FIRED CHIPPIE ORDERED REINSTATED, TWO MORE LIKELY TO FOLLOW

by Bob Walsh

It was quite a big deal locally four years ago. Three CHP officers were accused of participation in a murder for hire scheme set up by a local defense attorney. The dead guy was believed to be a scrap metal thief.

A few days ago local attorney Frank Carson and two liquor stores were found NOT GUILTY in the case. so was Eduardo Quintanar, one of the former CHP officers. The SPB has ordered him reinstated.

Two other CHP officers are still facing charges in the case, though under the circumstances it seems likely that the charges against them will be unsupportable in light of the NOT GUILTY findings of the principle defendants.

Quintanar was, at the time, a 12-year veteran of the Highway Patrol. He has since filed a lawsuit in federal court against various law enforcement officials in Stanislaus County.

The other officers, Walter Wells and Scott McFarlane were accused of obstruction and accessory to murder. Wells was held in custody for 16 months, until his bail was reduced from $10 million to $50,000.

Wells is scheduled back in court for a pretrial hearing soon, as is McFarlane.

Thus far the CHP has refused to obey the SPB directive to return Quintanar to duty. If I remember their contract clearly, the employer is required to go along with a not guilty finding by a court and presume the accused is in fact not guilty of the charge against him. Since the contract is ratified by the legislature and the governor it has the force of law. Slow-dragging the issue could end up causing the state and the CHP a world of financial grief.

Just goes to show you. If the Commissioner goes on TV and screams to the rafters about what a bunch of rat-bastards used to work for him and how they were rooted out, and it turns out to be horseshit, the Commissioner can end up looking really stupid.