You won’t believe this story.
Joel Naselroad and his parents live just outside Winchester Kentucky on a pretty, wooded 5-acre lot. There’s a pond with tame fish (they all come up when Joel whistles for them), a huge vegetable garden, several laying hens and a guinea, and a separate garden with an exotic array of peppers growing wild and hot. Among them is a Mexican pepper plant he’s nurtured for 8 years.
Further back on the lot were 3 Cannabis plants Joel grew for his own use. Like most Americans, he’s been on several different pharmaceuticals over the years. And like more and more Americans, he’s found that Cannabis replaces almost all of them with none of the addiction problems or dangerous side effects. In fact, one of his doctor’s recommended he use it.
The Naselroads are quiet neighbors. Joel repairs computers, bicycles, lawn equipment and helps with gardening for their friends. As you’ll see in the letters of support at the bottom of this article, the family is very well regarded, if not loved.
Last winter, a neighbor told the family she’d seen a mountain lion on their property. Another neighbor saw a whole family of cats in his front yard. Doug Naselroad (Joel’s dad) found a trail cam at a yard sale and bought it. They installed it on a tree at the back of the property to watch for the cat.
A few months later, on October 8th, Joel went to get the disk out of the trail cam. He took his pistol with him as was his habit in case he met up with the cat. When Joel and his mom, Jeannie, played back the video, what they saw was not a cat, but a man in camo pants, a black long-sleeved shirt, a cross-bow and a face mask sneaking along the back of their property! They were in shock. Who was that and why was he disguised, armed with a crossbow, on their side of the fence?
Later that morning, Joel prepared to head back up to the trail cam. As he was walking to the back door to leave, there was a knock on the front door. Jeannie answered the door. Joel did not see who it was or hear the conversation and continued out the back.
What Joel didn’t know is that the Clark County Sheriff’s office had gotten a call from Betsy Spengler, the next door neighbor, who reported that there was Cannabis growing on the Naselroad property. (It turns out the tresspasser was Betsy’s daughter’s boyfriend, Eric Miller.)
UPDATE 9pm: Eric Miller just called and threatened to sue the KyFreePress.com unless his picture is removed. Does anyone else find it ironic that a trespassing tattletale would demand his right to privacy be honored? Besides, it’s part of the public record and he did that to himself.
KSP Detective Craycraft spoke to Betsy and decided to head to the Naselroad’s for a “Knock and Talk.” A Knock and Talk is a no-search-warrant visit, just a friendly request to search your property. If you say no, they leave.
Craycraft sent out a mass text and got 2 other KSP* officers to join him: Detectives Mabry and Puckett. He asked for a Clark County Sheriff deputy to ride along and Detective Gurley joined the now 4-man Knock and Talk team.
Craycraft, Mabry and Puckett are plain clothes undercover: 2 in jeans, Puckett in camo. In size, shape and camo, Puckett bears a passing resemblance to the intruder on the tape. Gurley is the only uniformed officer.
The Shooting
There are conflicting details in the initial interviews with the cops about how exactly this went down. For the sake of brevity, here’s what happened:
- Gurley and Craycraft knock on the front door, Puckett and Mabry hang back. According to Gurley’s initial report, Puckett and Mabry are spreading out to his left, advancing a bit into the property.
- Jeannie answers the door, Craycraft (in plain clothes) does the talking. Gurley (only uniformed officer) never sees Joel, Joel never sees Gurley.
- As Jeannie answers the door, Joel continues out the back.
- Craycraft sees a man walk out his own back door and yells, “Out the back, out the back!”
- Craycraft and Mabry head into the backyard, Mabry circling around the garage. Puckett is close behind Craycraft, Gurley remains at the front door.
- Joel hears commotion, turns to see a strange man (Craycraft) advancing into his backyard with his weapon drawn and aimed at Joel. Joel draws his weapon and tries to rack a bullet into the chamber. The gun jams (so no bullet in the chamber). Joel has not yet seen Mabry coming around the garage.
- Craycraft yells, “Gun!” In a defensive move, Joel lifts his jammed gun to the low ready position in Craycraft’s direction, then lowers it as he hears Mabry (off to his side) yell.
- Confusion ensues. By all accounts, the entire episode, from first knock at the door to gunshot, takes seconds. Neither Joel nor his mom heard the word “police” uttered until, just before firing, Mabry yelled, “Drop it, police!”
- Immediately after this warning, with no time for Joel to drop the gun, Mabry shoots Joel, narrowly missing his heart, nicking an artery, hitting his spine, dislocating and shattering bone as it enters and exits.
- Joel falls, Mabry handcuffs him, someone gets a first aid kit and calls for help, a helicopter airlifts Joel to UK.
- While Joel is laying in his backyard bleeding profusely, Jeannie is not allowed to go to him. In fact, after Joel’s helicopter leaves the ground, Jeannie — who is understandably in shock at this point — is convinced to allow a search. Then she is detained at her home and grilled for just over an hour while her son’s life is in jeopardy! This interview is recorded without Jeannie’s knowledge.
- Meanwhile, Doug has driven in from his job in Hindman but is not allowed to go home. He is detained up the road from his home while Jeannie is being interrogated.
- In the hospital, a Detective Keaton insists on interviewing Joel while he is being treated and been given painkillers. Keaton records Joel but does not tell him so. Keaton leaves, then returns and Mirandizes Joel, after he’s questioned him.
- Doug and Jeannie go to the hospital to see their son. They are allowed to see him for slightly less then 30 minutes. Then the detectives say they are charging Joel with felonies and order them out. Joel is put under 24 hour police guard at taxpayer expense. At their attorney’s insistence, Jeannie is finally allowed to see Joel one more time during the rest of his 9-day hospital stay.
- The incident happened at 11 am. After leaving the hospital, Joel’s parents are not allowed to return home till 8:30 pm that night. When they get in the house, it has been thoroughly searched and they discover many personal items missing.
- Joel is charged with 3 felonies: wanton endangerment of three cops, as well as 3 misdemeanors: cultivation of marijuana for sale, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
- When Joel is released from the hospital, still bandaged, in a wheelchair, leaking bodily fluids and very sick, the cops put him in jail where he remains for 24 hours until his defense attorney, Tucker Richardson, gets him out. The jail did not want him there, he was too sick. The doctors did not want to release him from the hospital, but the police insisted.
- Btw, in jail, you are not allowed medication stronger than aspirin, even prescribed.
