POLITICS - Bad apples are not islolated anymore,

[sore shoulder]

they are organized and have premeditated procedures to plant drugs, lie, and cover up their crimes against citizens, and are supported by thier superiors in what can only be described as SOP. I hope these rats take as many others with them as possible.

http://www.ajc.com/training/content/met ... _0514.html


Tesler prosecution rests

FBI agent says police officer feared being labeled a 'rat'

By STEVE VISSER

Published on: 05/13/08

Arthur Bruce Tesler said he didn't object to lies to get a search warrant and helped cover up the crime after an innocent woman was killed, because he feared retribution from Atlanta police if he became a "rat," an FBI agent said Tuesday.

"He said in 2003 he had tried to report an officer who was involved in excessive force," FBI Agent Joe Robuck told the Fulton County jury Tuesday. "All that resulted in his co-workers thinking of him as a rat and Mr. Tesler being transferred to a less desirable position in the Atlanta Police Department."

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The prosecution rested at noon in Tesler's trial in Superior Court. where he faces charges including lying in an official investigation and violating his oath of office for his role in the narcotics raid that resulted in the death of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston on Nov. 21, 2006.

Tesler's two co-defendants, Gregg Junnier and Jason R. Smith, have already pleaded guilty.

They faced more serious charges, including murder, and agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

They have not yet been sentenced. Junnier testified last week and his sentence of up to 10 years is dependant on his cooperation.

He testified that Tesler, 42, participated in the coverup but he wasn't the main instigator of the illegal warrant or the coverup scheme, which Junnier blamed on Smith. In a surprise, the prosecution did not call Smith to testify.

FBI agent Robuck was the main witness Tuesday morning and he described a coverup that reached above Tesler and his two co-defendants. The three detectives briefed their sergeant, Wilbert Stallings, that they were changing their story about which officers witnessed an informant buying crack cocaine at Johnston's house at 933 Neal Street after Johnston was shot to death by narcotics unit officers.

"Sgt. Stallings was told there had been a change in the story and his comment, according to the investigation was, was 'Just pick one and stick to it," Robuck said.

The FBI agent described a police narcotics division that repeatedly lied to get warrants and planted evidence in investigations. Stallings, 44, was later convicted and is in prison on charges from another drug investigation that was turned up during the FBI investigation of the Neal Street case.

Robuck interviewed Tesler twice in the FBI investigation of police actions in getting a no-knock warrant to search for a reputed large stash of cocaine owned by a drug dealer, named "Sam," whom police believe operated from 933 Neal Street.

They had arrested a low-level dealer earlier that day who they said claimed to have seen a kilo of cocaine – 2.2 pounds — in the house that day, Nov. 21, 2006.

Instead, Johnston was waiting with a gun when officers broke down her door without announcing they were police. She fired one shot and was killed in a massive return fire.

Tesler, who was covering the back of the house and did not fire his pistol, was so shaken by the killing that he couldn't write his report, Robuck said.

Tesler told such a detailed lie about how he and his partners met with informant Alex White in the afternoon of the raid that he came across as very credible, Robuck said.

"His demeanor was very convincing," the FBI agent said.

The story matched the one that had been told by his partners. Smith, who lied to the magistrate to get the warrant, prepared a script for the detectives to go over to get their stories straight in the days following the shootings, Robuck said.

"Did you ever give [Tesler] a chance to come clean and tell the truth?" prosecutor Peter Odom asked Robuck of the first FBI interview with Tesler on Dec. 7, 2006.

"He said he didn't think there was anything he wanted to correct," Robuck said.

But White, the informant, had contacted the FBI to tell them he was being pressured to lie for the officers and Junnier, unknown to Tesler and Smith, soon confessed to the FBI.

On Dec. 21, 2006, Tesler told the FBI he would cooperate and gave them a lengthy interview after the holidays on Jan. 4, 2007.

Tesler said he went along with the cover-up story — that a reliable drug buy had been made at the house earlier this day — because "he was the low man on the totem pole," Robuck said.

"Did he ever express the concern that no one would believe him over a senior member of the team?" asked Tesler's lawyer, William McKenney, who was at the interview.

