EX CITY MANAGER JOE FELZ ACCUSED OF DUI AND HIT AND RUN
It took almost four months for former City Manager Joe Felz to be charged with two misdemeanor counts for DUI and hit and run accident that occurred in the wee hours of November 9th 2016.
It certainly provides evidence that the decision made by Dan Hughes our former Police Chief and now a head security honcho for the Disneyland Resorts in Anaheim, can now be officially called into question.
What was that decision? It was to ignore the evidence that an officer on the scene said he smelled alcohol on the breath of Joe Felz and that Mr. Felz left the scene of an accident with damages.
Is this just another example of how the Fullerton Police Department throws serious criminal matters under the rug? If so, can we as a people of laws tolerate those at the highest level of law enforcement abusing the power of their position?
Now the real question to be asked is this: Will the Orange County District Attorney’s office file charges against former Fullerton Police Chief Dan Hughes for failure to arrest a high level City Employee; ignoring evidence that Joe Felz had committed one or more crimes? Clearly, by allowing his officers to not carry out their sworn duty under the law, former Police Chief Dan Hughes also committed a crime that has much more serious ramifications than the hit and run accident itself.
Dan Hughes
We commend District Attorney Tony Rackauckas for having his office finally file charges against Joe Felz. However, his job is not yet done. For there is probable cause to charge Dan Hughes for failing to uphold the law when he apparently directed the officers at the scene to drive Joe Felz home rather than arrest him.
We are now waiting for the Orange County District Attorney to prove to us that there can only be one set of laws for all Americans and that those laws must be administered fairly and objectively. We anxiously wait for him to take the right action, the ethical action and the correct legal action by filing criminal charges of obstruction and any other statutes that may have been broken by our former City Police Chief Dan Hughes? Listen to Dan Hughes after he tried to frame Barry Levinson. This is the same police cheif that made sure a drunk driver got a ride from police to his house instead of jail and is now 2nd in command at Disneyland security. In my opinion Dan Hughes belongs in jail.
P.S. I truly hope that the Disney Corporation will also do the right thing and reconsider the recent placement of Dan Hughes in a very high position of authority in its Security Organization. As a good corporate citizen, the failure to reconsider its recent hire will at the very least call into question their judgment. At worst it will send a signal that the Disney Corporation apparently accepts a code of conduct by a high-level management employee that is not worthy of the Disney name.
#1 by Barry Levinson on April 5, 2017 - 12:17 pm
Clearly, both the Disney Corporation and the OC District Attorney’s Office have decisions to make with regard to former Fullerton Police Chief Danny Hughes
One question is simply do they really believe or care about their images? If so, their choices are very clear. Disney as the advertised family friendly and happiest place on earth should part ways with Danny Hughes. No citizen can or should feel secure in a city where the Police Chief does not apparently always follow the law and normal police procedures for all citizens. If the citizens of fullerton should not feel secure and safe with Danny Hughes at the helm, why should those in attendance at Disney sites feel safe and secure with Danny Hughes holding such a high level security position with that corporation. The OCDA office’s role to ensure that our criminal justice system works equally for all should dictate their filing obstruction of justice charges against him for his officer’s failure to arrest Joe Felz on November 9, 2016. I believe that evidence of obstruction of justice is overwhelming against Danny Hughes in my humble opinion. As police chief he directed the actions of his police officers on the scene as well as directing another officer of his choosing to go to the scene after the fact loosing valuable time before a so-called sobriety test was conducted with Joe Felz That in my opinion makes him uniquely culpable for the decision to not arrest Joe Felz at that time.
A good image takes a very long time to create. It only takes an instance to ruin or greatly damage that image.
I hope both organizations decide to do the right thing, the moral thing and in the case of the OCDA office do the legally meritorious thing. Time is running out for both organizations to step up to the plate!