[After you read this post, read the follow-up post, Kathleen Parrish Responds ]
Readers, this went out in today's mail:
July 20, 2009
To: Kathleen Parrish, “Right To Know” Officer, Lehigh County
From: Bill Villa
Ms. Parrish, recently, former longtime Morning Call newspaper "courthouse beat" reporter Debbie Garlicki became an Executive Aide in the office of Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.
As my attachments indicate, Ms. Garlicki’s new duties as an Executive Aide to DA Jim Martin include writing and disseminating Press Releases promoting Mr. Martin— a function not all that different from Ms. Garlicki’s previous position at The Morning Call newspaper, but I digress.
Q. Did this Executive Aide/Public Relations position in DA Jim Martin’s office exist prior to Debbie Garlicki's permanent layoff from The Morning Call newspaper?
Or was this position created especially for Debbie Garlicki?
I look forward to an initial response from you within 5 business days as is pledged at the Lehigh County web site’s "Right To Know" page.
Thank you.
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UpDate: In a message dated 7/31/09 9:05:51 AM, Kathleen Parrish writes:
Hi Bill, I received your request in the mail yesterday. I have the information you requested and will put it in the mail today. Thanks, Kathleen
------------------
Readers, please note: a mailing glitch (an error on my part) resulted in the "late" (i.e., received just yesterday) arrival of my Open Records Act, "Right To Know" inquiry onto Kathleen Parrish's desk. She is responding to my inquiry 4 business days faster than is promised at the County's web site, and I appreciate that. Look for a follow-up post on this matter, after we have a chance to examine the County's answer to our question.
![Irv Muchnick, Concussion Inc. [The Only Honest Reporting on Martin vs Villa/SLAPP]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPD2coV7RQATuCUf-3rw1R677yxUImhkVfkwctN91m7yfi3nNdoiPeWor3ZFheb8-GpJgZmYhLB110qFaj3cJ-Chizn5_-t0OCc58nBiQZ8ExJNvSonqN7DCj2ETWDi4Wy0_OObaC3JgJ5_i8VJtUJ3RFDUDQf0VyiSghcV4xshIX6yCIdMs4SUh6t=s220)
![[Reneged] City Solicitor Kloiber Bans Cousin Jeffrey Anthony Defamation & Harassment of Villas](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrGZtm_TCRriA3DHGTVASeEr_XIZD_pQqaf-fCuaf2k-ApQAze7ZAeVU-I6gHcE8Tt6WXadtqw_hAOHjaJe11PiUx2MPPSCMN-MC5RBeCcjKX_DjAhw7IS0eWcKGimIJ9oImiqAkx3jw5l6mT-LnUEQ3U2JmCZyik1BNyiLbXmHr-MSBjt3fMiO6k4=s310)
![[Reneged] Villa Defense Witness: "Judge" Anthony](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YbbiFKB_4_s/WTQcC2PWEvI/AAAAAAAAJaU/4V6Arexg61QpHi3GeQ2PpNNwYV2ChIv7ACK4B/s220/10653495_508198589366170_7055316366826361693_n.jpg)
70 comments:
PLOT THICKENS DEPARTMENT
Readers, it should be noted that Lehigh County's current "Right To Know" Officer, Kathleen Parrish, is a former longtime reporter at The Morning Call "newspaper." Kathleen's Facebook friends list reads like The Morning Call's contact page.
Stay tuned, this could get interesting ...
Our thanks to Percy Dougherty, PhD, Chairman, Lehigh County Commissioners, and Chief Clerk David Barilla for their help, rapid-responsiveness, and knowledgeable guidance in this matter.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Readers, FYI, Bill got this very supportive email from a high-ranking Lehigh County official whose anonymity we choose to protect ...
In a message dated 7/6/09 4:58:48 PM, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX@lehighcounty.org writes:
Bill,
The problem is our Lehigh County Home Rule Charter. The DA is an independently elected official who is not reportable to the County Executive or the County Commissioners. Basically, he is reportable to the voters. There is nothing we can do about how he runs his office.
I am sorry that I could not be of more help.
Who got Kathleen Parrish her job?
I'm w/ ya, but first things first.
