Now THIS Is Emabarassing....

[Lord Jim]

Former “sheriff of the year” arrested and sent to jail named after him

Every civil servant wants to experience his or her legacy firsthand--but not the way that onetime Arapahoe Sheriff Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. has. Sullivan, a nationally renowned law enforcement leader, was arrested on drug charges and is now being detained in the Denver area jail that bears his name.

Sullivan, who in 2001 was named the National Sheriff Association's "Sheriff of the Year," was arrested on suspicion of trafficking methamphetamines.

Local news station CBS4 began an investigation of Sullivan last month on a tip that he had agreed to meet a male informant, providing drugs in exchange for sex. He was subsequently arrested by the South Metro Drug Task Force and is currently being held on a $250,000 bond.

And in an incredible twist of fate, Sullivan now cooling his heels at The Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. Detention Facility, named in his honor.

"The allegations of criminal behavior involving Pat Sullivan are extraordinarily disturbing," said Grayson Robinson, Arapahoe County's current sheriff. "While the arrest of the former sheriff is very troubling, no one, and particularly a former peace officer, is above the law. This is the most shocking thing I've ever been involved with."

Sullivan, 68, has been retired for nine years, but had been serving as director of safety and security for Cherry Creek Schools.

"This is a very sad time for the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and our community," Robinson said. The CBS4 report also found that for several years Sullivan has posted bond for multiple suspects held in drug cases at jail facilities across the state.

As recently as 2008, Sullivan was an active participant in state and local methamphetamine task forces, helping Colorado draft a plan to deal with the surge in meth-related crime.[apparently, his strategy involved cornering the market ]

In 1995 President Bill Clinton named Sullivan to the National Commission on Crime Prevention and Control. According to a 1995 White House news release, Sullivan was a consultant to U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime and served on two advisory councils affiliated with the Department of Justice.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/fo ... 54700.html

I have to admit, the first time I read this story, I laughed my ass off...It has so many comedic elements to it...

But when I thought about it, there was one thing I was curious about....

The amount of the bail...

There are a couple of key things about this I freely admit I don't know...

First, the story doesn't make clear how much meth this guy had...

Second, I don't know how the Colorado statutes define "trafficking" regarding meth....

Maybe possession of a few grams constitutes "trafficking" (though one would think that even in that case the charge would be "intent to distribute"

But it seems to me that just looking at this on it's face, given the information provided, having meth on hand for the purpose of exchanging it for sex, would be pretty far down on the "trafficking" scale...

Add to that the fact that they surely didn't consider the guy to be a flight risk, and a 250K bail seems a little stiff (no pun intended) to me, for someone who's crime was exchanging drugs for sex....

I've made very clear that when it comes to members of law enforcement abusing or violating the trust and power they are granted to act criminally, I'm all for throwing the book at them...

But unless there's going to be another shoe dropping, that isn't what we have here....

This guy isn't accused of having done anything improper under color of authority while serving in law enforcement....

The charges here involve activity as a private citizen, nine years after he retired...

Of course the staggering hypocrisy of this man raises a stench worse than a Marmite factory....

But hypocrisy isn't a crime....

So I wonder if the bail amount doesn't reflect more a visceral sense of anger and betrayal, than it does the seriousness of the crime....

[Scooter]

I suspect the high bail reflects the potential length of the sentence. Federal law imposes a mandatory minimum of 10 years (up to life) for simple possession of more than 50g of crystal meth; I imagine the threshold quantity is substantially lower for trafficking. I'm guessing the trafficking charge resulted from actually meeting the informant to efffect the exchange. And he may have been in possession of a lot more than the amount he intended to exchange for sex.

[Lord Jim]

I suspect the high bail reflects the potential length of the sentence.

That's a good point...

The big missing piece in this story is the amount of meth he had...

Also, if he was facing a long minimum, his own age (68) could have played a role in the bail too....

Ten years is a lot of remaining quality lifetime for the average 68 year old...

[Andrew D]

According to this, the total amount of methamphetamine Sullivan was found with was less than one gram.

But there is reportedly much more going on here:

DENVER (CBS4) – Several methamphetamine users say former Arapahoe County Sheriff Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. repeatedly provided them with methamphetamine, which they smoked, sometimes at Sullivan’s home.

