Teen son of Fran McCaffery cited in fatal crash of Iowa National Guard soldier

[Pinehawk]

But it doesn't take months to find out if from the phone companies. Just saying. I signed search warrants and phones were pinged at data released with 48 hours depending on provider.

Remember the victim was alive in the hospital for a number of days as well. They may have been waiting to see how that turned out. And, they knew the driver wasn't a threat to leave town, so the urgency to complete the investigation and determine charges wasn't as pressing.

 

[Hawki97]

This is ridiculous. Startling how obtuse you are.

I’m quite startled as well. Truly startling.

 

[sober_teacher]

I think the following are true:

• It was very likely a no fault accident.
• The initial police delay was to see if he was on his phone at the time of the accident.
• The ICPD withheld case info, and gave this case special treatment, because of the identity the driver (and family).

Other than acknowledging that our legal system is indeed not 'fair and equal', I don't think there is much else here except a terrible accident, which we can hope to learn from and avoid in the future.

I would think the fact that the driver in this case is also a minor plays a factor in withholding info. Again, that’s a guess, any resident lawyers are welcome to correct me if that’s wrong.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

But it doesn't take months to find out if from the phone companies. Just saying. I signed search warrants and phones were pinged and data released within 48 hours depending on provider.

Jimmy,

I'm trying to figure out your handle. You sometimes speak about a previous job as a magistrate but then in another unrelated thread you took a quote and falsely attributed it to my handle. When called out, you failed to respond. What gives with you? The two seem at odds with one another.

 

[hawkedoff]

People can understand that the driver shouldn't necessarily be charged more severely than he has been but transparency is key. Because of who his father is in this town it should be even more transparent not less. The appearance of preferential treatment is damaging to all those involved.

 

[Pinehawk]

I would think the fact that the driver in this case is also a minor plays a factor in withholding info. Again, that’s a guess, any resident lawyers are welcome to correct me if that’s wrong.

I would normally agree. But close to the same week, a juvenile hit and killed someone near City High, and the police released their name within days. That is part of why the contrast of this case to other cases stood out more.

 

[beanerhawk]

911 calls are open public records in Iowa and state law requires that they be released upon request.

If that's the case then why are they not released?

 

[TJ8869]

If that's the case then why are they not released?

I don’t know. But don’t wonder out loud, lest you be labeled a conspiracy theorist.

 

[sober_teacher]

I would normally agree. But close to the same week, a juvenile hit and killed someone near City High, and the police released their name within days. That is part of why the contrast of this case to other cases stood out more.

Would it matter that the person was killed right away, vs this guy surviving for several days? And heck, maybe the journalists in question dropped the ball and didn’t follow up after the initial response.

 

[sober_teacher]

I don’t know. But don’t wonder out loud, lest you be labeled a conspiracy theorist.

Respectfully you don’t seem to be wondering. You seemed to come right and say the info wasn’t released because of Frans influence.

 

[beanerhawk]

I don’t know. But don’t wonder out loud, lest you be labeled a conspiracy theorist.

Seems like if they are not released it's not required by law. Or they would be.

 

[torbee]

I'll leave it to the old style pros that are not intimidated to ask tough questions.

Well there are none now so . . .

 

[hawkedoff]

Respectfully you don’t seem to be wondering. You seemed to come right and say the info wasn’t released because of Frans influence.

That isn't a conspiracy at all, it is likely.

 

[TJ8869]

Respectfully you don’t seem to be wondering. You seemed to come right and say the info wasn’t released because of Frans influence.

If you can provide a plausible alternative, I’m willing to consider it. But so far you have refused to even suggest one, other than JM being a minor. And even that hasn’t stopped information from being released in other similar cases.

 

[sober_teacher]

That isn't a conspiracy at all, it is likely.

Do you have evidence?

If you can provide a plausible alternative, I’m willing to consider it. But so far you have refused to even suggest one, other than JM being a minor. And even that hasn’t stopped information from being released in other similar cases.

