Question about why the GSF is different from other LE agencies...

Luger replied noting the close supervision and close interaction with prosecuting attorneys.

Sen. Moua asked about shredding of documents. Luger replied citing his report.

Sen. Moua asked about use of confidential informants, their credibility, whether they exist.

Rep. Kohl asked about recommendation to discontinue use of multijurisdicitonal task forces. How should multijurisdictional matters be handled. "There are three models that make sense to us. First, a model based on cooperation .... you have a BCA or somewhere else that coordinates information... if you can have a mechanism at the BCA or elsewhere where everyone who is working on gang related crimes .... can come and share information.... [so] prosecutions can be coordinated.... Another, smaller versions of what was done here. You can have a multi-jurisdictional agency that is housed at a particular agency.... The third is to have something literally housed at a statewide agency.... the delineation of who's in charge, who's accountable [is clearer and determined up front]"

Rep. Leech - Question about ratio of extralegal seizures. Luger replied that he did not know because they focused on case files that were believed to be problematic.

Rep. Leech - Question on whether Luger's intention to have the legislature review forfeiture laws or also the broader matter of seizures. "The core of that recommendation comes from the saturation details ...." Example of officers seizing thousands of dollars cash on the tenuous grounds that a marijuana cigarette was found in a nearby pocket of a suspect. "Technically under the law, as written, those seizures... can be made."

In response to another question from Leech, Luger spoke at greater length about the value of having a prosecutor on site to keep investigations and police activity focused on prosecutions.

Rep. Paymar - question on whether restoration of funding caused seizures and forfeitures to drop. Luger - "Depression-era mentality" - "What happened here was a passionate view .... that they ... had to protect their money.... The mentality and the mindset is what led to the focus on forfeitures." Responding specifically to the question, Luger noted that the seizures went up when the funding was restored.

Question from Paymar whether forfeiture funding to departments should be eliminated entirely. "It is common ... for agencies to have their funding supplanted to some degree by forfeitures.... We're recommending that it not be a significant part"

Luger: A number of officers and employees refused to answer questions from investigators.

I'm taking a short break.

"When we questioned advisory board members about osme of the activity that we found. They were deeply disturbed. They never condoned the conduct we found..... The information that came out of our report was not disclosed to them. ... they were not given answers that... were accurate."

Question "are there crimes that were committed?" Luger - "... If you take something, if you're a police officer or not, ... and you take it home for your personal use, that is a crime. We believe that went on here. .... It's beyond bad police procedures. It was deeply disturbing, and it went on for many years."

Senator Julianne Ortman (R) raises a good point - If the GSF was so hard up for cash and wished to use seized funds for their operations, why did they throw all of the cash in a locked room and leave it there?

Nobles: In 202 out of 545 cases the GSF didn't notify people about their right to contest seized property.

"There were case files that were highly professional ... that contained information that case files in a criminal matter should contain ... those were the cases that were referred for prosecution.... It points out the large number of files that led nowhere."

Sen. Higgins - "These people should have the public trust.... possibly certain groups of employees, people in the pubic eye... did you think about the fact that this is corrupt behavior, not only disturbing .... downright corruption." Luger - "The evidence that we were able to gather showed that the misconduct that we found was of a nature that can be criminal and it is egregious. Terms that we used. We did not come across any evidence in our review of an officer taking money from an individual and putting it in their pocket."

... "We had no evidence of any individual taking money for themselves. Obviously we described ... individuals taking property home for their own benefit."

Cornish - question and comment supporting seizure laws, notes that in his view the problem is abuse of discretion not a problem with the law. Luger - "My experience, working with law enforcement, is that people exercise good judgement and discretion. Our laws are broad, though, and they are subject to abuse, and that concerned us. .... Our recommendation is not that the legislature should change the law. .... Is there something that can be done to tweak the law to prevent this kind of abuse, without over prescribing. "

Cornish went on to say that LE should be properly funded by the legislature if seizures are removed as a source of funding.

Sen Moua - question regarding profiling. Luger referred to his report.

Nobles - "If there were the proper supervision, would the law work? This extends to the rights of citizens..... We test 545 cases and 202 [people did not receive notices]... If he isn't served a legal notice that he has a legal right to contest that seizure.... if you're never even given notice of your rights...."

Rep. Haws - question - Luger - "some of the people from whom money was taken were undocumented aliens.... we have a handful of complaints but not a pile."

Rep. Lesch asking about the "shredding party" and the pending Federal investigation.

Rep. Paymar asking about DPS's complicity in all of this, and wonders if the fact that DPS chief Campion hired Luger without legislative approval affected his findings.

Luger: DPS did not have adequate oversight of the GSF.

Next up: Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Campion

A very chastised Campion is going to probably adapt most of Luger's recommendations.

Nobles: "The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office fiscal agent function really didn't perform much accountability or oversight at all. It simply provided a bank account."

More black eyes for Sheriff Fletcher.

Ryan and Fletcher are getting hit from every angle today. I don't know that I've heard a single thing so far that they could hang their hat on to defend themselves against charges of incompetence and corruption

EDIT : Is that Joel in the beer bottle shirt??

Sucks, web TV coverage just ended...........Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Yep, that's Joel.

This hearing is beginning to devolve a little bit into political posturing and it seems that most of the main issues have been discussed, so I'm going to end my liveblogging at this point.

Oops, web coverage just went out, so my timing was perfect.