Sausage and The Law Ch. 01

In the Command Room, there was only room for four square tables that seat four people each, and those tables are often put together to seat six, eight, or ten people. Today we had two tables put together and six people at it: Chief Moynahan at the far end, me to his left, Cindy to his right (across from me), Teresa to my left, Tanya across from her and to Cindy's right, in her wheelchair, and Sheriff Griswold at the other end of the table, nearest the door.

We'd pre-ordered, and our food took less than five minutes to arrive: The Sheriff had the 'Jack's Double Cheeseburger Plate', named after Tanya's husband Jack Muscone, who believed he would occupy this building after death because the Double Cheeseburgers were his idea of heaven. Chief Moynahan also ordered that meal.

I had the 'Don's Double Breakfast Cheeseburger Plate', a double cheese burger with a fried egg and bacon on top. And yes, it was named after me. Teresa had the 'Teresa's Steak Caesar Salad', now named after her. Cindy had the 'Cindy's Fish & Chips' Plate. Tanya had nothing named after her, because she rarely ordered the same thing very often. Today she ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich Plate. And 'Plate' meant bottomless baskets of 'Griswold's Grizzly Fries' with the entrées.

After we ate, the Sheriff said "I'm having working lunches every day with the top leadership of my various Departments within the Public Safety Department. For the rest of the Departments, that means only with people with stars on their shoulders, and the Fire Department meeting will be a packed house. For you, I made the exception to ask you to join us, Teresa, because we value your input, and because it's just not right to not have all three of Crowbar's Angels here."

"Hear hear!" I said as I nodded vigorously in agreement. My Angels all smiled.

Sheriff Griswold: "And I may do this as often as every week, depending on how productive the meetings are. I also will be having a separate meeting with the Internal Affairs leaders this Friday, but that will not be a regular thing. And what these first meetings will be about is the structure of the various Departments, which I've been working on revising for several weeks now."

Griswold: "I'm doing this with the issues of the recent past in mind, but also with the future in mind. I have no idea what the State Legislature is going to do, and my secret source, former Governor Valnius Jared, is in Florida, spending winters with his wife there. They may spend their summers in this State... maybe even in our Town & County if they find a home to buy or build. But Val is not in tune with the political situation around here right now."

Griswold: "So we're just going to forge ahead, and deal with the things we know we can deal with and have to deal with, and make contingencies for the rest of it. Crowbar here did an excellent job with the Charter Commission, leaving us a good framework as well as scalability and flexibility to meet future needs."

Griswold: "First of all, the Police Chief, Fire Chief, EMS Chief, and Public Health Officer will move up to three stars instead of the current two stars. I thought about giving them four stars and me having a circle of five stars, but I did not need to hear Commander Troy speak out loud in order to read his mind about what he thought of that... and the endless ribbing he would give me about it."

Everyone laughed as I nodded vigorously in agreement. Sheriff Griswold continued: "We can always do that in the future. Anyway, the next rank down will be two stars, and the Police Commander, EMS Commander, Assistant Fire Chiefs, and Assistant PHOs will be put in those ranks... along with a new rank for the Sheriff's Department, called the Command Deputy Sheriff or Undersheriff. And I'll just congratulate you now, Cindy. You're the one."

We all applauded Cindy on this considerable upgrade to her rank and position. Sheriff Griswold then said "The Fire Department always has delusions of grandeur. They have extra medals that the other branches don't really have equivalents for. We had to create the Public Safety Legion of Excellence to offset some of their extra stuff."

Griswold: "My point is... my thinking is that all of the XOs, those handling Admin and Support things, would have one star... just as you have right now as Deputy Police Chief, Tanya. The other Deputy Chiefs would have one-star rank. But the Fire Department is pushing to have one Assistant Fire Chief, who would be a two-star, be over their Admin, and the other over their operations."

"That will not do, sir." Cindy said. "We can't have AFCs pulling rank over Tanya during Budget meetings and the like." Tanya was shaking her head, meaning she was vigorously agreeing with Cindy.

Sheriff Griswold growled "We also can't have them equivalent to you, Cindy, as you will have the dual role of Command Deputy Sheriff -and- Chief of Staff. Both are two-star positions, and I could have two people in those roles, but for now, Cindy... you're the one."

"Do I get both salaries?" Cindy asked hopefully.

"If you do, I want double pensions for my two MOVs when I retire." I replied hopefully.

