Yesterday, Pennsylvania district attorneys and sheriffs from several counties wrote a letter to Katie McGinty, Democratic nominee for Senate, suggesting that she joins the the efforts to end Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s “strict sanctuary policy” and to work with President Obama to track criminals entering the country illegally.
So-called “sanctuary cities” are jurisdictions that employ a policy of not arresting an individual simply because they are an illegal immigrant.
The text of the letter is presented below:
“The Obama administration asked that Mayor Kenney allow local law enforcement members in Philadelphia to work with federal immigration agents to identify violent criminals, gang members and suspected terrorists who are living in Philadelphia illegally. Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell oppose sanctuary cities and have called for greater cooperation between local and federal officials in order to protect Pennsylvania citizens.
As the top law enforcement officers for the counties in which we serve, we are very concerned about Mayor Kenney’s lack of cooperation with federal officials. Philadelphia is our state’s largest city and tourist destination. Millions of our constituents visit Philadelphia each year to take in the sights, catch a ballgame, or see a show. Mayor Kenney’s sanctuary city policy threatens the security of all Pennsylvanians.
As law enforcement officers, we believe public safety supersedes any and all political matters. As a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, we hope you will use your influence to reach out to Mayor Kenney and join the bipartisan call for Mayor Kenney to end Philadelphia’s sanctuary city policy.
When we put aside our political differences and work together for the betterment of all Pennsylvanians, we can affect positive change that makes a real difference. With President Obama, former Gov. Ed Rendell, former Mayor Michael Nutter, and Sen. Pat Toomey all working to dismantle sanctuary cities, we have a genuine opportunity for bipartisan cooperation. Please join us in keeping Pennsylvania safe.”
The letter comes on the heels of a recent radio ad released by Sen. Toomey attacking McGinty’s stance over cities shielding undocumented immigrants.
The letter is signed by several district attorneys and county sheriffs throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:
Ed Duke Donnelly, Bucks County Sheriff
Tom Hogan, Chester County District Attorney
Carolyn Bunny Welsh, Chester County Sheriff
Jack Whelan, Delaware County District Attorney
Mary Hopper, Delaware County Sheriff
Ed Marsico, Dauphin County District Attorney
Jonathan Held, Westmoreland County Sheriff
Mike Slupe, Butler County Sheriff
Miles Karson, Mercer County District Attorney
Mike Piecuch, Snyder County District Attorney
John Zechman, Snyder County Sheriff
Dave Freed, Cumberland County District Attorney
Matthew Fogal, Franklin County District Attorney
Eric Linhardt, Lycoming County District Attorney
Stefanie Salavantis, Luzerne County District Attorney
David Dalrymple, Northampton County Sheriff
Tom Kearney, York County District Attorney
Bill Higgins, Bedford County District Attorney
Jim Martin, Lehigh County District Attorney
Lance Benedict, Susquehanna County Sheriff
22 Responses
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We decided to cover this story on the LEO Round Table law enforcement talk show. If you want to check it out, here’s the link: https://youtu.be/l2DaNUkstTo
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Arlene, the courts have actually said that localities do not have to comply with detention requests (detainers), so the cities are not breaking the law.. Detainers are often detention beyond someone’s scheduled release, which is wrong in that it’s detention without being charged, oftentimes even affecting actual US citizens. Philadelphia’s policy is to just not comply with detainers except for if there is a warrant or if they are violent criminals. To me that is fair.
Here is some more insight http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/11/16/no-b-s-sanctuary-city-guide/
Aren’t city law enforcement usually in favor of sancutary cities because of safety because they need immigrants to speak up when they witness crimes?
arlene-
There are several issues here:
1) Are people who were brought here as children (and know the US as their only home) criminals, if they’ve committed no other offense?
2) Are these harmless people a priority over actual crimes/criminals/public-safety that local law enforcement is charged with?
3) The Feds aren’t supplying extra budget/man-power for this, so why should the local cash-strapped police have to pay for additional duties, above and beyond their current.
4) If these immigrants aren’t seeking sanctuary in local donut shops, how do the opponents of “sanctuary cities” expect the police to find these people?
Whistleblower-
Beating them is like a shooting fish in a barrel. They think that posting anonymously shields them, but actually posting under my own name is the best shield of all. I get “protection” from people that actually know me, as well as feedback if something is really being said behind my back to anyone relevant. Also, from my experience on the old PA2010 site, I learned that site owners/moderators value posters that use their own name.
These guys come and go. The Sestak lemmings (and staffers) hung around for a while, but now have mostly disappeared, and I’m still here.
The cutting and pasting (about a dozen times) does seem indicative of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). There are medicines for that, and this latest wackadoodle is off of his.
Katie: if you allow sanctuary cities to operate in violation of existing federal law then what if pro-lifers shut down abortion clinics in violation of existing federal law? If we are a nation of laws, then enforce existing immigration laws. Ignoring law because you don’t agree with it makes it difficult to vote for you. You can lobby to change it but until changed: there is an immigration law on the books.
It’s a known fact : anyone who bothers to type more than 4 paragraphs on a single thread is probably a deranged disgruntled whack job. GET A LIFE SPONGEBOB you been wrong and owned at least 63 times by David Diano since ya started pounding the keyboard against General Kane. You been wrong and owned by HAHAHA 37 times. Give up already you SPED!!!
HaHaHa-
Politically and emotionally he seems to be.
