"After the barn door has been shut, he's complaining about the horses getting loose," Bohn said. "The best thing that comes out of this is, with a new DA coming in, maybe they will be more financially sophisticated to work with the monies that are provided as we work out of these tough times that we've had."

◼ District attorney, Humboldt County officials disagree on office staffing - Will Houston

First District Supervisor and board Chairman Rex Bohn said the district attorney's office's General Fund allocation has increased by 67 percent since the 2004-2005 budget year.

"He's got about 20 percent more funding in the last 10 years than the public defender's office," Bohn said. "When you're talking discretionary funding, Paul gets between 5 to 6 percent of our discretionary money that is available. To say we don't care about public safety, it's disingenuous at the best and pretty false in the long run."

The Board of Supervisors recently voted to place a sales tax measure on the November ballot that would primarily be used to fund public safety services, such as the sheriff's office and district attorney's office.

With the 2014-2015 county budget already set, Bohn said Gallegos claims come too late.

"After the barn door has been shut, he's complaining about the horses getting loose," Bohn said. "The best thing that comes out of this is, with a new DA coming in, maybe they will be more financially sophisticated to work with the monies that are provided as we work out of these tough times that we've had."
_____________________
NOTE - "humboldtturtle" commented on the Times-Standard's article, a typical knee-jerk-defend-Gallegos-at-all-cost approach: Do I get this right? Rex is saying his sophisticated answer to the county's financial problems is to raise taxes. Gallegos says allocate your funds more wisely instead, and is called a liar for it? I wish t'was bohn were gohn...

The response: Oh, c'mon, humboldtturtle, you know FULL WELL that Gallegos has mismanaged that office. A Grand Jury pointed out YEARS ago that ""Weak leadership and poor managerial practices" have undermined the office... Implicit in all evidence gathered by the Grand Jury - including interviews with the D.A. - is the unfortunate truth that the D.A. exhibits a limited understanding of how things are done in the department" Gallegos "lacks the global perspective needed to keep the department operating efficiently," and quotes an unnamed staff member as saying, "The D.A. does not fully understand the functionality of many of the things we do here" - Years later, in his own words: "I’m not an administrator, they didn’t elect me to be an administrator, they elected me to make sure this office runs..."

It wasn't even in dispute during the last election, EVERY SINGLE CANDIDATE POINTED TO THE UTTER DETERIORATION. Gallegos lost, fired, or drove away all of the County's top prosecutors and has been utterly unable to replace them.

Gallegos has lost the grants that are critical to funding the office. You know this, and so should the author of this article.

Yet now, Gallegos accuses everyone else of not having their priorities in order.

That's just sick.
_____________________
And, btw, Will Houston STILL, apparently, has not done his homework.

WHY did Gallegos not fill the positions as they became open, Will? The money did not evaporate.

So much for the idea that The Times-Standard will EVER do any decent reporting when it comes to Paul Gallegos.

◼ District attorney displeased with attorney staffing ratio - Will Houston, shame on you for letting him get away with this drivel.

BLAMING THE COUNTY FOR THE FACT THAT HE HAS LOST, FIRED, OR DRIVEN AWAY THE COUNTY'S MOST EXPERIENCED PROSECUTORS!

AND HE HAS FAILED TO FILL THE POSITIONS. NO ONE ELSE IN THE COUNTY HAD ANYTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH IT, WILL.

HE IS UNABLE TO ATTRACT ANYONE TO COME WORK HERE. WHY IS THAT, WILL?

HE LOST THE GRANTS THAT PAID FOR POSITIONS, WILL. AND HE TRILLED TO THE PUBLIC THAT HE WAS 'WEANING' HIMSELF OFF GRANTS, WILL. DID YOU KNOW THAT? WERE THEY HIS TO GIVE UP? NO, THEY BELONGED TO THE COUNTY, WILL, AND HE LOST THEM.

HE HAD 19 PROSECUTORS WHEN HE CAME IN. HOW MANY DOES HE HAVE NOW? AND YOU LET HIM GET AWAY WITH BLAMING THE COUNTY?

BULLSHIT.

IT IS THIS PISS-POOR REPORTING THAT HAS GONE ON FOR YEARS, AND HAS PUT US WHERE WE ARE. IF EVEN ONCE YOU GUYS DID YOUR JOB, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE THOSE PROSECUTORS.

DO YOUR GODDAMN HOMEWORK.

Alternate Title: Paul Gallegos just realized he lost more than half his staff, and has a ton of unfilled positions just sitting there open, blames everyone else for his failure to do his job, reporter buys it, hook, line and sinker.

"We've been understaffed for a long time..."

◼ Misdemeanor prosecutions may fall prey to budget ax; DA warns law enforcement funding may prevent filing of most non-felony cases - Thadeus Greenson/The Times-Standard

”We want to prosecute everything, but what I've let the chiefs know is that if we are not staffed adequately, we may have to reduce our cases,” Gallegos said. “We've been understaffed for a long time, and we've worked 100 ways to make it happen, but what's progressively happened is we've just gotten to the point where there is no more to cut.”

While Gallegos' proposal to drastically cut down on misdemeanor prosecutions if his budget isn't increased has been met with concern in law enforcement circles, he said he simply doesn't see any way around it, explaining that his office's expenses have been growing -- through personnel and supplies costs -- while its funding has shrunk.

The proposed 2012-2013 county budget holds the line of funding for the DA's Office from last year, but Gallegos said his office has seen some of its grants reduced, adding that grant money accounts for 62 percent of his budget.

If things don't change, Gallegos said, his office will be left with 11 attorneys -- including himself and Assistant District Attorney Kelly Neel, who handles charging of all the office's cases and, consequently, rarely sees a courtroom.

Gallegos said he has three attorneys that are tied to grants or funding sources -- one for environmental and consumer protection, one for worker's compensation and auto insurance fraud, and another to handle drug task force cases -- and the remaining six deputy district attorneys man the county's six courtrooms, which must be staffed with a prosecutor five days a week. And, Gallegos said, with attorneys spending hours in preparation for every hour in court, his staff is wearing thin.

