Posted on Jan 12, 2016
What should the leadership at Fort Riley do after the 25 1st ID Soldiers were arrested at a party?
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All 25 Soldiers were cited with possession of marijuana. All 25 Soldiers are listed by rank, name, unit assigned, age, and MOS. What is going to happen to these Soldiers? More importantly, what is MG Grigsby and the Riley Leadership going to do to prevent future occurrences? Thoughts?
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/crime/2016/01/12/25-fort-riley-soldiers-arrested-after-police-break-up-loud-party/78700592/
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/crime/2016/01/12/25-fort-riley-soldiers-arrested-after-police-break-up-loud-party/78700592/
Fort Riley
Drugs
Alcohol
Values
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 40
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"Every soldier arrested that night was charged with possession of marijuana because a single marijuana cigarette was found at the party, McCullum said, citing information the Army has received from police. No one admitted to owning the cigarette, so police officers cited everyone with possession."
This charge is a common when police bust a party, they will cite everyone at the party with possession of marijuana, or alcohol, if they find it. In the end state the person who will most likely be charged is the whoever lives in the house and is hosting the party. The rest that are involved are going to have their marijuana charges dismissed because merely being present around narcotics, alcohol, etc. does not mean you are in possession of them.
**After thought, Did you know Bowe Berghdahl while on leave, was picked up in a California bust for the same reason. I don't think there was any discussion about him being charged or receiving punishment for it. The P.D. quietly returned him to his command.
This charge is a common when police bust a party, they will cite everyone at the party with possession of marijuana, or alcohol, if they find it. In the end state the person who will most likely be charged is the whoever lives in the house and is hosting the party. The rest that are involved are going to have their marijuana charges dismissed because merely being present around narcotics, alcohol, etc. does not mean you are in possession of them.
**After thought, Did you know Bowe Berghdahl while on leave, was picked up in a California bust for the same reason. I don't think there was any discussion about him being charged or receiving punishment for it. The P.D. quietly returned him to his command.
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Maj Charles Miles
Even though the charge will probably be dismissed, What QUESTION is asked on security clearance applications and many job apps etc?? "Have you ever been arrested and what for and when?" So just because it has been dismissed this will follow and hurt at various times! Choices we make have an impact for a long long time!
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SGT Jay Ehrenfeld
SSG Audwin Scott - SSgt I was station there for two years I got a J.C. police in trouble after the judge ask me why did I drove with expire license and I inform the judge that military can drive ontheir expire license until their States issues then a new license.
Then I inform the judge that police officer sane thing he claim he never heard that and also inform my dad was a cop and my young brother is a sheriff deputy, the judge pull the driver license booklet and there it was and then he asked the officer where my license he claimed he lost it , the I infirm the judge he put my license on his visit, then judge order the officer to produce the license the he did the break the license in half and it was an accident I inform the it was not accident it was on purpose. So judge order him to be suspended he refuse so he got suspended for zix months without pay
Then I inform the judge that police officer sane thing he claim he never heard that and also inform my dad was a cop and my young brother is a sheriff deputy, the judge pull the driver license booklet and there it was and then he asked the officer where my license he claimed he lost it , the I infirm the judge he put my license on his visit, then judge order the officer to produce the license the he did the break the license in half and it was an accident I inform the it was not accident it was on purpose. So judge order him to be suspended he refuse so he got suspended for zix months without pay
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SGT Frank Pritchett
This was so common at Ft. Riley especially if their was a University Student involved, set ups were common; know your friends and your Battle Buddy; good way to end a career.
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Sounds like there could be some issues with the relationship between the Post and its soldiers and the local police. The LTC Division spokesman said that one marijuana cigarette was found at the party, and since no one admitted it was theirs, they charged all 25 with possession. WTF is that? That sounds like some pretty lame police work to me.
