New Haven Independent

Posted by: New Haven Tea Party | October 26, 2007 11:01 PM

Let's be crystal clear: Billy White had neither a distinguished law career nor did he serve this city faithfully for all that time. We will never know the full extent of his illegal activities - we only know what lawmen caught him doing. I find it hard to believe Mr. White spent all that time doing good deeds, and in just a few moments of greed and weakness, caved to crime. To hear defense attorneys tell it, his work has been shoddy and questionable for many years - and his brutality has cost taxpayers tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As for his performance in court - it looks like Billy White may be headed to a career on the stage when he's released to enjoy the generous pension and medical benefits provided by taxpayers. It reminded me of that mafia guy in New York who acted crazy all the time, walking around in his pajamas and mumbling. They finally busted him too. Missing the pjs, White mumbled and sniffled in court and his attorney said he's depressed. Me too...for totally different reasons.

Posted by: Bill Heinrichs | October 27, 2007 8:52 AM

Mr. White faces a long sentence: 48 months is very long for a man who is sixty-three years old.
Unfortunately, most of us have become conditioned to viewing 48 months as a short sentence. Our mandatory sentencing requirements and sentence amplifiers for crimes involving drugs or weapons in high crime areas have made us less sensitive to the pain and devastation which ten year and even longer sentences place on families. It is just as unfortunate that as taxpayers we are spending a fortune on long sentences. I would urge our lawmakers to revisit sentencing reform and consider reducing the provisions for nonviolent crime sentences.

- Bill Heinrichs, Esq.
Cheshire, Connecticut

Posted by: In the Hood | October 27, 2007 11:54 AM

hummm! It is more than interesting that we don't see the level of outrage in this comment section as we have heard in the Babz Rawls-Ivy case! Very interesting!

Posted by: Diane Polan | October 27, 2007 11:37 PM

One correction to the story: Although the federal sentencing guidelines do call for a sentencing range of 37 to 46 months, the guidelines are now "advisory," rather than mandatory. What that means is that the judge can go above or below that range. Your story correctly stated that White's lawyer can argue for a shorter sentence, but left the erroneous impression that the government cannot argue for a higher sentence and that the judge cannot give him more than four years. In fact, the government is likely to seek a higher sentence unless White is "cooperating" i.e. snitching, or decides to start before he's sentenced.

Posted by: marge | October 29, 2007 8:12 AM

Diane, I am worried that the government is not interested in requiring White to cooperate.

Despite having him red handed and having no need to compromise in plea negotiations, his plea agreement not only doesn't require his cooperation, it allows him the ability to appeal some things.

That concerns me. O'Connor describing his past career as a distinguished one when that isn't the case ...

Makes you wonder if their heart strings are pulled by a fellow they worked with for so many years and whether too they have the heart to go after more than they absolutely have to with this investigation.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | October 29, 2007 9:07 AM

In the Hood

I think the lack of commenting is because we are sick of it! We need to move on and get this city back up and running. The problem is they are waiting till after elections for a few more of these high level arrests. The other thing...at least for some of us is Billy's wife. Who is a wonderful woman. Most dearly respected by many. We know he is scum but she is not. And yes at one time He was a recluse cop but he took alot of crime of the streets of the city. He was just on the streets to long. So as much as we blame billy it is also the system that allowed a man to be out that long's fault to. Grant it be 48 is not long enough to me but that is what the courts ordered and the sad thing is that there may be some bad guys let out because of this whole thing, which really ticks me off.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | October 29, 2007 4:50 PM

In The Hood
Billy White Took 15,000 And Will Be Going Away For 48 Months, Babz Rawls Ivy Took 49,000.00 And Got 30 Months And Mock And Call Us Kittens And This Is The Same Judge That Sentence Her!!!

Posted by: Edward_H | October 29, 2007 5:06 PM

CEDARHILLRESIDENT

Excellent points as always. I might write your name in for Mayor!!

IN THE HOOD

hummm! It is more than interesting that we don't see the level of outrage in this comment section as we have heard in the Babz Rawls-Ivy case! Very interesting!

