Connecticut State Trooper Aaron Huntsman, 43, has been charged with larceny for allegedly stealing jewelry and cash from the victim of a fatal motorcycle crash on Sept. 22. There is perhaps no greater violation of public trust for an offer than the robbery of a deceased victim. If convicted, for that reason, Huntsman would likely face heavy aggravators on sentencing, pushing the sentence higher.
The 18-year veteran of the department is accused of robbing John Scalesse, 49, after he died from injuries sustained in the crash. The Scalesse’s family determined that jewelry, clothing and cash were missing — including $3,000 in cash and a gold chain from the victim’s body.
Upon investigation, it was determined that no jewelry was logged into evidence. Later, a large amount of cash was found in the trooper’s police cruiser.
That led to two counts of third-degree larceny, interfering with police and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
Huntsman’s state police salary is actually quite high: $80,000. He made almost $112,000 in 2011.
Source:NBC
When Gov. Abe Ribicoff did away w/ county government in the 50′s/60′s, the Ct. State Police grew exponentially. Ribicoff gave the jurisdiction formerly held by county sheriffs to the State Police. Having grown up in Ct., and still having a lot of family there, I follow the state. The State Police has evolved into a mostly unnaccountable police force. Ribicoff was of course a Dem. He was a US Seanator when he bravely stood up @ the 1968 Convention and called mayor Daley a thug. And, he was a practical politician who correctly saw County govt. as an unneeded layer of bureaucracy in such a small state. That certainly wouldn’t happen w/ any Dem today! However, for every action there is an equal and positive reaction. The Ct. State Police has evloved into a semi rogue police force. Cities have their own forces, but State Police have jurisdiction over the rural areas which is the majority of that pastoral state. Many operate out of their residences and have virtually no supervision. That’s never good in any organization, particularly police.
A despicable act to be sure, but robbery requires the taking be accomplished by application of force or threat of force.
Don’t judge too quickly:
If he is guilty I hope they throw the book at him and if he has any pension rights take those too.
Dredd, You are a video savant! LOL.
What Justice Holmes said.
I’m a huge proponent of the idea that those who hold an office of public trust – like a LEO – should face stiffer penalties if found guilty of a crime in violation of that trust. And I mean really stiff. Like double what a normal citizen would catch. That would create an enormous deterrent to malfeasance.
This is disgusting. Are they sure the motorcyclist was dead when the officer arrived? Maybe the officer let him bleed out while picking his pockets. One bad deed leads one to think the worst.
If the dead guy has a good brother or son there can be some retribution. Here is my advice. Find out the Law Enforcement Offender’s burial place for closest relatives and go rob the graves at night. Video the casket being rummaged and post this on utube.
BarkinDog’s real name is Harvey Updyke from Alabama.
He resigned his position as vice president of the police union
Michaelb,
Can we guess that he had been giving lessons for profit to his fellow officers for years?
I have a solution. Could be a national winner.
Require all officers upon exiting car to put on a pointy highhat with fisheye videocam pointed downwards. All actions and sounds to be recorded.
This will ba an addition to dashboard cam.
Police would have to put them on on all occasions, even for coffee breaks. They will now be called LE dunces to remind them of the (dis)respect that they have earned.
And weekly fMRIs to see what the weekly take has been.
Well, the gold chain stolen is probably worth more than 3 grand, depending on the karat and the weight. It does not take much gram weight in 18K, at $1,700,00 an oz., to add up to thousands of dollars.
Not an ounce of anything nice to be said…..
Justice Holmes
1, November 30, 2012 at 9:26 am
If he is guilty I hope they throw the book at him and if he has any pension rights take those too.
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Agree
“Find out the Law Enforcement Offender’s burial place for closest relatives and go rob the graves at night. Video the casket being rummaged and post this on utube.”
~+~
That’s deplorable and arbitrary. I might suggest reading the US Constitution where it it indicates that nobody will be held to answer for a crime for corruption of blood.
What kind of nation do you think we would be if family members, who are not involved, much less living, are to be held to be shamed and humiliated based up the actions of another adult? I would ask if you had any relatives who committed a crime should you have to pay, or more importantly would you set the example by submitting yourself for sanctions because a relative of yours did something illegal.
What Darren said. That is an effing sick suggestion, even if only meant in jest.
It seems to me that the state of Connecticut needs to consider a review and possible overhaul of its law enforcement system.
I don’t read the US Constitution like one commenter purports to do nightly. However, a two tiered legal system, w/ stiffer penalties for those “who betray the public trust” doesn’t seem to pass constitutional muster. To propose draconian penaties like this seems illogical and quite emotional.
if he had tased the biker until he died the trooper would be getting a week off with pay but he stole from him so he gets in trouble.
otay
We already have increased penalties for lots of situations: selling drugs in a school zone, Hate crimes. There has to be a happy medium between punishing police too much and not enough- the police seem to get off all the time on some of the most horrible crimes. The Kenneth Chamberlain case is one of the worst- if you want a story of horrific police abuse and murder.
