In America no one is supposed to be above the law. Craig Stedman is sworn to enforce the law. Unfortunately, it appears he believes he is the law. That is beyond troubling in any elected official, but especially in a District Attorney.
The final paragraph in the Commissioner’s “Media Alert” below.
And yet Craig Stedman wants to be a judge? Unbelievable! How did we get to this point?
Please check back later today.
— Doing some research this afternoon. —
** This story has been up on LNP’s Facebook page for two hours now (it switched just after I took the below screenshot) and there is one “like” and still not a single comment. Are people scared or what? You can comment here anonymously.
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* Why should the Sheriff’s Office be set up under a paramilitary structure? What do the judges think of that? What do the County Commissioners think of that? What does the public think of that?
From the LNP article linked to below.
From Wikipedia.
Click here for today’s LNP article above and click here for the original of the below on this site.
Please check back later today.
I hope the paintballers enjoyed themselves. I don’t believe they will be enjoying the consequences. Great job LCPD.
This comment in today.
I would say, “good job LCPD.” I simply don’t understand why they don’t immediately release information/camera images that might protect the public and help them solve these crimes earlier and before there are more incidents.
And yes, the consequences need to be severe as one victim was struck in his eye and requires surgery according to the police press release.
* Arrests made in paintball incidents (click here for the police press release).
“a silver or gray sport utility vehicle”
From the above LNP story this morning (click here).
That’s all they have? They don’t have a make or a photograph they can release or a license plate number for this vehicle? With all the victims and witnesses and Safety Coalition cameras the police can’t do any better than a “silver or gray sport utility vehicle?”
The LNP article lists seven incidents and you are telling me not a single coalition camera captured this vehicle? Demand answers! Why aren’t these police held accountable?
Do you want to be hit by a paintball? Do you want your house or car hit with a paintball? Why haven’t the police made an arrest or at the very least provided the public with a detailed description or photograph of this vehicle? Do you think they will strike again?
Imagine if a Marriott Hotel guest were hit by a paintball. Do you think the police could solve it then?
Please check back later today.
“Note the wet spot observable on the male’s shorts.”
From the police press release linked to above (click here).
Thank you for that. I did notice the wet spot. What is this world coming to? Maybe tomorrow will be a better day!
** ASSAULT
1ST BLOCK S ANN ST
OCCURRED 08/17/2019 1955HRS
Reporting person/victim stated that he was outside of his residence when a grey SUV drove by him and someone from the vehicle was shooting a paintball gun at him. Victim stated that at first he did not realize he was hit until he saw blue paint on his left elbow/forearm area. It should be noted that this incident is the first known victim for a series of paintball attacks throughout the evening of 17 Aug 19. In each incident, the victim/witness identify a grey SUV as driving past them firing a paintball gun. The paint from at least three of the known incidents, to my knowledge, was a greenish blue paint.
From today’s Lancaster city police log (click here).
Wow! Paintball after paintball incident in the log. Be careful out there.
* There is a brief but important update to yesterday’s story on the post immediately below this one.
From the second half of today’s LNP editorial about Sunnyside (click here).
Well, that’s certainly upbeat for a Monday morning! What’s twenty years?
Please check back later today.
UPDATE 8-19-19 – Yesterday afternoon, Jesse Sweigart put a post up on Facebook (which he subsequently took down) blaming the mother of the child for contacting and complaining to me. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have never had any contact whatsoever with her.
Sweigart has been on an epic five month Facebook meltdown and there are numerous people who could have and did alert me to the situation.
*** Someone should warn these women before they become involved with him! I have deleted three names the court ordered him to have no contact with and one name that he can have court supervised contact with.
** You need to stop!
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It’s going to be a mish-mash of things today – but I’ll start with delightful news for a Sunday. Trang Do, who covered Lancaster for Fox-43 several years ago, had a baby! She now works for CBS-3 in Philly. I love the picture of her family in the hospital room! She had to set a record.
* While attorney Alan Goldberg was getting his client’s $2 million dollar cash bail reduced to $50,000 unsecured yesterday, his partner, Robert Beyer was also in court getting the serious charges against his client dropped (see left and click here to read the article). And Jeremy Roland also managed to stay out of jail this whole time on unsecured bail. Amazing!
This is the DA’s Office own press release (click here). Why didn’t they stop this? Senior District Judge Robert A. Herman Jr. should never hear another case!
