There’s no public safety value to prosecuting that person because a year and a half from now, when it actually goes to trial, even if we convicted you, what good did we do? He talked about how he would take aim at racial disparities in the justice system. Market data provided by Factset. Time notations are approximate. Andrew Theen: [00:09:44] So how is he viewed among the people pushing for criminal justice reforms? Eleven days on the job as Multnomah County district attorney, Mike Schmidt announced how he’d handle protest-related arrests, a policy that would serve as a flashpoint for a weary city wrestling with racial, political and policing upheaval. You’re not the person we’re going to prosecute. And, and so I think there’s some, you know, there’s impatience and a real sense from some in the community that he should be acting more swiftly and aggressively. Mike Schmidt is the District Attorney of Multnomah County, Oregon. Police viewed these as, you know, important tools in their effort to, you know, control volatile, sometimes violent situations in protests. Foxx drew national attention when she dismissed the case against actor Jussie Smollett, who had been accused of faking a hate crime attack against himself. Up next, reporter Noelle Crombie. SEATTLE MAYOR PLANS TO MOVE 911, OTHER FUNCTIONS OUTSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT. The other district attorneys who are participating in these commissions are Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner and Suffolk County, Mass., DA Rachael Rollins, who have both benefited from Soros’ support. And he also pledged to review claims of wrongful convictions. He talked about that policy on the campaign. Schmidt won an election in May to become the DA… And, you know, he didn’t have a ramp, or an on-ramp, for that. I think also from the criminal justice reform community, you know, there’s widespread support for Mike, but also an impatience as well. And the, you know, the business community wants to see those people prosecuted. He would ensure that police who engage in brutality or misconduct would be held accountable. OK Noelle, I know it’s early, but does Mike Schmidt regret anything in terms of how he’s approached his job so far? And I think that’s where a lot of the problem is. Mike Schmidt is just our version of that here in the Portland area of the so-called progressive DA, right? Noelle Crombie: [00:21:56] That’s right. Most of those, you know, were low level crimes. He’d prioritize addiction and mental health treatment over prisons. WHAT IT COULD MEAN. Andrew Theen: [00:15:56] Yeah. Market data provided by Factset. And we, we, it was sort of time for us- enough time had passed for us to really take a look at that policy and how and its effects. The crimes that I mentioned , interfering, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, we saw those used widely by police. Those are crimes like interfering with a police officer, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief. This is a rush transcript produced primarily through voice-to-text software. Noelle Crombie: [00:10:00] You know, those I spoke with are very supportive of his message, of his policies. He said that the incident where he was doxed is under investigation by the Portland Police Bureau. Delia Garza, who won the Democratic primary in Travis County, Texas, and will run unopposed in November, is also backed by Real Justice. And I think that, that gets back to your first question of, you know, why do this look at Mike Schmidt now, and I think it’s because he is such a central figure in a really important and high profile role. Schmidt graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Political Science in 2003. We’re not going to prosecute crimes that are an extension of someone being in poverty, basically,” Garza said, according to KXAN. They, they appreciate his approach to to the protest generally . And national movement. Anti-law enforcement Portland DA Mike Schmidt is PRO-VIOLENCE, not pro-reform 09/14/2020 / By Arsenio Toledo As soon as Mike Schmidt, the new district attorney for Multnomah County, started his term in early August, he announced a policy that dropped hundreds of charges from the nearly rioters currently awaiting trial in Portland’s jails. That’s, that’s unusual. Mike Schmidt is the District Attorney of Multnomah County, Oregon. And that prosecuting those folks who are accused of those crimes, w H in his view, wouldn’t really change the dynamic of the protestors, wouldn’t change what we were seeing on the streets, wouldn’t make a difference in his mind. — Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen. Legal Statement. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. You know, he sought the job and won overwhelmingly and you know, ended up getting it a little, just a little earlier than planned. Somehow that message got kind of lost or sidetracked. Michael Reinoehl was one of the beneficiaries of Portland DA Mike Schmidt's "restorative justice" policy. Andrew Theen: [00:11:46] Okay, so that, I mean, some of that comes with the job, but some of it is, you know, a little bit beyond, and it seems like obviously he’s in the hot seat. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. ©2021 FOX News Network, LLC. So he could go on about his life without the kind of, sort of collateral damage that comes with having a felony record. The case was later taken over by a special prosecutor who filed new charges. In Contra Costa County, Calif., District Attorney Diana Becton – also backed by Soros – changed how her office handles police shooting cases, removing deputy district attorney Barry Grove from his role as the main prosecutor in such cases, switching to a team approach, according to the Mercury News. So remind us, what did Mike Schmidt campaign on and who is he? Mike Schmidt: [00:06:32] They’re there because they were saying, and they wanted to be heard, that our criminal justice system wasn’t operating justly for everybody. What do we know about, about the people that he has elected to pursue cases on? Crombie covers the criminal justice system for The Oregonian and OregonLive and has worked at the paper since 1999. This is a movement that really seeks to kind of remake the role of the prosecutor. Like you mentioned, Commissioner Hardesty, she’s had death threats, people shot at her office. Succeeding Rod Underhill, a Democrat who staunchly supported the death penalty and other harsh outlier practices, Schmidt promised to never seek the death penalty, oppose Oregon’s harsh Measure 11 mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and create a … Noelle Crombie: [00:19:43] He campaigned on big, you know, big ideas, big picture criminal justice issues. I spoke with Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who’s been a longtime advocate for police reform and accountability. The organization is also backing the 2020 campaigns of Foxx and 13 other candidates seeking office. His decision not to prosecute most protest-related crimes drew fire from President Trump and praise from reformers. That even cases that he has some cases that he’s rejected he’s asked for follow-up it doesn’t mean that they’re, you know, that they’re dead, that they’re dead cases, that they can come back. District Attorney Mike Schmidt Will Drop Most Charges Against Portland Protesters After reviewing 550 cases, the DA’s office now plans to prosecute 47, all of which are felony cases. Noelle Crombie: [00:17:10] Yeah, I reached out to John Hummel, who’s the district attorney in Deschutes County in central Oregon. ADs. I think, you know, when I spoke to him in the days and weeks after the election, it was pretty clear that he was going to use the rest of last year to get up to speed, to be ready, to hit the ground running in January. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Another high-profile prosecutor who has been backed by Soros in the past is Cook County, Ill. State's Attorney Kim Foxx. In his thirties. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Noelle Crombie: [00:02:14] He campaigned as a criminal justice reformer. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Schmidt made the announcement Tuesday at his first media briefing since assuming the office on Aug. 1. Andrew Theen: [00:22:36] Thanks for listening to Beat Check with the Oregonian. All rights reserved (About Us). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt on Sat., Jan 15, 2021. Connect with your community. If you liked this show, leave us a five-star rating and review in Apple Podcasts, or tell a friend. But you know, then nearly a thousand arrests where it fell under this “public order " sort of context. They own a small home where they are raising their son, a dog, a cat, and three chickens. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. In a discussion with Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., earlier in July, Boudin questioned whether money going to police was “the most effective” use of taxpayer dollars. Hundreds of Cases Against Portland Rioters to Be Dropped by DA and It Gets Worse. Mike Schmidt is the Multnomah County District Attorney in Oregon. Noelle Crombie: [00:13:04] Yeah, it was on a sort of a law enforcement website. And it’s something that really resonated with voters during the campaign in particular. He went on to say that policing and incarceration “are tremendously expensive and are failed responses to what we are trying to deal with.”