"problem ... the DA {Jim Martin} ... is reportable {ONLY} to the voters. There is nothing we can do about how he runs his office."
Nothing? W-O-W! W-O-W! So if nobody runs against Jim Martin for DA, and nobody ever does, Jim Martin (left) can do whatever the hell he wants and get away w/ it! But wait a second...isn't that where THE MEDIA should come in handy for CHECKS & BALANCES?
Our local media SHOULD provide checks & balances against our "untouchable" DA Jim Martin, but they don't.
CROOKED.
Read our post "Cheering Glenn Kranzley's Firing" and the comments that follow to learn how DA Jim Martin fixes DUI homicide cases for cronies and drinking buddies and how The Morning Call "newspaper" never lays a glove on DA Jim Martin.
INCOMPETENT.
Read LVS's exclusive ongoing series of exposé blog posts on DA Jim Martin regarding ...
Gross Abuse of Process for Political Gain: March 1, 2009,
Foot-Dragging Favoritism? March 15, 2009,
Dangerously Reckless Incompetence: April 26, 2009,
Failing to protect our community from child rapists: June 30, 2009.
I believe most people who vote in Lehigh County would appreciate a CHOICE for District Attorney next election. Running unopposed is un-American, not to mention unfair to our justice system.
Wally, I couldn't agree w/ you more.
Here are the folks we need to diplomatically hammer awake, regarding getting them to put a candidate up to run against Jim Martin for DA and beat him. Email, call, and politely but persistently pester these people until they do it > Lehigh County Democrats
Doug Reichley, thanks to our newly installed *district court-approved SiteMeter(R), we're fairly certain you read this blog on a regular basis.
Doug, please consider opposing Jim Martin for DA in a GOP primary.
As you know, you were rightly next in line for the position of Lehigh County DA in 1997 when the Lehigh County Commissioners, in a move I'm sure they deeply regret, anointed Jim Martin DA instead.
Doug, you would be an excellent DA, having served admirably as an assistant DA in the Philadelphia district attorney's office and under then DA, now Judge, Robert Steinberg, in Lehigh County.
You could beat Jim. He has become vulnerable. And w/ his "Kranzley Kover" gone, and The Morning Call too busy fighting for its own life to protect Jim's, the time is right.
Democrats, you need to put a candidate up for DA too. It's your civic duty.
*district court-approved in Wind Gap PA, only
See: "Ethics, Morning Call style"
Interesting. I can see where "selective/protective" reporting such as this could qualify a "helpful reporter" for some "favors owed."
"Our local media SHOULD provide checks & balances against our "untouchable" DA Jim Martin, but they don't."
WHY don't they?!
Now there's an excellent question that deserves to be answered.
Reasons WHY could include ...
* FEAR. As has been mentioned, Jim Martin can do "whatever the hell he wants and get away w/ it." Spine-chillingly, this includes trumping up phony "attempted murder" charges against innocent people ... and there might not always be a wise jury around to save you from Jumbo Jimbo (gulp).
* WAY TOO COZY CRONYISM. Is it not possible that Debbie Garlicki and Kathleen Parrish were both "looking out for" certain Lehigh County officials long before these officials became their bosses, officially? And is it not possible that these two glaring question marks are the rule, rather than the exception, regarding how ambitious our local reporters are (or, aren't) regarding investigating suspect local officials?
* LAZINESS/COLD REALITY. It's easier and more profitable to report on American Idol and adorable fluffy puppies.
What about our local blogosphere? It sure looks like Chris Casey was on to something w/ his "Ethics, Morning Call style" column...why no follow-up? And why no ongoing scrutiny of Jim Martin by Chris Casey or by any of the other local blogs...other than LVS?
WHY does our local media leave out of their reports many of the the unbiased facts regarding Jim Martin? The public (voters) could provide the "checks/balances" if the media "took a position" and decided to tell the truth on matters involving Martin and not act partial towards him which they obviously do, and about which we know of, thanks to this blog.
(Also) Bill, it was smart contacting Ms. Parrish through the proper channels but also making that contact public here.
Thanks Wally, and you make an excellent point in your 12:22 comment.
Re: WHY the local media helpfully leaves out inconvenient facts re: Jim Martin in their "reporting," I'll stick w/ what I commented earlier, i.e., some combination of ...
