Menlo Park cop caught with prostitute keeps job

Prosecutors don't have to disclose a cop's arrest record if the defense can just Google articles like this.

Good investigative journalism by the Almanac. But let's explore this:


A month later -- on July 11 -- the prosecution asked to dismiss the case. The problem? Prosecutors were notified the day of Ms. Ramirez's trial that the officer who had interviewed her was unavailable to testify. According to Deputy District Attorney Rob Baker, who supervised the case, the officer was caring for his wife as she endured a life-threatening medical crisis. A Sunnyvale officer confirmed the circumstances related to the dismissal to the Almanac and said his department had hoped the case could have gone forward.

"I wanted to prosecute the case, that's the reason we charged it," Mr. Baker said. "But in light of the (misdemeanor) charges, we didn't feel it appropriate to force the cop to come to court when his wife was going through something that serious."

GO TO TRAFFIC COURT ANY DAY IN SUNNYVALE. IF THE COP DOESN'T SHOW UP, THE TRAFFIC JUDGE NOW RESCHEDULES THE HEARING FOR ANOTHER DAY RATHER THAN DISMISS THE CASE (AS HAS BEEN TRADITION FOR MANY YEARS).

This is just nonsense. If there was a one-time problem preventing the cop from testifying because his wife had a medical condition, the trial should have and would have been delayed for a short period of time to accommodate that circumstance. This was simply law enforcement (including the Santa Clara D.A.) figuring out a way to drop the charges without making it seem blatant.

But it is blatant.

The officer's situation was not one that would be resolved within 10 days. Continuances are fine - if the defendant waives their right to a speedy trial. She didn't.

Sandy

Wow, what are the odds the arresting officer couldn't testify against another officer, thats just one huge, lucky break, coincidence for Ramirez. Wow, just wow.
SO corrupt, and I bet NO ONE cares.

Sandy, I admit the story weaved by the prosecutor is sophisticated, but it doesn't make sense. There aren't many emergencies that last ten days. Additionally, the fact the officer allegedly couldn't show up to testify against the prostitute has nothing to do with the viability of the case against the john/officer proceeding.

"If I was to dismiss the case against her, his defense attorney would then know we couldn't prove the case against him," Mr. Baker said.

This just simply is not true. Prosecutors offer deals to defendants all the time in exchange for cooperation, etc. It doesn't preclude others involved in the same criminal activity from being prosecuted. The crime of soliciting prostitution, which the cop was charged with, does not require the prostitute be convicted or even charged. It would simply require credible testimony that he was caught in an act of soliciting prostitution. Sometimes, the prostitute is even an undercover police officer herself, who is not charged or convicted.

That's where the story doesn't hold water. It sounds to me like the police union snapped into action and made sure some breaks were issued. It was sophisticated to make the no-show on the prostitute instead of the john to add some deniability. But, I'm with Some Guy. It's incredibly corrupt.

Charging him created a public record of the incident. If they wanted to cover this up, all they had to do was not file the charge. No one would have been the wiser.

Sandy

The real crime here is that our "public servants" are so poorly managed that firing one is next to impossible, no matter what they do.

That assumes pressure was not applied after he was arrested and charged, but before the trial took place. I believe it was, it is common practice, and that's what happened.

P.S. – Sandy, here are two steps you could take for article #2. It might really elucidate what is a larger issue than this one officer. I would hope to be proven wrong on my instincts here, but I bet I'm right.

1. Did the Sunnyvale police list this arrest on their blotter of arrests for that day?

2. You know the name of the testifying officer. You know the original trial date. His time cards/work records are public information, and you can get them. Did he show up for any shift on the trial date and the ten days thereafter?

Yes, I agree with Joseph Davis, not only are public servants poorly managed, and hard to fire, but city management is so intent on the status quo that they make decisions without investigating deeply. With myopic vision, they are the worse hypocrites when it comes to who stays or goes - because they don't even know that they are the hypocrites.

[Please do not use Town Square to discuss connections with other named people. If you have relevant information, email it to the Almanac -- editor@AlmanacNews.com ]

Curious to know why prostitution can be considered a sex crime, yet the John isn't labeled a sex offender. In particular, a public servant? In this case, it looks like no one was convicted or proven guilty.