”I'm breaking people,” Gallegos said. “We are at a critical staffing level, and we've gotten there not just in one year, but over years and years. A little reduction is now a big reduction because you get to that tipping point, that threshold.”

...Gallegos said he's not asking police not to arrest offenders -- he's just saying he won't prosecute them, meaning law enforcement can still pick people up and book them into the jail, but they'll be released by law after 48 hours without charges being filed against them. That's just what the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office will do if misdemeanor prosecutions do see a large drop off, said Lt. Steve Knight.
”We will still continue to do our job and will continue to submit cases and, obviously, the district attorney has to make his own charging decision,” Knight said. “We would still respond to calls and treat everything the same as we do now.”
***

MAYBE - MAYBE, Paul, "losing', firing, and driving off our county's top, seasoned prosecutors WASN'T SUCH A GOOD IDEA AFTER ALL. Only 11 DDAs left? Wow. You should be swimming in unallocated personnel dollars. Why have those vacant positions not been filled?

Funding is an excuse. Get real. Ask Law Enforcement. This has been going on already, for a long time. Now the budget provides cover.

But - But - But - the high priests could not POSSIBLY have been dishonest

◼ Shock, disbelief follow arrests: Biology community has trouble digesting embezzlement allegations

They SAID all the politically correct things - and conducted the church's business so faithfully, and the grant money rolled in, didn't it? They were good at that.

When does it change? When you start doing something for the right reasons (presumably), when does it shift? What was the mindset here? Is there a reasonable explanation?

Pick up The Arcata Eye and McKinleyville Press

Gallegos, in an interview with Daniel Mintz, says that he's withdrawing his Grand Jury response regarding grants. Developing. Some things in this article are not clear. Not adding up. Not making sense.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY PAUL GALLEGOS AND CAL EMA... 2 DIFFERENT STORIES UPDATED

◼ DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND CAL EMA... 2 DIFFERENT STORIES - VIDEO/NEWSCAST - KIEM

KIEM says: "It’s a story we first broke last week… the District Attorney’s office is being investigated for allegedly not filing some paperwork concerining hundreds of thousands dollars in grant monies.

We've heard both sides of the story… but they’re not matching up. District Attorney Paul Gallegos claims these grants are not on hold, but the state says they are. its complicated so instead of trying to explain it ourselves… here’s the arguments straight from the sources." Submitted by Betsy Lambert on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 17:44

KIEM REPORT (transcribed from the link)

KIEM/Kelly Mays says: "It’s a story we first broke last week… the District Attorney’s office is being investigated for allegedly not filing some paperwork concerining hundreds of thousands dollars in grant monies.

We've heard both sides of the story… but they’re not matching up. District Attorney Paul Gallegos claims these grants are not on hold, but the state says they are. Its complicated so instead of trying to explain it ourselves… here’s the arguments straight from the sources:

Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos (on camera): We're not in danger of losing any grants. No grants have been stopped."

Brad Alexander, Cal EMA (Emergency Management Agency) Office of Public Information: (told) multiple times that they are.

Ch. 3: (reporter asks Alexander) "The three grants that are in question?"

CalEMA: (responds) "There's actually like six or seven, and you should have individual names and titles for each of those."

Ch. 3: Those grants in question totaling over $847,000, some of that has already been settled between the two parties but it's the difference, some $334,000 that's been put on hold by the state.

Ch. 3: "Are the grants on hold? Are they stayed? Or are they fine?"

CalEMA: Currently everything is on pause except for the funds that have already been distributed."

Ch. 3: This grant money is dedicated to programs like victims of crime, violence against women, anti-drug abuse, victim witnesses, and unserviced populations for local Native American tribes.

The CalEMA says the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office asked about the grants in November, saying they weren't aware of some of the funds. This sparked the investigation into the District Attorney Office.

Paul Gallegos: "There's a per-sonn-el issue that we asked for an investigation to be done... ummmmm... part of that investigation, that investigator contacted CalEMA to ask for specific questions related to the personnel matter..."

Ch. 3: (asks) "If it's just a personnel issue, what happens?"

CalEMA: (answers) "Then they simply replace the person that we were handling with."

Ch.3: Gallegos says he took the initiative when he first learned about this situation.

Paul Gallegos: "It's an investigation into a PERSONNEL matter by our office or at the request of our office to bring in a 3rd party investigation."

CalEMA: "My understanding is that the office of risk management at the County level hired a private investigator."

Ch.3: The fact of the matter is, right now, according to CalEMA, over $334,000 is NOT available to Humboldt County, and at this point, we don't know if it will ever be.

CalEMA: "So, there was not a regular line of communication that typically exists between CalEMA and the grantee. They weren't returning phone calls and they weren't returning emails, that's why staff had to go up there in November/December last year to get one on one face to face with the staff at the District Attorney's office."

Paul Gallegos: "Truth is our grants are fine. If you talk to CalEMA, you'll find out they're fine..."

Back to reporters, Kelly Mays: Ch. 3: So, it's obviously a big complicated mess at this point and we are in contact with both offices. But we continue to hear different things, we'll keep looking for the truth.

Betsy Lambert: Yes, this is something that all of our newsroom has been looking into - just trying to get the truth, down to the bottom of this matter.
___

◼ Update: Submitted by Kelly May on Fri, 07/08/2011 - 12:02 in News Stories - KIEM

Cal EMA has admitted to a miscommunication within their organization that lead to reporting misinformation to both News Channel 3 and the Humboldt County District Attorney's office regarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant monies. Brad Alexander, spokesperson for Cal EMA, admits that a miscommunication did exist between the grants branch at Cal EMA and the Office of Public Information, causing inaccurate information to be released regarding the investigation into Humboldt County District Attorney's office. District Attorney Paul Gallegos told News Channel 3 in a meeting this morning that local funders had put a hold on grant funds available to the D.A.'s office. At the request of the District Attorney's office and to reassure local funders that the grant funds are available, Cal EMA says they will issue and official statement aknowledging the miscommunication and misinformation that was reported.

