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Trenton Cop Reinstatement

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VietVet View Drop Down
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    Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 6:38am
Journal story....

Judge rules ex-officer to be reinstated, awarded back pay
City plans to appeal ruling, Trenton official says

A judge has ruled a former Trenton police sergeant be “reinstated to employment” and “awarded back pay together with any benefits and any out of pocket losses as a result of the termination of benefits.”

Judge Patricia Oney ruled in Butler County Common Pleas Court that an arbitrator “exceeded her powers” by imposing an involuntary resignation for Mike Matala, who was terminated from the Trenton Police Department in July 2011 following a pre-disciplinary hearing for insubordination for failure to obey an order; absent without permission; conduct unbecoming an officer; and for use of OHLEG for non-law enforcement purposes

In an arbitrator’s ruling last December, Matala’s termination was reduced to a 30-day suspension without pay, but the arbitrator also said that he would not be reinstated to employment. Matala was awarded back pay from Aug. 20 through Dec. 28, 2011, which amounted to approximately $15,000 before deductions.

The situation began when Matala wrote a citation for a traffic violation on May 16, 2011, to a Trenton resident who is the wife of a firefighter in another city.

Three days later at the request of the woman’s husband and after review of the traffic stop video, the citation was voided by Lt. Mike Gillen. The event escalated from there as Matala rebuked the decision to void the ticket leading to his being placed on administrative leave pending an investigation and to his eventual termination following a confrontation with Gillen in the police station.

WELL, LET'S SEE, THE COP WAS INSUBORDINATE, CONFRONTED A SUPERIOR, CONDUCT UNBECOMING AN OFFICER, FAILURE TO OBEY AN ORDER, ABSENT WITHOUT PERMISSION (AWOL FROM THE JOB DUTIES)........AND THE FRIKKIN' JUDGE SAYS THE ARBITRATOR "EXCEEDED HER POWERS" IN RENDERING AN INVOLUNTARY RESIGNATION? YOU CAN'T DO THOSE THINGS IN AN ENVIRONMENT SET UP TO RUN LIKE THE MILITARY. ONLY IN A UNION ENVIRONMENT WOULD THIS HAPPEN. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A UNION PROTECTING A PERSON WHO OBVIOUSLY NEEDED TO BE CANNED. SHOULD HAVE BEEN ESCORTED OUT OF THE BUILDING AFTER HE TURNED IN HIS UNIFORMS, BADGE AND WEAPON. HOW SEVERE DOES IT HAVE TO GET BEFORE ONE LOSES A JOB IN A UNION ENVIRONMENT? MERCY! AND THE UNION PROTECTION NONSENSE LIVES ON.....EVEN WHEN IT IS OBVIOUS THE WORKER CAN'T LIVE BY THE RULES OF THE HOUSE. IMO, JUDGE ONEY IS WRONG IN HER SUPPORT OF THIS COP.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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AKBobby View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote AKBobby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 8:45am
Disagree with you Vet. The full story of course isn't in the paper. Here in Trenton everyone knew he would get his job back. One of the most blatant abuses of management around. Here is what happened and what the Judge surely saw.
 
the officer stops a car for a violation. He writes a valid ticket. The person who receives the ticket is friends with the cops boss. The boss reviews the ticket and pulls it for no valid reason. The cop rewrites the ticket and takes it the person. The person calls the boss and then boss confronts the officer and starts a heated argument which leads to discipline for the officer. The boss then makes sure the ticket is pulled - with no valid reason.
 
First, it is the court and judges decision to decide if a person is guilty. Second, the officer wrote a ticket for a violation. The boss cant pull a ticket because it is for a friend. Third, the boss started a heated argument and cussed out the cop before getting him fired.
 
So an officer should be fired for that? For doing his job legally and not allowing a boss to pull a ticket for a friend? I am sure the judge read all this and said what the hell is going on there. It has nothing to do with a union. It has to do with a cop standing up to corruption. Good job by the officer for not letting it go on. Mike is the type of cop we need here. Very respected, very well thought of here in town. Our city has now lost two lawsuits agasint the police in a month. Something stinks very bad here.
AK - What is going on with that?
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AKBobby View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote AKBobby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 8:46am
oh and the AWOL charge and using police computer off duty were trumped up charges by the boss. Just adding things to help his case. Obviously the Judge saw it and agreed with the officer, not the boss.
AK - What is going on with that?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote John Beagle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 9:41am
Where was the police union in all of this?
John Beagle

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 10:28am
"Disagree with you Vet. The full story of course isn't in the paper"

AND THAT'S A PROBLEM ISN'T IT AK? I REACTED ON THE ONLY INFORMATION I HAD. NOW, WITH YOUR VERSION OF THE STORY, IT HAS OBVIOUSLY CHANGED THE GAME.

