I received a nice email tonight, expressing appreciation for the blogs that Cal Skinner, Dave Bachmann and I write.
The sender commented that Nygren supporters are desperate and they then must resort to attacking the bloggers and authors of Letters to the Editor.
I have reason to believe that employees throughout the Sheriff's Department and, in fact, the McHenry County Government Center are watching what is taking place in the court in Rockford. Employees are concerned about the allegations being made and want the truth revealed. Most know that they'd better keep their thoughts to themselves, for fear of retaliation and retribution from command personnel.
The command personnel would obviously be fearful for their own positions and incomes. Had a change in the name on the door of the big office on the second floor taken place on December 1st, a fair number of them might found themselves demoted or kicked out the door, or they might have taken an early retirement to avoid reduced rank or termination. And, worse if they have been involved in any way with the actions that are alleged.
And when a change does take place before the next election in November, 2014, the County Board may have a difficult time finding a squeaky-clean Republican successor for the Office of Sheriff. It may have to go outside the Department and maybe even outside the County for the right man to clean house.
Being fearful to comment is an untenable position for an employee.
What's coming out in court has nothing to do with the election just past. I don't know one candidate who is angry about the sheriff's race. Zane Seipler got 1/3 of the vote in the Republican Primary; that's very commendable. Mike Mahon got 36.5% of the vote in the General Election; that's an excellent showing. I'm certainly not "angry" at my showing of 4,644 votes (5.04%).
It is a very sad sign that employees are afraid to comment. It is obvious to me that the Sheriff will want to see heads roll as additional court dates draw near.
If anyone should be angry, it's the People of McHenry County. There have every right to be angry that the sheriff since 1997 has conducted himself as he has.
Will Nygren now try to smear and discredit Deputy Milliman? The minions at the Department have already started. Deputy Milliman will do well to make no comments whatsoever and to save them for court.
Nygren made an idiotic statement to the Northwest Herald reporter, when he said, "Allegations are just allegations..." No, they aren't "just" allegations. Will all the perps in the County now be saying, "Oh, they're just allegations. No big deal."
Big Marengo Barn Burns
2 hours ago
7 comments:
Your bias appears to be showing through again. Surprise, surprise!
You say "Nygren made an idiotic statement to the Northwest Herald reporter, when he said, "Allegations are just allegations..." No, they aren't "just" allegations." This stuff about murders, smuggling illegals, etc all appear to be single source accusations with, thus far, absolutely nothing to back them up. You said you've never met Milliman so it would be hard for you to have the inside information that he claims to have. You're reading the same old, same old that the rest of us get to read. So let's say "that's it! All we have is his word, no evidence, no corroboration, no video and no bodies!" Nygren is somehow wrong because he says "this is just an allegation" while you, apparently, feel that it's something more. What is it, Gus? If it's not an allegation is it a conviction? A fact? A wish come true for you?
If Bachmann suddenly turns on you (and lord knows there were a couple of items in his blog where it appeared he was set to eat Horwitz and, maybe, Seipler) and publishes on his blog that he KNOWS you're drug dealer, a sex offender and a wife beater, what is that? Is that an allegation? or is that fact? I assume your response is that it's a LIE! Can not an allegation - which any reasonable person will agree is just that absent a trial and/or corroborating evidence - be a lie? Sure it can. Can it be the truth? Sure it can. But until it's PROVEN, an allegation is just an allegation. Your move.
Steve, thanks for your comments.
An interesting phenomenon occurs in court. Allegations don't get proven. Evidence is presented; statements are made under oath.
And then a judge or jury decides. Were they persuaded by the evidence and testimony?
Or did they get "sold"? Too often it's a matter of which side had the better salesmen.
I attended a 3-day trial four years ago where the State's Attorney's staff was clearly the better salesmen. They were emotional, flamboyant and made improper statements, even after being warned by the judge not to do so. The defense attorneys were rational, logical, unemotional.
The defense attorneys were playing badminton; the State was out on the field playing rugby. The State "sold" the jury. The defendant was convicted.
I wish I had an emotional, flamboyant lawyer making improper statements, even after being warned by the judge not to do so. My ex-wife did and thats why I she gold mine and I got the shaft....
Missed a word
I wish I had an emotional, flamboyant lawyer making improper statements, even after being warned by the judge not to do so. My ex-wife did and that’s why I she got the gold mine and I got the shaft....
Seems to me that you have to fight fire with fire, which is exactly how forest fires are fought. Firefighters don't haul waterlines into canyons.
Of course, they do use slurry bombers. I wonder how effective they are, for what they must cost.
Never go to a gun fight with a knife. When you are hiring a lawyer, if you need a fighter, you'd better get one. Get one who puts his clients first; his friends (if he has any), second.
GUS SAID:
"a fair number of them might found themselves demoted or kicked out the door, or they might have taken an early retirement to avoid reduced rank or termination."
Never Gus. Repeat NEVER. ONLY appointed positions may worry such as Undersheriff, Jail Chief and maybe Dep Chief. Everyone else is SECURE. MERIT Rules protect them.
Under your senario, any new election results in new people. Wrong, thats why there is a MERIT SYSTEM. City police have the Police and Fire (Civil Service) Board. State POlice are also under a MERIT system.
I will say that some may change the hat they are wearing. In LAKE CTY when the new Sheriff took over a few years ago several Sgt's & Lt's were moved from nice plum positions to midnight patrol assignments etc. Curren took care of his boyz but you can't demote them or affect their pay.
From what I hear the deputies listed in the Rockford Federal Case are all deputies that never really tried to be good cops and just wanted to badge. There are some deputies that were kicked out of detectives or K-9 or other nice positions and now play U-boat commander.
I don't hear any deputies that fear anything. The ones I talk to think it is a joke. I'd take a job at the MCSO in a heart beat. If they start to lateral in experience so you don't start at rookie pay then maybe I'll switch.
"Will Nygren now try to smear and discredit Deputy Milliman? The minions at the Department have already started."
I don't know what Nygren can do. He has Milliman making these now public statements. I doubt Nygren will give him a promotion and tell everyone what a great guy he is since Milliman is bad mouthing everyone at the MCSO.
Minions, is that a mini onion?
When Milliman paints the department in such a bad light, of course people (the minions) will turn on him. Most kept him at arms length anyway. He's really burning bridges.
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