FIRST PANEL VOTED AGAINST HIRING DRUG-DEALING OFFICER

Less than two years before the Jacksonville police officer who sold cocaine
while in uniform and from his patrol car was hired, a candidate review
committee ruled he wasn't qualified to become a police officer because he
showed no integrity and appeared deceitful.

Members of the oral board review committee, which is composed of four
officers and supervisors, said Carl Kohn Jr. was "less than truthful,"
"became argumentative when questioned by a board member" and had a "terrible
driving record," according to police records. It recommended he not be
hired.

But 17 months later, a different board of peers ruled he had strived to take
care of past problems and made an overt effort to be honest, documents said.
He was hired March 20,1996.

Now, Kohn is one of two Jacksonville police officers who have been charged
with distributing cocaine while abusing their policing powers. Kohn, who
pleaded guilty, was scheduled to be sentenced yesterday, but it was
postponed until September.

The postponement comes during a yearlong investigation by federal, state and
local authorities into police corruption in the Sheriff's Office. Five
officers have been stripped of their powers as a federal grand jury
investigates allegations of police tipping drug dealers and possible
involvement in robberies and murders. No one has been charged.

Chief Jim Ley of the Sheriff's Office Human Resources Department said Kohn
met all the requirements when he was hired. He had never been arrested,
wasn't involved in drugs, but he had some financial problems and a bad
driving record. Officials later learned Kohn lied about his involvement with
drugs.

In August 1994, the review board said he wasn't truthful and became
defensive when questioned about a former girlfriend who filed battery
charges against him, Ley and documents said. The members also thought he
wasn't telling the truth about his knowledge of a stolen purse three years
earlier.

Ley said the battery charges were later dropped and officials learned Kohn
didn't have anything to do with the stolen purse.

"Four board members didn't like his answers," Ley said. "A board can take an
instant dislike to an individual."

Lt. John Hartley of the organized crime unit was a member of that board. He
said he based his decision on Kohn's answers about the battery charges.

Kohn became argumentative and appeared evasive and troubled when answering
questions, Hartley said in documents. The lieutenant recommended that Kohn
come back to the Sheriff's Office after he had more police experience
working with the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, he said. Then, the
board could take a closer look at his work history.

In January 1996, Kohn was back before the review board. This time, the
members found he was polishing his police skills and was articulate.
Jacksonville Beach police officials also had positive remarks about his work
performance.

Lt. Lonnie McDonald of the robbery unit was a member of the second board. He
said he didn't recall the review, but in documents he noted that Kohn
appeared to mature from his appearance before the last board, he cleared up
his credit problems, handled the domestic situation through courts and
appeared to be open.

"He was given a second shot," Ley said. "I'm not sure you can't say there
aren't red flags on everybody."

Ley said the chief of human resources makes the final decision on who is
hired, but about 10 to 15 percent of job candidates aren't recommended and
can go through the hiring process again after six months. If a second board
doesn't recommend employment, then a candidate is no longer eligible.

The oral board review is just one step of the hiring process, Ley explained.
Its purpose is to interview and not to determine honesty. That's the job of
a polygraph, he said. Kohn passed that test twice but later testified he
lied about his drug involvement to get the job.

After Kohn pleaded guilty to selling cocaine, officials learned he started
selling cocaine to subsidize his income after he attended Florida A&M
University and before he began working as a police officer.

He told a federal jury in February he lied about being a drug dealer on his
application with Jacksonville Beach and even told the department he was
interested in drug enforcement and narcotics interdiction.

When he joined the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office 3 1/2 years later, he lied
again about being involved in selling drugs.

"We saw no deception on his part when questioned about drug use," Ley said.
"I felt like we were conned by Kohn."