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Ex-OSP officer sentenced in game violation

9K views 52 replies 37 participants last post by  OregonWaterDog 
#1 ·
#5 ·
Dear Officer Gallaher,

:hoboy:
I would just like to start by thanking you for showing so much pride in and courage, having worn your badge so long! Thank you for being such an upstanding role model in our community, and showing others by example. You must feel so proud of your son, and the values and beliefs you've bestowed upon him. Thank you for taking an oath to that badge and holding so tight to your words, protecting and serving the general public. Many small children look up to you as a hero. Even grown men have seen your badge and have respected you for wearing it, and have Even saluted you. You MUST feel honored by now! Besides its what you've wanted...what you've dreamed to be... what you stand for... RIGHT?!?

Thank you for choosing right from wrong, and teaching that to others...especially your children..the ones who look up to you the most! :palm:

I wish the harshest penalties of law upon you, and hope your son will realize his father WASN'T the greatest role model afterall....

Sincerely,
Legal Sportsmen
 
#51 ·
Legal Sportsmen
Wow. such a powerful statement. I am sure none of the folks calling for the head on a platter here never broke the law. Never speed, never "fail to tag a fish" or any other game violation.

One thing I would bet on is somebody that has been convicted(rightfully or wrongfully) by this Trooper or his testimony is talking to a lawyer about appealing their conviction.
He made a bad mistake and it cost him. It does make one wonder if this is the only time he misused his possition in 28 years. I guess we will never know.
 
#7 ·
The penalties seemed awfully light for poaching.

P
 
#8 ·
- Timothy E, officer & father resigned from life long officer position - probably not willfully
- all the charges to Timothy E (Officer & Father) added up to - 48 months probation, 24 month hunting suspension, 100 hours community service & $1,234 in fines after reduction.

- The son Timothy C added up to - 48 months probation, 24 month hunting suspension, 100 hours community service, & $2,967 in fines after reduction.

Grand Total = 96 months of probation, 48 month hunting suspension, 200 hours community service & $4,201 total fines.

That's pretty hefty (but fair) for one elk. :twocents:
 
#12 ·
They were both employed in the legal profession and violated their own code of conduct as well as thw law. There is no excuse or rationalization that washes that away.
I think you and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

For a different perspective you should review the thread on the guy in Idaho who lost his hunting privilidges for life. They seem to be a little more realistic in their application of penalties.
 
#13 ·
Not condoning the taking of the elk by the son. It sounds like dad was put in a hard position. Does he turn his son in after finding out? What if it was your wife that did it while you were at work? Just things to think about as your screwed one way or another. It's easy to be on the high horse until your put in that position and then what. Just my .02 cents.
 
#17 ·
Holly cow guys, I agree they messed up and should be punished. But lets be reasonable. NONE of you were in that position. You are just getting info from a computer and throwing stones. His son is a young man and they make bad choices. I guarantee we all have made bad choices in our lives. I have. Especially when I was younger. If you say you have not ever made a bad choice or broken a law, well then WHAT EVER. :palm:
I know a couple of upstanding families that raised kids in a great home environment and tried to instill all the correct values and yet they still had a kid that took all the wrong paths. It happens.
And as a father, and an officer, he was in a tough spot. And I bet it was probably a pretty rough thing to go through. The protective parent thing is a pretty strong instinct to ask someone to just toss aside. No matter what the career.
I think the punishment was appropriate for what they did from what I have seen of other similar crimes. Its not like they got off scott free for crying out loud.
 
#18 ·
After 28yrs of service protecting YOUR game the guy has finally proven he's a human by not turning on his son. I thought it would be a cold day in H$ll when I'd have simpithy for a cop. When's the last time one of you turned in your wife, son or daughter for violating a law? Maybe it's not that he voilated a law but the one he violated? If he had pulled someone over and gave them a ticket they didn't deserve to teach them a lesson, whold he be a dog or a hero? Cops break laws all the time and we look the other way!
 
#23 ·
I wonder if anyone convicted by his account and testimony would be revisiting it with a attorney to get it over turned? Is it possible?

