Sheriff Christopher sure is a whiner.

Filed in National by on June 7, 2012

We just received a letter from an anonymous tipster that insane teabagger Sheriff Jeff Christopher has sent to “Delaware State Attorneys” and “Delaware State Court and Justices.” I really do wonder if Sheriff Christopher has sent this letter to all attorneys in the State of Delaware, as there is no “Delaware State Attorneys” office. I suppose he meant this letter to go to the Attorney General’s office. I also wonder if every employee of the the state judicial system and every Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court has received this letter.

Christopher blasts them all for taking away his “power” and then complains to them that Sussex County Council (controlled by Republicans, mind you) has refused to replace two of his deputies due to budgetary concerns. He views the Council’s actions as an “attack on himself” due to his lawsuit to unconstitutionally expand his powers past that of being a process server in Sussex County.

He then implicitly threatens someone or everyone that his office may now fall behind in their official duties (you know, the job his office is supposed to do: serve papers, instead of acting like his own police force).

The insane power usurper will be on Bill Colley’s show this afternoon, no doubt to make the same complaints and threats contained in this letter. Meanwhile, up in Dover, Pete Schwartzkopf’s bill to tell the Sheriff to shut up and do the job he was elected to do was voted out of the Senate Executive Committee yesterday, and will likely be passed by the Senate shortly. It has already been passed by the House on a vote of 36 to 2, with the those two voting against being Gerald Hocker and John Atkins.

This bill, once law, should make the tiny Sheriff’s lawsuit moot.

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  1. Will McVay says:

    It won’t, the argument (for better or worse) is that the constitution of the state defines the sheriff as a conservator of the peace, so the general assembly has no authority to take away his arrest authority without a constitutional amendment. I don’t find this to be a terribly productive line of reasoning, but HB325 is not likely to render the sheriff’s lawsuit moot because of it.

  2. AQC says:

    This would all be so funny if it wasn’t scary.

  3. Geezer says:

    But…but…but…TYRANNY!

  4. Will McVay says:

    quite. by now, i think sheriff christopher is overreaching and going about this all wrong. i think he’s right about the need/desirability for more locally accountable law enforcement, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to get there from here.

  5. anon says:

    Will, how does the constitution define “conservator of the peace”?

  6. Will McVay says:

    that’s exactly why this bill won’t render a court challenge moot.

  7. pandora says:

    Why hasn’t this fool (and his posse) been arrested for impersonating an officer?

  8. anon says:

    All of Delaware is “local.” It’s 96 miles long with 900,000 people. The State Legislature is located a whopping 37 miles away from the Sussex County Council. The State Police troops in Sussex are comanded by troopers who live in Sussex.

    It’s time for the secessionist wackos in Sussex to stop whining.

  9. MJ says:

    I’m sure Quickdraw McDraw and his buddies (St. Bodie Girl, Toothy Ayotte, and Wolfgang von Bombast) will all be at the Klan, I mean “patriot,” rally in Westminster MARYLAND on Saturday, hosted by self-proclaimed constitutional expert George Otto III. ANd if there’s free food, the Fatman will be there, too.

  10. SussexAnon says:

    If there is any evidence of the State Police not being held accountable or responsive to local officials and citizens I would like to know about it.

    Otherwise, this is about a whack a doodle sheriff whom, I would argue, would be anything BUT responsive to locals.

    Why were the 2 deputies fired? I heard a couple of weeks ago a deputy was suspended for using a county vehicle for personal use. I haven’t read about the firings, though.

  11. MJ says:

    SA – there is no evidence to support anything Quickdraw McDraw says. DSP has been very responsive to the needs to the county.

  12. Dave says:

    Will, even after passage of the bill, the sheriff will remain conservator of the peace. The bill does not take that title away. He will still have all the duties he had before: conducting sheriff sales, serving papers, etc. etc. No constitutional issue here.

    On a related note, it is interesting that the sheriff holds his funding raising activities out of the county (and indeed out of the state). I wonder why “local” business is not being conducted “locally” in the county or at least in the state?

    It is interesting that two deputies have “left.” Of course personnel matters being what they are, these things are not in the public domain, but I am sure the grapevine will eventually provide such information.

  13. Will McVay says:

    The constitutional issue is the definition of “conservator of the peace”, and I’m pretty sure that will still end up in court.

