An armed government worker has been caught serially planting evidence – arbitrarily illegal “drugs” – in people’s cars, in order to “bust” them and thereby portray himself as a “hero.”
The “hero” is Zach Wester. He faces 76 criminal charges including fabricating evidence, false imprisonment and drug possession. In January, more charges were added after five more victims of his evidence-planting were discovered.
Wester’s technique was to plant drugs in people’s cars during what seemed to be routine traffic stops. More than 100 people have been being wrongly charged.
According to local news coverage, there is video footage of Wester planting evidence and then taunting drivers. The idiot thug wasn’t even smart enough to turn off his body camera.
Prosecutors with the 14th Judicial Circuit said they have gone through about 300 of the cases Wester worked and dropped charges in about 120 of them.
Why not all of them?
There used to be a legal doctrine – fruit of the poisoned tree – which held that any evidence obtained as the result of an illegal search could not b sued to establish guilt. Well, why not fruit of the poisonous AGW – on the same basis? How can any “evidence” adduced by a criminal thug such as Wester, who has established his mendacity and maliciousness, be considered other-than-tainted?
And even if the evidence seems to be legitimate regardless, would it not serve as a useful deterrent to AGWs abusing their authority if it were policy that every single person previously convicted of something – whether of jaywalking or more serious – on the basis of evidence collected by an abuser AGW had their convictions automatically overturned and all fines refunded, with interest?
Of course, it’ll never happen – because the system doesn’t want AGWs to be held accountable. Because it would impede the function of AGWs – which is to instill fear of arbitrary, unaccountable authority in the populace.
If this were not so, then AGWs would be held to at least the same standard of conduct – and accountability – that the rest of us are.
The fact that they are held to a much lesser standard is as telling as it is depressing.
…
Got a question about cars, Libertarian politics – or anything else? Click on the “ask Eric” link and send ’em in!
If you like what you’ve found here please consider supporting EPautos.
We depend on you to keep the wheels turning!
Our donate button is here.
If you prefer not to use PayPal, our mailing address is:
EPautos
721 Hummingbird Lane SE
Copper Hill, VA 24079
PS: Get an EPautos magnet or sticker or coaster in return for a $20 or more one-time donation or a $10 or more monthly recurring donation. (Please be sure to tell us you want a magnet or sticker or coaster – and also, provide an address, so we know where to mail the thing!)
My latest eBook is also available for your favorite price – free! Click here. If that fails, email me at EPeters952@yahoo.com and I will send you a copy directly!
AGW authorities are more upset he was caught than they are by what he did. Such act does not exceed their non existent moral boundary, and is in fact more likely to be their standard operating procedure.
That said I’m sure the redneck nazis there have incentives and bonuses for this type of arrest record. So he was basically just followiing orders.
Of course its florida where almost every wacko crime job comes from. He deserves to be twoed from the back of a car for 50 miles.
Jackson County, where ?????
Tallahassee Florida
“Of course, it’ll never happen – because the system doesn’t want AGWs to be held accountable. ”
And because they want to keep the money they have stolen under the United States Department of Justus Asset Forfeiture law brought to you by the Land of the free, home of the brave folks,,, all ‘legal’ of course.
ken, that would be “Land of the fee, home of the slave”.
Yeah, I remember this monster. He’d be really nice and ask to search a car and if somebody didn’t want it, he’d “call the dogs” and he had plenty of help doing this(to quote Paul Harvey “and now, the rest of the story”) Yeah Paul, you were a lying POS too.
It seems he was from a highly thought of “law enforcement family”. Obviously, this was where their lack of morals shows itself. And there’s many more waiting in the wings to take his place.