There's been a lot of carping around here lately about how rational thought is getting a raw deal from those of our humble citizens who believe in a higher power. The evolution professors are bellyaching in Kansas, and Missouri scientists are squawking about limits on their embryo research.
It's as if these book-learning types can't get it through their thick heads that sometimes you just have to believe something, no matter what the evidence says to the contrary.
Take the case of Stan Willcutt, for example.
Stan is a 40-year-old Lee's Summit construction worker with the ailments of a man twice his age. Bad ankles. Bad knees. A back so screwed-up that he recently threw out a disk just because he sneezed.
Willcutt has been buried in ditches during two construction accidents. He's been dropped on his head, leaving one eye permanently wacky. And lord knows what happened to his teeth, because he doesn't have any upper choppers, which makes his speech sort of slurred.
Still, he's got to make a living, so he continues to work in heavy construction, digging sewers, but he goes to a chiropractor a couple of times a week to have his back worked on.
On April 7, he was returning from one of those appointments, driving down Douglas Street, when he felt a sneeze coming on.
He tensed up his back, preparing for the damage that might be imminent, and then let go a big kerchoo.
The force of it wasn't enough to throw out his back, but it was so painful that he swerved his car, and his front-left tire clipped the center median.
After correcting his car, Willcutt realized that his collision with the curb had caused a flat tire. So he pulled over, jacked up the car and started to put on the spare.
That's when Lee's Summit police showed up.
Officers told Willcutt that they'd received a report of a drunk driver who had swerved and hit the street's median.
Willcutt explained what had happened and said he hadn't had a drink all day. In fact, Willcutt says, after he was popped for a DUI 20 years ago, he stopped drinking entirely.
Willcutt told police he'd ingested neither alcohol nor drugs, but the officers asked him to take a field sobriety test anyway.
Willcutt says he told the officers that, with his bad knees and back, there'd be no way he could stand steadily on one foot or walk in a tight, straight line.
And just as Willcutt predicted, according to officer Matthew Miller's report, Willcutt performed poorly on the test -- and displayed slurred speech.
At that point, Willcutt could see that his explanations were having no effect on the police officers, so he requested a breathalyzer test.
His police report indicates exactly what he predicted it would: His blood-alcohol content measured 0.00 percent.
Still, the officers arrested Willcutt and took him to jail, where he gave a urine sample.
The sample was tested for amphetamines. The result was negative. It was tested for barbiturates. Also negative. Benzodiazepines. Negative. Cannabinoids. Negative. Cocaine. Negative. Ethanol. Negative. Methadone. Negative. Opiates. Negative. Phencyclidine. Negative. Propoxyphene. Negative.
This meat patty doesn't even know what half of those things are, but it knows enough to see that the Lee's Summit Police Department had a big fat nothing against Willcutt.
Now, this tenderloin believes that if Lee's Summit were a town that fell for the kind of claptrap coming from scientists and other edumacated types, its law enforcers might be tempted to believe that these scientific tests, combined with Willcutt's medical history, established with reasonable certainty that Willcutt wasn't drunk or high. He was just an inarticulate, battered construction worker who couldn't walk a straight line if he wanted to.
But that is not how people of faith think.
And if there's one thing Lee's Summit city prosecutor Rachel Brown has faith in, it's that her office will get its man. Brown has so much faith in the Lee's Summit police, she tells the Strip that a 0.00 breathalyzer and a negative urine test aren't going to keep her from prosecuting Willcutt -- who, with his ancient prior, could be looking at a real penalty.
Brown says she can't comment on Willcutt's case per se, but speaking generally, she says, "If the prosecutor believes there's enough evidence, we go ahead and file a case." And that's just what she's done.
Willcutt is due in court on July 14.
But with all of the cases Brown must handle (aren't we supposed to be in something of a crime wave at the moment?), the Strip wondered why she would bother with a case in which the scientific evidence was so at odds with what police perceived.
"You have people driving under the influence [of substances] that don't show up on the initial panel. We look at each case as a team at the types of impairment -- stimulant, depressant, hallucinogen. Then we ask the lab to test for a specific drug," Brown explains.
