Borderline Bar and Grill Sheriff's Sergeant Killed by Friendly Fire!

Thousand Oaks, CA—Exactly one month to the day, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayob and his PR department held a press conference to release some “new” details.  In reality those details were not so new since a small 5.56 MM projectile was removed from the body of Sergeant Ron Helusduring unsuccessful emergency surgery.  

Since they knew immediately that Ian David Long,the shooter was only armed with a .45 automatic Glock pistol and only the police were using Ar-15 style rifles capable of discharging the 5.56 MM rounds.  They did learn definitively from the FBI laboratory that the round came from a CHP officer’s rifle.  This was and is beyond humiliating as well as epically tragic.  I don’t envy these fellows that had the duty to let this troubling cat out of the bag. 

I did not make things easier for them when I asked about several off duty officers from at least three departments socializing in the Borderline club that were disarmed by a failed public policy.  The answer they provided was skewed with a response that off duty cops aren’t required to carry off duty like it was their own choice!  

They wanted no part of my follow up questions on that hot potato topic! One thing for sure, if one or more of the off duty cops were armed, Ian David Long would have been taken out well before so many, including Sgt. Helus were murdered.  

I asked about surveillance video from inside the club during the shooting.  They admitted that had the video but flat out refused to say what was caught on tape! 

This was nothing more than another epic failure involving a Gun Free Zone.  Off camera, I was told this was a political issue! I countered it was a public safety and survival issue.  One thing for sure, toughening this venue and other soft targets was apparently not on anyone’s agenda.  

Oh, when will we ever learn? 

Why Dick Wolf’s TV Show, Chicago Justice Failed

Chicago, IL—Dick Wolfe is a prolific and wildly successful writer and producer.  Everything he puts a pen to, is absolutely golden.  That is,  except his offering called, Chicago Justice. 

Wolf replaced the grit and smell of courtrooms and death with silk stockinged lawyers from Ivy League schools working as prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers.  That’s just not Chicago.  

If you’ve ever been in a Cook County Criminal Court the first thing you notice is the lawyers, especially the males dress down.  They for the most part attended the local law schools like DePaul, John Marshall and ITT Chicago Kent.  These schools are more affordable but the alumni find that their job offers are limited.  Let me make it clear that many terrific and dedicated lawyers attend these schools.

Dick Wolf’s legal offices and courtroom settings all have new, polished and tasteful décor.  That’s just not Cook County!  Wolf’s TV lawyers are what you’d see in civil cases where millions of dollars are at stake and they dress the part.

Chicago’s criminal lawyers are local lads that attend Cubs games, eat hotdogs and drink beer.  These lawyers are not known for their expensive suit labels but far from it.  There are of course the occasional mob lawyers or white-collar crime specialists that fit inside Dick Wolf’s legal world.  

The files handled by Chicago criminal lawyers are almost all in in tattered folders.  Plea agreements are cut in the hallways or even local watering holes where the lawyers meet after work.  Very few criminal cases are actually tried before a judge or jury.  It may not look pretty but at least its real.  

Chicago crimes are despicable as are most of the defendants.  In Cook County the vast majority of defendants are African-American, angry and poor.  Frankly they actually have a foul odor about them.  They hate their public defenders as well as the whole world.  You can’t put lipstick on this pig and then make this kind of thing believable.

A better title might have been Chicago Injustice.  If the public really knew what goes on in Chicago Criminal Courts, they’d be shocked. Political decisions have replaced concerns for public safety. 

Chicago’s politicians would go out of their way to destroy Wolf’s Chicago Franchise if he refused to sanitize the much darker reality.  

I’m convinced if I were writing and producing Chicago PD, Chicago Fire and Chicago Justice it would get worldwide attention. 

I auditioned for Chicago Justice.  The show was cancelled before I could get any consideration. Frankly the show was a clinker.  Here is my audition that I also wrote. I’m a felony review supervisor explaining to a young cop’s mother why I let three thugs go that are suspected of critically wounding her son.  The implied hint is that this was more about race relations and politics than justice.