DOES CONDON'S TEMPER RENDER HIM UNFIT FOR PUBLIC SERVICE?

by Joanne Garrison
In an article in yesterday's (9/27) San Mateo Daily Journal, Gene Condon stated, in response to an inquiry about 1 of 2 assault and battery arrests, that the incident occurred when he was "forced to defend his family" in a business dispute. Even though the incident resulted in a plea and a fine, he was quoted as saying "Would he do it again? Absolutely!" The following article from the Boutique and Villager dated Wednesday, June 11, 1997 was under the Police File section.

Boutique and Villager, Wednesday, June 11, 1997 under Police File
Assault With a Deadly Weapon
The new owner of Rusty's Restaurant allegedly pulled a woman to the ground by her hair and held a running power drill to the side of her head at 11:10 p.m. May 30 inside the restaurant at 1300 Howard Avenue. The 26-year-old woman was an employee of the previous owners, working in the restaurant that night. The former owners were having a private going-out-of-business party in the bar before the new owners took over a midnight.

At about 9:30 p.m., the new owners arrived and began working in the restaurant area. The previous owner became upset at the work being done before midnight and asked the woman to lock restaurant doors. As she was walking back into the bar, she said one of the new owners, Eugene Condon, 37, of Burlingame, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the ground. He then allegedly held the drill about an inch away from her head. The suspect then began to leave the restaurant, the woman said, and she followed him, punching him and kicking him until he was out the door. Condon told police the woman tried to block his exit and he pulled her to the ground because he feared if he left through the party area, he would be attacked. He said the drill was in his hand at the time, but that he never put it near her head.

Witnesses interviewed by police support the allegations by the victim, said Police Commander Jack Van Etten. Officers are still seeking other witnesses. Condon was arrested for alleged assault with a deadly weapon.

After reading the article, given his past actions and the cavalier attitude (as expressed in yesterday's SM Daily Journal article) one has to ask why anyone would vote for this man when there are so many other choices?

- Written by Pete

Comments

[jim]

That is very serious stuff to the majority of law-abiding adults but, as evidenced on this blog, some bloggers have blamed the messenger rather than be critical of this man's past violence and his continued temper tantrums.

Does this man teach this kind of behavior to the Tonga community which he says he helps, coaching his soccer team, his boy scouts, his kids. God help them.

We will have to wait until November to see if Burlingame voters want another toxic-tempered councilmember.

My past probably prevents me from running for public office, so I belong to the "past is the past" group (thanks Patrick for your kind blog). Especially since his was so long ago. That said, Gene's recent outburst at the BCE dinner dance, and with the Daily Journal rep allow me to be very interested in the three upcoming forums.

It can't be easy, folks. So let's give Gene a chance to finally voice his position.

Oh, and for my history lesson, where was Rusty's?

[Mary]

I think it was where Coconut Bay is now.

I'm from the "cats don't change their stripes" group and the fact that we are talking about a 26 year-old woman being assaulted is very disturbing. Was this the woman who filed for the temporary restraining order months later?

[sue]

I don't care if this incident occurred during prehistoric times, it is still reprehensible.
I guess we might see Condon, clad in Fred Flintstone attire, a club, Dino and Wilma being dragged onto the stage by her hair at the first debate forum. Come on folks, who in their right mind would like to have somebody like this representing our City? This is definitely not warm and fuzzy.

[JL]

Jim, I didn't realize you spoke for the majority...and what in the world does the Tongan community or his soccer team have to do with this?
Outside of a few good threads, this site as a whole is very disappointing. A lot of time spent bashing elected officials and candidates; relatively little time spent discussing issues. Lots of agendas at work on this site. If I were a candidate, I wouldn't touch this site with a 10-foot pole.

[Patrick Jensen]

Violence in general and violence against women are absolutely dispicable, deplorable, unacceptable for anyone (regardless of whether they are running for public office).

However, maybe Gene has sought some help with anger issues and maybe not if there are more recent outbursts. I don't know.

I am just not sure it is necessary to drag a guys name through the mud. This could be an clean election won on issues...

Burlingame is a still a small town. The values that were instilled on me growing up basically involved forgiveness, and trying to be understanding. I generally like to judge people by their present actions. Condon has put on a very nice bike race for a number of years and seems to be community minded.

Whether or not we like Condon's stance on issues is a whole differnet story. Why don't we wait until we have a debate and then start to make up our minds.

I just think it is rather sad that this smut becomes an issue and what is talked about rather then real substantive issues...