Seriously – is he retarded? I would feel bad …
HaHaHa-
I know. He’s seriously losing it. Total meltdown.
HaHaHa aka Brett Cott The story is true so why not copy it so the facts are reported correctly. You committed a crime was prosecuted by Fina who put you in jail. I would say Frank Fina owns you. Brett you ever gonna pay back the money you stole
Hey HaHaHa aka Brett Aka Jailbird. This story is about you. Are you going to pay the money back you stole from the elderly.
Unsanctioned R2 says:
May 11, 2016 at 4:18 pm
Hey HaAHA aka Brett look you made the news when Fina arrested and convicted you. It’s nice to know that public sources still have this information. You gonna pay back any of the money you stole.
Brett Cott
HARRISBURG –Bonusgate defendent Brett Cott received a sentence of 21 to 60 months on three charges this morning.
He also received three fines totaling $11,000 and was told to make restitution to the state of $50,000. The sentence was imposed by Dauphin County Judge Richard Lewis, who rejected Mr. Cott’s defense attorny’s plea for probation. Mr. Cott was found guilty on three charges: conflict of interest, theft of services, and conspiracy.
The office of state Attorney General Tom Corbett had argued for a stiff sentence, claiming Mr. Cott had seriously misused taxpayer dollars in running as many as 20 political campaigns in Western Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2006.
Mr. Cott’s attorney, Bryan Walk, had claimed that the prosecution was political and said that Mr. Cott was aqcuitted on 39 of 42 charges brought against him. However Judge Lewis said that Mr. Cott’s offenses were serious and deserved time in state prison.
PDF
Read the sentencing memo for Brett Cott.
The judge said Mr. Cott spent most of his time that was paid for on taxpayer dollars “orchestrating and mastermining political activity.” The judge said “public money was used like monopoly money to run campaigns. Some potential candidates were scared off by this taxpayer funded juggernaut. The public was also victimized.”
He said probation was not an option because that “would demean the seriousness of the crimes.”
Deputy Attorney General Patrick Blessington said that Mr. Cott was paid salary of $223,000 plus bonuses of over $39,000 from 2004 to 2006 for basically running political campaigns. Mr. Cott is the first of the Bonusgate defendents to be sentenced.
Reactions to the sentence from prosecutors and the defense differed markedly.
The stiff sentence “sends a loud and clear message that this kind of activity [illegal use of taxpayers funds for political campaigns] will not be tolerated, and people will pay for their crimes,” said Deputy Attorney General E. Marc Costanzo.
In a brief submitted to the judge, the state contended that Mr. Cott’s “demeanor” wasn’t appropriate, meaning he hadn’t shown “contrition or remorse” for his illegal actions. He said Mr. Cott’s ongoing defiant attitude and lack of remorse were “appropriate legal factors” to be considered during the sentencing.
Lawyer Walk, however, said he was shocked and “extremely disappointed” by the severity of the sentence, which could keep Mr. Cott in state prison for up to five years.
“There are drug dealers and violent offenders who don’t get that much time,” he said. “We didn’t expect this.”
He said that since Mr. Cott had no previous arrests or convictions, and since the jury had found him not guilty on 39 of the 42 charges that the state brought against him, he should have gotten probation and no jail time.
Mr. Walk said the judge’s sentencing decision seemed to have been already prepared, even before this morning’s hearing, where the defense attorney spent almost an hour saying what a hard worker and good person Mr. Cott is.
Mr. Walk said that if two of the original Bonusgate defendants, former House Democratic staffers Mike Manzo and Jeff Foreman — who made a deal to cooperate with the state and testified against Mr. Cott, “don’t get sentences that are more than Mr. Cott’s, then justice is dead.”
Unsanctioned R(etard) aka SpongeBob is coming unglued again. DD owned him so bad, he is just copying and pasting posts now – and not ben bothering to take out the date ant time from the original (mindless) comment.
See below … … …
Unsanctioned R2 says:
May 12, 2016 at 9:36 am
Dicki, I noticed what you wrote about having a IP address and the fact that you reported it to a Government Agency. Clearly, you have no information that would tie this person to your frivolous allegation. Since this person has been a champion of the rights of mentally handicapped children and you have spent your time ridiculing them in many ways under many names I thought it only right to explore a complaint against you with the EEOC. Here’s the applicable section.
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
This law makes it illegal to discriminate against a qualified person with a disability in the private sector and in state and local governments. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. The law also requires that employers reasonably accommodate the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant or employee, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer’s business.
You retaliated by your complaint against a person who complained about discrimination. Employment is not an issue in this section just the statement is enough.
Dicki that’s you. Remember all those R words statements made by you. They were captured along with a program that captures IP addresses (which come back to you) well. Dicki, mommy is gonna be mad at you. Maybe Philly Lawyer can help unless he’s being investigated for practicing law without a license.
You be well Dicki. Oh this whole thing came from one of those meetings you claim we never had.Maybe we’ll read about you soon. So long funny man
So…a group of Republican elected officials attacked a Democratic candidate for office. Must be a slow news day.
This is a bullshit non-issue and every single one of these public officials should be cited for politicizing their office.
What sanctuary city will Toomey be hiding in during the GOP convention?
20 Republicans say what Republican Senator wants them to say.
YAWN
What hacks. McGinty is not holding office. She has no say on “Sanctuary Cities.” These D.A.s are not supposed to be political. They are supposed to be prosecutors. Not grand-standers.