Whining about Williamson County sheriff candidate Dennis Presley

From one of Dennis Presley's "pick me for sheriff" websites...set up to promote him for, well...sheriff
WILLIAMSON CO.—We received a nastygram on the answering machine this week—probably when we were out either transporting the canoe home, putting the canoe together, or trying to figure out where we were going to go canoeing, this we believed we deserved after we had worked our asses off for several weeks putting the latest print version together then delivering it—from a woman who didn’t leave her name and had blocked her phone number.
In what was probably an attempt to sound all threatening (but didn’t work), she informed us first that she needed to speak to our columnist, Brian Ellis, then that she had taken the photo that you see above, and that she owned it, therefore it was copyrighted, and we were going to get in trouble for running it in the column.
Since we can’t call her back, we’ll inform her, and any other interested persons, of the following:
You may think you own a copyrighted photo, but unless you have submitted it to the Library of Congress and HAVE a copyright, it’s not copyrighted. Posting a photo you took to a public website does not infer copyright. The Associated Press might think they “own” all their “copyrighted” stories, but unless someone takes their stories and posts them verbatim (that’s “word-for-word” for those who don’t use big words) and presents the stories as THEIRS and not AP’s, that’s not copyright infringement, either. That’s reporting news, from one source to another, whether it’s attributed or not.
Further, once you post a photo to a public person’s (that would be a guy who is running for sheriff, and who used to be sheriff as a matter of fact) website, especially one that declares:
…it becomes “in the public domain.” Even if the Library of Congress has issued you a number and says you’re copyrighted.
And if a news product wants to use it to make an article or column critical of Presley, they can. It’s called “Fair Use.” Look it up.
Now…just because that photo may no longer be on either of Presley’s sites (Facebook or presleyforsheriff.com, which is of this writing down for maintenance) doesn’t mean it wasn’t. Where did we get it? We didn’t crawl through your computer and steal it. It was out there; it is newsworthy; and we used it. Bottom line: get over it. Our pictures get grabbed and used all the time. It’s the sincerest form of flattery. Everyone knows what events we were at and that we shot the pic. We try to keep it as exclusive as possible, but these things happen, and we know it.
If you’re a Presley supporter, anonymous caller, that might explain your pissivity on the phone call. But to not leave a name or number where we can call you is just dumb. Don’t do that again. Or we’ll run the pic NEXT month. And the month after that. And until Presley loses the election, which, according to our Williamson County friends, he’s going to.
And btw…if you’re just compelled to speak to Brian Ellis, you’re going to have to call the federal pen in Greenville, Ill. Because that’s where he is for the next, oh, 20 years or so, although we doubt he’ll be able to come to the phone. But he loves to hear from people about his columns. So you can write him at Brian K. Ellis #01899-025, Federal Prison Camp P.O. Box 5000, Greenville, Ill., 62246. Be sure to put a full name and addy on the return address spot or the federal prison system won’t deliver it.
And if you have any more questions or comments, for God’s sake, woman, leave your name and number on the answering machine, and when we get done canoeing for the day, we’ll give you a call if that’s what you really want.
Short URL: http://www.disclosurenewsonline.com/?p=3169














Who is Brain Ellis and why is he spending the next 20 years in Federal Prison?
I was wondering the same thing, TopCat
Sometimes People are the funniest things in the world!
Presley is a complete tool. On second thought, he is a tool bag. He is the savior of Williamson County, saving them from the Outlaws, that is.
Simple-minded people may actually support this guy. He did nothing for Williamson County 1994 – 1998, and if he were miraculously elected in 2010, would continue that tradition.
If he’s elected, we encourage the Outlaw Motorcycle Club to all converge on W’son Co each and every weekend until the man is out of office!!!
Surely the people of Williamson County will see this man for what he is. The Outlaws have already got a foothold in the area, and this guy is blowing smoke. He is preying on the fears of the elderly, uneducated and undereducated.
Presley runs around telling them the sky is falling, and hasn’t a clue. Williamson County has REAL problems (drugs, gangs, elder abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, etc.) and he picks one that is out of his league.
The department got a black-eye because of officer misconduct, and the previous sheriff dealt with that. If this clown is elected (by some twist of fate), the county will suffer from his inability to cope; he does not have a game-plan.
The Southern Illinoisan and other mainstream media outlets do wrong by their readers. They give him what little credibility he has.
