Standoff ends safely; suspect arrested

◼ Hours-long standoff ends safely; suspect arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon
Shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, Eureka Police Department officers spotted Michael Gene Wilson, who was wanted both for parole violations and on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence, driving on Broadway, according to Sgt. Steve Watson.

Watson said Wilson was wanted in relation to an incident that occurred Tuesday, when he allegedly assaulted a woman with a vehicle, prompting a countywide alert.

The parole officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Watson said, but Wilson allegedly fled and a low-speed pursuit ensued. Eventually, Wilson's Red Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck “became disabled” in the area near Ocean View Cemetery, according to a Humboldt County Sheriff's Office press release. Wilson then fled on foot through the cemetery, Watson said.

EPD officers set up a perimeter and called in a K-9 unit, which eventually tracked Wilson to the vicinity of the 4100 block of Wieler Road, Watson said. Patrol officers and officers from the Problem Oriented Policing unit then canvassed the area, Watson said, adding that they developed information that the suspect was hiding in an inhabited residence on the block.

At that point, Watson said, officers contacted the residence's primary resident,and removed him from the house, set up a perimeter and called the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office for assistance. Watson said officers also attempted to talk the suspect into surrendering for a couple of hours before the SWAT team arrived.

No luck yet searching for his priors Michael Wilson is a common name and, for Humboldt at least, returns mostly results for an unrelated Harbor Commissioner.

Oh boy, a chance to prosecute a cop...

Rapists and murderers get deals. Let's see what happens here...

◼ Sheriff's deputy faces child endangerment charges, nine years in prison for fireworks accident

Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos announced Wednesday that his office is charging a Humboldt County Sheriff's deputy with felony child endangerment for his role in a July 4 fireworks accident that seriously injured a 10-year-old girl.
Joe Marsh, who was off duty at the time of the incident, has been charged with felony child endangerment, a special allegation of inflicting great bodily injury while committing a felony and possession of dangerous fireworks without a permit. If convicted on all counts, Marsh faces a maximum of nine years in prison. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Jan. 21.

Added - RELATED:
◼ Humboldt County deputy pleads not guilty to child endangerment; arraigned in July 4 fireworks accident case 1/26/2011
◼ Arraignment for sheriff's deputy pushed back 1/22/2011
◼ Cal Fire Fourth of July fireworks accident report in District Attorney's hands; injured girl's mother hopes for accountability and awareness 12/21/2010
◼ Head over heels for local girl: Community comes together at Cartwheels for Jessi 8/01/2010
◼ Cartwheels for Jessi: Fundraiser planned for girl injured in July 4 fireworks accident 7/30/2010
◼ Cal Fire investigating July 4 fireworks accident; Sheriff's deputy, 10-year-old girl reportedly still hospitalized 7/17/2010
◼ Off-duty Humboldt County deputy, 10-year-old girl hospitalized after July 4 fireworks accident 7/07/2010

Rape - yet another PLEA DEAL

◼ DA's Office reaches plea deal in van rape case

A Dunsmuir man charged with raping a woman while she was unconscious in the back of his van pleaded guilty Wednesday in a plea deal and was sentenced to three years in prison with five years of parole after his release.

Benjamin Roland Baszler, 25, {note - a registered sex offender, has previously been charged with lewd or lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, according to the Megan's Law website.} was arrested Dec. 4 after Humboldt County Sheriff's Office deputies found him in his blue Chevrolet Astro van parked along Highway 299 with an unconscious woman in the back. He was charged with having intercourse with a person who is unconscious or incapable of resisting and having intercourse with a person who is prevented from resisting because of an intoxicating substance or controlled substance.

Baszler originally pleaded not guilty earlier this week to the two rape charges and was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Deputy District Attorney Kelly Neel said the Arcata Police Department was able to locate a key witness Tuesday afternoon, which led to the plea deal.

Neel said the witness' statements supported Baszler's account of the evening and the case became a question of whether Baszler should have known that the victim was too intoxicated to consent.

We're right back to business as usual with this DA. The voters in Arcata and SoHum can be so proud.

