Former APD Officer and Kamada Campaign Manager Not OK with Fleming’s Protege
Welcome to our letters to the editor/opinion section. To submit yours for consideration, please send to [email protected]. Please consider including an image to be used–either a photograph of you or something applicable to the letter. However, an image is not necessary for publication.
Remember opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of Redheaded Blackbelt nor have we checked the letters for accuracy.
To the Editor,Last year I retired from the Arcata Police Department after a 20-year law enforcement career. Full disclosure: I am also a campaign manager for Adrian Kamada.
Several years ago, a local business called about a stolen cup of coffee, and they wanted to prosecute. Lawfully we had to comply. On arrival, the person was locked in their car refusing to come out or speak with us.
The person put a knife to their throat and started a cutting motion. We broke out a window and I was able to grab the person’s wrists and get the knife out of their hands. Only then did I realize that my thumb was bleeding – during the struggle I received a cut that nearly severed the entire pad of my thumb, resulting in permanent loss of sensation, a hazard of the job.
The person had no criminal record and was clearly in a mental health crisis. As the “victim” I contacted DA Fleming asking that they not be charged. Ms. Fleming ignored my request and the person ended up pleading guilty to a felony. They will now have a hard time finding employment or housing and will carry the label of “felon” to the grave.
All because this poor soul wanted to commit suicide and some cop prevented it.
This was Ms. Flemings “no knife crimes in my county” stance. It ignored the facts of the case
, disrespected the will of the “victim”, and punished a person with a significant mental health issue and absolutely no intent to harm me.
Ms. Fleming’s actions were morally reprehensible. Stacey Eads is running on Ms. Fleming’s record and with Ms. Flemings guidance. She isn’t Ms. Fleming, but anyone who holds Ms. Fleming up as a role model isn’t worthy of my support.
Richard Bergstresser
Eureka, CA
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
That’s a pretty weak and amateur endorsement.
Tell me why I should vote for your candidate. Not why I shouldn’t vote for their opposition.
Because his campaign is getting desperate.
I sensed this desperation when, on May 2nd, right before the DA debate at Cal Poly, retired Officer Bergstresser took me outside to speak to me. He tried to take Stacey Eads outside but she refused to go with him because she was about to go on stage.
He threatened to sully my reputation if I did not stop speaking the truth about Adrian Kamada’s insurance fraud in 2006. Adrian was employed, for less than a year, with George Peterson’s insurance. Charlie Bussman had hired him as he was a high school buddy of his son. Well, Adrian bought a truck, did not insure it, totalled it, and then soon thereafter tried to insure it so he could get a $10K pay out.
Charlie Bussman quietly let him go and then stopped the claim. I have witnesses too scared to come forward. I have documentation… I also have the First Amendment. To get information into a newspaper, you need two independent sources and documentation. To get into a blog, you need only say it. Unlike most, I only comment with my own name.
Anyway, while Bergstresser was trying to threaten me, I asked him to have Adrian sue me for defamation. He will not because truth is an absolute defense to defamation.
Adrian also has a well documented temper. Not just when he lost his temper with his boss, DA Maggie Fleming, but also at the Vet’s Hall debate. Again, because I am exposing his insurance fraud (and had a Team Stacey Eads golf team beat his Team Adrian Kamada by 5 strokes), he came after me after the tournament. I was just eating lunch with my adult daughter who had flown up for Mother’s Day and to help on Stacey’s campaign. His temper is fierce! And I put up with a lot of abusive men on the daily. He also came after Stacey in the parking lot before coming after me.
I am not afraid of bullies and/or attorneys who are inexperienced. Adrian is very bright and very committed to our environment. He has so much potential. However, he is getting in his own way with his temper. I hope he takes the experience of running for office as a learning moment and moves forward with less anger towards others – particularly powerful women.
It doesn’t matter how smart you are if you do not have the experience, a proven track record, and self control. She has been in the DA’s office fore 21 years. His trial record is about 30%. Ms. Eads is about 90%. And, I have yet to make Stacey truly angry…and I have tried!