Much of the outrage you are referring to are people who posted in response to others who were either defending her or ,like yourself, telling everyone to "... forgive..and let live."

Also you may have forgotten Babz herself would post comments and fan the flames with incredibly arrogant and self righteous responses to those who were rightfully disgusted by her actions.

Maybe this will refresh you memory

http://newhavenindependent.org/archives/2007/07/former_alderwom.php

If Billy White were stupid enough to post some pompous comments here you would see the same outrage.

Posted by: Edward_H | October 29, 2007 5:10 PM

Bill Heinrichs

Mr. White faces a long sentence: 48 months is very long for a man who is sixty-three years old.

He should have thought about that before he decided to break the law. Just like any other criminal this low life Billy White and his cronies are sure to have committed numerous other crimes we will never know about.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | October 30, 2007 10:29 AM

Ed
Hmmm "cedarhillresident" for Mayor....I like it :)
I have my own candidate running, a 4th one, a write in...
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/happypixie36/captian22.gif

But
hmmm same judge as our sightly off balanced friend babz.... really makes you wonder about that judge. Hmmm someone should check her conviction and sentencing record!

Posted by: marge | October 30, 2007 1:25 PM

It's not the same judge at all. Babz judge was in Bridgeport.

There was more criticism because 1. it was her sentencing and people came to speak for her 2. they thumbed the press when they left the courthouse. 3. they posted on the blog renouncing a good portion of the remorse they showed the judge. 4. her restitution terms were better than on a student loan. 5. her punishment was incredibly light.

to cedar - he wasn't on the street too long when he got in trouble for the fake cocaine. that was what, 1972?

I don't think just moving on without thoroughly fixing the system is a good idea. You are too eager to move on. We will repeat our mistakes. This afterall was repeat of last scandal because we wouldn't make the changes needed then, back in late 70s, early 80s.

Posted by: robn | October 30, 2007 3:02 PM

I don't think that this story is as simple as everyone thinks. Billy White may have been corrupt, but he also put away a lot of gang members in the early 90's. Its really easy for citizens to get self-righteous now, when New Haven downtown feels more safe than it did 20 years ago, but don't forget...we threw Billy White in the pigsty... so don't be surprisd that he came out with some mud on him.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | October 30, 2007 4:55 PM

robn
I think that was some of my point. When someone goes UC in the narc world alot you have to be able to fit in, I don't care who you are it does damage to a person. Our police dept. owes all cops some kind of protection from them selves. And that was not given to this man in my view. Yes he is responsible for the crime he commits, and yes I think he should do more time than given. But what should the police dept be doing to protect there officers from temptation....not leaving them in that type of department for so long!!

marge
Your right the police dept needs to fix the system We all know that and they are working on it....with all eyes watching... when I say move on I mean lets stop using this as an excuse for the crime in the street let CLEAN new haven now we have to move froward while they are fixing the system. We can't stand still. I am to young to know about billy in the 70's I remember the 80 and 90 and that he and a few cops crossed the line a bit but cleaned this city up.

Posted by: bjfair | October 30, 2007 5:04 PM

Please put down the tissue. Billy deserves no sympathy. He has been corrupt since the 1970's. He's been engaged in decades of unchecked criminal enterprising from within NHPD. Did you read the conversations he had with the informant. He has groomed a many officer to join his criminal enterprise. Did you read where one officer was making so much money that he hadn't cashed his paycheck in 9 months? Please.Stealing, lying, robbing, setting up people was second nature to these thugs. And by the way because he COULD get up to 48 months does not mean that he will do a day. I don't think Billy will get any time to serve and if he does it will be minimal and he will serve his little time as Rowland did in a convent or a medical facility. He certainly won't be treated like other criminals and once he comes home he will have a $91,000 pension to lay back and enjoy for the rest of his life. And who says crime doesn't pay? He and his thug crew have proven that wrong.

Posted by: robn | October 31, 2007 1:33 PM

bjfair

Does Billy White deserve sympathy for the loss of his son who was assasinated by the Latin Kings? Can you relate to us any comparable formative workplace experience you've had? To preserve your peaceful way of life, sheilded from the reality of murderous drug traffickers, you want the cops to wrestle with pigs but you express surprise that they get muddy...