HOWEVER, I WILL MAKE THIS COMMENT BASED ON THIS......

"The boss reviews the ticket and pulls it for no valid reason. The cop rewrites the ticket and takes it the person. The person calls the boss and then boss confronts the officer and starts a heated argument which leads to discipline for the officer. The boss then makes sure the ticket is pulled - with no valid reason"

"THE COP REWRITES THE TICKET". THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. IF MY BOSS DIDN'T ACCEPT THE FIRST TICKET I WROTE AS AN OFFICER, I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN ANOTHER AFTER SEEING WHAT THE GAME WAS. THE BOSS WAS FRIENDS WITH THE VIOLATOR. ENOUGH SAID AND I WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE OLD "SCRATCH MY BACK/I'LL SCRATCH YOURS ROUTINE. HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH OFFICE POLITICS. EVEN IN A COP STATION. SHOULD HAVE LET IT REST AND NOT TICKED THE BOSS OFF. WOULD HAVE GONE EASIER AND NOT DEVELOPED INTO A FULL BLOWN WAR WITH AN ARBITRATOR AND IN COURT. THIS TOO, WOULD HAVE PASSED. PERSONALLY, I WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE AGGRAVATION AND PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M OLDER THAN THIS COP. JUST DON'T NEED ANOTHER HEADACHE.

BUT, THIS COP HAD A UNION BEHIND HIM. MIGHT HAVE MADE HIM MORE BRAZEN TOWARD THE LT. CAN'T DO THAT IN THE NON-UNION SHOPS.....COP WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT THE DOOR LOOKING FOR HIS NEXT JOB IF HE TICKED THE BOSS OFF. NO ARBITRATOR/NO COURT/JUST GET OUT. YOU FORCE THE ISSUE, YOU'RE GONE.

I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote MelissaG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 10:40am
Hello, Melissa Green here, the famous firefighter's wife who was issued the ticket!

I wasn't going to get involved in this but feel the need to defend mine and my husband's name.

I was issued a ticket for running a red light, this is correct. I felt that the ticket was issued improperly due to the fact that I was in the intersection waiting to clear the intersection when the light turned red, I did not blow through the light, but again waited for the intersection to clear, this was viewed on the cruiser camera video as well.   My husband went to the police station the next day as he wanted to see the cruiser camera video and himself along with the Lieutenant and Chief viewed the video and after the viewing, the ticket was taken back.   

There is history between this officer's brother and my husband as my husband does not care for his brother, they both were members of the football board and did not see eye to eye on several subjects.

AT NO TIME did my husband report to either of these officer's that he was a firefighter or ask for special treatment due to the fact that he was a firefighter.   

It has also been reported that my family is friends with the Lieutenant who voided the ticket, THIS IS NOT TRUE myself and my husband have never talked to this Lieutenant before this incident nor did our children play sports together as the officer in question wife indicated in another public forum.

After the ticket was voided, 2 weeks later this officer shows up at my home to issue me another ticket, I was not at home I was at a baseball game with my son in Dayton. My husband had just got off work and was in our garage with several neighbors. He came up to our porch and asked if I was at home, my husband advisd him that I was not at home, the officer asked when I would be returning, my husband advised he was not sure. This officer then, walks to the next door neighbor with a flashlight and begin's searching through their garage looking for me (this was all video taped by another neighbor) there were several neighbors who watched in disbelief that a police officer was searching through a neighbor's garage looking for this harden criminal who ran a red light! My husband again reports to him that I was not at home the officer and my husband said a few words back and fourth to each other and the officer then left.

The next day, I stopped by the police station on my way home from work and signed the ticket. I went to court and paid the fine for running the red light.

The officer and his wife are making accusations that my family is friends with this lieutenant and therefore, this is why the lieutenant voided the ticket they are also making it seem like my husband went to the police station and demanded the ticket be voided due to the fact that he is a firefighter, none of these statements are true! After the ticket was taken back and my husband was on his way out the door, the Lieutenant asked him if he was a police officer, my husband replied no he was a firefighter. So don't you think if we were such good friends with this Lieutenant he would know what kind of career my husband had?


I have to say I am disgusted with Journal News and their choice of words they have implied that this officer was fired over issuing a ticket to the wife of a firefighter which was clearly not the case, this officer was fired due to his actions that took place within the department and had nothing to do with issuing me a ticket.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote MelissaG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 10:51am
Just one more thing, I could care less if this officer get's his job back I do know he has a family to provide for so for that, I feel bad for him however, it was his actions not the actions of other's that caused him to loose his job.   If he is reinstated to his duties I am pretty sure he knows to keep his distance from me and my family.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 1:21pm
And now, with Melissa's version, the game has changed yet again. Now, neither one of us are sure of what really happened.

