STATEMENT FROM TERRI SCHIAVO’S BROTHER

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 22:06:40 -0400

A Florida woman is fighting her son-in-law over the removal of her daughter’s feeding tube. Karen Weber, who suffered a stroke in December, does not have a living will, and her husband, Raymond, says she would not want to live that way.
Since the case has many similarities to Terri Schiavo, Crimejunkies contacted her brother, Bobby, and asked if he can provide a statement. He said, “Terri’s Foundation has been active in her case,” and added the following:

“We must do all we can to protect inherent dignity of every human being. This includes those with profound cognitive disabilities. Karen Weber is a human person with a brain injury needing only basic care (food and water) and her family’s love to survive - this, at the very least, should be provided to her.”

For further information on the case, please click here.

Dr. JACK LEVIN: SERIAL KILLER NEAR FORT BRAGG?

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 10:29:24 -0400

Commentary by:
Jack Levin, Ph.D.
Northeastern University Criminologist
Author, “Serial Killers and Sadistic Murderers: Up Close and Personal”

The serial killer cover is, in my opinion, likely to turn out to be nothing more than a clever method for deflecting blame from the real killer. Some 20% of the deaths of pregnant women are homicides, usually committed by husband/fathers and boyfriends who don't look forward to fatherhood. Touma was in her 7th month. The police need a two-pronged investigation: They should not completed ignore the unlikely possibility that a serial killer is responsible, but they should also look closely at boyfriends, fiances, close friends, and the like. Most serial killers--especially the prolific ones--would never leave a messy crime scene; they would clean it or dump the body away from the location in which they killed the victim. This killer left tons of evidence behind. He is an amateur who wants the investigators to look for a professional. This killer is no Zodiac. He may have seen the movie; he may have read the book. But he is a cheap imitation.

WALLY ZEINS: FORT BRAGG INVESTIGATION

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:23:33 -0400

Commentary by:
Wally Zeins
Former NYPD Commanding Officer

The first 24 hours at the crime scene are very important. I had a homicide investigation where a female soldier was found DOA outside the Milford Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Turns out it was a love triangle between two other soldiers. She was thrown out the window by one of her lovers. We solved this homicide fairly fast because we had smart detectives working the crime scene, the street, and excellent cooperation from the Military and other law enforcement agencies.

If I had the investigation I would do the following:

1-Set up a crime scene that would not only be the motel room where the body was found but the entire motel area including the parking lot.

2- Immediately obtain security camera footage from the motel and the surrounding area (360 degrees) for the 24 hour period before and after the body was discovered. Review the 911 tape and interview the caller. Interview the first arriving uniform police officer.

3-Obtain the printout registry of all guest at the motel during the time when the victim was there and before if a reservation was made. In addition, review the telephone logs for the crime scene room. Canvass the local hospital emergency rooms in case the perpertrator might of gotten injured by the victim.

4- Canvass the guests at the location and the neighborhood.

5-Bring in a bloodhound and prepare a scent package if one came be obtained from the crime scene for a search of the area.

6-Liaison with the military police and the military base regarding the victims pass off base and who she might of traveled with. In addition canvass military personnel who knew the deceased.

WENDY MURPHY: DO CHILD RAPISTS DESERVE TO DIE?

Mon, 5 May 2008 21:27:54 -0400

Commentary by:
Wendy Murphy
New England School of Law, Boston

The United States Supreme Court recently undertook to decide whether the death penalty for child rapists is unconstitutional “cruel and unusual” punishment. The case originated in Louisiana though five other states have similar laws. The Supremes have not previously addressed the issue though many years ago they did strike down the death penalty for rape when the victim is an adult. Now they have to decide whether the age of the victim justifies a different result.

I’m as tough as anyone on criminal justice policy – especially when it comes to crimes against children. It’s essential to lock up child predators for a very long time, which is why I have no problem forcing reluctant victims and witnesses to testify in order to achieve a conviction and avoid a plea bargain. Punishment might not be a panacea that cures bad behavior, but if we’re going to have a punitive system, it should be one that works effectively, unlike the one we have now that doles out ridiculously deep discounts for crimes against kids.