"Sorry to burst your bubbles, both of you." growled the Sheriff, though his handlebar mustaches were quivering with merriment. "Anyhoo, my point is that I am not going to let the frickin' Fire Department lord it over you, Tanya."

"Thank you, sir." Tanya said, very much meaning it. She'd had a worried look on her face for a few minutes there.

Sheriff Griswold said "So all Deputy Chiefs will have one star. And I know it wouldn't be a problem with Tanya, but it also makes things a lot more clear if we ever have another Della Harlow situation." We all nodded vigorously in agreement.

Sheriff Griswold: "The other thing I'll bring up today is the Internal Affairs situation. One reason I'm doing what I'm doing is to stop the US DOJ from whining, and also to stop the Council Democrats from not only whining, but from trying to take I.A. away from us and give it totally to the Inspector General's Office."

Sheriff Griswold: "To that end, all of the I.A. Chiefs will answer solely to the branch Chiefs, i.e. the Police Chief, Fire Chief, et cetera. And that means every I.A. Chief will be promoted to one-star rank, the equivalent of a Deputy Chief."

Griswold: "Also, the Sheriff's Department Internal Affairs will be the de facto Public Safety Internal Affairs, and will have (air quotes) 'input' with the various branch I.A.s. And the Inspector General's Office will have a similar input. So we're really isolating I.A. as much as we legitimately can without getting crazy about it."

Griswold: "The Fire Marshal used to be the de facto leader of I.A. in the TCFD, but that will cease, and the I.A. will be separate. Also, each branch used to run their own drug testing programs out of their I.A. Departments, but for budgetary reasons, all drug testing will come out of the Public Safety I.A., i.e the Sheriff's Department I.A."

Even I had not heard that one, and the looks of surprise on everyone's faces, including the Chief's and even Cindy's, told me that this was the first time they were hearing about it, as well. I said "Why is that, Sheriff? Will it really save money?"

"Some." replied the Sheriff as he looked at all of us one by one. Having been an astute Detective for a long time, he realized more explanation was needed, so he said "Just between all of us and the crowbars, I want to make sure we're getting good, legit results. For example, both the Police and Fire Departments have given drug tests since Hallowe'en. No one failed... not one single person. Not even for prescription nor allergy medications. Now that's excellent... but the US DOJ will call it unrealistic. So we're putting things into semi-independent hands, for everyone's protection."

After putting a few more things out there for us to consider over the week, the Sheriff asked if we had anything to suggest. I spoke up: "Yes, Sheriff. The Charter Commission did not get rid of the Supervisor position, which is between Lieutenant and all the Sergeant positions. It's really a Supervisor/Technical Specialist position for people highly skilled in specific things. We need such a person for our CSIs, and I don't want to have to put the leader in as a full Lieutenant, what with Mary Milton already being the Intel Division Lieutenant, with the CSIs and Crime Lab as part of that group. And we may get that person very soon, Lord willin' and the Creek don't rise."

"Glory Hallelujah!" the Sheriff exclaimed. It was so unexpected that we all laughed. "I've been waiting for you to fix that."

"You can credit Claire Michaels if it happens, sir." I said, giving credit where due...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Teresa rode with me back to Police Headquarters. I asked her what happened with Kalsu.

"I locked his heels." Teresa replied. "I did first ask him if he wanted a Union Rep, and he asked if he needed one. I told him it was up to him, then told him that his disrespect towards the Police Commander was intolerable, and the disrespect towards the Deputy Chief was even worse, and totally unacceptable. To his credit, he did not try to deny it. But to his discredit, he never issued a word of contrition nor apology. I asked him if he had anything to say for himself, and he just said 'No ma'am.' and shut his trap."

Teresa: "I then brought up that changing the locks to locks that did not conform to regulations, meaning that they couldn't be opened with a Master key, was also an issue. I told him he was on notice, then told him to get out of my office and go lead the cleaning out of the storeroom, and that it needed to be done before the SWAT Team went home. He moved out smartly, and when we went to lunch they were clearing out the closet in the gym that they're going to use."

I just nodded but said nothing when she finished her narrative, so she asked me "What's this business about the Supervisor rank?"

I said "We have a rare opportunity to hire someone really special for our CSI and Crime Lab Department. Claire Michaels knows her and has worked with her before, and I've heard her name, which is Yolanda Grissom. She's a legend out in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles areas."

"I've heard her name, too." Teresa said.

