Mark Kindt wrote:Reserving serious comment until I learn more, but...
When does an elected siting judicial official seek external federal or state oversight, if everything is normal?
That letter sticks-out like a sore-thumb, like it was obviously meant to.
Hope one of the recipients takes the time to post a copy here.
Mark
This strikes me as a last resort from Judge Carroll. Knowing the Judge, I would bet he went to the Police Chief, then the Mayor, then Law Director through conversations, though there might be earlier letters. When that failed, the letters went to City Council, and when that did not get any attention letters went to the media. We got ours on Friday.
From Municipal Judge Pat Carroll
Chief Malley,
Thank you for your reports on the investigations of both the prisoner who was permitted to be released from a lockdown facility while in the custody of the Lakewood Police and the recent discovery of illegal use of controlled drugs by prisoners in the Lakewood jail. As I indicated in my prior email about the illegal use of drugs while in the Lakewood jail, I was disappointed that, in light of the defendants involved being in jail awaiting sentencing with substance abuse related issues, the information drug use in jail was withheld from the court.
Absent from your findings concerning the prisoner who was allowed to walk out of a lock down facility, is that it was the court staff that questioned the length of hospital stay and contacted the hospital to discover the defendant had been released. During this time the police continued to inform the court on a daily basis with no verification that the defendant was still in the hospital. I would suggest as part of the police procedure to make periodic checks on the status of a prisoner when in the hospital.
Regarding both situations, I am concerned about the lack of any duty to report or oversight beyond the police department itself in either of the revised police policies.
In light of these two, separate serious incidents within a short, two week period, and in the interest of public safety, public confidence, and transparency, I would respectfully suggest as the Chief of Police or Mayor Summers as the Safety Director, that the matters be referred to the United States Marshals’ Office, the Ohio Attorney General, or some other outside law enforcement agency for an independent review of the Lakewood Jail policies.
Patrick Carroll, Judge Lakewood Court (from a PR request)
Sent by email November 19, 2019 to Chief Malley, Mayor Summers, Law Director Butler, and all current members of Council
Like in the doorway metal detectors which have been installed, finally. The Judge asked for help from outside, aka the media.
To me this is troubling on many levels, possibly the least is the prisoner walking away while at the hospital.
What is the worst part is that it got this far, and as noted by Mr. Kindt, to go publicly on the record with this, means the Judge see deep issues here. Why we can talk about the Election Hangover, and people somewhat out of sorts the fact that The Mayor, The Law Director (both gone in weeks) City Council President (gone in weeks) and City Council, mostly here for 2 or more years did nothing.
Trust me, any response from any of them would have pushed the letter back if not canceled the entire need for it.
At the same time there has been a slight tussle between the Judge, The Mayor and the Police Chief that surrounds, his wanting the FREE metal detectors at the door, AFTER his life was threatened not only by 2 guys serving jail sentences for doing it, and being stalked by a few of Lakewood's favorite assholes. With prosecutors doing little to stand in the way of the harassment.
Stay tuned, as this will surely be pushed back to after January 1, and the new Administrators arrive.
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