In other words, Brown plans to send out Willcutt's urine sample a second, third or more times, whatever it takes until she gets back the result she's looking for -- that Willcutt was fucked-up, just like the police said.
Now that's faith in your police force.
Willcutt estimates that he's already out about $1,000 paying for his legal help in the case, an expense he can ill afford. Meanwhile, a scientific type might accuse Brown of wasting the money and resources of Lee's Summit taxpayers when there must be other cases with better, more objective evidence.
But hey, sometimes you have to ignore the facts and believe in the power of faith.
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Please someone help me. First of all I am a convicted felon and did 16 months in a Missouri state prison that I am guilty of. Now my offenses are bad checks of 2500.00 and 2nd degree burglary. I had never had more than a speeding ticket before I reached 40 years old. I worked for Ford Motor company and after 20 years of marriage to one women I got hooked on Percocet after a bad car wreck. Of course after my wife found out she ask me for a divorse. After giving her everything I have ever worked for I found myself taking more and more of this stuff and was taking my whole Ford paycheck to buy it anywhere I could. I let my bills go so there is the reason for the bad checks. Next I started stealing my family and friends prescriptions from their medicine cabinets. I did and I will admit it as I did with the police I broke into a long time family friends house to see if she had the prescriptions I was looking for in her medicine cabinet. I did not break in I actually walked into her house with her not there. I was not caught at the time and I swear on anything I have I did not take anything from her. Just so happens her grandson is a county sheriff officer. When I was picked up for the bad checks I was questioned about the breakin and I admitted to it. Like I said I had never been arrested before in my life. I had to get a public defender and I thought I would at the very least get probation for a few years but, no they put me in prison for 16 months. Anyway I did my time and have been out for 4 years now and working and getting my life back to normal. The other day I had to go to my parole officer for a monthly visit which is normal and she had me due a Urine analysis low and behold my test came back positive for the drug PCP. I swear to god and anyone else that I have never did this before in my life. Early in that week I had gone to my doctor for a kidney stone and he knows my past with the addiction so he gave me a medicine called Utram 50mg which is not suppose to be a narcotic pain medicine and he said it was the only thing he could give me and I took it. It is not suppose to be habit forming and is not considered a narcotic. I explained this to my parole officer but, of course she just knew I was lying. I started looking up Ultram on the internet and sure enough other people are having the same problems. I showed her the internet and it says right on the internet that if you take Ultram that it is giving a false positive for PCP only thing bad is that I cannot find a reputable agency that will come out and say yes that this is true or at least I have not found it yet. That is why I am writing this is there someone out there that can direct me in the right direction. They are going to put be back in jail and the whole thing if I cannot prove to them that I am telling the truth and I swear you guys I am telling the truth. First I have never ever had a drug charge ever anywhere and I never have done any type of illegal drugs but I am having a hard time right now. PLEASE IF THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME. Thanks Tim
Please someone help me. First of all I am a convicted felon and did 16 months in a Missouri state prison that I am guilty of. Now my offenses are bad checks of 2500.00 and 2nd degree burglary. I had never had more than a speeding ticket before I reached 40 years old. I worked for Ford Motor company and after 20 years of marriage to one women I got hooked on Percocet after a bad car wreck. Of course after my wife found out she ask me for a divorse. After giving her everything I have ever worked for I found myself taking more and more of this stuff and was taking my whole Ford paycheck to buy it anywhere I could. I let my bills go so there is the reason for the bad checks. Next I started stealing my family and friends prescriptions from their medicine cabinets. I did and I will admit it as I did with the police I broke into a long time family friends house to see if she had the prescriptions I was looking for in her medicine cabinet. I did not break in I actually walked into her house with her not there. I was not caught at the time and I swear on anything I have I did not take anything from her. Just so happens her grandson is a county sheriff officer. When I was picked up for the bad checks I was questioned about the breakin and I admitted to it. Like I said I had never been arrested before in my life. I had to get a public defender and I thought I would at the very least get probation for a few years but, no they put me in prison for 16 