MEC&F Expert Engineers : 02/07/19

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Color of Law Violations

Color of Law Violations


U.S. law enforcement officers and other officials like judges, prosecutors, and security guards have been given tremendous power by local, state, and federal government agencies—authority they must have to enforce the law and ensure justice in our country. These powers include the authority to detain and arrest suspects, to search and seize property, to bring criminal charges, to make rulings in court, and to use deadly force in certain situations.


Preventing abuse of this authority, however, is equally necessary to the health of our nation’s democracy. That’s why it’s a federal crime for anyone acting under “color of law” to willfully deprive or conspire to deprive a person of a right protected by the Constitution or U.S. law. “Color of law” simply means the person is using authority given to him or her by a local, state, or federal government agency.

The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating color of law violations, which include acts carried out by government officials operating both within and beyond the limits of their lawful authority. Off-duty conduct may be covered if the perpetrator asserted his or her official status in some way. Those violations include the following acts: 

Excessive force: In making arrests, maintaining order, and defending life, law enforcement officers are allowed to use whatever force is “reasonably” necessary. The breadth and scope of the use of force is vast—from just the physical presence of the officer…to the use of deadly force. Violations of federal law occur when it can be shown that the force used was willfully “unreasonable” or “excessive.”

Sexual assaults by officials acting under color of law can happen in jails, during traffic stops, or in other settings where officials might use their position of authority to coerce an individual into sexual compliance. The compliance is generally gained because of a threat of an official action against the person if he or she doesn’t comply.

False arrest and fabrication of evidence: The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right against unreasonable searches or seizures. A law enforcement official using authority provided under the color of law is allowed to stop individuals and, under certain circumstances, to search them and retain their property. It is in the abuse of that discretionary power—such as an unlawful detention or illegal confiscation of property—that a violation of a person’s civil rights may occur.

Fabricating evidence against or falsely arresting an individual also violates the color of law statute, taking away the person’s rights of due process and unreasonable seizure. In the case of deprivation of property, the color of law statute would be violated by unlawfully obtaining or maintaining a person’s property, which oversteps or misapplies the official’s authority.

The Fourteenth Amendment secures the right to due process; the Eighth Amendment prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishment. During an arrest or detention, these rights can be violated by the use of force amounting to punishment (summary judgment). The person accused of a crime must be allowed the opportunity to have a trial and should not be subjected to punishment without having been afforded the opportunity of the legal process.

Failure to keep from harm: The public counts on its law enforcement officials to protect local communities. If it’s shown that an official willfully failed to keep an individual from harm, that official could be in violation of the color of law statute.

Filing a Complaint
To file a color of law complaint, contact your local FBI office by telephone, in writing, or in person. The following information should be provided:
  • All identifying information for the victim(s);
  • As much identifying information as possible regarding the subject(s), including position, rank, and agency employed;
  • Date and time of incident;
  • Location of incident;
  • Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of any witness(es);
  • A complete chronology of events; and
  • Any report numbers and charges with respect to the incident.
You may also contact the United States Attorney’s Office in your district or send a written complaint to:

Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
Criminal Section
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
Washington, DC 20530

FBI investigations vary in length. Once our investigation is complete, we forward the findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office within the local jurisdiction and to the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., which decide whether or not to proceed toward prosecution and handle any prosecutions that follow.

Civil Applications

While the FBI does not investigate civil violations, Title 42, U.S.C., Section 14141 makes it unlawful for state or local law enforcement agencies to allow officers to engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives persons of rights protected by the Constitution or U.S. laws. This law, commonly referred to as the Police Misconduct Statute, gives the Department of Justice authority to seek civil remedies in cases where law enforcement agencies have policies or practices that foster a pattern of misconduct by employees. This action is directed against an agency, not against individual officers. The types of issues which may initiate a pattern and practice investigation include:
  • Lack of supervision/monitoring of officers’ actions;
  • Lack of justification or reporting by officers on incidents involving the use of force;
  • Lack of, or improper training of, officers; and
  • Citizen complaint processes that treat complainants as adversaries.
Under Title 42, U.S.C., Section 1997, the Department of Justice has the ability to initiate civil actions against mental hospitals, retardation facilities, jails, prisons, nursing homes, and juvenile detention facilities when there are allegations of systemic derivations of the constitutional rights of institutionalized persons.

Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violations 

Violations Beginning in the mid-1980s, the United States witnessed a dramatic escalation in the number of acts of violence and harassment directed towards reproductive health care providers and clinics. These incidents, typically in the form of blockades, arson, use of chemical irritants, bomb threats, death threats, stalking, and vandalism, continued well into the next decade. In 1993, the first murder of a reproductive health care provider occurred. Dr. David Gunn, a physician who provided abortion services, was murdered during an anti-abortion protest at a clinic in Pensacola, Florida.

In response to the alarming trend of increasing violence, the U.S. Congress enacted the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 248, in 1994. Often referred to by its acronym, the FACE Act makes it a federal crime to injure, intimidate, or interfere with those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health care services – including through assault, murder, burglary, physical blockade, and making threatening phone calls and mailings. This law also prohibits damaging or destroying any facility because reproductive health services are provided within.

Since the passage of the FACE Act, the number of violent crimes committed against reproductive health care providers and facilities has dramatically decreased. The FBI and its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners aggressively pursue all violations of the statute for eventual prosecution by local United States Attorney’s Offices and/or the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the FACE Act, other frequently considered federal statutes in FACE Act investigations include: Arson or Bombing, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 844(h); Mail Threats/Threatening Communications, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 875(c); Interstate Threats, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 876(c); and Use of Firearm During the Commission of a Federal Violation, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c). Violators of the FACE Act are subject to criminal penalties, including imprisonment and fines. The severity of the punishment demands upon the nature of the offense and whether or not the person who committed the crime is a repeat offender.

It should be noted the FACE Act does not criminalize the lawful exercise of one’s constitutional rights. For instance, it is not a violation to protest peacefully outside of a reproductive health care facility, including such actions as carrying signs, chanting, singing hymns, distributing literature, and shouting as part of First Amendment protected activities – as long as no threats are communicated and facility access is in no way impeded.  

==========================================


Basilis N. Stephanatos, PhD, JD

____________________________________________________________
February 4, 2019


William T. Walsh
Clerk, United States District Court
District of New Jersey
M.L. King, Jr. Federal Building & U.S. Court House
50 Walnut Street
Room 4015
Newark, New Jersey 07101-0999
Tel.: 973-645-3730

THE HONORABLE JOHN MICHAEL VAZQUEZ
United States District Judge
Lautenberg U.S. Post Office & Courthouse
2 Federal Square, Room 417
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Tel.: 973-297-4851/973-645-2157(Deputy Clerk)



RE:     Civil Action No. 02:12-cv-01793 (JMV-JBC)
            JURY FOUND STEPHANATOS NOT-GUILTY

