No Trip To Iowa Yet Under the Felon Honor System

The Honor Felon from Iowa has not yet left Vermont. It seems he can't make the bail that was set for his release from custody here and still sits in lockup in St. Johnsbury. A status hearing is now set for November 17th. Maybe law enforcement from Iowa will come to retrieve him. One can only hope....

Fifth DUI--When is Enough Enough?

A 64 year old was arrested in Hardwick for his FIFTH!! DWI infraction. He faces the possibility of ten years in prison. But......is that really a possibility? Unlikely given his record. He has 10 felony priors, 36 misdemeanor priors, 25 violations of probation, one escape conviction and one conviction for violating release conditions. Vermont corrections is at work rehabilitating and reintegrating felons into society. Not!

Extradition? Nah. Just Promise To Drive Back To Iowa

A fugitive wanted on Iowa arrest warrants for domestic abuse was taken into custody during a traffic stop in St. Johnsbury the other day. The Vermont judge hearing the case released the fugitive on his promise to drive straight back to Iowa within seven days. The judge, Michael Pratt, first ascertained that the fugitive had enough cash on hand to make the journey back to Iowa. And the fugitive was made to promise that he would call the court here when he made it back home. I wonder if the Iowa authorities were even notified that their man was in custody here in VT. No mention in the news article about that. It seems this Vermont judge has given new meaning to the honor system. To be continued in seven days........

Escaped Murder's Privacy Rights In Vermont Trump Public Safety

A young man convicted of murdering his foster mother in the year 2000 with a single .22 pistol shot to the back of her head whilst grading school papers was furloughed (paroled to some of us) from prison last year. Last week he decided to escape and disappeared from his job during the middle of his work day. Police, the US Marshals and the public were alerted. Only one problem------the only available photo of him was a file photo taken at the time of the murder when he was 17, some thirteen years ago. What does he look like now? The Vermont Department of Corrections has the only recent photo of him AND THEY REFUSED TO RELEASE IT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE PUBLIC CITING THE CONVICTED FELON'S RIGHT TO PRIVACY!!!!!!! A state legislator who heads the legislative committee overseeing VT Corrections is demanding an explanation. Ya think the failure to produce a current photo of the convicted murderer might have compromised public safety? You bet! VT Corrections lives in a very special world........with a 92% recidivism rate by the end of the second year of release from prison.

Photographic Exhibition Working Fifth On View at The Grindstone Cafe, Lyndonville VT

An exhibition of my photographs of street performers on NYC's 5th Avenue (1988-1991) has opened at The Grindstone Cafe on Depot Street in Lyndonville, VT. Please drop by for a look and a cuppa at your leisure over then next few weeks.

NYC Counterfeiters Caught in Lyndonville

Three counterfeiters up from Staten Island and staying across the street from me at the LynnBurke Motel have been busted for passing $50 and $100 fake bills at local businesses. The first bust occurred at Dollar General where passing a fake $100 was called in to local police by the store. Our police chief, Jack Harris, arrived just as the perp was backing out of a parking space to leave-----she backed right into Jacks new PD cruiser denting the left front panel.  

The woman arrested at Dollar General is African-American. Now, here in the Northeast Kingdom the population is 99.9% Caucasian. Why would one come to this area sticking out like a sore thumb to do a crime?  Turns out they also paid for their room with counterfeit bills. That's really dumb. Wonder if they used the copy machine at the library...........