The Trial
June 23rd, Joel’s jury trial finally began at the Clark County Courthouse with Judge Clouse presiding. On June 25th, the jury acquitted Joel of all felonies and one misdemeanor, convicting him only on possession of Cannabis and the pipe.
The 3 Cannabis plants were quite small and ultimately yielded only a few grams of leaf. Apparently the jury got a kick out of the D.A. showing the Cannabis evidence: a tiny bit of plant in the bottom of a great big shopping bag.
Joels’ Sentencing
Sentencing was held last Thursday, July 10th. Before Judge Clouse handed down the sentence, D.A. Charles Johnson offered a plea deal: if Joel will stay off pain medication, give up his firearms for life and agree not to sue the state over the officers’ mishandling of the Knock and Talk and subsequent shooting, Joel can get probation.
Joel refused. He is still in quite a bit of pain, and taking prescription pain meds. And he is certainly owed his day in court!
Besides, Joel is a 33 year old with no prior record. Plus, there is solid intel that, had the jury been allowed to sentence, Joel would have gotten only a fine. Judges generally take this into consideration. Attorney Richardson and the Naselroads had been assured that Joel would get a fair hearing. Judge Clouse himself assured everyone at the hearing that his General Policy is to consider probation first. (As is the law, by the way.)
However, Clouse sentenced Joel to 120 days in the Clark County jail.
Everyone in the room was stunned at this unexpected turn of events. They were expecting a reasonable fine and possibly (even likely) probation, not jail! Hasn’t Joel suffered enough? Isn’t he still suffering from being shot and almost killed on his own property? Is Joel a criminal? Would the community be in danger were he allowed to return home?
Won’t this give cops unfettered access to Joel?
In defending his decision to sentence Joel to jail time — against attorney Richardson’s sound and vociferous argument — Clouse stated that he “believes Joel has mental issues” and that he needs to be in jail. Clouse said that if Joel gets a mental health treatment plan together, he might allow Joel “shock probation” which is an early release after 30 days.
NOTE: After the hearing, the family met briefly and consulted with those more familiar with how this works. Unfortunately, Comp Care may not visit the jail. There is no way to get a treatment plan together.
Joel was taken immediately to the Clark County jail where he’ll be until October 10th, given the treatment plan Catch 22. Joel is not allowed pain medications other than aspirin, his prescriptions sit at home.
Everyone who knows Joel, who pays taxes and finances the “justice” system, is appalled by what has happened here. They are heartsick that a gentle young man who has never hurt anyone is suffering for no reason anyone can see.
Questions
This incident was instigated over a single phone call from a neighbor stating that a trespasser saw Cannabis growing on the Naselroad property. A few questions come to mind:
- If probation was good enough were Joel to give up the idea of suing the police, if “mental issues” weren’t going to get in the way of probation then, why isn’t probation good enough when he is still planning to sue?
- Is a spontaneous intimidation visit by four armed police officers over what is by all accounts a tiny amount of Cannabis the best way to thwart a user? Is this how officers are trained to respond to a single phone call? Can any readers come up with a safer strategy to deal with this type of tip?
- Is this type of police action the best use of resources?
- Shouldn’t officers who have no need to be in disguise be required to wear clearly identifying clothing? Not just a badge on a belt but a big black tshirt with “POLICE” emblazoned across the front and back?
- Didn’t those officers have anything better to do?
- Is there any justification for chasing a man down on his own property and shooting him when he has otherwise posed no threat to anyone?
- Mabry shot and killed a man in 2006. Just the man and Mabry in the room (Mabry chased him down, too.) It would be interesting to know how many other KSP officers have shot more than one citizen and under what circumstances.
- Who is being protected here?
- In KY, possessing up to 5 plants and 8 ounces of Cannabis is a misdemeanor. If Cannabis were dangerous, would this be true?
Letters for Joel
Following are the letters of support Judge Clouse received prior to sentencing. To see a letter larger, click on it. Last names and addresses were blacked out for privacy:
Dear Sir,
I am writing this letter in defense of Joel Naselroad.
We live in an interesting time in history when on one side of this country you can purchase marijuana legally and on the other side a man was shot for owning 2 or 3 plants.
I have known the Naselroad family my whole adult life. They are all fine hardworking people. Joel has never been in trouble in his life. He is a very kind, sensitive, creative person.
I believe that he has been punished enough for possessing some pot and related items. Additional sentencing would be cruel and unjust.
Thank you for considering my request.
Catherine (a friend and neighbor)
How You Can Help
Please share this story with your friends and get the word out about Joel. Thank you. If you’d like to write a letter to the Judge, please click here to send to Joel’s attorney, Tucker Richardson.
*Craycraft is employed by the Clark County Sheriff’s department and has been assigned to a KSP special task force. It is as a KSP officer that he is responding to this call. Similarly, Puckett is employed by the Paris Police Department and is a KSP special task force officer. Mabry is employed by the KSP.
DISCLAIMER: Sally Oh is Tucker Richardson’s much younger, smarter and better looking sibling. Winchester is our hometown. When I heard about this story, I decided to investigate and spoke with Tucker. (If you follow KyFreePress.com, you’ll see this story would been reported, bro or no.) Tucker and I chatted briefly, but both decided that, in order for the article to be as accurate as possible and to keep an arm’s length pov, the details had to come from eye witness interviews and the public record, which they did.
On behalf of Joel, one may want to consider checking out http://www.nationallibertyalliance.org and seek their direction as a means of helping Joel to find remedy to the injustice that has been foisted upon him.
No-good Clouse finally did his job, but MUCH later than necessary. Best of luck, Joel. Get a good lawyer and have at it!
Tomorrow (Thur) 11am at the Clark Cty Courthouse, Judge Clouse will hear Tucker’s motion to release Joel. If you can be there in support of Joel, please do!
Thank you, Bruce.
