OpenCDA

April 9, 2012

“Hey! Let’s Be Careful Out There!”

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 4:00 am

“Hey!  Let’s be careful out there.” Those of us old enough to remember the 1980’s television series “Hill Street Blues” will likely recall that heartfelt admonition at the end of the shift’s roll call by Hill Street police precinct SGT Phil Esterhaus (actor Michael Conrad).  Everyone in the Recall CdA effort as well as those who just as passionately oppose the recall and are intent on undermining it need to listen, too.

Lawful recall and anti-recall actions are protected by the Idaho Constitution and by Idaho statutes.  Everyone involved in the recall or anti-recall efforts needs to be extremely careful to not violate the protected rights and privileges of others.   Those violations may manifest themselves as criminal violations of law. (more…)

April 7, 2012

Almost Ready…!

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 9:46 am

Recall CdA Headquarters (click to enlarge)

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With the addition of the outdoor sign, the Recall CdA Headquarters at 296 W. Sunset Avenue, Suite 21, Coeur d’Alene, ID, is almost ready to open.  It is in the Sunset Village mall next to Wild Birds Unlimited and Las Chevelas Mexican Restaurant and is easily seen from US 95.  The most convenient street entrance is from Bosanko, then turn into the parking lot.

 

April 6, 2012

“Color of Law”

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 1:21 pm

The Coeur d’Alene Press online is reporting that, “The Coeur d’Alene Police Association … does not support the effort to recall Coeur d’Alene City Council members McEvers, Kennedy, Goodlander and Mayor Bloem, and that they ‘strongly support’ the officials for their continued work on behalf of the city.”

All public employees including police officers have exactly the same rights as all other citizens, and OpenCdA encourages them to exercise those rights freely and lawfully.

OpenCdA also wishes to remind the members of the Coeur d’Alene Police Association that like any other citizen involved in the recall or anti-recall efforts, law enforcement officers are also bound by Idaho Code §34-1714, §18-2001. and §18-1701 among others.  Beyond that, since they are public officials, law enforcement officers must be especially careful not to violate  Title 18, US Code, Section 242 – Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law(more…)

April 5, 2012

When Was That?

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 8:47 pm

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In its online article today headlined Republican group announces endorsements, the Coeur d’Alene Press quoted Brad Corkill, representing the North Idaho Political Action Committee, as saying, ” “Last but not least, Mr. [John] Green has served as legal counsel for Phil Hart, which calls into question how he would interpret and enforce the law as sheriff.”

When did John Green, candidate for Kootenai County sheriff, represent Phil Hart as Hart’s legal counsel?  Corkill’s statement implies that Green is an attorney, however the Idaho State Bar shows no attorney listing for John Green.

 

April 4, 2012

Recall CdA Qualifying Petitions Delivered

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 12:00 pm

Between 70 and 80 supporters of the movement to recall four Coeur d’Alene city officials demonstrated in a springtime snow storm in front of Coeur d’Alene City Hall today.  Three  apparent supporters of the Coeur d’Alene Mayor and council members targeted for recall held up signs as a counterdemonstration.  At 10 a.m. Frank Orzell and Jim Ballew delivered the prospective petitions to City Clerk Susan Weathers.  She will examine them to determine if they meet the prescribed format for recall petitions.  The Kootenai County Clerk will then determine the validity of the 20 signatures on each of the petitions.  Weathers will notify Frank Orzell of the outcome of the examination.

In the meantime, here are a few photos of the event this morning at Coeur d’Alene City Hall. (more…)

What a Recall Election Is — and Isn’t

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 10:20 am

The formal process to recall Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Mayor Sandi Bloem, Council President Mike Kennedy, Councilman Deanna Goodlander, and Councilman Woody McEvers has begun with the submission of prospective petitions of recall to the Coeur d’Alene City Clerk.

A local recall election in Idaho is just that:  an election.  It is a political process in which the registered electors in a jurisdiction petition for the right to hold a special election to recall one or more officials. (more…)

Process to Recall Coeur d’Alene Mayor, City Councilmen Begins

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 12:01 am

The formal process to recall Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Mayor Sandi Bloem, Council President Mike Kennedy, Councilman Deanna Goodlander, and Councilman Woody McEvers has begun.

Recall CdA, Inc., a local community action organization, announced in a news release that on Wednesday, April 4, it will file prospective petitions to recall the four City officials.  The reason given for recalling each official is, “By the power granted to the people in Article I, Section 2 of the Idaho Constitution, we the voters of Coeur d’Alene deem it necessary to recall [Mayor Sandi Bloem][Councilman Mike Kennedy][Councilman Deanna Goodlander][Councilman Woody McEvers].” (more…)

April 3, 2012

Good Book Worth Reading

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 7:48 am

(click image to enlarge)

I’ve just finished reading Tim Weiner’s most recent book, “Enemies — A History of the FBI.”  It is by no means an easy read, but it seems to be a fair minded treatment of the Bureau from its inception to the present.    Weiner seemed intent on supplying historical context to many of the Bureau’s actions, including those which resulted in the violations of some individuals’ civil liberties.

The book is not a biography of the FBI’s longest serving Director, John Edgar Hoover, although it would have been impossible for Weiner to recount the Bureau’s history without including the social, political, and economic philosophies of the man who shaped the FBI and led it for 40 years.   The presidents whom Hoover’s FBI served under were in many instances perfectly willing to violate civil liberties to achieve their own social, political, and economic ends.  So were some US Supreme Court justices with whom Hoover regularly tangled and whose decisions he on occasion ignored for what he believed, rightly or wrongly, to be the greater good of the country.

Author Tim Weiner summarized his book succinctly in an April 1 Politico op-ed post titled FBI’s Historic Tug of War –  Security vs. Liberty.

The book is available on loan from the Hayden Branch library or for purchase from major booksellers.

April 1, 2012

New Website Looks At Kootenai County Republican Party Factions

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: — Bill @ 7:07 am

There is a new website, Chuckle Berries Online, that focuses on factions in the Kootenai County Republican Party.  The website’s tagline is “… because liberals make us laugh!”

In February we pointed OpenCdA readers to another website, Disclosure Kootenai County.

Weblogs like Chuckle Berries Online, Disclosure Kootenai County, and OpenCdA exist partly because our local news/views/skews media fail to deliver information that people want and in some cases need to be better informed citizens.  The dead-tree journalists are whistling past the graveyard replete with headstones of deceased newspapers.   Weblogs do not represent a threat to the socially acceptable J-school journalists.  Many are an effort to nudge dead-tree journalism away from its death march.

March 30, 2012

Here Come the Judge(s)

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 11:14 am

The Idaho Supreme Court will convene in Coeur d’Alene from April 2 through April 6, then again from April 30 through May 1.  All Court sessions will be in the Kootenai County Courthouse, Courtroom #1.  The hearings are at 8:50, 10:00 and 11:10 each morning. Court hearings are open to the public, and according to the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Courtroom #1 seats about 60 spectators.

Case summaries for those cases already calendared are available on the Idaho Supreme Court website.  Case summaries for the April 30-May 1 hearings will be posted three weeks before the hearings.

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