  14. Aoine says:

    The formally decertified and disgraced police officer was suspended for being places and doing personal things, on a plethora of occasions, using County time, NOT conducting county business (Jeff, do you need a thesaurus to decipher that?)

    you know – stealing from the tax-payer – the good Sheriff – who NEVER lies, said this Deputy was suspended for praying – in reality this dude has been – well, defrauding his employer, the tax-payer

    He was ratted out by – HORRORS – the GPS in his car – Imagine if any of us claimed we were working, while we were actually home, church =going, etc – we would be fired

    Fatman has invited the public to the sideshow hearing.

    rumor has it the other Deputy quit out of disgust – cant blame them there

    on another note – I understand I was an English major
    I also know I type like hell and altho am an excellent speller – cannot type for peanuts – mistakes used to annoy me

    BUT

    can that idiot of a Sheriff string a cohesive sentance together?? My 5th grader had better grammer than this nut job – Gee, Jeff, take a collection up for a class in Technical Writing or remedial grammar

    but please – STOP embarrassing yourself with these sub-par missives:

    1. as a “LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER” in DE you SHOULD know we do not have Delaware State Attorneys. You have received and read enough of their opinions to have seen the signature page and observe that we have an ATTORNEY GENERAL and those under him in that office are referred to as DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERALS. – if you even had an iota of knowledge about the system, which you profess to KNOW- you would have used THAT simple fact

    2. The county does not need your consent to remove, suspend or terminate an errant Deputy – you hired the son of a bitch – you now own the disgrace – he had no intregity then and you showed no intregity in hiring him. deal with it.

    3.no LAW CLEARLY states you are a law enforcement agnecy – and please – go right ahead -continue your rampage- I relish the day you are arrested.

    4. that last sentance in the first paragraph is a stunning example of a run-on, as well as a badly written sentance – what EXACTLY are you trying to say?? saying you have a “civil division” implies you have other divisions, like criminal? stop using big words out of context – you are trying to make yourself sound edumacated but sound like the bumpkin you are.

    5.”inform me of the above information” WTF??? I need a babelfish translator for that

    6. the only question is when will COD fly in on her broom and “whisk” you away – maybe Calgon will take you away too

    you are obviously a simpleton,a dundering idiot and a complete waste of time – sadly you are wasting everyone else’s too –

    but I think the Bard said it best:

    “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying…nothing”

    PS – my post is exactly that – a BLOG post – yours is a formal “professional” letter – leave your letter writing, like the police work, to the professionals, because you suck at both.

  15. SussexWatcher says:

    Surprised no one has pointed to this:

    10 a.m., June 11: Sussex County Personnel Board Advisory Committee. Review of Termination – Sheriff Deputy Ismael Torres, Jr.

    http://sussexcountyde.gov/docs/agendasMinutes/pdfs/Personnel/agenda/Agenda_-_6-11-2012%5B1%5D.pdf

    Open to the public … getcher popcorn & sodas…

  16. Aoine says:

    well I was trying to be subtle SW……..

    but now that you have pointed the way……to bad im working – ought to be a hoot to see the wing-nuts Colley has invited in to speak

    this ought to be better than the Chief Phillips debacle…oh, thats right – they were/are both hired by the Town of Milton…HMMMM.

  17. Aoine says:

    link not functional SW

    http://sussexcountyde.gov/e-service/index.cfm?CFID=6730712&CFTOKEN=98766901

    click on link
    click on agendas
    click on June 11 date on calendar
    click on agenda

    y voila!

    SUSSEX COUNTY PERSONNEL BOARD
    ADVISORY COMMITTEE
    June 11, 2012
    Sussex County Council Chambers,
    County Administration Office Building
    Georgetown, DE 19947
    10:00 A.M.
    AGENDA
    1. Call to Order
    2. Approval of Agenda
    3. Public Hearing on the following:
    Review of Termination – Sheriff Deputy Ismael Torres, Jr.
    Pursuant to 29 Del.C. § 10004 (e) (2) Agenda items as listed may not be considered in sequence. This agenda is subject to change to include additional items including Executive Sessions or the deletion of items including Executive Sessions, which arise at the time of the Meeting.
    POSTED: Monday, June 4, 2012

  18. MJ says:

    Tell us how you really feel, Aoine. You know I love you. 🙂

  19. MJ says:

    This is the “upright, honest person” that Jeff Christopher is defending – http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7341044. Torres was decertified as a police officer.

