Gary -
Sounds like you're a little like me. I always want to give somebody the benefit of the doubt and do what I can to help, but sometimes it just comes back to bite you in the butt. I want to do the right thing, but I don't want to be foolish.
Brad -
I gotta admit, what you say makes sense, even if it's not what I want to hear.
<font color="blue">Crank (Methamphetamine) is prevalent in the area your property is in</font color>
I have no reason to doubt you, but now I'm curious as to how you know that. Aren't you in Texas?
Harv, sure hate to hear about the problem with your caretaker. From all indications it sounded like you had found the perfect couple to watch your property. It seems to me that you need to fill in the blanks of the story before you can decide what sort of help you should, or if you should, offer to help. Around here things would have gotten pretty bad before the DA would have him picked up without another incident occurring. Makes me wonder what went on the first time around.
I like Gary's idea of contacting the church pastor. If these people were as active in the church as you were lead to believe, I am sure the pastor would want to help. I would think the guys reaction to the pastor would be very telling as to his true attitude.
I am afraid that Brad makes a good point when you think of some one that starts wiring a shed at 3:00 in the morning.
You're right about things sometimes coming around to bite me in the butt. It's happened more often than I care to admit and I've got the stack of bankruptcy notices naming me as a creditor to prove it. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] I guess I just must figure the good I do outweighs the bad I endure so it's still worth doing.
I'm so far outside 'the loop' that I never considered what Mark suggested. Like you, I have to agree that something like that is a very real possibility. If that is, in fact, the situation it's possible someone at either the DA's office or hospital can shed a little light on this for you.
Actually, a little heart-to-heart with his wife might tell you what you need to know, too. Again, good luck with getting this resolved. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I'm from Stockton, CA. And have lived and partied my way through the foothills. My grandfather established Clements Realty and I used to put up those signs with the little red horses all over he11 and creation years ago.
<font color="blue">Harv, how did your problem turn out?</font color>
Good timing on that question, 'cuz we just got a "final" (yeah, right) resolution a few days ago.
It was a long drawn-out ordeal with the legal system up there, but let's see if I can sum it up ala Cliff's Notes:
Good News
There was absolutely no indication of drug use at any time leading up to the "event".
The "violent behavior" did not involve any harm to anyone or any thing.
The guy spent his time in jail reading books on anger management, calling his pastor and inquiring about programs that would help him find out what caused his outburst.
Bottom line -- he is home again and he and his family are attending church more than ever, plus he has started classes that deal with domestic problems.
My property is once again being taken care of. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Bad News
My faith in the legal system in that county has diminished considerably.
The sheriff's department never returned any of my calls.
The district attorney's office kept coming up with charges that made no sense to me.
The wife's initial interview was recorded without her knowledge (illegal by state law here), and the written reports misquoted her in extremely prejudicial ways.
(For example, her actual statement: "Drugs? He did some marijuana a long time ago, but he's been clean for years now." The report: "Wife says he has a problem with meth.")
At the first hearing, the DA "lost" the paperwork, so they had to postpone, leaving the poor guy to spend Christmas in jail.
At the second hearing (which I attended as a witness to certain "technical" matters), they forgot to schedule a court recorder, so we had to wait while they found one. Then when it was time to proceed, the judge says, "where is the defendant?" Somehow they forgot about him, so we had to wait while they brought him over (in shackles, no less) from the jail.
Of the six charges the DA brought against the guy, the judge furiously threw out 4 of them, admonishing the DA for "concocting evidence to build your case".
When the subject of the recorded interview came up, the DA failed to produce the tape or a transcript thereof.
When the subject of deliberately cutting the phone line (an off-the-wall charge by the DA) came up, the sheriff was unable to produce the photos they claimed to have taken.
He was released on his own recognizance that day, but had to return last week to face the remaining two charges (one of which had been reduced to "intent", rather than "commision").
When he got there (with his attorney), the DA announced that they intended to re-file all the previous charges (I didn't know you could do that), and add a few more for good measure. The attorney was furious and said he could easily beat them, but it would require more hearings and probably a jury trial. My guy simply couldn't afford the fees.
The DA offered a plea (like that wasn't their plan to start with), which was basically time served, mandatory classes and 3 years of probabtion if he pleaded guilty to the original two charges.
The only counter they would accept was a plea of "no contest", which is what he finally did.
Something about this whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth, but for now it's over. Unless, of course, you count the fact that the sheriff seems to have assigned one of his deputies to follow my caretaker every time he leaves the property, which is exactly what has been happening.
Oh, yeah -- as far as the possibility of bipolar is concerned, he was denied an evaluation in jail, so he will be pursuing that on his own now.
So much for Cliff's Notes, but there you have it. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
>>Something about this whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth,
I agree with you Harv...its always very disappointing to find out how grossly incompetent the people who are being paid with your tax dollars are...just hope you don't find yourself on the other side someday (i.e. the one caught in the system by incompetent police/da's etc).
I'm glad everything turned out relatively O.K.. When he gets help I hope the meds don't ruin the boy's ambition, you won't get as much work done. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
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