Get That Paper Out of Richard Masten’s Face!
Source March. 18 (UPI) — A former Florida police chief could be spending two weeks behind bars after he ate a piece of evidence during a court appearance on Friday instead of letting a judge see it.
Richard Masten of Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers ate a piece of paper with a tip that had information about a cocaine possession case instead of handing it over to Judge Victoria Brennan.
Masten refused to reveal the tip because he wanted to protect his informant’s identity.
“We promise the people who give us information to solve murders, serious violent crimes in this community, that they can call with an assurance that they will remain anonymous and that nothing about them or their information would ever be compromised,” Masten said. “The case today started creeping into that… it’s not going to happen on my watch and I understood the consequences.”
Brennan found Masten in contempt of court for swallowing the tip.
“The court would be remiss to turn a blind eye to a flagrant refusal to honor a court order, and give more value to an individual’s opinion on what is right, rather than to the dictates of the laws enacted by the people of Florida,” Brennan wrote in her decision.
If Masten is sentenced to serve time when he heads back to court next week, he’s ready. “I’ll bring a toothbrush and some pajamas in case I do.”
If you think a couple pieces of a paper and a contempt of court charge are going to turn Richard Masten into a snitch then you got another thing coming. If I ever turn government informant I will only work for Richard Masten. He has everything you’d want in a friend: loyalty, wit (he ate paper in court!) and an insatiable appetite to uphold the law. As a side note, I’ve eaten paper before. The circumstances were not as drastic but I’ve done it. Feels good to get that off my chest.
P.S. FLORIDA!
Posted on March 19, 2014, in Average Blog Posts and tagged chief, contempt, court, informant, masten, of, paper, police, Richard. Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.
Brave man. We need more like him, everywhere. I’d do the exact same, without even a second thought. And pfff, “turn a blind eye…” it was lawless as soon as that statement was uttered. It’s used as a subtle reference to Horus, much like Ash Wednesday in Christianity; when ashes are smeared across the forehead, basically in all of the Abrahamic faiths. I think now, it’s completely wrong to continue on with “one eye open/one closed”, he was correct to open both of his eyes and do what he exactly what he knew to be correct. Props to you Mr. Masten, you’re a Chief in my books. Always 🙂
This guy appears good, while on the other hand we have these donks and false authoritarians like former retired Police Chief, Curtis Reeves, who shot an innocent man for texting, in a movie theatre in Florida…And he’ll probably make it out of the court systems under the “Stand Your Ground” law.
Understanding the bad people American “officials”: You’re doing it wrong. Very wrong. lol
“No oppression is so heavy or lasting as that which is inflicted by the perversion and exorbitance of legal authority.”
Joseph Addison
er “…and do exactly what he knew to be correct”.
well said per usual. He is definitely a brave man. One of the few sane people in the state of Florida as well.
Yeah exactly. Most people do really well at understanding what’s right and wrong, if they’re not mentally ill or whatever (and in that case, they should be always treated gently and peacefully) but when it comes down to having to eat a piece of paper to respect the source, there’s something really wrong with the judges who presided over that.
Like, “Hello McFly!! Need I mention the Stanford Prison experiment and the Milgram Experiment yet again, be your own authority, often times you are very correct. When in doubt, consult others, and listen to opinions. Gives ya another perspective and often a valid one too 🙂
I agree with your comments too. Like, we need more moral cops/chiefs and less of the narcissistic/sociopathic ones with no conscience, whatsoever. These idiots are ruining society, for everyone. Sad 🙁 *gobbles down some paper! Iz got yer back! ;D
HAHA. But you are right. Whatever happened to leading by example? If the chief is morally or politically corrupt, what will stop the foot soldiers (officers) from being the same way?
Yeah exactly. I think that’s how some of the weirdness with the NSA and Homeland Security/Intelligence things* have gotten so out of control, because each one of those “Foot Soldiers” although they were almost conned into believing* that they’re doing good, are really not, at all.
That’s where choice comes in, and much like the difficult choice Edward Snowden had to make, he knew that it mattered to everyone on earth. He knew that there were NO laws (really anywhere on earth) that could ever validate crimes against humanity. Then he knew too, that to fund both of these idiotic *ventures, the things that every American is paying for with taxes, is then NOT getting covered to divert to these stupid operations of nonsense. For censorship and social control no less…That EVERYONE in every Western nation has to pay for, WHY?! LOL REDONKULOUS! haha
Dunno. I may be jaded after having to watch Ford and T.O. Chief Blair duke it out nonstop. While both have done numerous *crimes…*swats Blair with her Globe & Mail, “Hello! G20 protests/Occupy!” – you’re not without the same dubious behaviour and shame…;)
first off great Back to the Future reference. But I think it’s almost impossible not to be a little jaded after everything that is going on. You try and try to be optimistic but the people elected to preside over us continually f’ing up are becoming the pin to our hope balloon.