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Get out of bed and cut your lawn! Code Compliance officer marched into woman's home and yelled
Daily Mail ^ | 7/9/12 | Daily Mail Reporter

Posted on 07/09/2012 3:14:40 PM PDT by Teflonic

A woman got the shock of her life when she woke up to find a stranger in her bedroom, yelling at her to wake up because her grass was too long.

Erica Masters was asleep when Columbia County Code Compliance Officer Jimmy Vowell entered her Martinez, Georgia, home without permission to serve a violation notice for her overgrown lawn.

After knocking on the woman's door a few times, Vowell let himself and made his way into her bedroom, which was captured on surveillance video.

‘He let himself in and actually came through the house and into my bedroom. And yelled at me to wake me up, to let me know that I needed to come back outside and sign the violation notice,' Masters told WJBF.COM.

‘I woke up, I didn't have my glasses on or my contacts in and all I see is this big burly figure standing in my doorway. A big, huge guy with a grey shirt. It scared the mess out of me.’

Vowell, who has been placed on administrative leave, will not face criminal charges, it has been revealed.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: augusta; columbiacounty; georgia; jimmyvowell; martinez; officerjimmyvowell
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To: Teflonic

I hope she sues the CHIT out of the city and then some. We are living in a police state.


21 posted on 07/09/2012 3:34:27 PM PDT by Irenic (The pencil sharpener and Elmer's glue is put away-- we've lost the red wheel barrow)
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To: PeteB570

“The guy is none too smart.”

Yeah, you only have to watch the first part of the video to realize this guy has size 44 coveralls and a size 4 hat. Which is to say, a typical county employee.


22 posted on 07/09/2012 3:35:53 PM PDT by vette6387
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To: Sirius Lee

He’s on leave so he can apply for a job on Obama’s new death panel.


23 posted on 07/09/2012 3:36:03 PM PDT by MeganC (If you are hell-bent on delaying maturity you will likely succeed.)
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To: PeteB570

It is amazing to me that across the width and breath of this continent gubment cheese swilling swine like this have jobs. People like this have jobs because citizens want strong gubment. Powerful gubment is demanded at all levels, Municipal, County, State and Federal. Voting citizens demand gubment powerful enough to interfere in the lives of fellow citizens.

I am convinced this is a conservative Law and Order legacy inflicted on each other by a brand of conservatism that harbors a great reverence for institutions.

Everyone here that argues for seat belt laws, helmet laws, cell phone laws and the War on Drugs, this is your legacy.

Conservatism to me is:

Small government with decision making pushed to the smallest possible denominator. Underfunded and frustrated public employees. Personal risk accepted rather than transfered. Small, cheap, gubment that has a hard time getting things done. That is good conservative gubment to me. But this picture juxtaposed with a very powerful military stationed overseas and tight border control.


24 posted on 07/09/2012 3:36:31 PM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: Teflonic

She should have shown him where the lawnmower was and tell him to get cutting...fat boy...


25 posted on 07/09/2012 3:38:52 PM PDT by Popman (When you elect a clown: expect a circus...)
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To: Teflonic

I’d be answering a homicide charge if the jackass came into my home and he’d be assuming room temperature.


26 posted on 07/09/2012 3:39:40 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Legalize Freedom!!)
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To: SaraJohnson

Yup


27 posted on 07/09/2012 3:42:24 PM PDT by samtheman (The Trillion Dollar ObamaCareTax definitely is a tax; just ask the US Supreme Court.)
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To: Irenic

I hate to say it, but I agree with the suing part. Especially since the county didn’t see fit to file b and e charges against the larda$$ who believed he had the authority to confront a helpless woman in her bedroom.

Sue them until their insurance policy limit is breached -then go into the county funds aka salary and pension and benefit funds.

And he does appear to be somewhat BTKish.

And it is completely shameful that the county seems to be backing his actions.


28 posted on 07/09/2012 3:43:12 PM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: Teflonic

For those unfamiliar with the area...
it is not pronounced mar-TEE-nez; it is pronounced martin-EZZ.


29 posted on 07/09/2012 3:44:47 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: null and void

Wow that’s the first person I thought of.


30 posted on 07/09/2012 3:54:02 PM PDT by windcliff
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To: windcliff; Cowgirl of Justice

You, me and Cowgirl of Justice.

GMTA


31 posted on 07/09/2012 3:56:58 PM PDT by null and void (Day 1265 of our ObamaVacation from reality - Heroes aren't made Frank, they're cornered...)
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To: Repeal The 17th; Shimmer1

Yeah, well they also think Houston is pronounced How-stun...


32 posted on 07/09/2012 3:58:25 PM PDT by null and void (Day 1265 of our ObamaVacation from reality - Heroes aren't made Frank, they're cornered...)
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To: Teflonic
We've not heard the WHOLE story. He has a tough job. He just wants to go home at night. What's she doing with a messy yard, anyway? No more commenting until we hear the government's side.

/s

33 posted on 07/09/2012 4:07:53 PM PDT by Ken H
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To: Teflonic

Dead in 5 seconds.


34 posted on 07/09/2012 4:14:29 PM PDT by Dallas59 (President Robert Gibbs 2009-2011)
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To: Ken H

Punching the “like” tag.


35 posted on 07/09/2012 4:14:29 PM PDT by DariusBane (People are like sheep and have two speeds: grazing and stampede)
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To: Teflonic
"Get outta that bed an' mow your goldurn lawn!"

I said shake, rattle, and roll.

36 posted on 07/09/2012 4:15:25 PM PDT by Oratam
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To: Repeal The 17th
it is pronounced martin-EZZ.

Love it! In Missouri, the St. Francois River is pronounced "Saint Francis".

37 posted on 07/09/2012 4:20:45 PM PDT by Defiant (If there are infinite parallel universes, why Lord, am I living in the one with Obama as President?)
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To: sunmars

I don’t know any of the specifics of this situation...but, in many communities, the code compliance people have the authority of law enforcement.

The reason given is that they need this authority to be able to write tickets for tall grass, etc. Of course, the downside is that these untrained idiots have, well, police powers...and can go whever thay want, to enforce the law.

He’s just going to say he went in there to make sure the house was indeed inhabited, nobody was dead in there, etc. Most people would call the police...but, he may be the police.


38 posted on 07/09/2012 4:21:20 PM PDT by lacrew (Mr. Soetoro, we regret to inform you that your race card is over the credit limit.)
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To: Teflonic
Martinez, GA looks like an affluent bedroom community of Augusta. Martinez is 83% white, while Augusta is 50% black.

GA communities seem to have a habit of passing these types of ordinances, probably to discourage lower class residents. They pass a bunch of laws about lawn care, shrubbery, junk on the property, maximum # of cars allowed, noise, pets, etc. Then, harass & fine the hell out of violators until they are driven out of town.

I'll bet Erica Masters is black. I'll also bet Vowell will be back on the job in a jiffy.

39 posted on 07/09/2012 4:22:07 PM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: null and void

“...Yeah, well they also think Houston is pronounced How-stun...”
-
Yes, Georgia actually has a Houston County (pronounced “HOUSE-ton”).

Extra points if you can pronounce this one:
Taliaferro County Georgia” (named for a Revolutionary War Captain).


40 posted on 07/09/2012 4:22:54 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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