(this is the point where the next comment reads: YOU DON'T THINK IT IS A SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE THAT HE HAS A VIOLENT PAST)

And my response would be:

I think it is an irrelevent issue and frankly I think he is an irrelevent candidate and I am sad to see so much webspace wasted on belittling his character and hurting another member of the Burlingame communities reputation in the name of politcs.

It reminds me of "old" Burlingame antics, that I thought we had all moved on from...

[politicalblunder]

Yes, but Patrick, that's not how he answered the inqiries. He basically said, "I would do it again," and that he just really likes the Sharks. He did not say, hey, "I had a problem" -- likely with alcohol-- "and I beat it." If that was his statement then let he who is without sin cast the first stone. But in this case, the sinner does not see nor accept responsibility for the sin.

Once maybe, twice is odd, but three times? Well, that's a charm. This guy is a loose cannon and God only knows what he is really like.

[james]

I don't get why some people think this was sooo long ago. It was 1997...just 8 years ago and he was in his late 30s.

Good point, James. I was trying to be as positive as possible.

He was a mature adult.

[Paul Prendiville]

I think these episode's are a total disgrace.Let me be the first candidate to ask that he withdraw's from this election.Go remove your sign's Eugene.

This entry was posted by Fred on another thread, but has been moved here for better clarity.

From the Daily Journal Letters to the Editor today:

I was disappointed to see the Daily Journal print a front page scandal sheet? story appropriately headlined Election mud flies in Burlingame? in the Sept. 27 edition. The story about a candidate for Burlingame City Council was based upon decade old court records and a police report sent to the Daily Journal by an anonymous source.

Does an alleged drunken brawl? at a Sharks game and separate $500 infraction? for disturbing the peace over a business dispute, both of which occurred over 10 years ago, really constitute news? worthy of the Daily Journal's front page?

The real story is who used their privileged position within law enforcement to illegally disseminate the candidate's arrest records. In California, arrest records are protected by the right to privacy set forth in Article 1, section one of the California Constitution. (See Central Valley Chapter 7th Step Foundation v. Younger (1989) 214 Cal.App.3d 145 and Penal Code section 11105 and Labor Code section 432.7.)

Moreover, police reports are what lawyers call double-hearsay? nothing more than a police officer's out-of-court recitation of who said what after the fact. Exaggeration and over-statement are common when witnesses give statements in the heat of the moment. That is one reason why the American justice system employs solemn court proceedings and unbiased juries to assess the real truth from witnesses testifying in person and subject to cross-examination.

Mud is all over the place, it only flies? when someone picks it up and slings it. I am disappointed that the Daily Journal exercised such poor editorial judgment in this case and hope they cooperate in an investigation to determine who broke the law and disseminated confidential government arrest records which are supposed to be maintained for investigative purposes not for the purpose of public humiliation.

Dennis Zell

[fred]

Better clarity? If you want it here you should post it here mud-raker. Admin has a political agenda to promote. Thanks, if I had wanted it here I would have put it here. Burlingame Voice - public forum? No more like public platform.

Baylock over Condon that is why my post was moved.

[camnot spel]

Dis Condon guy sound like the belonz in the World Wrestling Federation instead of running four a council seat. Maybe he wants the position to help him get out of another drunken fight. Sumone rote these are his actions and he should not blame anyone else for watt he haz dun.

Condonz assautl and batter wuz not protected information cuz the newz paper rote a article and told the world watt happened.

Wow if we are going to be quoting the law:

That case has absolutely nothing to do with a newspapers right to print... Are you kidding me? The principle in Younger is subject to a variety of limitations, including the privilege of the media to disseminate information in which there is a legitimate public interest.

Furthermore, Younger deals with the idea that incomplete information regarding arrest or detention may be disseminated to an exempt agency (in that case the DOJ) for employment purposes, if there was a genuine effort made to ascertain whether arrest or detention was followed by successfully completed diversion or by exoneration.

I don't see how it applies....

Also, it is double-hearsay? but there is no witness testifying. So what does that matter? Hearsay laws are for the courtroom, not for the news-media. Any out of court statement offered for the truth is hearsay, and thus most news is realying on hearsay... These rules of evidence have no bearing outside of a courtroom...

Is Mr. Zell the same fellow that is candidate for Senate?

[Ray Park]

The issue is not the newspapers right to print but the illegal means by which somone obtained and disseminated arrest records. The assumption is that someone in a law enforcement capacity used their position to obtain these records for political gain.