Reminds me of Greg Munks, SMC Sheriff, getting caught in a brothel raid in Las Vegas. It's pretty difficult to respect "Law Enforcement" as a career of high standards when so many officers won't prosecute offenses perpetrated by the brotherhood. Creates a special zone of privilege for misbehavior, doesn't it?
Add this insider benefit to abuses of overtime pay, disability compensation, double-dipping, etc., and is it any wonder that the general public has a hard time believing the old fairy tale about police being our guardians and protectors?
Violators of the law should be punished, even if they are law enforcement personnel. Give them the same consideration (sarcasm here) a civilian would receive.
Time to bust up the police unions, too.

[Post removed. The ABC story cited said the company was a "favorite" on a computer, but does not refer to the company being involved with child prostitution or pornography. If you have relevant information, please email it to the Almanac but please don't use Town Square to accuse named people or organizations of illegal behavior. ]

Folks,

Does anyone remember when Jerry Rice was arrested (in Mountain View) at a "massage parlor", supposedly there (as I believe he asserted) to get a "deep tissue massage", but found it turned out to be a joke played on him by teammates? That story came and dissappeared rather quickly. Good Ole' Jerry kept his job, and I don't remember anyone complaining about that. Granted, an officer should hold up the law, but how many of your sons and daughters have heard of this guy, versus Jerry Rice?

Editor's note: According to the Chronicle, there were no arrests: Web Link And Jerry Rice is not a law-enforcement officer.

Central Menlo = prostitution nor the solicitation of are not considered sex crimes. Or have I been not paying attention and the laws have changed?

Am I the only one concerned that a top city official & former top city official were speaking about this incident in *public*? Menlo is small- of course they were overheard discussing secret squirrel city business.

"He expressed frustration that some members of the City Council wanted to discuss the matter publicly despite regulations prohibiting disclosure." How ironic. McIntyre's a moron for doing this. Apparently, Menlo Hub really is what it purports to be - "Where Live Music, Martini's and Memories happen" - emphasis on the latter.

So now the Vasquez has paid some sort of professional disciplinary price, what actions will be taken to discipline McIntye? Was he drinking? If so, how much did he drink? Did the City of MP pay for his drinks? Was this an official meeting?

If Menlo employees are to be held to a high standard, as quoted, howzabout applying that to the city manager, discussing personnel matters in a bar w/in hearing of others?

All of it is disturbing. Amateurish all around, but disturbing. I'm not surprised by Vasquez's actions - cops commit transgressive acts frequently. I am surprised that in these times, in a small city, city officials were as stupid as the cop.

An on-duty police officer killing a little time while on a stake out in another county is found at a Motel Six, naked with a whore in a cat suit. It doesn't get much better than this. Keep this in mind the next time you get stopped making that illegal u-turn. Better yet, keep this in mind when you read the next article about a 49 yr. old police officer retiring with 90% of his pay and some of the best health insurance money can buy. This fellow will probably retire in 2 years. He got reinstated and the city is contributing to his retirement right now as we read this article.

Our new City Manager certainly did inherit a pile of dung when he signed on in Menlo Park.

BTW, what happened to the prostitute, legally? I'm sorry she didn't have the out that Vasquez did.

According to the article, he arresting officer didn't show up for her trial, and it was felt inconvenient for him to show up at any time during a ten-day period, so she walked. I believe that was a favor called in by Vasquez's union to justify not prosecuting him. She was an unintended beneficiary of that.

Thanks, Use - I didn't pay attention to that. Gotta wonder who called in the tip to the Sunnyvale DPS.

That's taking 'deep under cover' duty very seriously.

CLM?

I stand corrected, JR was not arrested. Just had to make a bathroom stop, I'm certain.

I'm not saying that he should keep his job, but getting his name and photo published in the local newspaper with people discussing it is fairly punishing...

To the Editors: It's very easy to find news stories through Google about the ties between myredbook.com and underaged prostitution. There have been stories on this dating back to at least 2006.

Here's one by San Francisco Examiner writer Mike Aldax back in 2011

Recent San Mateo County prostitution arrests related to myredbook.com
By: Mike Aldax | 09/07/11 7:17 AM
SF Examiner Staff Writer

Two recent underage prostitution busts in San Mateo County are tied to myredbook.com, a raunchy hookups website that lists reviews of escort and massage parlor services.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: Web Link

The Almanac's scoop is up on SF Weekly now. Shame that SF Weekly didn't credit the Almanac, though:

Web Link