Posted by: Marge | October 31, 2007 5:43 PM

Robn, I guess I disagree with you.

I have zero sympathy for him. I am outraged by him.

I sympathize with amy father who lost a son, but that is totally irrelevant to my mind. I know you don't agree with that.

As to it not being so simple - i agree but take it a step further - it is even more complicated.

Almost everyone is touting the fact, the fact, that his practice of "framing the guilty guy" and the innocent guys who happened to get in the way, was effective at cleaning up the streets.

The presumption of guilt is effective.

think about that. Just think about that.

Only a moral imbecile would praise billy white and there is no shortage of them. I am sure his sentencing hearing will be packed with them and will make up the most perfect group picture of a second-rate city of lost souls that I have ever seen in my life.

Don't anyone with these views preach to me about justice, please.

Posted by: marge | October 31, 2007 6:11 PM

BTW, I want to praise Mike Dearington for finally getting some guts and sending that letter to PD and getting going on some moral leadership, however belated.

I also request that he release similar letters he sent in the past. Whoever got the rediculous notion that the community doesn't have the right to know about these decisions, the right to see these letters, the right to know what files he is reviewing and the right to make informed decisions about them is truly distracted.

Now we have a perfect showdown with PD - and it looks like they are repeating the same brilliant mistake they made to keep billy, a guy who also couldn't take the witness stand anymore.

Now if he can only get his prosecutors to understand they DON'T WORK FOR NH CORP. COUNSEL, maybe this city can get somewhere.

Posted by: Marged out | October 31, 2007 6:24 PM

OK, final note - to PD union.

I am pro union.
I also think it is a union steward's job to fight for each officer's grievance.

But unfortunately, the community can't deal with dirty cops, period.

So I call on New Haveners to hold the PD union's feet to the fire, and declare, in solidarity, that we, New Haven voters, will not vote for the political candidates the union endorses until the union comes forward with statements that it actually cares about police corruption (there's been not one comment from the membership or its leaders about this, not one); and comes up with a plan to establish and maintain a clean membership.

That means, of course, Cavalieri and the entire membership changes their tune.

The union got its way with Billy for 39 years and it was as dirty a way as it gets.

Posted by: robn | November 1, 2007 9:53 AM

Marge,

Don't mistake my sympathy for Billy for complacency. I agree with you that police should follow procedure becuase if they don't, "presumed innocence" is thrown out the window and we have a stasi instead of a police force. I join you in pressuring the PD to take a hard look at the way officers behave in the field.

To the point Billy White and others were out in the field fighting a war against violent crack dealers... now that their numbers are diminished, its way too easy for pundits to have 20/20 hindsight about the way that war was fought. Maybe you're right, but until the evidence is in, it remains to be seen whether ALL, SOME, a MINORITY or a MAJORITY of Billy Whites collars were legit or not.

Posted by: veryconcernedcitizen | November 1, 2007 6:34 PM

If you have a major division head (Billy)meeting with the chief daily...or more...(hmmm..how many meetings is that..HUNDREDS isn't it????!!!!!!!!!. And the chief didnt have a CLUE? Or is the leadership so weak in the PD that there never was control? I would definately question the leadership. If you can find it.