I’m choosing to not leap to conclusions because I have no idea what other possibilities might exist. You and hawkedoff are treating it as a near-certainty when you don’t know any of the particulars of the case either.

I don’t know what would be different in this case that they don’t want to release it where they did in others. Aside from it being Frans kid, you’re don’t either.

 

[hawkedoff]

Do you have evidence?



I’m choosing to not leap to conclusions because I have no idea what other possibilities might exist. You and hawkedoff are treating it as a near-certainty when you don’t know any of the particulars of the case either.

I don’t know what would be different in this case that they don’t want to release it where they did in others. Aside from it being Frans kid, you’re don’t either.

You can believe anything you want but let's not pretend you are holding some moral high ground bu not taking a position. You aren't and this kind of attitude is how people with power are able to operate by different standards.

I haven't and no one has convicted the kid. It isn't about Fran and company, it is about the government employees that aren't being transparent. Things that normally would be released are held close and the driver is the son of an incredible powerful person in the community isn't a good look and absolutely opens this up to speculation.

Yes I am quite certain that this kid is being protected by the local powers because of who is father is and until the information is released that is a safe bet.

 

[sober_teacher]

You can believe anything you want but let's not pretend you are holding some moral high ground bu not taking a position. You aren't and this kind of attitude is how people with power are able to operate by different standards.

I haven't and no one has convicted the kid. It isn't about Fran and company, it is about the government employees that aren't being transparent. Things that normally would be released are held close and the driver is the son of an incredible powerful person in the community isn't a good look and absolutely opens this up to speculation.

Yes I am quite certain that this kid is being protected by the local powers because of who is father is and until the information is released that is a safe bet.

Not really sure what moral high ground I’m staking out by trying not to make assumptions when I know I don’t know any better.

You might well be right that it being Fran’s kid is playing a role here - obviously that plays a factor often. I just think it’s wrong to treat it as a certainty when there’s a ton we don’t know about this.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Jimmy,

I'm trying to figure out your handle. You sometimes speak about a previous job as a magistrate but then in another unrelated thread you took a quote and falsely attributed it to my handle. When called out, you failed to respond. What gives with you? The two seem at odds with one another.

I'm not sure of the false quote that I attributed to you was. I'll be happy to correct myself if I did that.

 

[TJ8869]

I just think it’s wrong to treat it as a certainty when there’s a ton we don’t know about this.

I’m not treating it as a certainty. I’m saying it’s odd that they rejected multiple requests for the 911 call even though state law requires them to do so. And I mentioned it in response to posters who were claiming to know with 100% certainty that JM wasn’t on his phone because the police would have checked his phone and charged him with a more serious crime if he had been using it.

If they already deviated from the norm by rejecting the FOIA request then how can we be certain they checked his phone?

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

I'm not sure of the false quote that I attributed to you was. I'll be happy to correct myself if I did that.

Post 67, posted just after midnight this past Friday.

Way to go Dems! Brought back 7% mortgage rates, $4 gas, record inflation, record violent crime and US debt downgraded!! Congrats!!

Good old Paolo - an actual self proclaimed fasicist!

iowa.forums.rivals.com

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Post 67, posted just after midnight this past Friday.

Way to go Dems! Brought back 7% mortgage rates, $4 gas, record inflation, record violent crime and US debt downgraded!! Congrats!!

Good old Paolo - an actual self proclaimed fasicist!

iowa.forums.rivals.com

My bad, apologies are warranted. I'm not always the best at saving quotes and correctly attributing them.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Posting on a message board requires much less strict scrutiny for me than drafting a legal document

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

My bad, apologies are warranted. I'm not always the best at saving quotes and correctly attributing them.

Posting on a message board requires much less strict scrutiny for me than drafting a legal document

Of course, but it still doesn't explain how those words were entered into a HROT quote that was never mine.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Of course, but it still doesn't explain how those words were entered into a HROT quote that was never mine.

