Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
Quartzsite resident and activist Michael Roth, who was convicted in 2010 of two counts of disorderly conduct, has had his convictions overturned in appeals.
The convictions stemmed from an incident at Quartzsite Town Hall while the Council was in executive session in another room. Roth addressed the crowd with his complaints about the Council and Police Chief Jeff Gilbert. An officer who was present testified that Roth became offensive in his remarks, and Gilbert arrested him.
The appellate court found that there was insufficient evidence of disorderly conduct, finding that “the state failed to present any evidence that Roth’s conduct seriously disrupted any event, function or activity.” It continues to say that Roth’s remarks “…prompted only laughter and criticism from the audience — with the exception of one incident of angry finger-pointing.” And: “…although Roth’s remarks to the audience immediately before he was arrested may have been antagonistic and annoying, he spoke in a normal voice and stopped speaking to listen as members of the audience responded.”
The court also stated: “The finger-pointing incident that Gilbert identified as crossing the line and provoking Roth’s arrest, to any extent that Roth can be charged with it, hardly rose to the level of probable violence.”
The ruling can be found HERE.
Score Card:
Jones: 1; Quartzsite Council: 0
Roth: 1; Quartzsite PD: 0
Summary:
Democracy: 2
Tyranny: zero, nil, nix, nada, zilch, zip, nul, goose egg, nichts!
Woo hoo!!!!
ParkerLive.com’s summary of State v. Roth is an excellent snapshot of the court’s decision, even portraying that there is no question that the Court of Appeals of Arizona was not amused in the slightest with having been bothered by such a slam-dunk matter. This case does cause one to pause and wonder if there can be any justice for someone on the wrong side of the nose-high establishment in La Paz County, using unfair procedure to sway juries in a situation where one is convicted for nothing more than exercising First Amendment right. With such corruption of justice plaguing the land, there’s little wonder Texas executed an innocent man in an arson case not long ago. Its judicial system is infested with at least one judge who was charged with judicial misconduct, for refusing to keep open past five o’clock a clerk’s office in order to allow a last-minute petition from a man who was executed later that night(1). One wonders if the judge felt she’d be late for dinner reservations, something obviously carrying higher priority than any human being’s life. According to a 2004 study by the Center on Wrongful Convictions, at Northwestern University Law School, lying police and jailhouse informants are the leading cause of wrongful convictions in capital cases(1). And judges allow it. Like Texas, has La Paz County sunk to third-world justice? Unhappily, this saga is not over because corrupt officials will defer accountability by fleecing taxpayers when Roth files a demand for damages.
1. The New Yorker: Trial by Fire by David Grann September 7, 2009
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/09/07/090907fa_fact_grann
In my case the state only had cops as witnesses and they all lied. All cops perjure themselves all the time! (told to me by a former cop)
And yes, the justice system in La Paz County is terribly broken. It has been for many years. Without a just justice system your community will never have prosperity. It’s the main reason why this county is the third world county of the state!
I forgot, they also had Al Johnson as a witness, and he lied too
Congrats Michael, good things do come to those that wait.
I don’t buy into that belief…
“Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left over by those who hustle.”
– Abraham Lincoln
Chief Jeff Gilbert was present (As we have the video to show not only his presents but input and warnings not to do what he is doing!) when the League of Cities and Towns conducted a public meeting training session (at town hall) about the Arizona State “Open Meetings Law” to the Mayor of Quartzsite, Town Council of Quartzsite, Town Manager Alex Taft, and Chief of Police Jeff Gilbert.
Two letters of demand have been filed with the Town of Quartzsite for the sum of $800,000 in damages and now with the Arizona Appellate Court overturning Michael Roth’s convictions look for that sum to go even higher! Rest assure that more are coming and the tax payers of Quartzsite and La Paz County will be getting the check for this meal ordered up by Chief Gilbert.
The complaints by the Quartzsite-10 now know as the Quartzsite-8 are sound and factual as the Federal Courts will determine in time just as the Appellate Court ruled in Mr. Roth’s case leaving a larger pot of liability for the citizens and property owners of Quartzsite to pay when the town can’t. Just ask the League of Cities and Towns who insures the Town of Quartzsite the insurance limits! Have you already forgotten when Jade Jones forced the confession that Town Manager Alex Taft had to rob from the HURF funds to make payroll?
Now we have the Quartzsite Town Attorney, Town Prosecutor, and Town Parliamentarian Martin E. Brannan (remember that the Town Council was warned of the conflict of interest) now adding to the liability pot for Quartzsite!
Keep up to date and follow the “Rest of the Story” at,
http://www.aview.info/QPD-QTZ10-00.html
http://www.aview.info/QTZ-TownOf-01.html
http://www.aview.info/QTZ-TownOf-00.html
Right On! Good for you Roth! Who in the County DIDN’T see this coming. Apparently Vman and Chief Dilbert. hahaha. This is just as surprising as Willett getting his $$!! Man this County is in trouble.I am sure that Dilbert will arrest Roth again soon for some other BS charges.