Dear Judge Vazquez:
I am writing to inform the Court that a Bergen County jury of my peers has found me not guilty of all the fabricated charges by Defendants Ronald A. Lucas, Victor D’Agostino that somehow I had pointed a gun at the officers on June 28, 2011.  This was a not-guilty verdict on all four (4) very serious charges on the fraudulently obtained indictment in September 2011. 
THE OFFICERS MADE NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL CONTRADICTING AND UNCORROBORATED STATEMENTS DURING THEIR TESTIMONY EVIDENCING FABRICATION OF EVIDENCE AND CONSPIRACY TO PROSECUTE MALICIOUSLY
During their January 29, 2019 testimony (both direct and cross) Defendants Lucas and D’Agostino made a very significant number of additional contradicting and uncorroborated statements; this led to the non-guilty verdict.
Importantly, the sheriff officers testified under oath that they failed to “knock and announce” prior to performing a search of my home.
The numerous contradicting statements of the sheriff officers provide further proofs that they fabricated their charges against Dr. Stephanatos.
I will submit the additional evidence to this Court only if and when you order me to do so.
THE PASSAIC COUNTY PROSECUTOR PROVIDED “SMOKING GUN” EVIDENCE AGAINST ROBERT DEL VECCHIO
On January 23, 2019, as part of the pre-trial discovery, the Passaic County prosecutor, Mr. Stephen Bollenbach, provided me with several handwritten pages prepared by Defendant Robert Del Vecchio in May 2011.  The newly discovered pages show that Defendant Del Vecchio faxed letters to the Passaic County Sheriff stating that Stephanatos was a “dangerous Deft” and that Stephanatos had threatened him on May 24, 2011.  All these written statements by Defendant Del Vecchio were fabricated by him to prejudice the Passaic County Sheriff against Stephanatos and to force Stephanatos out of his home using the void ab initio ex-parte writ of possession.
Judge Guida, the presiding judge over the criminal proceedings ruled that Dr. Stephanatos did not threatened conspirator Del Vecchio with any physical violence and he only warned Del Vecchio of legal action.
I will submit the newly discovered additional evidence to this Court only if and when you order me to do so.
THE MALICIOUS PROSECUTION CLAIM WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THIS COURT ONLY WHEN ORDERED TO DO SO
I am also writing to inform the Court that I will be filing a claim of malicious prosecution with this or another federal court.  This claim is based on the Fourth Amendment and it is timely, as the criminal proceedings ended in my favor on February 4, 2019.  The Fourth Amendment malicious prosecution claim is a tort action brought in civil court to recover money damages for the harm suffered from the malicious claim.  I will seek to recover money from the Defendants for the various costs associated with having to defend against the baseless and vexatious charges.  The damages will include the cost of making a $300,000 cash bond, attorney fees, and economic harm from being wrongfully incarcerated and not being able to find employment or pursue my law license as a result of the pending charges for the last 8 years. I will also seek to recover money for the emotional distress associated with being jailed and wrongfully prosecuted for the last 8 years by the Passaic County sheriff and the Defendant officers and for the malicious statements made by Defendant Robert Del Vecchio to the sheriff, damaging my good standing and reputation in the community for the last 8 years.
A FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT DUE PROCESS CLAUSE STAND-ALONE CLAIM ALSO EXISTS UNDER SECTION 1983 FOR FABRICATION OF EVIDENCE
Pursuant to Halsey v. Pfeiffer, 750 F.3d 273 (3d Cir. 2014), a court should not foreclose a Fourteenth Amendment stand-alone claim for fabrication of evidence even if a Fourth Amendment malicious prosecution claim fails (for example) because of the existence of probable cause even without the fabricated evidence.  Such a claim is available even if the criminal defendant is acquitted, “if there is a reasonable likelihood that, absent the fabricated evidence, the defendant would not have been criminally charged.” Black v. Montgomery County, 835 F.3d 358, 370 (3d Cir. 2016).  In Michele Black v. County of Montgomery, No. 15-3399 (3d Cir. 2016) where the Third Circuit ruled that “an acquitted criminal defendant may have a stand-alone fabricated evidence claim against state actors under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment if there is a reasonable likelihood that, absent that fabricated evidence, the defendant would not have been criminally charged.”  This fabrication of evidence claim has already been filed with the Court in October 2018.
Based on evidence discovered during the trial, Stephanatos has additional claims against the Passaic County Sheriff.
1.            A §1983 CLAIM FOR FAILURE TO PROPERLY TRAIN, SUPERVISE AND CONTROL OFFICERS (AGAINST THE PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT);
2.            A STATE LAW TORT CLAIM FOR FAILURE TO PROPERLY TRAIN, SUPERVISE AND CONTROL OFFICERS (AGAINST THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT);
3.            A §1983 CLAIM FOR FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE (AGAINST THE PASSAIC COUNTY DEFENDANTS)