"The real story is who used their privileged position within law enforcement to illegally disseminate the candidate's arrest records. In California, arrest records are protected by the right to privacy set forth in Article 1, section one of the California Constitution. (See Central Valley Chapter 7th Step Foundation v. Younger (1989) 214 Cal.App.3d 145 and Penal Code section 11105 and Labor Code section 432.7.)"

Patrick: I don't know the law but at the very least this is highly unethical. Is the law ambigous regarding the privacy of arrest records? Is it legal for law enforcement personnel to obtain these for purposes other than law enforcement? Do law enforcement agencies keep track of these requests? Someone in Santa Clara County may have a record.

[George]

Ah, Fred, so much disinformation in so few words.

Is it news? When someone with such a background runs for office, yes, it's news. How else are we to judge a person's worthiness of election, if not by their "accommplishments"?

Alleged? No. There's nothing alleged about the incidents -- the man admits to them himself.

Granted, two of those were over a decade ago but a third was in 1997, and it was followed by a restraining order. Hardly "ancient history" -- and that's just the incidents we know of. What else might lurk in his past? Even his own statement of "if that's all they have" hints there may well be more.

I might also suggest you stop resorting to playing lawyer until you learn the law -- in California, arrest records are a matter of public record. They can be sealed under certain circumstances, but that wouldn't apply here, since it requires the arrestee to petition the court and prove they were factually innocent -- and Mr. Condon is not denying the incidents happened.

Moreover, Police Reports MAY CONTAIN "double hearsay", but are not automatically regarded as such -- and in at least one case, he was fighting with the Police Officers themselves. A significant portion of their report definitely would certainly not be hearsay - double or otherwise.

Despite your assertions that time has passed, he shows no remorse at all for his wrong-doing - "Sharks fan", indeed - so no, not alleged.
Of course, if all this was so long ago, why did we not hear of it from the candidate himself? Do we really want to elect those that would hide from us that which he may not like us to hear?

All of this points to a man with furtive tendencies, a temperament with a tendency to resort to violence, and the character that is that of an unrepentant mean-spirited bully.

Hardly the stuff good leaders are made of.

[fred]

George you should address your questions and derision to Dennis Zell he wrote the article though I fully agree with him.

I'll e-mail you if I ever feel like playing lawyer though, would you like to be the judge or the accused? Can I be Melvin Belli???

[Wooof Wooof]

This Condon thing is a much bigger issue? than just some screw gunning political wannabe running for a two-bit council seat. It is incredulous to me that people can dismiss his violence because it happened years ago, at a Sharks game, over a restaurant, at a dinner table? Would we accept this behavior in our offices, our school grounds, on our soccer fields, our post office, by our teachers. No we would damn well not.

We like to blame the media, video games, etc. for our violent society but maybe our kids are getting the message that violence can be dismissed so easily. Violence not from a two year old but an adult.

Fred, we feel sorry for you as the lapdog for the underdog. But please continue ...

Come to the Candidates Debate tonight at 7pm at Burlingame Intermediate School and ask the hard questions.

We get the government we deserve.

Character is an issue- we learned that with Nixon and Clinton, Napoleon and Louis XVI- no different nowadays.

Allez, mes enfants!

Pete

[james]

Mr. Zell once ran for Senate, but is now running for Burlingame School Board. I can see how George got confused since Fred seems to be hyping the thing more than Zell himself.

Patrick, you appear to have a bright career ahead of you. I hope you will work in Burlingame.

BIS has tonights event posted for 6:30p. You may wish to arrive early, as it will begin promptly, and parking can be snarly.

[fred]

Buddy, I'm not his lapdog and I don't condone violence against women. If he wants to tussle with some guy be my guest, sometimes you have to stand up for yourself.

I find it reallly funny that for the last year I am constantly challenged over real identity. But now these same people not only don't care who anonymously sent this package they vehemently defend the action. It is just another example of the real problem with the Burlingame city council and can you guess when this problem started?

I think it is terrible what you are doing to this guy. I agree his actions seem inexcusable. He says he was defending his family, I don't know I wasn't there. But I think the way it came about and the reaction to it are equally as bad. It detracts from the issues important to the future of this town. Hopefully the debate tonight will restore some order to this mess.

The best blog was that bayfront one but really only two people Jenn and Ray seem interested. I'm not sure what you guys are trying to accomplish but if this is it, congratulations...the future of Burlingame looks bright.

[Fiona]

Jean, thanks for the information about BIS' debate time.

The debate will start at 7:00 promptly because there is alot to do!

[james]

Guessing who mailed this is kind of like guessing tomorrows winning lottery number. Where would you even start?