I have met officer Gallaher on several occasions and would have never guess he would have been convicted of game violations, sad part is there are two others who should have been caught too for game violations but have retired years back.
Its sad.
 
#24 ·
i dont agree with the punishment there needs to be a manditory jail time included

people dont care so they get a fine and lose there privilages for a while but ad a manditory 3-6 months in jail 500 hours community service and 10 year suspension 5k minimum fine

that would cut down on poaching
 
#29 ·
i dont agree with the punishment there needs to be a manditory jail time included

people dont care so they get a fine and lose there privilages for a while but ad a manditory 3-6 months in jail 500 hours community service and 10 year suspension 5k minimum fine

that would cut down on poaching
Actually, I doubt punishments like this will do anything but breed hate and discontentment toward the legal system. Its proven that punishments that are too harsh provoke more crime than they deter. Deterence comes through swift, fair punishment.

Like it was said above, a game violation should never hold a stiffer penalty than a crime against your fellow man. The majority of people would never justify a punishment that gave the appearance that animals have more rights than humans.
 
#25 ·
I have been a Firefighter for 24 years. And I assure you that what you see in the media is not very often accurate. And things are not always as they seem. We go on calls with cops all the time and to be involved in a situation, see everything that went on, then to see that the media painted a whole different picture the next day. There are almost always facts that cannot or do not get out and at times that leads to what looks like a bad situation. I realize that there are some bad eggs out there. Your dealing with people and thats just the way it is. In any job or situation. Always will be.
But to throw the Portland cops under the bus is just childish. Unless you were there and were put in the situation they were, you dont really know and have no right to make demeaning remarks.
 
#26 ·
Well said! Debating the merits/punishments of this particular game violation is the purpose of this thread. Grouping "cops" and then painting derogatory remarks with broad strokes simply shows a level of ignorance and lack of gratitude. The overwhelming number of law enforcement officials are decent, hard-working, and courageous folks who perform an increasingly thankless function in today's decaying society. Those "cops" stand in the gap everyday for you and me. Most live and work in a manner that deserves some respect. Showing none or little says far more about those who do this than about the profession they so flippantly demean.
 
#27 ·
The punishment is fitting, if a little harsh for the trooper's part. He wasn't the one that killed the animal - he was not the poacher. He came into knowledge of his son's involvement in a poaching incident after the fact - and wound up having to make a hard decision - career versus family. How many of you would put your job ahead of your family? The kid was stupid, yes. I doubt he was scum of the earth though. Should fish & game crimes be taken seriously? Yes. Should they be held to the same standard as person on person crimes? No way.

Like it or not - there is no way we could afford mandatory prison or jail time for wildlife law violations - not without another hefty tax increase. Are poaching crimes not taken seriously enough? I'd agree - but instead of prison time for the average violator, I'd be in favor of higher fines, longer supervised probation periods, loss of fishing or hunting rights for a period (I'm dead set against lifetime bans except in the most heinous of cases) and the loss of all fishing/hunting gear. Making poaching financially burdensome is going to be a lot more effective in stemming the tide rather than "we're going to lock you up" will - because they'll be out of jail pretty quickly (soon as their bed is needed to house someone convicted of a more serious crime) compared to years of probation and heavy financial levees.

The trooper in this case already got nailed - he lost his job, thus his retirement package, he lost his fishing/hunting rights for two years, and he's facing some hefty fines. He's done as a police officer, period. He'll probably be lucky if he winds up working at a Lowes or a Wal Mart for a while. He's facing a much stiffer sentence than just about any other poacher would. He's got to start over from scratch now - after 28 years on the job, and unless he had a sizeable private retirement fund - he's going to be working well into his golden years now. Hopefully his wife, if she works, has health benefits through her employer also.

He's already paying a higher price because of his job - and realistically - had he NOT been a police officer, esp a fish & game trooper - he probably wouldn't have even faced any charges at all. It was his choice not to turn in his son that got him in hot water at all - because of what he did for a living. Some people need to step back and take a seriously reality check over this - hunting and fishing might be your life - but they were this guy's life too. How many of you who are calling for this guy's head would've lost your job and your retirement for a misdemeanor conviction with no prison time?