Only when the local elected and non-elected officials of this county start acting like this guy, are we going to see any prosperity in this County
http://www.RonPaul2012.com
Don’t sell yourself short, Roth. Your refusal to roll over and play dead, all the way through the appeals process, will do far more than any example Ron Paul can set. When corruption hits taxpayers in the pocket, well, there simply is no greater divide-and-conquer strategy that can turn both liberal and conservative constituents against both left and right incumbents. It’s why Washington’s rating is below 10 percent, why taxpayers are fed up with most officials, and why Quartzsite will be forced into bankruptcy. Then, those who’ve been supporting the council and PD, will attempt to save face, as though blameless, by making scapegoats of current officials, because each is too cowardly to come clean in the filthy bath water they re-use daily. One need only look at the recent past. Sheriff Arpaio put his right hand man on the sacrificial altar. The US House and Senate regularly serves up one of its members to save face. Even the president has turned against one US military general in the Middle East. No one is ever immune from scapegoating. Both council members and the chief should be very wary of the dagger that awaits them but, of course, they won’t, lacking sufficient wit to comprehend the larger picture beyond the end of their noses, much less the betraying nature of humans, all consequential to the actions of bullies who, by odds that are never in their favor, eventually pick on the wrong persons. Woo, hoo, Roth. You’re one person I will never pick on.
Not to belittle all of my great achievements jackal (haha) here’s a (another) reason why Ron Paul is my hero!
http://youtu.be/Vgxgn4OO4J0
View for yourself in Chief of Police Jeff Gilberts own words his contempt for the law and the “Oath of Office” he took to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Arizona! Make up your own mind as to his competency to hold his office or even be trusted with a badge and gun.
You can even view the video in Chief Jeff Gilbert’s own word were be damn the Federal Laws and Federal Court rulings as he openly conveys to Jennifer Jade Jones, “If you don’t like it Jade take it to Federal Court”! IMHO, Gilbert would have been welcomed with open arms in 1938 Germany…
LINK:
http://www.aview.info/QTZ-Videos-08.html
Keep up the great work Paul!
You’re an ex cop, why do you think Jeff Gilbert still has his job? (and not in jail?) Is he a made man? Or is it just that nobody higher up gives a damn? Is this the new normal for “law enforcement”?
The Sheriff doesn’t care. The Attorney General really doesn’t care. Governor who? FBI? We sent him there for training so maybe they are on his side? You hear wild stories around town but with all of the videotaped evidence, why, just why is he still collecting a paycheck?
3/4th’s of his former cops turned on him, accused him of serious crimes, felonies even! They all get fired for blowing the whistle but El Jeffy keeps on keeping on.
The whole world can see on YouTube all of their criminal behavior, but just this week 5 of us were in court again. Same old same old….
Will there ever be justice?
I’d like to hear King Clapperton’s thoughts on this. Even if he does try for the “easy money” stupidvisor postition, not the more important Sheriff’s office, enquiring minds would like to know.
Roth, once a cop, always a cop! It’s like there are no ex-Marines, only Marines on non-duty status. As such, thanks to my training, experience, and studies I have a good idea what is behind Chief Jeff Gilbert still holding his job with the Quartzsite Police Officers that stepped forward to risk everything to report alleged criminal and ethical activity are not.
This is the last job in Law Enforcement IMHO that Chief Jeff Gilbert will ever hold. While there is a strong bond within the brotherhood of blue, you will not find any officers outside of the Quartzsite Police Department willing to speak up for him or back his actions. The Civil Liability is so overwhelming that they could find themselves at the very lease drug into both Criminal & Civil Courts to explain themselves trying not to become a co-defendant at the same time.
There is little doubt that the Town of Quartzsite is heading for bankruptcy along with additional Criminal Court action against the Town Council, Town manager Alex Taft, Asst-Man Al Johnson, with Chief Jeff Gilbert heading the list. With the latest moves to remove the Town Attorney, Prosecutor, and Parliamentarian Martin E. Brannan there will be little left legal wise to protect what most if not a majority feel is mass criminal behavior that reach from the Arizona Criminal Codes into the U.S. Federal Code!
The real losers here are the tax payers and property owners that will be left with the millions left behind in court judgments for every victim at the hands of Chief Jeff Gilbert, the Quartzsite Police Department, and Town Hall. Hard to make your house payments when you don’t have a job in the end and owe millions in damages. But why worry, they all will most likely end up with three hots and a cot in a far away federal prison. Rest assured, I’ll make damn sure that is will not be at a “Club Fed”!
One thing is for certain, if I had held the job of Sheriff of La Paz County, Chief Jeff Gilbert along with a number of his officers would be in my jail awaiting trial. As top Law Enforcement Officer for the County of La Paz I would have NEVER allowed this to happen in Quartzsite and go un-challenged! One can only wonder what Sheriff Don Lowery’s price was?
http://www.aview.info/QPD-QTZ10-00.html
http://www.aview.info/QTZ-TownOf-00.html
Yes, the citizens of Quartzsite wonder why Lowery did what he did. He says he will stay out of Quartzsite because we have the illustrious Herr Gilbert to protect us, but as soon as Our Great Leader Gilbert and America’s favorite turd, Joe Winslow, were able to convince traitor Judge Karen “Slaughtering The Law” Slaughter to illegally confiscate my guns, guess who showed up to take my guns? It wasn’t the local nazi’s but the Sheriff’s deputies. So Lowery can lie all he wants to the sheeple of this county, but I know the truth. He will do anything to back his establishment buddies, even if it means violating his oath of office.
So yes, one can only wonder what his price was! Hopefully the citizens of La Paz remember how he acted (or didn’t act) next election.
Here’s a solution to the county Sheriff problem…
http://youtu.be/H7aUrtroSk0