Merced County Sheriff’s Department turned down student’s complaint against Prince & Reny, told it’s a civil matter.

Mark N. Pazin (Sheriff/Coroner) & Bill Blake (Undersheriff)

Ravi hegde,
Thank you for the reply.
So let me understand this right, you guys went to Atwater PD and Merced County Sheriff’s Department and tried to file a criminal complaint in hope to put Prince and Reny behind bars and then turned down flat by being told it’s a civil matter. Is that it?

Now the questions,
Did you have any idea how the filing needs to be done before walking into their offices? …… thought so.

Did you ask them why they think it’s not a criminal matter?…….though so.

Did you ask them how to make a criminal report then? thought so.

Did you do anything after that to find out further on how you could bring a criminal charge, or more or less giving up by doing nothing except hoping something to happen in the future? thought so too.

I could see that outcome even long before you guys got to the PD and the sheriff’s dept. with such ignorance and unprepared approach.

Allow me to make a flat statement here that asking a help to law enforcement agency in a white color crime is like throwing an anchor to a drawing man.

It’s same with banks when you need a loan how bad and how desperately need it doesn’t play in the bank’s lending decision. When you really need an umbrella in rainy days, there’re no where to be found but when in good days and you are not needing anything, they come to lend you a parasol with an eager alacrity. Get the picture?

You just have to learn how the system works and approach the task at hand in ways to get the job done, in other words to make sure there’s nothing left there standing to block your intended objective.

Not blaming on anyone but here’s what didn’t go right IMHO,

1. Walked into Atwater PD which has no jurisdiction over Castle Airport
2. Walked into the sheriff’s dept without knowing how to get a crime report filed beforehand
3. Engaged in extemporaneous verbal exchanges with the front desk clerk and gave him/her an opportunity to brush aside your case as a civil matter on the spot.
4. Erroneously and vaguely understanding the crime report as a request instead of filing
5. Not understanding a crime reporting is not a request but a unilateral filing action.
6. Not understanding a properly prepared crime report must be accepted or the clerk will face a disciplinary action.
7. Not knowing simply reporting and explaining verbally at the front desk unless you’re expert in criminal proceedings all would be brushed off aside and not taken seriously unless you’re reporting physical injury, violence, robbery and other heinous crimes in progress.
8. Not seeking help from SABA or elsewhere before walking into the PD and sheriff’s dept.

Once again, ignorance and wrong assumptions are all too often end up in a wrong result.

No one can skip the process and steps necessary and then expect the judicial system to work for you. You can’t have both ways. You have to do your part right by following the established legal procedures step by step.

There’ s nothing to stop you from try it again and if you do, do it right the next time, and press on.
It’ll get done for sure.

echo yankee, out!

Dan Winther
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