Posted by: bjfair | November 2, 2007 12:32 PM

Robn: I hate to burst your bubble but Billy White and his band of thieves did not contribute to one peaceful moment of my life. It's dirty cops like he who made our lives pure hell.He did what he did for power and greed. He was nt protecting me and anyone else. For decades way too many people had reported that Billy and his crew had planted drugs and stole money. The community's cries fell on deaf ears.It was actually proven that he was a liar in a 2005 drug case and yet he returned to duty. The union and NHPD are responsible for his continued criminal behavior. Have you read the affadavit? The government informant just gave us a very brief report of White's criminal activities. Imagine if they had investigated he and his crew over years when they were arresting and putting people away just because they didn't like them and had the awesome power to do so. Your scary story about the violent crack dealers is so pitiful. Many of us who lived in the community know that these thugs (Billy and his crew) are far more violent and dangerous because they have badges, police commission. state' atty and the union to protect them. We needed protection from these thugs just as much or more so than from violent drug dealers. At least drug dealers went to prison. White and his band of thieves continued to build their criminal enterprise. Until you have walked in my shoes don't talk to me about sympathy for this thug. He had none for those he hurt. Anyone who knows me knows that I am generally a very forgiving person but it's difficult to sympathize with someone who clearly has no remorse for what they have done. His concern since the scandal broke has been to get all the money he can so that he and his family can continue in the lavish lifestyle that they have become accustomed to. We have all had to face hardship, loss and pain in life but we didn't choose to systematically destroy the lives of so many people just because of the awesome power to do so.The pain of losing a child is something i can relate. I lost a child also but that loss did not excuse criminal behavior. He created his hell. I only wish there was a way to prevent him from living off the community he hurt for the rest of his life. $91,000 for life. What a payoff for leading a life of crime!!

Posted by: marge back in | November 5, 2007 3:06 AM

Hi Robn,

I wish it were possible to get all the evidence in and weigh, ultimately, whether Billy White added to crime or reduced it.

Mike Dearington is not reviewing every questionable conviction with a scrub brush. He can't because when the mentor and leader of a unit is corrupt, the work of the entire unit becomes suspect. Michael Dearington's rather mysterious and secretive review of convictions, presumably, is looking at cases directly linked to papers with White's signature, or testimony, or Kasperzyk's, or the other guy they recently busted. That's my rough estimate.

Its a little illogical to assume White had a direct affect on reducing crime in New Haven. How do you know? Because his friends say so? Because damage control spins it that way to save face? Because the city is more peaceful now than in 1985? Talk about guesstimating. The arrest affidavit would suggest otherwise. And the fact is, there is no accountability or knowing when the very justice process that creates our ability to know is chucked in favor of giving a criminal tyrant reign for years, at his discretion.

What are the results? - arrests? Isn't it easy to keep the 'numbers' up when you dispense with the tools to determine whether you are arresting the right person, or worse? (The most important tool being an honest cop?) New Haven sold out. The surprise the mayor expresses publicly is demonstrably fake.

To those who say he really cleaned up the city, I say, give me one example. Point to which cases. If you can name a case, and get access to the prosecutors' file, how many do you think have evidence that could truly be said independently confirm the evidence provided by Billy and his team, so that reliance on their word isn't crucial? I can tell you that such cases are rare. Billy's arrest was one of those rarities -- they had him on tape. So it is a leap of faith.

Are we to imagine that trained legal prosecutors were oblivious to what was going on and unfamiliar with the processes and how much the integrity of the process absolutely hinges on the integrity of people involved in it? Not a chance. I am not sure a prosecutor whose bar was very high for compromising his or her integrity could survive in the state's attorney's office.

If you understood the interdependence of the prosecuting authorities with police you might see how suspect the checks and balances are. Don't hold your breath for this supposed evidence to come in. Expect some symbolic cases from the past to be thrown out, at most. There is no truly independent review going on -- but there should be,

Dearington's response to officer perjury in the past was to shrug. His prosecutors aggressively resist evidence of misconduct from coming to light in the course of prosecuting cases.

They are hellbent on keeping the police from being sued. Though it would be hard for a prosecutor to keep his job if he put every cop out to dry, in the case of New haven prosecutors, and others in the state, their advocacy in protecting police from civil suits is zealotry and an abdication of duties.

Before a false arrest, or fabricated arrest falls apart in court and charges are dropped, prosecutors do all they can first, to keep it from coming up, if it comes up, they do everything they can to make sure, in dropping the charges, the victim can not then sue police. They use various maneuvers for this. Meanwhile, it is a cover-up of police misconduct. They are complicit up to their necks.

Is it allowed? No, but when it is conventional practice, prosecutors forget that it isn't proper practice.

While doing corporate counsel's job of defending police to such a degree, they forget that they are duty bound not to prosecute when they have reason to believe, or evidence that the arrest was not legal.

To say that they have forgotten that duty would be an understatement. They have flagrantly, deliberately dispensed with that duty and shaped their own idea of what their job is when, in an adversarial system of justice, this inexorably leads to an attack on justice, an attack on truth, an attack on human beings. It encourages dihonest police officers to become more so. It corrupts the system.

