This article contributed by Joanne Stebbins, stebbijo.com

McCall, Idaho - Telephone Call Leads to Conflict

Helen Myrick Vice President of Ethics in Idaho

If this were not so serious, it would be funny.  You can’t call a Conflict Resolutions company to resolve a conflict – because the police will be dispatched to file a report against you in McCall, Idaho.

Conflict Resolutions LLC is a consulting service out of McCall, Idaho.

“We provide services to City/County Goverment and law enforcement agencies where a problematic issue has risen to a critical stage. Solutions are derived by analysis of the problem, employee morale, leadership training, strategic planning and implementation to improve or correct the situation.”

Look at the staff here. 
(note:  5/6/2010 as a result of this story Matt Williams (prosecutor), 
Mark Zakarian (polygraph) & McCall City employees no longer listed!)

Chief of Police Summers - McCall, Idaho and President of Conflict Resolutions LLC

There appears to be a conflict according to Helen Myrick, Vice President of Ethics in Idaho. Jerry Summers is the McCall Chief of Police and Matthew Williams is the local prosecutor and they are in private business together in conjuction with their public positions.

The Conflict Resolutions LLC  website openly discusses their creditials and public positions.

Helen called Conflict Resolutions LLC  to express her concerns about this alleged conflict. She called the number that is posted on the website – (208)315-4788.  Helen was able to speak with Chief Summers but he apparently was not sympathetic to her concern and had an officer dispatched, Corporal Kevin Copperi, who filed a report against her in case she called again.

Helen filed a complaint with the City of McCall, Idaho. (excerpt from email 04/08/10)

Cheif Summers said that he doesn’t want to discuss anything with me.  I further requested that we need to have a public discussion about this and include the council.  I asked that he explain to the public why he thinks this is alright.  He said do not call me again or you will be arrested.  He said, I will have you charged with telephone harrassment.  I said, you’ll abuse your power?.  He said, I will have you arrested.  I guess we all know who would be prosecuting the charge!  Good thing, too, I didn’t call him on a city number, and talk about the same issue or it would be and may still be a civil matter for the city to resolve.  You cannot have your Cheif of Police threatening the public that way.

Maybe a few more folks ought to do that so he can threaten them.   I am filing a personnel complaint herein for BessiJo to forward to Mr. Kirkpatrick.  I do not beleive the Cheif of Police should conduct private business with the prosecutor and then subsequently threaten citizens when they express concerns

But, the city does not see a problem.

Reply to Helen from the City of McCall – April 23rd, 2010

Helen –

I have discussed with Chief Summers the matter of your phone conversation with him on April 8. I have also reviewed the complaint which he filed with the Valley County Sheriff’s Department (attached). It is clear to me that Chief Summers did not threaten to arrest you, or abuse his authority in that conversation. Rather, he expressed his desire that you not call him on his personal number again, and told you that he would file a telephone harassment complaint if you called him on that number again. From both his account of that conversation with you, and my conversations with him, it is clear to me that he will speak with you during work hours, on a work phone, about work-related topics. His objection on April 8 was to your contacting him on his personal phone. That seems like a reasonable objection to me.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any other concerns. 

Lindley Kirkpatrick, AICP

City Manager

Unbelievable. Helen explains more in detail on her local conflicts of interest and ISSUES page here.

P.S.  You would think I would get a kickback/donation from Conflict Resolutions LLC  for my free advertizing, but I am sure that will not happen. Besides, it would be highly unethical. They should thank Helen, too! However, since I published this post CR – LLC  has updated their site. They still need to fix the first page though. Their staffers are computer experts – they claim. They also consult in the matter of Political Campaign Consulting!
Thank you, Joanne!  From all of us at Ethics in Idaho, we appreciate your skill.

 An Open Letter to Williams Regarding Juveniles & The LePell Case, Valley County (February 28, 2010) 

February 16^th, 2010, EI representatives Helen Myrick and TC Williams provided the first in-school presentation about Ethics in Idaho to the senior government class at Meadows Valley High.  The presentation was comprised of an orientation to the groups website, programs, and current events.  The materials and approach encourage students to become the best advocates they can for themselves.   EI was well received and comments were unanimous that students would recommend the presentation to other students and classrooms.  Additional comments suggested a guest attorney for legal advice come in to tell them what the police can and cannot do (EI would like that to be Jake Deaton, and hopes to sponsor that one day).  Students also asked to hear more about cases and situations involving other young people their age.  

We thank Mrs. Dwello and Meadows Valley High Administration for having us in, who also guest hosted a probation officer and judge.   