I honestly don't know. Truly. Not like I had any evil intent. You give me plenty of real reasons to give you a hard time, I don't to make things up

 

[hawkedoff]

Not really sure what moral high ground I’m staking out by trying not to make assumptions when I know I don’t know any better.

You might well be right that it being Fran’s kid is playing a role here - obviously that plays a factor often. I just think it’s wrong to treat it as a certainty when there’s a ton we don’t know about this.

We know it was treated like the vast majority.if situations.like this and considering the charges he faces there isn't really more to it.

Whether him being Frans son is a factor no longer matters because their lack of transparency has made that the perception. Like it or not.

 

[hawkifann]

If you can provide a plausible alternative, I’m willing to consider it. But so far you have refused to even suggest one, other than JM being a minor. And even that hasn’t stopped information from being released in other similar cases.

It’s also possible that more than one thing can be true at the same time - release of the info may have been delayed due to JM’s father, but also not be because JM’s father demanded it. I’ve worked police beats in the past and the routine police blotter, small story type news always got different scrutiny if someone notable was involved. Sometimes the police handle it differently, sometimes the media outlet handles it differently, lots of potential factors.

 

[hawkifann]

I’m not treating it as a certainty. I’m saying it’s odd that they rejected multiple requests for the 911 call even though state law requires them to do so. And I mentioned it in response to posters who were claiming to know with 100% certainty that JM wasn’t on his phone because the police would have checked his phone and charged him with a more serious crime if he had been using it.

If they already deviated from the norm by rejecting the FOIA request then how can we be certain they checked his phone?

I’d have to go back through this thread again, but I thought there was a post from a couple weeks ago citing a police source saying there was no evidence of phone usage based on forensic review. Did I just make that up?

 

[TJ8869]

It’s also possible that more than one thing can be true at the same time - release of the info may have been delayed due to JM’s father, but also not be because JM’s father demanded it. I’ve worked police beats in the past and the routine police blotter, small story type news always got different scrutiny if someone notable was involved. Sometimes the police handle it differently, sometimes the media outlet handles it differently, lots of potential factors.

I’ve never suggested that FM demanded special treatment. I’m simply saying that the situation is unusual and appears from the outside like the police and prosecutors are treading lightly.

 

[TJ8869]

I’d have to go back through this thread again, but I thought there was a post from a couple weeks ago citing a police source saying there was no evidence of phone usage based on forensic review. Did I just make that up?

I haven’t seen anything citing police sources other than the press release from the McCaffery family’s lawyer stating that JM wasn’t distracted.

 

[hawkifann]

I haven’t seen anything citing police sources other than the press release from the McCaffery family’s lawyer stating that JM wasn’t distracted.

If I can make it back through this thread, I’ll have to see what it was I saw that made me think that.

 

[TJ8869]

If I can make it back through this thread, I’ll have to see what it was I saw that made me think that.

 

[sober_teacher]

We know it was treated like the vast majority.if situations.like this and considering the charges he faces there isn't really more to it.

Whether him being Frans son is a factor no longer matters because their lack of transparency has made that the perception. Like it or not.

Agree to disagree on that being the general perception.

 

[hawkedoff]

It’s also possible that more than one thing can be true at the same time - release of the info may have been delayed due to JM’s father, but also not be because JM’s father demanded it. I’ve worked police beats in the past and the routine police blotter, small story type news always got different scrutiny if someone notable was involved. Sometimes the police handle it differently, sometimes the media outlet handles it differently, lots of potential factors.

This us a fair take. Notoriety definitely makes people know they need to get it right.

That being said the lack of transparency is getting it wrong

 

[hawkedoff]

Agree to disagree on that being the general perception.

Ok....

Literally the perception in every major university town when it comes to athletes and coaches getting special treatment.

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

I’d have to go back through this thread again, but I thought there was a post from a couple weeks ago citing a police source saying there was no evidence of phone usage based on forensic review. Did I just make that up?

I too saw what was represented as an "official" report a few weeks back that there was no evidence of phone usage playing a role. FWIW.