. He is doing the thing,  the very thing we promised he promised he would do do when he was running for DA. He, he is part of the progressive DA … There’s a relationship between these two functions generally speaking. But that’s different when you’re talking about people were smashing windows and lighting things on fire. He didn’t have the, the months that he thought he was going to have to build relationships or to, you know, spend time maybe with Rod Underhill, the longtime DA, to, to sort of get his feet under him. Andrew Theen: [00:03:28] And those campaign priorities, Noelle you know, it’s part of a broader movement, right. Noelle Crombie: [00:13:16] It’s extraordinary. Schmidt assumed office on August 1, 2020. Mike Schmidt: [00:11:14] We’re sitting behind a fence right now that didn’t exist when I took over office. Noelle Crombie. Andrew Theen: [00:13:17] What’s the normal relationship between, you know, police and the district attorney’s office? He captured 77% of the vote, which is really, you know, a mandate for him and a, and a resounding endorsement for the things that he campaigned on. He, you know, spent some, they spent some time, you know, not at their home. Criminal justice reform is, it’s Topic A, both in Oregon and nationally, and he will be a very big part in reforming the system. So there’s a lot of structural changes or discussions happening at all levels. Schmidt's current term ends on January 1, 2025. Protests flare up following two-month anniversary of George Floyd's death. Schmidt, 39, campaigned as a reformer and won 77% of the vote. “No, it’s not.”. And so I think that’s, that’s a challenge for him. He, he campaigned also on, you know reforming Measure 11, which is Oregon’s longtime mandatory minimum sentencing law. Dave Killen. Noelle Crombie: [00:04:31] Mike Schmidt said that he would generally not pursue what he calls public order crimes. One 2020 candidate Real Justice succeeded in getting elected already is Multnomah County, Ore., District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who will be in a key position when he takes office on Aug. 1, given that his jurisdiction includes Portland, where riots have been taking place amid months of protests following Floyd’s death. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez . And we can see from the data that while he is not prosecuting, most of them, he has prosecuted some. DEFUND OR DISMANTLE POLICE? He’s prosecuting crimes where there’s assault. We also touched on the remarkable disclosure that a police officer appears to have posted Schmidt’s personal information online. Well, let’s hear Mike Schmidt in his own words in your interview, talk about how he views the protest and some of the charges that he isn’t inclined to pursue. So the district attorney talked about, well, perhaps re-sentencing a case like that. Yeah, I mean, lots of threats , things that, that other elected leaders across the country and locally are facing now, death threats. This was in, in August after Rod Underhill announced he would be retiring early, and within days Mike Schmidt announced this policy on how he would proceed with protest arrests. The prosecutor, elected in a landslide last May, was thrown right into the fire. Worrell’s platform calls for an end to cash bail, which would result in more defendants being released before their trial. And you noted in your story an example of that would be the journalist and activist Mac Smiff who was arrested. Thanks so much for taking time to talk today. He maintains that prosecuting those is not a good use of resources that those cases would likely end in dismissal. If you’re still living in Portland, perhaps now is the time to leave. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). He is prosecuting , you know, property crimes, prosecuted, some arson. GEORGE SOROS CALLS FOR FACEBOOK EXECS' REMOVAL AFTER COMMENTS ON REGULATION. Andrew Theen: [00:00:00] For Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, there was no easing into the new gig, no honeymoon period. Mr. Hummel is a like-minded , criminal justice reform minded prosecutor in central Oregon. Was he, you know, he’s obviously not gonna, he can’t go back in time, but did he feel like he was ready? And that was shared with a website that says it unapologetically supports those who hold the thin blue line. He also talked at length about something called conviction integrity, and to be clear, that work started under Rod Underhill. You now have a criminal record for what? So we’ve come out with this policy and we say, look, this is where we’re drawing the line. And you talked to some fellow DAs who thought that, you know, maybe this wasn’t the best thing to just throw the guy right into the fire, so to speak and that might’ve looked unkindly on his predecessor, Rod Underhill. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Noelle Crombie: [00:04:08] His late thirties. He said that he’s had weekly meetings with the police chief and, and that, that, you know, is a working relationship, but he’s, he admitted, acknowledged that he has some work to do with the rank and file. I mean police investigate crimes. Watch: Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt announces policy on Portland protests Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announces policy on Portland … He understands that the public wants a you know, speedy resolution, but prosecutions don’t work that way. He’s  prosecuting those . But he says, you know, he does plan to prosecute property crimes. Tweet . Noelle Crombie: [00:03:41] That’s right. Andrew Theen: [00:06:22] Okay. All rights reserved. He thinks that Schmidt’s criteria for prosecuting people is is the right one. Subscribe to Beat Check on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Police did respond, they did make arrests. Missouri GOP Gov. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, another beneficiary of Soros-tied contributions, recently defended the movement to defund police. I’m Andrew Theen, and this is Beat Check with The Oregonian. And I think that Measure 11 is going to be a centerpiece of his administration, at least, you know, in the next, in the coming months. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced on Tuesday that his office will not prosecute many protesters who have been arrested during recent Portland demonstrations. There’s also a real threat to chill speech when you’re just doing mass arrests and wrapping up as many as people as you can. And, you know, he came onto the job ahead of schedule, right in the middle of the heat of the protest. At some point after that there was, you know, people, you know, there were people who showed up at Mike’s house. That, that -. We spent time - the sheriff was very kind deployed some resources to sleep in front of our house. Andrew Theen: [00:19:26] We talked a little bit about some of his other policy priorities, but did he give you any glimpses to what might be coming in terms of changes or tweaks that he may seek to to how the DA’s office works here in Multnomah County? He questioned the value of having those. He responded to me in an email and, and said, you know, that Mike Schmidt’s election was decisive and that he decided to retire because he felt it was the right decision at that time for the community and for the, for the office and the justice system, generally. I asked Rod Underhill about that. And one of those, as I’ve said, here is Measure 11. For Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, there was no easing into the new gig. I asked him about police accountability, which was another thing that, you know, sort of an issue he campaigned on. These are in neighborhood commercial districts, like on Hawthorne, right? US MARSHALS SERVICE DIRECTOR SAYS PORTLAND PROTESTS 'HIJACKED BY VIOLENT EXTREMISTS'. Garza has already said that her office will decline to prosecute certain types of cases. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Mike Parson said he would consider pardons for the couple if charges were filed. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. You know, he described those experiences and said- you know,  experiences that involve his family, had been unnerving. Portland DA reportedly declined to prosecute nearly 70 percent of protest cases By Natalie O'Neill. And his, his address was reportedly posted on a Facebook group, right? Foxx is seeking reelection this year and already won her Democratic primary. And so he, you know, taking the job on it suddenly sort of in, in August, he was sort of thrust into this position at the same time. I asked him about how officer involved shootings, for instance, you know, how in his office change how it reviewed them. In the protest context and what they look like on the ground is, you know, a person who refuses to leave an area after the police have declared an unlawful assembly and given multiple orders to disperse, those people would be subject to interfering. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Real Justice PAC, also co-founded by Shaun King, has supported 29 head prosecutors and state attorneys general since 2018, including several who were also backed by Soros, such as Gardner, Boudin, Rollins and Becton. Noelle Crombie: [00:14:19] You know, he spoke a little bit about what he described as, you know, sort of missteps around messaging and and you know, he doesn’t walk back what the message was, you know, how his priorities would, what his priorities would be in the protest context. Can you talk a little bit about that dynamic? I spoke with Mac Smiff and he said, look, you know, if you’re out there and the cops decide it’s you, it’s you. Refresh our memory, what exactly did he say when he took over about how he would prosecute protestors, and how has that played out since he took over? So this young guy sweeps in and is handed the reins a bit early to a very important job with a lot of power. You know, so yeah, it’s, it’s it’s challenging. Andrew Theen: [00:04:05] And he’s a young guy too, right? I had neighbors, I had six neighbors come out and we built this fence together on a, on a warp speed to get it up, just to give my family a little separation from people who were showing up at our house. They, they they had some additional security provided by the sheriff’s office at one point. Worrell’s opponent Ryan Williams has cited the Soros connection as a point of attack, and Worrell has accused Williams of playing on anti-Semitic tropes by mentioning Soros’ involvement. Andrew Theen: [00:18:32] What does Mike Schmidt say about