* FEAR
* WAY TOO COZY CRONYISM
* LAZINESS/COLD REALITY
Bill, we agree that the Morning Call is awful. I disagree though that a newspaper should not take any position except for "truth" (except for their editorial pages, that's where the opinions should be).
Now that does include truth that you don't like, so it's a two-edged sword.
I'm not sure I'm following you past your first sentence there, anon 1:27 (agreed, The Morning Call IS awful).
But what position other than "the truth" is an appropriate position for a newspaper to take? And I'm talking "the truth" as best and as honestly the newspaper can determine it-- via thorough, exhaustive, and corroborative investigation.
[Relevant Aside: The Morning Call "newspaper" has refused to meet w/ me to discuss what their own investigations editor Tim Darragh has deemed "excellent questions that deserve to be answered" regarding DA Jim Martin, despite 229 polite requests by me. So much for thorough, exhaustive, and corroborative.]
Also, "the truth," and "opinion-pages opinion" can be 180 degrees apart from each other. Ever read John Brinson? Or Paul Carpenter? Or Mike Molovinsky? The last place I look for "the truth" is on the Op-Ed or Editorial pages.
Care to clarify?
Caveat: please be advised though that if our district court-approved SiteMeter(R) pegs you as a professed saboteur affiliated w/ The Morning Call "newspaper" simply out to muddy the waters here, we'll delete this exchange.
I'll give you an example of the truth that you don't like. In your suit against O'Malley's Bar, it was found "negligent but not a cause of factual harm" in your daughter's tragic death.
You reported only the "negligent" part. Others (like the Morning Call) reported only the part about there being no financial liability.
But the truth is that both of you reported only 1/2 of the truth. It should have been reported clearly and accurately. We agree completely that that standard is no good for the paper. And honestly Bill, it's no good for anyone. 1/2 truths are as good as a lie in my opinion as they are told to mislead someone.
Well that didn't take long.
Readers, the previous comment is indeed from a professed saboteur affiliated w/ The Morning Call "newspaper" whose agenda is to muddy the waters here and protect Jim Martin and The Morning Call-- something he has been doing ever since the launching of "Valley Blogosphere" at The Morning Call a year ago.
But I'll address his attempted misdirection comment anyway (cuz I'm smarter than him) but this'll be the last comment of his we'll allow.
--------------
> "You reported only the "negligent" part."
--------------
Not true. We reproduced, here, verbatim, the erroneous reporting of The Morning Call which included the factual verbiage that O'Malley's was found to be not causally responsible for Sheena's death.
We disclosed that here fully and freely.
Conversely, however, The Morning Call "newspaper" erroneously reported (and they stuck to their guns on this ... for a month) that the jury had found O'Malley's not negligent in Sheena's death. This was 180 degrees false. The jury had ruled that O'Malley's was indeed negligent in Sheena's death. But The Morning Call wouldn't report this. Despite numerous requests by Sheena's family (through me) that they tell the truth. By the time they finally did tell the truth, in a hardly noticeable "correction," 30 days later, the untruth was out there w/ a big head start.
Regarding the "no financial liability," which seems to be the Morning Call's and your major concern ...
a confidential agreement prohibits Sheena's family from discussing the disbursement details of the jury's $3.1 million damages award to us so you'll have to connect the (fairly obvious) dots yourself.
--------------
BIG PICTURE
Readers, the 3:00pm "anonymous" (wink wink) commenter was Bernie O'Hare. We have a *district court-approved SiteMeter(R), so we're positive it was him.
The topic of this post is Jim Martin and The Morning Call. Let's not be further diverted. Thanks.
*district court-approved in Wind Gap PA, only
Huh? DA Jim Martin's new Executive Aide Debbie Garlicki AND Lehigh County's current "Right To Know" Officer, Kathleen Parrish, were BOTH former Morning Call employees? This is no revolving door - this is a pneumatic tube job shuttle directly from the Call to local government.
So ... how could anyone who worked at the Call and was, how shall I say it, "hard on" local officials ever get hired by them later? And if this movable sidewalk of unbroken employment from the Call to local gov't were well-known and well-understood by Call reporters and executives, wouldn't it tempt them to downplay or ignore improper or seemingly improper acts, conduct, and performance by local officials, lest they hurt their chances for future employment?