We have a fewd going between people living in Trenton. Started with some disagreements concerning sports. Has escalated into a "stay away from each other" scenario. Probably won't end until one of the families moves out of town. Unfortunate to see but has happened many times before.

Sounds like the reporting newspaper didn't get their facts straight pertaining to either side. Dam liberal, left-leaning newspapers!
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MelissaG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 1:44pm
I can promise you, what I wrote is FACT regarding what happened with the ticket being issued/voided. I have nothing to hide and nothing to gain from this. I didn't lose my job over this, the officer in question did.

And I can tell you I will not move any time soon, I graduated from Edgewood and my kids go to Edgewood where they will graduate.

Personally, I do think the officer went a little too far and dug himself in a hold he could not get out of but hey, that's just my opinion.

I would tell you what I really thought of the Journal News but I think I would probably be banned from this site
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bobbie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 1:45pm
Just my opinion here, but it seems like all parties need to be put in time out for acting like children.  There really was no excuse for any of this to happen.  I would say a lot of us have received a ticket, feeling we did not deserve it.  That is why we are given a court date.  Melissa, I am not excusing the behavior of the officer, but is doesn't make sense to me that your husband would go into station, this should have been handled in the proper procedure.  2nd, I believe your husband may not have said he was an officer or firefighter - but something was said to lead  them to think so.  Which makes the common person think as Vet said "scratch your back" type attitude.
Time for everybody to grow up!
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote MelissaG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 1:55pm
As I stated in my 1st post, when my husband was leaving the station the Lieutenant asked him if he was a cop, my husband replied no he was a firefighter his career was not discussed until after the ticket was taken back.

I will be honest, I feel a little childish coming onto a public forum and discussing my personal matters some people feel they need to cry out for help and promote their story, not me I know what happened with regards to the ticket, I have no idea what happened inbetween there with the Lieutenant and the Officer so I won't discuss it, but if what I read in the paper is true I am appauled by it!

What's done is done for me, I paid the ticket and have moved on however, some feel the need to keep insinuating that this officer was fired for giving me a ticket and he was not, it had nothing to do with giving me a ticket and everything to do with his behavior and actions at the department.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote AKBobby Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 3:02pm
the court should decide who is guilty or not guilty on a ticket. It reeks of favoritism by a police boss when he pulls a ticket before it goes to court. Looks like Matala has his side and you has yours. The Judge sided with Matala and said he was wrongly fired so looks like he isn't the one that was wrong. Case closed.
AK - What is going on with that?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MelissaG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 3:29pm
Again, his firing had nothing to do with my ticket...it had to do with his actions within the police department, he used company property to obtain motor vehicle records, he left the city while on duty without permission, he disobeyed orders, was argumentative with his superior officers etc again it had nothing to do with the ticket.   I wish him well, but also hope that he learned his lesson that you can't act like that and expect to keep your job, the employer will do whatever it takes to get you out of there it is harder though when you have union representation.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MelissaG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 3:31pm
And also, I feel that if I have an issue with an officer or with any other employee for that matter, I should be able to go to that person's superior and request explination. We tried to call officer Matella twice the day that the ticket was issued and he ignored both phone calls so he left us no choice but to go and speak with his supervisor.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote LMAO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 21 2012 at 10:11pm
Something that has been left out of this "DRAMA" story,is when this first came out in the "MIDDLETOWN URNIAL" it was mentioned that someone put there hands on the other in the dispatching room.Dont know what happen and really dont care IMO I agree with Bobby,some people need to grow the hell up.Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HdMechanical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 26 2013 at 5:01pm
http://www.wcpo.com/web/wcpo/news/local-news/butler-county/trenton/trenton-police-lt-michael-gillen-indicted-on-three-felonies

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is overseeing the case, according to Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser.

A spokesperson for DeWine's office said Gillen's indictments on theft in office and tampering with evidence stem from allegations he improperly profited in his role overseeing an impound lot.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HdMechanical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov 26 2013 at 5:06pm
Oh what a tangled web we weave..............

http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/12/2013/2013-ohio-3311.pdf

{¶ 4} Nevertheless, Matala went to the home of Melissa Green to reissue the traffic 
citation and, at this time, spoke with Green's husband, Matthew Green. Matala informed 
Matthew Green that Gillen's conduct in voiding the ticket was unlawful and that Gillen may 
face criminal charges. Matala then reissued the citation to Melissa Green, noting in his 
supplemental report, "Lieutenant Gillen improperly voided the traffic citation to show 
Melissa's husband 'a little love' due to the fact that he's an Oxford Fireman." Ultimately, 
Green was convicted on the citation after a bench trial.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HdMechanical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 17 2014 at 3:12pm
Another one bites the dust......
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