I will submit the malicious prosecution claim and the failure to investigate, train and supervise the sheriff officers, including the newly-obtained discovery and trial testimonies, to this Court only if and when you order me to do so.
Respectfully submitted,

________________________________
Basilis N. Stephanatos, PhD, JD

PS.:  I had the duty to report to this Court the results of the criminal proceedings and the availability of newly discovered evidence to correct manifest error of law or fact.  Please do not consider this letter as a violation of a standing court order regarding the submission of documents to the Court.

CERTIFICATION OF BASILIS N. STEPHANATOS
I hereby certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statements made by me are true and correct.  I am aware that if any of the foregoing statements made by me are willfully false, I am subject to punishment. NJ Court Rule R. 1:4-4(b); 28 U.S.C. §1746.

DATE:  February 12, 2019

Respectfully Submitted,


___________________________________
Basilis N. Stephanatos, PhD, PE, JD

 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announces the availability of an update to the guidance “Capping of Volatile Contaminants for the Impact to Ground Water Pathway.”





The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announces the availability of an update to the guidance “Capping of Volatile Contaminants for the Impact to Ground Water Pathway.” This updated document includes additional language stating that all exposure pathways, including the vapor intrusion pathway, must be addressed in all cases. An additional FAQ has been added and Section 5.0 (Capping with Existing Volatile Organic Contamination in the Vadose Zone and Ground Water) has been rewritten and corresponding Figure 1 modified.



This document can be found at www.nj.gov/dep/srp/guidance/rs/.

Truck driver Percell Sherrod, 35, of Nashville, TN died after his Kenworth dump truck blew a tire, causing the vehicle to lose control and run off the left side of the interstate and begin to roll on I-65 northbound in Columbia, TN

Percell Sherrod (right) with his brother Justin (left)

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WZTV) —

A 35-year-old man died Thursday after a tire blow-out ended with his truck flipped upside down.

Percell Sherrod, 35, of Nashville passed away from the crash. According to preliminary reports from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Sherrod was driving a dump truck along I-65 northbound in Columbia when the vehicle's tire exploded, causing the vehicle to run off the road.

After exiting the road, the vehicle flipped upside down, trapping Sherrod. The THP said he was pronounced dead on the scene.



=============================


By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net


January 31, 2019


A driver was killed last week after his dump truck veered off of Interstate 65 and rolled into a wooded area next to the busy highway.

The driver, who died at the scene, has been identified as 35-year-old Sherrod Percell.

The incident occurred in Maury County near mile marker 39 at approximately 12:17 p.m. last Thursday, the Tennessee Highway Patrol reported.

A report of the incident from the THP indicated investigators have determined that the Kenworth dump truck blew a tire, causing the vehicle to lose control and run off the left side of the interstate and begin to roll.

According to the report, the truck came to a rest 100 feet from the highway, with the driver trapped inside the wreckage.

The highway was briefly shut down to allow for responding emergency units to travel on the opposite direction of traffic toward the scene.

“Arriving units found a dump truck in the woods with a patient entrapped,” Maury County Fire Department shared in a post. “Unfortunately, the accident was fatal.”

The truck was carrying contaminated soil to a landfill, the department said. Crews were dispatched to clean the scene of the material, including diesel that leaked from the truck.

Randy Lorenzo Yellowman, 47, truck driver with water-hauling company Overright Trucking Inc., killed in a natural gas explosion in southern La Plata County operated by an oil and gas company, Denver-based Catamount Energy Partners LLC


 Overright Trucking is a water hauling company. With seventeen bobtail, pup and body loads, tractor trailer for all your water hauling needs. From the start of drilling, completion, to disposal after production. Road watering to keep the dust down.

We also have a drop deck flat bed trailer for gas compressor delivery and other products involving the need for a flatbed trailer.


