SCANDAL IN ARIZONA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An unknown number of persons, many of whom are suing the Town of Quartzsite, have in their possession a totally un-redacted complete copy of "Special Investigations" report, DPS2011027462, which details the Arizona Department of Public Safety investigation into the complaints made against Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert by 10 out of 14 members of his own department back in the spring of 2011.

This report is "the smoking gun" which contains, among other evidence, audits of the AZCJIS/NCIC data base showing that the QPD conducted hundreds of criminal background checks on a small group of citizens perceived to be politically opposed to Town officials and targeted them for "color of law" abuse. Misuse of the National Crime Information Center data base is a crime.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne was given a copy of the report in February of 2012 and he refused to prosecute what is evidently hundreds of criminal counts against the Quartzsite Police Department. The AZ Police Officers Standards and Training Board has refused to take any action to revoke Police Chief Gilbert's certification. All members of the Quartzsite Town Council were given a complete copy of this un-redacted DPS report in August of 2012 and instead of voting to terminate Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, they brought him back from administrative leave and took actions that resulted in the termination of members of the Town administration who had placed him there and attempted to terminate Gilbert's employment.

My husband and I have filed a civil claim in U.S. District Court, as documented victims of this illegal pattern and practice, CV-13-01770-PHX-DGC

The Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool (AMRRP) was the Town's insurer during the period the documented abuse of the NCIC data base took place and will ultimately be responsible for paying out damage claims to those in litigation with the Town over the actions of Town officials during their coverage. Nearly every municipality in Arizona pays into AMRRP and will share in a percentage of the loss, when claims are eventually paid out. AMRRP terminated their coverage for the Town of Quartzsite on January 6th, 2013, after a record number of civil claims and shortly after Town Manager Laura Bruno's release of an allegedly confidential document to members of the Town Council.
 
See: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ncic

Governor Brewer fiddles while Quartzsite burns

Two months after Quartzsite police requested a criminal investigation into Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, Quartzsite residents are still living in the twilight zone, and not a word from AZ Governor Jan Brewer or Attorney General Tom Horne.

Although town code requires regular meetings of the Common Council to be held at 7pm, today's irregular "regular" meeting was held at 9am, and with the addition of a metal detector at the front door to town hall. The members of council enter through the back door, and no metal detector has been installed there. Sgt. Fabiola Garcia was videotaped text messaging on her phone, while several citizens walked around the metal detector, however. While the council may be arming themselves with guns, the citizens continue to arm themselves with cameras. This appears to be a more effective approach.

 Despite Mayor Foster's refusal to call the potentially illegal meeting to order, the council proceeded anyway. They approved a zoning change for the property adjacent to Vice Mayor Cowell's property, so that a gun shop and shooting range may be built 372 feet from the Scholar's Academy. They passed the transaction priveledge tax of 2.5% (3.5% for licensed contractors) This expands the scope of business to which the Transaction Priveledge Tax applies, from the 16 categories currently paying for the priveledge" of doing business in Arizona. Council also moved the appointment of a councilperson to fill Jose Lizarraga's vacant seat to a work session (TBA).

Nobody in authority has expressed an official interest, nor offered any advice beyond a mandamus or federal injunction to stop the bizare and shocking actions by Quartzsite officials after declaring that an emergency exists, and basically abdicating any responsibility to the town manager Alexandra Taft, and her employees the police chief, town attorney, and building official. Mayor Foster had previously tried a mandamus, but La Paz County Superior Court Judge Michael Burke dismissed the demand, ruling that a citizen had no standing to request his or her elected officials obey they law. Jones filed an injunction in pro per last December, but did not respond to the motion to dismiss filed  by the town's insurance lawyers, in order to refile with legal council. She is asking any attorney familiar with federal law to assist in refiling immediately.

OMLET arm of the AG's Office investigation update

I, Jennifer Jones,  had an important phone conversation earlier today. I was informed by Mr. Christopher Munns, of the Attorney General's Office, Open Meetings Law  Enforcement Team (OMLET) that his office was expediting our complaints. Please thank him for that.


However, after I discussed the evidence I wanted to email him, he informed me that they did not have authority to rule on the investigation. Basically, the OMLET department is a "toothless tiger" as Mayor Foster likes to say. In other words, their standard operating procedure is to contact the town and attempt to bring the council into compliance with open meetings law. If the town fails to comply, then a court action may proceed. Eventually, the courts will intercede. In the mean time, AG Tom Horne could look into issuing a legal opinion on action taken by the council, but has not indicated any interest in doing so.


So you see, as of this date, both Governor Brewer and Attorney General Horne have avoided any responsibility for Quartzsite's open ended "state of emergency" and subsequent lawlessness of it's officials.

I suggest that we may contact:
United States Attorney 
District of Arizona
Two Renaissance Square
40 N. Central Ave, suite 1200
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-514-7500
FAX 602-514-7693


You can request a "Citizen Complaint Form"