After I entered my comment last night about Joel I read the comments left by others. To the yard sale lady. You piss me off. Everyone that knows Joel knows what a gentle person he is. You have seen him twice and yeah he problem was smiling. In spite of his pain because he always smiles. I sit in my chair he sits on the couch. He might sit for an hour or so just talking to me continually trying to stretch turning his head and grimacing at the pain he is in even today. Those are tthins I notice even thought he smiles. Sometimes I even have to help him u though he should be helping me since he if the young man and I’m in 60s. As far as joels family they are fine loving people who are assets to our community. Like I said earlier instead of raising he’ll Joel is out spending time with his father going to yard sales. He is an old soul and he sacrifices to be home taking care of his parents like about 0 percent of kids these days so stop hating about someone you have no idea about. Mt name is Bruce Scott and I do live on this road. I doubt Ashley is really yours. Hater
I have known Joel for 17 years. He is one of the most gentle people I’ve ever known. An old soul who would walk a mile and a half to muck out horse stalls, and do any other task I have him happily for no reason other than to help me. I was never worried about Joel around my property even though I have been stolen from several times. Joel is a person that dances to the time of a different drum than anyone around these days. I’m growing old but Joel never let’s me down with his weekly visits. I tell him of days gone by and we talk of history, gardening and many other things. He picks my mind and soaks it in like a sponge. He is truly one of the most intelligent boys I’ve ever met. When Joel was sentenced I counted 33 people who came to support him the majority of them mis 50s and older. Most likely because Joels selfless behavipr has touched them the same way it did me.Joels idea of a good tome is sitting on the porch, Gardening, tending to animals and things of that nature. Joel doesnt rip and run raise hell and he doesnt deserve the sentence he has been delt. Joel has suffered more than enough and will continue to suffer the rest of his life. The fact that he is locked up is truly an injustice and in the little community of pinchem he is greatly missed. It breaks my heart he is not here to reap the reward of his prized pepper plants that he loves so much and put so much time and effort into. I know my family and I will be counting the days until Joel brightens our home again. I miss my buddy as I know countless others do. – Bruce
Thank you I will call his lawer soon this week..
Why is marijuana such a scourge to these backwoods people? I’ve been a writer and mj advocate many years. The truth is mj causes no physical damage, unlike cigs and booze, and isn’t habit forming, much less addictive, to healthy well-adjusted aficionados.
Grass helps break through the conditioning, that’s why. Criminalization of cannabis is a form of mind control and anyone who tokes a reefer is a threat to the group-think mentality. In my ebook, “Pot Stories” I describe how in hippie days in the ‘60s my favorite pastime was to get high and attend the latest performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. The heightened sensitivity (auditory hyperesthesia) was delightful and I eventually became a connoisseur of the arts. I would hold hands with my girlfriend as we listened to Verdi or Puccini and for a brief while visited a blissful world where reason was exalted and sublime and not money.
Is this criminal behavior that should lead to our arrest and incarceration? Read “Pot Stories” on Amazon relevant history on how it all came about. Our leaders, like the officers and judge in the case above, do not want to hear or learn about the truth.
http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Humanist-Essays-Richard-Goscicki-ebook/dp/B00GC46DPY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407159110&sr=8-1&keywords=pot+stories
Tyrannical Evil doers your day is coming! Judgment will rain down on you and the river of fire that you will spend eternity will be well deserved. We have God Given Rights and we plan to defend them till death!
That crazy MABRY man that shot that young man said all through high school that he wounted to be a KSP so he could shoot and kill people just to see what it would be like to kill a person.He was a police officer in sandy hook ky, and got fired for that man dam sure did not need a badge.His x brother in law at that time was the judge in sandy hook that’s how MABRY got the police job his first job.That judge also lost his job from a gun in court he lost the election and ksp thought they would have to shoot the judge BILL WOODS for a while where he lost it in the court room after the election. when he lost THE KSP CAPTAN AT THAT TIME TOLD ME THAT IN PERSON.MABRY and his parents where boot legars till he got a badge and cruzer.I pray that they fry MABRY for shooting this young man.MABRY killed the first man he shoot.MABRY if he don’t get fired he will kill again for that man is not right in the head.I knowed him and his family all my life and mabry should never be no kind of cop for he dreams of killing behind his badge.I WISH I KNEW THAT young mans lawers phone number and I would call that lawer and it mite save a life.Can some one post his lawers phone number so I can call him.
Tucker Richardson
859-259-0727
300 West Short St.
Lexington, KY 40507
Sounds like mental issues in the family and drug abuse use. Something is amiss about this family.
I’m not certain about all of these facts. (Word is used loosely) But my 1st thought is that the young man shouldn’t have snuck around…appears guilty….too many different variables in all of these stories. Needs his painkillers..or his pot. Too many loopholes for both sides. You’ll never know the whole truth.
In fact, we do know the whole truth and it’s actually quite easy to decipher if you read how it went down several times and try to picture it in your mind. Besides, the facts were substantiated at trial. The entire purpose of a trial is to determine the facts. You should read the transcripts so you know everything the prosecution tried to throw at Joel. After hearing and reviewing all the fact evidence, the jury had zero problem acquitting Joel of ALL charges related to the shooting.
Betsy Spengler and Eric Miller are not worthy of living human life on Earth
No one wishes them any harm. That said, I’m sure payback is a bitch. Who needs friends like these?
That’s insane. The judge wanted to make sure the guy wouldn’t sue the hell out of the idiots who invaded his home and SHOT him. I hope he bankrupts their entire operation once he gets out of jail. This is wrong in so many ways you need calculus to keep track of them all.
Regardless, Joel needs our support while he is in jail. I was able to find most of his information except his jail ID # which is required to send him a letter. I will call the jail on Monday and get his address. So, please take a minute to write to Joel because No-one belongs in jail for a plant.
CCDC
Joel Naselroad
30 Wall street
Winchester, KY 40391
https://www.facebook.com/notes/adela-falk/free-joel-naselroad/745150078876510
I’m laughing, but not at the man that was shot. Not the fact his property was raided for 3 pot plants. Not the fact that there is white trash living close by sticking their nose where it might get shot off. Not the fact that there was a major injustice carried out by another incompetent judge. I’m laughing at the fat guy with his face covered, when you don’t have to hide your face playing video games all day. Also, the pictures of the “law enforcement officers”, all of whom are obese, and probably as incompetent as the “judge”. They must be political favors owed to Mommy and Daddy. I used to side with law enforcement most of the time. However, with a tyrant in the White House, I guess we see the scum that will side with the “New Amerika”, and not their fellow citizens. That’s good to know because there are more of us than there are of you. This is one screwed up story.
“Dear” “Judge” Clouse: You have utterly dishonored the concept of justice. I hereby declare contempt for you and your court.
Thank you, Alicia. This is how we fight back peacefully.
