(CBS 2 News )
Joseph Alan Hoadley, 42, of Caldwell, was sentenced to three months in federal prison for falsifying a record or document in a federal investigation, witness tampering by harassment and destroying a record to impair its use in an official proceeding, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Judge Scott W. Skavdahl also ordered Hoadley to serve 12 months of supervised release following his release from prison.
In Sept. 2022, Hoadley was convicted after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Skavdahl. The jury found Hoadley not guilty of willful deprivation of rights under color of law.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, while employed as a Lieutenant with the Caldwell Police Department, Hoadley used force against B.H. in Caldwell in 2017 while he was detained and handcuffed.
Hoadley was sentenced to three months in federal prison and twelve months of supervised probation for falsifying a record or document in a federal investigation, witness tampering by harassment and destroying a record to impair its use in an official proceeding.
On behalf of all Canyon County law enforcement chief executive officers, we are unified in our dismay as we learned that our duly elected Prosecuting Attorney, Mr. Bryan Taylor, testified in support of a defendant in a federal sentencing hearing. The citizens of Canyon County expect their leaders in law enforcement to advocate for the community, for victims, and for justice. Today, we believe Mr. Taylor displayed quite the opposite when he advocated for leniency on behalf of an individual that was lawfully convicted of serious crimes. We are particularly troubled because the crimes Mr. Hoadley was convicted of reflect poorly on our profession and on Canyon County law enforcement.
Police legitimacy is predicated upon public trust and requires a mutuality of confidence between law enforcement and the community. The erosion of that trust continues to be a national concern due to actions as by a select few. We believe testimonies such as Mr. Taylor’s weaken the confidence that our community has in the criminal justice system, as well as in their leaders.
Today, we as leaders of our respective agencies, profess publicly that we will work diligently to strengthen and restore that community trust, and that we will use our platforms to promote the betterment of the whole, and not just the individual, regardless of any personal or professional relationships that may exist between us and those who harm our communities.