"Claire got her to come take a look at us." I said. "She's looking to get out of the People's Republic of California, and she wants a relatively quiet, stable place to finish out her career---"

"And she wants to come here?" Teresa exclaimed with mock shock.

"Very funny." I said. "From what Claire told me, she wants to be at a place where her work is respected, not to mention being used in an actual prosecution... and you know places with George Schwartz-financed District Attorneys don't prosecute criminals. Additionally, Police here are supported far better than they are out West, on the Left Coast, so that's a consideration. But it's not a done deal... we'll be auditioning just as she will be."

Teresa said "Does it bother you that Claire Michaels seems to be bringing in people, people that might have closer and more loyal ties to her than to you?"

I said "Like bringing Lorena Rose back here and to the DEA and now SBI, which was big for us?" After a pause I went on: "I understand what you're saying. But if Yolanda Grissom is as good as I've heard she is, and if she can make us that much better, then it would be dereliction of duty for me to not hire her into this Police Force..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

5:30pm, Monday, January 3rd. My lovely assistant Helena French had gone home, and the door to my office was open as I finished up some paperwork. I glanced up to see Chief Deputy Sheriff Cindy Ross come into the anteroom and up to the door. I was more surprised by who was following her into my office: Sheriff Griswold himself.

"Keep your seat." he growled as I began standing. I sank back into my comfortable 'Command Chair' as Cindy sat down in the far-side hot chair and the Sheriff sat down in the near-side hot chair.

"What can I do for the Sheriff's Department today?" I asked.

"We just came by to see if you'd heard the news." growled Griswold. When I shrugged my shoulders, he said "You know how Town Assemblyman Ryan Paulson is running for Mayor, primarying Daniel Allgood?"

I nodded, then said "He's an Establishment Republican, and he's running on a platform of making severe cuts to Town & County Government spending, and to levels that make even me cringe."

Cindy said "He's been focusing a lot on the Public Health Service. He wants to gut funding for the Free Clinics, especially the ones serving the Southside, where the poorest people live. And I happen to know that he's been getting large donations from BigBenefitInsurance, which explains things: do away with the Free Clinics, force people to buy BBI insurance so they can go to the Hospital."

"Which no longer takes BBI-insured patients." I replied.

"There may be something underhanded going on there, too." said Griswold. "But more on that later. Cindy, tell Crowbar what you learned today."

Cindy said "In response to Paulson's (air quote) 'threats', a coalition of Democrats and Republicans are planning to submit a proposal to the Council tomorrow night... to separate the Public Health Department from the Public Safety Department!"

"Interesting." I whispered, more to myself than to them. After a second I said "And if I don't miss my guess, you're here to tell me I need to be at the Council meeting tomorrow night."

"You are reading my mind." replied the Sheriff. "So what do you two say to stopping by the Cop Bar, and we can discuss this over beef nachos and beer?"

"I'm afraid I can't, Sheriff." I replied. "I have to stop by the State Crime Lab building when I leave here, and handle something."

"Ahhhh..." Cindy said, reading my mind...

Part 3 - Hopes and Changes

7:30am, Tuesday, January 4th. After watching Bettina's propaganda-cast, which revealed the explosive (not) news that the Legislature had convened and docketed its first bill, HR-1, the State Budget, the coffee klatch in the Chief's Conference Room turned to a discussion with our guest: EMS Chief Dr. Leonard R. Cordell (Admiral, USN, Ret.).

"I'm finally getting somewhere with my lawsuit against the State Medical Board and BigBenefitInsurance." Cordell said. "My 'Dream Team' of Mike G. Todd, Michael Thomas McGill, and Agnes T. Spires are crushing the Enemy. I had to go to Federal Court to do it, but Judge K.M. Landis is going to put out the order to stop ping-ponging on the location and declare a jurisdiction. It'll probably be Midtown, and that's fine. I just want to get it into Court and get my license to practice medicine back." (Author's note: This was first mentioned in 'Private Practice', Ch. 02.)

"Why was that such a problem?" asked Tanya Muscone.

Cordell replied: "Because BigBenefitInsurance was doing everything they could to subvert the law and thwart our case from being heard in Court. Here's what happened: we filed the suit here, in the Superior Court, and Judge Rodney K. Watts had it on his docket. The State Medical Board filed a motion that it was the wrong venue, that it should be in the Superior Court in Midtown, where the State Medical Board is headquartered. Appellate Judge Leahy agreed. Soooo, we filed in the Superior Court of Judge Clarence Scales in Midtown." (Author's note: 'Music Box Dancer', Ch. 01; 'Big In Japan', Ch. 03; for mentions of Judge Scales.)

