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Sheriff finds “missing footage” in jail beating lawsuit
July 13th, 2009, 3:00 am · 52 Comments · posted by Tony Saavedra, Register investigative reporter
Back in April, the Watchdog reported on Jamie Marie Meissner, an Arizona health care worker who claimed in a lawsuit that she was beaten at the Orange County jail. Video taken by jail surveillance cameras and published by the Watchdog appeared to be missing at least 18 seconds — the time that Meissner says she was beaten. Click on Meissner’s name above to view the original blog post and video.
Within hours after publication, the sheriff’s department found what it says is the missing footage and offered to show it to the Watchdog, but would not provide a copy because of confidentiality problems. Nearly three months later, the Watchdog has obtained a copy of the missing footage from Meissner’s attorney Stephen Tornay. Here it is:
Sheriff’s Capt. Tim Board says no excessive force can be seen on any of the footage and that Meissner’s accusations are proven false.
Meissner insists that her head was slammed against a Plexiglass window and that it must have occurred off camera. The video is a complilation of footage from several surveillance cameras at the women’s jail, taken in March 2007. Meissner was taken to the jail after being stopped in Laguna Beach for jaywalking and arrested for allegedly giving false information to a police officer.
After viewing all the video, the Watchdog didn’t see any obvious evidence of excessive force. But that doesn’t mean Meissner could not have been beaten off camera. In the words of attorney Tornay: It’s going to come down to who the jury believes.
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Oh….I see. The video shows NOTHING, therefore, the ‘beating’ may have taken place off camera. I went to the bank Saturday and I was on-camera. I didn’t rob the bank…..but then again maybe I did while I was off camera. The BEST evidence proves it didn’t happen Ms Meissner. It’s the same old ‘deep pockets lie’. File the lawsuit and settle it as a nuisance. This just perpetuates the fact that ‘ bottom feeding parasites’ are looking for the quick buck….always have ….always will ! That applies to attorney Tomay as well.
Regardless of what really happened, I’d like to know why a portion of the video was missing to begin with. That raises a lot of suspicion for me. The portion that was missing wasn’t the first 20 or the last 20 seconds, it was in the middle of the video. It was purposefully edited out. Why would this portion of video be edited out? I understand that sometimes things will be edited out because they don’t contain anything significant, but with only 20 seconds of irrelevant footage, the average person would have just left it in. Wouldn’t make sense to edit out only 20 seconds. Why wasn’t it included in the originally submitted copy? That’s what I’d like to know.
Yeah, a bit fishy that footage just happened to have been ‘missing’ for just long enough for someone to have monkeyed with it.
Jimbo, you are one sad man. Do you think the OCSD are angels? Did you know gold falls out of the sky too?? I bet the beating occurred off camera. Like this woman, walking around in Laguna Beach, ever wanted to get herself involved in a matter like this. Thankfully, she believes in JUSTICE and vows not to let OCSD get away with what they did to her.
Don’t try this in Texas!
Just goes to show ya-dont lie to the 5-0 to begin with and you wouldnt have been to jail. Now you want the easy bucks from a broke county laying off workers. Great!!! Go back to Az. and try and get some easy money you leach!!!!
So the attorney’s were waiting for the climax to happen when they got that supposed missing footage. Well nothing happened so they are now sitting on a bunch of worked hours with nobody to pay them. I would offer them a $1 dollar settlement.
I use to work for OCSD and only if you knew.
Oh yeah? I guess OCSD always hired stupid morons who can’t spell. Go back to elementary school, idiot.
$1 dollar sounds good. Bill her for attorney fees and court costs.
Are there actual pictures of her bruises? If she was facing the window or wall, which clearly she was, since she described it as a surprise. Wouldn’t she look roughed up in her booking photo? I could be wrong, but I believe the search comes before the photo.
Scum of the Earth trying to make a buck off the county! Real question is why did she give false info to police, what is she hiding?
OCSD does a lot of shady stuff and I’m sure they smacked this lady around. If nothing really happened, why would she make a big deal out of it and ask for the video knowing there was nothing to show? I’m sure there’s video showing her get her head smacked, its just not going to get released.
Cops are well-known for covering up and obstruction of justice
Look at Chenney and CIA problem to know what was wrong when
Republican politicians are in charge in Orange county
Vietnamese are known for raping children.
Wow, I can make stupid statements just like J Nguyen!
Let’s see now. Nothing on camera. Missing footage which sometimes happens with digital video (but usually is located) and she appeared to walk out of the holding cell on her own with no problem (with the deputies noted). Hmmmm…..What ever could the truth be. God will get her and her slimy attorney at judgement time. Especially if the attorney is that bottom-feeder, Richard Herman! And, the entire incident grabbed no one elses attention in the booking loop as it usually would have. SEE FOLKS! Video surveillance works for the good guys too.