February 16, 2010, EI representatives Helen Myrick and TC Williams provided the first in-school presentation about to the senior government class at .The presentation was comprised of an orientation to the groups website, programs, and current events.The materials and approach encourage students to become the best advocates they can for themselves.was well received and comments were unanimous that students recommend the presentation to other students and classrooms.Additional comments suggested a guest attorney for legal advice come in to tell them what the police can and cannot do (EI would like that to be Jake Deaton, and hopes to sponsor that one day).tudents also asked to hear more about cases and situations involving other young people their age.   We thank Mrs. Dwello and Meadows Valley High Administration for having us in, who also guest hosted a probation officer and judge.   

January 28th, 2010 Jake Deaton taught us about juvenile rights last night. 
That was excellent information and he is an upstanding guy. 
Knowing our rights is a big part of standing up for ourselves, but
he taught alot about standing up for yourself and using those rights.
That part can only be up to us.

Knowing that your son or daughter is safe, and especially at school is
an irreplacable feeling that everyone deserves.  EI encourages everyone as
a community, and individually - to keep keep standing up and advocating
for themselves and their children the way Lorie Mauk and Sue Browning
have and continue to do through their own actions as well as bringing this
valuable service to share with all of us.

Sponsored by Sue Browning, Daniel LePell's Aunt.    

January 11, 2010 - EI Calls for Matt Williams Termination
On behalf of Ethics in Idaho and the families involved in the Rally for Valley County Youth on January 3, I am responding to Matt William’s comments (Star-News article January 7, 2010).  We invited the paper to cover the rally and Williams is not only entitled, but welcome to respond.  However, the comments and response need addressed in more ways than just putting forward the correct information.
 

To begin, the Daniel LePell arson case has legitimate concerns regarding the chain of custody for evidence.  In particular, the laundry surveillance video has been taken home by Mr. Williams and nobody in the LePell family or their attorney has been allowed to view it beforehand or now.  Williams is putting undue strain on the LePell family.  Daniel deserves the right to vote and a chance at employment without permanent adult felony restrictions.

Mr. Williams made twisted statements designed to mislead the public and personally injure Miles Inama and his family.  Mr. Williams is not qualified to personally designate Miles Inama or anyone as a “sexual deviant”.  Mr. Williams was quoted by the Star News as also having said “I believe he is still a risk to the community based on his multiple crimes (and) multiple victims.” 

Miles Inama’s record (much of which can become closed with legal help due to his age) includes alcohol purchase/consume by minor, failure to provide insurance, battery in the juvenile case at issue, concealment of articles in/out of jail, telecomm lines destruction, out past curfew and tobacco.  There are “multiple crimes”, but these crimes do not require sex offender registration.  

The one battery case that required juvenile sex offender registration, had no other charges that were dismissed in relation to it.  Nor was there another complainant for any other sexually related incident.  There are not “multiple victims” in the sense Williams intended you to assume. 

The report (Star-News) continues that Williams produced documents in Inama’s 2005 case that detailed numerous sexual experiences.  The document that was released by Mr. Williams is Kim Batt-Lincoln’s pre-sentencing interview of 17 year old Miles Inama.  I picked the report up, and recognized immediately the abusive effort to intimidate Miles and his family. 

Miles Inama complied with the treatment that resulted from the evaluation.  He went into the sentencing alone, and the family had never seen the sealed report.  This confidential report was faxed out and around to the newspapers, and its content was reported to the public.  It was talked about all through Cascade, McCall, Valley, Adams, Idaho and other Counties.   

Since Williams has nothing current or relevant to put forward, he simply tried to shame Miles and his family for having the courage to step forward and show the community what is happening to them.  In doing so he violated many privacy laws, of which Williams is fully aware.   

Mr. Williams goes on to say “I don’t believe I would be doing my job to protect the community or the one he is living in.” Who is going to protect us from Mr. Williams?  Trust and faith in the court is gone.  Releasing the document is a matter of contempt of court, not to mention civil remedy.   

I can tell you the assumptions you’re intended to make from the release of this information, would not be correct.    Pre-sentencing reports are private for many reasons.  The person that comes out on the other side of the sentence, has a whole new set of skills.  This is true of Miles Inama who should be free of this juvenile issue in his adulthood.     

There isn’t anybody who would or should trust confidential information to be shared with the court or anyone connected to it, after what Williams has done.  Swift action should be taken on behalf of the McCall City Council, Cascade City Council, and Valley County Commissioners towards removing Mr. Williams from any and all authority.   Court services can bring someone else in.   

Helen Myrick,

and the EI Board of Directors,

TC Williams and Kermit Peterson


VC & McCall Prosecutor Violates Criminal Code