Its best if they step on any property of mine thats paid for by “myself” as i do their gas money!, they better have a uniform on bc any intruder on my property will be shot and survivers will be shot again. Thats what i pay for and belongs to me and i dont blame the young man for pulling his firearm. The las acts like NO ONE other than them should carry a firearm, its the 2nd admendment dumbass! You can have mine when you pry from my cold dead hands! All i have are cattle, which i have had stolen believe that or not, and its best not to even look over the fence because you can bet my XD45 wont jam. Thank God the boy didnt shoot or they would made sure to kill him. They need to come up with better procedure! Years ago you never heard of police shooting ANYONE! People are scared of the police now. I dont trust them. I also think since half of the law is on drugs theirself should have to pull some jail time before sending someone else to jail for the same crimes they commit!, same goes for DA and Judges! Something has to be done! I really hope he sues the hell out of them! And as far as the shooter officer goes, does he need a gun? They take guns away from people but issue them a 10mm glock or .40 caliber pistol to a trigger happy sob waiting to shoot someone for nothing! Good luck Joel! Wishing you luck in Ohio
Such “justice”. He should serve his time, sue them sooo hard and have Mabry’s badge :)
These actions do not surprise me coming out of Clark County, Winchester Kentucky. I grew up in Winchester and thank goodness live on the west coast now. If someone is trespassing on your property that is illegal, police drawing a weapon on a tip from a phone call does not make that an accurate complaint. Pulling a gun on a mother and son on just the tip and if it’s just a meet and greet it was supposed to be just the discussion. Like they bullied and retain the mother for so long that she gave in for them to do a search, allowing the police department to not allow the parents go to the hospital to see their potential dying son. Two ransack the house without a warrant should be illegal, all of these things show the discrepancies, not like most of the United States Police Departments. The Winchester police department will hopefully pay millions of dollars to this suffering family. Young man’s body will never be the same, now he has PTSD on top of what he was already suffering from. Not allowing him to have mental health evaluation or treatment is in jail absolutely on comprehendible. Not to allow the young man to address his pain needs after such injuries. The good old boy system is still active. So glad I do not have a son or myself living in such an abusive “police department” if you want to call them “protectors” or are they predators? Living here in Washington which is a progressive an educated state, this is absolutely outrageous and I’m going to make sure that I spread social media news regarding the Winchester Police Department. The town is so lovely and the people are so nice, this is an unfortunate example of Winchester.
these “police” are scum. it’s a damn shame joels gun jammed… i’ll tell you that right now.
Well, that sure would have complicated things.
The pigs, oops, I mean cops violated the law numerous times. I hope the state ends up paying the Naselroad family so much that it totally bankrupts Kentucky.
Please note, folks, this was KSP completely. I have no idea why they wanted the one deputy there, who likely was told very little about what was going on – and this is just going to mean local law enforcement is going to be less and less willing to assist KSP when they keep getting pulled into such messes.
The only full-time KSP officer was Mabry. Both Puckett (Paris PD) and Craycraft (Clark County SD) are local cops assigned to the KSP special drug unit. How are these officers trained and which training took precedence here?
Looks like all four cops together don’t have enough brainpower to tie a Velcro shoe. And we give them guns and badges.
In case people didn’t notice this next to the picture of the snitch, Eric Miller, is an update. He called and threatened the author of the article. Eric Miller brought this situation down on the heads of this family and then wants to remain anonymous??? What unbelievable nerve. As far as our family if someone came on our property dressed like that with a mask he’d be lucky not to get shot!
As someone who has intimate knowledge of the medical profession I invite anyone whose had a bullet go through their body, a lung, break off ribs, before exiting their back an inch from their spine to please speak up. Do people not realize that all your nerves are connected in there and this does nerve damage that can last a lifetime. Has Alice who gave her opinion that Joel was happy the day he came to her yard sale, never heard of pain medicine?
I know this family intimately. The mother Jeannie was recovering from brain surgery when all this happened. She wasn’t suppose to be stressed. The parents had no idea that Joel had a plant growing on the property. Larry Spengler their next door neighbor had some type of problem with their son. Eric Miller is his son in law.
The bible states if you have a problem with your neighbor to first go to them before you go to the authorities. Shame on Eric Miller and shame on the Spenglers. If they had bothered to get to know this family as their other neighbors have they would have had compassion instead of been out to “get them”.
I know there are 2 sides to every story but from Joel and his families point of view here is my take:
If the officers were there to ask about searching the property without a warrant, then the officers shouldn’t have gone around to the back of the house looking around. They had yet to ask permission to be on the property. If not for their actions, nobody would have been in danger and Joel wouldn’t have been shot.
Also if they hadn’t been in plain clothes none of this would have happened either. I can’t blame a man who has seen a masked person on his field camera strolling on his property, for carrying a gun. So if that same man goes out and sees a guy pointing a gun at him and yelling, anyone can see how they might want to protect themselves. Had the officer been in a uniform, Joel likely would have just looked at them and asked what they were doing on his property…rather than immediately fear for his life.
So many mistakes made, it’s hard to understand how the man shot was the one who got in trouble when it appears the undercover police made a few mistakes.
I have a retired KY law officer in my family(which is why I have to remain anonymous through fear of retaliation) who was fond of sharing his work stories at the dinner table. I can confirm that officers are trained in how to circumvent and exploit the law in their favor. You are so close to hitting the nail on the head. What they were doing was intentionally provoking the situation to get full access to the property. It is S.O.P. in these situations. Officers are taught to intentionally provoke the suspect to the point that it gives them grounds to escalate.
What happened to the snitch? Everyone in this town needs to know what kind of a person he is.
