NewsHound
09-15-2008, 07:06 PM
SEBRING — Allegations made Sept. 4 by the Florida Police Benevolent Association that Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton has been incompetent in oversight of the handling of evidence at her agency has prompted quick response from from local law enforcement.
After State Attorney Jerry Hill of the 10th Circuit received the PBA's complaint calling for a grand jury to investigate allegations of missing or improperly destroyed evidence, Hill arranged a meeting with Benton to discuss the matter.
Hill and Benton met Wednesday at the Highlands County Sheriff's Office to develop an appropriate plan to answer the serious allegations.
Hill declined to discuss the meeting, and instead issued a press release Thursday afternoon.
"Sheriff Benton and I met for nearly two hours to discuss evidence handling and procedures," Hill stated.
Hill established a 30-day timetable for the following evidence inquires to be completed:
• All long guns and pistols not documented as properly destroyed will be documented.
• All drugs and cash will be documented.
• All DNA evidence will be documented.
• One in four items of the more than 35,000 bulk evidence items will be inventoried.
Evidence collected from the dozens of marijuana grow house raids conducted by the Sheriff's Office this year will not be included in the inquiry. That evidence is held in an off-site facility and the bulk of that material would prohibit an examination within a 30-day window.
"Grow houses in Highlands County have created monstrous evidentiary problems. An exhaustive inventory of all grow houses evidence simply cannot be accomplished within 30 days," Hill wrote.
Hill doesn't believe evidence recording at the off-site facility is an issue.
"Handling and processing of that evidence has now been refined to such a degree that it should no longer present an issue."
With only 53 days until the November general election, the 30-day timetable is crucial to Benton's upcoming re-election bid.
"By requiring that these matters be presented in one month, the public can be assured nothing is being hidden until after the election. Sheriff Benton and I will allow nothing else."
Questions regarding the inventory of evidence held by the Sheriff's Office became an issue last year.
Stephen A. Newell was hired by Benton to conduct an audit of evidence handling at her agency. Newell completed a report about evidence in custody of the department and resigned from the department on Aug. 6 of this year after alleging the sheriff "misrepresented my work product first to the news media and then in a public forum. Something I can't allow to go unchallenged," Newell wrote in his letter of resignation.
The PBA took up Newell's cause and began pressuring Hill to take action.
This week, the PBA conducted a mass mailing to Highlands County residents under the heading of "Evidence Scandal Erupts," which chronicled Newell's and the PBA's position.
Admitting that some evidence can't be located, Benton maintains the PBA move is politically motivated.
"There is evidence that can't be located. The State's Attorney's Office is aware of this, and so have the defense attorneys in those cases ... This was simply a matter of a human error. That said, I think this move against me and the department is politically motivated."
Several deputies, who are represented by PBA in union matters, allegedly have met with human resources staff to cancel their membership since the PBA took its action against Benton. Support reportedly is gaining for deputies to switch to a new union.
Source (http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/llnews.aspx?articleID=8694&bnpg=0)
After State Attorney Jerry Hill of the 10th Circuit received the PBA's complaint calling for a grand jury to investigate allegations of missing or improperly destroyed evidence, Hill arranged a meeting with Benton to discuss the matter.
Hill and Benton met Wednesday at the Highlands County Sheriff's Office to develop an appropriate plan to answer the serious allegations.
Hill declined to discuss the meeting, and instead issued a press release Thursday afternoon.
"Sheriff Benton and I met for nearly two hours to discuss evidence handling and procedures," Hill stated.
Hill established a 30-day timetable for the following evidence inquires to be completed:
• All long guns and pistols not documented as properly destroyed will be documented.
• All drugs and cash will be documented.
• All DNA evidence will be documented.
• One in four items of the more than 35,000 bulk evidence items will be inventoried.
Evidence collected from the dozens of marijuana grow house raids conducted by the Sheriff's Office this year will not be included in the inquiry. That evidence is held in an off-site facility and the bulk of that material would prohibit an examination within a 30-day window.
"Grow houses in Highlands County have created monstrous evidentiary problems. An exhaustive inventory of all grow houses evidence simply cannot be accomplished within 30 days," Hill wrote.
Hill doesn't believe evidence recording at the off-site facility is an issue.
"Handling and processing of that evidence has now been refined to such a degree that it should no longer present an issue."
With only 53 days until the November general election, the 30-day timetable is crucial to Benton's upcoming re-election bid.
"By requiring that these matters be presented in one month, the public can be assured nothing is being hidden until after the election. Sheriff Benton and I will allow nothing else."
Questions regarding the inventory of evidence held by the Sheriff's Office became an issue last year.
Stephen A. Newell was hired by Benton to conduct an audit of evidence handling at her agency. Newell completed a report about evidence in custody of the department and resigned from the department on Aug. 6 of this year after alleging the sheriff "misrepresented my work product first to the news media and then in a public forum. Something I can't allow to go unchallenged," Newell wrote in his letter of resignation.
The PBA took up Newell's cause and began pressuring Hill to take action.
This week, the PBA conducted a mass mailing to Highlands County residents under the heading of "Evidence Scandal Erupts," which chronicled Newell's and the PBA's position.
Admitting that some evidence can't be located, Benton maintains the PBA move is politically motivated.
"There is evidence that can't be located. The State's Attorney's Office is aware of this, and so have the defense attorneys in those cases ... This was simply a matter of a human error. That said, I think this move against me and the department is politically motivated."
Several deputies, who are represented by PBA in union matters, allegedly have met with human resources staff to cancel their membership since the PBA took its action against Benton. Support reportedly is gaining for deputies to switch to a new union.
Source (http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/llnews.aspx?articleID=8694&bnpg=0)