But I’m not in favor of the death penalty, even for the most despicable killers. I just don't think the government should kill human beings in the name of punishment. I can’t prove that my position is correct – it’s just how I feel about the value of human life and the responsibility of the government to promote civilized behavior.

Reasonable people disagree and complain, persuasively, that arguments against the death penalty as uncivilized fall flat in a society that otherwise celebrates the dehumanizing degradation of people in the name of entertainment. For example, anti-death penalty activists are nowhere to be found when pornographers insist that images of women and of children being sexually brutalized are protected speech.

Hypocrisy makes the moral debate more difficult. As do efforts to peck away at the edges of the issue – such as fighting about whether we might one day execute an innocent person. I can accept even fatal imperfections in a legal system that can’t possibly function with precision in every case. I’m much more troubled by the philosophical dimensions of state-sanctioned killing.

All that said - if I were on the other side of this issue, I would have no problem accepting the idea that death be imposed as punishment for the rape of a child. It's not that I think rape is the same as, or worse than, murder. It's that we need the strongest possible deterrents for life-altering crimes that occur behind closed doors against society's most vulnerable and defenseless citizens.

I know what you’re thinking: If the death penalty doesn't stop murderers, how can it possibly deter rapists? The answer is simple. Unlike murderers who often act at the spur of the moment, studies show that child rapists, in general, think about what they're doing and worry a lot about getting caught.

And please spare me the argument that our laws are already tough enough. In many states the punishment for child rape is "up to life" but the "going rate" is more typically probation or some small period of incarceration. This is why frustrated parents and concerned citizens are clamoring for Jessica's Law, long mandatory sentences, residency restrictions, better sex offender registries and even the death penalty.

With mandatory punishments and even death as a potential sanction, prosecutors will retain the discretion to offer plea bargains to lesser charges, but their negotiating position will be stronger which will lead to longer prison sentences on average. In addition, the possibility of death sends a powerful message of intolerance. This is important given the social harm caused by child rapists. Research consistently shows that offenders victimize, on average, between 40 and 117 victims over the course of a lifetime. Fair-minded people believe the death penalty is appropriate because the damage done to humanity by the non-lethal destruction of dozens of lives is on par with the murder of one individual.

To those who complain that execution is improper because many child rapists can’t help themselves – remember this: Child predators usually keep their compulsive nature in check while they groom their victims and plot their attacks. Thus, they may have strong urges but they’re not uncontrollable. Nor is the problem of powerful urges unique to sex predators. We all know what it feels like to really need a bathroom - but none of us drops our pants in the middle of Main Street.

As punishments go, the death penalty is wrong as far as I'm concerned - but if anyone must die - let it be a coward who destroys little kids’ lives to satisfy an urge.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: "DC MADAM"

Thu, 1 May 2008 21:07:43 -0400

I was shocked and saddened to hear the news about Jeane Palfrey this afternoon...

I spoke with Ms. Palfrey on several occasions and met her once in person. She was always very honest with me and never hesitated to answer any of my questions regarding her case.

I contacted her shortly before I launched this website, and I was thrilled when she gave me permission to post an editorial from her. I was very grateful for her support.

To her family: I am very sorry for your loss.

SCOTT BAKER: GANG OF SERIAL KILLERS TARGETING YOUNG MEN?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:53:28 -0400

Commentary by:
Scott Baker
Former NYPD

(Editor’s Note: Mr. Baker graciously wrote commentary on this case, but he asked me to mention that he has not been following the case except for reading a few articles).

The NYPD has some of the greatest detectives in the world. If they are going out on a limb to tie these killings together, there must be more to it that is not being released to the public.

They do that for several reasons. One of the most important ones is they want to keep facts private that only the killers would know. This way when they catch the right people, they can substantiate the facts by first-hand knowledge.

