Need an accident report? Arkansas Court of Appeals rules you can take a photo of it or copy it with your own equipment for free

 

Attorney Ben Motal - LRPD and the City of Little Rock violated his rights under the AFOIA

 

Russ Racop - November 22, 2020

Back in May, the Arkansas Court of Appeals ruled that an individual can inspect and take photos of accident reports or scan them with their own equipment all free of charge. 

That ruling was in an appeal of a case filed by Little Rock Attorney Ben Motal, who had attempted to take a photo of an accident report at LRPD headquarters using his cellphone in October 2018.

LRPD stopped Motal from exercising his rights under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Motal subsequently filed a complaint in Pulaski County Circuit Court.

Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Mackie Pierce held a hearing and upheld the decision of LRPD/CLR.

Motal appealed Judge Pierce's decision and the Arkansas Court of Appeals ruled that Motal's rights had been violated and reversed the decision of the lower court. 

 Motal v Little Rock Appeal Decision by Russ Racop on Scribd

 

LRPD and the city were poorly represented by deputy city attorneys Caleb Garcia and Drew Middlebrooks according to the Opinion filed by Judge Kenneth Hixson.

Not so sharp Little Rock city attorneys Caleb Garcia and Drew Middlebrooks

Obviously, these two were not the top of their class and ended up taking steady public employment instead of going out on their own when no law firm made them offers.

The city has lost several similar lawsuits that we filed over FOI violations and will surely lose the ones we filed this year that are pending in Pulaski County Circuit Courts.

While the feckless mayor and the corrupt police chief claim transparency, no previous administration has had some many lawsuits filed against them for transparency/open records violations.

 

Pulaski County Sheriff's Deputy Jordan Andrew Abels arrested and charged with Domestic Battery and Terroristic Threatening

PCSO Deputy Abels - currently on Administrative Leave

 

Jordan Andrew Abels, a deputy with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office was arrested by Saline County Sheriff's Deputy Alex Hollaway on November 6, 2020 and charged with Domestic Battery 3rd Degree (a Class A misdemeanor) and Terroristic Threatening (a Class D felony).

The arrest stemmed from an incident on November 4th, in which Abels allegedly sent multiple messages to his wife, Kimberly Abels, in which he threatened to kill her.

She also provided a photograph showing an injury ffrom a choking incident in June 2020.

 

Court records revel that Kimberly Abels filed for and obtained an Order of Protection in Saline County on November 5th.

 Mrs. Abels also files for divorce today, November 10th in Saline County.

 

Kristin Knox, a communication specialist with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office confirmed Abels has been placed on administrative leave but has refused to provide a copy of his personnel file in violation of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

 

FOI scofflaw Kristen Knox

We look forward to getting her on the witness stand in a AFOIA Denial of Rights action in Pulaski County Circuit Court and have her explaining that decision to a judge.

A female PCSO Deputy was arrested for domestic battery back in February 2020.

You can read about that by clicking here.

Stay tuned for updates.

ASP Trooper Steven Payton pulls a staged pretextual stop on a black law student moving back for classes - Law School student is son of a retired Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge

Arkansas State Trooper Steven Payton

Russ Racop
August 21, 2020

Marion Humphrey, Jr. was moving back from law school in Fayetteville in a rented U-Haul to Little Rock to complete law school via on-line classes.

Near the 81 mile marker, ASP Trooper Steven Payton pulled Humphrey over on a manufactured pretext. 

Here are Humphrey's own words about what transpired:

This is a copy of the citation that was issued to Humphrey.

Humphrey also posted this:

Humphrey's father is retired Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Marion Humphrey. 

We have requested the audio/video recordings of the traffic stop and will post them upon receipt.

We asked the Troop J Captain and the State Police Director for comments. No responses at the time of publication.

Stay tuned for updates. 

***UPDATE - 08/21/20 2:30PM*** 

Apparently the ASP needs time to concoct a story:

***UPDATE - 08/21/20 3:30 PM***

Turns out that Trooper Payton is no stranger to stepping off into the shitstorm.

Back in  2011 when he was a cop in Dover, AR, he was involved in an excessive violence incident that resulted in a lawsuit and settlement that cost the city of Dover and other defendants $225K.

 For that story click here.

***UPDATE- 08/21/20 5:50 PM***  
The ASP finally provided a comment: 

Why the ASP hired this train wreck of a cop with all the baggage he had is a question the ASP will be asked to answer.

Wonder how much they will be out after they settle with Humphrey?

 ###

We obtained the video of the pretextual traffic stop.