So - there's more to the story yet.

The end of CAST

◼ Proposed Humboldt County cuts squeeze departments: DA, DHHS, public defender all warn cuts will carry consequences
The Humboldt County District Attorney's Office is contemplating a drastic scale-back of its Child Abuse Services Team, or CAST. The 8 percent across-the-board cut will mean the Department of Health and Human Services will be unable to leverage millions of dollars in matching state and federal programs and will have to scale back its focus to mandated programs.

The proposed cuts would also force the Public Defender's Office to lay off two senior attorneys, which would likely lead to the court appointing private attorneys to pick up some of the office's case load. That could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in added expenses for the county.

”We're looking at some major, major impacts,” said Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos. “I'm not trying to sound bleak but, candidly, I don't see a silver lining....”

Gallegos said his department is potentially looking at taking hits from all sides.

In addition to the proposed county cuts, he said his office will also potentially lose some $160,000 in state funding if a portion of the Vehicle Licensing Fee is not extended. Cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services will also impact the DA's CAST program, Gallegos said.

For some 15 years, DHHS has contributed about $280,000 to the ongoing operation of CAST, which comprises specially trained individuals from Child Welfare Services, the DA's Office, the DA's Victim Witness Assistance Program, local law enforcement agencies, Probation and other agencies. The idea is that the team is better able to investigate and prosecute child abuse allegations.

But this year, DHHS is taking a 17.4 percent reduction in state funding in addition to the proposed county cuts, which is strongly impacting its ability to leverage matching state and federal funds. Consequently, Director Phillip Crandall said, it has had to pull its funding of CAST, though it has pledged to keep allocating staff positions to the team.

”While we have historically provided that support for CAST because it's a valuable service and good for our children, we don't have sufficient funds to carry that,” Crandall said.

Gallegos said he's currently looking to supplant the money that traditionally came from DHHS. As things stand, Gallegos said, he will be able to keep CAST going, but he worries further cuts could put it in jeopardy.

As an example, Gallegos said that senior Deputy District Attorney Max Cardoza and Assistant Deputy District Attorney Wes Keat are planning on retiring this year. He said their salaries are in his proposed budget -- which comes in with an 8 percent cut -- but the county has a hiring freeze in place, and he's concerned the county may not approve refilling the positions.

If those positions were to wind up frozen, Gallegos said it would severely impact his office.
Both Crandall and Gallegos said CAST is a priority, but both stated it is not a state-mandated program, meaning at some point, it could be dropped due to cuts.

”We're going to look at every feasible option to keep CAST functioning,” Gallegos said.

Gallegos said he thinks it's important to remember that public safety is a joint effort that cuts across multiple departments. He said there's no question deputies are needed to enforce laws, but said prosecutors are also needed to bring offenders to justice, probation officers are needed to help ensure ex-convicts don't re-offend and DHHS officials are necessary to provide mental health services, investigate health code violations and protect children and vulnerable adults.

”It's a system that requires balance,” Gallegos said.

THE TROUBLE WITH LIES

Is that they catch up to you -
BOARD AGENDA ITEM c-12
May 17, 2002 for Meeting of June 4, 2002
Terry Farmer District Attorney
SIGNED BY: TERRY FARMER'S WIFE, SUPERVISOR BONNIE NEELY
SUBJECT: DISTRICT ATTORNEY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VERTICAL PROSECUTION GRANT APPLICATION FOR 7.1.02 - 6.30.03
DISCUSSION!
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR ITS FIFTH YEAR OF FUNDING FOR ITS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VERTICAL PROSECUTION UNIT...

◼ http://co.humboldt.ca.us/board/agenda/questys/mg123052/as123055/as123069/ai123147/do123148/bosagendaitem.pdf

C'mon Osborn, here's one for your whopper file...

CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS

On his grant applications, Gallegos routinely states:

...The communities of Humboldt County suffer from severe socio-economic problems, Historically, the northwest has sustained on primarily timber, commercial fishing and cattle ranching as its main sources of income. In the last two decades, these once abundant industries have been all but eliminated. The reulsts of this economic decline have been a slightly higher than state average unemployment rate (11.4%) and a high level of substance abuse. Because of the overwhelming amount of substance abuse there is an increase in crime such as: drug trafficking, rape, robbery, murder, child abuse, spousal abuse and child pornography....

◼ In this example Gallegos is looking to purchase a "critical crime response vehicle for about $160,000 plus $12,092.25 and more money for uniforms, badge, flashlight, boots and utility belt for $1,299.00 - the total cost to be $406,875.09 - AND he promises that EVENTUALLY we will be VERTICALLY prosecuting these investigations.

So - is crime UP or DOWN?

Guess it just depends on who he is talking to and what he wants at the moment.

And WHERE WAS PAUL GALLEGOS THIS TIME?

And where was District Attorney Paul Gallegos today? While the Board was looking at budget items that affect "his" office? The office he so covets? THAT "DISALLOCATES" 1.8 POSITIONS IN THE VICTIM WITNESS PROGRAM

Answer - nowhere to be found.

But - Jill Duffy made a motion that CAO work with the DA or his designee - drafting a strong letter of protest to the Victim Compensation and Govt. Claims board detailing the importance of the services. Copies are to go to Chesbro and Wiggins.