The other thing that sticks in my mind is that killers have a tough time keeping secrets. If they are serial killers (ex. Son of Sam), they eventually up the stakes. They do this by taunting the police, sending letters, symbols, signs and so on. The other way is to keep trophies of their victims, such as a piece of jewelry, a wallet, or the more disturbed ones keep body parts.

So with that said and knowing that these killings have been spread over several states for several years, you may have an insider who provided this information to the police to piece together. If it is a Manson-like cult, it may be a former follower, a friend of the killers who has a conscious, or a criminal who got picked up on a lesser charge and brought it up to the cops to check out.

To sum it up, if these cops say it is a serial killer, then you better believe it is and there are more dead then we know about at this time.

COLE THOMPSON: SCOTT PETERSON THEORY

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:22:52 -0400

Commentary by:
Cole Thompson
Former Court TV Producer
Author, “A Deadly Game: The Untold Story of the Scott Peterson Investigation”

First, let me be clear that given the totality of the evidence, I firmly believe Scott Peterson is responsible for the murder of his wife and son. But where, how, when and why? In the tens of thousands of pages of evidence I was privy to, in day after day of trial testimony, I never found the smoking gun I was looking for. I often wondered if Scott might have contracted the job out. I mean, why lead the police straight to the marina?

A conversation with Scott's half sister Anne Bird, whom I became close to during the trial, fueled my wild speculation.

Anne was the one that told Scott that the bodies had been found. She was heading to the Round Table pizza place in San Pablo. The kids were acting up and she was hoping the place was open so they could go play, etc. and she could relax. They weren't open yet so she thinks it was around 10am. Tim, her husband, called and said to turn on the am radio. That's when Anne heard about the bodies in the Marina. She called Scott to see if he knew. She told him the body of a woman was found. He was nonchalant "They'll find it's not Laci and keep looking." Then she said they found a baby. He became very angry. "How could anyone do this?"

Could this "anyone" have been someone Peterson actually knew? Why was Scott so sure the body wasn't Laci's. Could he have been angry about a double cross? Not the kind of thing his defense team would want to explore, but the defense did go to great lengths attempting to prove Peterson didn't have the physical capacity to commit such an act alone.

After all, what was the deal with the boat, parked blocks from the courthouse during the trial? What was the message there?

Of course, speculation is just that, speculation. I don't expect Scott will reach out to answer my nagging questions, but if he wants to reach out to me, I'm all ears.

JEFF ISAAC: CYNTHIA SOMMER RELEASED

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:45:51 -0400

Commentary by:
Jeff Isaac
“The Lawyer in Blue Jeans”

As I sat thru the trial of Cynthia Sommer, my common sense and legal reaction seemed to coincide. The prosecution was grasping at straws, the case against Cynthia Sommer's was one of an emotional outreaching by the prosecution to punish Cynthia for her subsequent "cheap" behavior after her husbands death, and a case that was taking the jury on an emotional roller coaster with no legal basis for a guilty verdict. Day after day the prosecutors brought information, through it at the jury, and was allowed to do so by a defense attorney who just acted like a matador, waiving the red cape, and taunting the prosecutor, but allowing the information to reach the minds and hearts of the jury. I wondered, why the spectacle was allowed to continue, but as the last days approached, and the contradicted information regarding arsenic, sex, opportunities, and NO SUBSTANTIVE EVIDENCE OF GUILT was offered, I was convinced that a quick resolution would be reached, allowing Cynthia to walk free from the courtroom. Instead, the jury returned and to a person acknowledged that beyond a reasonable doubt, SHE WAS GUILTY OF MURDER. Most people in the courtroom were shocked, save the 12 members who sealed her fate.

It is a positive step for justice and a cross handed compliment to our legal system that now, she has been set free, after the prosecution through the efforts of her new legal team, has been able to shed the real light on the flimsy and erroneous case by the prosecution. Unfortunately, she has spent more that 2 years in jail, waiting for our system to work.