Cordell: "And this is where it gets dirty, at least to me. Judge Scales is normally Conservative, and a solid judge, but to our shock he accepted a filing by BigBenefitInsurance itself that the venue should be up here, where University Hospital is and where my original (air quotes) 'crime' had occurred. So it was like that children's game, where they played 'keepaway' from me, and ping-pong with the case, preventing it from being heard, which is what BigBenefitInsurance wanted all along."

Cordell: "We appealed to the State Supreme Court. By a 5-2 margin, they voted to, and I quote 'let the lower Court rulings stand'. Think about that: two disparate rulings we were asking them to resolve one way or the other, and they voted to let both rulings stand!"

Cordell: "And the State Supreme Court is generally right-of-center by a 4-3 margin, but all four Justices on the right voted to not hear the case! I'll add that they did this over the Holidays, while Ms. Croyle here was performing Life Flight miracles and putting on the Christmas Concert, hoping to sneak it past us unnoticed." (Author's note: 'Teresa's Christmas Miracle').

"Why do that?" Cindy asked. "Beyond the Conservative Justices voting against you, why let the separate rulings remain unresolved, and everything in limbo?"

I replied "The mistake in your thinking is that 'Republican' is synonymous with 'Conservative'. And that's not the case. Many of these judges are Republican, but not truly conservative. They are Establishment Republican Elites, in the Romney-McCain-Ryan Paul-John Boehner mold. They strongly support the Big Boy Corporations, and especially BigBenefitInsurance, and to that end they're doing what they can to help BBI deny Admiral Cordell his right to petition for the redress of grievances."

The Sheriff and Teresa nodded vigorously in agreement. Admiral Cordell said 'That's exactly right, Don. And so we filed the lawsuit and an adjoining lawsuit against the State in the Federal Court of Judge K.M. Landis, whose Western District of the State covers this area."

Cordell: "Judge Ruth B. Taney of the Southern District, which covers Midtown, tried to gin up the same jurisdictional issues, but Judge Landis was having none of it. He's senior to Taney, and he squashed her like a bug, and the Federal Appeals Court upheld his ruling... which was to order the case be assigned to the Midtown Superior Court, and heard within three months and without any delays unless approved by him, Judge Landis. That will be announced today."

"Yay!" Teresa said. "But won't BigBenefitInsurance just appeal to the Federal Appeals Court?"

Cordell replied "Probably. But our Federal Circuit is pretty friendly, so we're expecting them to tell BBI to pound sand."

"What about Mary Milton's lawsuit?" asked Tanya.

Sheriff Griswold growled "Judge Landis took that one up, too. He temporarily enjoined the NLRB or any other Federal Government agency from getting involved with it, and enjoined the NLRB or US DOJ from attempting to enforce binding arbitration on the Town & County and especially the TCPD."

Griswold: "The big deal about it is that normally Federal Judge Ruth B. Taney handles Union cases in Federal Court in this whole State and region. But Judge Landis stepped in again and slapped her down hard, claiming jurisdiction. He also took the extraordinary step of stating that Taney was not impartial, had a strong pro-Union bias, and was incorrectly catering to the attempt by the NLRB and US DOJ to incorrectly insert themselves via Court orders."

Griswold: "Taney is extremely bitter about it, as are the Swamp Frogs in Washington. Those two Federal Judges are at war as the Left practices lawfare through the Courts, and we're the ones caught between the two walls moving together to grind us."

I said "And it keeps getting better, as the song goes. Judge Taney attempted to issue her own edict, enjoining the TCPD from being able to decertify the Union, but Judge Landis struck her down on that, too. And Kalsu and Patrick are going to try again to get the Union decertified, this time over Mary's lawsuit."

Cindy asked "What about your libel and defamation lawsuit against KXTC, Don?" (Author's note: 'Climate Injustice'.)

I replied "It's making slow progress, but we're seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Judge Rodney K. Watts accepted the case. KXTC demanded the case be dismissed with prejudice because it did not meet the criteria outline in New York Times v. Sullivan, called 'Sullivan' for short. Watts said that whether it met the 'Sullivan' criteria or not would be part of the trial."