department of Corrections in Columbia on Wednesday, November 28, 2018”

It’s like an avalanche.

Seek help
Guest
Seek help
5 years ago

You’re paranoid.

Trolls Abound
Guest
Trolls Abound
5 years ago
Reply to  Seek help

It’s a bummer that the troll is transparent to a lot of commenters, huh? Paranoid? Nah, just observant.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago
Reply to  Trolls Abound

You’re spot on

James Marmon MSW
Guest
James Marmon MSW
5 years ago

Check out the team of attorneys Zeke assembled. They will be going after Sheriff Allman, former Under Sheriff Randy Johnson, and DA Eyster the Shyster. They’ve been stealing from marijuana people for years, through their “Buy a misdemeanor”(aka the Mendocino Shakedown) and asset forfeiture programs. And then all 3 of them refused to investigate Zeke’s complaints.

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5141922/181116-Flatten-v-Rohnert-Park.pdf

“8. Plaintiff also does not presently know the true names and capacities of defendants DOES 1 through 25, inclusive, and therefore sues them by these fictitious names. Plaintiffs are informed and believe that DOES 1 through 50, and each of them, were responsible in some manner for the acts or omissions alleged herein. Plaintiff will seek leave to amend this Complaint to add their true names and capacities when they have been ascertained.

9. In doing the acts and/or omissions alleged herein, defendants and each of them acted under color of authority and/or under color of state law, and, in concert with each other.

10. Defendants Tatum, Huffaker, Hobb and Does 1 through 50 conspired to achieve a common goal and/or acted in concert to achieve said goal. In doing the acts and omissions alleged herein said Defendants conspired and/or acted in furtherance of the conspiracy to (a) unlawfully stop the Plaintiff and seize his property, (b) deprive the Plaintiff of his property without due process and through the outrageous abuse of police powers, and (c) retaliate against the Plaintiff in an effort to chill his speech for exercising his freedom of speech, and right to petition the government, regarding matters of public concern.”

Omission

“a failure to do something, especially something that one has a moral or legal obligation to do.”

James Marmon MSW
Former Social Worker V
Mendocino County

James Marmon MSW
Guest
James Marmon MSW
5 years ago

If you didn’t pay the ransom, then they took all your shit.

Will Passage of Proposition 64 Shake Up ‘Mendocino Shakedown’?

Eyster found a unique and controversial way to start moving some of these cases through the courts. Under the authority of a California law that’s part of the state’s health and safety code, he began offering certain marijuana defendants misdemeanor plea deals if they paid what’s called “restitution” for the costs of seizing and destroying their pot.

After looking at law enforcement costs, Eyster came up with a formula: “$50 a plant, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a little plant or a big plant, we just keep it $50 a plant, or $500 a processed pound.”

https://www.kqed.org/news/11155242/will-passage-of-proposition-64-shake-up-mendocino-shakedown

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Trolls Abound -yes.

Not to hard to figure out.

Suggesting the Redheaded Blackbelt and her commenters as —Sad, going the same direction as some other blog –is uncalled for.

Hmmmmm
Guest
Hmmmmm
5 years ago

Good for them.
Somebody was thinking

Craig
Guest
Craig
5 years ago

I just wanted say Thank You for shedding light on this story. Criminals came in all forms and when they have a badge it makes the crime worse. You are suppose to trust and respect officers and when they pull shit like this it makes all of them look bad. Its a disgrace to the badge and all of good people working to make our communities safe.

trackback

[…] Park is a small city in the middle of Sonoma County. According to Flatten’s account, given to independent journalist Kym Kemp, he had just crossed the Mendocino-Sonoma county line — meaning he was about 40 miles away from […]

Two Sides to a Story, One Side to Facts
Guest
Two Sides to a Story, One Side to Facts
5 years ago

All of this sounds like a movie in the making.

IMDB – “Zeke Flatten is a producer and writer”. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2949981/bio

Afterlight Pictures – “The principals of Afterlight Pictures are Zeke Flatten (President), Jason Hinshaw (Vice President – Content Development), Robert Pralgo (Vice President – Content Acquisitions) and Michael Rome (Vice President – General Counsel). They bring a broad range of experience, talent, creativity, and business knowledge together to form a corporate structure built for longevity and success.” http://afterlightpictures.com/about.html