This shocking story is on Lancaster Online (click here).
The charges against Timothy Mark Sterner.
The bail change on his docket from $2 million cash to $50,000 unsecured.
The bail conditions set by District Judge Robert A. Herman, Jr. according to the LNP article.
I’ve been watching the Lancaster Courts for many years now. Strangely, when I see a bail amount or a sentence that makes my head spin the law firm most frequently involved is Goldberg & Beyer. Imagine that! Are they golden or what?
LNP puts a slanted headline on the above story (click here). Billy Weisser, who has addressed city council twice regarding MAW and LanCity Connect, posted the below under the article on LNP’s Facebook page.
Please check back later today.
— Real change might come out of last night’s horror in Philadelphia. Governor Wolf is holding a press conference tomorrow morning and he’s also talking about executive actions he can take. Here’s hoping he and the legislature take swift action.
** On a lighter note: Hallelujah! They caught the bear!
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* A really good interview by ABC-6 in Philly (click here).
From the Philadelphia Inquirer (click here).
All of the injured police officers have been released from the hospital. What a horrific night!
Please check back later today.
Facebook was in the news today and not in a good way and I will come back to that tomorrow. But this is one of the nicest things I’ve seen recently on Facebook. Wonderful!
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Someone should recognize this man! The Columbia Police want to know who he is but are not telling the public why. Don’t you hate when that happens? Click here for the police press release and more photos, “THE COLUMBIA BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS YOUR HELP TO IDENTIFY THIS MAN.”
* The beginning of a Letter to the Editor in today’s LNP print edition (click here to read it online).
Please check back later today.
— Resting up for tonight’s city council meeting at 7:30 pm. The livestream should be available on the city’s YouTube channel (click here).
I will come back to MAW later this week.
* LNP has a nasty attack piece on Lancaster Stands Up today (click here). It turns out there’s a back story to this piece – I was sent the below email from the Republican Committee of Lancaster County (the opinion piece noted above was in the body of the email but is not included here):
— Doing some research this afternoon. —
This is Lancaster Online’s lead story this morning (click here). Over and over again they run these stories. The best pizza, ice cream, hoagies, burritos, hamburgers, tacos and on and on. Does this really sell subscriptions? Is this what readers want?
In the meantime there are important stories that need to be investigated and reported. On the left above are the final two paragraphs in LNP’s summer intern Colin Evans’ Sunday lead story in print, “A Need for Speed,” (click here for the story online). Evans may not be familiar with the over $5 million dollars thrown away on this disaster and no one in Lancaster can get those speeds at those prices from MAW. And LNP has refused to demand answers and hold those responsible accountable.
And on the right, a comment posted on Lancaster online under the story, “Lancaster City condemns 7 row houses, displacing 17 people; cites structural flaws,” (click here). What are the answers to these important questions? I doubt if the displaced 17 people really care who has the best pizza in Lancaster County.
Please check back later today.
This video continues to go viral. How long will it take the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board to investigate?
Why was Casilda Barrera de Rodriguez charged (click here for the Ephrata Police press release)? Lifeguards rescue people every day. That’s their job.
Why did it take over two months to bring the charge? Yes, the police have to investigate and interview the lifeguards and witnesses but this happened on June 1st and she was charged on August 6th!
And if, as some media outlets stated, she went to talk to her husband, why wasn’t he also charged?
Sadly, many children drown in home pools and it happened in two high profile cases recently: country music singer Granger Smith and Olympic skier Bode Miller both lost a child to drowning.
Thank heavens this child did not die and all kudos to the lifeguards who saved the 3-year-old.
And to the righteous poster above: I don’t know how many children you have but let’s say three – and when you take them to the playground you can keep your eye on each one every second? I’d like to know how.
Unless outrageous and damning circumstances about this situation are brought up in court, I cannot imagine why this woman has been singled out and charged with a third degree felony.
From LNP’s rewrite of the DA’s press release today on the shooting in Columbia, “Police drop third-degree murder charge against 17-year-old accused in Columbia homicide; case moves to juvenile court,” (click here).
You just realized that, LNP? On July 31st, I placed the DA’s initial press releases in both cases side by side on this site (click here). Unbelievable. There will be more tomorrow.
Have a safe and fun Friday!
Click here for the below press release from the DA’s office.
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* This email just in (thank you). The link in the screenshot below is here.