I've never met a fish & game cop that wasn't an avid fisherman or hunter themselves. That's usually why they go that route - they love the outdoors, they love the resources, they love the sports and want to ensure their continuation through conservation. This trooper found himself in a very unenviable position. I can say it would be a hard decision for me to make too, were I in his shoes. Could he have handled it differently? Yeah. Maybe he could've taken the son aside after the fact and urged him to turn himself in, so as not to force him to make that choice of job vs family. Maybe the did and the son didn't care. The real criminal in this whole mess as the son - who shot an animal he wasn't entitled too.
 
#28 ·
The punishment is fitting, if a little harsh for the trooper's part. He wasn't the one that killed the animal - he was not the poacher. He came into knowledge of his son's involvement in a poaching incident after the fact - and wound up having to make a hard decision - career versus family. How many of you would put your job ahead of your family? The kid was stupid, yes. I doubt he was scum of the earth though. Should fish & game crimes be taken seriously? Yes. Should they be held to the same standard as person on person crimes? No way.

Like it or not - there is no way we could afford mandatory prison or jail time for wildlife law violations - not without another hefty tax increase. Are poaching crimes not taken seriously enough? I'd agree - but instead of prison time for the average violator, I'd be in favor of higher fines, longer supervised probation periods, loss of fishing or hunting rights for a period (I'm dead set against lifetime bans except in the most heinous of cases) and the loss of all fishing/hunting gear. Making poaching financially burdensome is going to be a lot more effective in stemming the tide rather than "we're going to lock you up" will - because they'll be out of jail pretty quickly (soon as their bed is needed to house someone convicted of a more serious crime) compared to years of probation and heavy financial levees.

The trooper in this case already got nailed - he lost his job, thus his retirement package, he lost his fishing/hunting rights for two years, and he's facing some hefty fines. He's done as a police officer, period. He'll probably be lucky if he winds up working at a Lowes or a Wal Mart for a while. He's facing a much stiffer sentence than just about any other poacher would. He's got to start over from scratch now - after 28 years on the job, and unless he had a sizeable private retirement fund - he's going to be working well into his golden years now. Hopefully his wife, if she works, has health benefits through her employer also.

He's already paying a higher price because of his job - and realistically - had he NOT been a police officer, esp a fish & game trooper - he probably wouldn't have even faced any charges at all. It was his choice not to turn in his son that got him in hot water at all - because of what he did for a living. Some people need to step back and take a seriously reality check over this - hunting and fishing might be your life - but they were this guy's life too. How many of you who are calling for this guy's head would've lost your job and your retirement for a misdemeanor conviction with no prison time?

I've never met a fish & game cop that wasn't an avid fisherman or hunter themselves. That's usually why they go that route - they love the outdoors, they love the resources, they love the sports and want to ensure their continuation through conservation. This trooper found himself in a very unenviable position. I can say it would be a hard decision for me to make too, were I in his shoes. Could he have handled it differently? Yeah. Maybe he could've taken the son aside after the fact and urged him to turn himself in, so as not to force him to make that choice of job vs family. Maybe the did and the son didn't care. The real criminal in this whole mess as the son - who shot an animal he wasn't entitled too.


:yeahthat::agree:


Great post riversledder.

To all those thinking the Dad's punishment should have been greater, remember, he lost his job. And if you are that adamant about greater punishment for poaching, get ahold of your congressman and Senators instead of typing on here about it.
 
#30 ·
Someone said the warden will lose his pension over this? You have to be kidding. This one mistake in 28yrs and all it was was not turning in his SON! He must not have been much good the rest of the 28yrs either. With the fines, loss of licenses and humititation, that's enough. Give the guy his pension. He gave you 28 yrs, 28 yrs.

Hey Dan, aren't you a cop? Don't all cops make mistakes? Do they loose their pension after that many years?
 
