MONTH
MONTH FOR
MONTH FOR THE COMPANY IS LIKELY TO ROLLOUT NEW PRODUCTS AND
SERVICES.
SERVICES.
SERVICES. ON MARCH 25, INDUSTRY EXPERTS
APPLE IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE
ITS OWN TV STREAMING SERVICE
FOR iPHONE AND iPAD USERS, A
CHEAPER VERSION OF THE NEW
iPAD, AND NEW YOUR POD
HEADPHONES WITH A WIRELESS
CHARGING CASE.
CHARGING CASE. >>> TONIGHT AN INVESTIGATION
DISCOVERS A MINNESOTA CITY PAIN
IS PROSECUTOR WHAT AMOUNTS TO
AN UNUSUAL BONUS FOR GETTING
CONVICTIONS.
CONVICTIONS. >> IT IS PART OF OUR CONTINUING
INVESTIGATION INTO THE MISUSE
OF COURT FINDS THAT ARE
SUPPOSED TO GO TO COMBATING
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION.
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION. HERE IS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
A.J.
A.J.
A.J. LAGOE WITH THE LATEST FINDINGS
IN HIS SERIES OF FAILURE TO
FIND.>> Reporter: OCTOBER 28,
2013.
2013.
2013. INSIDE THIS MOUND VIEW HOTEL,
19 MEN WERE ARRESTED IN A
PROSTITUTION STING.
PROSTITUTION STING. MUCH LIKE THIS OTHER ONE THAT
KARE 11 CAMERAS WERE ALLOWED TO
FILM.
FILM.
FILM. BUT
FILM. BUT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT ON THE
DEFENDANTS WENT TO COURT AND
HOW IT RELATES TO MONEY
ALLEGEDLY GIVEN TO THIS CHURCH
IS NOW RAISING SERIOUS
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> THERE IS NO REASONABLE
INCLINATION FOR THIS.
>> Reporter: WE ASK YOU A THEM
PROFESSOR AND FORMER CHIEF
ETHICS LAWYER THE WHITE HOUSE
WHAT WE RECOVERED.
>> THAT IS UNHEARD OF IN THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. WE DON'T ALLOW THAT.
IT IS CONSIDERED UNETHICAL.
>> Reporter: TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
WE FOUND THEM DOING, YOU HAVE
TO KNOW THAT MINNESOTA LAW
REQUIRES CONVICTED SEX BUYERS
AND TRAFFICKERS TO PAY A
SPECIAL FINE CALLED A
PROSTITUTION ASSESSMENT.
PROSTITUTION ASSESSMENT. THE LAW MANDATES 40% OF THE
FINE GOES TO THE POLICE AND 20%
TO THE PROSECUTING AGENCY.
TO BE USED TO COMBAT SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION.
EXPLOITATION. THE REMAINING 40% TO SERVICE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE CARE
FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED YOUTH.
OUR PREVIOUS INVESTIGATION
DISCOVERED STATEWIDE THAT AT
LEAST $34,000 OF THIS FINE CASH
WAS MISSING, PLACE, OR MISUSED.
BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN
MOUNDS VIEW IS UNIQUE.
OUR INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED
THE MONEY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO
BE USED TO COMBAT SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION WAS INSTEAD PAID
OUT AND WHAT AMOUNTS TO A
TO
TO A
TO A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR. >> LIKE MANY CITIES IN
MINNESOTA, DOWNSVIEW DOESN'T
HAVE ITS OWN PROSECUTORS
OFFICE.
OFFICE.
OFFICE. INSTEAD, THEY HAVE CONTRACTS
WITH PRIVATE ATTORNEYS LIKE TOM
HUGHES, TO SERVE AS CITY
PROSECUTORS.
PROSECUTORS. HE IS PAID A MONTHLY RETAINER
TO HANDLE CASES, ON TOP OF
THAT, RECORDS OBTAINED BY KARE
11 SHOW THAT WHEN DEFENDANTS
FROM THAT PROSTITUTION STING AT
THE MOTEL WERE CONVICTED, AND
HIT WITH THE ASSESSMENT FINDS,
MOUNDS VIEW CUT CHECKS FOR 20%
OF THE FINES A TOTAL OF $1380
TO TOM HUGHES AND INSTEAD OF
ENSURING THE MONEY WAS USED TO
COMBAT SEXUAL EXPECTATION,
MOUNDSVIEW INCLUDED IT AS TAX
INCOME PAID TO HUGHES.>> WE
DON'T EXPECT THE PROSECUTOR
SHOULD BE PAID A BOUNTY FOR THE
CASES THAT THEY WENT.>>
Reporter: A BOUNTY?