As luck may have it, I have personally had my own run-ins with officer Craycraft, detective bell and other officers in Winchester, including Paris officers as well. In my personal interest I am keeping my real name off of here so the harassment doesnt begin again. Bc of being prescribed prescription drugs for many yrs I developed a grug habit. (Not surprising) Bc of this I did many things wrong not unforgiveable but non law abiding. At the end of 07 I moved in with some ill family members to take care of them outside of Clark County and after many rehabilitation attempts I thought I had it licked, taking care of my sick family members, and working took up all of my time. Until I recieved a call from a ” so called friend” begging me to let him meet my old hook up for opiates, he harassed me for days, some how knowing that they would be in town at the same time I would be visiting family. Long story short I agreed to introduce them to one another at that be all if the phone calls and continuous text would stop to me and other family members. In doing so he brought with him a man in Street clothes (paris officer) I took only the friend in to meet him, he bought drugs from him not I. later that night my door was busted in and I was arrested for trafficking and possession, they couldn’t keep the possession bc I didnt have anything, but w/o any evidence I was still charged w trafficking, 2wks after incarceration Craycraft had me brought to his office and charged me for burglary, a crime that I didnt commit but had some knowledge of. Total crap right, even as bogus as the charges were, and that my life was chnged prior to, im stuck with them, I was very luck to have a stand in judge at the time from lexington who gave me 3 yrs probated. Wi th two felony charges I spent less time than poor Joel. They harassed me for yrs prior even in my teen yrs, stole a boyfriends entire paycheck from his wallet after pulling a gun on us for a stick of deodorant in the door pocket. (Pulled over for no signal, even though we used it, and 4double occupied cruisers)I have many instances, I could tell you of, but it would take days. In short Clark County ppl have no rights no hope, until the justice system, and the officers who control it are repremanded for their crimes. It makes me sick that after yrs and yrs of these crimes nothing has been done. They run a viscous cycle. Not helping those who need it but hurting those that are innocent.
Thank you for writing. This is how it is these days. I have no doubt what you say is true. Lots of my friends in the liberty community have had these experiences. I have friends in CopBlock.org… all you have to do is spend a little time on youtube these days.
It’s not just “everywhere else,” either. A Ky cop just shot and killed a teenage girl for not stopping as she was leaving a field party. Shot her through the windshield. There’s more of that, too, we’ll be writing about.
A small town (1,500 population) police dept. near me just received bullet proof vests from “excess” military stock. There’s no need for that around here, lol! Local police depts are being militarized, they are somehow (and for some reason) being taught that WE are the enemy. Especially if you are black or hispanic, you are immediately suspect.
I could go on. Please write in and tell your story as it happens and encourage others to do the same. This stuff has to get out and TOPIX is so full of spam, it’s impossible to weed through.
I grew up in Winchester, too. In the late 60s/early 70s, we had parties every week at our house with underage drinking and plenty of pot smoking. The cops came about once a month, told us to tone it down, threw their weight around, stern but VERY nice, very respectful, NEVER set food in the door. They knew we were partying at home, not driving the streets… that’s the only time anyone got in trouble was dui. It was a common sense approach to protecting and serving. Cops are lacking that skill: how to use common sense IF they have any to start with.
The sheriff’s office responded ONLY to a request for assistance from KSP – this was a KSP debacle from beginning to end.
Sounds like it to me, too. Perhaps the Clark County Sheriff can educate Gurley and Puckett and the rest of us on how a situation like this ought to have been handled. Surely this is not SOP. Based on one phone call (from a trespasser yet!) with no other evidence over a small amount of Cannabis, no harm being done to anyone? This action has all the markings of too many cops with too little to do. Gone are the good old days when you could steal someone’s property — their house, car, land — over a little pot in a civil forfeiture action. By the way, these cops did take personal property from the home: guns, a moped, cash… who is checking into the property taken from the house: Sheriff or KSP? Where is the inventory as required by law?
This is one of the biggest cases of injustice I have ever heard about and I hope the cops have to take responsibility for what they have done.
I think that the sheriffs office is a little confused as to what is important. They had one “report” of a minor offense and went in with “guns blazing” and yet I reported to these same officers an offense that happened to me – I had left people in charge of watching my house when I was away on vacation and while I was gone they stole many items from me. I reported this to the sheriffs office and they said I would have to file charges in order for them to help and then after I filed charges they still told me that since there were 3 people there and we didn’t know which one did it they still couldn’t help me. I later found out from a neighbor that one of the individuals at the house had given him items in my house in exchange for repairing their car so I went back to the sheriff’s office and reported this and gave them the name of that person and they said they would handle it – NOTHING HAPPENED to this person. When they know a crime has been committed they do nothing and yet with just one report of a possible crime they are all to eager to go in, in a very inappropriate manner I may add, to handle the situation. Where is the justice?????
This has happened to my friends as well. Home break-ins where nothing is done, then they ransacked my friend’s head shop TWICE to the tune of several HUNDRED thousand dollars. (See the “I’d like to report a crime” article listed below.)
Why? Because we all have that radio station playing in our heads WIIFM: What’s In It For Me. There is literally nothing in it for cops to take care of a break-in or a rape for that matter. But drugs??? Plenty in it for them. They get to use deadly force for one thing. The perp is not running away, the perp is right there at home. And you get to take all their stuff and, used to be, got to keep it.
This is a dangerous precedent (obviously!) The IJ is fighting this nationally and I expect good things from this. Great video here: Institute for Justice: End Policing for Profit.
Plus my friend who owns the Botany Bay got all her merchandise returned after the second raid. That was a huge victory.
Keep speaking out. That’s how we make a dent and change things. Most everyday people have no clue this is happening until it happens to them or a family member of a friend. Rogue bureaucrats sure know how to create animosity :)
This article was very articulate and correct. It is complicated. I know many of the details from the beginning (I was there after the shooting and at the hospital) and can say that the author of this article did a lot of careful research and gave a good accounting.
All i could keep thinking at the time that we couldn’t go to Jeannie at her house or Joel in ICU was how inhumane this was. Joel may have died and over what? Overzealous police and some scrawny pot plants… it is crazy…
What country do we live in? The plea bargain that was offered to this young man was nothing short of blackmail. It appears that the D A, judge, and officers involved all knew that the situation was a case of police misconduct. For them to offer Joel probation instead of jail time in exchange for not taking his pain medication for a gun shot wound they inflicted, giving up his right to bear arms for life, and agreeing to not sue is clearly admittance of guilt on the officer’s part. I’m so glad this young man chose to not accept their bullshit plea!
I have known Joel since he was in his early teens and he is one of the gentlest people I know. I will also say that a man defending his property is within his rights. (stand your ground)
There were so many procedure’s circumvented by these law enforcement officials I don’t think it will be hard to prove there overzealous behavior was not only unjustified but illegal.
We as a society expect our officials that represent us to be readily identifiable especially law enforcement officers. To address the weed it was a misdemeanor at best. has anyone paying attention to societies views on this when California as well as Colorado have seen fit to bring this situation under more control. People have realized that this isn’t reefer madness, the propaganda movie shown to us in grade school. By the way there are 326 pharmaceuticals that contain cannabinoids. the pharmaceutical industry sure thinks this is beneficial also. This wasn’t a Meth lab this is a private residence of good people that don’t bother anyone. If this is allowed here what’s next , you may get a knock on the door.
