County
Best Defense Is Good Offense
February 17, 2016 
Just when we thought it couldn’t get any wackier, a defendant in the Treasurer scandal has filed a tort claim “in excess of $250,000” against Ada County and Treasurer Vicky McIntyre claiming the lack of oversight caused her to be a criminal suspect in the case of missing funds from an estate administered by the county.
April Rice, chief of security for the Idaho capitol and other state buildings, was charged with several felonies involving former Ada Treasurer Deputy Aleasha Jenkins who is also a defendant.
The tort claim is required under Idaho Code whenever a government agency is being sued. The tort claim is a predecessor of the actual civil suit.
In her claim, filed February 16, Rice says she was notified by Jenkins that she (Rice) had been named as a “Successor Trustee” by a deceased person who had no surviving relatives.
Rice claims Ada County employees delivered boxes of personal papers which she accepted and discovered a check in the amount of approximately $31,000. “Apparently the check represented money from another person’s estate and should not have been delivered by Ada County to Ms. Rice,” according to the tort claim. She deposited the check in a trust account.
Rice says in the court document she was not aware of the possible wrongful conduct and further stated she acted in good faith and that Ada officials failed to exercise due care and took advantage of Ms. Rice.
We were not able to determine the connection–if any–between Rice and the deceased of either estate mentioned. A GUARDIAN reader offered this explanation after reading the above post: “April Rice (formerly April Minas) was a coworker of Dan Jullion (one of the deceased) at the State.”
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Feb 17, 2016, 11:56 am
I had several professional encounters with April Rice a while back, and felt she was one of the most competent, professional, respectable people to ever walk the halls of the Marble Palace.
Since most of the Idaho Statehouse denizens (legislators) are essentially career criminals, maybe the contrast effected my judgement, or, maybe she is being punished for being one of the good very few good people in a den of snakes??
Feb 17, 2016, 3:59 pm
Looks like the clear winners in all this will be members of the Idaho Bar. Lawyers for the county will have work, they will hire outside counsel, and the defendants will also have lawyers.
What a country! This is getting to be just like the Repubs at the Idaho legislature and Guv office…everybody lawyer up.
Feb 17, 2016, 9:40 pm
Trump Solution
Ya know, a bunch of those government office buildings could be converted to housing. These people seem to be very expensive and unproductive. Fire everyone and see if anyone notices.
Feb 17, 2016, 9:47 pm
I’ve no doubt complete innocents and people doing their best with incompetent or unclear guidance are caught in the dragnet. My grandfather taught me to leave a job as soon as possible if I was working for an idiot or a crook… “it will taint you if you stay too long, you will be thrown under the bus”
Feb 18, 2016, 3:06 am
He hit me back, first.
Feb 18, 2016, 7:38 am
Trump Solution:: They must all be valuable (at least at the state level). The legislature is likely going to give them a 3% across the board raise. sarcasm.
Feb 18, 2016, 9:56 am
Due to the lack of controls in the Idaho Liquor Dispensary, I am an alcoholic and will filling a tort claim.
My bartender will be a co-defendant since he asked me if I wanted another drink.
My attorney assures me I will prevail, but asks that I pre-pay him his fee in cash.
Feb 18, 2016, 12:40 pm
State or county employees are just as competent (or incompetent) (or just as honest or dishonest) as anyone working in a restaurant, insurance company, or computer chip manufacturer. It is the elected officials and CEO’s you all should be hating on.
Editor note: Rod, we agree with what you say, but the private sector crooks aren’t messing with PUBLIC money.
Feb 21, 2016, 11:58 am
Editor: The private sector crooks (and incompetents) are costing consumers tons of money. I am both a taxpayer and a consumer.
Feb 22, 2016, 12:38 pm
Rod in SE Boise – Actually, the government thugs are stealing more than the “private sector crooks”.
Law enforcement took more stuff from people than burglars did last year
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/11/23/cops-took-more-stuff-from-people-than-burglars-did-last-year/
Feb 23, 2016, 10:34 am
Well said on both points Rod in SE Boise.
J Smith: Did you read the article? Bernie Madoff was one of the poor citizens that had $1.7 billion, “stolen”, from him. I’m sure a lot of the money comes from organized crime and drug cartels as well. The article even admits that a lot of that money is re-distributed to the people who it was ACTUALLY stolen from in the first place but don’t let that little fact get in the way of a good anti-government rant.
Feb 27, 2016, 10:19 am
An updat on this story I just read said that these women have been charged with multiple felonies, but have not been arrested.
If I, or any other Boise citizen, was charged with multiple felonies, a SWAT team would be kicking down our door at 3am, guaranteed!
This is yet another example of our government protecting its own, while treating the average citizen like a terrorist.
EDITOR NOTE–This is white collar crime, so it is handled more delicately.