LISA SWEETINGHAM: CYNTHIA SOMMER RELEASED

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:22:06 -0400

Commentary by:
Lisa Sweetingham
Former Court TV online reporter
Author, “Chemical Cowboys”

Cynthia Sommer was released from prison yesterday after the discovery that her 23-year-old Marine husband may not have even died in 2002 from arsenic poisoning. This was a troubling case from the start. A year after his death, which was initially ruled heart failure, Sgt. Todd Sommer's tissue samples tested positive for high levels of arsenic and his wife was charged with murdering him in order to collect his $250,000 insurance benefits. However, what jurors learned at trial (http://www.courttv.com/trials/sommer/) was that there were numerous holes in the chain custody of those tissues, the concentrations of arsenic in the different organs was arguably inconsistent with poisoning and more indicative of contamination, and there wasn't a shred of evidence that Cynthia Sommer had purchased or even sought to obtain arsenic. In fact, Sommer agreed to release her husband’s organs upon his death, making them available for testing— not something one would be inclined to do after feeding her victim a fatal dose of poison.

But what jurors also heard again and again at trial were the
salacious details of Sommer's libido. Lovers were called to the stand to describe the number of times they had sex with the new widow; girlfriends gossiped about her turn in a wet T-shirt contest in Tijuana; and the prosecutors suggested she killed Todd just so she could pay for the breast implants she received shortly after his death. The message was loud and clear: Sommer was guilty of being a jerk. Oh, wait—no, the message was: Be careful how you grieve, ladies, because it could land you in prison for the rest of your life. If a man had acted out sexually after losing his wife, we would pity him—this is what men do. Sommer’s tale is a modern-day Scarlet Letter conviction. She was humiliated publicly and sat in jail for two years and four months, missing birthdays and special milestones in her three children’s lives. And lest we forget, now Todd Sommer’s own parents must once again grapple with questions about their son’s tragic death. The prosecutors have a lot of explaining to do.

JAKE GOLDENFLAME: SHOULD CHILD RAPISTS RECEIVE DEATH?

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:03:25 -0400

Commentary by:
Jake Goldenflame
Author/ Recovering Sex Offender
Editor, www.Californiaregistrants.net

In its own brief as a 'friend of the Court' in this case, the National Association of Social Workers, along with advocates for several state sexual assault crisis centers, urges that the death penalty not be imposed for child rape, arguing that such an extreme penalty would discourage many children from reporting their rape, automatically make them into potential murder victims by the rapist unwilling to leave any witness behind, enormously magnify the child's trauma by forcing them to participate in the very demanding and extensive death penalty trial processes with all their media exposure, and even leave them--unfairly but nonetheless--often also burdened with a lifelong sense of guilt after their rapist has been executed, particularly when he or she was also a family member. I stand with these advocates as I have already seen how much better the victim does when she gets her abuser's apology and help in recovering further in one case as she is my daughter.

DAVID WOHL: SEARCH FOR ALLEGED KILLERS

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:45:28 -0400

Commentary by:
David Wohl
CBS 2 Legal Analyst
www.cbstv2.com

Sergio Padilla of Coachella, CA was a family man, with a wife and 10 children. He worked hard and had little time to himself. When he did have the time, he enjoyed going to local casinos.
According to police, on June 6th of 2001, after a night of gambling, Padilla left the Spotlight 29 Casino in Indio unaware that Juan Agredano and Hugo Gastelum had been watching him closely. The pair left the casino parking lot right behind Padilla and began following him to the home of one of Padilla's friends. As Padilla exited his vehicle inside a park, one of the suspects took aim and fired several shots from a high power handgun, striking and mortally wounding Padilla. Before he died, Padilla identified Hugo Gastelum as the shooter, indicating to authorities that he knew Gastelum. Authorities believe Juan Agredano is an accomplice.
Almost seven years after the murder, the motive of the two suspects remains unclear. Was it robbery or something more sinister? Riverside County's top prosecutor believes that Padilla may have been the tragic victim of a successful night at the casino. Rod Pacheco told CBS 2, "It seems pretty clear that what they were doing and its unfortunately not so uncommon... We're seeing it in a lot of gaming establishments when people are followed home..."
Sergio Padilla's widow, Manuela, lives with their 10 children in a small apartment in Coachella. Two of the kids work full time to help their Mom make ends meet. Many of the children were so young when their father died that they barely remember him.
UP TO $1000 will be provided by Valley Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hugo Gastelum and Juan Agredano. Call the KPSP Local 2 Riverside Countys Most Wanted - Valley Crime Stoppers tip line at 760-341-STOP. Your identity will remain confidential.

