Police Search Warrants: a Thing of the Past in Bakersfield California?

Just as Every Cop is a Criminal, and All the Sinners, Saints... - Rolling Stones

(BAKERSFIELD) - When police become sanctioned criminals, you can bet that you are watching the final act in a very deceptive play- one that never was anything close to what it seemed.

I keep trying to tell myself that things aren't as bad as they seem in this country; we ditched the clown from Texas and elected a smart guy for President, but are we better off?

Not in Bakersfield, California. The cops there have always been fairly criminal in nature.

"This is my home where my family has lived for 70 years". Those words from a woman whose home was literally invaded by police; refusing for the most part, to identify themselves.

I remember early in my career in TV news, that reporters and photographers in this eastern section of California were subjected to illegal police activity frequently. The thing people need to understand, is that illegal cops lead to taxpayer lawsuits, every day in this nation.

Cops work so hard to defend and protect cops that they lose site of the real price tag police abuse represents. The victim pays for it, the taxpayer pays for it, and the guilty cops pay the least, that is if they are ever actually caught or convicted.

The video clip included with this report shows something truly outrageous. Kern County deputies in Bakersfield and a federal marshal enter a lone woman's home without a search warrant just like storm troopers.

They defy all understanding of law in this nation, and if Kern county had any integrity at all, these illegal goons with badges, would all be standing in the unemployment line Monday morning.

Police in Bakersfield search a woman's home without a warrant.
The woman's home was entered by the deputies and a a bail bonds
enforcement officer who said that they "don't need a warrant".

While they claim to be looking for a man who has a warrant, he is not in the residence and the woman very clearly tells them. She's not bad with a video camera, and she stands up to the bully illegal cops who claim that they "don't need a search warrant".

The woman in Bakersfield says she has received threats for videotaping the police and posting the clips on YouTube. She is only using the name 'Star' to identify herself.

And it might be far worse than it even appears, according to Bakersfield's KGET Channel 17. They say the deputies were seeking to arrest a man who has information about some top local officials.

"Authorities were looking for Joseph Baker who was arrested for battery on a peace officer in September. They were also looking for a man named Alan Gjurovich because he co-signed on Baker's bail bond which Baker forfeited by not showing up in court. Gjurovich is in hiding but spoke to 17 News by phone. He said the sheriff's department is trying to stop him from filing a lawsuit against the county that could damage county judge and clerks' credibility."

Star says she was home alone at 6:00 a.m. when the deputies rolled up to her home.

"I was alone and they were looking for Joe, the man they beat up on the roadside a few months ago in Bakersfield, California."

I am not sure, but in watching the video with Mr. Joe Baker, and hearing the description of the way he was severely beaten by police, I understand why people are increasingly becoming totally distrusting of law enforcement altogether. By and large, police exist to defend the rights of people on a higher economic scale, and to simultaenously trample the rights of those who have less.

This is who the police wanted to arrest; listen to him describe what
happened; deputies are accused of committing numerous illegal acts.

Star said, "Then they went to my friend Alan's dad's house where he was and approached him with guns at his head and threatened to 'RIG' a drug test on him to frame him for something. They also said they would kill Joe if they find him. They refused to identify themselves and when I asked one if he was a robot.. he replied 'YES'!"

"They said they had a warrant but when I demanded to see it, they then retracted their statement and said 'We don't NEED a warrant!!' They threatened to arrest me.. and tried to ORDER ME in my private home to "{back off" of them. See for yourself if I backed off... I do not follow orders of color of law nazi military agents.. they have NO AUTHORITY and NO JURISDICTION."

Kern County has now launched an internal investigation over the matter, but I wouldn't hold my breath. This is a right wing political community that in all likelihood will do absolutely nothing. That is what corrupt systems do. The actions of the deputies and their federal agent buddy, are probably a daily occurrence, but I'd say their day is coming.

'Bakes' as we call them in the coastal communities of California, are people living in a time warp. It can't last forever, the place is too close to the civilized cities of the Southland. There are cool people here, but Bakersfield still has a lot of yee haws. They're the Dust Bowl families who bailed from the middle of the country during the Great Depression.

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Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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Brandon July 2, 2012 3:07 am (Pacific time)

"'Bakes' as we call them in the coastal communities of California, are people living in a time warp. It can't last forever, the place is too close to the civilized cities of the Southland. There are cool people here, but Bakersfield still has a lot of yee haws. They're the Dust Bowl families who bailed from the middle of the country during the Great Depression."