months. Anyway I did my time and have been out for 4 years now and working and getting my life back to normal. The other day I had to go to my parole officer for a monthly visit which is normal and she had me due a Urine analysis low and behold my test came back positive for the drug PCP. I swear to god and anyone else that I have never did this before in my life. Early in that week I had gone to my doctor for a kidney stone and he knows my past with the addiction so he gave me a medicine called Utram 50mg which is not suppose to be a narcotic pain medicine and he said it was the only thing he could give me and I took it. It is not suppose to be habit forming and is not considered a narcotic. I explained this to my parole officer but, of course she just knew I was lying. I started looking up Ultram on the internet and sure enough other people are having the same problems. I showed her the internet and it says right on the internet that if you take Ultram that it is giving a false positive for PCP only thing bad is that I cannot find a reputable agency that will come out and say yes that this is true or at least I have not found it yet. That is why I am writing this is there someone out there that can direct me in the right direction. They are going to put be back in jail and the whole thing if I cannot prove to them that I am telling the truth and I swear you guys I am telling the truth. First I have never ever had a drug charge ever anywhere and I never have done any type of illegal drugs but I am having a hard time right now. PLEASE IF THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME. Thanks Tim
I would get myself the best damn attorney I could find and sue them for everything
he can get.
Based on the video that is hitting the talkshow rounds, about the officer
who arrested a woman in the HOSPITAL PARKING LOT, and detained her from
going to her Father's bedside when he was having a HEART ATTACK, I'd say
that Stan's chances are very good that he'll win.
The prosecutor joins the ranks of the judge who is suing for $67 gazillion
dollars because a dry cleaner lost his pants. And, when the pants were found,
he refused them and has refused offers as high as $12,000. "rolls eyes"
That ought to teach those bastards a lesson.
People like that do a serious injustice to all law enforcement and court systems,
and make them all look like buffoons.
I would get myself the best damn attorney I could find and sue them for everything he can get. Based on the video that is hitting the talkshow rounds, about the officer who arrested a woman in the HOSPITAL PARKING LOT, and detained her from going to her Father's bedside when he was having a HEART ATTACK, I'd say that Stan's chances are very good that he'll win. The prosecutor joins the ranks of the judge who is suing for $67 gazillion dollars because a dry cleaner lost his pants. And, when the pants were found, he refused them and has refused offers as high as $12,000. "rolls eyes" That ought to teach those bastards a lesson. People like that do a serious injustice to all law enforcement and court systems, and make them all look like buffoons.
Lets assume that the PD let him go. Lets assume he had a wreck, killing 5. Would you still blame the PD? Just like a good liberal, you would. You are only right about the prosecutor in this case. The PD turns it over to them. They are charging the man. They are wasting tax payers $ to simply get their name in the paper. Looking to better themselves at someones expense.
Lets assume that the PD let him go. Lets assume he had a wreck, killing 5. Would you still blame the PD? Just like a good liberal, you would. You are only right about the prosecutor in this case. The PD turns it over to them. They are charging the man. They are wasting tax payers $ to simply get their name in the paper. Looking to better themselves at someones expense.
Both the prosecutor and the police that have ignored the scientific evidence should be arrested, tried and convicted of false arrest. Imprisoned for the same length of sentence that this man is facing with these charges, forced to pay all his fees, replace the money it has already cost him plus some added for punitive damages and actual damages including loss of work while he is fighting these charges. That is the problem with our judicial system today. You find too many prosecutors, and other elected officials trying to climb the ladder of success on the backs of the innocent. No matter are they guilty or innocent, but rather can I get a conviction.
Both the prosecutor and the police that have ignored the scientific evidence should be arrested, tried and convicted of false arrest. Imprisoned for the same length of sentence that this man is facing with these charges, forced to pay all his fees, replace the money it has already cost him plus some added for punitive damages and actual damages including loss of work while he is fighting these charges. That is the problem with our judicial system today. You find too many prosecutors, and other elected officials trying to climb the ladder of success on the backs of the innocent. No matter are they guilty or innocent, but rather can I get a conviction.
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