ALIPAC: Wise Investment-or Deal with the Devil?

Wise Investment-or Deal with the Devil?

Lots of different perspectives when it comes to paid informants.
By KTRH's Bill O'Neal
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Being a snitch can certainly pay. We saw it recently with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at Action Rags USA in Houston-with three undocumented workers getting some $13,000 to cooperate with federal authorities. But is it right for officials to open their wallets? The answer depends on who you ask.

"Those are the ones that law enforcement has to deal with because they're the ones that have the legitimate information that they seek," retired DEA Supervisory Special Agent Gregory D. Lee said, noting that most people connected with criminal enterprises are not the most upstanding citizens you might find. But when it comes to the Action Rags case, even those who are working for tighter borders aren't objecting too much.

"It would be ok to pay some of the illegals for the information, as long as the company is going to be fined to reimburse the taxpayers for that money," Americans for Legal Immigration President William Gheen said. But Gheen also has a warning.

"You have to be very, very careful to make sure that even law enforcement does not provide any type of extra financial incentives for lawless behavior. When you do that, you get more of what you're trying to prevent," Gheen said.

Then there's the defense lawyer's perspective.

"Someone who actually puts themselves out as a snitch for hire I think is inherently untrustworthy," Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association president Pat McCann. "Essentially, the prosecutor is giving taxpayer money to a person who lies for a living. I've never understood why somehow those lies are more credible once the state gives you money for them, McCann said.

http://www.ktrh.com/cc-common/news/sect ... le=3934449

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"Someone who actually puts themselves out as a snitch for hire I think is inherently untrustworthy," Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association president Pat McCann. "Essentially, the prosecutor is giving taxpayer money to a person who lies for a living. I've never understood why somehow those lies are more credible once the state gives you money for them, McCann said.

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Illegal aliens LIE for a living, is anyone surprised that they would sell others out? I'm not.

The illegal's entire existence in this country is based upon a lie. Fraud and deceit are an accepted as a part of their lives in which many of them take pride in knowing their deception will result in financial gain.

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"It would be ok to pay some of the illegals for the information, as long as the company is going to be fined to reimburse the taxpayers for that money," Americans for Legal Immigration President William Gheen said. But Gheen also has a warning.

"You have to be very, very careful to make sure that even law enforcement does not provide any type of extra financial incentives for lawless behavior. When you do that, you get more of what you're trying to prevent," Gheen said.

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A wise opinion and well thought out words.

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"Someone who actually puts themselves out as a snitch for hire I think is inherently untrustworthy," Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association president Pat McCann. "Essentially, the prosecutor is giving taxpayer money to a person who lies for a living. I've never understood why somehow those lies are more credible once the state gives you money for them, McCann said.

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Here we have a lawyer painting ALL informants with a broad brush. Some informants are obviously in it for the money and are going to embellish things to gain financially but many others are doing it because they believe what they have witnessed is wrong.

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-3346--0-0.html