Thomas Sliwinski was found guilty in Helena Mt for bail jumping. He is not a likeable person. However, our justice system should not be based on a likeable factor. If the true story cannot be delivered for the unlikeable then justice cannot be served at all.
In 1997, ( this seems long ago but it is the time frame from which he was found guilty for bail jumping and the crimes for which he was sentenced) Mr. Sliwinski met with Bishop Brad Peterson of the 2nd ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Helena MT. Brad Peterson brought Mr. Sliwinski’s request for assistance to a Stake Welfare meeting a few weeks after meeting with Sliwinski. Attendees of the meeting included Wayne Wetzel, Brad Peterson and among others, Ron Alsbury. Ron Alsbury was at the time a probation and parole officer in Helena and in 2003 became Bureau Chief of Probation and Parole. Mr. Sliwinski was seeking assistance, comfort and aid for himself, his two very young wives and their children which Sliwinski fathered. Bishop Peterson presented to those present at the welfare meeting that Mr. Sliwinski was living a polygamist lifestyle with two young girls, that one of the girls at the time was 16 years old and the 16 year old had several children. Along with others present, Ron Alsbury who had a duty to report child abuse and child rape, agreed to provide assistance, aid and comfort to Mr. Sliwinski. This assistance, aid and comfort provided by Ron Alsbury allowed Mr. Sliwinski to continue the victimization of the girls involved.
In 2003 Ron Alsbury was appointed Bureau Chief of Probation and Parole for Montana and that same year the very man that he provided assistance, aid and comfort to and assisted in the prolonged victimization of two young women was convicted of criminal endangerment. In 2004, Probation and Parole, under the direction of Ron Alsbury, moved to have Mr. Sliwinski’s probation revoked rather than have him complete the required sex offender treatment as required by the court. Due to several circumstances, as testified to in court during a recent trial, Mr. Sliwinski missed the hearing but was able to appear later that day. The court refused to be present when Sliwinski was able to attend. The court issued a bail jump warrant and Mr. Sliwinski fled the state. A representative of Probation and Parole appeared in court at the recent trial of bail jumping with Sliwinski’s probation file that was incomplete, missing emails and communication between Sliwinski and his probation officer. Apparently incomplete probation files is the normal for probation and parole in Montana.
Probation and Parole Bureau Chief Ron Alsbury provided aid, assistance and comfort to Mr. Sliwinski and prolonged the victimization of young women. Behind the scenes Alsbury was covering his actions by attempting to revoke Sliwinski’s probation rather than have his (Alsbury’s) aid, assistance and comfort disclosed in the sex offender treatment as required by the court. Sliwinski was unable to attend the revocation hearing with the complete knowledge of his probation officer however those records are missing from his file at probation and parole. Mr. Sliwinski did appear later in the day of his revocation as approved by his probation officer, however those records are missing.
Mr. Sliwinski could not have known that the very person that supported him was also working to put Sliwinski in prison for the rest of his life to cover those actions. Mr. Sliwinski had every reason to believe that Ron Alsbury would continue to provide the aid, assistance and comfort that was given to him for years. Sliwinski’s decisions were based on the support provided by Ron Alsbury. Mr. Sliwinski could only depend on his Public Defender to provide him with an adequate defense. That defense was right under the nose of his Public Defender. His Public Defender failed to make a simple phone call, something an experienced attorney would have done. It all comes down to the fact that Mr. Sliwinski believed his actions were supported by the aid, assistance and comfort provided by the very man that was attempting to silence him by a lifetime in prison.