Could this be one of the reasons Mr. & Ms. Dottie sense a reluctance on the part of the Call to go "hard on" local officials like DA Jim Martin?
P.S. - I wonder if one of Ms. Garlicki's duties is to check Lehigh Valley Somebody each day and report back to Jim the latest jibs 'n' jabs by indefatigable Mr. & Ms. Dottie?
Terrific comment, and hypothesis, anon 3:57, thank you. I believe the indefatigable Mr. and Mrs. Dottie's next project will be uncovering more Morning-Call-to-local-government "pneumatic tube travelers," and that's a great visual, a special thanks for that.
LVS Readers, a little help ... know of a local government employee whose previous gig was @ The Morning Call "newspaper?"
Email us back-channel at alacarbv@aol.com
"1/2 truths are as good as a lie in my opinion as they are told to mislead someone." -"anonymous" (wink wink) 3:00pm
Readers, O'Hare is speaking as an expert in this area (but let's stay on topic).
My major concern Bill is honesty. I agree w/ you on everything you're doing, and why.
Thank you. Please tell everyone in your email address book to read our blog, and to have them tell everyone in their address books to do the same. The more scrutinizing eyes we have on Jim Martin and The Morning Call, the better. FYI, there are some out-of-town eyes looking into all of this as well that I can't talk about yet.
"the Morning Call) reported only the part about there being no financial liability."
Which it appears they got wrong and I'm sensing a pattern here. I believe this "no financial liability" aspect was the MC's story focus b/c they were rooting for O'Malley's. Same way when Sheena's killer was sentenced to serve nearly double the state mandatory mimimum prison sentence, the MC's detour headline was about Sheena having been pregnant. I believe that headline decision was calculated to hurt the Villa family, and obviously the MC had been rooting for Sheena's killer and his father's law firm that has represented the MC for many years. None of this is rocket science, and the MC and their defenders like O'Hare aren't fooling anyone who has a normally functioning brain.
"Not OT," thank you, we're glad you're out there, and commenting here.
Re: Sheena's early pregnancy at the time of her death: this WAS new and newsworthy information (as far as the media and the public was concerned) that came out at Judge Steinberg's sentencing hearing on April 17, 2007. But to put things in perspective, The Express-Times reported on this new information about Sheena's pregnancy on line 14 of their story. The Morning Call "newspaper" made it their screaming and subliminally accusatory headline:
DUI CRASH VICTIM PREGNANT
And don't forget, they were allegedly reporting on a criminal sentencing hearing. Why not a headline about the CRIMINAL and his comeuppance?
Sheena's family has always thought that the Morning Call's pregnancy headline was akin to referees sucker-punching the winning team (i.e., us) as we're walking off the court. And the "newspaper's" error-laden "reporting" on our civil trial was just more of the same mean-spirited disinformation.
An item regarding Sheena's pregnancy that, um, somehow "escaped" (wink wink) The Morning Call's reporting:
DA Jim Martin's office (a.k.a. the "prosecution") conveniently never mentioned Sheena's pregnancy to Judge Steinberg as he was deliberating on his sentence for Sheena's killer. They .. um .. forgot (wink wink) about it. Thankfully, Judge Steinberg PROMPTED THEM, IN OPEN COURT, TO BRING IT UP, FOR HIM TO CONSIDER IN HIS SENTENCING.
Curiously, The Morning Call did not find this unusual courtroom irregularity newsworthy.
That's because The Morning Call will not lay a glove on crooked and incompetent DA Jim Martin, no way, no how.
We're gonna get to the bottom of why this is and I don't care how long it takes.
And speaking of unusual irregularities deemed not newsworthy by The Morning Call "newspaper,"
Sheena's killer left the U.S. and enjoyed a 10-day vacation in super-pricey Belize, Central America, in August 2006, while out on bail for homicide- for killing Sheena. DA Jim Martin either allowed this jaunt (CROOKED) ... or ... he was out-maneuvered on this by the criminal (INCOMPETENT).
Either way, The Morning Call REFUSED to report on it.