"He did say that," Robuck said.

Tesler said he knew Smith had lied to get the warrant when it was read to the eight-member narcotics team shortly before it raided the Johnston house.

He blamed Smith for planting marijuana in Johnston's basement to help justify the raid and claimed he had shaken his head "No" and walked out of the basement when Smith showed him the dope.

But he acknowledged going along with Smith's claim that cocaine seized from the low-level dealer earlier that day had been the cocaine bought from the Johnston house.

Tesler also was with Smith when they destroyed the rest of the marijuana seized earlier in the day at a different location because part of it was planted at Johnston's house and the samples could be linked through testing, Robuck said.

"They destroyed evidence," Odom said.

"Correct," Robuck said.

[Rusty]

Now we'll see just what they do about it.

[sore shoulder]

As someone noted on another forum, Martha Stewart went to prison for lying to the feds about an investment. What should be the punishment for perjury to obtain a warrant, breaking and entering based on an invalid warrant, murder, consiracy to cover up a murder, planting evidence, etc etc etc.?

We have a man going to prison for a malfunctioning rifle. If you can't see something is broke, and aren't willing to say something about it or stand up and be counted, what good are you?

[Blaine]

As someone noted on another forum, Martha Stewart went to prison for lying to the feds about an investment. What should be the punishment for perjury to obtain a warrant, breaking and entering based on an invalid warrant, murder, consiracy to cover up a murder, planting evidence, etc etc etc.?

We have a man going to prison for a malfunctioning rifle. If you can't see something is broke, and aren't willing to say something about it or stand up and be counted, what good are you?

Of course it's not right, Frank......I'm truly at a loss except to say I spit on injustice.......I'm not ready to say "it's broke" as a sweeping statement.........We ALL have to start voting for principle instead of the pork barrel..........

[Leverdude]

As someone noted on another forum, Martha Stewart went to prison for lying to the feds about an investment. What should be the punishment for perjury to obtain a warrant, breaking and entering based on an invalid warrant, murder, consiracy to cover up a murder, planting evidence, etc etc etc.?

A rope & a tree.

Its very disturbing that the FBI needed to bring them down. This is the sort of thing I was alluding to in another thread. Camaraderie like this is cool on the schoolyard but adults that seek out positions of authority are a different matter. In an agency with the power & ability to ruin peoples lives, end them even as in this case, there is no room for things like this.

[AJMD429]

statement.........We ALL have to start voting for principle instead of the pork barrel..........

Unfortunately, many "union men" will still vote for any Democrat candidate, and nearly all of our jobs are affected so dramatically by government regulation, government grants, and taxes, that we have a hard time pulling away from that and voting for someone with sound principles and who is honest.

[Leverdude]

statement.........We ALL have to start voting for principle instead of the pork barrel..........

Unfortunately, many "union men" will still vote for any Democrat candidate, and nearly all of our jobs are affected so dramatically by government regulation, government grants, and taxes, that we have a hard time pulling away from that and voting for someone with sound principles and who is honest.

Its a pretty good example right here.
We all want someone with sound principals & honesty, yet the only prospective candidate with those values was never even given serious consideration by most of us.

My prediction is McCain wins in Nov. But I believe that had he been nominated, Ron Paul would have won hands down given who the Dems front runners are. Not much difference between leading Republicans & Democrats anymore.

[AJMD429]

We all want someone with sound principals & honesty, yet the only prospective candidate with those values was never even given serious consideration by most of us.

My prediction is McCain wins in Nov. But I believe that had he been nominated, Ron Paul would have won hands down given who the Dems front runners are. Not much difference between leading Republicans & Democrats anymore.

That is SO TRUE - and that is also a lesson the Republicans seem too thick-headed to grasp, even though it COULD have gotten them an easy win against Clinton OR Obama, and supported most of the things they SAY they are for (limited government, less taxes, etc.)