◼ Dunsmuir man's hearing on rape charges delayed

Due to the volume of cases in Judge Harold Neville's courtroom Tuesday, the case was moved back one day.

◼ Dunsmuir man accused of rape pleads not guilty

◼ DA's Office reaches plea deal in van rape case

This conviction will be Baszler's second under the “three strikes” law. If he commits another offense, he could serve 25 years to life in state prison.

He was convicted in 2005 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 in Nevada County, Calif. He also has a felony marijuana possession conviction and a conviction for failure to appear in court.

◼ Court denies bail for Blue Lake rape suspect

”There was other evidence in the van that indicated that there had been other sexual activity,” Godsey said. “Whether or not there were other victims we don't know. There was just enough evidence to raise some concern that there could be other victims.”

◼ Dunsmuir man arrested, charged with rape
The Humboldt County Sheriff's Department is looking for information after a Dunsmuir man was arrested and charged with rape of an unconscious victim on Saturday, the Times-Standard has learned.

Deputies arrested Benjamin Roland Baszler shortly after 11 p.m., after conducting a vehicle investigation on a blue Chevrolet Astro Van parked along Highway 299, according to a press release. Baszler, a registered sex offender, has previously been charged with lewd or lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, according to the Megan's Law website.

Humboldt County Sheriff's spokeswoman Brenda Godsey said Baszler told officers he had just finished having sex with a woman in the back of the van, who he said was sleeping when officers initially questioned him.

Through the van windows, officers saw a woman lying motionless, and she did not respond when the officers tapped on the windows, according to the release. Officers then asked Baszler to open the sliding door, and he agreed.

Officers then attempted to wake the woman, who remained unconscious. Officers continued to try to wake the woman, who eventually was able to open her eyes but was disoriented, and said that she did not know Baszler or how she got into the van....

◼ California Registered Sex Offender

Ken Miller has lost it

No Photoshopping necessary, bugs. THIS is how its done.

◼  Ahoy for now
As commodore, I felt compelled both to welcome my shipmates to the War-finger and to clarify certain high level policies my inferiors are not privy (sic) to.

Like Wikileaks, the FEIS is filled with embarrassing facts my subordinates cannot discuss (besides, leaks is a Navy no-no).... it gets better...

Has anyone been able to read this all the way through? WTF is he saying? Can you decipher it?

No matter how you've tried to hide it

”His positions are extreme,” Bird said, “he is a divisive force in this county.”

◼ Coastal turmoil: Cities won't nominate (Mark) Lovelace for coastal commissioner seat

Two Californias

◼ Abandoned farms, Third World living conditions, pervasive public assistance -- welcome to the once-thriving Central Valley.

Note to pot growers

Frosty mornings are a dead giveaway.

Congratulations, Mitch.

◼ Humboldt County Election Transparency Project officials to be honored by nonprofit
The Grace Institute for Election Integrity will honor five election officials -- including three from Humboldt County -- for working to create safer, more transparent elections.
The nonprofit institute recently announced that Humboldt County Registrar of Voters Carolyn Crnich, along with Humboldt County Election Transparency Project pioneers Mitch Trachtenberg and Kevin Collins, will be honored today with the Award for Excellent Innovations in the Field of Election Transparency and Integrity....

Or the headline could have said "First Native American Supervisor in the County - in the State!"

◼ Hoopa propelled Sundberg's victory; Close race seemingly decided by high turnout in the valley

Instead, the tone here is very interesting - and telling.

Oh. Wait. There was a DA's race? Gee. Let's cover it now.

◼ Arcata, So Hum carried Gallegos to victory; DA race results varied widely based on geography

More low hanging fruit.

Lisa Derrick's deliberately and despicably ignorant piece at Huffington Post

◼ CA Elections: Gallegos Wins DA Race in Humboldt County - Huffington Post

In September, the Humboldt County DA's office negotiated a huge settlement against Skilled Health Group for their neglect of senior citizens. The DA's office also successfully prosecuted a wrongful death case under new California case law, winning a large judgment for the widow of a bicyclist struck and killed by a motorist. And this being Humboldt, Gallegos crafted thoughtful, responsible guidelines for medical marijuana growing.

