FBI asked to look into civil rights violations
Date: Monday, November 10 @ 09:06:39 PST
Topic: Lassen County News Headline
 

By Woody Morgan 
Managing Editor 

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has requested the Federal Bureau of Investigation "conduct a preliminary investigation" into accusation of a police assault on a Susanville physician.
 
 

Dr. Granville Marshall, a Lassen County internist, claims three officers from the Lassen County Sheriff's Department and three officers from the Susanville Police Department physically assaulted him while he was in custody in the Lassen County Jail. 

In his letter to the Justice Department, Marshall filed a complaint against the agencies for "the violation of my civil rights under the Federal Hate Crime Act, based on being an African-American and a healthcare provider." 

Susanville Police Chief Chris Gallagher said he was unaware of any FBI investigation but said he had contacts with the FBI, after attending the FBI Academy, and would follow up with phone calls to Washington, D.C. 

Lassen County Sheriff Bill Freitas says he knows nothing of the investigation directed by the Justice Department but stands by his officers. 

"I don't have a problem with it," Freitas said, "because I don't think any of my staff have done anything wrong. If all this is true and they want to do an inquiry, good. Let's get through it and drive on." 

No more inmate crews to provide community service
Date: Monday, November 10 @ 09:00:04 PST
Topic: Lassen County News Headline
 

By Barbara France Staff Writer Thanks to more budget woes at the state level, come Jan. 1, Lassen County agencies will no longer be able to avail themselves of California Correctional Center inmates crew help.
 
 

"This is a pretty significant impact on the agencies who rely on the crews," said Matt Mullin, CCC community resource manager and associate warden of the conservation camp program. 

Two 16-man crews supervised by a full-time correctional officer have provided services to Susanville parks and Recreation, Janesville, Richmond and Shaffer schools, the Lassen County Fairgrounds and local cemeteries. 

"They are the ones you see wearing the green jumpsuits," said Mullin. 

The inmates clear weeds, pick up trash and help with landscaping to name a few of the tasks. 

Susanville parks and Recreation Director Rob Hill said the cuts will have a major impact on the parks programs. 

"We don't know how we are going to manage getting the work done without the crews," said Hill. "there are a lot of things the crews do that will be very difficult for us to get done. There are only two of us in the department and projects and repairs keep us busy." 

The crews provide an enormous amount of man hours abating weeds in preparation for fire season, cleaning of Piute Creek and helping with big projects such as putting in playground equipment, said Hill. 

Hill is talking with the probation department about using community service hours but "even that will not make a dent in the amount of hours the crews provide. We need them for the laborious jobs. It takes hours and hours to clear weeds." 

For the complete story pick up a copy of the Times.

City opposes dumping of sexual predators in prison communities
Date: Monday, October 13 @ 11:07:51 PDT
Topic: Lassen County News Headline
 

By Shayla Ashmore News Editor Mayor Lino Callegari doesn't want Susanville to become a dumping ground for sexual predators released from the two prisons located in the city.
 
 

He recently convinced the City Council to pass a resolution opposing release of sexually violent predators in counties where they were not arrested or convicted. The resolution also opposed their discharge in cities where a state prison is located. 

The release of serial child molester Brian DeVries to a small trailer on the grounds of the California Correctional Training Facility in Soledad prompted the concern. 

DeVries, 44, admitted molesting more than 50 boys and was convicted of molesting at least nine in New Hampshire, Florida and San Jose. 

Officials from the city of Soledad learned on Aug. 5, of the Department of Corrections intent to release DeVries to the trailer at the prison, according to the staff report the Susanville council considered on Oct. 1. 

The city of Soledad took immediate legal action and successfully blocked DeVries release for two additional days. However, CDC released him on Aug. 13. 

The first to graduate from a group of 432 sexually violent predators in a treatment program started in 1996, DeVries said he hopes to lay low and complete his outpatient treatment in Soledad, then return home to Washington state, according to Seattle's KOMO News Services. 

Most of the other predators in the program "are refusing treatment and have little chance of being released," according to the Susanville council's resolution. 

For the complete story pick up a copy of the Lassen County Times.