DR. BELISA VRANICH: HOW WILL POLYGAMIST WOMEN ADJUST?

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:35:59 -0400

Commentary by:
Belisa Vranich, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist
www.drbelisa.com

Since the polygamist sect story broke recently, the most common question I have received concerns the healing and integration of the 416 children taken by the State, as well as the 136 women who chose to leave. There were many teens who had either birthed children or were pregnant. This highly organized 1700-acre property—a religious "Hotel California" that produced cheese–had rules that included such as, once the girls hit puberty, they could be owned ("spiritually married”) by a much older male relative. The girl was expected to "produce" children, and often was physically abused by the man. We've seen many sad cases of children who have been kidnapped and sexually abused, and held in the confines of a house or basement. Both my patients and colleagues have talked about the similarities between these female children and the oppressed women in the Congo or Afghanistan. We have also noted how the compound was actually a place of organized child prostitution, how it is similar in many ways to concentration camps. We’ve talked about the cases of feral children, like the "Wild Boy of Aveyron" (who was supposedly raised by wolves), or of "Genie" (who lived her entire childhood in a closet), even of Rumplestilskin, on a lighter note. We've talked about how the change of ambience will both be smooth or shocking to the women and children (The Lost Boys of Sudan, Splash, and Fifth Element were mentioned). For some who haven’t suffered major trauma, will it seem as if they left and moved to a different country, and now have to learn the new rules of the new place. How will they experience "the outside world" and the choices and expectations that come with it? For those who have had several children from the age of 13 on and had no voice what-so-ever concerning their bodies, how will they learn to trust and love? So much will depend on their experiences with the "outside world:” the sensitivity of the family which whom they are placed, and the positive or negative experiences they have from now on.

BJ BERNSTEIN: 3RD GRADERS’ ALLEGED PLOT AGAINST THE TEACHER.

Wed, 2 Apr 2008 18:41:18 -0400

Commentary by: BJ Bernstein
Attorney and President/Founder of My5th.org
3rd graders and crime? Possible? In Georgia, police have disclosed an alleged plot by 8 and 9 year olds to attack their 3rd grade teacher by hitting her over the head with a crystal paperweight, tying her up and handcuffing her. School officials confiscated some toy cuffs, a knife, and other materials to carry out this plot.
Now in Georgia, as in most states 8 or 9 is too young to be charged with a “crime” but it is not too young to require the child to go to juvenile court. Juvenile offenses are technically not “crimes” although they feel that way if you are hauled off to juvenile detention and go before a judge. Juvenile court in Georgia focuses on an “adjudication of delinquency” which is sealed so that you have “no record” when you are an adult.
So, legal lessons and issues because if you are reading this you are probably a little older than 8. In many states, age alone with not “save” you from legal consequences. It may not be technically a “crime” when you a juvenile, but the process can feel like it and affect your life from a type of probation to detention.
The other concern is what happens in a group. Most likely with these little kids—one or two people have an idea—discuss it with others and the group mentality to go forward with a “project” takes over. It’s not unique to 3rd graders. You know how it can start-one person has an idea…..to break into a house, destroy a mailbox, sneak out at night for a party….and then the group action to make this happen gets larger and larger to more serious trouble. Trouble which not only might present you before a juvenile court, but could lead to the type of crime that gets juveniles tried as adults.
Child’s play at any age can have dangerous consequences. Think about it.
legally yours
bj

MIKE FARRELL: Ex-black panther granted new hearing.

