Attorney General Bill Sorrell recently provided us with yet another example of the benefits of being on the In-Team.

Windham County Sheriff Sheila Prue was given a free ride after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges and to embezzlement of over $61,000. of taxpayer's money. Embezzlement is a felony. Felonies are serious crimes; the type of crimes for which you forfeit for life your right to own or use guns. The type of crimes which are punishable by two years or more in jail.

In a plea agreement made with the Attorney General's office, Sheriff Prue was given a sentence of five years. Fair enough. The agreement didn't end there, unfortunately. The agreement stipulated that the sentence be deferred, meaning not imposed. The deferment was for five years, and only on the condition that Sheriff Prue failed to reimburse the County with $26,000. of the $61,000. that she had stolen. If Sheila Prue repaid $26,000. the felony conviction would be expunged from her record. Guess what? On that very day, a check for $26,000. appeared, anonymously. By the end of her sentencing day, Sheila Prue, who had been the Sheriff of Windham County, embezzled $61,000. hard-earned taxpayer dollars, broke her Oath of Office, tarnished the image of all Law Enforcement Officers, having denied her culpability, and, and refused numerous requests for her resignation, walked out of the Courthouse with two misdemeanors and no sentence.

Unfortunately, that is Modus operandi for Bill Sorrell. Characteristically, it took months for Sorrell's office to investigate. Uncharacteristically, formal charges were actually brought. I believe that the publicity surrounding this case had a major impact on that decision.

In the recent past, Sorrell has refused to even investigate reported felonies by a Police Officer, Two Judges, including a sitting Supreme Court Justice, various lawyers, and a Side Judge.

Once you see the pattern emerging, you realize that we do not have a fox guarding the henhouse, we have a chicken guarding the foxes.

Dennis Carver