Why wasn't Trooper Wooten fired?

Question

That is the REAL question. Not why did Sarah Palin's administration pressure to get him fired.

Trooper Wooten:

-- Threatened to kill the Governor's father if he obtained a lawyer for her sister.

-- Used a Taser on his stepson.

-- Drank beer in his patrol car.

-- Was written up 7 times prior for negligent damage to a state vehicle; reckless driving; receiving a speeding ticket; illegal hunting; and being consistently late to work and conducting personal business on duty.

Even *IF* the accusations that some members in the Palin Administration acted independently to pressure the Alaska State Troopers to fire Trooper Wooten are true, I say more power to them!!! The real scandal is that he wasn't fired after the first 7 mishaps.

http://www.adn.com/politics/story/476430.html

"The record clearly indicates a serious and concentrated pattern of unacceptable and at times, illegal activity occurring over a lengthy period, which establishes a course of conduct totally at odds with the ethics of our profession"

- Col. Julia Grimes, head of Alaska State Troopers

Answer 1

interesting

Answer 2

Good question. I hope this gets sorted out soon.

Answer 3

Trooper Wooten is a rogue cop.

Answer 4

"Why wasn't trooper Wooten fired?" may be a good question.  On the other hand there is a more basic question of whether one person breaking the law makes it okay for the rest of us.

Wooten appears to be a roguish fellow, but even the "tasering of his stepson" is somewhat different than it sounds.  Although it was stupid, the boy wanted to be tasered so Wooten, like a frigging idiot rigged up a thin-wired, short duration shock for the boy who said he wanted to "show his sister that he wasn't a sissy".  The boy's statement to the police was, "it hurt for a second".  Is Wooten stupid and irresponsible?  You bet!

As far as the "accusations of drinking and driving", there is no such thing in the legal system.  That is subjective and hearsay only.  A person must be pulled over on the road and blow into a breathalyzer to be charged with drunk driving.  If you have ever been divorced you will relate to the ominous prospect that your in-laws every accusation might carry the weight of law.

In the realm of civil service everyone is expected to tow the legal line.  For whatever special treatment he got from his fellow troopers, there was an equal and opposite negative pressure from Mayor, then Governor Palin.

Governor Palin, like Trooper Wooten, is subject to the rule of law.  We should be pleased that the same laws that apply to a trooper who represented himself to get joint custody of his children while going bankrupt and fighting the influence of the municipal and state governments, is given the same scrutiny as the Governor of the state.  That doesn't happen in every country.

If Governor Palin thought that Wooten met the absolute standards for dismissal she could have done it herself.  What she did instead was to have her surrogates, including her staff and her husband, lean on the commissioner constantly and covertly.

Anyone who has not listened to the phone call that has popped up as a smoking gun should try to.  After listening to this phone call one's outrage will be tempered a good deal.

She appears to have violated her office pretty badly and pretty nakedly.  I say that without even having any skin in the game.  I haven't been out to get her, but I was curious and followed up.

Is Wooten a bigger piece of dog p**p than Palin?  Yes.  

Is anyone above the law?  No.

Is Wooten running for VP with a 72 year old Senator who has dealt with 5 1/2 years of malnutrition and 4 bouts of skin cancer?  No.

rj

Answer 5

it is a non issue, even the liberal baffoon, KEITH OBERMAN said she was right.

Answer 6

If these things were actually documented then I'm sure he would be gone. But if they are just accusations then what is the governor doing getting involved with an internal affairs investigation.