by Natalie Wormeli and William Kelly
Recently five law enforcement officers signed an open letter titled “Worried about Johansson,” opposing Dean Johansson’s candidacy for District Attorney.
Their primary concern seems to be that Dean was fired from his job as a deputy prosecutor in Tulare County over twenty years ago. What they fail to mention is that Dean was fired after blowing the whistle on corruption within the DA’s office, including a politically motivated attempt to frame a police sergeant named Mark Swaim for a crime he didn’t commit.
Dean has spoken openly about this numerous times and is proud that he told the truth at great personal cost.
Personally we are perplexed that five law enforcement officers in our own county find this to be cause for concern.
Their letter goes on to portray Dean as someone with radical beliefs based largely on comments he made at a “Know Your Rights” training that he gave to a group of activists over a decade ago.
For the record, Dean believes that law enforcement officers should be bound to follow the law just like the rest of us; he believes that the way to reduce crime and make our communities safer is by investing in education not incarceration; and he believes that a district attorney should be transparent in their dealings and accountable to the people that they serve.
To us this is just common sense, but apparently someone is worried.
Vanguard note:
A letter appeared in the Enterprise this morning, “Worried About Johansson,” written by law enforcement union leaders: Scott Allen, president, Davis Police Officers Association; Jason Drobish, president, Woodland Police Officer Association; Jose Hermosillo, president, Winters Police Officers Association; Greg Lang, president, West Sacramento Police Officers Association; and Matt De Moura president, Yolo County Deputy District Attorneys Association.
They write among other things: “according to published reports from the Visalia Times-Delta newspaper on Oct. 8, 1997, Tulare County District Attorney Phil Cline fired former deputy prosecutor Dean Johansson in mid-September 1997, accusing him of ‘falsifying court documents, lying, distributing confidential information and harming the reputation of Cline’s organization.’”
In a statement from Dean Johansson: “Let me be the very first to respond. This would be comical if it did not have the names of men in positions of power attached. This is an illustration of why we need transformative change in Yolo County Law Enforcement. These men apparently didn’t care to get their facts straight or even contact me before attempting to publicly assassinate my character. This is an example of the sloppy police work and prosecution that so many in Yolo County have suffered from for years.”
I got up a little blurry eyed this morning and started up my computer and somehow ended up on a Johannson campaign site when I meant to read the Vanguard.
Keith
Just wondering if in your blurry eyed state when you went to read The Enterprise, you somehow ended up on a Reisig campaign site.
It’s campaign season, coffee first, then computer.
No, I’ve always found the Enterprise to be a little more middle of the road when it comes to politics.
I’ll bet that that the authors submitted this to them as well and that the Enterprise will publish it too. Just a guess.
I’m talking about politics in general.
David, an honest question for you. Do you feel the Vanguard has been fair and balanced in its reporting of Jeff Reisig over the years and hasn’t shown any bias?
The Vanguard has been critical of Reisig over the years, as it has many public officials. That critical coverage is compounded by the fact that Reisig has never allowed himself to speak to or sit down with the Vanguard to offer another perspective and to help us balance the coverage.
Why would he with the treatment he’s received?
Public officials are supposed to communicate with the media even if criticized
So they’re supposed to communicate with every blogger?
We have a daily readership of more than 5000 a day and formally incorporated as 501c3, the Vanguard is hardly “any blogger” – I guarantee you if Mr. Reisig were more cooperative with us, the coverage would be more even-handed. We would to be able to have and consider his viewpoints. We have been critical of a number of local politicians, the only one that refuses to talk to the Vanguard is Mr. Reisig.
In response to Keith, Reisig should WANT TO be interviewed. He should JUMP AT THE CHANCE to present his side. That he has declined to do so is TELLING of the kind of office he runs. After all, an honest upright man should have nothing to worry about, right?
Did Obama ever do an interview with Sean Hannity just as Trump probably will never do an interview with Rachel Maddow. One tends to go where they feel they will be treated fairly without bias.
LOL, you’re right. As I get older I find myself being blurry-eyed in the morning much more often and I don’t even drink.
A plea for a touch of brevity and a bit less insult to we witless readers, as this election posturing proceeds: EVERYTHING said, inferred, alleged, or implied is “politically motivated.” No need to remind us.
This is clearly the official website for the Johannson campaign.
Matt Rexroad (916) 539-0455
Does that mean that the Enterprise is the Reisig official webpage: https://www.davisenterprise.com/forum/letters/worried-about-johansson/ ?????