Hannah and Top Cat: Brian Ellis is our correspondent/columnist who writes “Prose and Cons” on page 6 of every issue. In 2004 he was being texted by one of our Edwards County dopers and she was pestering him so much that he decided to come over from Gibson Co., Indiana and see what her problem was. When he got there, she was so stoned on meth that she called 911 and said he was there to kill her and had killed her dog (he had not), then she started behaving so bizarrely that he decided to leave, not knowing the cops were en route. Because it was Edwards County and they all thought they were some kind of hayseed heroes, they chased him and said he was firing at them (it was never proved that he was, even though he did have a weapon with him…which he shouldn’t have, because he’d already been convicted of a felony years before). Edwards got three counties and the state involved and made a big brouhaha out of this guy who literally was dragged over here to Illinois by a freaked-out meth head texting him ceaselessly.
So he was charged federally (crossing state lines; felon in possession with a weapon) and there he sits in Greenville. He was writing to us having letters to the editor published for a long time, mainly because we were the only paper that told the truth about the “chase” (because we bothered to interview the cops involved) instead of buying the bullshit story our then-state’s attorney Brian Shinkle was shoveling. We recognized through his letters that he had a really classic writing style and a couple of years ago we added him as a paid contributor. He’s trying to get an appeals court to look at his sentence and see if he can get out sooner; if he does, he’s got a job waiting for him; we think he’s great and our Indiana readers and a lot of people in Wabash County, Ill., know him and wouldn’t miss an issue because of him.
He was the one who wrote about Presley this month; I swear he knows more about what’s going on in the southwest counties than WE do.
I would hate to tell you guys this but he will be the next sheriff. What you might want to look into is Where his oppent Vick is getting his funds to run from. I would really like to know. If you really think the out laws are such good guys you need to do some research on them.
The Outlaws may have their flaws, and they may have been involved at one time or another in one locale or another running dope for higher-ups…but I’d rather have a bunch of bikers tell me they got my back ANY day than a bunch of illegals…you know, the kind the higher-ups are using these days to run their dope…
Thanks for the head’s up on Brian Ellis, Adm. Sounds like a frame job to me, but what else is new around here? I hope he gets things lined around in his favor soon.
wth; I do not support the Outlaws or other criminal enterprises in any way. That having been said, here is Bennie Vick getting his funds from? I presume that his party is backing him. If you are trying to imply something, let it fly; he is a public figure.
Yeah…I’m interested in where it’s being alleged he’s getting his money, too.
well he spent somewhere areound 45000 in the gerneral election i doubt his party gave him that much for the general
and far as the outlaws why are they at war with the hell angels if they are not fighting over drug teritory
wth; You probably meant the primary election. The general election will be in November and office holders will be seated the first week in December.
The Outlaws are not fighting over drug territory, they are rivals.
Even MSM cannot fix this guy’s inherent lack of good sense. There is a feature in the Southern about Bennie Vick starting up a cold case squad, to reexamine some old cases. In the comments, our own chief slamdunc is battling with the Presley supporters. Give it up slam, it is like hitting your head against a wall. This guy goes beyond being a tool, he’s a whole toolbox.
Wonder what cold cases Vick is interested in?
There was a story on TV the other night about a woman who was murdered a few years ago at a steak place on Rt 13 just off Rt 57 in Marion and the Williamson County Cold Case Squad was looking into it. There is a Mexican restaurant at the location now from what I understand, I wasn’t living around here then.
Presley won’t be elected and here is the simple math to support it: Vick has the entire Dem. backing in Williamson County. Presley has less than half of the Rep. backing. The biggest voter concentration comes from Marion and surrounding area.
Presley did very poor in Marion which should have been a total Rep. turnout for him,IF he had the backing of the entire party. He didn’t, so the other candidates on the Rep. ticket drew a much larger percent of the vote than they should have.
The general will be somewhere around 60 Vick – 40 Presley.The rep. party won’t be spending lots of money on Presley as the powers to be know it is a lost cause.
Now the big contest is Jeralds v Gentry. The Rep. Party wants control as they can do much more with that seat than with Sheriff. Big money being spent on Jeralds as he needs a lot of help getting elected. I hope he does as I think Jeralds can do a good job. Being real about that race makes me wonder if Jeralds can beat Gentry but the Party will spend the money to try.
Oh and BTW, I’m a Republican!
Another Point on the prior comments made about money: It was the Primary, not the General(that is in November). You don’t spend $45,000 in a Williamson County Primary Race, so your figures are all wrong.
In the past primary’s : $6,000 – $7,000 for tv ads(that is for producing and running the ads.) $1,000 -$2,000 for radio ads(producing and running.) $3,000 – $4,000 for newspaper ads. $3,000 – $5,000 for sings, handouts, Etc.
For a first time candidate, you can figure about $30,000 total for both Primary and General in Williamson County. Of course the biggest cost comes before your first Primary as you then have most of your material for the General Election.