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TRY


Worker dies in explosion at natural gas site in Southwest Colorado


Cause of mishap under investigation







By Jonathan Romeo Herald staff writer

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019


A 47-year-old New Mexico man died earlier this month after an explosion at a natural-gas well site in southern La Plata County.

According to state records, Randy Yellowman was working as a contract truck driver for an oil and gas company, Denver-based Catamount Energy Partners LLC.

Yellowman was working alone at the well site at the time of the explosion, and authorities are still investigating the incident.

An initial investigation says the explosion occurred Jan. 2, likely in the morning. Yellowman wasn’t found until later in the day. It is unclear how he was discovered.

A number of agencies responded to the scene, with the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration taking the lead in the investigation.

Lindsay Box, spokeswoman for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, said the tribe has “no comment at this time.”

David Nelson, area director for OSHA’s Englewood office, said Tuesday that OSHA is investigating Yellowman’s death. He would not provide more details.

The well site is about 22 miles southeast of Durango and about 6 miles west of Ignacio, on an unnamed road off County Road 318. It’s on private land on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.

Yellowman was working for Farmington-based Overright Trucking Inc., which was contracted by Catamount Energy. Calls to Overright Trucking seeking comment for this story were not returned.

Rusty Kelly, senior vice president for Catamount Energy, wrote in an email to The Durango Herald it is “unclear at this time” what caused the explosion.

Initial information, though, indicates Yellowman was transferring produced water from one of the company’s water tanks to his truck when the explosion occurred, Kelly wrote.

Produced water is a by-product of natural-gas extraction.

“Catamount is committed to the safety of its employees and its contractors,” Kelly wrote. “We at Catamount express our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Yellowman’s family and co-workers at Overright.”

In Catamount Energy’s accident report to the state, produced water was spilled in the accident, likely because of a failure with the water tank. The cause of the water tank failure and how much produced water was spilled are unknown.

Catamount’s report to the state does not go into detail about the explosion.

On Jan. 3, investigators with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission conducted a site inspection and found no critical violations on the well pad. A review of the last inspection conducted at the well site in 2016 also found no major problems or critical violations.

Travis Duncan, spokesman for COGCC, wrote in an email that the commission is working with OSHA on the incident. He did not go into further detail about the circumstances that led to Yellowman’s death.

Attempts to reach Yellowman’s family were unsuccessful.

According to his obituary in the Farmington Daily-Times, published Jan. 11, Yellowman was born in Shiprock, and most recently was living in Nenahnezad, a community on the Navajo Nation between Farmington and Shiprock.

It is unclear how many fatalities there have been in La Plata County for workers in the oil and gas industry. The COGCC does not track oil and gas industry deaths in Colorado.

According to the Herald archives, a blast at a BP American Production Co.-owned gas compression station near Bayfield in 2012 killed one worker, Mancos resident Randy Mathews, and injured two others.

Nationwide, a total of 1,422 workers died from injuries in the oil and gas industry from 2003 to 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In 2017 alone, deaths in the oil and gas industry, as well as in mining and quarrying, increased 26 percent from the year before, with 112 deaths. Federal data show oil and gas accounted for more than 70 percent of these fatalities.

Catamount Energy started operating on the Colorado side of the San Juan Basin, which also spans into New Mexico, around 2016 after purchasing Elm Ridge Exploration Co.’s assets.

Kelly said the company operates 160 wells in Colorado.


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Randall Lorenzo Yellowman 47, of Nenahnezad, New Mexico passed from this life January 2, 2019 in Durango, Colorado. He was born November 26, 1971 in Shiprock, New Mexico. Funeral Services will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 12, 2019 at Upper Fruitland Desert View Church, Upper Fruitland, New Mexico. Interment to follow at the Kirtland/Fruitland Cemetery, Kirtland, New Mexico. Randall is in the care of Desert View Funeral Home, North U.S. Highway 491 Shiprock, New Mexico. (505) 368-4607.