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Highlands Today

Disgruntled Employee

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Jerry DeJonge

Published: September 21, 2008

Reference is made to the Sept. 12 article in which the sheriff's attorney, Mike Durham, described the leader of a controversial evidence audit as "a disgruntled former employee." If Mr. Newell was a disgruntled part-time employee of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office, it is apparently the first time in his reported 34 year career as a law enforcement officer that he had been, as described, "disgruntled."

If he was disgruntled, why would Sheriff Benton solicit his assistance in performing the inventory of the evidence facilities? If he wasn't disgruntled at the time of the assignment, when did he become disgruntled? Could it have happened when his competency began being attacked in April by the very agency he was trying to assist?

If the sheriff had no confidence in Newell's work in February, why didn't she order another inventory by someone she believed to be competent? A new inventory report could have been completed before she felt compelled to release a re-written, undated and un-authored report as the inventory report requested by Highlands Today, and certainly before the involvement of the state attorney seven months later.

It is one thing for an officer to have his report challenged, but it is completely unacceptable for their report to be rewritten by some anonymous person, and submitted as public record as was done in this case.

Perhaps if Sheriff Benton had not assumed that the inventory team knew what they were doing and had not "told them to stop. Wrap this up" because they, as she said, "kept chasing rabbit trails," the inventory team may have been able to complete their work. "Chasing trails," although crudely put, is what an investigator does.

There are still too many questions, too many discrepancies, and too much deflection of responsibility involved in this evidence controversy for it to just go away. Shame on Sheriff Benton for submitting this manufactured report to the public. Shame on Sheriff Benton and Mike Durham for their attempts to discredit this individual.

Newell has my admiration, sympathy and appreciation for his service and for defending his integrity.

Jerry DeJonge
Avon Park

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