Wow that is one of the most ignorant, inaccurate things I have ever read from a supposed member of the press.
First off I was born and raised "in the coastal community" 2 hours west of Bakersfield, and have resided in Bakersfield the last year. Kids on the coast refer to people from Bakersfield as "Bakos" not "Bakes", minor mistake. It is hilarious and demonstrates how little you actually know when you had the audacity to refer cities in the "Southland" as civilized LMFAO!! The only time warp comes from your lack of accurate information, skill, and objectivity when writing, NOT the people of Bakersfield. WoW! You actually referred to people here as "dust bowl families" and "yee haws",what are you in 9th grade? It's pretty apparent that in your tiny little closed mind you probably don't realize how pretentious, unprofessional,and offensive your statements are, AND IM NOT EVEN FROM BAKERSFIELD.
Let me enlighten you on a few more things before I'm done with you. Contrary to what you think you know about the people of Bakersfield, the vast majority are some of the hardest working, honest people living in some of the most close knit, community minded neighborhoods I have ever seen. Not to mention its one of the last affordable places to live in the state of California for middle/ lower middle class families. So please, remove your head from your ass the next time you go running your virtual mouth.
Lastly, I am a licensed Bail Agent working in Bakersfield and I hate to burst your bubble but once again your information is incorrect (big surprise).
Perhaps you should read "Taylor v. Taintor - 83 U.S. 366 (1872)" sometime? Maybe if you actually READ the case law created from this US Supreme Court decision you would understand EVERYTHING about bail bonds and what Bail Agents can and can't do. Probably a waste of time explaining this to you, because you seem to enjoy taking inaccurate information and running with it, but I'll do it anyway.
Bail bondsmen, in many instances, have a greater license to arrest than local law enforcement specifically when it comes to fugitives at large that are on bail, and the requirement Law Enforcement has to obtain warrants barring exigent circumstances that would enable to enter without a warrant. Law Enforcement also is required to "knock and notice" to identify themselves, Bail Agents and Bail Enforcement Agents are not required to do this. However, minus the knocking we always identify ourselves upon contact with anyone. In this case the Sheriff's Deputies were there assisting the Bail Agent, why might you ask? "The bondsman may at any time cancel the bail privilege and return the defendant to confinement a bail bond agent may choose to hire an en\forces to being in the defendant. Bondsmen or their agents are not required to obtained additional warrants or extradition papers." Taylor v. Taintor---- PER THE US SUPREME COURT BAIL AGENTS DO NOT NEED A WARRANT!! Neither do the Deputies who are there ASSISTING the AGENT. And god bless the Kern County Sheriff's Department for actually working with Bail Agents because most LE Agencies will not, and tragedies like this can happen: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/stateandid=8640360. One of the Bail Agents killed had been back from Iraq 1 week after serving his country!! I know it's hard for a mislead, sub-par reporter to understand why the mean Bail Agent and mean Deputies were all business. "She said he wasn't in the house" DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'M TOLD THIS AND THEY'RE HIDING IN THE CLOSET?? Common sense my man, what are they supposed to do? Oh no guys lets leave she said he wasn't here LOL. The other person that had posted was correct, she was one of the co-signers on the bond and had therefore agreed to search and recovery of the defendant should he/she have the bond revoked. EVEN IF, the US Supreme Court ruled that no warrant was needed, no warrant was needed.... Not a new US Supreme Court decision either it's from 1872!!
Oh and Tim just so you know this case, and all the attorneys that would be fighting over taking it.... The Deputies were cleared and no civil lawsuit was ever pursued.... I'm sure you would argue that its a big conspiracy theory masterminded and covered up by KCSO, Kern County, or maybe even the Illuminati you are after all part of the media, and especially in this case there is what is being reported and reality.........

Anonymous April 11, 2010 12:47 pm (Pacific time)

I live in Porterville and we have the same issue going on. Only 45 minutes from Bakersfield. We have a young boy shot and killed in January in his home in front of his mother. He was not armed. Orignially pulled over for no light on his bicycle. Internal investigation was done and of course the officers were found within their rights to kill this young defenseless boy. We have several of these cases in our town right now. How do you get the Attorney General to step in and investigate these officers??

Todd April 6, 2010 7:58 am (Pacific time)

"They won't identify themselves They have no business cards They do not offer badge numbers" Okay, how would you know their actually law enforcement?

douglas benson April 6, 2010 6:57 am (Pacific time)

Lawsuit time! While it is true no warrant is needed that person had best be there or they are in hot hot water . Bounty hunters know this ,just one time and they are out of business so they make sure that the person is there . The big problem is no personal accountability for thier actions .I know some folks in law enforcement and by thier own admission they do whatever they want .They know the DA will never file a criminal charges against them try filing a criminal complaint good luck .Even if they break the rules ,most of the time the suspect has no money for a lawyer or they are charged with something giving them a tool to bargain with . Then even if they win the officers are not footing the bill and they "got thier man" so who cares right ?