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:10:54 -0400

Commentary by: Mike Farrell
Former “MASH” star and President of Death Penalty Focus

“I believe Judge Amro's dissent is very important - I understand 10 out of 15 potential black jurors were struck and it's no secret the Philly DA's office had a policy of submarining black potential jurors. I'm glad to see that Mr. Bryan is asking for an en banc review because Judge Ambro’s statement will require that it be given serious consideration (particularly, I would think, in view of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Snyder decision, written by Justice Alito).  Ms. Abraham’s comments are typically vulgar, for sure, but it appears that she just wants to get in a few last shots before retirement - turning in her needle so she can spend the rest of her life trying to wash the blood off her hands.  The funny part here – if anything about these cases can be funny – is that all the death-lovers are so busily ignoring the fact that the 3rd Circuit completely agreed with Judge Yohn’s 2001 decision. As you’ll recall, they all screamed and stamped their feet at his audacity in stopping their little killing train, excoriating him right and left… well, perhaps right and righter.”

LISA PINTO: GIRL ALLEGEDLY DIES FROM UNTREATED DIABETES

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:19:41 -0400

Commentary by: Lisa Pinto

Attorney and Frequent Cable News Guest

“Madeline Kara Neumann suffered for 30 days before she died of dehydration and low insulin. Her parents’ refusal to call a doctor while she vomited, and then passed out, must be punished. Their crime was not faith but deliberate ignorance and indifference to their daughter’s condition. Second degree homicide (on a reckless or even depraved indifference theory) and certainly neglect and endangering the welfare of a child. No one would charge them for refusing to take their own medicines or see a doctor themselves as adults, but their refusal to take their child to a doctor for 8 years, and then failure to go to a hospital, must be punished to protect children nationwide. You can worship God and see a doctor.”

"DC MADAM:" MICHAEL MUKASEY- WILL YOU HELP ME?

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:37:52 -0400

By: Deborah J. Palfrey
(“DC Madam”)

55 years imprisonment and my entire life’s savings – this is what they want to take from me, in my real life ‘David and Goliath’ struggle with the United States Department of Justice.

For the past year, I have discovered myself immersed in the world of the Justice Department; a world, replete with on-the-record faulty memories, omissions of fact and out-and-out lies; one where political motive and groupthink usurp integrity and the rule of law and where as hard as one might try, justice is nowhere to be found. This is the setting I have been placed to do battle with a bureaucratic behemoth.

As I fight for my very life ostensibly on a daily basis, I have experienced a legal and financial pounding– a premeditative orchestration created to best the most resolute among us, by the Department of Justice or the Department of Injustice, as it more widely regarded these days.

On October 4th of 2006, a dozen plus federal agents descended upon my sedate, restored Victorian home in Northern California armed with a search warrant and arrested - of all things - my property (my turn came later in March). The process known as civil asset forfeiture allows the government to seize a person’s property and assets, without due process often leaving them destitute, when there is suspicion – not actual proof, but merely a suggestion of wrong doing.

In my case, the Federales claimed I had proffered the unthinkable – pleasures of the flesh - for financial gain, to the male denizens and visitors in our nation’s capitol. Accordingly, I found myself – besides instantaneously broke - charged with over-the-top and obscene federal crimes. My job description was elevated exponentially from retired escort service operator to the powerful, to money launderer and conspirator over night and later to racketeer.

What particularly made and continues to make my case so unusual, actually bizarre is no one ever has been charged similarly to me, in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Over time, I have come to understand my case is truly one of a kind. Considering there are more adult service businesses than McDonald’s restaurants in operation in the overall vicinity, a virtual array of rich targets for the Feds to pursue – I and I alone appear to be the only subject of their interest. Furthermore, none of the estimated 10,000 or so clients, who patronized my agency or the almost 150 subcontracted women, who worked for me over the years have been charged.

The question begs. Why me and why only me? In part, the answer may lie in the fact I operated a high-end, erotic outcall service continuously (a bit of an anomaly) for a thirteen year period, from 1993 through 2006, in a part of the world laden with politically influential men; many with high level security clearances. Although, my firm routinely was patronized by the typical, garden-variety doctor, lawyer and perchance even, Indian chief; it nonetheless saw more than its share of the high and the mighty.