“We have all been at his house while his wife was gone, sitting in his garage smoking dope,” said William Hadley, a meth user and close associate of the former Sheriff. “I mean we’ve sat at Cheesman Park in his (Sullivan’s) SUV and smoked the F— out of a lot of dope.”

His comments were videotaped by Jonathan Elinoff, a producer for radio talk show host Tom Martino. The tapes were obtained by CBS4 Nov. 23.

Authorities arrested the 68-year-old former sheriff Tuesday afternoon at an Aurora home after they say he attempted to trade methamphetamine for a sex act from a male acquaintance.

Sullivan is being held on $500,000 bail in the Arapahoe County Jail, which is named after the retired sheriff. He is being held on a single felony drug distribution count, but current Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson says more charges are expected.

“Pat has bought dope for several people I do know,” Hadley said, “to help get them in the mood.”

Hadley acknowledged performing a sex act in front of Sullivan.

“I (masturbated) in front of him at his request,” Hadley said.

Hadley said he met Sullivan through friends in 2006. The two became close, with Sullivan alternately helping Hadley and providing him and others with illegal drugs.

“He buys them drugs in order for them to take their clothes off. That’s the power he has over them, their addiction,” said a second man interviewed by Elinoff on videotape about Sullivan.

The 29-year-old man told Elinoff Sullivan met gay young men at Denver’s Cheesman Park. He said he met Sullivan when he was a teenager.

“Did Sullivan ever try to take advantage of you?” the man is asked.

“Yes,” he responded.

“How old were you?”

“Fourteen or 15,” the man said.

Sullivan has declined media requests for an interview.

[dales]

Sex for Speed?



The old cocker looks like viagra might be better alternative.

[Gob]

Of course the staggering hypocrisy of this man raises a stench worse than a Marmite factory....

Brewery Jim, Brewery....

[Lord Jim]

Brewey Jim, Brewery....

I was originally going to go with "rendering plant"....

I was trying to be kind...

[Gob]

Here she is, in all her healthy food producing glory!

[Sean]

Gawd bless 'er!

*sniff*

[Lord Jim]

My, how very appropriate...

I knew that looked familiar...

[BoSoxGal]

For shame, LJ!

'Emabarassing'?

[Lord Jim]

There is of course, one important difference...

While both produce a toxic waste product, one also produces something useful....

Energy...

[Sean]

Be fair Jim.

Power plants produce a certain amount of energy too...

[dgs49]

How embarassing is it to misspell the word "emabarassing" in such a post?

Not terribly, I suspect.

Correct me if I'm wrong kids, but THEORETICALLY, the amount of bail is supposed to be based on the flight risk, and nothing else. Bail ensures that the defendant will show up for the trial. Does the accused have a job, roots in the community, a house that he owns, local spouse and family, that sort of thing. The severity of the crime and the potential sentence is only relevant to the extent that it impacts the flight risk. That is to say, someone with significant resources and a strong connection with the community might be inclined to leave town to avoid further prosecution if he were looking potentially at 20 years in the slammer.

Mustn't forget the presumption of innocence.

Under the circumstances, I'd say the judge set bail high enough that the defendant would be financially ruined if he skipped.

[Scooter]

You are absolutely correct Dave, all of those factors should only affect bail to the extent that they bear on the risk that the accused will not show up for trial. If I gave any other impression with my comments it was unintentional.

[Lord Jim]

How embarassing is it to misspell the word "emabarassing" in such a post?

Not terribly, I suspect.

Actually, it's pretty embarrassing...



But probably not half as embarrassing as misspelling embarrassing while pointing out somebody else misspelling "embarrassing...."



http://www.how-do-you-spell.com/embarass

[BoSoxGal]

Bail is not only about flight risk issues; it's also about community protection.

[Sean]

How embarassing is it to misspell the word "emabarassing" in such a post?

Actually, I think you'll find that Jim spelt 'emabarassing' perfectly.

[loCAtek]

Not what they meant?

[dgs49]

BSG, doesn't "community protection" imply an assumption of guilt?

I recognize that in notorious cases involving heinous acts, the judge may inflate the bail to avoid a public outcry, but in theory s/he is constrained by the presumption of innocence and it SHOULD be set at a level that merely "guarantees" the defendant's presence at trial.

But I defer to your experience if I'm mis-reading what I've observed over the years. I'm just a spectator to the criminal justice system.