Archive for the ‘Rockford Police Department’ Category

Richard Wanke’s Appeal to the US Supreme Court!

Posted: September 3, 2020 by parchangelo in "Eyewitness Testimony", 2008 Clark murder investigation, Attorney Barton Henbest, Attorney Nick Zimmerman, Greg Clark, Greg Clark Murder, Greg Lindmark, Gregory Clark's murder, Gregory Lindmark, High profile criminal defense, IDOC, IL Dept of Corrections and Coronavirus, Police Misconduct, pro se litigant, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Richard Wanke, Richard's Cases, rockford attorney murder, Rockford Police Department, State's Attorney Joe Bruscato, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, The wrongful conviction of Richard Wanke, Winnebago County Public Defender, Winnebago County Public Defender Investigator Robert Faulkner, Wrongful Convictions
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Richard Wanke has recently submitted a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. The appeal filing was due this week after an extension was granted by the Court due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Writ was authored by the defendant pro se, meaning an attorney has not been appointed in this appeal thus far. Due to delays, the Clerk of the Court has indicated that in may be some time before a decision is rendered. The Court has assigned the appeal case number 20 – 5519 and the proceedings can be followed (here) and the Writ of Certiorari can be read here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/20-5519.html.

 

• A Writ of Certiorari asks the US Supreme Court to review legal disputes. The US Supreme Court is asked to review a large number of issues but only accepts for review about 1% of the cases submitted to it. The chance of Richard Wanke’s (or any defendant’s) Writ of Certiorari being accepted by the US Supreme Court is miniscule. While there are many issues of appeal in most criminal cases, the courts work to narrow review down to only a few issues in each case. A Writ of Certiorari is really the “Hail Mary” of the criminal appeal process and the last stage of trying to appeal issues present in court records. Most criminal appeals don’t win at this point but at the next stage, in a Post-Conviction Petition where the defendant, for the first time, has the chance to raise the issues which are NOT documented in the case record but which probably most directly resulted in the conviction.

 

Winnebago County Juvenile Assessment Center soon to be fully operational

Posted: April 5, 2017 by cworboy1493 in Greg Clark, Local Issues, Rockford Police Department, Sheriff Gary Caruana, Winnebago County, Winnebago County Court, Winnebago County finances, Winnebago County Jail
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It is past due time for staffing of the office. Obviously, it was of no real use without a deputy on duty.

“…Monday, the Rockford City Council OK’d a deal to pay the county $75,000 annually to fund the salary and benefits of a sheriff’s deputy who will be stationed noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Assessment Center housed in the Juvenile Justice Center at 211 S. Court St., the old Federal Courthouse.

Court officials said the presence of a deputy will speed up the process of returning the arresting officer to the streets and releasing juveniles back into the custody of their parents, or lodging them in the Juvenile Detention Center if necessary.

The deputy is described by Jakeway and Juvenile Probation Division supervisor John Papiernick as a vital cog in the assessment process. However, a deputy has been absent from the Assessment Center since September 2015 when the position was cut by Sheriff Gary Caruana because of budget constraints…”

http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170325/winnebago-county-juvenile-assessment-center-soon-to-be-fully-operational

 

 

Protected: How the Police Investigation of the Greg Clark Murder proves that Richard Wanke did not kill Greg Clark

Posted: March 8, 2017 by smallmouth63 in 2006 Burglary Case, 2008 Clark murder investigation, Attorney needed, Attorney needed: high-profile case, Diane Chavez, Greg Clark, Greg Clark Murder, Greg Lindmark, Gregory Clark's murder, Gregory Lindmark, High profile criminal defense, Richard Wanke, rockford attorney murder, Rockford Police Department, The wrongful conviction of Richard Wanke, Wrongful Convictions
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Protected: The Greg Clark Murder Trial Summation

Posted: March 5, 2017 by mikethemouth in "Eyewitness Testimony", 2006 Burglary Case, 2008 Clark murder investigation, Attorney needed, Diane Chavez, Greg Clark, Greg Clark Murder, Greg Lindmark, Gregory Clark's murder, High profile criminal defense, Richard Wanke, Richard's Cases, rockford attorney murder, Rockford Police Department, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, the Responsiblility of the Media, The wrongful conviction of Richard Wanke, Winnebago County, Winnebago County Court, Winnebago County Public Defender
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Protected: Trial Notes

Posted: March 1, 2017 by cworboy1493 in 2008 Clark murder investigation, Bad Cops, Greg Clark, Greg Clark Murder, Greg Lindmark, Gregory Clark's murder, Gregory Lindmark, High profile criminal defense, Richard Wanke, Richard's Cases, rockford attorney murder, Rockford Police Department

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Illinois Supreme Court adopts permanent policy for Extended Media Coverage in courtrooms | NowDecatur

Posted: October 25, 2016 by scaryhouse in 2008 Clark murder investigation, Diane Chavez, Greg Clark, Greg Clark Murder, Greg Lindmark, Gregory Clark's murder, Gregory Lindmark, High profile criminal defense, Richard Wanke, rockford attorney murder, Rockford Police Department, Uncategorized, Winnebago County Court
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Decatur – Today Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice, Rita B. Garman, announced that news cameras are permitted in Illinois courtrooms.   The decision comes after a four year pilot project which allowed media cameras in certain courtrooms on an experimental basis.   Macon County State’s Attorney, Jay Scott, says he’s not a big fan of the Extended Media Coverage or (EMC).   “I really wasn’t in favor of it when they came out with the idea of cameras in the courtroom,” says Scott. “After doing the one trial that’s been televised in Macon County it’s like we didn’t even know the cameras were there.”   Scott says that he thinks the cameras could create an uncomfortable atmosphere for witnesses.   “I think is some cases you’re going to have people not wanting to come to court to testify,” says Scott. “I think in those situations when you’re dealing with very dangerous criminals that are on trial it could have an intimidating effect on witnesses.”   According to the Illinois Supreme Court, the continued goal of promoting transparency, accountability and accessibility to the court system is why cameras were implemented in courtrooms.   Only 15 judicial circuits in the state of Illinois have been approved to use cameras in courtrooms. Those circuits that have not joined will not be forced to do so.   Chief Judge of the Sixth Judicial Court in Illinois, Dan Flannell, says that Macon County has been a part of the pilot project and will now be grandfathered in with the new policy to continue to have EMC in the courtrooms.