Domonic Bowers will be mailed a summons for the following four charges according to Manheim Township Police Sergeant Michael T. Piacentino by phone yesterday:UPDATE – I have the answer on Domonic Bowers per the Manheim Township Police Department: He will be mailed a summons. The four charges against him are all misdemeanors.
Today is a busy day. There will be more on this and Casilda Barrera de Rodriguez tomorrow.
— LNP Managing Editor Tom Murse: Could you have one of your reporters ask the District Judge why this man with a prior criminal record was “released to a family member” (click here)? What does that mean? Was a bail amount set?
**** He was processed and released to a family member.
From the Manheim Township Police Press Release, “Bowers, Domonic R – (1) count Simple Assault and 1 additional charge,” (click here).
The man is 23-years-old. What does “released to a family member” mean? I cannot find this docket (he has others) but it looks like another case of it’s good to be white in Lancaster County!
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** BACK TO THIS MORNING’S POST:
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office reviewed this investigation and approved the charges. Barrera de Rodriguez is presumed innocent. On August 6, 2019, Barrera de Rodriguez was arraigned by MDJ Hamill and remains free on $5,000 unsecured bail.
From the Ephrata Police Department press release on CrimeWatch (click here).
She is charged with a third degree felony for Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
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* An interesting poll by Franklin & Marshall College and released this morning. Complete poll results are here.
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— I had a major computer meltdown this afternoon. All is back to normal (I hope) and LIP News will be back tomorrow.
LNP provides this nice graphic on the front page of their print edition this morning on the funding for the two new fire stations. The problem: It doesn’t add up!
The total cost is $11.5 million. They plan to borrow $9 million from ACNB bank. They received $500,000 from a state grant. So they are $2 million short!
The $4 million they show is a sham and pointless. That is how much the city asked for from the state but they only got the $500,000, so why is the $4 million even there?
And the city has to pay off Wacker Brewing for breaking the lease on the warehouse. How much will that cost the city?
We’ll see what these numbers look like a year from now.
Please check back later today.
The above is from the agenda for last night’s city council committee meeting. This is important and needs to be watched like a hawk.
Patrick Hopkins told council that the city had requested bank note and bond issue proposals for the $9 million dollar portion of the construction cost of the two new fire stations. He said the best offer came from ACNB Bank (formerly Adams County National Bank) for a 20-year loan as follows:
— First 10 years at a fixed rate of 2.82%
— The next 10 years at a variable rate between 3.887% and up to a maximum of 5%.
The city doesn’t actually know the cost of the two stations because the request for bids are out on both. The city has requested a bid for building one at a time and also a bid for building both stations at once. They expect to award the bid(s) in October.
Mayor Sorace told council that they applied to the state for help and received only $500,000 of the four million they had requested. She stated they will re-request for more.
The total cost, including demolition is expected to be 11.5 million with the remainder from the $9 million they plan to borrow coming from a 2018 bond issue and the general fund and one other source that I didn’t catch.
The design of the two stations is identical with 3 bays on the first floor and the living space on the second floor. Asked if there had been any change in the situation with the Wacker Brewing Company and a lease they have for a warehouse at the 425 West King Street location which would hold up construction, Mayor Sorace stated there was no change in the status. She did say that the city plans to have the demolition and concrete work done before winter, so how that is attainable is not known.
The approval of the loan from ACNB bank was moved forward to the August 13th city council meeting.
* The Columbia Spy has an excellent write-up on Hobie Crystle, who is running for District Attorney (click here).
District Attorney Craig Stedman went to see State Senator Scott Martin today! Isn’t that special? There will be more on Martin’s wife and the Lancaster County Treasurer, Amber Martin, shortly on this site.
And city councilwoman Janet Diaz has announced her run for Martin’s seat in the Senate in 2020. Council has a committee meeting tonight at 6:00 pm and it should be available through a livestream on the city’s YouTube channel (click here).
From PennLive (click here).
Don’t you hate it when you have to let your assistant go? Blame your delinquent taxes on your assistant! What do you do when you find out someone is a complete fraud and liar?
City Council has a committee meeting tonight beginning at 6:00 pm. It’s been almost a month since they met because they voted and cancelled their second meetings in July and August. It must be nice! The agenda for tonight is here.
Please check back later today.
From the LNP article, “Lancaster man jailed up to 4 years in plea deal for 2018 homicide,” (click here).