Not at all, that’s a letter to the editor and if you read there are actually currently more pro Johannson letters in the Enterprise than anti.
Isn’t this just a letter as well?
Adam
A quote from this article is of interest. Dean Johansson is quoted as saying in part “Police are trained to lie; they’re trained to exert dominance.” This is quoted in the context of an “anarchist meeting”.
I would like to point out that this same point was made by police officer instructors in the Citizens Academy public informational program hosted, in part, by DA Reisig. Then police officer Darren Pytel and I discussed the range and scope of this particular practice of lying to witnesses and suspects directly after so it has remained fresh in my mind. Would this also then, not make DA Reisig similarly “suspect”.
Matt I suprisrd you would say that.. you know first hand what happened to me and it was wrong in every way…the DA and Yonet had my five year old daughter picked up from school when both my mother and brother whom are very respected in the community’s had already arraigned to pick up my daughter on the day of my false arrest. To see my wife in handcuffs and to question a five year old the lie about her answer … who does that… my daughter is mentally scarred …I was approached by a police officer that I know just to say hi and my daughter stared crying and hid in my back seat ..you were at my home 3 weeks before the raid.. did it look like a drug house to you … you also talked to my neighbors… the DA and Yonet and said my neighbors were not happy ect. Those same neighbors write letters on my behalf and spoke at my sentencing … three of the five neighbors the said were upset grew and smoke cannabis ..one is a lawyer and one is a woodland fire chief…. his Yonet Officer just testifies under oath at my wife’s hearing that it was not them that wanted to charge my wife it was the DA… the DA himself attacked a total innocent person… and my wife has ptsd and is still going to counseling … the DA made the decisdion to ruin a life… he made the choice to attack the lives of a woman and s child …my story is coming soon… I will also say it publibaly … they said I never asked if undercover had a card….I am considered an expert in the cannabis in the street and I’m not stupid not to ask for a card I didn’t get to where I’m at in life for being stupid…they lied again … liers do not belong in a place where they should be honest…I WILL challenge the undercover officer to a lie detector test … I will pay for it they pick tester… they will ask me these questions .. did you ask if the undercover had a card … yes… the undercover said no… correct … did you ask if his wife had s card…. yes… did the officer say yes… yes.. did the officer say she was very sick… yes. My line will be straight as arrow… now ask the undercover the same question … you told me matt when I said I was being set up in an email before the raid ….the truth will set you free…. well the truth did not … because the current DA does not care about the truth…. did you know that I called with the police department three times on a recorded line requested that the officers were allowed to search my promises I don’t bounce anytime they want and I would sign an affidavit and make copies of any paperwork that they wanted my quote was this I do not want my door kicked in when all they have to do is walk through it ….I am glad a paper has the Ball’s to do what is right…I am not a dummy I may look like a dummy… But I turned $150,000 business and do $1 billion business within five years with no experience I have 165 IQ and I have studied everything about the personal attack me he is not a good person
Matt I suprisrd you would say that.. you know first hand what happened to me and it was wrong in every way…the DA and Yonet had my five year old daughter picked up from school when both my mother and brother whom are very respected in the community’s had already arraigned to pick up my daughter on the day of my false arrest. To see my wife in handcuffs and to question a five year old the lie about her answer … who does that… my daughter is mentally scarred …I was approached by a police officer that I know just to say hi and my daughter stared crying and hid in my back seat ..you were at my home 3 weeks before the raid.. did it look like a drug house to you … you also talked to my neighbors… the DA and Yonet and said my neighbors were not happy ect. Those same neighbors write letters on my behalf and spoke at my sentencing … three of the five neighbors the said were upset grew and smoke cannabis ..one is a lawyer and one is a woodland fire chief…. his Yonet Officer just testifies under oath at my wife’s hearing that it was not them that wanted to charge my wife it was the DA… the DA himself attacked a total innocent person… and my wife has ptsd and is still going to counseling … the DA made the decisdion to ruin a life… he made the choice to attack the lives of a woman and a child …my story is coming soon… I will also say it publibaly … they said I never asked if undercover had a card….I am considered an expert in the cannabis industry and I’m not stupid not to ask for a card I didn’t get to where I’m at in life for being stupid…they lied again … liers do not belong in a place where they should be honest…I WILL challenge the undercover officer to a lie detector test … I will pay for it they pick tester… they will ask me these questions .. did you ask if the undercover had a card … yes… the undercover said no… correct … did you ask if his wife had s card…. yes… did the officer say yes… yes.. did the officer say she was very sick… yes. My line will be straight as arrow… now ask the undercover the same question … you told me matt when I said I was being set up in an email before the