◼ http://co.humboldt.ca.us/board/agenda/questys/ click on June 1, 2010 Meeting agenda, go to item G-1.
G. DEPARTMENT REPORTSCounty Administrative Office
1. Proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2010-11 Budget.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors receive and review Humboldt County's Proposed FY 2010-11 Budget; Approve the deferment of Motor Pool depreciation charges for half a year in the amount of $550,095 for all funds ($225,000 savings for the General Fund) for FY 2010-11; Authorize the Auditor-controller to close funds 3717 Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA)-Projects-County Counsel, 4482 Gravel Trust, 4484 CHERT Surface Mining and 4004 Donations-Elections Initiative upon the transfer of the reamining balances to the General Fund; Authorize a voluntary unpaid furlough for the County Administrative Officer of up to five percent of his time for FY 2010-11; Re-allocate a 1.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Legal Secretary (Class 144) in budget unit 219, effective at the beginning of FY 2010-11; disallocate 1.8 FTE Victim Witness Specialists (class 689) in budget unit 220, effective July 11, 2010; Continue budget discussion to the public hearings scheduled for Monday, June 7, 2010 (1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.); Direct the County Administration Officer to return to the Board on June 22, 2010, to consider adoption of the final budget for FY 2010-11; and take other action as appropriate.



Last time Jill tried to save the Victim Witness Program was when Paul Gallegos lost the grant funding and cost our Program FOUR positions. And she was attacked for "making the DA look bad."

Remember? ◼ I DO.

The first the public heard of it, Paul was laying off almost the entire Victim/Witness Unit, what was left of it. That's a total of four people. That unit had been in the D.A.'s office for at least 20 years and losing four more people was going to do a great deal of damage to their efforts. (he had already laid off two positions.)

It was to be quietly passed through on the Board of Supervisor's Consent Calendar, without explanation, without discussion, without notice. Only when the item was pulled from the Consent Calendar did the public learn what was happening.
Even then, very little attention was given to it. Gallegos claimed it was political maneuvering, and the reporters seemed happy with that explanation

This saved him from explaining not only why this was happening, but why he hadn't alerted the Board sooner, asked for help, or sought alternate sources of funding.

Pull down the Board agenda (for 5/10/05 (co.humboldt.ca.us/board/agenda/questys/ ). Look in the Consent Calendar for the item asking the Board for permission to De-allocate the positions for Victim Witness and to begin the lay-off process. (Note: FTE means Full Time Employee)

District Attorney
7. Request for the Disallocation of a 1.0 FTE Program Coordinator Position and 3.0 FTE Victim Witness Program Specialist Positions in Budget Unit 252 Effective July 30, 2005

RECOMMENDATION: Approve request, and authorize the Personnel Department to begin the layoff process for the disallocated positions.

Next, you need to pull down the Agenda Item. You should get the Memo pages for the Item directed to the Board.

Victim Witness Positions Deallocated--2005 05 10

Jill Duffy and Phil Crandall saved the day. Or a couple of positons anyway.

Board of Sups

◼ Humboldt County Supervisors look at supporting Yurok Tribe legislation - and in other news:
The county will also be accepting $100,000 of Federal Recovery Act funding for the District Attorney's Office. The District Attorney's Office will use the funding to pay for a forensic computer examiner for the next two years.
◼ May 4, 2010 9:00 am
District Attorney
8. ◼ Extension of Extra help Hours past the 960 Hour Limit, for Office Assistant I Personnel in Budget Unit 205.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the extension of extra-help hours for Office Assistant I, Andrew Duncan, Office Assistant I, Christian Gillespie, Office Assistant I, Erika Torres, Office Assistant I, Rachel Whitton, and Office Assistant I, Janet Garcia, to a maximum of 1960 hours pursuant to section 7 of the Humboldt County Resolution.
9. Supplemental Budget FY 09-10 Forensic Examiner ARRA Grant.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the attached supplemental budget of $100,000 into budget unit 204 for Fiscal Year 2009-10

Pfffft. Will the grant also.... Nevermind.

Very interesting

◼ ...Like those in at least five other Northern California counties, Mendocino County officials or their contractors misinterpreted or did not follow the application guidelines for being reimbursed for costs associated with the prosecution of illegal aliens, according to the U.S. Department of Justice....

And Humboldt...?

Did anybody READ the DA's Grant Proposal?

Item D. 5 on today's Board Of Supervisor's Agenda
District Attorney
5. Workers' Compensation Grant Application.
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the attached grant application and sign the attached board resolution; and Direct the Clerk of the Board to return the resolution to Chief Michael Hislop so it may be processed with the grant application. link

Who is assigned?
How many cases?
How many brought to trial?

It doesn't look very good to me.

Funny that this DA announced he was working to "wean" himself of grant funding, yet this is the second application in the last few weeks. One is for a nice new Hummer or something to go with his nice uniforms and semi-automatic rifles.

These are just applications. Whether he gets them, whether he should, and whether adheres to the promises made in these applications is another.

More to follow.

Item 12 What's this?

Tuesday's Board of Supervisor's Meeting
District Attorney
12. Donation of District Attorney Department Vehicle to the County Motor Pool for Capitalization, Maintenance, and Insurance.

RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the donation of one District Attorney's Investigate Unit 2008 Vehicle (No. 04546) to the County Motor Pool for capitalization, maintenance, and insurance.

The County Office of the District Attorney Investigative Unit requested the purchase of one vehicle to meet the needs of the Unit's mandates under the newly established Worker's Compensation Fraud Unit. Purchase of this vehicle was included in an approved Supplemental Budget request dated September 23, 2008.

For the purpose of capitalization and maintenance, the office of the District Attorney would like to donate this vehicle to the County Motor Pool. this will also include the insurance for this vehicle.

Financial Impact:

Expenditure Appropriation for County Motor Pool costs are included in approved fiscal year 2008-09 Budget for the District Attorney Program budget unit 1100-205. there is no anticipated County General Fund impact.

No impact.

Back in September - item 11
District Attorney
11. Allocate one Full-Time Investigator (District Attorney) Fund 1100, Budget Unit 205, District Attorney, Workers Compensation Fraud Program Grant
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors approve the allocation of one full-time investigator (District Attorney) (salary range 399, class 0412) position in Budget unit 205 effective immediately; Adopt the attached supplemental to provide funding for the position.