Now, watch as the Kamada peeps come out to desparage me by a game as old as time. Henry the Eighth did is so well: Women are: 1) crazy, witches, etc, 2) whores (after they fall off the pedestal), and/or 3) not able to produce sons (control of our uterus). Who knew that the chromosone responsible was the man’s all along?
For the welfare of our great county, please vote Stacey Eads for DA!
Also, those percentages are totally made up!!!!! Eads admits to not knowing her trial record in this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGEqTSv72Tw
That’s why I said “about.” Kamada hasn’t released his trial record because it is short and abysmal.
Is that all ya got, Cheetdoh?!
Adrian sounds like Brett Watson, a pdefect example of the type of person who hires thugs to intimidate people into silence.
He’s no Clinton, …you gotta do more than get blood on your thumb, you have to be ruthless and vicious…you know like all those Netflix series that show you how the game is truly won.
One is merely running for an elected position, and one harassed an employee. They are completely different people.
They have the common thread of not being self controlled and reasonable. I do not know Brett’s circumstances…but I think that is the point that was being made…Over to you Cheetdoh.
“And I put up with a lot of abusive men on the daily.”
Hmmm. You say you expect to be attacked by individuals who have blanket negative views of women. Your remarks suggest you may harbor similar views toward men.
“If you run into an !@#$%^& in the morning, you ran into an !@#$%^&. If you run into !@#$%^&s all day, you’re the !@#$%^&.”
Raylan Givens
Sorry. My bad.
I forgot to mention that I am a criminal defense attorney, represent both sides of restraining orders (which sometime leak into custody battles), and represent the victims in violent felonies (these are too often homicides so I am helping the families of the deceased).
And yes, women get angry too and sometimes are abusive but less often I find. Fair point though.
*specified abusive men, meaning not all men… Stop trying to twist the narrative into your own distorted outlook on reality. If you haven’t seen it then you are drowning in de Nile.
“Mindyourhead” – you sound a bit angry. I am sure that you are not. However, there is no confirming one way or another as you are not posting in your own name. So, stay camoflouged. It suits you.
Thanks for speaking out Kathleen! He is running a dirty campaign to distract from his weaknesses. Eads is the ONLY qualified choice!
Insert lawyer jokes here:
Yes please! I love lawyers jokes…Do you have one that I have not already heard? My parents were both lawyers, my eldest brother still is, and my Grandfather was too.
My favorite one is: “Nobody likes a lawyer, until they need one.”
Then they need a lawyer to save themselves from the other person’s lawyer. The courts are a system designed for and run by lawyers for lawyers with only incidental input from people who actually do the paying. Any profession that so easily argues both sides of a point of morality for pay and dares to call that a principle should be pretty quiet about needing lawyers. You may “need” a lawyer but only like you “need” a surgeon- because something has gone awfully wrong and it’s that or die.
But since you asked, this is one is to the point but surely you have heard it previously-
“A man walked into a lawyer’s office and asked him how much he charged.
The lawyer responded “it’s $100 for three questions.”
“Isn’t that a lot?” asked the man.
“Yes” responded the lawyer….”and whats your third question?”
I think he is trying to talk about the moral nature of the situation. He didn’t want to press charges and a power-hungry DA ignored his requests and decided to ruin a non-criminal’s life forever. Going to jail is like going to University for Crime and getting a Bachelors degree in it. How can one get a job if they have a criminal record? This system needs change.
Sure. Yeah… Bergstresser on morality.
Back to Kamada. Read the LoCo article about why he was fired.
He wanted more prison time for Tanner after he almost completely messed up the case by not following the law, repeatedly offending the Sheriff’s Department, and wanting to go forward with a star witness who hallucinates.
If it was Martin Fleming and Adrianna Kamada, would we be having to suffer this nonsense? Imagine a young woman prosecutor acting unhinged and then demanding that a seasoned male DA quote him chapter and verse on his reasons for following proper LEGAL protocol. Martin (I mean Maggie) was concerned for his Bar License and the liability to Humboldt’s DA’s office. A DA represents the People, not her/his own ambition and ego.
If he had not been taken off the Tanner case, he would have taken it to trial and lost….adding to another “L” in his column.