Heather April 5, 2010 3:06 pm (Pacific time)

I don't know the specifics of this case, but unfortunately bail bondsmen *don't* actually need warrants. When you sign a bail agreement, you are basically signing away your rights and giving the bail bondsmen (bounty hunter) written permission to hunt you down no matter where you are in order to bring you to court so they can reclaim the money the put up in your name. Something most people don't fully realize when they purchase a bond. The officers' behavior, on the other hand, is certainly suspect because the police are actually bound by stricter rules.

Tim King: Heather, I do know a couple of bail bondsmen and I understand there are some particular rules that accompany that role. It seems like it could have been handled in a different way, and when police are not intimidated by a video camera, they are overconfident to a real measurable fault. Thanks for your comment.

Daniel April 5, 2010 9:14 am (Pacific time)

Tim I did quite a bit of reading on this and Duncan is correct . When the woman's son took bail money and signed the paper listing her house on it he lost all rights . Bondsmen are under a diffrent set of laws spelled out in the paper you sign to get their money . It was poor police work but not illegal because of the bail agreement .

Vic April 5, 2010 8:13 am (Pacific time)

Every time I have had interactions with the police..(not always as the bad guy)..I was given a business card with the deputies name , phone # etc...Marion Country Sheriffs Deputies all have them. Uniforms are easy to get...if anyone who flashes a badge can break into your house, that aint good. This stinks !

bob April 5, 2010 7:55 am (Pacific time)

its better to remove this people to their jobs , their very dangerous this activity is like a regular CRIMINAL

Duncan April 4, 2010 11:45 pm (Pacific time)

Sorry for the repeat, thought my first comment had disappeared into the system as neither it nor the 'pending' message were visible when I checked back.

If all it took was a friend saying 'He's not here' to void the bailees pre-permission to enter/search his property/residence when he skips on his bail, then no one would get bail, and many presumed innocent citizens would spend unnecessary months in jail until completely cleared.

There's no shortage of real police misbehavior to report on (just saw a 50 min film of police caught on film brutalizing citizens, or lying to and intimidating undercover reporters posing as citizens who just wanted a complaint form without having to explain who they were or why they wanted it). So I wouldn't be surprised if there were problems with the underlying charges, but dramatizing the wrong part of the story poorly serves the readers and discredits those with legitimate complaints.

Editor: Duncan, you saw that the officers didn't present badge numbers; they said she invited them in when she didn't. Only one mumbled his identification. This makes people lose so much faith that even if it were somehow legal, it is a terrible example of not just how our rights have been eroded under the last two presidencies, but that LE officials are willing to exploit the most fascist aspects of government. Deputies operating in the light don't need to hide their identities the way these men did. At this point I am not even sure if the guy in gray is a cop.. I guess he isn't? I assumed him to be a federal marshal, but these are the kind of cops that have plenty to hide by the way it seems. I know a lot of good cops, and none would fail to identify themselves to a homeowner and enter without the proper documentation signed by a judge. Even if your point was true, they failed to show the arrest warrant. Barney Fife looks like a real pro next to these guys, from the perspective of an American.

Duncan April 4, 2010 6:41 pm (Pacific time)

Just watched the 1st vid above, not 100% certain why this is a story. It sounds like this was the home address of someone who skipped on their bail, and bail agents don't need a warrant to enter that individual's property/residence to get them (as per their bail agreement that allowed them out of jail in first place). It only takes one resident to admit someone into a shared residence, and they effectively have that from the bail agreement, regardless of the feelings of other residents. Aside from scary 'knocking', and a curt manner, what else is her complaint here, except with the bailee who gave that address as his residence? Of course, she is using the verbage of those who deny federal law applies to them at all (Sovereign citizen movement), so hard to say what her expectations might be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_citizen_movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounty_hunter

Editor: I'm sorry, what country do you live in? I'm sure things are different where you are, the United States has something called "Right to Privacy" and it is one of our most essential freedoms. You might want to go back to that... square one so to speak, and take it from the top. Clear as day to anyone who watches this, is the fact that the woman says the guy is not there. As an American, I can't even begin to tell you what a complete and total violation of our rights this is. We already expect police to come here and stick up for this type of Civil Right violation, so you are no surprise, but I wouldn't try to get very far with that argument.

Jeff Kaye~ April 4, 2010 5:05 pm (Pacific time)

"Under federal law" as this idiot misquotes, agents are indeed required to have signed warrants unless in "hot pursuit" of a fleeing felon or suspected such. They must present a warrant upon request, as well as their credentials with their names clearly visible to go with their badges. Star totally nailed them, and I hope she follows up on her lawsuit. It's a no-brainer that they can't possibly win. They are easily identifiable by their faces on video, violating her 4th amendment right to be secure in her home. Forcible entry is just the beginning. A few good lawyers should be wrangling over who gets this case by now. The days of the "old boy old west" are over in Bakersfield. I know of a certain federal agent who hails from there who will be downright disgusted when he sees this.

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