During the early hours of December 7th, 2013, my twin engine Aero Commander airplane was struck and damaged beyond repair by a late model BMW that was being operated by a negligent driver on the snow covered tarmac at the Auburn Municipal Airport in Auburn, California.

Since the 911 tragedy and the destruction of the Twin Towers, most airports in the United States are gated with up to date video surveillance. Although The City of Auburn has access to Federal matching funds, the city leaders have chosen not to secure our airport. The city has relied on an antiquated surveillance system that is managed by a fueling contractor with no City police supervision. Crime is prevalent at the airport and in 2013 the neighboring industrial center had 465 calls to the Auburn police for assistance. Leaders of the Industrial center have lost faith in the ability of the Auburn Police Department to provide police services to the center.

The Auburn PD was provided a CD containing the surveillance video of the crime. I was informed by the investigating officer that it would be two weeks before the surveillance video would be available for my viewing. On December 20, 2013, I arrived at the Auburn Police station and was allowed to view the edited version of the video. It appeared that the video had been manipulated to eliminate the frames that would have easily identified the driver. The interview ended with my intuition telling me that there was more to this crime that was being shared by the investigator. Subsequent to this interview I started my own investigation and on three occasions presented my findings to the investigating sergeant. Each piece of evidence that I presented to the investigating sergeant was either down played, ignored, dead stare or claim of lack of manpower to proceed. The first piece of evidence that I presented to the investigating sergeant was the location of a vehicle that was captured on the airport surveillance video. This vehicle was present at the Auburn Airport at the time the crime occurred. The investigating sergeant claims to have interviewed the driver and stated “The driver claims it was not him and I believe him, but I will corroborate his story.” 

On March 27th, 2014, I met with Auburn Police Chief John Ruffcorn in hopes of persuading his agency to contribute more resources to solve the crime that destroyed my airplane and allowed those responsible to run with impunity. Chief Ruffcorn rebuffed my request and informed me that their investigation was complete and there was nothing more they could do.  The investigation was less than two weeks old; I had lost a medical transport airplane worth $140k. And the police chief tells me,   “There is nothing more that we can do.”  After the rejection from Chief Ruffcorn, I contacted the Placer County District Attorney’s office. A friend of District Attorney Scott Owens suggested that I do so. Mr. Owens was aware of my request to meet with him to discuss the crime that resulted in the destruction of my airplane. As of this date, March 22nd, 2016, Mr. Owens has ignored my correspondence and has not with me.

During my journey to justice I analyzed the edited video that the Auburn PD had given me. Without divulging my findings, I developed time lines, video from on field businesses and video forensics to connect the dots. In addition, I hired a private investigator to help put a professional face on my findings. His expertise put more than a label on the investigation. His 28 years as an investigator identified numerous failures of the investigating officers from the Auburn Police Department and developed additional findings to help solve this crime. 

On August 5th, 2015, I packaged my investigative thesis and delivered it to the California Department of Justice. I truly believed that if I petitioned my government (as provided in the 1st amendment to our constitution) my journey to justice would finally be heard. On October 5th, 2015 with no response to my inquiry, I again traveled to the DOJ to find out what had happened to my request for help. I was denied access to the building and was informed that the California Department of Justice had no obligation to respond to my request for help. I have since left messages at the DOJ web site (piu@doj.ca.gov) and voice mail messages to the Public Inquiry Unit (800-952-5225) Fax (916-323-5341) The DOJ has never responded to my inquiries.  

My next inquiry in my journey to justice took me to the website of our congressman Tom McClintock. His website invites those with government issues to contact him for assistance. I thought for sure that I would now finally receive the help that I needed to have the proper authorities investigate this crime. On January 5th, 2016, I met with a not so polished staffer, who, after I provided a brief summary of my issues, recoiled in horror that the congressman was limited to what he could do in such circumstances.  I informed her that I would make it quite easy for the congressman. I narrowed my request to have the congressman make an inquiry to the FBI to find out who I would speak to about my complaint. The staffer believed that my modified request was doable; however she would have to check and get it cleared. In 24 hours she had forgotten my request and instead offered to contact the DOJ “to see if they would respond to my inquiry of August 5th, 2015.”  As of March 20th, 2016, Congressman McClintock has failed to respond.