What is that? Workers Compensation Fraud Program Grant? Why, it appears to be another vertical prosecution grant - a full -time one at that. One full-time investigator (District attorney) (salary range 399, class 0412) position in Budget unit 205) ($4,022 a month at A step, $48, 264 per year.) Funding for this position will be met through the Worker's Compensation Insurance Fund Grants...

The grant request was for $264,499 for July 1/08-June 30/09 - It's more of Gallegos realizing the need to investigate fraudulent business practices - wasn't that Tim Stoen's job that he never did?

So - who is the FULL TIME (Vertical) Prosecutor for Worker's Compensation Fraud? Who is working exclusively on Worker's Compensation Fraud cases?
Who is the Vertical Child Abuse Prosecutor? Who is working exclusively on Child Abuse cases? It's not Jeff Schwartz anymore is it.
Who is the Vertical Domestic Violence Prosecutor? Who is working exclusively on DV cases?

'Cause if you are taking grant money saying you are using for the required vertical prosecutor, and you don't have one, it will have an impact on the General Fund, because "Fraud is not a victimless crime." But it won't be Gallegos who will have to pay.

Back in May - "Our program investigator will be actively involved in local civil organizations and business meetings (Rotary Club, professional organizations, CDIA, main Street Groups) to discuss trends in fraud and disseminate information.....

I can't believe he got the grant with the sketchy details on there. "Describe the county's efforts and the District Attorney's plan to obtain restitution and fines imposed by the court to the Worker's Compensation Fraud Account as the legislative intent specifies.

Answer. None. - FY2007-08


And bought a vehicle with the money. $22,500 for a 2008 Vehicle - Equipped with Law Enforcement radio: $30,000 @ 75% of vehicle costs=$22,500)

Lovelace's funding

Excerpted from - this week's Town Dandy

Here in Humboldt County, bringing up the question of someone's personal finances is always awkward. But that shouldn't be the case when it comes to elected officials, or those who otherwise serve or seek to serve the public as policymakers. There are laws on the books - most notably the California Political Reform Act - that require a degree of openness. These are good laws. Locally, no one has taken more notice of them than Mark Lovelace, who as head of the Humboldt Watershed Council has filed complaints against two Humboldt County officials relating to their business interests with the Pacific Lumber Co. Planning Commissioner Chair Tom Herman and Fortuna Mayor John Campbell. The Fair Political Practices Commission has agreed to investigate both cases.

But what of Lovelace himself? How does he make a living? Now that he is standing for office the question is fair. For years there have been rumors that the non-profit organization for which he works is funded wholly or in large part by a single wealthy individual who is associated with any number of left-wing causes in Humboldt County.

Shouldn't Lovelace have to disclose that?

We won't name the individual because it turns out that the rumors in question are demonstrably false. The Humboldt Watershed Council files tax returns every year. Because it is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation those returns are public. Here's what they show.

The organization took in little money between 2000 and 2004. Donations ranged between $10,000 and $50,000 annually, with most years at the lower end of the scale. Then in 2005, it took in a massive donation, relatively speaking $121,000. The large surplus of funds allowed the Council to spend a great deal the next year, while the fight over the county general plan was raging particularly hot. The money was directed to the "Healthy Humboldt Coalition," a project of the Watershed Council, the Northcoast Environmental Center and the Sierra Club that advocates for "smart growth" style land use planning.

Where did that very large contribution come from? A call to Lovelace got the answer, and another trip to a database containing the IRS returns of nonprofit organizations confirmed it. The money was a grant from the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, a Sacramento based charitable organization dedicated to conservation. The foundation awarded the Watershed Council $125,000 as part of its "Preserving Wild California Program" - "a five year, $150 million effort to protect wild lands and rivers across the state," according to its website.

Lovelace himself has drawn a relatively small salary from the Counci: $34,000 in 2006. "The salary would be more if the position had been fully funded, but I was paid for about three quarters of the scheduled time and probably worked time and half," he said Monday.

That supposed sugar daddy? Lovelace said he had indeed given money to the Watershed Council from time to time, just as many community members have, but the biggest part of the Council's budget has come from charitable grants.

As his economic disclosure statements to the County showed, Lovelace made a bit of money from his consulting business in 2007, but he largely gave that up in favor of advocacy work around the issues of forestry and land use planning, which "seemed so much more important and pressing."

"This is the stuff that intrigued me and sucked up my time," he said, "if I'd put more time into that consulting - there's good money when it's there, but i was drawn to other things." read the rest

M'Kay, does that answer all your questions? Not mine. But it's good reporting.

Got questions? Let's make a LIST - submit via comments or email (in the sidebar)

Appalling

Regarding the Child Abuse Services Team (CAST) statistics, Paul Gallegos asks in the email below '...why do we keep the stats we keep?..."

On the one hand, this is a clear example of why the Grand Jury (2004-2005) reported that it" is the unfortunate truth that the D.A. exhibits a limited understanding of how things are done in the department"

After five years in office, you'd think he'd know the answer to this question.

On the other hand, those stats are a HUGE embarrassment for him, and you can bet he'd rather they not be kept. Remember the last time the CAST stats were revealed, the data showed an alarming and precipitous decline in the number of CAST cases filed since Paul Gallegos took office. Things didn't get any better after Gallegos removed Maggie Flemming, the competent, qualified Senior DDA he had assigned to CAST and gave those responsibilities to Jeffrey "yougofree.com" Schwartz. Not only appointed Schwartz to head it up but paid him extra for it...

There are alot of questions Gallegos could be asking - about how to repair the CAST program that he has all but dismantled.

I realize the stats are embarrassing, BUT Gallegos should be figuring out how to fix the program, not how to hide the stats.

