http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=4341689
Iosco County under sheriff resigns
Resignation is part of phone tapping plea deal
By Terry Camp
IOSCO COUNTY (WJRT) - (07/06/06)--The Iosco County under sheriff has
resigned as part of a plea deal in an eavesdropping case. But Michael
Bridson will most likely avoid jail time and could end up as under
sheriff again.
Bridson is accused of tapping phones inside the sheriff's department and
then recording and listening to employees' conversations.
He was charged in November and has remained under sheriff as the case has
moved through the courts. But his attorney says that will now
change.
"During a one year period, the under sheriff will resign as under
sheriff for that period of time," said Bridson's attorney Ron
Tyler.
Bridson has pleaded no contest to two of the seven charges against
him.
He gets a one year delayed sentence and Tyler says his client will be
able to remain with the sheriff's department during that year, just not
in a supervisory role.
If Bridson lives by the rules of the one-year delayed sentence, the
conviction will be dismissed with no jail time.
He faced two years for each count and he could return as under sheriff.
It's a rare plea deal in a rare criminal case.
"It's difficult to compare because there are not many cases like
this that I'm aware of, at least in Michigan," Tyler said.
Darlene Eno, whose son works for the sheriff's department, says she
believes Bridson got off easy.
"It was a slap on the wrist.," she said.
And while the plea deal between Tyler and visiting Alcona County
Prosecutor Thomas Weichel has been worked out, this case is far from
over.
Civil lawsuits have been filed by current or former sheriff's department
employees over the phone tapping. Those cases may have added traction
with Bridson's conviction.
The terms of the plea agreement are expected to accepted by a circuit
court judge sometime in August.
We Hunt Spies, We Stop Espionage,
We Kill Bugs, and We Plug Leaks.
James M. Atkinson, President and Sr. Engineer
Granite Island Group
127 Eastern Avenue #291
Gloucester, MA 01930-8008
Phone: (978) 546-3803
Fax: (978) 546-9467
Web:
http://www.tscm.com/
E-Mail:
jm..._at_tscm.com
Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:23 CST