Source: Illinois Supreme Court adopts permanent policy for Extended Media Coverage in courtrooms | NowDecatur

John Horton, One case our State’s Attorney, Joe Bruscato, Should Instantly Drop Like a Hot-Potato!

Posted: October 15, 2016 by elizabethgeorge06 in Local Issues, Police Misconduct, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Rockford Police Department, State's Attorney Joe Bruscato, Terrible Wrongs - Other Cases, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, Winnebago County
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If he is any bit a humanitarian, State’s Attorney, Joe Bruscato should not waste a moment in reviewing and dismissing the prosecution of John Horton, and ending the 23 years of suffering which this man has endured.

 

http://www.rrstar.com/news/20161012/illinois-appellate-court-says-rockford-man-convicted-of-murder-entitled-to-new-trial

Rockford to scramble all police radio communication – News – Rockford Register Star – Rockford, IL

Posted: June 27, 2016 by scaryhouse in Local Issues, Rockford Police Department, the Responsiblility of the Media, Uncategorized, Winnebago County, Winnebago County Court
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By Jeff Kolkey Staff writer

Posted Jun. 24, 2016 at 12:14 PM
Updated Jun 24, 2016 at 5:37 PM

ROCKFORD — Digital scanners tuned to Rockford police channels will fall silent Aug. 1.

Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea is ordering all digital radio communications to be transmitted over only encrypted channels starting in August, preventing members of the public and news organizations from listening to police radio traffic. O’Shea said he is concerned about officer safety and individuals’ privacy rights and worries that open communication tips off criminals to police movements.

The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department may follow suit next year.”I’m not trying to hide anything,” O’Shea said today. “It’s not about cutting off the media or the public.”

O’Shea said technology had made it easier for criminals to glean information from police radio traffic that can thwart law enforcement, give suspects advanced notice of imminent law enforcement activity and compromise investigations.

The change to encrypted channels involves reprogramming police radios at virtually no cost, O’Shea said.Plans are for the department to continue keeping a police blotter, Facebook page and Twitter feed to disseminate information to the public.

O’Shea said the department plans to establish a dedicated news media hotline and create a 911 call log that journalists and the public can use to monitor criminal and police activity.It has not been determined how often the log will be updated and published. And O’Shea said it will be scrubbed of calls, such as child sex crimes and “certain domestics,” the police department determines are inappropriate to publish.

“With what we are putting in place, I feel very comfortable it won’t decrease our transparency,” O’Shea said.Don Craven, an attorney for the Illinois Press Association, said the shift to encrypted police communications is becoming more common in the state and in jurisdictions across the country. Police encryption raises the chance that the police department itself becomes the sole source of news and information about crime, he said.

“It’s going to make it very difficult to have immediate knowledge of what’s going on,” Craven said. “I’m not sure if this was designed to keep nosy reporters from knowing what’s going on, or if that’s an aftereffect.”

Source: Rockford to scramble all police radio communication – News – Rockford Register Star – Rockford, IL

Police officer retires Under Cloud & 2 others being investigated in alleged actions covering up an incident of police misconduct.

Posted: May 8, 2016 by mikethemouth in Jonathan Hedges, Rockford Police Department
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http://www.rrstar.com/news/20160430/exclusive-rockford-cops-firing-over-dui-arrest-entangles-three-other-officers

“…Eventually, the investigation of Hedges mushroomed until three more officers whom police commanders said had appeared to protect Hedges became the subject of internal investigations….”

Mentioned in the RRSTAR investigation about just one fellow-police officer response and incident by the Rockford Police Department are three other officers: Bruce Brannum, Rosemary Matthews and Leann Ness, who became the subjects of investigations by police Internal Affairs for their actions in possibly covering up alleged misconduct by officer Jonathan Hedges. The RRSTAR had to review hundreds of pages it obtained by FOIA from the police to piece together what happened when Hedges was found asleep or passed out in front of his house.

It is extraordinary and indicative of just how bad internal practices must be in the Rockford Police Department that head commanders have to force the issue in order to ensure that police officers are investigated and treated like ordinary citizens when they do wrong.

Bruce Brannum was one of the first responders to the Greg Clark murder scene in 2008. He reported to Greg Lindmark at the time. He may play a tangential role in Richard Wanke’s case and trial. However, his actions regarding the Hedges incident seem to indicate that his 35 years on the police force not only made him possibly susceptible to maintaining the “thin blue line” of silence about wrong-doing of fellow officers, but well-versed in taking the easy option out when under scrutiny; just retire to stop the questions. He allegedly smelled alcohol on Hedge’s breath. That should have sufficed to follow normal protocol. Instead he reached for the union first for Hedge’s benefit. It’s too bad that “retiring out”of  investigations is still allowed other places as well as locally. Police officer investigations should not be closed when officers retire. Any potential misconduct committed on the job should follow officers into private life same as holds true for the rest of us.