-----Original Message-----
From: Gallegos, Paul [mailto: PGallegos@co.humboldt.ca.us]
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 9:04 AM
To: Lewis, Melinda; Aaron Starcher; Angela Sundberg; BIG LAGOON
RANCHERIA; BLUE LAKE RANCHERIA; Bob Kane; Cassie Burgess (E-mail);
Cavinta, George; Chief TPD Ken Thrailkill; Crandall, Phillip; Damiano,
Bill; Daniel Pratt, Karuk Tribe; Dave Gunderson, Chief BLPD; Dave
Parris, Chief Yurok PD; Donna Johnson; Duncan, Jeannie; Eads, Stacey J;
Ed Guyer, Sgt. HVTPD; Fewell, Deana (June); Gomes, Jean; Graham Hill,
Chief RDPD; Heather Landreneaux; Hislop, Michael; Honsal, William; Howe,
Karla; Jean LaPietra; Jennifer Roberts; Jennifer Rose; Karen Cahill;
Kevin Lawson; Kris Kitna, Chief FoPD; Lewis, Beverly Morgan; Lonnie
Lawson, Chief FePD; Lynne Soderberg; Maryann Hayes Mariani; Moser,
Joyce; Neel, Kelly; Neil Hubbard, Detective EPD; Nord, Ben; Officer
Richardson, FoPD; Philp, Gary; Randy Mendosa; Rasines, Doug; Shoshani,
Michele; Steve Volow; Tom Chapman, Captain APD; Tom Dewey, Chief HSUPD;
Wendy Morris; Wheeler, Donna; William Hostler, Chief HVTPD
Cc: Neel, Kelly; Honsal, William
Subject: RE: CAST meeting agenda items?

I have a question I would like put on the agenda, why do we keep the stats we keep? What is the purpose? What is the goal? Is it something that came from another agency? I am curious what it is we are trying to measure or track.

Paul V. Gallegos
District Attorney

Office of the District Attorney, Humboldt County
825 Fifth Street
Eureka, CA 95501
(707) 445-7411
Fax: (707) 445-7416

The information contained in this email message is intended for the CONFIDENTIAL use of the addressees only. The information is protected under the attorney-client privilege and the work-product privilege. Recipients should not file copies of this email with publicly accessible documents. If you are not an addressee or an authorized agent responsible for delivering this email to a designated addressee, and you have received this email in error, THEN ANY FURTHER REVIEW, DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION, COPYING OR FORWARDING of this email is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you receive this email in error, please notify the office of the Humboldt County District Attorney immediately at (707) 445-7411. Thank you in advance for your courtesy and cooperation in this matter.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lewis, Melinda
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 8:26 AM
> To: Aaron Starcher; Angela Sundberg; BIG LAGOON RANCHERIA; BLUE LAKE
RANCHERIA; Bob Kane; Cassie Burgess (E-mail); Cavinta, George; Chief TPD
Ken Thrailkill; Crandall, Phillip; Damiano, Bill; Daniel Pratt, Karuk
Tribe; Dave Gunderson, Chief BLPD; Dave Parris, Chief Yurok PD; Donna
Johnson; Duncan, Jeannie; Eads, Stacey J; Ed Guyer, Sgt. HVTPD; Fewell,
Deana (June); Gallegos, Paul; Gomes, Jean; Graham Hill, Chief RDPD;
Heather Landreneaux; Hislop, Michael; Honsal, William; Howe, Karla; Jean
LaPietra; Jennifer Roberts; Jennifer Rose; Karen Cahill; Kevin Lawson;
Kris Kitna, Chief FoPD; Lewis, Beverly Morgan; Lewis, Melinda; Lonnie
Lawson, Chief FePD; Lynne Soderberg; Maryann Hayes Mariani; Moser,
Joyce; Neel, Kelly; Neil Hubbard, Detective EPD; Nord, Ben; Officer
Richardson, FoPD; Philp, Gary; Randy Mendosa; Rasines, Doug; Shoshani,
Michele; Steve Volow; Tom Chapman, Captain APD; Tom Dewey, Chief HSUPD;
Wendy Morris; Wheeler, Donna; William Hostler, Chief HVTPD
> Subject: CAST meeting agenda items?
>
> If anyone has anything they want added to the agenda for next week's meeting, please let me know.
>
> Thank you,
> Melinda Lewis
> CAST Office Coordinator
***

I can answer this one for ya, Paul. The stats are kept so that any granting agency can know whether the terms of their grants are being met. The stats are kept so that we, the public, can know if we are getting our money's worth and, in this case, so that we can know the extent to which you are failing the children of Humboldt County.

Related:
ER - Former deputy DA speaks out
Be sure to look at the statistics chart
ER - Candidates spar over child abuse team
ER - DA's Office yet to respond to request for child abuse records
ER - CAST established with child victims in mind
ER - CAST needs support Gallegos is not providing
A matter of priorities
Paul Gallegos - Paying More for Less re: Schwartz January 2, 2007
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUEST re: CAST May 8, 2007
In addition I have filed Public Records Act Requests for the CAST agendas. minutes and attendance sheets - Gallegos claims such documents are "evidentiary" in nature and therefore refuses to release them.

Every DA needs his own personal ASSAULT FORCE

Run! Shannon, Run! The DA's coming after all you vigilantes and anarchists. If you thought Gallegos' plagiarized My Word was bizarre, wait til you read this.

Has Paul Gallegos lost his mind? It's one thing to spend your grant money buying 'Blackberries' for your investigators, it's quite another thing to be setting up your own personal assault force.

I can't wait to see the spin on this one.

DA under fire over assault rifles

Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos is spending more than $18,000 for semiautomatic rifles — and county officials want to know why.

The request was made in a supplemental budget allocation approved March 6 by the Board of Supervisors for a general list of items commonly used by all law enforcement agencies.