I personally hope its the neighbors that receive this type of treatment. With neighbors like that who needs enemies! I guess I could attribute it to a lack of communications skills on there part. What ever happened to protecting your neighbor which would include any concerns you might have about there property before consulting anyone else. I wish I could see him without the camo so I could avoid him.
This is so sad that the law enforcement in this area has time for frivoless endeavors like this one when there are real crimes being perpetrated!
the officers don’t look very promising, hell I think one of the undercover don’t even have teeth….well isn’t that appropriate! Idiots …. I hope it was worth shooting a man over a couple plants! I guess they don’t get enough excitement in this town and just got bored and big headed!!! next time make sure you make it known you are police befor you point a gun on someone else property… If I seen some man run at me in my back yard in civilian close with gun pointed and did not know it was a officer ..I would defend my self to….
I’m so sorry to hear about this. Our family sends love and prayers to Joel, Jeannie, and Doug.
There is no reasonable doubt that this is an absolute miscarriage of Justice. The officers, the DA, and the Judge need to be removed entirely from any position involving the criminal justice system. It is there actions alone that are totally irrational. This has all the markings not of a “knock and talk” but of a home invasion, strong arm robbery, and attempted murder. Since several personal items are missing; it is quite evident some theft occured … if it was gathered for evidence, and was not contraband … after sentencing it should have been returned. This is a blight on the KDP, the Bourbon Country DA’s office, and the court of Judge Clouse. The public is becomming more and more outraged at the heavy handed tactics and incidents that only infuse and incite dangerous situations to the general public; whereby no punishment or remedial action is taken. Go to your city and county government meetings; demand the dismissal of these officers or the dismissal of those you elected that allowed them their positions. Go to the Kentucky Bar Association and demand a disbarment of the DA (who would offer such an unethical plea deal); and demand a judicial review of Crouse that would place such a heavy handed sentence on someone that has more than paid a price for the petty if not entirely inconsequential crime (but for the outrageous, overzealous, conduct of dangerous police). As for his neighbor’s conduct; I hope among the agencies involved in this miscarriage … that they too are carried over into any pending lawsuit; especially since Mr. Miller’s trespass in such garb was inciteful to Joel to carry a gun for safety. A simple phone call would have done as well … the whole point of the Knock and Talk was to incite a situation where a search would be intimidated into being; and this goes wholly against our Constitutional Right to be secure in our persons. Four armed men, three ununiformed, 1 uniformed but out of sight is a standing threat and intimidation at anyone’s door; those that question this are unreasonable themselves.
This is prime example of how and why we need to back off this nonsense of marijuana prosecution. Cops will be crooked with no reprimand, and the state of KY is on a witch hunt over marijuana. Personally, the sentence is too much and cruel considering the situation. Jailing a man that had no idea who drew a firearm on him, being shot then jailed. Yeah no argument that’s crap. Until the people of this nation and society rise up against the constitutional garbage we are force fed. This just shows the law has no respect for the people it is suppose to protect. So why respect the law if the law doesn’t respect us. I think all the officers should be forced to leave, no firearms and treated as the felon they created. Until you challenge the law on the unjust system we are forced to abide by, things will continue to get worse. Don’t be sheeple folks.
It angers me that there are so many ignorant people who take what they read or hear from another as fact without asking questions to those who were involved. A few of the pieces in this article that are wrong is the fact that Joel Naselrod claims that he didn’t see Deputy Gurley. In a statement to Deputy Gurley Joel Naselrod specifically said that he saw Deputy Gurley before Joel Naselrod took off running out the back door with a gun. This article seems written to lay blame on our law enforcement. So since Joel’s direct statement to Deputy Gurley renders that part of the article a lie, my question to him is why would you go running out the back door of your house with a gun (loaded or otherwise) when you have seen a deputy in full uniform standing at your front door?
I can attest to the fact the if Joel Naselrod is in ANY pain, he hides it very well considering that he and his father showed up to several of my yard sales, both smiling and in good spirits. There is much more to this story that tips the tone of the actual incident back towards reality and what actually happened. I am appalled at this pity act that the Naselrod family is demonstrating by allowing the truth to be so blurred.
Your information is incorrect. Please pick up a copy of the trial transcripts as well as the interview with the cops prior to trial.
During his first interview, Gurley said he never saw Joel, that he never went to the backyard. But… at trial, his story was slightly different and he said he DID see a flash of Joel when he was at the door. The defense attorney called him on this, however, and proved this to be, um, inaccurate. Particularly given the door, how the curtain was hanging (from the cops’ own photos), the visibility from the front door to the back door…
The jury had no trouble deciphering the truth and acquitting Joel.
Um, pain medication relieves pain so that a person can live a normal life.
“Pity act”… you mean being shot through the chest in your own backyard, almost dying in the hospital, enduring a trial and now being in jail? That “pity act”?
I agree 100% with you, Ashley. I too, get angered when ignorant people take what they read or hear as fact. I’ll even go one step further and say some people even base “fact” on their own assumptions of something they have seen. For example, when you see someone with a handicap placard parking in a handicap space and they get out of their vehicle and they seemingly don’t even have a disability. Ignorant people judge them based on their outward appearance of not having a disability and consider their judgment “fact”. Same thing goes for you Ashley; ignorance is also basing “fact” off of your own opinion such as Joel not being in ANY pain just because he was smiling and in good spirits. Perhaps, just perhaps Ashley, when you saw Joel on those occasions, he was on his pain medication which was easing the pain. Just a thought…..
You don’t know what kind of pain he’s in! You’re not in his body. I have a lot of pain with MRI, xrays to testify for my pain, buy I still smile, hell I even laugh at times but that doesn’t mean I’m not hurting I’m appalled at the fact you think you know he isn’t in pain! I vet your related to the nosy neighbors.. His about you keep your stupid opinion to yourself? .
What is really disturbing (besides the fact that there was a shooting, for no good reason) is the lengths that the authorities went to in order to try to justify their actions in this investigation. No crime was being committed here other than the cultivation of marijuana. Yet in a desperate attempt to make this appear necessary,this families home was over run by police for the better part of a day. The owners could not even go back in to check on their pets. On top of everything else, their personal belongings were removed from the house as “evidence”. Evidence of what? Growing pot for personal use? The police came in there like a SWAT team going after a major drug cartel. I know because I saw what was going on. No warrants, no explanation, and they were rude. No compassion for a parent whose child could very well be dying from an injury that they inflicted. In this country we have a right to bear arms and protect our property, but you better make sure to ask the intruder if he’s a cop first.