In this way, they throw themselves in with crooks, thieves, con artists, criminals. They become the other side of the coin, both sides falling into degenerate behavior. No honest, law abiding person wants to get between them or can trust them.

So Robn we have a serious mess here, there are no firm and true measures we can rely on. There is no lever or checks in place that can address this situation and unless more is done, we will be moving on with the problem still in place.

White was a symptom of a system. People who say - oh, an isolated bad apple - (the mayor likes to say this) don't understand that billy white's history traces in detail the anatomy of a systemic tolerance of corruption, and that corruption creeps in in little ways, in Dearington's shrugs, in prosecutor norms that de-emphasize one or two elements of integrity over a long period of time, or in city hall's balancing act.

There is nothing more public in the white scandal than the roadmap of new haven justice system corruption and failure that it provided us with.

That White was the cowboy crusader did more good than harm is a weak proposition of the rank of myth. The evidence to support it falls apart in one's hands. No one you are relying on to pull out a true ruler to measure him, or examine the extent of wrongdoing, or to evaluate past cases, truly will or can -they all have conflicting interests they bump into if they go so far. Including federal authorities. They have to deal with their own past complicity, or the sense of absolute horror at the prospect of letting too many people out of jail.

the situation in new haven is pretty bad and we really desperately need much stronger, independent review. We need it going forward too.

BJFair is right, there were complaints, there were more than complaints -- there were absolute scandals and people really crying for help. It is a disgrace that ordinary residents are treated in such a disgusting manner that 30 years of complaints did not result in any action. Shame on the authorities and political leaders. Aside from prosecuting white, they have without a doubt revealed the shameful lack of respect and deference the ordinary resident commands. That lack of regard creates a breeding ground for corruption and is itself a form of corruption.

As prosecutor David Ring said in court, that 57 page affidavit was what they found just looking under the hood for a short while in New Haven. That suggests corruption in new haven is a pretty badly kept secret, oozing from every seam. It was brazen. And it is true - it was the worst kept secret in town. What that means, is it is the norm for enough of the players in the system, and that there was enough weakness in integrity of the people who are supposed to lead and make justice work. The status quo accomodated it. That is clear.

The system doesn't run itself -- it is only as good as the people. Billy participated with dirty people and opportunistically hijacked conditions that were there to be even dirtier. It was a failure by many, many people, even us, who during past scandals did not demand harder for a clean sweep.

We are a city that makes huge moral compromises. We are a city that lies. We are a city preoccupied with power and abusive of what is good and decent. We are a bullying city that too often runs on thuggery. The people who aren't criminals and are not complicit are the ones paying the biggest price-- the disenfranchised, the vulnerable, the weak, the unlucky.

The fact is, the very people in charge of fixing this, are responsible for it, to some degree or another. Including we new haveners.

Posted by: robn | November 5, 2007 1:19 PM

Marge,

I'm judging that, along with increased job opportunities during the 90's, agressive policing led to the precipitous drop in crime shown in statistics (some of which aren't wholly described by a number...take for instance the infamous 1989 gang shootout on the courthouse steps). Do you actually believe that crime dropped accidentally, with no external forces? Do you beleive that drug dealers lost interest in drug profits? Do you believe that expiring crack addicts dropped the dealer's market share and led to their insolvency? Certainly not, because that would be ridiculous.

I'm not claiming that Billy didn't commit a crime, but there are two questions unanswered by the affidavit, your boundless speculation and
or BJFairs's assertions that cops are more dangerous than drug dealers. Those questions are

1) How much crime did Billy White commit?
2) How much good did he do?

I'm not saying that the ends justify the means, but in a deeply complex world composed of many shades of gray, your black + white outlook denies both you and your subject contemplation which humanity deserves.... anger and mercy and a million things in between.