raid ….the truth will set you free…. well the truth did not … because the current DA does not care about the truth…. did you know that I called the police department three times on a recorded line requested that the officers were allowed to search my property Unsnnounced anytime they want and I would sign an affidavit and make copies of any paperwork that they wanted …my quote was this I do not want my door kicked in when all they have to do is walk through it ….I am glad a paper has the Ball’s to do what is right…I am not a dummy I may look like a dummy… But I turned $150,000 business into a million dollar business within five years with no experience .. why because the community knows I’m honest …i have 165 IQ and I have common Sence and I have studied everything about the personal attack me he is not a good person… am I lying? I did not even lie about giving cannabis away before … all I had to say was I had never done it before and I said yes I had given to a cancer patient before I was arrested and I saved a young lady from cancer after th arrest … I did the exact same thing… why did the not arrest me again I administered her first dose on Facebook live in my shop …because they would look bad attacking me and a real patient not there undercover make believe patient… so I guess you are fine with them attacking good people and wasting tax payer money … they planted evidence .. the have lied in the newspaper and in court saying the found 7 lbs st my shop.. lie … look at evidence log.. and they continue to lie… Davis enterprise saw the error asked for a correction .. they received a no comment… wtf… they tried to bug my house illegally… they said I fabricated . The lied again… it was AT&T that said that not me… they were going to testify to it. And they found a piece of equipment that was not there’s …Jeff is s bully and a pier…
I’ll put my 25 year personnel file and complaint record as a public servant up against his every day the week … not one complaint in 25 years and I worked at a college campus where everybody complains about everything because the know there rights…There are no videos about me on the Internet from cops stated that I dishonest
Rex
“This is clearly the official website for the Johannson campaign”
I find this comment coming from a member of the Board of Supervisors with no substantiation to be very disappointing. I have considered Matt Rexroad to be a sometimes partisan, but principled member of the BOS. If this comment was made by a person who did not hold a position of trust within our community I would say, biased, but inconsequential and within the bounds of political fair play. When an elected official in a position of power and influence does this, I say this is beneath you and question both your judgement and honesty. Where is your approbation of the Enterprise for running an article by police officers expressing their concern about Johansson ? Should there be no response to such a public attack ?
Ordinarily, I would have contacted you directly with such a concern. However, since you saw fit to make your attack comment public on the Vanguard, that seems to be your preferred venue.
I don’t know whether to laugh or laugh harder. I had an article/ letter submitted that I published. I included background so people knew what the letter was referring to.
The Enterprise had an article/ letter submitted that they published.
It’s campaign time, there are going to be a lot of these.
If Matt Rexroad wants to submit a letter or op-ed on behalf of Mr. Reisig, I will publish it as well.
Kinda surprised Keith and Rex aren’t focused on the facts here rather than the Vanguard!!!! But that’s just me!!!!
Is it just a coincidence that every president of every association of law enforcement officers in Yolo County just happened to submit a letter mis-representing Dean Johannson’s experience exposing wrongdoing in the Tulare County DA’s office, or are they worried that he will do the same thing if elected DA in Yolo County and expose the wrongdoing in their own departments?
They are protecting their turf… I just wish some of the officers had hair and would stand up…do the right thing… I hear the chatter from cop friends about corruption … even about my own case… one cop quoted to me… he heard Lil Shop of Growers is getting to big for its britches… knock his F”$:ing legs off…that made me mad as hell… Fire Chiefs we’re working there political power… and one chief told me… I have lunch with three police chiefs… if they thought you were guilty I would not have written you a letter… they all shook bushes before they wrote letters to protect there political power .. difference is firefighters and fire Chiefs are only wired one way to protect show honesty and integrity … we are the only organization that realrases our mess ups to the public and every dept then we train to make sure it does not happen again… a Los Angeles City fire Chief along with a Buffalo New York Chief said .. we Air our dirty laundry so we can clean it and wear it again .. we don’t hide our dirty laundry so that it does not continue to dirty clean laundry because if you don’t clean it .. then it will appear dirty laundry is ok to wear…the Fire Dept will alway attempt to have clean laundry regardless of the ramifications of showing our dirty ., we teach to do the right thing … just saying
Thank you Johansson campaign for providing the true facts. I admire Dean Johansson for his courage. The letter from the 5 law eenforcement officials was very misleading.
once again… take a look at the layout of this article. This same issue has been brought up many times before…..Who are Natalie Wormeli and William Kelly? Are they staff writers for the Vanguard? Are they people from the planet Mars? Are the campaign staff for a candidate?