The only reason Kamdas’s own campaign manager can give to not vote for Eads is one specific incident where Flemming kept a campaign promise. In fact, the only reason people say not to vote for Eads is her mentorship from Flemming… Talk about grasping at straws.
Breaking a window ,cutting your thumb, to save a thief, so your DA could prosecute them.
Am I missing something?
What about the rise in hard drugs on our streets, sir, and the homelessness, and the shitty economy?
What if your retirement was on the chopping block?
Do You Understand How Poorly LAW ENFORCEMENT operates in this area with catch and release , so they can steal over and over and over.
The real criminals are untouchable and deep down you know this is just a game of cops and robbers, and it is truly sad and pathetic that we’ve become victims of a bloated bureaucratic ponzi scheme.
Politics is the gateway drug for the cartel minded.
Good day to you, enjoy your retirement in this economic crisis fueled by people who direct your bleeding thumb to save people who can’t seem to channel their inner thief effectively.
Uh, who do you think is in charge of all that now? DA FLEMMING! Do you think she is doing a great job? Have you seen crime decrease in the past 8 years?
Which particular area of crime are you referring to…and where are your statistics and where are the studies backing it up? What I read is that violent crime is being addressed by getting convictions for murder…and that the rampant theft etc are the issues. I haven’t studied it in detail as I am not a DA candidate. I just know what is coming through my office. For instance, I can categorically tell you that during the pandemic shelter in place, Domestic Violence skyrocketted.
More to the point is that your assumption is based on the premise that people who commit crime are deterred by being prosecuted by it. Yes, that is true for that particular person who is prosecuted…until s/he gets out and does not have the support, motivation, and resources to help them change their ways.
However, is putting people away for crimes a GENERAL deterrent. I do believe, based on my extensive experience, that it sometimes is, but too often not. If that were true, then people who have had friends die of DUIs, drug overdoses, etc would change their ways. And, some do and some don’t. A lot of folks, and I used to be this way, think that they are immortal and bad things happen to other people OR, and this used to be me, they are so beaten down by seeing friends die, that they take to drink, use, gamble, [fill in the blank].
Of course, the best way to try and address crime is through the JUVENILE justice program. Help at-risk youth and be there with tough love to help them turn it around before it is too late. That is what STACEY EADS did for at least a decade.
So imagine my disgust when KAMADA got on the Cal Poly stage (May 2nd) and discounted that experience and then said that he had equal experience to her because juvenile justice doesn’t count.
Watch this debate and see him try to equate his quite limited experience with hers. It will open your eyes!
You are a stupid person. I feel dumber having read what you wrote. TL;DR: someone cut me and you should vote for Kamada.
So we should vote for Kamada because Maggie Fleming (who isn’t running) charged someone with assaulting a police officer with a knife, causing serious injury, and the person pled guilty to the crime of assaulting a police officer with a knife, causing serious injury, even though you didn’t think he should be charged, even though he pled guilty to the crime that he did? And, further, we shouldn’t be voting for Stacey Eads (who is running) because Maggie filed charges against this fellow and he pled guilty?
I’m voting for Stacey, and everyone else should too. I can’t believe any police officers out there would want to support someone like you, or like that hack Kamada, if your literal stated goal is not to file charges against a criminal who “cut that nearly severed the entire pad of my thumb, resulting in permanent loss of sensation”. I’m sure the next guy or gal on the force that loses a thumb might be a little upset if your buddy Kamada wins.
All of Humboldt’s fentanyl catch-and-releases point to Fleming.
Because of the laws that the legislature has passed which have made this change. Trust me, I used to go against Maggie in court and she is no softy on drug crimes. Lives were ruined by her zeal…and enforcement of the law as written (her job).
I always disagreed with her on this and then our California Legislature joined me on MY view on the war on drugs. Oh yeah, quick point: Maggie isn’t running. Stacey is. She is not a MINI-MAGGIE. I have know her for 15 years.
And I am not running either…Try another one “What?!”