I interviewed Gallegos before the election and was impressed by his vision of stewardship for the land, water and residents, his belief in personal responsibility and his support of self-determination. He also strives to marshal the resources of the DA's office to best serve the county's residents and by extension the state and nation (The Skilled Health Case affected nursing homes in four California counties and seven states, and his measured approached to medical marijuana could serve as a model for other states confronting the same challenges)....

...While Gallegos's vision reaches beyond the boundaries of Humboldt County, he is very focused on the overarching needs of the community. Gallegos' win, coupled with Kamala Harris' victory as Attorney General, maintains California as a progressive state geared towards the betterment of its populace through a judicious approach....

Consider this, Lisa - if he was all that - Baykeeper/EPIC/ERF would hire him. They won't. For all the hype, they know he ain't up to snuff.

George Shieman, another Gallegos cheerleader, called to tell me he thought Kamala Harris should appoint Gallegos to fill her old seat.

I say "GO FOR IT!!!" God, I so hope you're successful. The sooner the better.

***

Let's recap:
Gallegos' real role in the Skilled Healthcare case... a minor role at best, though he reportedly spent many days sitting in the courtroom so that he could claim to be a part of it... no reporter has yet asked him the question Paul Hagen posed:
... Three private law firms initiated the Skilled Healthcare case and again did most of the work, but in his ads Gallegos takes full credit. His ads are neither true nor ethical.

If you really want the truth about Gallegos’ professional ethics, inquire of him why the other affected DA’s and the Attorney General all refused to join in his Skilled Healthcare settlement due to their ‘ethical concerns’ over his use of secret settlement monies and more. Ask Gallegos himself to explain directly, honestly and openly the formal rebuke he has received from the California District Attorneys Association for his unprofessional use of DA authority in settling that case. Go ahead, ask him to explain honestly and directly. He won’t. That would require real courage and the capacity to tell the truth regardless. He has neither.

Ms. Derrick does not care about the facts, she is spouting pure shameless unadulterated propaganda. It is revolting, dishonest and despicable.

And there's more glowing rhetoric at her other site: ◼ Humboldt County Thanksgiving: Paul Gallegos Wins DA Race - Lisa Derrick/LaFiga/FireDogLake - OH LOOK, it's FireDogLake, it really must be about right vs left after all. /(sarc)

She's closed the comments there - so there's no opportunity to provide some honest information to her readers - such as the fact that Gallegos' case against Palco went down in FLAMES every time it managed to get into court - yes, she goes back in time to bring that up to polish his pathetic resume.

The facts are here, lady. I suggest you do a little reading.

◼ GALLEGOS WINS: Blogger vows jihad 4 more years - "heraldo"
◼ The propagandist responds
The facts are still here lady. What happened when Gallegos' PL suit finally made its last ditch effort to make it to trial, when he appealed his joke of a case all the way to the CA Supreme Court? They laughed, Lisa. The justices laughed. But you wouldn't know that. What happened with Gallegos up in Del Norte County, Lisa? You wouldn't know that either. What has happened to the CAST Program here under Gallegos, Lisa? You wouldn't know that either. Thanks for the link, though, it's always nice to let a broader audience know what is really going on here.

Phenomenon

◼ Eye of the storm: The jaw-dropping image of an enormous 'supercell' cloud Lots more shots at the link.

But the reason may be in the Dec. 15 commission meeting in San Francisco

◼ Governor eyes pair of Coastal Commission appointments
... “Why is he rushing to make these appointments? That’s the question on everyone’s mind,” said Susan Jordan of the Coastal Protection Network. “He called for the list (for the Central Coast) in October, well before there was even an opening.”

The governor’s move has raised eyebrows, in part because he is making the appointments himself rather than allowing his successor to do it and because Schwarzenegger, viewed in the Capitol as seeking to polish his environmental legacy, wants to exert some measure of control over the powerful commission as he departs office.

“It was curious why he would act before the new governor came in. It usually is considered protocol that the new governor make the appointments,” Jordan added....

As for the local situation... Lovelace and Neely overreached. Again.