David says this is a letter to the editor by two people. I look at this and say it looks just like any other piece on the Vanguard.
It sure would be nice if David got just a few words from every author guest author telling readers about themselves…
Ken
Agree.
Natalie Wormeli is the president of the Yolo ACLU. Will Kelly is a union organizer, I believe.
Who cares who wrote it Rex? What matters is if it’s true or not.
Matt
“Are they staff writers for the Vanguard?
I agree with your request for a bio on authors who submit articles to the Vanguard. I would like to clarify one point. There is no such thing as a “staff writer” for the Vanguard. Articles are from David, members of the editorial board, and sometimes from members of the community or press releases.
Crescenzo Vellucci ?
That’s correct, Cres is actually paid staff.
Please see the front page above-the-line story in the New York Times today: “Testilying by Police Persists as Cameras Capture Truth”. Dean’s story is part of a national issue that’s being discussed in real time. Some cops are good, others not. Same as attorneys, same as anyone in any profession, People are people.
However: when you get people with ambition, and power, involved with a system – like the justice system, or law enforcement, as a part of the larger justice system- then problems arise, like the one Dean got caught in, and the one reported in the New York Times this very morning, involving the “truth”. Dean’s story is not specific to any given location/time/place- power can corrupt, and it does, often. But from everything I see, Dean is speaking truth to power, and I, for one, am grateful.
Now: Insubordination. Dean admits it, and thank you, Dean. “Insubordination” is failure to follow orders. What about when those orders are themselves corrupt? We need people like Dean who listen to their internal sense of “right”, especially when that sense is tempered by law school, life, and the oath of office we all take as attorneys, not to mention the ethics part of being deemed “fit” to practice as a lawyer. But what about the others in the story? What about Cline, or whoever it was who instructed officers to cover up and lie? Isn’t that worse than “insubordination”? Isn’t the DA supposed to represent “the people”? And aren’t “the people” entitled to a system without power plays like what Dean’s story illustrates?
Finally: what good does it do for a group of folks in a politicized election to point to this story without doing the groundwork that David (thank you, David) is doing here? One half of a story is not the “truth”. I urge everyone who is even halfway interested in this topic to read the NYT story and then contact California Attorneys for Criminal Justice to look at their statistics on corruption of the justice system here in California. Honestly, we don’t have to look back twenty years. Look at Oakland, Look at San Francisco.
I know Dean personally, and I have every confidence that he will bring who he is at his core- someone without tolerance for lying- to the District Attorney’s office, if elected. He has my vote.
The Enterprise has now published the letter: https://www.davisenterprise.com/forum/letters/setting-the-record-straight/
Has the Enterprise run countless anti-Reisig articles as a local blog in town?
Did you cook your question?
I don’t know what that means but I usually like my questions raw.
They have run countless anti-Reisig pieces but by definition they are not a blog, therefore your statement is tautological.
Let me answer that with a question :
Has Reisig committed actions that deserve the attention of his constituents?
I believe he has. COUNTLESS TIMES FOR COUNTLESS ARTICLES.
Reisig comes from the same provincial group of good old boys that have been essentially running Yolo county for many decades without ANY kind of opposition. He comes from the same toxic political climate that gave us Stevens, the cucumber wielding Judge. These people have represented the interests of a small cabal of wealthy landowners rather than the interests all of the people of Yolo county. The recent politically-motivated terror raids by YONET on legitimate businesses have only underscored the need for fresh blood and a fresh perspective in the DAs office.
So here is my complaint again… and it was made even more clear reading the same letter this morning in the Woodland Daily Democrat.
The authors of the letter in the Democrat were identified as the Campaign Manager and Deputy Campaign Manager for the candidate in question. Without that identification this is a promotion piece for the candidate provided by to people that could be staff writers or interns for the site.
When things are under the title “Candidate Responds” and it is by someone other than the candidate how is the reader supposed to know who those people are. They could be from the campaign, Mars, or Alabama for all we know.
What prevents the authors from being identified in the by line or in a brief paragraph at the conclusion of the article? Seems like an easy fix.
I’m not understanding the complaint here. The title of this article was: “
Johansson Campaign Responds to Attack Letter”
Moreover, I was criticized it appeared for printing this, when now every other newspaper in the county has done so as well.