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August 15 , 2013
East Grand Forks Police destroy journalists hard drive - refuse to compensate
Police Chief and City Attorney using taxpayer money to defend personal misconduct?
by Timothy Charles Holmseth
On December 14, 2012 the East Grand Forks Police Department pursuaded a Ninth Minnesota District Judge they needed to enter my (Timothy Charles Holmseth) home-office and seize my computer and hard-drive. The Affidavit for the Warrant did not allege a crime had been committed. Rather – it stated the hard-drive needed to be ‘secured’ to prevent me from ‘destroying evidence’. In reality - it was the City that would soon attempt to 'destroy evidence'. The District Judge granted the City Police a limited Warrant that allowed them to seize and hold items. When the police entered the premises, the computer was turned on and functioning. The Administrator’s activity log shows the computer was highly functional and used on a daily basis. Attorney Bruce Ringstrom, Sr., Ringstrom Law Office, Detroit Lakes, negotiated on my behalf with East Grand Forks City Attorney Ronald Galstad. I agreed to withdraw my request to the District Judge for an investigation into official misconduct by Galstad and threats made to have police officers lie on the witness stand if I insisted on a jury trial. The threats were passed to me by Attorney Michael LaCouirsiere on behalf of Galstad. In return for the withdrawal of my complaint, my hard-drive and property was to be given back. Of course - I was not charged with any crime because I had not committed one. On April 26, 2013 the equipment was returned to me per the order of Honorable Tamara Yon. The equipment was returned by Detective Aeisso Schrage, EGFPD. Wires had been moved around inside the computer and the hard-drive would not function. The damaged property was chronicled in real time through emails from me to Attorney Ringstrom; as well as photographs. The equipment has been analuyzed and assessed by specialists. On August 12, 2013 Police Chief Michael Hedlund responded to a complaint I filed on the matter. He advised me the City Police Department would not make me whole. Hedlund stated the City wasn’t responsible. His letter was copied to City Attorney Ronald Galstad.
This latest action by City officials creates even more questions about the shady behavior and underworld attitudes of some big fish in a shrinking pond. Would Attorney Ronald Galstad and Police Chief Michael Hedlund really be foolish enough to underestimate an experienced investigative journalist, and try to destroy evidence linking them to criminal activity? Have local officials been in communication with organized crime from out of state? Did Lt. Deteceive Rodney Hajicek commit a crime by using his official position to assist a charity fraud from Fort Lauderdale called Xentel, Inc. Are Police Chief Michael Hedlund and City Attorney Ronald Galstad drawing the City of East Grand Forks deeper and deeper into a legal quagnire that is actually comprised of their own personal troubles?
Is the local taxpayer flipping the bill to keep a few local officials out of trouble, which they created on their own? It appears time will tell. Several important matters are presently before a District Judge, and recent developments indicate the court system and State of Minnesota is really no longer amused. Ronald Galstad and Michael LaCoursiere, public defender, presently face judicial review by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility after a detailed complaint and affidavit was forwarded to the Director of OLPR by Honorable Yon.
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