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Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot

When criminal associates testify against one another on behalf of the Government, the Government says they are telling the truth. When they testify against a cop, however, they are sleazy liars. Check out this Milwaukee Sentinel columnist on the official result of the investigaton of Wisconsin undercover sheriff's investigator Mario Altuzar.

Mario Altuzar appeared to be a pretty seasoned pothead. When he smoked the stuff outside the bars of Washington County, he even "French inhaled," breathed, that is, the smoke that he blew out his mouth back in through his nose, those who were with him told investigators. They were absolutely convinced he was getting high - so convinced that they let down their guards and became ensnared in what Washington County Sheriff Brian Rahn now calls, and quite justifiably, Altuzar's "phenomenal accomplishment."

He is, rather, an unusually talented undercover officer who gathered evidence against a fairly extraordinary number of people: somewhere around 50. The fact that there was an "aggregation of allegations" by a good number of them did, Assistant Attorney General Gary Freyberg wrote in a summary of his investigation of Altuzar, give him "pause."

Here's how the report clearing Altuzar described the witnesses against him:

"Taken in context, the allegations against Altuzar are the product of criminal defendants and their allies, all of whom have obvious biases, and in some cases, lengthy criminal records. None of the accusations of wrongdoing by Altuzar was made until well after the defendants were formally charged with committing their own crimes. The majority of the accusations were made by individuals who, by their own admissions, had been consuming alcohol, drugs, or both, at the time they claim to have witnessed Altuzar's alleged misconduct, and were recalling their observations months or years after the events. The allegations are vague as to time, place and circumstances. There is no physical evidence to substantiate the allegations. Some of the allegations are contradicted by other available information. In sum, there is no credible basis upon which to issue any criminal charge."

The columnist's take:

In some instances, it's clear, his accusers probably only thought they saw something. They thought Altuzar was getting drunk when he could just have been dumping many of his drinks down a bathroom sink.

They thought he was "French inhaling" when what he could, just as easily, have been doing was using a simulation technique taught to undercover officers.

In other instances, it appears, his accusers either made things up out of whole cloth or were incapable because of the fog of alcohol and drug use of knowing exactly what happened or when.

The columnist concludes:

In fact, my reading of it is, the only way anybody would ever have gotten a jury to convict the guy based on the flimsy or non-existent evidence was if they got the jurors themselves to inhale.

This is the same flimsy evidence that the Government uses to secure convictions every day in cases across America. From Jack Abramoff to Enron to Bernie Ebbers to virtually every drug defendant convicted in a drug conspiracy.

So rats are only to be trusted when they tell the Government's truth. If their truth as to what they witnessed, heard and experienced deviates from the Government's truth, it's worthless.

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    Re: Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot (none / 0) (#1)
    by ltgesq on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 03:12:05 PM EST
    Inhalation simulation technique? Bull. If you google this phrase and nothing comes up, you can be assured that it doesn't exist. They are trained to pretend to smoke about the same way an actor pretends to smoke. In either case, any idiot can tell the difference.

    Re: Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot (none / 0) (#2)
    by Sailor on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 03:23:21 PM EST
    Did any body give him a drug test? Test his hair?

    Re: Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot (none / 0) (#3)
    by Patrick on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 04:45:04 PM EST
    Not an issue in California, Health and Safety Code Section 11367. All duly authorized peace officers, while investigating violations of this division in performance of their official duties, and any person working under their immediate direction, supervision or instruction, are immune from prosecution under this division. I've never heard of an inhalation simulation either, sounds like BS to me. However, I do notice the slight scent of hypocracy here as well. How come government witness are always liars and cheats? I guess it depends on your POV.

    Re: Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot (none / 0) (#4)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 05:32:06 PM EST
    How come government witness are always liars and cheats? I guess it depends on your POV.
    Um... you don't see the dangers inherent in taking hardened criminals at their word? Let me explain something to you...

    Re: Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot (none / 0) (#5)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 05:40:25 PM EST
    Hmm, okay, I guess I missed the point there. In general, though, seems that when there's nothing but hearsay evidence, the court should side with the defendant. He is, after all, presumed innocent.

    Re: Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot (none / 0) (#6)
    by Sailor on Mon Feb 06, 2006 at 06:22:06 PM EST
    Not an issue in California,

    Health and Safety Code Section 11367. All duly authorized peace officers, while investigating violations of this division in performance of their official duties, and any person working under their immediate direction, supervision or instruction, are immune from prosecution under this division.
    Ohh, now I get it, cops aren't ABOVE the law, they just have 'special' laws, that no other citizen has. Multiple allegations of drug use, no testing, just 'hey, he told us he didn't inhale.' Well, by golly, that's good enough for me. If that isn't credible for a president, why would a judge believe a cop?

    OT: Hey Patrick, You know it's not a personal attack, right? We are always going to disagree on these issues. And I gotta be me;-)

    Re: Undercover Cop Cleared of French Inhaling Pot (none / 0) (#7)
    by Patrick on Tue Feb 07, 2006 at 08:41:12 AM EST
    Ohh, now I get it, cops aren't ABOVE the law, they just have 'special' laws, that no other citizen has.
    Sure, just like, lawyers, doctors, fireman, insurance salesmen, car dealers, etc. That's a blatant oversimplification, and I think you're smart enough to see that.
    Multiple allegations of drug use, no testing, just 'hey, he told us he didn't inhale.' Well, by golly, that's good enough for me.
    Apparently you missed the part about, "in the performance of their official duties." If it was outside of those duties, he should be fired. If his management turned a blind eye to misconduct, they will reap what they sew.
    If that isn't credible for a president, why would a judge believe a cop?
    ????
    You know it's not a personal attack, right?
    I don't too take much personal here.