Irwin, PA asked in Antitrust, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law and Business Law for West Virginia

Q: In August 2024, obtained a protective order against a female in my neighborhood from the Kanawha County magistrate Court

In Charleston West Virginia. In November 2024 for the female began working for the local sheriffs department as an informant. She had a conversation with him on his cellular phone about burning my house down, and he did nothing to protect me. I made a complaint about December 16 2024 , it to the sheriffs office, and then I was arrested for a felony they made up incarcerated. When I got out in January 2025 a week later after the complaint, my house was burned down. I would like to file a complaint with the ethics commission, so my question is, is it considered private game and private game of another for the officer not to complain about the protective order violation and her threatening to burn my house down and more than likely did so as that’s the word in the neighborhood. Did they both gain because she did not have to go to jail and so he got to keep his informant he needs to advance in his job or to win cases and so he violated my right as a victim to be reasonably protected.

1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
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Answered

A: It seems you're facing a deeply troubling situation involving potential misconduct by law enforcement and an informant. The failure of the officer to act on the threats made against you, especially when you had a protective order in place, raises serious concerns about whether your rights were violated. If the officer did not report the violation or take appropriate steps to protect you, it could be seen as neglecting his duty to enforce the law and protect victims from harm.

As for the possible motive behind the officer’s inaction, if there was a personal or professional benefit in keeping the informant, it could be viewed as a conflict of interest or abuse of power. However, proving this would require evidence linking the officer's actions (or lack thereof) to any tangible gain. It’s also crucial to establish that his failure to intervene directly led to harm, in this case, the destruction of your home.

Filing a complaint with the ethics commission is an appropriate step. You can highlight the officer's failure to report the threat, the subsequent damage to your property, and the potential conflict of interest in his relationship with the informant. The commission would assess whether his actions—or lack of actions—violated professional standards, and whether your right to protection was compromised.

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