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LTC (Join to see)
GySgt Carl Rumbolo - i agree that troops need to know when to leave a bad situation. And I read about contructive possession as a legal matter. I just don't like it. I don't like the idea of charging 25 people for possessing the same single joint. That means they know up front that they are causing 24 innocent people to get charged and processed at the jail, and have a court record that is usually public. Sure, it will eventually say the charges were dismissed, but that doesn't make the record of the arrest disappear, and doesn't reimburse the soldiers for lawyers fees, etc.
It seems very unamerican to me to arrest 24 innocent people on purpose. I get it's legal, but I don't like it. What's the effect on a "good" soldier who happened to ride to a party with a friend, did nothing wrong, and ends up having to face his CO about being charged with drug possession because he was at a party that got too loud. I'm not defending the wrongdoers. But it still feels to me like there must be more to this story. I mean it was just prior to midnight on a Friday night. Most neighbors understand people get loud on a Friday night and usually wouldn't call the cops until 2-3 am. Just seems like the cops swatted a fly with a sledge hammer on this, unless there was more to the story.
It seems very unamerican to me to arrest 24 innocent people on purpose. I get it's legal, but I don't like it. What's the effect on a "good" soldier who happened to ride to a party with a friend, did nothing wrong, and ends up having to face his CO about being charged with drug possession because he was at a party that got too loud. I'm not defending the wrongdoers. But it still feels to me like there must be more to this story. I mean it was just prior to midnight on a Friday night. Most neighbors understand people get loud on a Friday night and usually wouldn't call the cops until 2-3 am. Just seems like the cops swatted a fly with a sledge hammer on this, unless there was more to the story.
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
LTC (Join to see) - You right sir that we don't know the rest of the story and potentially it may be the proverbial sledge hammer to swat a fly. While you can make a good argument that it's not fair or justice to handle cases this way, I tend to focus on the facts at hand - constructive possession has a long legal history and has been upheld on appeal all the way to SCOTUS - i didn't do a complete search but it appears a form of it was used back in Prohibition days.
Could it be case of the local police have it 'out' for soldiers - possibly. Then you have to ask 'why' - and that might lead to a command issue. Lots of variables here, I'd like to know how many of these soldiers are going through AIT, etc.
Be as it may, the fact is constructive possession is real and it's on us as leaders to explain the facts to our people. If you hang with a bad crowd , you have to accept that as a risk. Yes sometimes police officers will exercise discretion and overlook things, but I would be willing to bet money when the police showed up some of these chuckle heads got belligerent or disrespectful and that pushed a few police buttons. Sucks for those who got caught up in it, but then again, they put themselves in that position.
Could it be case of the local police have it 'out' for soldiers - possibly. Then you have to ask 'why' - and that might lead to a command issue. Lots of variables here, I'd like to know how many of these soldiers are going through AIT, etc.
Be as it may, the fact is constructive possession is real and it's on us as leaders to explain the facts to our people. If you hang with a bad crowd , you have to accept that as a risk. Yes sometimes police officers will exercise discretion and overlook things, but I would be willing to bet money when the police showed up some of these chuckle heads got belligerent or disrespectful and that pushed a few police buttons. Sucks for those who got caught up in it, but then again, they put themselves in that position.
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CSM Felipe Mendez
Being around military post for over 30+ years, this type of situation happens a lot, but usually the neighbor let the party people know in advance that they are getting too laud and they need to bring the music/noise down a bit. But, when you have 25 individuals drinking or drunk, they are not in shape to reason with anyone. Let me bring you to a situation that happen recently near my daughter's home. The same was going on at the neighbors home, the next door resident (a soldier) went over and talk with the drunken party about lower the music/noise, well the drinking party didn't agree, so one individual from the drinking party decided to go over talk with the neighbor whom suggested to them to lower their music/noise. This individual was drunk as hell and brought with him a hand gun to the neighbors house. Well, you guest it, they end up shooting each other over which culminated with two soldiers dead and few injuries. When calling the police and given the amount of people involve, they do not have time to sit there and try to reason with 25 drunken soldier/individuals. Take them all and sort them out.
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