Gallegos requested money from asset forfeiture funds to buy DA investigators “rifles,” “clothing,” “safety equipment” and other miscellaneous items, but several county officials expressed surprise when they learned that the money was intended for eight AR-15 assault rifles, body armor, tactical vests, 5,000 rounds of hollow-point ammunition and matching parkas, polo shirts and pants.

Information obtained by The Eureka Reporter under the California Public Records Act indicates that some of the money has already been spent, but funds for the AR-15s and a gun safe were held up by County Administrative Officer Loretta Nickolaus, who sent an e-mail letter to Gallegos questioning the need for the purchases.

The letter from Nickolaus, dated May 10, stated in part, “After quizzing my staff, I am concerned about why DA investigators want to arm themselves with automatic or semiautomatic assault rifles. I hear that (DA’s Office Chief Investigator) Mike Hislop said that they are interested in being part of the security plan and covering the second floor (of the Courthouse, where courtrooms are located). I have also heard that there is an interest in backing up (the Eureka Police Department) and even providing perimeter security.”

Nickolaus continued, “While having backup is usually a good thing, I think this may be outside their course and scope of work, as DA investigators. Plus, doesn’t it create a conflict if the DA investigators are at the scene of a standoff, hostage situation or whatever? How can you investigate something you were a part of?”

Purchase requisitions for the eight-person investigations unit included one 42-gun safe with an electronic lock and dehumidifier at $3,619.31, eight AR-15 semiautomatic rifles at $1,920 each, 10 boxes of .223-caliber hollow-point bullets at $198.50 a box, eight sets of body armor at $550 each, eight tactical vests at $100 each, 16 pairs of tan double-front Carhartt pants at $45 each, eight black parkas at $188 each, 16 “DA Investigator” patches for the parkas at $8 each, a sewing and tailoring charge for the parkas of $27.50, eight short-sleeved polo shirts at $34 each, eight long-sleeved polo shirts at $26 each and an embroidery and lettering charge for the shirts of $520.

But DA investigators may be all dressed up with nowhere to go.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office’s Strategic Enforcement Team, a 14-member special weapons and tactics team equivalent, currently operates out of the first floor of the Humboldt County Courthouse, with the DA’s Office and its investigators located on the fourth floor of the same building.

Seven blocks away is the headquarters for the EPD’s 13-member SWAT Team, a unit supported by an additional 13 patrol rifle officers who are trained in and armed with augmented weaponry, according to EPD Public Information Officer Suzie Owsley.

EPD Chief Garr Nielsen said Tuesday his department had not entered into any agreement with the DA’s Office for SWAT support to the EPD.

“I had a discussion with Hislop, during which he informed me that he was in the process of equipping his investigators with tactical equipment and that they would be available to assist EPD if needed,” Nielsen stated via e-mail.

“(Hislop) specifically mentioned being able to help us out with some of our drug sweeps. We did not discuss nor agree upon them assuming a supporting role to EPD in SWAT situations. We currently have an agreement with the Sheriff’s Office to back each other up for SWAT. SWAT support entails training together regularly in addition to formal agreements and established protocols, none of which have we discussed with the District Attorney’s Office.”

Numerous law enforcement agencies within California were contacted and asked if their DA investigators were armed with tactical weaponry. Even in much larger jurisdictions, the answer was almost always no.

In Santa Clara County, for example, which boasts a population more than 10 times that of Humboldt County, Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Ed Wise said he could not recall a single instance when a DA investigator participated in a tactical situation.

But Gallegos said DA investigators frequently have tactical weapons, and Tim Kiely, chief investigator for the Mendocino County DA’s Office, concurred.

Kiely said his office currently has two semiautomatic weapons, although they are in the process of selling them at the request of the DA. In an informal survey he conducted of approximately 25 counties, he said more than half the DA Offices that responded had semi- or fully automatic weapons.

Gallegos said he didn’t know who had heavy weapons and who didn’t, “but I know I have guys who are going out there, and I want to make sure they are adequately protected.”

Supervisor Jill Geist brought the motion in March to adopt the supplemental budget and reiterated Tuesday that all law enforcement personnel should be protected.

“That investigators have firearms is very common,” Geist said. “That they have adequate body protection is also very common and very appropriate. I think it’s the scale of it that we’re talking about here, the level of armament involved.

“The list of items caught us a little flat-footed, to say the least,” she said. “While (Gallegos) may assert this is very common, this is not something I’m familiar with.”

According to Kim Kerr, Humboldt County risk manager and deputy CAO, the paperwork has been processed for all of the items except the assault rifles and the safe. Some of the purchases may already have been received.

Kerr stated Tuesday, “As of now, the rifles and gun safe request is on hold until the District Attorney’s Office responds to (Nickolaus’) e-mail request for information. Depending upon the response, then there will be a determination to purchase the rifles and safe or not.”

Gallegos said he had not yet seen the May 10 e-mail from Nickolaus, but would look at it to see what concerns she may have.

In it, Nickolaus asked Gallegos, “Does the DA’s office have a use-of-force policy, and/or training programs or policies for any of this stuff? Would they be working out of class? There are many questions, and I need answers before I can approve these purchases.”

In his initial request, Gallegos said the expenses represented permissible uses of asset forfeiture trust funds, and if the request was not approved, his staff would “continue to face compromising health and safety risks when responding to criminal matters due to lack of proper equipment and communication mediums.”

5/16/2007
Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All rights reserved.


Related:
Humboldt County Board of Supervisors AGENDA March 6, 2007
Consent Calendar Item c-5
District Attorney
5. Supplemental Budget in District Attorney's Budget Unit 1100-205, in the amount of $58,462.00 and Establish Fixed Assets Accounts (Fund 3921 - Asset Forfeiture)
RECOMMENDATION: Approve the supplemental budget for the purchase of safety equipment, firearms, radios, cellular phones , evidence tracking system and supplies to be used in support of law enforcement purposes that may result in further seizures and forfeitures for our District Attorney Investigative and Prosecutor Staff.

