After the chief prosecutor of Cecil County, Md., Edward “Ellis” Rollins III (R), was arrested last Wednesday by Ocean City, Md., police for indecent exposure, the Ocean City state’s attorney told the police to release his prosecutorial colleague without charges. Rollins, 60, had just been the keynote speaker at the summer conference of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, held at the same hotel where he was arrested.
But then a local blogger got tipped to the arrest and release, and called the Ocean City prosecutor. Then the blogger posted a story and photo Friday, allegedly of the exposed Rollins, along with many specific details of the events, which reportedly went well beyond just standing around naked. On Monday, the Worcester County State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby (R) charged his prosecutorial colleague with four misdemeanors, for indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.
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31 comments:
Has there been mention of his resisting arrest throughout this ordeal?
It's sad how our local officials always decide to cover up crime especially when committed by the local "good ol boys" rather than bring it out to the open. Thanks goodness for this local blog. If we depended on BOC, MDT or the DT's we would be greatly uninformed. An informed people can make informed decisions.
Interesting.
No charges till the light was shined on it.
Are you paying attention, you of Worcester County?
Nice job, Joe! And thanks to the person who tipped you off. And to Beau: you're a nice guy with an impossible job, but all the people who treated this guy differently need to step down immediately. For them, a bright future beckons in Cecil Co. Again, all the people...
Good job, Joe. (You be careful if you need to drive through Cecil County... It's probably not a very good time for you to get a speeding ticket and have to make a court appearance!)
Seems fishy to me. My fam has personally known the Rollins family for years and I just don't believe that Mr. Rollins was walking around buck naked in public, acting inappropriately and displaying indecency stone sober in the middle of the day. And for someone to convince me of that has a lot of work to do.
There is no question in my mind that no one would know about this if it wasn't for SBYNEWS. You are the best when it comes to holding elected officials accountable Joe, keep up the good work.
I don't know 8:42 but if he did resist he should be charged for that as well, you or I certainly would have been. He should not get any special treatment at all.
OK, let me clear the air here.
When the reporter called me he asked, do you think there was a cover up? My response was, yes, at first, until I spoke directly with Beau. He then asked, do you think the public believes there was a cover up. I replied, yes, until the read my article.
Clearly when you have one States Attorney up against another States Attorney, caution is of the utmost importance. First there's a professional courtesy and one would expect a very thorough investigation before anyone jumps the gun. IF by chance the original arrest didn't have clarity, pinning an elected official with these charges wouldn't be fair.
I believe Beau absolutely did the right thing by making sure the charges were solid and just.
That being said, haven't ALL of you found it extremely interesting how our local main stream media have barely touched on this story? Yes, he was arrested and charged. However, there's a LOT more to this story and yet they have used kid gloves with the whole thing.
If you know the Rollins as you say you do. Chip off the old block. I know them as well. Just because your rich and gave decades of influence doesn't make you intelligent.
Maybe I did not read the article right but did it not day the police could not do much on the witnesses statement and only made an arrest after witnessing it themselves when the witness said watch what happens when I stroke my hair? I just hope the Pennsylvania witness comes down to testify at the trial!
Cops do not have to witness a crime before they can charge someone. If that were true very few people would ever be arrested. They arrest people all the time on victims statements.
The witness does not need to come to testify as the police were a witness to the crime. She would just be added evidence but not crucial to the case
This case needs to be tried outside of Worcester County to assure that there won't be anymore professional courtesies.
10:19, Why did you feel the need to send the exact same comment twice?
First of all great job Joe!!!!! This is what journalism is all about - today you are a journalist!
Second of all this falls squarely at the feet of Beau Oglesby - I know he is a republican and you can bet if this was a democrat you all would be calling for blood. Beau should have pressed charges immediately. He was going to let this guy go scot free if you had not brought this to light. I am just so shocked that you are defending Beau - he needs to resign!
Accident.
10:30, 7 Minutes apart?
As someone who majored in journalism 30 years ago and practiced reporting for about 5, and who really cannot stand these blogs, I am proud of you today. Take a bow, you deserve it. Like 10:29 said - this is what journalism is all about - it is just outrageous to think that this would not have seen the light of day without you! What are they running in Worcester County? This is not the good old boy network anymore! Beau would have arrested charged anyone else and bragged about it for days. By the way - anyone who is defending Rollins take a look at that picture joe posted. It is disgusting - its bad enough we have to control and monitor every thing our children see and hear, but can you imagine seeing that fat slob right in front of children! Enough!!!
The good old boy connection! So glad for all you do Joe! Let the people see how unfair and unjust our prosecutors and cops are locally! We're sick of it!
9:03! Photos don't lie! Your like a relative to a cop! No way they can do wrong! Lmao. Wipe your chin . Got some states attorney on it!
10:04. Yes they do! In this case there was photographic evidence and witnesses that are cops. The whole reason we have these worthless commissioners is because cops have to see the crime or evidence that is consistent with witnesses statements!
10:29 - but Joe is quoted as saying he isn't a journalist.
It is a shame this didn't happen in Wicmico County! Mike Lewis would have escorted him home like he did Davis Ruark and do his best to cover the whole event up.
Very proud of you, not only for exposing the truth (pun and all), but for showing every sorry excuse for media in two counties what real journalism is. I say that with the same gusto I use when I (often) disagree with you, but I respect the effort you put out to "get it right." Not those bozos. They just do their damage and move on.
Justice is blind. In this case it should be more severe due to his position, not less. Set an example by doing the right thing rather than sweeping it away quietly.
Just think what the penalty would be if it were you or I!!!
Joe, "professional courtesy"?
Isn't that just another way of saying that SOME people are not as equal as others under the law? Like the police doing 75mph on the way home?? Or Holder deciding NOT to prosecute or pursue multimillion dollar tax evaders like Sharpton because he's obama's buddy?
A COP WITNESSED IT! ANY other citizen would have been arrested and IMMEDIATELY CHARGED without hesitation or mercy.
Because HE held an important position, his professional "buddies" give him a break on a charge like THAT!? Or, at least, TRIED to....
TWO SETS OF LAWS!
When equality under the law is so obviously disregarded by the people in power, it isn't long before the citizens wonder why THEY should obey it.
Which is where we are going as a country right now.
If you hadn't brought this story to light, Rollins would be right back at putting people in prison for the same thing he did. And Oglesby should resign. If the States Attorney can't be trusted to prosecute something like that crime, his judgment is questionable (at the least) and he fails to protect "we, the people". He merely protects his friends and "professional aquaintances". Wonder why respect for the law is diminishing???
Can anyone tell me where "professional courtesy" is located in the Maryland Annotated Code?
Right. Two sets of laws.
Keep cheering.
What all of you need to realize is this. Anyone in a position of power such as police, attorneys, judges and so on, there is a unspoken code of covering up for one another. This will be be done at all costs unless it means you are going down with the ship, then and only then do you say what you know to be true to save yourself. We all know all of them break the law all the time while their colleagues turn their heads. When we the people put these people in these positions of power, one would hope it would come with integrity but unfortunately integrity doesn't exist much anymore. This man as well as all others in positions of power will either have the charges dropped or will be found innocent because the innocent get put behind bars and the guilty rule our streets. Just saying.
What if he were a teacher?
720,I truly hope your take on this does not come to fruition, but still, I can understand the possibilities here. God forbid this gets swept under a rug and this man is kept in a position of trust to the People.
This Rollins must be a democrat for the msm not to cover this.
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