DENVER -- The Sheriff of Larimer County -- whose staff earlier Thursday issued a press release saying the sheriff was on a "well deserved vacation" and would have nothing to say about developments in the balloon boy hoax case -- has used his department's Web site to launch an unusual attack on David Lane, Richard Heene's defense lawyer.

In a post written Wednesday, Sheriff Jim Alderden calls Lane "clever and manipulative," comparing him to the Joker character from Batman.

"What do Caesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and David Lane have in common?" Alderden wrote. "High profile attorney David Lane first accused me of grandstanding as he was making the rounds of the newspapers, radio and television talk shows. David Lane accusing someone of grandstanding! What a Joker!"

Lane had claimed that Alderden's comments revealing that child welfare workers had been contacted to investigate the Heene family were a violation of privacy laws. A special prosecutor, the district attorney from Boulder County, was appointed to look into Lane's complaint. On Tuesday, Boulder District Attorney Stan Garrett announced there would be no criminal charges against Alderden.

"So why would high profile attorney David Lane waste everyone's time on this, besides for the publicity he generated for himself? Simple. We've already seen his playbook and know his methods," Alderden continues. "In his playbook, the best defense is a good offense. Attack and discredit the accuser. Distract the public. Get them to take their eye off the ball. If this were a SWAT operation, it would be akin to throwing a smoke grenade. Obscure the real issue. Smoke."

Alderden makes the rant in the "Bulls Eye" newsletter published Wednesday by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office:

The newsletter is posted on a site that apparently is not a part of official Larimer County government Web pages.

Clicking on a link takes you from the official Larimer County Web site to the sheriff's department page, which displays this message:

"You are leaving the official Larimer County Web site. The sheriff's office has chosen to remove all information from the official Larimer County Web site and place (the) sheriff's information on a privately hosted, privately financed Web site. Please direct any questions concerning the sheriff's Web site to the Larimer County Sheriff's Department."