So “J NGUYEN”, I guess you came to America to escape tyranny and opression from the cops there, and now you want to bad-mouth the cops here. I wonder with whom the probem lies! Please go back and take about 500,000 liberal VN’s with you. At leasst here, you have a choice of parties without being jailed for the wrong one. Yes, I have been in Vietnam, so I know of what I speak.
Was she taken to the back of traige ? There are no cameras there and alot happens there in the “back”.
There are cameras “in the back”, genius.
So “frank coleman”, when were you arrested and failed to follow the deputies’ directions? NO ONE gets “thumped” for just being in there and following directions.
Too many medical liberal snitch types. There more watchful than the cameras. I worked in IA once upon a time and believe me, they are bigger snitches than what you find in the MODS.
??
SLUDGE is right!! There are cameras everywhere in the IRC and monitored ib the BOOKING SGT’S Ofiice.
“Oh, THAT missing video”!!!
The fact is, the deputies know exactly where the “blind spots” on the camera coverage is. If they want to “talk” to an inmate, away from their cell mates, they pull them out and take them to a corner or hallway, or other location that is not covered by the cameras.
Maybe the person who was charged with making a copy of the incident for the Register months ago was not familar with the copying process and mistakenly left out the 18 seconds. Which is highly possible if one does not know the system and one tries to make a copy with its numerous cameras. Now, the 18 seconds appears, shows nothing occurred and the COP HATING OC Register continues with its BS and says the beating occurred off camera. no wonder circulation for the paper is declining. Crappy reporting.
Gees, looks like a lot of current OCSD employees blogging this morning, that is apparent.
TO OCLIFER,
Your comment, “I USED to work for OCSD” says it all. I take it you never made it to patrol, too incompetent to leave the jail and now your just bitter…I’m guessing you were fired. Am I close. Take your bitterness elsewhere.
Your opinions are just that, an opinion. It appears some of you are taking this whole issue at heart. Please remember we have a justice system to prove or not to prove guilt or responsibility. Mrs. Meissner and the Sheriff’s Department are not profect, both committing wrong doings one time or the other. The justice system will decide who was wrong this time around.
Hunter83. You are absolutley right, that video in the “middle” is missing and not at the beginning or end of the segment, this raises suspicion. You must take into consideration that this video is a compilation of several different video monitors, recording from several different angles at the same time. So it is also possible it was an honest mistake and not a cover up.
Video editing.
This is not what happened in the “actual” 20 seconds. What the sheriff’s department did was too video from the incident and made up the 20 seconds you see here.
Happens all the time. Target used to do this to frame people or get out of excessive abuse claims. Their security office would produce a tape that shows nothing, after it was edited.
All the employees that work at the OC Jail know where all the safe spots are. There are plenty of places there an inmate can get bashed upside the head just for rolling their eyes at a Deputy, a place where it will not be seen.
The real peoblem is, if a Deputy smacks you in the mouth, losens a tooth and you are booked in jail for 4 months, it is hard to file a case.
It does happen, Deputy’s can and will harm you, and sometimes just to act tough.
Funny how she got beaten off camera until the tape appeared, now she was beaten off camera. Come on OC I’m tired of paying these people, can we start fighting some of these lawsuits, or are we just going to settle for 50 grand. This is insane, FIGHT IT.
YA The Deputies just go around and “beat” inmates! Common sense says -do what your told and keep you mouth shut- won’t have a problem. Stay the hell out of jail. The Deputies should make it a place where you don’t want to come back! It’s people think this who are making it become a “CLUB MED.” Thats why a large % of peolpe keep going back to jail.
To the truth, I actually made it to North and South patroll for 7 years then I went into Private Invetigation defense work. I work for the best Defense Attorney’s in Sothern Cal. Believe me when I say I saw alot when I worked The jail and patrol.
SPELL CHECK!!! You have no credibility.
She lied and now she is caught.
A psycho and she is a “health care worker”
I’ll bet she works as a “home health aid” and steals from the elderly folks that employ her
Why was she in jail again?
WHAT IS SHE HIDING. SHE IS A LIAR AND HATE TO SAY IT BUT KARMA SUCKS
SEMPER FI! 0311…..AND, “oclifer”, What does it say for you that you left law enforcement to work for “THE DARK SIDE”! It just goes to show that you, like that lying inmate are both interested in the almighty dollar, not truth or justice. If you read the story from it’s outset, she lied to the LB Police officers about her identity when caught “jaywalking”. See a pattern there?