#33 ·
I ride the pine now doing counseling for "offenders" in the prison system. Not on the street anymore. But, in my experience if you're fired with cause, you lose everything. If you're allowed to retire in lieu of getting fired, you can usually keep your pension.
 
#32 ·
Hindsight being 20-20, if I had been in Dad's shoes, I think I would have gotten ahold of my kid and told him to do the right thing or I would turn him in. That kid put his dad in an awful situation and the kid should have been held accountable all on his own. Its a good life lesson. I'm thinking Mom just may have had a large say in this in regard to how Dad handled it...but you guys are right...the real story and media story never seem too close. When the dust settles, I sure hope he didn't lose his pension. If its still the same, he could have retired at 50 yrs old with 25 yrs on the dept.
 
#34 ·
No they cannot take his pension.

I found this earlier article that might raise more questions than answers.

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090205/LIFE/902050306/-1/LIFE130203

I am positive somewhere in cyber land there is a letter to the editor from the Trooper's attorney-brother that had a pretty good explanation of the entire thing. My take is that somewhere in this can of worms, dad made a bad decision to try and use his official position to trespass and retrieve a dead elk--on behalf of his kid. In doing so, he finds not one, but three dead elk, and now he has a problem. A BIG problem.

He either had to make the kid fess up, or drop the stinky mess in an OSP supervisor's lap and walk away, let the chips fall where they may. Probably dad would still be working, maybe or maybe not the kid intentionally stuck a branch bull...might be the kid would still be employed, maybe a few bucks lighter for a mistake. But they tried to hide it, and here we are.

Sad.

G
 
#35 ·
No they cannot take his pension.

I found this earlier article that might raise more questions than answers.

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090205/LIFE/902050306/-1/LIFE130203

I am positive somewhere in cyber land there is a letter to the editor from the Trooper's attorney-brother that had a pretty good explanation of the entire thing. My take is that somewhere in this can of worms, dad made a bad decision to try and use his official position to trespass and retrieve a dead elk--on behalf of his kid. In doing so, he finds not one, but three dead elk, and now he has a problem. A BIG problem.

He either had to make the kid fess up, or drop the stinky mess in an OSP supervisor's lap and walk away, let the chips fall where they may. Probably dad would still be working, maybe or maybe not the kid intentionally stuck a branch bull...might be the kid would still be employed, maybe a few bucks lighter for a mistake. But they tried to hide it, and here we are.

Sad.

G
Thanks for finding this earlier article. I could not find it today. When I read this a while back, it caused concerns and when you look at it today, it really makes you wonder.

Again I ask, I wonder what would happen to you or me if we where caught by Gallager for the same crimes; what fines would we get?
 
#41 ·
I have known Tim for a number of years, her served our community well, and is a good person, he made a mistake it cost him his career, his son made a mistake it also cost him his career. They have both been through the Court system and received their sentence. For those who think it is to light remember anyone who is not a LEO would not lose their career for a game violation or not reporting it. Tim lost a $60,000 + benifits a year job his son lost a $40,000+ a year job. I think you couple loss of job, Court imposed sanctions, and the emparassment of doing this the penalty is high enough. I hope I am not ever put in the position Tim was by his son.
 
#42 ·
Game wardens are obligated to enforce the law. In this case, the OSP officer failed to do so but use his position to retrieve the down elk. To me, it is poaching and most people that are nailed with poaching face a tougher sentence than this guys did. It makes me think how many OSP wardens out there that are doing the same thing. I wonder.
 
#45 ·
:doh::doh::doh::doh::doh:WAIT WAIT WAIT These two fools should have been charged with felonies. Period end of story. The Charge is Theft in the first degree. For the killing of the Elk which its value is greater then 750.00 that and Sr should have been charged with felony theft by receiving. These two got off so light it is insane. IT was a total inside job by OSP and the Prosecutor of the year. No Jail time Please. The people in Eugene got 10x worse punishment then this and the old guys just went out and tagged the elk.

I was told five years ago that Guides are held to higher standards then the general public because of a bunch of stuff the man who spewed this stuff was officer gallaher. I wanted to see what happend with this and now i know just how corrupt our legal system is at times.
 
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