[Ridgerunner]

well, let's see....over 50 years ago, 2 darkies broke into my parents' home. One was inside, waiting for my mother to come home from 2nd shift. The other was behind a clothesline. the plan was for the clothesline darkie to rush my mother, force her inside to the 2nd darkie, who had a butcher knife in hand. The presence of a .25 auto pistol in Mother's hand deterred the outside darkie from carrying out the plan and she escaped when broken glass from the door window cut her wrist. With that caveat, let's go kill all the darkies for the sins of 2. Queer Nation and their militant branch Act Up came to Virginia Beach to protest CBN's anti homo agenda. Act Up put out the word that if the police tried to stop them, Act Up would throw bags of AIDS infected blood and feces at the officer;therefore, let's go lynch all the queers.

Some of you on here are willing to jump to the defense of a dirtbag who, for all indications, by his own words and deeds, intended to create a blood bath at a Wal-Mart. He was on narcotics, either legally or illegally, doesn't matter, as the DUI driver is just as drunk if on white lightin' or Crown Royal. In police work, there are bad apples; but law enforcement mirrors society. I can vouch for the fact that the police administrators I am aware of do not tolerate brutality or dishonesty. Does it go on? Sure. It goes on, like other crimes. But when detected, it is dealt with harshly, both administratively and criminally. Are police perfect? No....the only perfect Man was condemned by the pharasees and crucified by the Romans. To condemn a profession, as is done by many on this forum, is as bad as condemning a race because of the actions of a few. I have had cops arrested on domestic assault charges when I was a sergeant and the officer on scene was reluctant. I have sought peaceful solutions to potentially incendiary situations with racial overtones and was called a "****** lover" by other officers. By the same token, if assaulted by an arrestee, the necessary amount of force to effect the arrest was used, appropriately and dispassionately to gain compliance.

Rather than condemn men and women who have an endless, glamourless, thankless job that must be done, do a little introspection, then, let those without guilt amongst them cast the first stone.....

[sore shoulder]

well, let's see....over 50 years ago, 2 darkies broke into my parents' home. One was inside, waiting for my mother to come home from 2nd shift. The other was behind a clothesline. the plan was for the clothesline darkie to rush my mother, force her inside to the 2nd darkie, who had a butcher knife in hand. The presence of a .25 auto pistol in Mother's hand deterred the outside darkie from carrying out the plan and she escaped when broken glass from the door window cut her wrist. With that caveat, let's go kill all the darkies for the sins of 2. Queer Nation and their militant branch Act Up came to Virginia Beach to protest CBN's anti homo agenda. Act Up put out the word that if the police tried to stop them, Act Up would throw bags of AIDS infected blood and feces at the officer;therefore, let's go lynch all the queers.

Some of you on here are willing to jump to the defense of a dirtbag who, for all indications, by his own words and deeds, intended to create a blood bath at a Wal-Mart. He was on narcotics, either legally or illegally, doesn't matter, as the DUI driver is just as drunk if on white lightin' or Crown Royal. In police work, there are bad apples; but law enforcement mirrors society. I can vouch for the fact that the police administrators I am aware of do not tolerate brutality or dishonesty. Does it go on? Sure. It goes on, like other crimes. But when detected, it is dealt with harshly, both administratively and criminally. Are police perfect? No....the only perfect Man was condemned by the pharasees and crucified by the Romans. To condemn a profession, as is done by many on this forum, is as bad as condemning a race because of the actions of a few. I have had cops arrested on domestic assault charges when I was a sergeant and the officer on scene was reluctant. I have sought peaceful solutions to potentially incendiary situations with racial overtones and was called a "****** lover" by other officers. By the same token, if assaulted by an arrestee, the necessary amount of force to effect the arrest was used, appropriately and dispassionately to gain compliance.

Rather than condemn men and women who have an endless, glamourless, thankless job that must be done, do a little introspection, then, let those without guilt amongst them cast the first stone.....

I'm not sure what this has to do with cops lying to obtain a warrant, murdering an innocent citizen while serving it, then planting evidence and lying to cover up their crime, something their superior endorsed. did you even read the first post?

In fact, your post shows exactly what the real problem is, cops who refuse to acknowledge just how bad and metastitised the problem is while babbling about how hard and thankless the job is, as if that has anything to do with the problem or even matters.

I do not have to do introspection before condemning bad behavior by cops. It's my right, for now, and the fact that you have a problem with it is a symptom of the problem.

[Hobie]

Darkies?