  20. Anon says:

    This guy is batshit crazy, the county is full of spies who are out to bring down the whole department according to him. I think I may be dumber for having listened to this.

    http://www.wgmd.com/?p=59529

  21. The crazy part of this to me is the claim that the bill before the Senate is going to take anything away. Former state assemblies and governors signed off on these changes ages ago. It has been the way it is for some time now. Sussex, we call you slower for a reason. Figure it out.

  22. fightingbluehen says:

    ‘Sussex, we call you slower for a reason. Figure it out.’

    Yeah, well a lot of the trouble is caused by transplants from points north and west. Retirees who just want to stir things up for their own entertainment. They came from places where the sheriffs had arresting powers, and they can’t get it through their thick skulls that they live in Delaware now.

  23. Jason330 says:

    Why doesn’t he “conserve of the peace” by doing his goddamn job. The county needs well run, and timely sheriff sales.

  24. Jason330 says:

    I never thought Will McVay to be an idiot until reading comment number one on this thread.

  25. heragain says:

    Aoine –
    The plural of Attorney General is “Attorneys General,” not “Attorney Generals.” If we’re gettin’ all English teacher up in here. 😉

  26. Valentine says:

    I don’t think Will’s first comment was idiotic. He is just stating the issue at stake here from the right-wing’s perspective. I think it will go to Court.

    And Sheriff Christopher is not crazy. He knows exactly what he is doing.

  27. Jason330 says:

    Whenever wingnuts talk about the constitution, they always come off sounding like the guys in the big Sonny Bono fur vests in Star Trek’s “yangs vs. Congs” episode.

    It is all non-contextual gibberish to them. It isn’t even non-contextual. It is anti-contextual.

  28. Jason330 says:

    Look at it this way. The Kent County Government calls itself a “Levy Court” doesn’t it? By holding onto the colonial name, it isn’t trying to say that it needs to hold trials.

    Jesus, I honestly think that the stupidity on this issue is so great, that it must be a put on.

  29. SussexAnon says:

    Yes this post is idiotic:

    “It won’t, the argument (for better or worse) is that the constitution of the state defines the sheriff as a conservator of the peace, so the general assembly has no authority to take away his arrest authority without a constitutional amendment. I don’t find this to be a terribly productive line of reasoning, but HB325 is not likely to render the sheriff’s lawsuit moot because of it.”

    1. Conservator of the Peace does not equal arrest powers in our state Constitution.
    2. There are other offices that are conservators of the peace in the constitution. They do not have arrest powers.
    3. The General Assembly has the authority to pass laws. These laws can define the duties and responsibilities of gov’t positions not specifically laid out in the Constitution.
    4. HB325 is a productive line of reasoning. The fact that it goes to court doesn’t negate its attempt at clearly defining the sherrifs duties. Pretty much anyone can bring a lawsuit claiming something to be unconstitutional.

    Sheriff Christopher is crazy. Any serious discussion about a county wide police force, arrest powers, or constitutional authority in Sussex goes out the window when this man speaks for it.

    Stating a right wing position and being idiotic are often the same thing. With a 36-2 vote in the house, not even the right wing is hitching itself to this wagon.

  30. Will McVay says:

    I didn’t say that was my argument. I said that was THE argument. The OP said HB325 would render the lawsuit moot. That has a legal definition. Passing HB325 does not cause the suit to meet that definition. I suspect the suit will fail in court for precisely the reasons you mention, and even if it doesn’t, the margins 325 is passing by would make a constitutional amendment a fairly simple matter, just a more drawn out one. That’s why I don’t find the CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT to be a productive line of reasoning.

    Was this my writing or SA’s reading comprehension here? I thought what I wrote was pretty clear.

  31. Dave says:

    If someone other than the current sheriff attempted to make the case, I would listen politely, challenge assertions where it was warranted and perhaps utlimately agreed or agree to disagree. But when this sheriff dresses it up in revolutionary garb, decrying tryanny with all but the colonial garb and fife and drums, I fail to be impressed or even interested.

    He (and his supporters) have an agenda. It is the same as the multitude of websites featuring retired sheriff Mack who fancies himself the George Washington of our times. The sheriff’s time is nearly up regardless of his campaign to solicit donations from outside the sovereign state of Delaware. The only remaining thing we have to fear is him showing up on our doorstep with a mercenary militia from other states waving a flag of his own design to install himself as the Chief Executive of Sussex County.

  32. Jason330 says:

    Installed? I think you mean to have his status as Chief Executive recognized by a rump county council.

  33. SussexWatcher says:

    A County Council couldn’t recognize him as such. That would take an act of the GA, which would have to abolish the job of County Administrator.