* I just don’t even have time to deal with this disturbing nonsense today! “Imperfect self defense?” Could someone define that? OMG!
Please check back tomorrow.
This comment is under LNP’s lead story today about seven kittens, “Woman avoids charges after abandoning 7 kittens outside Pet Pantry of Lancaster County,” (click here).
Yes, that is exactly what they did From the Pet Pantry Facebook page there is this (click here):
This left us with a choice to either press charges against them, or to educate them on the issues we face in the situation along with the danger it posed for the kittens. Rather than press charges we have chosen the latter. We’ve explained our position in this situation and they will be giving us funds in order to cover partial care for these kittens.
Educate her on what issues? She found kittens and didn’t want them to die and they forced her to pay rather than press charges? Charges for what? This whole thing is just over-the-top and stupid. And the commenter nails it!
Once again, the above is from DA Craig Stedman’s campaign website to be a judge (click here). I believe he has the “apply the law fairly and with equal justice for everyone,” in bold because it is such a bold-faced lie.** And I believe the grandmother Rosado lived with was well known and liked in Mountville. And it hurts me to type this but I also believe that Hanna was an immigrant from Egypt and the police and the DA’s office didn’t think people would care that much. But they were so wrong. The 15-year-old was beloved by his teachers, coaches, friends and the community.
* I do not know all the reasons George Rosado received preferential treatment in the shooting death of Ibram Hanna, but I do know he had strong legal connections.
His niece, who works for a law firm, posted the below on a public Facebook page (click here for the original):
And Judge Merrill Spahn recused himself from the case (click here for the original):
The victim’s mother states the Monday shooting death of her son, Nicholas Mills, was a “careless accident,” (click here). But the DA’s office is not treating it as that and their charges in this case are nothing like the charges brought against George Rosado in the shooting death of Ibram Hanna three years ago.
Why?
Please check back later today.
— Doing some research this afternoon. LIP News will return tomorrow. —
Regarding what happened before the shot was fired, a witness told police that Acosta produced a handgun and removed its magazine. A man in the home told Acosta not to play with the gun because it is not a toy, according to a witness.
From the DA’s press release on the shooting death of Nicholas Mills on Monday in Columbia (click here).
This is the sole reason the DA’s office is giving for the huge disparity in charges brought in this death and the shooting death of Ibram Hanna on August 12, 2016 in Mountville.
Do you mean that George Rosado, the 17-year-old who broke into a car and stole the gun the day before, did not know that he should not point a gun at Hanna’s face and pull the trigger? You mean 17-year-old Rosado did not know he should not play with the gun because it is not a toy?
And once again, LNP ignores blatant preferential treatment by District Attorney Craig Stedman and sweeps it under the rug as quickly as they can.
Please check back later today.
* The Columbia Spy has a beautiful post and pictures as Columbia works to heal (click here).
Let’s put the DA’s press releases next to each other. On the left is the DA’s press release on the shooting death of Ibram Hanna on August 12, 2016 in Mountville. On the right is the beginning of the press release on the shooting death of Nicholas Mills two days ago in Columbia.
Tomorrow: DA spokesman Brett Hambright’s apparent “explanation” of the huge disparity in the charges in these two cases. This is an outrage. This is not equal justice!
The below is DA spokesman Brett Hambright’s press release on the shooting death of Ibram Hanna in Mountville on August 12 of 2016 (click here for the original on CrimeWatch). Let’s compare this to the charges against the shooter in the almost identical shooting death in Columbia two days ago.
A 17-year-old boy is charged in a deadly shooting Friday morning in Mountville.
West Hempfield Township police on Friday night charged the boy with misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, theft from a vehicle and drug paraphernalia, and a felony count of theft of a firearm.
A 15-year-old West Hempfield Township boy died of a single gunshot. The shooting happened at the older boy’s home on West Main Street, Mountville. Police responded to a 9-1-1 call at 10:45 a.m.
Police determined the older boy stole the firearm from a vehicle at a location in West Hempfield Township.
The investigation is ongoing. At this point, police have found nothing to indicate the shooting was intentional. The two boys were friends and were looking at the gun prior to the shot being fired.
Police continue to gather evidence and interview individuals.
West Hempfield Township police Detective Sergeant Chris Kunkle filed the charges, with approval from First Assistant District Attorney Christopher P. Larsen.