I personally don’t see any good choice on the ballot. I’m pretty sure it was Kathleen Bryson who ran for DA a number of years ago. I voted for her then and certainly would now. I have yet to decide which poor choice to vote for this time. Which current option would actually prosecute drug crimes? Which one would prosecute transient crimes? The answer to these questions is what I’m still waiting for.
Ha! If you believe anything that comes out of Bryson’s mouth, then you should write her in on the ballot!
Yep! That would help Kamada. And yes, I post in my own name and tell the truth. You lie and hide behind a name that infers that you either eat certain snacks, support Trump, or you Cheat. Which is it? Or is it all of the above?
Sorry that you thought I was a wasted vote, but I would have to agree as I had only been practicing in the county for 5 years…not enough experience for sure even though I had passed the Bar 17 years earlier.
Kamada came to the DA’s office in 2014 …in other words, the ink is still not dry on his certificate.
I think a good DA is better than me or Kamada…she needs the right kind of experience aka all types of cases and a proven conviction record…oh whoops that sounds like Stacey Eads.
Are you not happy with how drug crimes are being prosecuted? That is a blanket statement but the deputy DA who is in charge of prosecuting drug crimes is endorsing Kamada. Maybe you could take your concerns to her? I think she is doing a good job, but you may have a different viewpoint.
My point is that drug crimes are basically not being protected at all. If there is a deputy DA in charge of these crimes, clearly that individual is a total failure and should be terminated. The ultimate responsibility for making sure these cases are prosecuted falls on the DA. Paul Gallegos failed with this and Maggie Fleming is no better. That’s why I want to know what Stacey Eads plans to do. If she is endorsed by Fleming, will it be any different? Stacey Eads is very clear about her stance on the crimes in her realm of specialty, but the DA has to be tough on all areas of crime and I don’t see that in any of the candidates. There are many more common folks like me who will have crimes committed against them in the two areas I mentioned than in her specialty, so to me at least, I want to see that the DA cares about this. So far no candidate has addressed my concerns.
Thanks for stating that so clearly, Alf! I agree. And I know our perspectives (ex. cannabis) are very different in many ways! But I agree with you here. I am also still waiting for a decent explanation from Eads about the Marci Kitchen case debacle. She claimed it earlier as a positive for her campaign but many of us recall it as a miscarriage of justice…I’m still open to hearing her explanation but where is it?
There is a response she wrote on Lost Coast Outpost. It sounded like a cop out to me, so I still have real questions about it. Also of concern is why Ryan Landowski was not prosecuted effectively as he is in her specialty of sex crimes and pedophilia. During the time I knew of him he threw his “girlfriend” through two separate windows, the cops came to his house regularly and yet he was always back within a few days. Rumor is, his dad was a doctor who kept buying his freedom. If this is true, Eads definitely has no business being DA.
You cannot buy Stacey, “Alf”. I appreciate you working on rumors, but I would ask that you sit down, with the file, so Stacey can take you through the facts.
And the idea that Stacey Eads can be bribed is so ridiculous to us in the courts every day.
Wow, just reveal your name so that she can take you through the facts. Oh, sorry, unless you are working for Kamada. In which case. Enjoy the sunshine today. Peace.
The reason I know so much about the failure with Landowski is he lived over my back fence for several years. I don’t know if Stacey Eads was his prosecutor or not, but the trend of the entire current and former DA was extremely low on real crime prosecution in my own neighborhood as well as others. I’m still waiting to see if the DA office will prosecute the criminals who currently have cases pending for crimes against me. I have little to no explanation there will ever be a trial.
Answer this. Why did my neighborhood have to live for 3 years of mayhem from the POS Landowski? Where was Stacey Eads when the neighbors called 911 over and over, he was arrested over and over again for domestic violence, violation of probation, pedophile approaching young children in the neighborhood, etc. Once I even met the deputies to talk with them and they told me to go inside, because they didn’t know what was going to happen when they confronted him and 10 feet from our bedroom window there was a violent arrest. I also called his landlord no matter what the hour, sometimes at 2 in the morning every time and told them that if they chose not to evict him, and I was awakened by domestic violence, they deserved to get a wake up call as well. For several years, after he was evicted, I would be walking on the sidewalk near my work and pass him, just hoping he didn’t attack me. Even though I was on record for many calls, I was never contacted for any reason by anyone for witness information.