    And there is no way the current council is going to do that. Christopher’s attacks and buffoonery have isolated even Sam Wilson, the one guy who might be expected to support him.

  34. MJ says:

    “They are no longer allowing me the ability to properly run the Office of Sheriff. If I do not have that authority, then what is the use having an elected Sheriff?” The only problem with Quickdraw McDraw’s screed to the 9/12 “patriots” is that he isn’t currently doing his job – sheriff sales are backlogged by 5 months. But I have to agree – what is the use of having an elected sheriff? Answer: NONE! The office should be done away with.

  35. Jason330 says:

    In addition to being the job the guy applied for, running a sheriff sale is a perfectly respectable way to conserve the peace.

    BTW – I can’t view the letter. Is there a text version anywhere?

  36. Joe Cass says:

    Love it when a rethug council gets slammed by their own for fiscal responsibility. Whassamatta? Jeff and his lackey can’t pull off a circle jerk?

  37. White Whale says:

    Ismael Torres was never ‘fired’ from a Police Department, he resigned. I don’t think he was ever convicted of any crimes he was alleged to have committed during the repossession of a car incident. Torres is a nice , honest man and an asset to the Sheriff’s Department and the citizens of Susssex County. Sounds like a case of racism against a well respected member of the hispanic community. The other issue here is firing someone without ‘due process’, even if all he did was go to church on ‘company time’- I am sure there are far worse things going on while at work in Government Offices of Sussex County. I will be watching. Why you so worrying about a hispanic man having power and influence?

  38. Anon says:

    If he went to church as you claim on company time he stole from his employer plain and simple. And since he worked for the county he worked for the people as the tea naggers love to point out. That means he stole from me, so that is plenty of cause to be fired. If he wanted to go to church he should have went on his own time, not on his employers. And he should have been smart enough to know that if he stole from the county he would be fired, all he hash to do was ask his wife.

    As for his previous jobs whether he was fired or resigned to avoid being fired is a moot point in my opinion. His actions tell me all I need to know he pulled a gun on a repo man and threatened to shoot him. That was enough to have him decertified in the Delaware as a police officer. Despite all of this Jeff Christopher still hired him and gave him a gun and let him run around and play cop.

  39. White Whale says:

    So it’s a crime to protect your land and property? Show me where he was convicted of what he was acused of in the repossession case, he wasn’t! You don’t know his reason for resigning, maybe they manipulated him into believing that if he resigned he could seek a job with another police agency. There are other County employees doing far worse then going to church on company time. The only difference is that Torres gets fired, 1.Because he is an influential hispanic in a county with a growing minority population (not approved by the ‘Good Ole Boy’ network) 2. County Council wants to put the Sheriff in his place and is using Torres as a tool to get it done. Ismael, I hope you have a good attorney, I see a huge financial windfall coming your way!

  40. Anon says:

    First off if someone is coming to repossess a vehicle, it is due to non payment therefore making it not their property. So he was actually preventing someone taking their own property. I never said he was convicted I don’t know the outcome of the charges. But I do know that as a result of the charges he was decertified as a police officer in the state of Delaware, and that he did not dispute the ruling. You can search put the minutes from the council on police training meeting.
    And you claim he was attending church on county time, that is a fireable offense, that has nothing to do with race or where he works. But I suspect this was not the only offense, and I would bet anything the story about church is not the truth. If it is however maybe you could explain why the sheriff spoke at a 9/12 patriots meeting and claimed that his deputy was placed on leave for assisting in a drug investigation with DSP. Bodie is the one who was telling the church story.
    How about we wait until after the meeting Monday when the acts come out, and talk then. When we hear the truth you can come back and let me know how wrong you were. And if there is no reasonable evidence for Torres dismissal then I will admit I was wrong.
    I’ll look forward to hearing you admit that you were wrong.

  41. Geezer says:

    “Ismael, I hope you have a good attorney, I see a huge financial windfall coming your way!”

    What’s interesting here is the typical right-wing attitude about government: They view it as a money-filled pinata that they can rip off with impunity, because everybody knows the gummint is evil.

    It reminds me of the defense I once heard a shoplifter offer: She deserved to be allowed to steal once in a while because the gummint was always giving away her tax money to the n-words.

