Bad-Faith Enforcement of Derelict-Boat Law, Two Examples

Sick Mom Jailed for Christmas; Hurricane as Excuse for Harassment

“Laurie” was jailed for abadoning this boat, sunk on the St. Johns River. (Main photo by Peter Swanson)...

This is the fourth Loose Cannon story examining the issue of derelict boats in Florida waters. Last week, I interviewed Capt. David Dipre, the Fish & Wildlife officer responsible for trying to stop the proliferation of crappy old boats that can’t move under their own power—and likely to become wrecks—in the Florida Keys.

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Despite Facebook reaction from a vocal minority, Dipre does not fit the image of a “jackbooted thug” picking on poor people. He said his officers do everything they can to forestall prosecution and jail for the low-income folks living on these stationary craft. He preaches the importance of fairness to the men and women he supervises.

Most readers seemed to agree with Dipre that the derelict boat problem was sufficiently dire to merit an aggressive government posture.

But, as with any attempt to change human behavior, the devil is in the details. What happens when law enforcement acts in bad faith? Bad faith is the root of all injustice. Normalization of injustice erodes public support. Fairness and the appearance of fairness matter.

Here are two examples of bad faith: The first was a true miscarriage of justice, the other merely senseless and vindictive—and here I’ll admit self-interest, because it was directed at me.

Both events happened on the St. Johns River under the jurisdiction of Clay County. The other side of the river is St. Johns County, one of the fastest growing places in America. Clay County has a more Southern vibe, with all the good and bad implied by that. Also, it should be noted that these stories occurred at a different point in history and don’t necessarily reflect the professionalism of the Sheriff’s Office today. Everything happened two administrations ago, and today’s elected sheriff seems pretty sharp.