I’ll bet “oclifer” spent 4th of July at Haidl’s house along with Jaramillo and Carvallo!!
This kind of stuff happens all the time and the sheriff’s almost always gets away with it. 99.9% of time i’d say. Thank god this lady has the strength and will to pursue a very stressful thing as this. The OC sheriff’s just do not get it. They are above the law or so they think. As long as people like the lady above don’t fight the system sheriff’s will be above the law. Don’t settle and keep fighting. Screw a 100 grand. Keep fighting for the common good!
They still use tape?
I thought that for the past several years if several cameras were used they were multiplexed and a hard drive is used to save the pictures. You need a digital video editor to remove or insert segments of a recording.
It took them long enough to get some doubles to act out the scene.
You people are so insane! If you look at the original footage….she is totally cooperative…yes? And she is slammed into a wall or a door? Something? Is that OCSD protocol? HBGuy89 is so right!! Amen that this young woman has the guts and gumption to backlash against these a-holes that did this to her!
I still cannot believe those pictures……how do you idiots think she was injured like that? Any of you that wish to rally behind this sick OCSD I truly pity you…………….such a matter of time before you or a someone you care about jaywalks or does something so benign and ends of black and blue………………hummm….wonder what inane blogging will be penned by you bone heads then!
Think about it! This is just not about this Ms. Meissner! This has been going on for years here in OC and you all have the unconscionable gall to write such idiotic nonsense! Fools!!
When is the trial? I sooooooo want to be there to see these bitch deputies get theirs!!!! Go Girl!!!!!
PFF
ocjay905, I wish I could see the day when you make the list to go to patrol and you roll yourself up to go back to the jail.
OC jails are like any other institution, hazardous, dangerous, very unpredictable. As the constitution states that all persons are innocent until proven guilty. Thereby, no person whom has been arrested shall be mistreated under the guard of state and federal authority. Secondly, this whole incident was indeed preventable, had the arresting officer performed a finger print verification on the scene. The officer should not have assumed that info being provided was legit especially, if the subject didnt posses ID at the time of the citing. Had they done so without questioning the subject, the subject would not have substained any injury. Yes, there are many lives negatively impacted by the very hands of those sworn to protect and serve, at the main jail of OC. Cameras are not properly dispersed as they should. Guards are too busy making slanderous remarks about inmates, rather than conducting their task ethically and professionally. I can attest to the fact that there are some inmates who are brutally mistreated for reasons as small as self defense against other inmates. Those of you whom enjoy glamorizing these officers, are complete morons. Obviously, you have not a slightist clue as to the injustices that occur within these institutions. You should try…you will be amazed to learn just how brutal jail guards truly are.
Ralph………….what to pen? You are a Paragon amongst the halfwits that blog in OC! Bravo to you and your general brilliance! I totally agree with your view of the heinous acts that the OCSD think that they will forever get away with. Their day cometh……………….
As far as ;OCJay 95′ ‘deliquent’ and ‘happy’ definitely Haidle and Corona henchmen for sure………….enough said…………
PFF
Don’t think for a moment that the deputies don’t know exactly what the cameras can and can’t see. I saw an inmate in the Santa Ana intake taken into a hall and had his head bashed into the wall repeatedly. I could see it in the reflection from the plexiglass of the office the deputies used. And then the scurry to find towels and cleaner to clear away the evidence.
His offense…he did not respond the “correct” way to the cell roll call. But the “blue code of silence” will continue to prevail.
LWW,
yeah right. and we should believe you because???
From personal experence, The Orange County Sherrifs in that jail are in human! have no idea where there find them but they where not bread whith the normal human race!! and can you imagine that they pay them that kind of money, and we wonder why where in this budget crisis. You could get tha kind of person for minnium wage and he would be happy to have the job, and save the county millions a year.
That is such BS!!! What does this ‘New Footage’ reveal? NOTHING!!!!…….so sad that the much uneducated tripe of of OC think that they can get away with this yet again? I have had a loved one brutalized in this same ‘jail’. Who are these uneducated, nobodys…who we as a society decide that we should give high school drop out and total loosers………carte blanche control over others??
Probably the same that were so hated and ridiculed in HS?? Just a wild guess……..so scary!!! I hope Ms. Meissner is up to the challenge of taking this to the ‘mattress’……..no way will this be tolerated in OC any longer!!! I hope!!
Low lives need to go and clean up the highways or better yet……..do your sentance …….which I hope is on your gray, dark and dank horizon…..OC Redemption perhaps……:) Ahhhhhhhh………like the cool ocean breeze just drifting in…………………..Buh Bye to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Proud OC PFF