Clap off! State police pay to settle malicious prosecution claim.
We all had a good laugh nearly five years ago when right-wing Oregon talking head Gregg Clapper was busted on a drug-related charge in connection with an animal poaching investigation targeting another local tighty righty, motelier Mark Hemstreet. The hunting charges were dropped, but Clapper did wind up getting a citation for the evil "residue" in the four marijuana pipes that the police seized when they raided his place.
Clapper and Hemstreet sued the state police for malicious prosecution in the hunting case, and their lawsuit made for a nice payday. The state settled for $295,000 in cool cash earlier this month. No one admits liability when they settle civil suits like this, but it's obvious that the troopers stepped way over some lines. (They did make hunting charges stick, however, against three people targeted by the same investigation.)
Clapper's been pretty insistent that everyone who reported the original charges now be sure to report that he's been cleared. He's been sending out e-mail messages all over the place. (Funny thing, the state attorney general's office, which defended the civil lawsuit, hasn't included the latest on the Clapper matter in its daily barrage of press releases.) I asked Clapper to send along a photo of himself to illustrate my post on the settlement, and he gladly obliged. That's him on the left, and Hemstreet on the right, blissfully interacting with nature:
| Posted at 5:27 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (8)
Who sent the cops in the first place?
Posted by David E Gilmore | November 20, 2009 7:01 AM
I think its time to fire up the Clapper for Governor campaign.
Posted by Garage Wine | November 20, 2009 8:24 AM
Good question David. It smelled overblown to me from the beginning. Criminalizing anyone who isn't in-with-the-in-crowd's dogma is way too much the way things go in Portland town, and the cops and press just go right along without questions. Beyond sick. It hurts lots of people and distorts public conversation, but the folks who carry out vendettas are shameless.
Posted by Cynthia | November 20, 2009 5:11 PM
Weren't the hunting charges from the east side of the state? I think Hemstreet has property in Wallowa county.
Posted by umpire | November 20, 2009 5:50 PM
I can tell you that people who murder a human did not get treated like Hemstreets family & friends. They busted into their homes and tore them apart for hours. I would like to see the police drive 8 hours plus and put that type of energy & focus into some of these rapists and child molesters. When they have it out for you due to your political views LOOK OUT.
Posted by David Rogoway | November 20, 2009 9:51 PM
If I recall some of the stories correctly, Hemstreet was turned in to ODFW by a former employee who was fired for converting some of his bosses property to his own.
I heard Clapper being interviewed on the radio a few nights ago. He mentioned that Dan Ousley, the district attorney who originally prosecuted him is the same one who declared no harm, no foul in the killing of hunter, Frank Means. (The scene was dismantled by a tow truck driver at 1 AM a few hours after the incident and state police assistance was refused then accepted a week or so later)
http://tinyurl.com/yf435lr
Ousley was un-elected as Wallowa County DA, ran for judge, lost, then was appointed by Gov Kulongoski as DA in Wheeler County. Sounds like a lot of mud got slung:
http://tinyurl.com/ye5hx7x
Posted by Concordbridge | November 21, 2009 12:33 PM
If memory serves me correctly, Hemstreet was one of the first to sue to reign in the Urban Renewal gravy train, and anyone with such boldness MUST PAY. When you are paying, lawyers for the UR crowd dig up anything that could potentially be a story and then blow it waaay out of proportion, then get gullible reporters to cover it. It is the way organized crime operates-vendettas.
Posted by Cynthia | November 22, 2009 7:46 AM
CB,
Re the Wheeler County shooting incident:
No charges are being pressed because an investigation revealed that Means was drunk and threatening other hunters,accusing them of wanting to steal his buck. Witnesses say he fired the first shot at a man whose son shot means to protect his father.
My take , now that the investigation has been completed, is that the Wheeler Co. authorities spoke to witnesses and decided not to arrest anyone. Means, family understandably wanted to understand why and that is why the state was brought in to confirm what happened. As for good old boys (and girls): Yeah, the problems in Oregon exists outside of Portland, but I cannot imagine that any place is worse than Portland. Rural areas actually have good systems of checks and balances, because everyone knows everyone else and so people aren't as easily manipulated by propaganda.
Posted by Cynthia | November 22, 2009 12:24 PM