Involuntary manslaughter involves a death that results from a reckless or grossly negligent act.
The 17-year-old boy will be prosecuted in the juvenile court system. Under the Juvenile Act, a person charged with involuntary manslaughter can not be charged and prosecuted as an adult.
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* I interrupt today’s topic to point out that DA Spokesman Brett Hambright is a nasty liar. That story will be coming later this week.
How large a business is Woo-Cat Management? How many employees do they have? How many clients do they have?
Who is doing the day to day work? How does the Lancaster County Treasurer, Amber Martin, juggle her private companies and her taxpayer paid job to collect taxes?
What qualifications does Amber Martin have to be the Lancaster County Treasurer?
Please check back later today.
Are you serious with this crap? OMG!
That was my shocked and immediate response to Woo-Cat’s email and you can see their response to that below. When “they” state they will “notify all parties” there is no one to notify – Amber Martin is Woo-Cat
And the commenter who provided me with all the information? They used the name “Jerry Neaman” and that is a non-existent person. So, I am to take seriously a brand new commenter using a fake name who is pretending to be in the “know” and making outrageous and ridiculous comments?
My best guess is that Jerry was Amber Martin or someone very close to her. There will be more to come.
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On September 6, 2016 I received the below email. I am still stunned to this day when I read it.
Please check back later today.
Why doesn’t the City of Lancaster save some money and hire some Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to replace the current detectives? They would do a much better job. Almost anyone could do a better job than these detectives!
*** The Lancaster Police just put out the below press release. There is no mention of the gun (click here).
On July 28, 2019, at approximately 12:53 PM, officers from the Lancaster Bureau of Police were dispatched to the 1st block of W. Filbert Street for a shooting. Officers arrived on the scene and located a male victim, who suffered a gunshot wound to the legs and groin. The victim was conscious and alert and was transported to the hospital by ambulance for treatment. The victim was hospitalized and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries. The victim was identified as a 52 year-old male resident of Lancaster City.
Investigators conducted witness interviews and processed the scene for evidence. Investigators are also checking surveillance cameras from around the area. Based on the preliminary investigation, the incident does not appear to be a random act of violence. Investigators learned that there was a verbal confrontation between a group of males and the victim, at which time the victim was shot once. The group of males, who were known to the victim, fled the scene on foot after the shooting and were last seen heading towards Manor Street.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting incident is urged to call the Lancaster City Police at (717) 735-3300 or Lancaster City-County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913. You can also click the Submit a Tip button on our website, www.lancasterpolice.com, or Text a Tip to Crime Stoppers by texting LANCS plus your message to 847411. Tipsters may remain anonymous and do not have to give their names.
** The other federal lawsuit against Lancaster Police Officers Timothy Sinnott and Jacob Bingham is here.
* LNP has their five sentence “story” on the shooting far down on their homepage (click here). LNP reporter Dan Nephin did a live video from the scene yesterday and it was so awful LNP has actually taken it down. Nephin misspoke multiple times and it was just a disaster.
[Editor’s note: Today’s promised story will come tomorrow.]
*** I am being told Gray dismissed the case because he received a large payout. I will work tomorrow to see if this is true. The same two officers have been sued by a different plaintiff but for almost the exact same reasons.
** Ronald Brian Gray’s voluntary dismissal of his federal lawsuit is below. “With prejudice” means it is final and the suit can not be brought again. I called Gray’s lawyer following this dismissal but my call was never returned.
* His federal lawsuit is here. His voluntary dismissal of the case will be posted shortly.
LIP News has learned that the man shot in the city today is Ronald Brian Gray. He had a federal lawsuit against the Lancaster City Police Department which he voluntarily dismissed on May 8th of this year. The below video is of him being arrested in early June of this year. He was reportedly shot in the stomach and his condition is unknown.
** More good news. Blanding Watson and the Lancaster branch of the NAACP finally stepped up to the plate (click here for the article). Good job!
* There was good news this week. Democratic councilwoman Janet Diaz announced she is running for the 13th senatorial district which is currently held by Scott Martin (click here for the below article).
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I’m not sure why the Lancaster County Treasurer would make this kind of post on their official Facebook page. It’s inappropriate. But then lots of what Amber Martin does is inappropriate. More to come tomorrow.
Who dumped a truckload of tainted tubers on the grounds of two businesses off Centerville Road?