>> THIS IS INDEED A BOUNTY WHEN
A PROSECUTOR IS PAID A
PERCENTAGE OF THE FINE.
>> Reporter: WHAT WE UNCOVERED
IN MOUNDSVIEW COULD CREATE
MOTIVE FOR PROSECUTORS TO
OBTAIN WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS IN
ORDER TO POCKET CASH SAYS ACLU
OF MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE
DIRECTOR BEN FEIST.
>> THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR
ALL SORTS OF ABUSE AND
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. >> Reporter: WE WANTED TO TALK
WITH THE CITY LEADERS, BUT THE
MAYOR OF MOUNDSVIEW, CAROL
MUELLER AND CITY ADMINISTRATOR
REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED.
INSTEAD, THEY SENT A LENGTHY
EMAIL, WHICH STATES IN PART,
THE CITY DISTRIBUTED A
PERCENTAGE OF THE ASSESSMENT TO
ITS PROSECUTING AGENCY PURSUANT
TO THE PLAIN WORDING OF THE
STATUTE, AND IT WAS NEVER
INTENDED TO BE A BONUS OR FOR
CONVICTIONS OBTAINED BY THE
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY. >> AND THAT IS WRONG.
IS A PRIVATE ATTORNEY WITH THE
CONTRACTOR PROSECUTOR AND
AGENCY?
AGENCY?
AGENCY? NO.>> THEY ARE PRIVATE ATTORNEY
WITH THE CONTRACT AND IN NO WAY
A GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
>> Reporter: STATE
REPRESENTATIVE AND FORMER
PROSECUTOR JOHN LESCH SAID THE
PROSECUTING AGENT RESPONSIBLE
FOR THIS PUBLIC MONEY IS THE
CITY ITSELF, AND MOUNDSVIEW IS
DANGEROUSLY IS INTERPRETING
THE LAW.
THE LAW.
THE LAW. >> WHEN SOMEBODY HAS A
FINANCIAL INCENTIVE TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU ARE GUILTY,
CASSA
CASSA DOUBT ON THE ENTIRE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF RIGHTS
WE HAVE.
WE HAVE.
WE HAVE. >> Reporter: WE ASKED TOM
HUGHES FOR AN INTERVIEW TO
DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
PROSTITUTION FINE MONEY THAT BY
LAW IS SUPPOSED TO BE USED TO
COMBAT SEXUAL EXPECTATION.
TODAY HE IS NOT AGREED TO MEET
WITH US, BUT WROTE IN AN EMAIL,
HE GAVE THE PUBLIC MONEY FOR
MOUNDSVIEW TO HIS ST. PAUL
CHURCH, ASSUMPTION PARIS.
>> IS THIS ETHICAL USE OF THE
FUNDS?
FUNDS?
FUNDS? >>
FUNDS? >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. THIS IS NOT ETHICAL USE OF THE
FUNDS.
FUNDS.
FUNDS. IT
FUNDS. IT IS NOT TO BE PAID OVER THE
PROSECUTOR AS COMPENSATION AND
THEN USED AT THE PROSECUTORS
DISCRETION FOR CHARITABLE
DONATIONS.
DONATIONS. >> Reporter: HUGHES IS NO
LONGER THE PROSECUTOR IN
MOUNDSVIEW, PROFESSOR PANEER
THINKS HE NEEDS TO REPAY THIS
MONEY SO IT CAN BE USED FOR ITS
LEGALLY MANDATED PURPOSE,
COMBATING SEX TRAFFICKING AND
THAT THE STATE BAR NEEDS TO
OPEN AN ETHICS INVESTIGATION.
>> I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT
FOR SURE, DO YOU THINK IT WAS
SOMETHING WILLFULLY DONE WRONG
OR JUST MISINTERPRETED ON THE
PART OF THE CITY?
>> Reporter: THE CITY SAID IT
WAS A GOOD FAITH INTERPRETATION
OF THE LAW.
NOW, LEGAL EXPERTS SAY THAT ANY
ATTORNEY SHOULD KNOW YOU CAN'T
RECEIVE A PORTION OF FINES FROM
CONVICTIONS BECAUSE THAT OPENS
UP PANDORA'S BOX.
>> SPEAKING OF THATIT SEEMS
THE MORE YOU TO IN THE STORY
THE MORE YOU ARE FINDING.
>>Reporter: WE STARTED OUT WE
FOUND THE JUDGES ACROSS THE
STATE ARE WAITING THIS FINE AND
IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE MANDATORY
AND HELPING VICTIMS OF SEX
TRAFFICKING AND WE FOUND A
BUNCH OF THE MONIES JUST
MISSING OR MISPLACED COMMAS
USED AND WHEN THE JUDGES
ACTUALLY DO ORDER IT, NOW THIS.
>> KEEP