AMESQUA FIRES 1 OF 4 SUSPENDED FIREFIGHTERS

His Driver's License Has Been Revoked, Which Is A Violation Of Employee
Requirements.

Madison Fire Chief Debra Amesqua has fired one of four firefighters
suspended for alleged drug use -- but did so because the firefighter's
driver's license has been revoked.

Amesqua quietly fired Okoto Torti, 28, last Friday after learning his
license had been revoked in June for five years for habitual traffic
offenses, Assistant Chief Carl Saxe said Thursday. Okoto had been with the
force for five years.

Also, the department may suspend another firefighter if it verifies media
reports that the firefighter engaged in cocaine activity and lied about it
during an ongoing internal investigation, Saxe said.

To help the Fire Department, the city today is expected to ask the U.S.
District Court for documents related to a federal drug probe at the former
Jocko's Rocket Ship bar, 430 W. Gilman St. The probe led to indictments of
owner Robert "Boot" Schuh and eight others and the Fire Department internal
investigation of 11 members.

The city is seeking the documents so the Fire Department can make decisions
based on hard evidence rather than media reports, the mayor's chief of
staff, Enis Ragland, said.

"We have to follow the rules," Ragland said. "We have to legally get the
information and legally use it in our investigation."

The city police and Dane County district attorney's office also don't have
the materials.

Meanwhile, attorneys for some defendants facing federal drug charges
related to Jocko's are now voicing concern about whether their clients can
get a fair trial. The concerns come after leaks and media reports on 2,000
pages of police reports and grand jury testimony.

U.S. attorney Peg Lautenschlager said she sent the documents to defense
attorneys last week to help them prepare for trial but can't release them
to the city or the public. Some attorneys suspect a defense attorney leaked
the materials in an effort to secure a change of venue for upcoming trials.

Amid the media reports, the Fire Department is struggling to get
information for its internal inquiry, now dragging toward its fourth month.
In April, Amesqua suspended with pay four firefighters accused of the most
serious drug offenses -- Dave Barlow, 47, Paul Elvord, 43, Tracy Patterson,
37, and Torti.

But Amesqua acted swiftly with Torti after his license was revoked.

Torti first lost his license in 1997 for habitual driving offenses but got
an occupational permit and stayed on the department, Saxe said. But after
learning that Torti's license had been revoked again June 5, the department
scheduled a hearing and Amesqua fired him soon afterward, Saxe said. The
Police and Fire Commission isn't involved because Torti was fired for
failure to meet minimum employment requirements, not as a disciplinary
measure, Saxe said.

Firefighters union president Joe Conway Jr. could not be reached for comment.

The department is concerned but can't act quickly on media reports that
seem to implicate more firefighters in the Jocko's scandal, Saxe said.

"Red flags are going up," he said, adding that the chief is suspending
members accused in documents of dealing, using drugs on duty, engaging in
drug activity on city property, or lying in the internal investigation.

The information leaks may damage federal court proceedings, attorneys for
two defendants said.

"I'm beginning to wonder if I should file a motion for a change of venue,"
said attorney Robert Benavides, who represents Schuh, now working at an
area gas station.

Attorney David Ham, who represents federal defendant Jeremiah Matthews,
said, "We are very concerned about the pre-trial publicity and the effect
it might have on picking a jury."

Those facing federal drug charges are Schuh, 49; Mathews, 31; John R.
Salmon, 41; Christopher Mims, 28; Curtis Lane, 55; Rick Grafton, 51; James
Leon, 35; Lisa Nolen, 36; and David Lund, 39. Salmon, a bartender, already
has pleaded guilty to conspiring to run a drug house.