Poll: Deputy Farnham Civil Rights Ruling

[AlwaysRIGHT]

Deputy Farnham was sentenced to Federal Prison for a misdemeanor "civil rights" violation.

A Former Pinellas County Deputy Sheriff Has Been Sentenced To Federal Prison Following A Conviction For A Civil Rights Violation

Release Number: 07-136

Who:
Richard G. Farnham (Former Pinellas County Deputy Sheriff)
Age: 35 years-old
Date of Hire: 05/01/2000
Resigned from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office: 04/20/2007

What: A former Pinellas County deputy sheriff has been sentenced to 12-months in federal prison after he was convicted of a civil rights violation. In February 2007 a federal trial jury in Florida's North District found Richard Farnham guilty of using excessive force during an arrest incident that took place in Santa Rosa County following Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The charges stem from an incident where Farnham deployed an electronic control device on one of two armed male subjects who had fired gunshots upon him and a Santa Rosa County deputy sheriff.

Where: The original incident occurred in Navarre, Florida while Richard Farnham was a deputy assigned to an emergency response team sent by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to assist Santa Rosa authorities following Hurricane Ivan. The federal trial and sentencing hearing took place in Pensacola, Florida.

When: The original incident occurred on September 20, 2004 and a federal trial jury convicted Farnham of a misdemeanor civil rights violation on Friday, February 9, 2007. The sentencing hearing took place at 10:30 a.m. EST on Monday, April 23, 2007.

How/Why:
A former Pinellas County deputy sheriff has been sentenced to 12-months in federal prison after he was convicted of a civil rights violation. In February 2007 a federal trial jury in Florida's North District convicted 35-year-old Richard Farnham of using excessive force during an arrest incident that took place in Santa Rosa County following Hurricane Ivan in 2004. At the time Farnham was a deputy assigned to an emergency response team sent to the area by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to assist local authorities in the aftermath of the powerful storm.



The original charge against Farnham was a felony, however on Friday, February 9, 2007 a 12 person federal trial jury sitting in the Northern District of Florida in Pensacola found him guilty on a lesser charge - a misdemeanor violation of the victim's civil rights but without bodily injury. The charges stem from an incident where Farnham deployed an electronic control device on one of two armed male subjects who had fired gunshots upon him and a Santa Rosa County deputy sheriff. Farnham, who had been on administrative leave since his November 14, 2006 indictment, resigned from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, April 20, 2007. He remained free during the pre-sentencing investigation and attended the sentencing hearing that took place at 10:30 a.m. EST on Monday, April 23, 2007 in Pensacola.



At the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson sentenced Farnham to serve 12 months in a federal prison to be followed by 12 months of supervised release. The judge also ordered Farnham to pay the victim $2,382 in restitution for medical expenses. Farnham must surrender to federal authorities on or before Tuesday, May 29, 2007 to begin serving his sentence.



For additional information please review press releases 06-391 and 07-031.

What you fail to understand, it appears, is that the trial had nothing to do with what PCSO wanted. PCSO could have fired him and he still would have been tried. I think that the Assistant US Attorney screwed him. But from what I hear, Farnham lied on the stand. Thats the breaks. I'd like to see the transcripts from the trial or for someone from PCSO to come out say "This is what he did wrong."

This guy was an idiot in the first place and I have no doubt he did something wrong. He had no personality whatsoever and was a walking attitude. Good riddance...

we all dont know the facts about what happened..... until we can read the entire report and the court transcripts don't judge him..... i heared he lied on the stand too but why wasn't he charged with perjury..... as you know our goverment isnt the greatest i.e. the two border patrol officers who are now doing 12 years for doing their job!!!!!

my question is this ~ if the retired captain from nypd was a nobody ( joe smoe) would anything have been done???? i really feel with this case its who you are and who you know..... why wasn't he tried for shooting at the deputies???

can anyone with the knowledge answer that??? no opinions !

I know one thing for sure, if that area needs any assistance in the future I am not going to volunteer. Some Po-Dunk crooked system isn't worth ruining your families future over.

It sounds like the Prosecutor should have been named Nifong. You know, even if he lied on the stand it is a farce that he should have been indicted in the first place. That could have been anyone of us getting indicted for the same incident.

Punished for lying, yes. Indicted for disarming an armed subject who has fired shots, never. But if you don't have the first you would have never had the second.

And you could also say that he was lying to save his arse as he was being railroaded in the first place. What would make you think that he was going to be treated fair in the first place.

[AlwaysRIGHT]

Can you get away with lying in court without a charge? If he lied on the stand wouldn't he be charged with perjury? If he lied why wasn't he charged? The PCSO report didn't mention the alleged "lie".

Why would PCSO have to mention it. He resigned, not their problem anymore. AND HE GOT 12 MONTHS for a MISDEMEANOR!!! WHy go for perjury. They dont have to charge you with perjury anyway. Plus I would imagine that PERJURY would be more relevant to a Deputy lying to get someone convicted. He lyed for himself. Well, I hope to see someone from PCSO let the rest of us mushrooms know what he did wrong so we can all not do it ourselves.

Should he have been arrested? nope Was the sentence to harsh? yup Is his guilty? Guilty as F**k Hell Yes