fritz Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 I know you are all getting tired of hearing about the troubles of Goliad County with its illegals, but some of the blame has been directed at our sheriff (hispanic). He is a good fellow, has a good heart and tries to do what is best for the county. However, sometimes his arrogant nature gets him in trouble. He has been using inmate work details to help out county employed workers. They are always supervised by a guard and do a lot of work that would have had to done by paid employees. But the problem comes from the fact that the sheriff (in his "good heart" approach) has been sending out on work details some inmates who were felons, and by law are forbidden from leaving the confines of the jail. He has been using inmates that are awaiting transfer to the "big house". Not petty thiefs or drunks, but felons, for the work details. All in the name of saving money to the county. Fine. But it is against the law. And when one of the two anglo commisioners called him to task on this practice, he declared that since he was sheriff he could do whatever he wanted, and the commissioners had no say in the matter. How wrong he was! And now he has gotten investigated by the district judge and district attorney. They told him flat out, "Either stop the illegal work details or go to jail and maybe have to work on one yourself!" He has a good heart. Problem is, he has a weak brain! And to be sheriff today requires a man/woman to have something upstairs also. It ain't like the old days of Matt Dillon or Wyatt Earp. The sheriffs now have judges and higher-ups watching them. In this case, it is for the best (abeit costing the county a little more payroll). I am proud to say that my commissioner (one of four) never used the illegal work crews. Maybe because he knew the law, something that some around here do not. The four commissioners plus the county judge make up the rules for the sheriff to follow in THEIR county, not HIS county. There are two hispanic and two anglo commissioners. The vote always ends up tied, and the judge breaks the tie with his vote. We are now known as "the 2 vs the Duval 3". It fits. The judge is a big democratic liberal, and if anyone ever ran against him, he is history (but not the kind of history Goliad county has always been known for). And no, I am not seeking the job (athough I could do as good or better job than him). You do not have to be an attorney to be a county judge, and he isn't an attorney. But maybe he should study the law once in awhile. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamprat Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 fritz, Are you for or against the sheriff? Your post to me was some what muddeled. I support your sheriff in making these folks earn a living. When I could, if I didn't work I didn't eat. If they are under guard what difference if they are in jail or chopping weeds along the road side. Didn't prison's use the roadgangs? And doesn't the local sheriff have jurisdiction over federal law? It has something to with possecomatodious (bad spelling but I hope you get the drift). I for one applaude your sherrif for getting these dead beats off their asses and making them earn their keep. Swamprat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted July 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 No, the sheriff does not have jurisdiction over federal law! The law is the law, and the fault I find with our current sheriff is the fact that he often ignores the law in order to obtain his views. It is clearly a case of his not having all the smarts it requires to be a sheriff today. Wyatt Earp could get away with it, some claim a sheriff in Arizona today gets away with it. But it is against the law to do what our sheriff did (regardless of what some may think SHOULD be right, don't make it LEGAL). Yes, you see inmate work crews all over the country. But there are not supposed to be convicted felons awaiting transfer to the "big house" among them. I'm sorry if obeying the law chafes some of you the wrong way, but the law is the law. I have to live with it, so should the sheriff. He is not as powerful as many think he is. And yes, I have heard of the old line about a sheriff having the authority to kick a state trooper out of his county if he wants. If he did so, he would probably end up in more trouble than what he started with. Supposedly the Texas Rangers are the top dogs in Texas, but if they have to come in here over this mess, heaven help us. We are really getting messed up to require the Rangers. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z1r Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 If they are under guard what difference if they are in jail or chopping weeds along the road side. Swamprat Easy, it is against the law. I don't know about you but I am sick to death of gov't & gov't officials ignoring & breaking the law just because they are in a position of power! It is these officials more than any that need to lead by example. How in the hell can you convict a civillian of breaking the law when the gov't gets away with it everyday. What kind of message does that send? I don't think fritz has an issue with using the prisoners for this type of work. Sounds to me like his issue is the Sheriff's insisting on using felons, which the law specifically prhoibits. I agree with him 100%. Surprise, surprise! I think fritz should run for sheriff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaosBob101 Posted July 21, 2005 Report Share Posted July 21, 2005 The same thing happened in Conejos County in Southern COLO. The county seat is Antonito. Home of the famous narrow-gauge railroad used in the last Indiana Jones movie. But the problem was they were up in the forest wood cutting and doing work on his property . He also kept a Glock 9mm that should have been turned in. A major news outfit in Denver found and then the ----- hit the fan. Not dumb just crooked and dumb.... He's not the Sheriff any more. You know someone in town had enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted July 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2005 z1r is right about my position on the matter. I would like to see the work crews out earning their keep, but if the law says that some types are not allowed outside of the jail compound, that's that. Anyway, the sheriff has been reprimanded by the DA and the District Judge on his violating the law. He has accepted it in style, because as he put it, "I don't want to go to jail". The thing that is going to make the next commissioners Court meeting interesting (they are open to the public) is the fact that everyone is sure that one of the commissioners will tell him "I told you so!" And he did, but that is when the sheriff got arrogant and stated that he was the sheriff and do what he wanted with the work gangs. He has also gone way over his budget every year he has been in ofice (he is in his second four year term). The commissioners have, until now, gladly given him more money, although it has to come from some other fund. They still gave him an extra $25,000 to carry him through the current budget period (about 3 months yet), but I doubt if they will do it after all this. They will need the money to pay the part-time county employees who will take over the extra work load. Both the arrogant attitude of him being able to do whatever he wanted, and then the poor budget planning he has been doing, shows me that he is not all that smart. You can't be a Wyatt Earp lawman anymore. Today you need to be a good administrator (not a dictator, as that will get you in trouble real quick). As a liberal contributor to the letters to the editor of our paper put it, he has a good heart. Well, I say that in addition to having a good heart, you need a good brain. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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