Our Florida treasure Carl Hiaasin has always bravely offered insight to disturbing aspects of reality in South Florida.  As an internet based investigative reporter, I sought to enlist his advice on how to spotlight worrisome events in the opposite corner of our beloved state.  Wednesday, I attended a press conference at the Center for Social Justice in Pensacola, Florida.  We'll get back to that, but it was the impetus that propelled me to search for Carl.           

I read Carl's analysis of the necro-tainment offered by former Playmate, Anna Nicole, who can generate nearly 30 million google hits.  According to his editorial, the future of news coverage is grim.  Inspired by his unswervingly fantastic prose, I visited the author's website hoping that I might glean more of an insight to a contact email address than was offered by the online Miami Herald.  No luck there either but an admirable attempt was made to sell me a number of Carl's books.  I read his bio that included a phrase which triggered this editorial, "Since 1985 Hiaasen has been writing a regular column, which at one time or another has pissed off just about everybody in South Florida…"

Surely that seems like a great way to get things accomplished.  Piss people off.  Get their attention.  Focus minds on better alternatives.  In the best of all worlds maybe even engender human thought!  Whether an impossible goal, or perhaps just a fantasy, I ask your help in this endeavor.

The press conference on March 7^th was called to draw attention to a run of the mill local scandal.  "Tarnished Justice" was the result of a tip that led to a public records release of a certain personnel file.  Shocking allegations were apparent (to this reporter) in the Sheriff's handling of big problems with crime scene evidence involving a number of cases.  The Escambia County Sheriff's Office Forensics Supervisor in 2003 had noted some technical problems with the work of one of her employees.  Allegations included falsification, manufacturing & tampering with evidence in addition to phony crime scene reports and lying about the whole mess.  There was a lot more to it but those were the highlights.

The employee was allowed to resign and no internal or criminal investigation followed.  Par for the course around here.  Defense attorneys didn't seemingly receive an adequate appraisal of the "problems" as is required by the "Brady Rule."  That's a pesky Supreme Court ruling which requires information or evidence that might negate guilt or lessen punishment be shared with defense counsel.  The "Brady" letter sent by the State Attorney Office referred to the matter as "negligent record keeping."  That didn't seem to square with all those felonious sounding accusations not to mention nearly 200 unlabeled latent fingerprint lifts.  For an added angle, the Crime Scene Technician in question is now working high profile cases at our prestigious FDLE regional Pensacola office. 

So it seemed like a nice neat story almost entirely contained in public records.  One fellow is on death row, for shooting a beloved local Pensacola Police Sergeant, whose case evidence included items collected by the CST in question.  Another killer is doing 25 years, a recipient of key trial testimony from our technician with the "record keeping" problems.  Can you say "new trial?"  Or maybe even "reversible error?"  Though not thrilled with these revelations, journalistic duty seemed to indicate that the truth must escape from the hiding place in an aging personnel file.

Our local media outlets are usually allergic to stories involving serious criticism of the current Sheriff.  I believe it's a combination of a genetic anomaly and the result of interaction with unpleasant forces.  They might argue the point but the facts are obvious to the locals.  I was determined to make an effort though.  The story launched as a webcast a few days in advance of the press conference including a voluminous library of related documents.  Then followed a couple of hundred press releases distributed online with links to all the information.  Reporters like it when their jobs are made easier.

On Tuesday, the time had come for two key contacts.  Phone calls to the local newspaper and a news director at our sole network TV affiliate.  Much to my delight one of the opinion writers expressed interest in attending the event.  To make matters better the metro editor stated, "We'll cover it Wednesday for the Thursday paper."  To complete the trifecta our TV News outlet agreed to send a reporter with cameraperson.  Things were looking upbeat.

1 PM Wednesday arrived along with a nice crowd of interested parties.  Several seemed to be seeking the "social justice" for which the Center was named.  Present was the sister of an inmate killed at our local jail under still questioned circumstances.  Also, the mother of a veteran who while naked and profusely bleeding and after being attacked by a K-9 and tased, was shot dead by police.  I might have missed a detail or two on that one but you get the gist of it.

The newspaper reporters were absent.  They were "spread too thin" was the word I got.  That darned allergy again?  Several defense attorneys had expressed their intention to attend the event but alas the census indicated no lawyers in the house.  Could unseen forces have affected them too?  The TV crew and reporter were present though.  Some quick announcements about the contents of the obligatory media packet and the press conference began.

The release of information came fairly predictably.  I'd done my homework and to be ultra safe I had a script.  The details of the crime scenes crisis and police cover up were expressed and after a few questions from the TV reporter, she and her cameraperson departed.  They had done their job and I appreciated their presence as the only credentialed media persons present besides yours truly.

Then came an unexpected flurry of questions from the audience covering some of the more disturbing interactions between local law enforcement and our citizens which have happened in the recent past.  This first led to the interesting policy of our Sheriff leaving all personnel in place and on the job after a violent and or suspicious jail death involving the guards.  That's been one of my pet peeves with the administration of the High Sheriff Ron McNesby.  There is nothing to loosen the tongues of potential inmate witnesses quite like having the possible perpetrators present during their incarcerated interviews.  Right Sheriff?

Asked what I was calling for in the way of a response, I suggested that the Sheriff's office deal directly with their problems rather than cover them up.  Truly a radical remark for this part of Florida but I sensed a rise in audience response.  I cited several examples.  The Walmart parking lot multiple tasing of a middle aged woman who had called in a child abuse complaint.  No need for an investigation by the Sheriff's Office for that one.  I was told that "Deputy Dix had a bad year."  He voluntarily resigned at a later date.  There was a $250,000 settlement though and the Feds obtained a plea of guilt on a charge that could have jailed the former deputy for 10 years.