It's  interesting to note that Trooper Payton drove at speeds exceeding 100 mph,  with no blue lights on, after seeing a black man driving a moving van.

Trooper Payton was overly concerned and suspicious that Humphrey appeared to be nervous about being pulled over for driving while black.

Really?

We suspect most all black men pulled over by cops for no apparent reason should be very fucking nervous. All too often, these pretextual stops end in the death of the driver or passenger.

source:  https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/us/leland-melvin-nasa-astronaut-scn-trnd/index.html

We also found out that a couple of other law enforcement agencies were called in in anticipation of a big drug bust.

They tore up  Humphrey's possessions and the truck and found nothing.

Nothing.

We hope this example of corrupt law enforcement behavior results in legal action that causes proper training and vetting of the invividuals that have a liscense to kill.




 

Former Ethics Commission chairman and Morrilton City Attorney Paul Fred Dumas arrested and charged with 7 counts of delivery of controlled subtances

Paul Fred Dumas

Russ Racop
August 5, 2020

Paul Fred Dumas was arrested on July 10, 2020 and charges with 7 counts of delivery of a controlled substance and a confidential informant ("CI") working with the Morrilton Police Department made controlled buys.

Paul Fred Dumas Affidavit f... by Russ Racop on Scribd

The Prosecuting Attorney for the 15th Judicial District, Tom Tatum, also filed a complaint to seize assets of Dumas.

Complaint to sieze assets o... by Russ Racop on Scribd

Back in 2012, Dumas was the chairman of the Arkansas Ethics and he was charged with domestic battery after beating his wife.

Notice how the city attorney at the time, Bart Virden, tried to whitesplain away the domestic violence. 

To make matters worse for Dumas, he wife filed for divorce in July.

 Stay tuned for updates.

Troubled State Representative candidate Roderick Talley arrested for felony theft by receiving

Russ Racop
July 15, 2020

State Representative candidate Roderick Talley was arrested on July 11th for  Theft by Receiving, a Class D Felony.

According to records we obtained, the LRPD cops that arrested Talley are Joshua Myers and Katelin Flynn.

LRPD cop Joshua "Kade" Myers

LRPD cop Katelin Flynn

 We posted about mercenary cop Myers back in March 2019 on social media.

Talley posted about his latest legal problem on Facebook.

We sent a FOI request to the Department of Finance and Administration for records regarding Talley.

Back in February, Talley was found guilty of violating an Order of Protection.

In May, the Arkansas Ethic Commission found that Talley violated the law by taking campaign funds for personal income and failing to file campaign finance reports.

Talley also faces several felony charges in Cross County.

A felony conviction would bar Talley from holding any public office in Arkansas.

 ###

We obtained LRPD reports regarding the arrest.

Alexander cop Calvin Nicholas Salyers charged in homicide of fellow officer Scott Hutton

Alexander Arkansas cop Calvin Nicholas Salyers, a/k/a Nik Salyers arrested for Manslaughter

Russ Racop
July 9, 2020

According to the Arkansas State Police, Alexander Arkansas cop Calvin Nicholas Salyers, a/k/a Nik Slayers, turned himself in on Wednesday July 8th and was charged with and arrested/charged with manslaughter for the June 3rd homicide of fellow Alexander Police officer Scott Hutton.

Officer Salyer and some weed

Officer Salyers' victim, Officer Scott Hutton

The investigator from the Arkansas State Police and the individual that signed the affidavit for Slayers arrest was Ryan Jacks.

Ryan Jacks - Arkansas State Police

The judge that signed off on and approved the warrant for Slayers arrest was Judge Kenneth Casady.

Saline County Circuit Judge Kenneth Casady

The site of of homicide.

15458 Evergreen Drive, Bryant, AR

15458 Evergreen is owned by Carla Farmer.

A search of voter records from the Arkansas Secretary of State's Office came up with "no record found" for Slayers.

A check of records with the Saline County Assessor's Office found that Slayers had not re-assessed his personal vehicle.

15550 Evergreen in Bryant, AR is owned by Slayers' father and stepmother.

15550 Evergreen, Bryant, AR

The court records have an interesting statement from Alexander PD Training Officer Matt Wharton.

Officer Matt Wharton - Alexander Police Department

Slayers posted a $15,000.00 bond and was released.

According to a statement from the Alexander Police Department, Salyers was fired this morning.

Slayers has a criminal history involving illegal drugs.

 And of probation violations connected to his criminal conviction.

Stayed tuned for updates.