I hope he/his family are taking legal actions against the parties involved. How can the judge deny him his meds in…..jail and/or not giving him shock probation when the jury found him NOT GUILTY? I would pursue this all the way to the Supreme Court if I had to. He WAS on his own property and was doing NOTHING WRONG. Three pot plants is a JOKE.
I hope he sued them all!
Interesting article. I don’t know of anyone who believes growing 3 pot plants is a crime. The crime is that some have insisted it is illegal. Anything that arrests cancer tumor growth, seizures, and is anti-inflammatory assisting MS patients, arthritis patients and such is free game for use by a free society. This IS a free society. Proud of Joel for refusing the deal. That is hard to do when they hold the carrot and the stick.
I am with you 100%. it seems obvious the state doesn’t really believe it’s a crime or dangerous since 4 plants and 8 ounces is a misdemeanor. What are we doing here?
John’s comments reflect my thoughts quite well. I must add, however, that this “op-ed” piece illustrates blogger Sally Oh’s poor understanding of standard police procedure and the criminal justice system. From the beginning, she refers to the plain-clothes KSP task force officers as “undercover.” The article title is misleading and meant to provoke: The suspect was shot because he was emerging from the house armed…not because he had cannabis plants. And they didn’t read him his rights because he wasn’t under arrest at the time. Finally, stop with the illusion that no harm can come from growing cannabis is your yard. It makes you – and your neighbors – vulnerable to burglaries and other violent crime. Work in the field with the victims instead of defending the criminals and maybe you’ll be able to fully open your eyes.
A jury acquitted Joel of all endangerment charges. From what the trial attendees have told me, the jury was as appalled by this police action as the rest of us are.
Why don’t you direct us to the Standard Police Procedures used by the KSP, see if we can understand them.
The cops were identified as “undercover” in the public record.
The article title is exactly what happened. No one but anonymous trolls have complained. When people complain anonymously, this tells me they have a dog in the fight.
Keaton interviewed Joel, recorded the conversation without informing Joel, then read him his rights. I’ll check the record again, but I believe this is how it happened. That seems backwards to me, from someone who doesn’t know police procedure.
The suspect was shot because he emerged from his very own house on his very own property with a gun to be used for self-defense from an intruder and/or a cat. This justifies being shot?
Besides, Craycraft did not know Joel was armed when he walked out of the house.
The only violent crime that resulted from Joel growing Cannabis was being shot by a cop.
I have come across several instances, such as this one, where law enforcement officers anonymously post on social media pages and news websites in order to discredit the story. A deputy sheriff and a deputy jailer both confirmed, in confidence and off the record, that this is a common ‘off the books’ strategy when mistakes grievous enough to cause a community outcry occur. They explained that it falls in the same realm of practices as profiling and ‘ticket quotas’. Practices that we all know exist even though law enforcement agencies deny them. I just thought I would put that out there.
Thank you.
to say that having something that another person may try to steal on your personal property makes the community vulnerable to violent crimes is no different than saying a girl in a short skirt is encouraging rape. makes no sense.
I am glad someone is finally doing something to hold these gun loving rednecks accountable. cheers Sally Oh.
I have to say at this point, that i’m not sure which is more disgusting in my head, this story or the obvious police state loving critics of Sally Oh. I am really starting to wonder if what None SoBlind stated above isn’t really happening in front of our eye’s, or at the very least coming from supporters/friends of these violent pigs. No matter what anyone may think of the side of the story Sally Oh has taken (as most writers do right from one p.o.v. or another) the fact still remains that there was no reason that Joel should have been chased down in the first place! There was no warrant being served and these ass-hats didn’t even have proof of any crime being committed in order to have a suspect to chase. In their own words they were there for a “knock and talk”, and if this were all they were doing that day, he wouldn’t have need 3 additional “undercover” or “off duty” officers there with him. Plain clothes would have shown up when it was time for a raid and to serve a warrant. But a point i would like these cop groupies to answer is “what if there wasn’t even 3 cannabis plants there?” If you missed the time line of events (FACTS) reread it and notice that no matter what Joel did or didn’t do, the cops shot him PERIOD! Why, cause they have guns too, and are given the feeling of full rights to use it in order to solve any problems they are faced with.
I once lived in wincester! It is no better now than when I lived there! The whole system needs to be changed! And only u people can change it!
*Beer Belly Snitch*
http://www.barnabasministry.com/quotes-sneeches.html
I hear that Mr Belly Snitch is suing to have his picture removed. Does anyone have a picture of the guy with his face showing taken in public?
All of these officers should be removed from their positions and never be allowed to own or carry a firearm again. They are a poor example of law enforcement in the US and to think that children will be forced by many parents to treat them with respect and trust is truly absurd. These four will never get any respect from me if I go there in fact I will spit in their faces and crap on their shoes. Its a total misuse of power and i hope a jury sets them back decades with payments to this man for their inappropriate misjustice.
I just wonder if the nosy neighbor Ms Spengler is happy with the outcome? She could’ve just minded her business.
When you start an article with the smiling face of someone that was shot, you know the article will be slanted. It’s easy to write a narrative after the fact and seem like the police’s actions were irrational.
Take for example this line: “Immediately after this warning, with no time for Joel to drop the gun, Mabry shoots Joel…”
Unless this bit was caught on camera, there is no way to assess if there was enough time to drop the gun. You’re not reporting facts, only perceptions, which vary widely.
At this point of reading through the article, I am thinking, this isn’t journalism. So I look up Sally Oh. Turns out that this is a provocational piece written by a self-proclaimed food activist, whose professional training is in real estate, and has a background in farming.
That doesn’t make Sally Oh a bad person, but untrained in the way to investigate and reports actual facts. The goals of the article are clear from the beginning, but gets even worse toward the end, with the flood tear jerking letters from friends and family.
I really how she lines up a bulleted list of loaded questions, then follows it up with “Why aren’t these facts reported by local newspapers? It’s all public record.” Your questions are not facts. Even you facts are not facts.
Please people, take the smear articles with a grain of salt. It’s a sad situation, and I hate that someone got hurt in a situation that turned out to be benign. But it doesn’t mean the police did everything wrong. Try to see both sides of things, even if Sally Oh doesn’t want you to.