As flattering as it might be – albeit in a rather perverse way – for me to think I was ever the real object of the DOJ’s attention, it would be sheer folly to believe such. The clientele base, specifically the more notable customers were the true persons of interest and the reason I believe I was surveilled personally and professionally, for at least a five year period, before I decided to close shop and retire to Europe, in August of 2006. Ironically, it was this very decision to shut down the business and disrupt the status quo, in conjunction with my desire to move out of the country, which I feel ignited the raid on my home, in early October.

The combination of selective prosecution, a politically sensitive clientele and an extended surveillance period points to a matter, which has less to do with the goings-on of an alleged prostitution ring than it does with spying activities involving a constitutionally protected, American citizen. As I often have stated, my case has something to do with something, but it sure as heck has very little, if anything to do with a small-time escort business. My case - had it been more customary in nature - would have been under the sole purview of the state courts and never entered the federal realm.

But then the culture at the Justice Department, under former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been revealed – particularly of late with the suspect attorney firings - as one more concerned with the inclinations of the White House, i.e. the GOP than with those of truthfulness and fair dealing toward a society at large; a society, which most assuredly includes me and my idiosyncratic case. The founding fathers desire for a wide divide to exist between the Executive Branch of government and the Judiciary appears to have been profanely abused by former AG Gonzales and his cohorts outside Justice.

I rather suspect that as time marches on, with it will come a multitude of eye-opening disclosures, which will call into question further the practices of the DOJ, the past several years. I believe my case is part and parcel of any such coming revelations. That is of course, if the newly appointed Attorney General Judge Michael Mukasey chooses to do right by us, the American people; to ally with us and not the current administration. For me in my politically charged case, such a decision by the future Attorney General holds particular weight; quite possibly, whether or not I will spend the remainder of my natural life behind bars or as a free person.

Nonetheless as I begin my second year combating the beast, I do so with significant hope. After a full fourteen months of being stonewalled at every twist and turn along the way, including access to discovery materials, by the assigned Assistant U.S. Attorneys - my counsel, Mr. Montgomery B. Sibley, a small band of interested third parties and I have pieced together sufficient reason to believe my case - simply put - is rotten to the core. Since the Government for all intents and purposes has run out of tactical maneuvers to prohibit me from uncovering the truth any longer, I anticipate exposure of considerable wrongdoing by the DOJ, in short order. Additionally, the fact Alberto Gonzales, perhaps one of the most dishonest and politically aligned attorney generals in U.S. history, the very one who has reigned over my specific case this last year has resigned – leaves open the hope that his successor may correct the direction of a wayward and seemingly corrupt Justice Department and in its wake my increasingly frightening tale of woe.

However, time will tell. In the interim, I only can remain determined and trust in the final analysis, I indeed will find justice in this dark and terrifying sea of injustice I have been thrust.

JEFF ISAAC: WACKIEST U.S. LAWS

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:20:03 -0400

By: Jeff Isaac
San Diego Attorney and Radio Talk Show Host

In Nebraska, if a child burps during church, his parent may be arrested. “What’s next? A new police division: ‘The Burp Patrol’?”   In Oregon, drivers must yield to pedestrians who are standing on the sidewalk.
“When the pedestrian starts to cross, all bets are off!”   In the city of Portland, people may not whistle underwater. “Is it actually possible to hear an underwater whistle?”   In Norco, California, it is not permissible to carry a fish into a bar. “A Canary is ok...”    In Wyoming, you may not take a picture of a rabbit from January to April without an official permit. “Is it permissible to draw a picture of a rabbit during that time?”   In Los Angeles, it’s illegal for a man to beat his wife with a strap wider than 2 inches without her consent.
“This one speaks for itself.”   In Nebraska, doughnut holes may not be sold. ”Well, you get what you pay for”    In Texas, when two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone. “Hope no one is in a hurry…”   In West Virginia, no children may attend school with their breath smelling of "wild onions."
“Probably influenced by the mouthwash lobby!”   In California, it is forbidden to spit on the ground within 5 feet of another person. “Do baseball fields count?”