Posted by: bjfair | November 5, 2007 3:10 PM

Robin, I admire your continued defense of White and the other thug officers who have( and some continue) to terrorize our streets. Obviously you are looking at them through rose tinted lens. How much crime did Billy commit? We may never know. The transcripts only give us a peek at his daily criminal acts. How much good did he do? None when the community lost faith in NHPD decades ago.The iniital years when he may have been a good cop are negated by the decades of unchecked corruption. His behavior (and others) have tarnished the wonderful committed officers who are actually in our community to protect and serve.

Posted by: marge | November 5, 2007 8:52 PM

I think it is really bizarre to sit around trying to talk about the good a criminal cop did.

Does anyone feel that way besides me?

I am so tired of apologists for this guy.

I am really tired of the moral contortions, as if just expecting good law-abiding cops is asking too much and as if anyone who doesn't tolerate dirty cops, has a touch of criminality about them. As if we don't want the crooks off the street. As if we are crooks.

I am also tired of the notion that cops have to be dirty to get the job done.

I have to agree with BFair, that your glasses are a bit tinted.

I can appreciate that you are compassionate, but there are so many more deserving of it. How much energy do you want to devote to rehabilitating this guy's well deserved negative image? Whose side are you on? Be on the side of peace-loving new haveners who want clean government.

You seem to think my analysis was wildly speculative, where in fact, speculating that between crimes, White reached heights of virtue, like some jeckell and hyde character seems pretty wild to me.

If he were the one to take credit for cleaning up new haven, it is amazing that he also found time to run an illegal bounty business on the clock as well. Besides, the only evidence of his success is legend-- his friends insist its true. His personnel file, in perfect cynical manner, is pepppered with praise from agencies where the guys were privately expressing doubts about him. Way to go.

Even some cops are wondering -- reasonably, reasonably wondering, not wildly speculating -- whether the net affect was a crazier city.

If White was still running wild with his pyschotic 'beat down posse' this city would be extremely violent. Cops like that destroy the ability of the police and community to work together to stop crime.

I am tired of the intimation that good people wouldn't feel that strongly against police corruption. I urge others not to fall for that sublte smearing.

Robn, you sort of give lip service to the presumuption of innoncence issue -- you seem OK with the notion that framing people he thought were bad or considered garbage helped the city.

As I have said at least once, and it should be self-evident, not only do the ends not justify the means, you can't know what the 'ends' are that you created that way. Its more than a presumption, it is prejudice. It is not knowledge, that is for sure.

Prejudice really doesn't have a lot of value in this discussion.

Posted by: marge | November 5, 2007 9:34 PM

One note: In your note you say:

"BJFairs's assertions that cops are more dangerous than drug dealers."

I am sure you meant to say "criminal cops are more dangerous than drug dealers."

I am sure you don't mean to imply that BFair hates cops.

Which is more dangerous is a legitimate question. In all kinds of public policy and democratic philosophy in america, we acknowledge the particularly potent danger of criminals in positions of public trust in contrast with ordinary street criminals, whose activity is more discrete.

Combating public corruption is one of the highest priorities of the US Attorney's office. Maybe they should listen to you instead.

Missing in all your posts, is that it isn't a big deal as long as you are not the victim of it.

His victims post here too. As you go about preaching compassion, you might consider that.

I just want to live in a city where my list of factors negatively affecting my quality of life is not 1. street crime, 2. dirty, rude, bullying, dishonest or incompetent cops. I am tired of the police being number 2 on the list. I don't want them on my list at all. I never stop working with them, because I refuse to write them off. I need them to be good.

My views don't make me a cop hater. I find corrupt police particularly intolerable because the harm they do is excrutiating to their victims. It totally destroys their lives and destroys communities. I contribute a lot to the community - I don't just hang around blogging about it and I am sure you don't either.

I owe White nothing. I am human. I care he lost a son. He isn't the only one who has faced such challenges and no one says it is easy.

I am not going to waste time laboring over the slim pickings in his record trying to find the good things he did. I think making this community better is a much better use of my time than finding the good in White -- that's like only reading the footnotes in a book.

He has plenty of people like you doing that for him who, while preaching compassion, interestingly, have zero sympathy or compassion for his victims - or even their own check books which have been taxed to pay the oodles in civil settlements he's caused the city over the years because of his antics, plus, the fat pension.