WSP gives troopers a pass

A U.S. Court of Appeals found that Washington State Patrol Sgt. John Sager and Trooper Rachel Gardner provided false information to a judge in order to obtain a search warrant for Spokane firefighter Todd Chism’s home, with a “substantial showing of the officers’ deliberate falsehood or reckless disregard for the truth.” A WSP spokesperson says it does not warrant disciplinary action because “It was done in good faith.” This good faith has now cost us, not the officers, $2.4 million.

How did the officers act in good faith by omitting critical information – that an electronic Internet address came back to names other than the Chisms? How is it in good faith when they did not advise the judge they had no evidence that pornography had been downloaded by Chism?

The WSP website says there were “oversights” and “new practices are in place to prevent oversights in the future.” In the future, they will tell their troopers not to lie?

The situation reveals the moral ineptitude of some of our law enforcement leaders today. How long will the public stand for it before demanding that things change?

WSP Chief John Batiste, if he approved of this inaction, should be dismissed.

Don Brockett

Former Spokane County prosecutor

Spokane