The Deadline Looms

July first is tomorrow. From that point, I have exactly one week to get a story done that I've been working for weeks to finish. A story involving hours and hours of late-night surveillance, public record reviews, and hours of phone calls. And in the end, when I write up the script, I have to boil all of that work down to a three-minute report.

Three minutes.

Doesn't seem like a lot of time, but that is sometimes an eternity during a newscast. Today the average report, I would guess, is around a minute-fifteen.

Geez. I'm realizing I still have so much to in the next week for so little time!

Back to work.....
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

Caught on Camera

I can't give too much away on what I'm working on for July. One story that I've been spending a lot of time on has taken an interesting turn.

I can tell you I caught someone on camera breaking the law. I felt that the authorities needed to be told about what we caught on camera, so I'm meeting with a law enforcement officer soon.

The ball is already rolling on this story. You'll hear about it soon, I'm sure.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

Breaking News: I'm getting Hitched

Sorry Dear Readers about being absent. I haven't been blogging for awhile because I've been so busy at work gearing up for July sweeps. I've also been really focused on my personal life which has taken a new path. I proposed to Cheryl Cordova this past weekend in San Diego. We've been together for just over five years. I know this post doesn't relate to work or any stories I've done in the past, but Cheryl has been there for me and supported me through my career, which can be demanding at times.

We're planning a wedding sometime next year in June. Here she is standing next to a helicopter on the USS Midway in San Diego:

-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

Update on Illegal Dumper Attacks

Many of you remember that illegal dumper who attacked photographer Jeremy Fine and me when we confronted him. It was all caught on tape.

Eric Beyer was indicted on several felony counts as a result of ramming his truck into our news unit.

Today people still ask me about the story and what's happening to Beyer.

Yesterday I stopped by court for a minute to review his case file. I found there's a pretrial conference set for June 19th, this Thursday. I also saw in the case file that Beyer now has a public defender. His attorney has filed a witness list--a list of people he plans to call during the trial. Of course, I'm on that list along with Jeremy Fine.

Usually cases like this don't go to trial because prosecutors and defense attorneys will strike a plea deal. Plus the video evidence in this case speaks for itself. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

Guzman Poll Results In

The poll results are in! Out of 46 voters (I expected less, to be honest), the majority of you (73%) said Officer Guzman should be terminated for attacking KOB-TV photographer Rick Foley.

21 percent of you feel Guzman should be suspended without pay, while only a small sliver of you believe a written warning or no punishment (1%, 2% respectively) is enough.

I'm not sure what punitive action the police department should take against Guzman.

I think I have enough faith in the independent review officer to make a fair recommendation to APD's top brass. Whenever that will happens is uncertain, but it's not going to be quick.

I predict Guzman will get suspended without pay and a written warning, considering his rookie status.

I also suspect there will be a brush-up on training for police officers regarding media access at crime scenes, also at the recommendation of the IRO.

Whatever the case, the actions of Guzman should certainly not reflect on the character of the whole department. I know some officers within APD who have secretly expressed their disappointment to me, saying Guzman made a mistake.

What could possibly be dangerous is the precedent the IRO's decision will set. If the punishment is light, that would send the wrong message to all other officers out in the field. I would expect more aggressiveness from officers in the field if Guzman gets a light punishment, like a written warning.

If the punishment is just and fair (suspension without pay, or even termination), that would send a strong message.

I'm crossing my fingers that the independent review officer will make a good decision based on all the facts---the most compelling fact of all is the video, and as you all saw, that video speaks for itself.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

Working in Santa Rosa, New Mexico

As I write this, I'm more than an hour-and-a-half east of Albuquerque, sitting in a Santa Rosa, New Mexico coffee shop waiting to meet a source (I won't give away what I'm working on). Thankfully there's a wireless signal here. It's amazing how dependent I've become on the internet to find elements for a story. Even here in Santa Rosa, I can connect to online court databases, and find case numbers that will correspond to cases I'm looking for here in town.

I love working in small towns, especially when it comes to digging up documents and looking for people to talk to. Everybody knows everybody. Today I was able to visit three government offices, all of them within a block of each other. I also find people in smaller towns to be more open with me. There's not as much bureaucracy here.

Usually I like to make bureaucracy my friend, because where there's bureaucracy, there are paper trails. Red tape? Bring it on. More for me to look at.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

One Day Left In Poll

As you can see on the right side of this blog, there is a poll. One day left to vote. I'm not expecting a lot of people to vote on this, since this blog doesn't get an extraordinary amount of traffic. But still, it will be interesting to see what people think what should happen to Officer Guzman.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

ABQ Journal Editorial Nails It

The fallout continues as more bloggers and websites across the country pick up the story/footage regarding the altercation between a KOB-TV photographer and an Albuquerque police officer.

I didn't catch this editorial by the Albuquerque Journal (subscription) until today.

Here's a a clip from the editorial titled, Is It So Hard for APD To Police Its Own?:

This is what we're forking over $58,000 a year for? An officer with a badge and a gun and a temperment that can't handle a sarcastic comment from a law-abiding cameraman? What happens when a drunk gets belligerent and mouthy? When a criminal is truly dangerous?
Or when there's no camera to record everything?

The ABQ Journal nailed it. Officer D. Guzman's actions have unfortunately casted a shadow of doubt over interactions between police and people. I can only imagine those who may have been falsely arrested simply because an officer couldn't handle a sarcastic comment.

In police assault cases, it's an officer's words against another citizen's. In most cases, police will always win because fellow officers will sign witness statements corroborating what's laid out in a police report.

But this time, I don't think Officer Guzman will get away with his attack on cameraman Rick Foley. This time there's video evidence the officer can't control. The footage speaks for itself.

There was no verbal warning, no order given by Guzman to Foley. This was a simple attack without warning.

Never have I had a problem with older police officers out in the field. I have had arguments with police over access issues in the past, most of them with younger officers who obviously haven't been seasoned by the streets and experiences with the press.

Punitive action is needed and possibly more training to younger, new officers about press access.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

Newspaper Picks Up "Laziness" Remarks

Last week the Silver City Sun picked up my remarks about what appears to be laziness at the Grant County Detention Center.

Here's my posting from last month.

You may remember I found that some people involved in the Children Youth and Families scandal were booked at the jail according to court records.

When I called the jail last month and requested the mug shot of suspect Andrea Munoz, the corrections officer on the other end of the line acknowledged that Munoz was booked in January. However, the corrections officer told me her photo was "unavailable." She couldn't explain why, but said sometimes the guards "get lazy" and don't take photos of inmates.

Not taking care of the details at a jail is something that needs to be fixed. The jail later claimed the photos I requested were "corrupted" because of a new computer system. I believe that's a flimsy excuse.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com

Cop vs. Photographer Video Hot Topic

News spreads fast. On the net, that's an understatement.

Thursday's caught-on-tape altercation between KOB-TV photographer Rick Foley and Albuquerque Police Officer D. Guzman has now become internet infamous.

It's been on digg.com. That's huge in the internet universe.

A Google search shows countless hits.

Even my blog here saw nearly two-thousand visitors on Thursday (which is A LOT and a record for my website).

And on the KOB.com forums, I've never seen so many comments (more than 1,100 now).

My tip-line and email have also been full of comments from angry people. Some side with Guzman, others side with Foley.

One man even offered the station 100 dollars to help Foley pay for an attorney.

Another angry anonymous writer claimed to be an officer and wrote Foley "got what he deserved."

It's obvious this video is hitting a nerve with the public and the police.
-----------------------------
jeremyjojola.com