After seven (7) terms as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the California Association of Licensed Investigators (CALI), I stepped down after a tumultuous couple of years of putting up with defamatory criticism and denunciations by dissidents in the private investigative world. They accused me of everything from the undisguised sexist attack that I was “hiding behind the skirts of NOW [National Organization for Women of which I am a proud member and chapter leader]” to twisted and illogical inferences that I was supposedly “anti-law enforcement” because of my quoting another organization’s resolution (which they spun out of context) on mandatory continuing education for private detectives.
When I declined to run for re-election as Chair of the Board, my detractors gloated, thinking they’d driven me from office. What they didn’t realize is that stepping down was a calculated move. As Chair I was obligated to be fair to them and not play by their rules (which amounted to “all’s fair in love and war”). As a regular board member I felt morally less restricted in what I could say and do publicly about my detractors.
About a month ago, I didn’t see eye to eye with the current President of CALI over what the boundaries were of my giving tit for tat in this blog to my detractors, so I tendered my resignation from the board and then unilaterally resigned when the President ruled that I could not make a resignation tender (I disagree with his interpretation of the parliamentary rules governing this issue). So, remember The Clash song, “Should I stay or should I go?” It poses the issue, “If I go there will be trouble, An’ if I stay it will be double.” In this case, it’s the opposite: now that I’m not on the board, get ready for double trouble!
For context of what’s to come, check out these prior blog posts:
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2011/02/14/not-just-my-opinion/
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2011/02/14/continuing-saga-of-the-saucer-man/
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2011/02/12/update-on-the-saucer-man/
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2011/01/28/how-does-doj-select-vendors/
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2011/01/25/people-who-live-in-glass-houses/
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2010/10/08/play-nice-or-get-out-of-the-sandbox/
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2010/09/23/white-flag-of-surrender/
http://janbtucker.com/blog/2010/08/24/nciss-vs-ispla-iii/
So check out the following links that lead straight into the Skeleton’s Closet, literally:
Regarding David G. Herrera:
http://www.janbtucker.com/files/11-11-09_Verified_Second_Amended_Complaint_for_Damages.pdf
Regarding Edward Saucerman:
http://www.janbtucker.com/files/Case_No_48176.pdf
As a final “oh by the way,” back on October 8, 2010 I mentioned in a blog posting re Ed Saucerman that “The saga continues. He gets nominated for President of PICA (Professional Investigators of California). He pulls out of that race and announces that he’ll remain a member of the organization but will let his CALI membership expire.” [Emphasis added]. That turns out not to be anymore true than when I exposed the fact that Saucerman had used completely fabricated “testimonials” from purported clients on his company website. He quietly renewed his membership in CALI and probably hoped nobody would notice and call him out on his continuing questionable veracity.
Well, wishful thinking got him nowhere.
Got the following FB message about this posting from Alex M. Salazar for which I am humbled and can only say mil gracias:
“Jan, regardless of what anyone thinks….YOU are an icon in the investigative world and a free spirit for helping those who often cannot help themselves. I know you don’t stress over your soooo-called detractors but I imagine these games sometimes get old…
“Thank you for your inspiration! Hasta la Victoria!!!!!!!”
Comment from Michael Jones of Digital Evidence (audio/video forensic expert):
Sorry to hear about the flap. You’ve always been straight forward and above board about everything. As far as being anti-law enforcement, I don’t think so. Many of the cases that you are assigned involve alleged police misconduct. First of all, you weren’t present during the time of the alleged misconduct. Second, you didn’t make anyone do anything during the time of the incident. Finally, if you discover evidence or any corroboration of police misconduct, are you supposed to suppress evidence that can exonerate your client? Any investigator worth their salt is supposed to turn over every rock in search of the truth, and I’ve always known you to do just that. Critics be damned.
I need to make something perfectly clear about this posting: any disagreement regarding whether or not I should be blogging about corruption, incompetence, ineptitude, and ethics in the private detective world is not between myself and CALI, but between myself and the President of CALI. I remain a simple, ordinary member of CALI and am loyal to its mission.
That said, I’m flattered that I have received several exhortations by people I know to join and be an active participant in another PI organization but that is not going to happen. I am over-committed in volunteer activities. I was way over-committed before I resigned from the CALI board and all of my committee assignments and the situation of regulating my time was becoming more and more acute following my appointment as founding State Director of the California League of Latin American Citizens (CALLAC) by Jaime Martinez, president of the National League of Latin American Citizens (NLLAC). So there really isn’t any point in soliciting me to join anything else in the PI world.
Likewise, some CALI folks, both inside and outside the board have made exhortations to me to resume an active role in CALI. I can’t and I won’t. Period.