This is a clear case of failure and needs serious answers publicly before I believe the DA office is really serious about keeping our county safe. All we seem to get is people who don’t want Kamada saying he is not fit to be the DA. Yet, it seems cops, the ones who make the arrests, the ones in our neighborhoods, on our streets, responding to, at times unbelievable horrors on the job don’t want Eads. Please, explain why law enforcement doesn’t think she should become DA.
She charged EVERY COUNT that was legal to charge. She then made Ms. Kitchen plead to every count. If she hadn’t, then she would have had her convicted at trial.
Then, the judge imposed the sentence. Marci had no criminal record but she did have money for the best lawyers until Stacey insisted it go to trial (because she would not dismiss a single count) that is when the Conflict Counsel took the case as the defense ran out of money.
Again, do you want to meet her now or wait until she is DA?
I will make sure Stacey does. She has the skill to sit with victims…aka family members, business people, and friends who ARE victims of the addicts in their families and also those that vandalize and steal from businesses.
Would you like to meet her now, or wait until after the election when she has won? Your call.
I think Alf said he voted for you and would do it again…
Touche!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB_Il4jJZWk&t=1s
Good morning,
Many of you seem to be missing the central point, which is that Ms. Fleming chose to prosecute a mentally ill man simply for trying to kill himself. Some of you may have chosen to stand and watch the man slit his own throat – my partners and I did not. One could even argue that my injury was self-sustained – he posed a threat to himself, not others, and I intervened.
Ms. Fleming and Ms. Eads have paid a lot of lip-service to the topic of working with the mentally ill – this incident and others puts the lie to that claim. This was not compassionate and was not based on the facts – the guy plead only because he was strongly motivated to get out of California and back home and, lest we forget, he had some significant mental health issues that certainly weren’t helped by a stint in jail.
The facts of the incident were ignored. The mental status of the man was ignored. The victims wishes were ignored. All for an easy “win” that stigmatizes this man for life.
I wrote this letter because people need to hear first-hand accounts of how things have been “working”, and how they will continue to “work”. There are many other examples – I used only mine to respect the privacy of others. I did so hesitantly, knowing that I was exposing myself to the trolls, but this is important enough that I can withstand that nonsense.
This letter was hardly an act of desperation – Kamada has run an unfailingly positive and idea-oriented campaign and is backed by everyone from the Green Party to Rob Arkley and other conservatives because of ideas, not tribal loyalties. Substance, and not slogans. I’d suggest that the uniformity and speed of the negative responses indicate that they are clearly coordinated from the “slogans” crowd.
I will conclude by re-stating that I won’t feed the trolls but can’t let Ms. Bryson’s account of things go unanswered. Here’s the extent of the truthfulness in her account – we talked. I’m not going to play tit-for-tat on this – as they say at the end of the movie “War Games”, the only way to win is to not play the game. With Ms. Bryson that is certainly the case.
Respectfully, Richard
Well written, Richard.
And then Kamada, after the golf tournament in which his team lost to Stacey’s team, came after me in front of my daughter. He said (while doing the talk to the hand at me) “You need to stop [putting together golf teams better than mine or telling the truth], you need to get back on your meds [interesting statement from Mr. Sensitive to mental health issues], and go [because Baywood is his turf not mine]. There are witnesses.
There are also witnesses to what you did although you are more reasoned than your candidate and took me outside so only I could witness evey venomous word. Kamada did it in a public place in front of at least 10 people.
I am an officer of the court (not retired) and you can have my bar license if I am lying. What checks are in place to keep you from lying, Richard?
Also, I do not see Adrian’s sign up at the Dem office. And both Susan Seaman and Leslie Castellano have endorsed Stacey (leading Dems), Hupa Tribe just reversed their endorsement of Kamada and gave it to Stacey, and the Republican Party will show you their might on Election Day.
That is me dropping the name drop mic.
So Maggie should be castigated for actually prosecuting a person who commited a felony. What an idea, to prosecute lawbreakers and leave it up to the jury.