It is wonderful that the 1st amendment to our constitution provides the right to petition our government. What is missing is any structure that obligates our government to respond to our requests.

Government on all levels, Local, County, State and Federal have failed a citizen’s legitimate request to investigate a crime and allowed these criminals to act with impunity. They are left to continue their activities that affect the good citizens of our community. 

As a citizen pilot who was vetted by several government agencies to fly government aircraft in US airspace, I flew transport for the Placer County Sheriff Department. Also, I flew my Aero Commander on many medical missions for the Gold Country Chapter of the Flying Doctors. My wife and I were active members of this fine organization. With the loss of our airplane we are no longer able to participate in these missions. This is our personal loss and a loss to the recipients of our medical services.

It offends my notion of justice that a police department, county, state and federal agencies would willfully turn their backs on articulable suspicion, (that can only be developed by the resources available to law enforcement) on the commission of a crime. It appears to reek of home cooking and the law should be enforced against everyone, equally. It should not matter that this is a small community. It becomes a slippery slope with the appearance of personal relationships affecting the enforcement of the law. 

It is my view that a sense of confidence in our legal system is necessary to maintain the fabric of our nation. The loss of that confidence can do incalculable damage to our society. I believe that the delay of justice will drain our system of its value. In a broad sense our legal system is broken and cannot fulfill its primary function to protect our citizens from the criminal element, elected officials who insulate themselves from the citizens who elect them and the bureaucrats who protect them.

For obvious reasons, I have not shared most of the evidence that was discovered during our investigation.  My journey to justice does not include any financial recovery. My one and only goal is the entitlement of a thorough and unbiased investigation. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

I now petition “We The People” to take action and support my Journey to Justice.                                                                              

Please participate, Sign my petition. Lend your voice to arrest this slippery slide to Injustice.       

 

 

 

Letter to Attorney General:

California Attorney General Kamala Harris                                

March 23rd, 2016                                                                    

1300 I St.                                                                                                         Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: Journey to Justice

Dear Ms. Harris:

During the early morning hours of December 7th, 2013, my twin engine Aero Commander airplane was struck and damaged beyond repair by a late model BMW that was being operated by a negligent driver on the snow covered tarmac at the Auburn Municipal Airport in Auburn, California.

My journey to justice began when Auburn police Chief John Ruffcorn, informed me that “their investigation was complete and there was nothing more that they could do.” My journey to justice then took me to the office of Placer County District Attorney Scott Owens, who has ignored my communications and refused to meet with me. My next stop in my journey to justice was the delivery of my complaint to your office on August 5th, 2015.On October 5th, 2015 I again traveled to your office to inquire about the status of my complaint. I was informed by a uniformed state officer who refused me access to our public building that the California Attorney General had no obligation to respond to my request for help. The final destination in my journey to justice took me to the web site of our congressman Tom McClintock. His web site invites his constituent’s to contact him when in need of assistance with contacting federal agencies. A brief meeting with one of his staffers left me disillusioned and with a good understanding that nothing productive would result in any help from Congressman McClintock.

It is my view that a sense of confidence in our legal system is necessary to maintain the fabric of our nation. The loss of that confidence can do incalculable damage to our society and the delay of justice will drain our system of its value. In a broad sense our legal system is broken and cannot fulfill its primary function to protect our citizens from the criminal element, the elected officials who insulate themselves from the citizens who elect them and the bureaucrats who protect them.

My honorable and common sense approach to be heard has fallen on deaf ears. I now call upon “We the People” to petition you, your office and its resources to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation of the crime that was committed against my airplane.

I trust that this communication will receive your immediate attention and disposition.

David Albright