He who has the gold enforces the rules (3)
Part 3
In our last post, OCGJ re-attacked the obtuse plea bargain that put convicted felon Monte Zinn back on the street, not to mention gave him the opportunity to take on leadership positions in three youth organizations despite his role in illegally facilitating the importation of at least a dozen teenage boys from Fiji. Zinn was sentenced to two years’ probation and a $1500 fine where the maximum sentence for the immigration violation alone is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This week we’ll take a closer look at OCGJ’s January 15th post, “Who will guard the guards?”. This post identifies at least eight political class insiders that had a hand in covering up Bill Schenck’s abuse of Greene County property after he left the office of Greene County Prosecutor to assume a position as Assistant U.S. Attorney. Furthermore, those same GOP insiders with close ties to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine turned a blind eye to the possibility that Mr. Schenck may have crashed a Greene County vehicle while violating Ohio Traffic laws up to and including operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI). Although we don’t know what happened between August 2006 when Schenck crashed the Greene County vehicle and February 2014, we do have compelling evidence in this police cam that points to another cover-up protecting Bill Schenck from being accountable to the rule of law, specifically Ohio Revised Code 4511.19, Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs (OVI). Here is a summary of that evidence characterized in the video:
- Schenck declined the Breathalyzer test for sobriety. Normally, this alone mandates a 1-year suspension of driving privileges.
- Schenck declined the “walk and turn” and “stand on one leg” field sobriety tests.
- Schenck apparently failed the “eyes-follow-the-pen” and “count from 69 to 54” field sobriety tests.
- Schenck urinated on himself.
Based on the above evidence Mr. Schenck was arrested for OVI which carries a minimum mandatory three-day jail term, minimum fine of $375 and six months to three year license suspension. Tragically, Judge Robert Messham completely ignored the evidence and reduced the OVI charge to “reckless operation.” At best this demoralizes law enforcement professionals who followed the book in making a good arrest. At worst this sends a message to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s inner circle that they are above the laws they are paid to enforce.
At the end of the day, Mr. Schenck apparently took responsibility for his actions, but not until he originally pled not guilty and not until he fully understood the weight of the evidence against him. Schenck was fined $250, less than the minimum mandated in ORC 4511.19. Judge Messham also suspended the mandatory three-day prison sentence and there is no indication that Schenck’s license was suspended. Schenck remained in his current position as an advisor to Attorney General Mike DeWine with no evidence of a reprimand or any other adverse consequences.
You may respond to Schenck’s no contest plea and “slap-on-the wrist” sentence as just another case of the political class protecting one of its own, but it goes way beyond the injustice of it all. The issue goes right to the heart of freedom…..freedom issued via a blank check to privileged insiders and freedom taken away from outsiders who don’t have the resources to push back against a corrupt legal system.