that? Noelle Crombie: [00:07:45] That’s right. The president of the business association in that community told me that 58 businesses saw, you know, vandalism, some broken windows. Those are then referred to the district attorney for prosecution. They want to see prosecution when people do damage to businesses. And so he said he would focus on property crimes and crimes against other people crimes that involved, you know, deliberate property damage, theft, force against other people, threats of force. On the latest episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, reporter Noelle Crombie talks about Schmidt’s first six months on the job as one of the state’s most prominent attorneys. He came in at the, the heat the, you know, the very red, hot moment of this historic time in, in Oregon. If you’re willing to cross the line into property damage , then you are showing that this is not just a civic engagement of speech. Mike Schmidt has been a resident of Southeast Portland since 2005, when he moved to the city where he met his wife, Clare, a Portland native. Noelle Crombie: [00:16:09] Yeah. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. And I think you know, Mike Schmidt spoke a little bit about you know, you got off to the wrong foot, on the wrong foot, with police right out of the gate. He did say they are building a case against suspects in that instance. You know, for the business community you know, those that I spoke with who, you know, are in that community, they were not happy with the pace or you know, what they’re seeing in terms of a response from his office, when it comes to property crimes, they want a more aggressive response. He then worked for two years in New Orleans for Teach For America, teaching social studies and coaching basketball. This, this screenshot included the district attorney’s home address. And he said that it’s something he plans to take a look at, but he hasn’t gotten to that issue yet. Andrew Theen: [00:21:40] And obviously Commissioner Hardesty’s ballot measure from last November also will play a role and in some form there in terms of police oversight. What’s happened since. Soros, through the Justice & Public Safety PAC and other groups, has been spending millions of dollars on prosecutorial races in recent years, with a number of beneficiaries making headlines since their elections. The organization's goals include electing – and recruiting – candidates who would make changes to criminal justice systems such as ending cash bail and “rolling back practices that lead to mass incarceration.”. Not only to Mike Schmidt, but to voters that- this was according to Hummel. We talked about his progressive policy proposals and how they fit into the national landscape, his relationship with the Police Bureau and with Portlanders pushing for criminal justice reform, how he’s approached prosecuting protestors and what other policy changes may be coming. The best way to support our journalism is through a subscription to OregonLive. These are positions with a tremendous amount of power in the criminal justice system and he and others who kind of share this reform minded mindset, really aim to, to change how that role works in the system. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — There’s a new district attorney in Multnomah County. Protesters in Austin, Texas; Tempe, Ariz.; and Portland, Ore., took to the streets in their respective cities to march in step with the Black Lives Matter movement. And, and he said, you know, Schmidt came into an almost, you know, an impossible situation. Andrew Theen: [00:22:19] Well, thanks so much for your in-depth look at Mike Schmidt six months in and for taking time to talk about it. And you know unfortunate ones. He, he is part of the progressive DA movement. The idea is to sort of re-examine convictions based perhaps on outdated, outdated science. It’s not like you’re going to go on to graduate to rob banks. And yet that man has experienced obstacles related to that conviction. District attorneys and current candidates whose campaigns benefited from the work of left-wing organizations – including ones backed by liberal billionaire George Soros – are now pushing for new practices that could see sharp reductions in prosecutions and incarcerations. Andrew Theen: [00:14:01] Well, let’s take a break and come back and talk more with Noelle Crombie. And this has also happened to Mike Schmidt. He said he was just standing on the sidewalk and was caught in it. There was extensive vandalism on Hawthorne on Thanksgiving. Help spread the word. Yeah. He ran against Ethan Knight, a longtime federal prosecutor in Portland. Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Schmidt told me that those that, that incident in particular is exactly the kind of case that his office is focusing on. He told me he plans to be very engaged with the Legislature around changing it . Looking at her term in office, a report from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund found a 13 percent decline in guilty pleas or verdicts in felony cases and a 39 percent increase in dropped or lost cases after Foxx took office in 2016. Kate Brown on Monday, July 6, announced that she will appoint Mike Schmidt as District Attorney of Multnomah County, effective Aug. 1. The first in a new INTERVIEWS series from AWKWORD, featuring social justice leaders. And, and convicting him of perhaps a lower crime, a lesser offense. If you’re just there, you’re not damaging anything. But the Jewish political philanthropist is not the only player in the game of prosecutorial campaigns. Subscribe to OregonLive. “Should Trump send federal agents who engage in the same illegal vigilante activities, unlawfully assaulting and kidnapping people, they will face criminal charges from our offices,” Krasner and Mosby said. Schmidt talked to me about how he wanted to expand that work. Stacey Abrams announced as a SXSW keynote speaker for virtual conference, Florida Dems facing financial woes, more than $868G in debt, report shows, Reporter's Notebook: Inside the US Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. Andrew Theen: [00:05:25] So, what can you tell us about the kinds of protest-related charges that police are referring to the DA’s office? He did describe for me an incident where a Portland police officer apparently took a screenshot of a dispatch log from his, his, or her patrol car and shared that publicly. How and what Underhill told you in terms of why he decided to step down? Noelle Crombie: [00:11:54] Yeah. Noelle Crombie: [00:13:24] Yeah. or redistributed. 49 talking about this. We also touched on the remarkable instance where a police officer appears to have posted Smith’s personal information online. Noelle Crombie: [00:03:41] That’s right. You’re, you’re there to have your voice heard. Here’s our conversation. Andrew Theen: [00:07:35] So Noelle, here the DA is clearly saying that, you know, there are effectively bigger fish to fry when it comes to marshaling the resources of his office. And he got arrested, but his case was, was dismissed in August. “We’re not going to prosecute low-level drug offenses. In some instances, police and federal agents clashed with protesters, but in one demonstration, protesters paid their respects to one of their own in Texas. ©2021 FOX News Network, LLC. Noelle Crombie: [00:22:26] Thank you for having me. Andrew Theen: [00:10:48] Noelle, last week on this podcast, I spoke with our colleague Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, and he talked about Ted Wheeler and some of the issues he’s had with public confrontations and threats and, you know, that’s also happened to other elected officials. They, they want to see movement on big issues, like Measure 11 and even see maybe this protest policy as a bit of a distraction from the bigger issues that he campaigned on. There’s just, you know, a few arson arrests made. Why do you want to write this story about DA Mike Schmidt right now? But he, I think he wishes that perhaps he had, while stressing that he would protect, you know, free expression and protestors rights to, you know, express themselves in a protest context, I think he feels that he should have put on the same level that he would also not tolerate property crimes. And from, from the DA’s office where he spent a few years, he went on to lead a small state agency called the Oregon criminal justice commission, which serves as a kind of clearing house for criminal justice, statistics and analysis. MAJORITY OF VOTERS REJECT REDUCING POLICE FUNDING, DESPITE NATIONAL PUSH: POLL, “Is there some other way we could spend this money that would make us safer or do a better job of achieving the goals that we have?” Boudin asked. Andrew Theen: [00:13:08] Yeah. No honeymoon period. It may contain inaccuracies and may be updated or revised. Mr. Schmidt was elected district attorney in Portland on May 19, about a week before Mr. Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Krasner, who was elected after Soros put $1.45 million into a political action committee that supported him, has also taken a public stance regarding events that have spun out of the protests over Floyd’s death, particularly the federal response to violent demonstrations in cities like Portland. Boudin is also one of a number of district attorneys participating in "Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commissions," teaming with the Grassroots Law Project, an organization co-founded by activist Shaun King that calls for defunding police. Let’s listen to him talk about some experiences. The McCloskeys have said many times they were defending themselves, with tensions high in St. Louis and other cities over race and law enforcement. He also talked about in the same sort of conviction, integrity role, he talked about re-examining the value of, of old outstanding warrants for folks who’ve not been in contact with law enforcement for years. His thoughts and his ideas and plans were all aimed sort of around a January start date.