May 13, 2008 8:14 AM
City prosecutor quits after cop admits 'fixing' ticket
Assistant city attorney Dani Eliscu resigned after a Denver police officer admitted "fixing" a speeding ticket for the prosecutor's boyfriend.
Brian Maass of CBS4News reports:
"That is not OK, not acceptable and unethical to do anything like that," said Vince DiCroce, director of prosecution for the Denver City Attorney's Office.The incident began Feb. 18, when traffic officer James Gates issued a speeding ticket at West Sixth Avenue and Kalamath Street to Jeremy Rosenthal, Eliscu's boyfriend.
According to the sworn statement from Gates, Rosenthal "told me his wife worked for the City Attorney's Office and she was a prosecutor. He asked if that changed anything." The statement and other information were obtained by CBS4 under a Colorado Open Records Act request.
Gates said he told Rosenthal that if Rosenthal's wife was indeed a city prosecutor, she would know where to find the officer. He then issued the speeding ticket.
Later that morning, according to Gates' statement, he received a call from Eliscu saying the officer had ticketed her husband and "she asked if I could help her out."
"I then did as I would have done for any prosecutor and destroyed the ticket due to the relationship and the close working we do with the prosecution. I would have done this for any one of them. She told me not to tell anyone because she would get in trouble if anyone found out."
"It is completely unacceptable," said DiCroce. "No prosecutor should be treated differently because of their position as a prosecutor. It is not standard operating procedure. The attorneys here are very ethical and there are clear ethical boundaries. This was wrong and inappropriate."
May 13, 2008
9:13 AM
Tree writes:
If I live in Detroit and I'm related to Kwame, you think I could get a speeding ticket fixed?
And if I'm a officer investigating whistle blowing, will I get fired. Let me help you out. Yes, and yes.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/OPINION01/805130332/&imw=Y
May 13, 2008
9:20 AM
Shaggy writes:
This is no surprise.
The former D.A. was reducing tickets of illegal aliens so they wouldn't be deported.
They even spent hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars to send an innocent and highly decorated border agent to prison for exposing him...
Yes we are talking about our do nothing one term Governor TaxRitter
May 13, 2008
10:16 AM
Curious writes:
I am just curious Shaggy, does everything somehow relate to illegal immigrants?
May 13, 2008
11:26 AM
Shaggy writes:
When it is appropriate yes.
May 13, 2008
12:00 PM
PolPot writes:
The nut does not fall far from the tree. When your Chief DA-turned-Guvnor teaches his flock to "fix" things for special people, what else would you expect them to do.
Good riddance. Glitter is out next term.
May 13, 2008
12:10 PM
Chris writes:
It is no surprise that the little DA that Couldn't learned her trade from the HeadDA-turned-Guvnor who taught them to "fix" things for special people. Why should we be surprised that Glitter's underlings do the same thing?
Right on the $ Shag.
May 13, 2008
12:57 PM
Anonymous writes:
The booberati are out in mass today.
May 13, 2008
3:50 PM
DR writes:
Ever wonder if certain folks in government are "above the law"? The answer is "yes" it seems. And that really, really ought to piss off all of us.
May 13, 2008
4:39 PM
Captain America writes:
She should have resigned. This is just disgraceful--an obvious abuse of power. Too bad for this woman that she had to be made an example of, but things like this need to be taken seriously, at all levels of government. We all want to trust our leaders, and things like this, if not dealt with, eat away at that trust every day.
That said, it's ridiculous and unsubstantiated to suggest that this has anything to do with Gov. Ritter or illegal immigration. I'm surprised no one has yet found a way to bash Obama for this.
May 13, 2008
8:42 PM
can you spell e-t-h-i-c-s? writes:
One question:
So why does Gates still have his job? He acted in complete disregard for the law. Why doesn't Gates resign? This is a no-brainer, yet not a word from the DPD?
That boyfriend Rosenthal asked for, and expected special treatment is a disgrace.
Eliscu should have resigned, and clearly should have never even asked for special treatment for her little friend.
May 14, 2008
7:27 AM
Clearly cause for a grand jury investigation immediately writes:
Cops fixing tickets? Prosecutors getting special treatement from the police because "they have to work so closely together? And this is a common practice? Unreal. This behavior by trusted public officials is completely off the charts! How about a grand jury investigation?