Nearly five full months elapsed between the time that
allegations of sexual contact with a student were made against
former Sobrato football
coach and math teacher Jeff Patterson and his arrest on April 3. Patterson posted $10,000 bond after his arrest on suspicion of unlawful sex with a minor and suspicion of felony oral copulation with a minor.
We understand that in this – and all – criminal cases, authorities want to proceed carefully, handling witnesses and evidence properly, in order to only arrest those who are legitimately suspects and to avoid jeopardizing their cases against suspects.
However, we also understand that justice delayed is justice denied. In this case, Patterson had to endure a five-month period of limbo while the investigation proceeded. The alleged victim and her family also had to wait and wonder what would happen during those long months. The Morgan Hill Unified School District, which placed him on paid leave after the accusation, has been paying his teaching salary while he was investigated.
A five-month investigation seems, on the surface, to be unreasonably long and forces us to wonder, what took so long?
Morgan Hill police Cmdr. Joe Sampson may have provided a hint when he told reporter Marilyn Dubil, “We collect DNA through a variety of methods. It can be a hair follicle, something on a swab, Nearly five full months elapsed between the time that allegations of sexual contact with a student were made against former Sobrato football fluids. Those kind of tests tend to extend the length of the investigation.”
Was DNA testing the cause of the delay? If so, was it a reasonable time, or is there room for improvement in processing this kind of evidence?
With Santa Clara County expecting an infusion of cash from a lawsuit settlement with the City of San Jose, and with those funds earmarked for crime lab improvements, this is a good time to look for ways expedite the handling of evidence from crime scenes.
If processing DNA was not the cause of the delay, what was? When the case is complete, we urge the District Attorney’s office and the Morgan Hill Police Department to explain the long investigation time to the public.
If a five-month investigation is normal and proper, we’d like officials to explain why.
In all cases, but especially cases of this nature, people need resolution. For the good of our community, for the peace of mind of both alleged victims and alleged perpetrators, let’s make sure we’re handling investigations both carefully and expeditiously.