Here is the NYPD going after a street artist with the surveillance state:
http://gawker.com/5964619/nypd-proves-street-artist-right-by-tracking-him-down-and-arresting-him
“There is perhaps no greater violation of public trust for an offer than the robbery of a deceased victim.”
Wow, I can think of PLENTY of greater violations of public trust.
Are you kidding?
Darren Smith,
“I would ask if you had any relatives who committed a crime should you have to pay, or more importantly would you set the example by submitting yourself for sanctions because a relative of yours did something illegal.”
=====================
This is exactly how justice is meted out in some muslim countries. Clan versus clan. Retribution as though in a tort case, not criminal. Purely economist value according to fexed schedules.
Goal: A measured punishment is better than a clan war.
Eye for eye.
A de-named example.
“1, November 30, 2012 at 9:26 am
If he is guilty I hope they throw the book at him and if he has any pension rights take those too.
————————————————————–
Agree
=============
Are we in the vengance model here? Not quite the grave collective punishment, but the assumption of
dishonarable service would seem be the motive behind taking away his pension rights. It this motivated, or is it only emotions talking? I don’t know police pension rights and its caveats. Those who do and the authors who wrote the above are welcome—as of course are all.
Shano,
“Here is the NYPD going after a street artist with the surveillance state:
http://gawker.com/5964619/nypd-proves-street-artist-right-by-tracking-him-down-and-arresting-him
================000
Do you supposed he got confused in the interview and thought it was for a job?
There are several million who would like to employ him collectively for protests in the same genre.
Do you suppose that he will be interested after his term? Wonder what the drone models and the civil situation will be then?
And as a poor denizen he had to have a gun to protect himself, No security guards at his abode.
OTOTOTOT
On the Egyptian sharia constitútion thread I mentioned a delay to the two-state process, implying that Israel does not want a two-state process and certainly not such a solution.
Apparently Mossad read my post and the Israeli government decided already to confirm my reading of the news that come from there. This is from today’s Headlines section of the NYTimes. not the best of sources.
===============================
“TOP NEWS
Housing Move in Israel Seen as Setback for a Two-State Plan
By JODI RUDOREN and MARK LANDLER
Two settlement actions seemed timed to punish the Palestinians for securing upgraded status at the United Nations, and appeared to show that hard-liners had prevailed in the debate over a response
………………………….”
NYTimes.
Ariel Sharom is quoted as saying that the Palestine solution was like pastrami. I interpret that to mean that thinly sliced meat is tenderer and easier to chew, one slice at a time.
It seems to us TV addicted Americans to take a long time to complete. but if you’ve waited for 2,000 years, then this is nothing in comparison.
Idealist:
Generally with regard to pension rights most pensions are not retractable. Once a person has their pension vested, that is having achieved a requisite number of years of service, that is the property of the worker and is generally not subject to revocation for misdeeds.
it should really be this way because otherwise there would be a problem with employers trumping up charges against employees in order to force them out of their pensions.
The other is of justice. If a person works 20 years and is to earn a pension at age 60 of $2,000 per month, and the state accuses the person of a minor crime, one that say has a $500 penalty but instead takes away the person’s pension. That taking away of the pension costs the person $240,000 over ten years while another person, who commits the same crime pays $500 Not exactly equal justice under the law.
Darren,
Agreed. Thanks.
America is special in many ways. Labor and companies could never agree except as part of a settlement after each “war” between them.
Here in Sweden, wanting labor to continue to be mobile, the need for a pension not connected to remaining with the same employer arose. How America solved this problem is another question. Here industry and blue collar unions created a pension company.
Are these separate solutions (if they are???) because of our separate beginnings. I think yes.
How much of America depends on our origin as colonies, each established as royally or non-royally established companies. Land grants for sale and exploitation.
All else developed from that, including pioneering. etc and the building of a nation with very restrictively defined central power.
Look at it now. Same old spirit, but with a wild runaway federal sector. Woooheeee! Ride’em cowboy!
>There is perhaps no greater violation of public trust for an offer than the robbery of a deceased victim.
Not even close. Try the shooting (& killing) an innocent or unarmed person.
That violation of public trust should be rewarded with the death penalty.. thereby slowly decreasing the number of rogue cops while simultaneously sending a message – loud & clear – that a police state is not what we want.
good to see some – pete, malisha – note this (generally) too.
However, leave it to a capitalist to consider money more important than life..
Darren -
>Generally with regard to pension rights most pensions are not retractable.
That doesn’t seem to apply to retirement accounts in companies hiring private citizens.. Re GM etc & Bain/Hostess style raping of employee retirement accounts.. Strange, that..
IMHO, YMMV
enjoy
bobby