6. Advance Step Appointment for Wayne Cox, Investigator (District Attorney)
RECOMMENDATION: Approve and Advance Step appointment for Wayne Cox, Investigator for the District Attorney's Office to Step E, Effective February 13, 2007

Other Blogs discuss:
DA's office requests hand grenades...
Eric - Gallegos wants guns
Fred - DA's Office Follows Vroman's Lead

Update:
New questions arise after Gallegos' answers about rifles

Been about a year.

Supes mull grant application

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will consider a recommendation Tuesday to authorize the chairperson to execute a grant application for 2007-08 for the Victim Witness Assistance Program.

According to board documents, the Victim Witness Division of the District Attorney’s Office has been receiving funding from the state and federal government to provide services to victims of crimes since 1982.

The funding will allow for the continuation of services for an additional fiscal year. The Victim Witness Assistance Program provides support and crisis intervention to more than 2,000 residents per year, according to board documents.

It's a good thing someone cares about this important program.

ER - Interview Process Cuts Down On Trauma Of Children 5/6/04
Losing the Victim Witness Grant
ER - Board of Supervisors talks over grant denial for program 5/11/2005
NCJ - VICTIM PROGRAM THREATENED: 5/12/05
ER - Gallegos says program is safe 5/15/2005
ER - Victim witness program funds sought by county 5/18/2005
TS - Proposed cuts to victims program delayed May 18, 2005
TS - My Word - DA leadership: The 8-step program May 24, 2005
County to fund Victim Witness Program The Eureka Reporter 6/8/2005

Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Meeting:
May 15 item c-5 (consent calendar)
District Attorney
5.  Grant Application for 2007-2008 - Grant Victim Witness Assistance Program
RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Supervisors authorize the Chair to execute the Original Grant Proposal / Award Face Sheet and Certificate of Assurance of Compliance.

Losing the Victim Witness Grant

Some of the clearest examples of Paul Gallegos' mismanagement of the District Attorney's office relate to the grants that provide approximately 60% of his office's funding. The spin that he employs to hide his failures is both fascinating and tragic. But before we discuss the spin, let's examine what happened with the Victim Witness Grant

The first the public heard of it, Paul was laying off almost the entire Victim/Witness Unit, what was left of it. That's a total of four people. That unit had been in the D.A.'s office for at least 20 years and losing four more people was going to do a great deal of damage to their efforts. (he had already laid off two positions.)

It was to be quietly passed through on the Board of Supervisor's Consent Calendar, without explanation, without discussion, without notice. Only when the item was pulled from the Consent Calendar did the public learn what was happening.
Even then, very little attention was given to it. Gallegos claimed it was political maneuvering, and the reporters seemed happy with that explanation

This saved him from explaining not only why this was happening, but why he hadn't alerted the Board sooner, asked for help, or sought alternate sources of funding.

Gallegos' muffed the federal grant application.

Take a look at the County's website. There are clues which suggest what happened:

Pull down the Board agenda (for 5/10/05 (co.humboldt.ca.us/board/agenda/questys/ ).  Look in the Consent Calendar for the item asking the Board for permission to De-allocate the positions for Victim Witness and to begin the lay-off process. (Note: FTE means Full Time Employee)

District Attorney
7.   Request for the Disallocation of a 1.0 FTE Program Coordinator Position and 3.0 FTE Victim Witness Program Specialist Positions in Budget Unit 252 Effective July 30, 2005
RECOMMENDATION: Approve request, and authorize the Personnel Department to begin the layoff process for the disallocated positions.

Next, you need to pull down the Agenda Item. You should get the Memo pages for the Item directed to the Board.
Documents
Victim Witness Positions Deallocated--2005 05 10

Attached to that is a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice and a one-page attachment to that letter explaining the reasons for the denial. Read that last page and it all becomes clear.

(co.humboldt.ca.us/board/agenda/questys/MG16273/AS16276/AS16290/AI41777/DO42894/BOSAgendaItem.pdf)

(co.humboldt.ca.us/board/agenda/questys/MG16273/AS16276/AS16290/AI41777/DO42894/6.TXT)

This is an example of Paul failing to do his job.

Looking at this Board Item, several things tell the story.

First, Paul tried to not attach the letter. You can see the handwritten asterisk adding the attachments.

The staff in the D.A.s office had been told that their failure to get the grant was Governor Schwarzenegger's fault and nothing more. Clearly that is what Paul wanted the Board to think.

Then what happens is that someone at the CAO's office asked for more as to what the factors were for the denial. That is when the letter gets added.

As you can also see the denial took place months prior, in a letter dated September 24, 2004, received by the Board September 27, 2004, yet the FAX indicator on the top of the DOJ letter is dated May 5, 2005, indicating that they couldn't even find their copy of that denial.

It looks like they didn't spend enough time working on it and hurried it at the last minute to meet a grant deadline.

The best evidence of that is that they did not tailor the grant to what the federal government wanted, they didn't provide enough detail on what was to be done with the grant, they didn't develop any new products, they didn't describe the partners role nor did they get the partners to sign on to the grant. 

That last detail is the key. You can rush something out the door when you realize you have waited too long, but what you can't do is to get your partners to rush along with you.

Related:
ER - Interview Process Cuts Down On Trauma Of Children 5/6/04
Losing the Victim Witness Grant
ER - Board of Supervisors talks over grant denial for program 5/11/2005
NCJ - VICTIM PROGRAM THREATENED: 5/12/05
ER - Gallegos says program is safe 5/15/2005
ER - Victim witness program funds sought by county 5/18/2005
TS - Proposed cuts to victims program delayed May 18, 2005
TS - My Word - DA leadership: The 8-step program May 24, 2005
County to fund Victim Witness Program The Eureka Reporter 6/8/2005
Supes mull grant application 5/14/07

Update re: Grants

It appears the information given to me by Paul Gallegos as a result of the Public Records Act Request is incomplete.
Pages missing, and the like.

Hmmm.