Does penalty match crime?

[Guest trigem]

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101009/GJNEWS_01/710099903/-1/fosnews

Little fire proves explosive years later for Rochester contract worker at shipyard

By Geoff Cunningham Jr. Saturday, October 9, 2010

Peter Jordan holds his 10-month old daughter Isabella at his Rochester home. Jordan was arrested at the Portsmouth naval Shipyard for a 17 year old citation he received at Baxter State Park in Maine for have a camp fire in a designated area. John Huff/Staff photographer

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ROCHESTER — A 17-year-old unpaid fine for lighting an illegal campfire in northern Maine appears to have been a slow-burning problem for local resident Peter Jordan.

Jordan's outstanding matter sparked big trouble for the family man on Sept. 24 when he found himself in handcuffs after he attempted to pick up a decal allowing him to drive his truck onto the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to work as a civilian contractor.

Law enforcement agencies and courts have been computerizing old records making distant charges and fines crop up on background checks for unsuspecting individuals.

The Rochester man said guards in charge of clearing people to work at the shipyard conducted a background check and found — much to his surprise — that he had a warrant for his arrest in a part of Maine he rarely visits.

Jordan said he was "horrified" when a day of anticipated work at the shipyard turned sour as he was placed in a cruiser.

"I have gotten five or six badges in the past and was waiting to get decals for my work truck. A couple of guys with machine guns came up and asked me if I was Peter Jordan. I said 'yes' and they asked me to come with them," Jordan said.

Jordan was taken into custody by guards at the shipyard and later turned over to Kittery, Maine police on a warrant he didn't know existed after shipyard security personnel brought it to the attention of local officers.

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is among the Department of Defense installations that has a "vetting" process that establishes certain criteria dictating whether a particular civilian worker can obtain clearance to enter the yard.

For Navy Region mid-Atlantic installations that criteria forbids clearance for those convicted of several types of crimes and anyone with an outstanding warrant.

Kittery Police Chief Ed Strong confirmed the recent arrest and said the warrant was for Jordan's alleged failure to appear in court on a 1993 citation relating to "fire on the land of another."

Jordan — an employee at New Hampshire Glass — said he doesn't dispute the citation even though he doesn't recall getting it.

He said it appears the citation was issued by a park ranger for having a kindling fire in an undesignated area.

The Rochester resident suspects it stems from a camping trip he took in northern Maine when he traveled to Baxter State Park, but he won't know more about that until he appears in Piscataquis County District Court in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine on October 25.

Jordan said he was caught completely off guard by his recent arrest and didn't know what was happening when the shipyard security personnel asked him to come with them. He initially thought they were going to inform him that something happened to his family.

"I got dizzy like I was going to pass out from being so afraid," Jordan said.

Strong said it isn't uncommon for his department to respond to the shipyard and arrest individuals when those seeking entrance onto the military facility are found to have outstanding warrants or contraband.

He said the department has an obligation to arrest such individuals and said it has happened more and more in recent time with law enforcement booking people on old charges or warrants that might have fallen through the cracks in the past.

"Old records have been computerized," Strong said.

Jordan said he was treated with respect by the Kittery Police Department upon being arrested and a friend helped him post a small cash bail allowing him to go home to his family.

He said he offered to pay the fine immediately so he might work at the shipyard, but was told the matter must be addressed in court.

Jordan expressed sadness that the outstanding issue currently has him without work as a large majority of his employer's current jobs lie within the gates of a shipyard that has stringent requirements for who is allowed onto the military facility.

He said his employer has been understanding about the matter, but he essentially can't work until the matter is taken care of.

"We have 10 guys around the shop and you can only sweep so many floors," Jordan said.

Jordan and his wife live with their 15-year-old daughter and a 10-month-old daughter.

He said his wife has gone back to work full-time and he has already visited the unemployment office, but he won't get any benefits for approximately three weeks.

Money is tight for the family, but they are surviving.

"We are fortunate we have a good network of friends and supporters," Jordan said.

However, he said the ordeal was surprising as an old blemish appears to have come back to bite him.

"It's funny how things catch up to you," Jordan said.