  42. Aoine says:

    Torres is an influential man in the Hispanic Community?? ROTFLMAO!! he is an embarassment to the Hispanic Community anywhere and everywhere. He was arrested when he was a cop – it was recommended by the DRBA that he be decertified by COPT. DRBA requested it!

    https://dew9.accounting.delaware.gov/…/COPT%20Minutes%201021…

    Honey, I know ALL the influential Hispanics in the State – and that dirtball aint one of them – was never one of them and will never be one of them.

    He is one of those Latinos who doubles down against his own to prove he is worthy to the dominant culture.

    and if you knew shit from shinola, you would know that its “H”ispanic with a CAPITAL “H” not “h”ispanic- see, either you are his wife, some ignorant fool Oa somone who usually writes Hispanic with a small “h”.

    and that is done only by Spanish speskers – like his sister……

    entonces cabron, cuidado. no quiere peliar conmigo sobre esto.

  43. Aoine says:

    @anon – White Whale and their ilk will ever admit they are wrong –

    I mean how cute – the Sheriff spells Torres’ first name wrong, he spelled it like Herman Melville wrote it in Moby Dick

    “ISHMAEL” then someone posts as “white whale” awwwwww, how touching.

    actually, his given name is Ismael – spelled without the “h”

    and I cannot WAIT for all the truth to come out!! all the truth – there will be some surprised faces….
    at first they will say its all lies, the GPS units are not working right, and the CC is out to “get” the Sheriff and it is all made up and a conspiracy too…

    this stinking pile is about to get a WHOLE LOT DEEPER.

  44. Anon says:

    I just assumed white whale was Bill Colley’s internet handle.

  45. MJ says:

    Coilley’s internet handle is “all you can eat buffet.”

  46. White Whale says:

    Why the comments about his wife? Influential in the hispanic community…..If it wasn’t for Ismael campaigning heavily in the hispanic community Christopher may not have been elected. Wait until Monday, I’m betting Ismael has his job back by Tuesday Morning, with back pay, after enjoying a taxpayer paid vacation because someone wants to stick it to the Sheriff.

  47. SussexWatcher says:

    Christopher was elected because of COD and the Republican wave in Sussex.

  48. Anon says:

    @white whale
    You said that he was only fired because he was a Hispanic and that he worked for the sheriff. I brought up his wife to make the point that county employees have been fired for stealing in the past. His wife is a Caucasian female who did not work for the sheriff yet she was fired for stealing. Torres stole from the county so he was fired, plain and simple.
    Torres also didn’t work for Sussex County when Christopher when he was elected, but according to you Torres was instrumental in getting Christopher elected. So are you saying that Torres was given a job by someone he helped get elected? That sounds a lot like the good old boy network you spoke so negatively of.

  49. Aoine says:

    Most Hispanics in Sussex are simply not eligible to vote – he can campaign al he wants in Sussex

    the sheriff ran ona platform of assisting Federal agencies with illega immigration -if you knew anything you would know that that single topic – while not THE most important issue to Hispanic voters is one that holds their attention – big time!

    we do not have a Cuban community here – so deportation is a big issue, Cubans tend to vote R – BUT they only make up 2-3% of the Latino population nationwide – the other 98% is Mexican, Puerto Rican, and other central and south american

    Sussex is mostly Guatemalan and Mexican – trust me, those that vote would NOT vote for Jeff Christopher – not in this or the next life either – I know of TWO, yes TWO latino females that support the Sheriff – two is not outreach in the Latino community – of course these are the sae two that also voted for Christine O’Donnell too

    learn your facts, then learn your constituancy!!

  50. Anon says:

    I hope someone else is tuned in to the Torres hearing, it’s being broadcast on the county web page. The sheriff wants to cry tyranny, maybe he should watch his deputies and not allow them to steal from the county. 6 grand of overtime in 8 months. 6x the amount as other deputies combined. Routine lies about his whereabouts. I can’t wait to hear how the sheriff spins this one.

  51. White Whale says:

    Round 1- Draw

    Get your popcorn ready,Attorney Julie Murray is just warming up.

  52. Aoine says:

    What a joke Torres’ attorney is – she cannot defeat the facts so she is trying to distract from the real story.

    Torres is a thief and a liar- the sheriff is a liar and a fool- lineweaver is out of touch with reality

    Your heroine didnt do shit- todd lawson ate her for lunch And she knows it!

    This asswipe had his car idling half the time he was supposed to be working and the obvious answer to why his work is done is because he has the least populated area of sussex.
    Wow theae people are delusional!

    Thieves amd liars wasting tax payer money- the have become that whi h they say they hate

    Popcorn for part duex comming up!