More brazen prosecutorial callousness under Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas’ regime emerged this month inside federal court where a citizen who could lawfully purchase a gun was arrested, jailed and charged for executing his second amendment constitutional right.
William Ross’ nightmare began in 2016 when he filled out required government paperwork at Ammo Brothers to buy a 40-caliber Glock 22 and unwittingly launched a mind-numbing, bureaucratic exercise in gross stupidity.
Now inside Orange County’s Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse Ross is suing the Tustin Police Department and several officers for violating his civil rights.
When the Tustin resident submitted the weapon-purchase paperwork, he swore he was not a convicted felon. He was correct. In April 2005, officials convicted Ross for unauthorized computer access. A year later, a judge reduced the felony to a misdemeanor and the case got completely dismissed in 2008.
But the U.S. Department of Justice notified Rackauckas’ office in 2016 that Ross sought to buy a gun and requested an investigation. A month later, prosecutors forwarded that letter to Tustin PD, where officers obtained the Ammo Brothers paperwork and Ross’ criminal history of the expunged felony before driving to his home.
“[Ross] told [the detectives] that he did attempt to exercise his right to purchase and own a firearm by going to Ammo Brothers in Oct. 2016 and filling out the necessary forms,” Jeremy Jass, the plaintiff’s Long Beach-based attorney wrote in the lawsuit. “He further told the detectives that his previous conviction was reduced to a misdemeanor and dismissed, ant that he was therefore eligible to purchase a firearm because he was no longer a ‘felon’ nor ‘convicted.’ He insisted that he did not answer any questions on the purchase paperwork incorrectly. He even went so far as to provide them with court documents that verified that his previous conviction was reduced and dismissed.”
Nonetheless, four cops arrested Ross, transported him to Tustin PD, interrogated him and then booked him into the Orange County Jail, where he stayed until he was allowed to post bail.
Though officers claimed they’d lost the recording of the interrogation, they prompted prosecutors to file charges of providing false information to obtain a firearm on May 1, 2017.
Two months later, someone with a brain inside the District Attorney’s office dropped the case and a judge granted Ross a finding of factual innocence.
“[The defendant cops] intentionally and maliciously deprived Ross of his rights secured to him by the First, Fourth and 14thAmendments to the U.S. Constitution in that the defendants subjected [my client] to unreasonable, unnecessary seizure and arrest even though no reasonable cause existed to believe he committed the offense for which the arrest was made,” Jass wrote.
Attorneys for the cops have not yet filed an answer.
The case for damages will proceed with U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna.
CNN-featured investigative reporter R. Scott Moxley has won Journalist of the Year honors at the Los Angeles Press Club; been named Distinguished Journalist of the Year by the LA Society of Professional Journalists; obtained one of the last exclusive prison interviews with Charles Manson disciple Susan Atkins; won inclusion in Jeffrey Toobin’s The Best American Crime Reporting for his coverage of a white supremacist’s senseless murder of a beloved Vietnamese refugee; launched multi-year probes that resulted in the FBI arrests and convictions of the top three ranking members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; and gained praise from New York Times Magazine writers for his “herculean job” exposing entrenched Southern California law enforcement corruption.
fantastic story, this happens more than the public is aware of.
Tustin PD. LOL.
It’s time to start hitting them where it hurts the pocketbook deny us our rights we sue the government let’s make some money America they can do it we can too ??????
In Orange County, California, and prior to 2018 midterm election results being published, all Congressional districts within the county were. NOT BLUE.
However, it was revealed (upon final election tabulations), that the county’s Congressional district’s – ALL OF THEM, changed party leadership; invoking a new era – that of county that was once RED, to one that went entirely Blue. Needless to say, this defeat crushed voters of the Republican PARTY.
Looking for leadership and guidance from the OCGOP president, President Fred Whitaker at the December 2018 OCGOP meeting, instead of him presenting ideas that would assist in helping a fractured party heal, Mr. Whitaker gave a drowsy speech – one where he lamented the political losses suffered. The crux of his 5-minute whimper was, “Oh well, just keep giving us money”.
Mr. Whitaker and the rest of the OCGOP leadership, have been failing the Republican Party in O.C. miserably for years. It is time that ALL officeholders step aside. Not only has the current leadership managed to banish anyone who could be called a Tea Party and many other groups but additionally, the lack of leadership skills espoused, has now lost the entire county. Such abysmal failure can only be the result of incompetence. The current board members are not fit to lead.
Republican’s in Orange County are in search of STRONG OCGOP leadership and direction, needed to restore the county of Orange, back to RED status.
In order to have our voices heard the hope being, to gain NEEDED leadership; we will be holding a protest both outside and inside at the next committee meeting.
Date: January 21st.
Time: 5:30 PM protest
Meeting 7:00
Place: Hilton of Orange
3050 Bristol St Costa Mesa,92626.
Admission: Free
Parking: $10.00
The bottom Line, is that we need strong leaders to take charge in our county.
Since the state GOP is seeming to ignore this lack of leadership to be a problem, we are calling on all registered Republicans and those who would be Republican voters, to come and make their presence and displeasure(s) known.
****NOT SO GOOD NEWS: The abject failure of the OCGOP to competently carry out their duties has been commented on by nationally syndicated talk show host Rush Limbaugh – he used the OCGOP as an example of GOP incompetence.
Jon Paul White
President,
KEEP Orange RED
661.632.6744
Jo*************@ao*.com
tustin p.d. is corrupt. accused of 4 felonies. i feel for you mr. ross.
I’m in attraction with the cbd products and https://organicbodyessentials.com/products/cbd-capsules-25mg ! The serum gave my shell a youthful help, and the lip balm kept my lips hydrated all day. Meaningful I’m using clean, bona fide products makes me feel great. These are infrequently my must-haves for a unorthodox and nourished look!