Sheriff's Office Says It's Target of 'Inaccurate Rumors'
The Carroll County sheriff's office says it is cooperating fully in a dispute over how it handled a murder investigation.
The Carroll County sheriff's office, accused of incompetence in a murder case in which the Carroll County state's attorney said he was forced to drop the charges, issued a statement Friday that it has been the subject of "inaccurate rumors and innuendos."
"Sheriff’s office personnel are cooperating fully with an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct" being conducted by the Office of the Maryland state prosecutor, read the release by Maj. Phil Kasten to news outlets via e-mail.
The statement said Sheriff Kenneth Tregoning requested the investigation in October following motion hearings involving alleged perjury by an office investigator and senior staff member.
"Unfortunately the absence of public information created by the necessary protections built into the judicial process, and the lack of our direct involvement in the independent investigation has fostered inaccurate rumors and innuendos in relation to the dismissal of criminal charges for the 2010 death of Jeremiah DeMario," Kasten said.
"Until the results of this independent investigation are known, any further comments would be based on speculation rather than fact.
"We regret the disposition of this serious case. We grieve for the DeMario family along with all victims of crime. Our main objective remains unchanged - the delivery of professional public safety services in partnership with our allied criminal justice agencies."
Carroll County State's Attorney Jerry Barnes dismissed charges against a couple accused in the September 2010 stabbing death of DeMario, of Hampstead, saying the fault of that action lies with the Carroll County Sheriff's Department.
The trial was set to begin Monday, March 12.
John D. Witiak
1:42 pm on Friday, March 16, 2012
"Rumors? Inuendo?" The email was not buried away in a file instead of being made available to the states attorney? The information in it is not relevent to the dismissal of the trial against Glover? To the murder suspect? To the integrity of the sheriff's department's commanders? To holding those commanders reponsible for their decisions? If not in these cases, when is it not all right to withhold relevent information? A commander charges Eperstein lied about his order when a witness's email says otherwise?
Railing against contraceptives and highrt education and a woman' control of her body and health, $10,000 bets and not caing about the very poor from Republican candidates for presidentand now this in our county? It's no wonder most Carroll County Republicans are circling their wagons and keeping their mouths closed and their opinions among themselves. Republican Jerry Barnes, thank you, seems to have told the court how it is. No matter that he belongs to the super majority party in Carroll County he doesn't seem to be letting his affiliation rose color what he said under oath.
Buck Harmon
9:52 am on Saturday, March 17, 2012
Half of the sheriff's office statement is true....they are now the target... the target is bad behavior at several levels, not inaccurate rumor's.
David J Iacono
10:04 am on Saturday, March 17, 2012
How is an accusation by the State Attorney's office against the sheriff's Department a rumor?
jag
11:02 am on Saturday, March 17, 2012
If the shoe fits, wear it. The Sheriff's Department is guilty of a MAJOR screw up. The type of screw up where heads should roll. And the same goes for the States Attorney's office. We can not afford law enforcement officials making Barney Fife mistakes, especially when it involves murder.
Bonnie Grady
5:40 pm on Saturday, March 17, 2012
It all starts at the top. The county commissioners are ultimately in charge of this mess.
Native
7:33 am on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Go get 'em Bonnie, I knew either you or Buck would chime in & use yet another opportunity to blame something on the commissioners.
Bonnie Grady
11:42 am on Sunday, March 18, 2012
"The decision was made in February to replace some of the state police presence with increased sheriff's responsibilities over the next three years, according to Carroll County Commissioner Doug Howard." (From http://westminster.patch.com/articles/carroll-county-sheriffs-office-taking-over-state-police-duties )
Commissioners Howard and Shoemaker met with Sheriff Tregoning on Friday to see what, if any, corrective action needs to be taken with regard to this incident.
The Sheriff's Office and the Sheriff himself answer to the Board of Commissioners.
Native
1:00 pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Well, of course the sheriff answers to the commissioners. But the sheriff runs & is ultimately responsible for the behavior (both ethically & legally), of the department. The commissioners are not culpable for the mishandling of the incident in question.
Buck Harmon
3:19 pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Exactly how does the sheriff answer to the Commissioners?
A good Sheriff should hold the Commissioners accountable for knowingly breaking the law on several occasions.
Native
3:49 pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Hello Buck! I knew you wouldn't let me down!
John D. Witiak
10:17 pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012
No, actually. The Sheriff does not report to the BOC. He's elected. A Chief of Police, which is the other choice of local primary law enforcement, where the BOC hires instead of the voters electing, would report
to the BOC rather than the people. Which way would you want it with this BOC?
Buck Harmon
11:33 pm on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Where does the Sheriff's budget come from?
Bonnie Grady
10:36 am on Monday, March 19, 2012
Give it a rest, Michelle.
withavengeance
2:08 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012
WTH are you talking about? Michelle uses her real name when she (rarely) comments here. So YOU give it a break, lady.
Buck Harmon
5:08 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012
That's an ongoing problem of human beings not having the confidence to use their real name when posting.... makes the whole process a bit sloppy... who are you?
Native
5:24 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012
Another page out of Alinsky's handbook, attack the messenger, obfuscate the message. Buck, there is no problem here with names. It makes no difference. Even what looks like a name might not be. "Buck Harmon" could in reality be "John Smith".
Buck Harmon
6:52 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012
Your lack of confidence seems to match the lack of facts presented with your opinions....I don't hide my real name from anyone....ask Shoemaker, he'll confirm.
Native
7:03 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012
Yeah, whatever. A quick search of my posts will show that I back up my opinions with facts, & when I ask you or Neil for your proofs, all I hear are crickets or condemnation for my screen name.
Buck Harmon
9:40 am on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
You have never asked me for proof of anything,,,native
Native
10:35 am on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
My apologies Buck! I inadvertantly included you with David & Neil, & I'm sorry for that. They are the ones who like to spout rhetoric without facts, not you. Sorry about that!
John D. Witiak
10:41 am on Monday, March 19, 2012
That's an excellent point, however, in my view, especially with this BOC that regularly flaunts the law and ethics, there is less chance that an elected sheriff, unlike one hired by this BOC, will not harass those who find themselves on its enemies list. Also, I like to think that during budget hearings the voice of an elected sheriff tends to be more independent and ethical than a BOC hirling. But then there's the current mess in the upper command of the sheriff's office, which tells us that Carroll Countians must always be vigilant and trust politicians only so much as they esrn it..
Buck Harmon
1:22 pm on Monday, March 19, 2012
Vigilance should be focused at the top...or tops......apathy seems to prevail though...
People don't seem to be willing to expose themselves to repercussions associated with questioning the integrity of perceived authority.
Cosmopolitan
5:55 am on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Sherriffs have been botching investigations since their inception. This time they got called on it.
McDaniel Student
8:24 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I think this is one event in a long list of issues that this department faces. I know this is the usual "stupid college kid" view. But I don't believe a sheriff should be tailgating a student and following him to a parking space on campus (did not happen to yours truly, but a friend of a friend) There needs to be a bit more oversight and a bit less of the "good ol' boy" mentality.
ALCAPONE
12:05 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
WHO IS GOING TO DISPUTE IT? THE SHERIFF OR ONE OF HIS STAFF SAID IT SO IT MUST BE ACCURATE! YEAH RIGHT. MAYBE THAT DEPARTMENT NEEDS MORE PEOPLE TO STAND UP FOR THEMSELFS AND HAVE A GOOD OLD INVESTIGATION THAT BRINGS ALL THE DIRT OUT FROM UNDER THE RUG. AND BOY IS THERE PLENTY THERE.