By Emerson Drake
7/21/11
Sheriff Adam Christianson just can't help himself. He either trips over his own feet or places his foot directly in his own mouth. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's office has always been political but never more than after Adam Christianson took over.
Just days after winning the election he gave subordinates a list of people he could no longer work with. And after the completion of his first year made a recorded speech tell his deputies, if you don't like working for me and don't want to do things my way the get the heck out of Dodge, or words to that effect.
So naturally if you want to be placed on the "fast track" as Kari Abbey was, you better get with the program or go on down the road. After all Abbey made detective in just two years so it helps to have "special friends" in high places.
When just six days after the killing of Rita Elias the Sheriff stood up at a press conference and declared Kari Abbey innocent of wrong doing, he was sending a message not only to the public but to his officers. To the public and apparently to the Board of Supervisors it was, "I stand behind my people", as Supervisor Terry Withrow recently suggested on the Morning Mayor Show.
But to his officers it was, pay attention this is how I want the investigation to come out. And for over six long months it worked. Kari Abbey and her father blatantly lied to investigators about the details of the shooting and with Christiansons heavy handed assistance stymied the investigation. After all if the boss doesn't want to know, don't tell him.
If it hadn't been for a D.A.'s investigator, one not tied to Christianson's re-election campaign, the truth would never have come out and Sheriff Adam Christianson's wish would have been fulfilled and the cover-up would have worked. The D.A. investigator who got to the bottom of this sordid mess reportedly has been catching grief from other investigators closely tied to Christianson.
Unfortunately we have Dave "lets make a deal" Harris prosecuting Abbey. D.A.Harris who's known for his affinity for cutting deals with former law enforcement officers like Molester Chip Huskey and "the Modesto twenty four" in Modesto's gun-gate fiasco. Huskey who molested his stepdaughter for many years was given a lolly-pop of a deal, and the public were considered to be the suckers, when he was given only local jail time and wasn't required to register as a sex offender.
Now Christianson through intermediaries behind the scenes (remember those members of his re-election campaign and public supporters we mentioned) is suggesting a slap on the wrist for Abbey and her family.
We have witnessed good old "lets make a deal" under charge Abbey (where is the gun enhancement charge always added to the list of charges and the lying to investigators charge and obstruction of justice charge), push bail adjustment hearing off for months, and is as we speak has been advised to make this one go away despite the controversy it will generate.
After all, Fladager who just recently said her department was too busy didn't have time for justice, ran unopposed in the last election so she has no worries and the local print media have consistently bent over backward, Rupert Murdoch style to absolve the Sheriff of wrongdoing.
We have good people in the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's office, if only the leadership was of the same caliber.