Were you in Williamson before, when Presley was sheriff? We’re interested in what kind of a job he did when he was in office…if it were something he did that really put people off from him.
I don’t have a dog in the fight and you know I am a Republican but just from what I have gathered since living in Williamson County, Bennie Vick is a well respected man. He has many years of honorable service in law enforcement and a unblemished record. I have spoke to everyday common people who said they have reached deep into their pockets to support Vick because they believe in Vick. I will not repeat the stories I have heard on Presley as it would not be fair but the ones I heard are not good.
As I said, I don’t know either candidate nor have I met either, this is simply what I have heard. I have always thought the main requirement for a sheriff should be honesty, lets hope the most honest man wins.
Back to the “Outlaws”…HOW MANY of you all even know anyone that is apart of the Outlaws personally? The ones around here are family men, work in the mines, or some other job everyday…they are just like you and me. I have family who ride with them, and they are some of the best! The older days, there were Outlaws who passed thru here sometimes..they weren’t the best, and I was around then too…so IF you dont know these ppl…please keep your thoughts to yourself, and stop cutting them down!! I would rather have them guarding my back then any other!! (and I have my Outlaw shirt too…lol.)
We know a couple of Outlaws, and they are exemplary people, they have hearts of gold and would do anything for us, and us for them. Knowing these folks gave us a whole new insight into motorcycle clubs and ‘gangs’ and is why we not only totally respect them now, but why we gave coverage to the Old Shawneetown bike rally last July…these people really are salt of the earth types, even though rough around the edges. GO OUTLAWS!
Normally your admin comments are good and carry a certain amount of legitimacy. However the above comment is totally wrong, unless your an Outlaw, Black Piston or other affiliate club member.
You don’t just apply and become a member, you are invited to join. That means you will do what the club tells you to do and that involves all types of crime.
If you say that Drugs (production, transportation and distribution), arson, assault, bombings, extortion, fraud, murder, intimidation, kidnapping,money laundering,prostitution and robbery make them exemplary people and that they have hearts of gold, then you don’t really know an Outlaw.
Haven’t even mentioned the fact the ALL WOMEN are considered “Property” and can be beat and discarded, just because they can.
This is like saying that all hispanics are illegal and are running mexican meth throughout the U.S. You and I know that’s not true. Yet you say this is so because the ones you know are doing it, and we maintain it’s so because the ones we know AREN’T doing it.
That’s the same with the Outlaws. We know exactly two—one male and one female—they are and have always been aware of a faction that is involved in heavy duty criminal operations. They also know, and have never been a part of, a large number of people who are members who also have never been involved in such things.
And the woman is NO property of anyone. She’s a fine gal. Both these people are. Perhaps they are a very limited slice of what the gang is all about…but they speak highly of the ones they associate with, and we wouldn’t ever doubt their integrity on the subject. Maybe you, Recks, have found a representative segment of the “bad” Outlaws, and maybe we have found a representative segment of the “good” ones, and maybe both have skewed our perception of them accordingly. But as far as what we know, we give them the benefit of the doubt.
admin the 1% on there vest doesn’t mean there are 1% scum in the club and 99 % good guys once the make it in to new attitudes black pistons out laws the are scum 1 % ers are bad dudes all of them I would rather deal with the 81 then these guys 81 is not a crazy as these guys
Don’t know anything about 81. Tell us about it if you would?
The “8 1 ” he refers to is sometimes used on Hells Angels colors. H- 8th letter in alphabet , A – First letter. T-shirts , bumper stickers are more likely to have “support your 81″ or something like that. The reason the Outlaws want a presence is because of the Hells Angels who are well established just south of the IL. Border. Little Sturgis and Shawneetown will probably be a Mandatory ride for both clubs. If that happens , you will see just how law abiding they are all. My suggestion would be to stay away. BTW: All other clubs hate the Hells Angels.
All women of the “Big 4″ outlaw motorcycle clubs are categorized into
three groups – mamas, sheep, and old ladies.
A mama is a girl who is willing to sex with all members of the gang. The term is used only for girls who regularly associate with a club.
A ‘sheep’ is defined by her sexual role
in the club. A sheep is a new woman who is
bought to the club by another female,usually a Mama.
“Old ladies” refer to the more or less
permanent partners of the patched member.
Old ladies are said to be ‘hands off’ for other members but this can change at any time with sole power or ownership residing in the bikers hands.
Just the facts of women in the big 4.
I am really surprised Dennis Presley is the best thing the republicans of williamson county can come up with. I to feel honesty, morals, ethics, and integrity, would be some of the better attributes for sheriff. Only Mr. Vick has these. It would be interesting to see how many people of williamson county know the real reason Dennis “the menance” went scurrying out of a neighboring county as fast as he did.