No discussion of subterfuge would be complete without a rendering of the "head stomping" case.  Deputy James Sullivan had a bad habit of viciously beating handcuffed, prone and non resisting citizens, according to his fellow officers and a collection of prisoners with very bad timing.  This disturbed the police witnesses to the extent that following their obligatory reports an Internal Investigation was convened by the Sheriff.  A litany of boot to head contact along with police flashlight beatings and the occasional knee drop were the most effective facts leading to the ruling sustaining the allegations.  The IA also found that at least 3 felonies were committed (that's if you overlook the barbeque death of an evidence tape.)  Under Florida law something should have happened.  It didn't.  Sullivan was allowed to quit.  About a year later a civil attorney brought the matter to the attention of the media after the IA surfaced in her quest for civil justice for one of Sullivan's victims who possessed unwanted head staples.  Upon becoming aware of these facts, the State Attorney Office, to their credit, filed 2 felony charges against the former deputy.  Those are working their way through the courts.

A question was raised about our record toll of jail deaths during the 6 year administration of the current Sheriff.  The toll stands at 15 now with no explanation for the last three yet.  When an inmate dies the Sheriff's Office goes into silent running mode.  Often the family receives no information from the Medical Examiner for nearly a year.  Many deaths occur from pneumonia or "other maladies" in the infirmary.  Escambia inmates make a big effort to avoid getting sick.  We've had a spate of that "excited delirium" going around.  Violent encounters with guards often mark the passing of Escambia prisoners from this mortal coil.  An antiquated and oxymoronic Coroner's Inquest process (no coroner and non binding) is sometimes employed to determine what happened in deaths involving state actors.  The Inquests are running 0 for 13.  No one has been charged or lost their job for any deaths involving inmates or police shootings.  Two were ruled homicide.  But no charges were filed.  At the risk of appearing radical again, I can't imagine why a grand jury couldn't do that type of inquiry?

I probably should have mentioned that medicines are withheld for 10 days upon arrival at the Escambia jail.  That has preceded fatal problems for some mental patients and others with daily medical requirements.  Well one can't recall everything.  There are so many concerns to catalog in this county.

Prison Health Services lost their accreditation at our jail.  Good news.  They couldn't have been doing too great of a job.  They were replaced however by a new group who is run by the founder of Prison Health Services.  Bad news.  The federal statistics I've seen show that our local jail has 5 times the per capita death rate compared to similar facilities.

I recalled my recent visit to a rural city north of here called Century, on Martin Luther King Day, to take part in a holiday celebration.  I was shocked to find that people there were afraid to talk about many of their concerns with local government.  Many are black and of modest means.  They are clearly living in fear of the more violent residents among them.  They are afraid of being lynched.  They have a reasoned fear of having their homes burned to the ground.  People told me they were threatened with being dragged behind pickups.  Sometimes there is actually a deputy in Century to patrol and protect them.  Sometimes.  A palpable fear is our companion in parts of northwest Florida in 2007.  The only difference between Mississippi Burning and Pensacola, Florida is that we have a whole lot more dead people.  Count them.  Be sure to set aside enough time to add them up.

The SWAT Team shootings are another source of concern.  I think it's fair to say that we hold the record for high speed negotiations with barricaded subjects.  After a few hours of talk, and the arrival of Sheriff McNesby, it's time to throw in the gas or charge the house with fully armed troops.  The nationwide training standard of talking to these troubled people indefinitely, unless forced to act aggressively, is rarely employed by the ECSO.  After one brief standoff and a refusal to allow family members to plead with their loved one inside a trailer, the predictable occurred.  Gas was deployed and according to the information I received, the unarmed civilian crawled out, blinded by the gas and was shot dead.  High fives were given all around including our celebrated Sheriff.  I didn't witness this.  It is, however, common lore in these parts.  We get very few facts about anything from the authorities.

A question was asked about the shooting of Mr. Broughton who had shot at a deputy but then went into his home.  He was said to be impaired on alcohol.  SWAT arrived.  Nearly a couple of hours passed when the Sheriff appeared.  Shortly followed a SWAT Team entry and Mr. Broughton was shot dead.  According to the entry team Mr. Broughton had fired upon them when they were ordered inside to attempt the apprehension.  It's very fortunate the officers weren't hurt.  Why no negotiation?  Why threaten the lives of deputies by ordering them into the home?  Why not let the occupant simply fall asleep and try to reason with him when he is a bit more rested and sober.  That introduces the two biggest questions we deal with in this region.  Why?  And why not?  Often posed but rarely is a gratifying response returned.  Many additional terrifying accounts fill our collective experiences.  But one can only talk about so much at a sitting without appearing possessed. 

The discussion of local events at the Center for Social Justice came to an end.  We'd covered many issues beyond the CSI scandal.  At the time it seemed like most chats we locals have about the state of affairs in our community.  Then I watched the videotape and realized that we are living in an alternate universe of sorts.  Pensacola has been settled for a few hundred years.  My understanding is that no police officer or jailer has ever been charged as criminally culpable in the death of any civilian in Escambia County.  Thank goodness we are blessed with that level of perfection.

Last night I hoped to see some TV coverage of the CSI scandal which is clearly a frontal assault on the right to a fair trial.  But more important breaking news dominated the telecast.  The audience was treated to fascinating coverage of a 3 day old woods fire that had been totally extinguished.  Maybe the reporter is researching the CSI story?  It might appear tonight.   Why not?  

I want to thank Carl Hiaasin for tacitly encouraging me to piss some people off in Escambia County, Florida.  The title of his editorial about the Anna Nicole Smith coverage is, "We have seen the future, and it's not pretty."   The moniker for this reporter's rant should be, "I have seen the present and it's pretty ugly."  In the name of God will someone please help us?