[vontar]

Seems statue of limitations should kick in, but I am not a lawyer. Holy crap.

[Pain103]

A couple of guys with machine guns

Military base where people are armed with military weapons.

[kb4ns]

Why is this news?

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Seems statue of limitations should kick in, but I am not a lawyer. Holy crap.

Why is this news?

Agree with both.

[kb4ns]

This kinda thing happens to hundreds of people daily. When you get a citation for a minor charge, you get a court date and, in some cases, a forfeiture amount you can pay in lieu of coming to court. When the court date comes and you haven't paid the forfeiture (if there is one), you're expected to be in court. If you're not there, it's likely a bench warrant will be issued (at least that's how it works in most jurisdictions). Whether it bit him in the butt the next day or 20 years later, why is it news when the same thing happens to so many people who fail to satisfy their obligations?

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Because it's something on infowars or some crap that is going to institute Martial Law and take away all of our rights....

[Erik88]

how could he not remember getting the fine? how often does he get fines for starting illegal fires?? I call B.S on his story. He probably just blew it off thinking he would never have to pay it.

[Guest drv2fst]

Seems simple enough. He was guilty of a minor infraction. He assumed that if he ignored it that it would go away. Years later he is busted. Justice is slow but was eventually served. Military guns on a military base, that's to be expected. Arrested for outstanding warrants while getting a background check on a military base, also to be expected. No story here.

[Guest mds3d]

The way I understand the law and the statue of limitations, is that they have a certain amount of time to file charges after the crime is committed.

He was charged with the crime when the citation was issued. If the local government charges you with FTA for anything and everything, my understanding is that those never go away.

I have been told that here in Bartlett, if you dont pay seat belt fine and don't show up for court, they issue a bench warrant. I have a friend that is a Memphis cop that has related stories about having to take people to 201 poplar for just such offenses.

[kb4ns]

I have been told that here in Bartlett, if you dont pay seat belt fine and don't show up for court, they issue a bench warrant.

Yes sir. Your bond will be $350.

[RobertY]

YUP, FTA's do not go away period.

[kb4ns]

There's nothing more retarded than watching someone get arrested and have to post a $350 bond when they could have paid a tiny fine for a seat belt ticket that wouldn't have even appeared on their record.

But some folks just refuse to take care of their stuff...

[Daniel]

I would guess they had M16s. M4s at the most. MPs don't generally walk around with SAWs or 240s on post. I realize this is the Navy but I do not see it being any different.

[LayNLow]

The way I understand the law and the statue of limitations, is that they have a certain amount of time to file charges after the crime is committed.

He was charged with the crime when the citation was issued. If the local government charges you with FTA for anything and everything, my understanding is that those never go away.

I have been told that here in Bartlett, if you dont pay seat belt fine and don't show up for court, they issue a bench warrant. I have a friend that is a Memphis cop that has related stories about having to take people to 201 poplar for just such offenses.

Yeah, my buddy actually got stopped in bartlett with out of date tags and the cop said he had a bench warrant for an unpaid seatbelt fine and let him turn himself in the next day.

[Guest trigem]

Just saying... Pay your dews on time, or one day they will bite you

[vontar]

The way I understand the law and the statue of limitations, is that they have a certain amount of time to file charges after the crime is committed.

He was charged with the crime when the citation was issued. If the local government charges you with FTA for anything and everything, my understanding is that those never go away.

I have been told that here in Bartlett, if you dont pay seat belt fine and don't show up for court, they issue a bench warrant. I have a friend that is a Memphis cop that has related stories about having to take people to 201 poplar for just such offenses.

Thanks for clearing that up.

So the limit is just until charges are raised I guess, once raised there is no limit until they get you. I believe I got it.

Seems like they made little attempt to get him, if they take him to court now, he would still have the right to face his accuser and his day in court. There is a chance the whole thing might get dropped if they don't have any wittiness' after 17 years or evidence left in storage.

[Guest mds3d]

If this was a fine issued by a state agency (State Parks), then he doesn't necessarily have to face that park ranger. He can face any representative of the entity that issued the citation. It may still get dropped, but his court costs will probably be higher than the original amount of the fine.