When you get a snide comment from an anonymous poster, well, ignore it.
There are always two sides to a story, it is basic wisdom to operate under this understanding. Speaking of facts and searching them out are two very different things. You can sit on the fringes and say what you like however, I’m sure if any of you have a child and they were shot you would dig in and try to focus on what happened and what didn’t; the “facts”. The story from a non-related party is a vehicle to create exposure to an incident.
Was there a report of a large cat and were there trail cams put up for this purpose? Was the data gathered a surprise that someone was creeping around on the property true? Where the cops in plain clothes? Did the police identify themselves in time of using deadly force and was there any threat to them prior to them using deadly force? Has the police officer that was the “shooter” been involved in other shootings, specifically where someone has lost their life.
I guarantee that if this was your child/family member you would want search out the facts. Mainstream media and newspapers
report on the “bits” as they happen, when is there ever follow-up on facts unless it is big enough to make money?
Obviously it is understood that potions of this can’t be proven out beyond no shadows of doubt but as said a few times above you would not be so flippant if it was your loved one.
Yes he was involved in another shooting where just “he and the victim” were present. Go figure!!! He was totally wrong/trigger happy for what he did to this man. His ass needs to be FIRED/GONE YESTERDAY….and so does the judge!
Sounds like we have a couple of badge-lickers here.
I think this is Mabry posting here. He and his cronies are lawbreakers, plain and simple. I hope Joel sues these people for everything they own. Of course, the judge in that case would probably rig it – just like they all seem to do these days when there are liberty issues at stake. Juries need to wise up and stop this sh*t with nullification. It’s our only hope unless true law-abiding ‘public servants’ are in office, and I won’t hold my breath for that.
I really feel that the sentencing was unfair. I don’t understand why you would put someone in jail for growing three little plants. The whole thing was very unprofessional & very much uncalled for in the matter that unfolded. A fine and probation would have been enough. The poor boy was attack at his own home without anyone really investigating before action was taken. Now this young man & his family is suffering in many ways. Joel is in constant pain without his prescription medication that the doctor gave him. Is this America? Out methods as Americans have changed so much. Would our fore fathers (if they could) be proud of that America has become. I believe in justice, and action should be taken if the law in broken. But, I believe justice should be fair, and to me this punishment was not just. It seems so unfair. He is suffering both physically and mentally. His family has no justice, they feel like victims themselves. Its hard to go up town, to church etc in the county you live in with it plastered all over the front page of the paper. I really feel for them. The people who you think are there to protect you invited you. God, please bless America again, is all I can say. Lord, help those who have authority over us do what’s right in the eyes of justice and most of all YOUR eyes is my prayer.
I was called for Jury duty on this case. I was the 3rd person called of the 30. I made it very clear that I disagree with the marijuana laws so I was excused. In hindsight I wish I had kept My mouth shut, gotten on the jury and went for jury nullification on the misdemeanor charges. Possesion is normally a $100 fine in Clark County, at least it was in ’07 when I paid it.
The word about jury nullification needs to get out — thank you for mentioning it. Keep it up!
Clouse’ actions here are the predictable result of granting these people so much power and attaching so little responsibility to it. We elect them to dispense justice. Instead they become willing advocates and defenders of the corrupt ‘enforcement’ agencies they work with every day.
The lawyer in the black robe in this instance elevates himself to self-proclaimed psychologist in order to ignore the law and inflict a little light torture in the county dungeon on a man recovering from an unjustly inflicted bullet wound. According to Mr. Clouse, a little torture is just what Joel needs for his “mental problem.”
Joel’s mental problem is that he expects and deserves justice from the very man who is abusing his power to help extort a promise from him not to sue his tormentors.
The Clark County voters who would leave a man like Clouse on the bench will be getting the ‘justice’ they deserve.
Can he sue the jail/judge…..etc for not allowing him his meds while incapacitated? I would appeal this to the Court of Appeals if I had to, and sue the bastard judge for what he said… “…a little torture is just what Joel needs for his “mental problem.” and using his power to “extort a promise not to sue his tormentors”! WTH There has to be some way to go after this rotten ass “so called” judge. He thinks his ruling won’t be challenged.
Judges gave themselves immunity against lawsuits (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_immunity). Sweet, eh? The only way to remove a judge is to elect someone else come November. Need someone to run against Clouse. Never, ever re-elect a judge unless you know for sure that judge is honest, knows the Constitutions (KY and US) and judges accordingly. Clouse thinks his opinion matters. It does not. He oughta be ruling according to law.
what about the trespasser? breaking into someone’s property is a greater crime than having some health food growing in your yard?
He got off completely. I’m with you: trespassing is the crime.
For an action to be a crime, based on Common Law which is what our legal system is based on, mandates there be a victim. None of Joel’s actions produced a victim.
JOEL IS A FINE YOUNG MAN & NEEDS A LOT OF HELP HE JUST TRYING TO PROTECT HIS PROPERTY DIDNT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING DOWN, HES BEN AT OUR HOME LOTS OF TIME IN PAST 2YRS. HE A GREAT PERSON & HE NEEDS TO BE TRATED A LOT BETER, I PRAY THAT GOD GIVES HIM STRENGTH WHILE IN JAIL & WARM HIS FRAGILE BODYWHICH STAYS COLD FROM VERY LW I-CONDITIONE R NOT EVEN ALLOWE A BLANKET, ONLY THIN SHEET, NO MEDICATION THATS PRESCRIBE TO HIM, BUT I PRAY HE WILL MKAE THIS JAIL TIME & COME OUT SMILEING AS HE ALWAYS DOES NO MATTER WHAT,JOEL WE ARE PRAYIN FOR YO U YOUR FRIEND JOE & DEBBIE BREWER
There are enough law abiding citizens to help protect our country without a military style of police enforcement. From calm to chaos is all I’ve seen in this story. Kentucky has legal hemp now and to cause others harm over a few plants is tyranny. Thoughts and prayer for the family.
This is a truly horrible story. These government thugs need to be brought to court.
Sounds like the old West ways are alive and well in Winchester. Have we returned to such lawless times by law persons that we mistreat innocent people this way? Shame on the “law enforcement” people and shame on the Judge. Obviously sanity does not reside in these elected officials and they should be disbarred and/or voted out out office as soon as possible.