Today the Union Leader is featuring an article about Cheshire County Department of Corrections Corporal Thomas Schoolcraft requesting to be pardoned for a string of burglaries he was involved in.
(The only uniformed law enforcement/corrections position that a convicted felon may hold in New Hampshire is county corrections officer. County corrections officers possess no arrest authority and may only use force to detain offenders brought to them by order of law enforcement agents or courts.)
In the article it appears that the reporter inquired with the Corporal about why he isn’t simply attempting to obtain a more common “annulment” for his offenses:
“Schoolcraft prefers a pardon to annulment for his convictions because he doesn’t want them to disappear from his criminal record.”
He “prefers” a pardon.
I presume that the Corporal knows precisely what his present impediment to advancement in New Hampshire law enforcement is: if he had his felony conviction annulled (not pardoned) he still could only serve as a county corrections officer.
New Hampshire Police Standards and Training rule Pol 301.05 (g) (2) specifically forbids certification of an individual who has committed a felony even if it was annulled. If you are a felon, you must receive a pardon to be eligible to serve as a certified law enforcement officer in New Hampshire.
Pol 301.05 Background Investigation. The following shall apply to the background investigation required on the applicant by the agency:
(g) The hiring authority shall evaluate the results of its background investigation and the agency shall not appoint or invest with authority an applicant who:
(2) Has ever been convicted of a felony by a civilian court or by a military court, whether or not the charge had been annulled nor whether a suspended sentence was completed, and for which he or she has never received a pardon;
If we as a society are going to forgive the Corporal for things he did that actually hurt people, how can we not simultaneously forgive all felons convicted of things that never hurt anyone? I’m sure he is a good guy working hard to now live a law-abiding life, but there are way too many “felons” in New Hampshire who (unlike Corporal Schoolcraft’s crime spree eight years ago) created zero victims.
It was announced earlier from on high that none other than the United States government president himself, Barack Obama, will be gracing the state of New Hampshire with his presence. A campaign event at an undisclosed location in Manchester on Thursday (Oct 18) will be the most high’s second visit Shireside in two months. Beyond that, little is revealed about it.
Joe Biden and Barack Obama are perhaps the two people on Earth who yield the power to shut down major american cities around them, as their seemingly endless entourage of vehicles secures the ground before which they tread. In recent years, the security theatre has become increasingly more inconveniencing for ordinary civilians, as they try to proceed about their day. A recent visit by the federal vice president to Concord saw all streets around the capitol closed to even pedestrian traffic, and the outer surrounding streets closed to motor vehicles as well. The performance was orchestrated so that several dozen of Biden’s supporters could hear him speak on the barricaded state house lawn. Granted, Obama likely draws more of a crowd, but if I felt so insecure that I needed thirty police units in front of and behind me anywhere I go in the United States, I’d probably do the people a favor and not close their neighborhoods down so that I can campaign to continue ruling them.
Who else is so incogitant to announce that they’ll be in a city on a particular day with less than a week’s notice, but not disclose the location? A supremely flexible schedule and/or last minute planning are perchance veiled under the header of national security.
From LiveFreeOrDance.com:
This morning I had a candid phone interview with my brother Ademo Freeman, Founder of CopBlock.org, who was found guilty of “wiretapping” public employees at work. In the interview, he reveals some insights from his experiences on the inside of Manchester’s Valley Street Jail. Learn more about his case at CopBlock.org/FreeAdemo
I was released from HCDOC, aka Valley Street Jail, at 5 am this morning. It was in a rush to avoid, IMO, a documentary crew who wanted to film me. Either way its nice to be free(r) and I wanted to thank everyone who supported me while I was in a cage. Thanks again.
-Ademo
Though his period in a cell is over, appeals are still moving forward to reverse the baseless ‘wiretapping’ felony convictions.
The Sentinel ran two recent LTE’s regarding the Registry of Deeds. One letter told how the office was filthy and needed to be cleaned. The other letter was written by the current Register of Deeds, claiming the budget had been cut to the point that “there was nothing left to cut.” (more…)
Published yesterday in the Union Leader is another article speculating as to the reasons for MaryEllen McGorry’s suspension. She is at the moment still receiving pay, though the article implies that she may be terminated from her position. Her secretary was also suspended the following week.
West principal’s paid suspension remains a mystery, fueling speculation
By MARK HAYWARD
New Hampshire Union Leader
MANCHESTER — A veteran school board member said that the paid suspension of Manchester High School West Principal MaryEllen McGorry signals that the allegations against her are serious and her termination is possible.
David Gelinas, the vice chairman of the Board of School Committee, said he does not know the reason for McGorry’s suspension, which took place last week.
“It would have to be serious enough or believable enough for a superintendent to suspend someone with pay,” Gelinas said. (more…)