"Sheena's killer left the U.S. and enjoyed a 10-day vacation in super-pricey Belize, Central America, in August 2006, while out on bail for homicide- for killing Sheena."
To clarify, the NEWSWORTHY ANGLE here, as it was happening, was:
Is he coming back from Belize?
Or is he a fugitive from justice?
Imagine the anguish of the victim's family!
Pretty juicy front-page story, I'd say.
Morning Call "watchdogs?"
Couldn't have cared less.
When Sheena's killer finally did return from Belize, rested ... and tanned ... Judge Steinberg immediately yanked his passport and ordered him to get permission for even a day trip out of Lehigh County going forward.
DA Jim Martin, or Pre-Trial Services, or District Justice (and now Judge) Michelle Varricchio could, and should, have yanked that passport when Sheena's killer was arrested and released on unsecured (i.e., $0.00) bail.
So, "who fucked up" would have been a newsworthy angle here as well for The Morning Call.
Readers, another newsworthy angle to this undeniably newsworthy BELIZE story (and maybe its MOST newsworthy angle) was that it was SHEENA'S DAD (!) who found it out. It was BILL who had the scoop and he then reported it to DA Jim Martin's office, Pre-Trial Services, Magistrate Varricchio, and The Morning Call.
Can you imagine the feeling of discovering that your daughter's killer was AWOL (for all we knew) in Central America?! And no one in our local "justice" or "media" systems knew anything about it ... and they obviously didn't WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT ... and most importantly, they didn't want YOU to know anything about it.
... from The Morning Call "newspaper" archives, here's a sampling of actual, verbatim (I swear), "objective" (wink wink) headlines that don't show any favoritism at all (wink wink) towards Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin:
'GENTLEMAN JIM' MARTIN SWORN IN AS LEHIGH DA. CENTER VALLEY MAN SAYS HE WILL STRIVE TO SEE THAT JUSTICE IS DONE.
By DEBBIE GARLICKI
Jan 27, 1998
-----------------
IN LEHIGH DA RACE, CLARK CHARGES MARTIN IS SOFT ON NUISANCE BARS. BUT DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS HE CLOSED SHORTY'S, AND HE CAN'T SHUT OTHER TAVERNS WITHOUT EVIDENCE.
By KIRK BELDON JACKSON
Oct 29, 1999
-----------------
LEHIGH COUNTY DA TO HANDLE FULMER PROSECUTION. JAMES B. MARTIN SAYS HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH BAKER AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH HER FRIEND DON'T CONSTITUTE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
By DAN HARTZELL
Oct 15, 2000
----------------
HOUSE ARREST ISN'T UNUSUAL FOR HIT-RUN. FULMER IS GETTING COMMON PENALTY FOR FIRST OFFENSE IN APRIL 4 INCIDENT.
By DAN HARTZELL
Nov 30, 2000
----------------
LEHIGH COUNTY DA JAMES B. MARTIN TO SEEK REELECTION; DEMOCRATS WITHOUT CANDIDATE. HE SAYS HE WOULD LIKE TO RUN UNOPPOSED SO HE CAN FOCUS ON HIS JOB.
By DEBBIE GARLICKI
Feb 21, 2003
I guess the "Gentleman Jim" moniker never caught on, but valiant try there, Debbie Garlicki.
;D
Paul Carpenter coined one that's way more ludicrous and that actually stuck:
"No Nonsense" DA Jim Martin
That's very much like Richard ("I'm Not a Crook") Milhous Nixon.
Yep.
Readers, I know I'm "nit-picking" here (wink wink) but Morning Call "newspaper" reporter Dan Hartzell left out some very important information in his November 2000 headline regarding Judy Fulmer's "Hit-Run" and her not at all unusual (wink wink) "common penalty" sentence of "House Arrest."
That essential info would be > "DUI."
Ya see, this was a DUI Hit-Run.
Judy Fulmer almost killed her then friend, then Lehigh County Executive Jane Baker, by running her over w/ her car while driving drunk. Jane Baker was walking along the side of a road.
Within the last few months, Judy Fulmer got tagged w/ another DUI in Emmaus.
Quite possibly Judy didn't learn her lesson, thanks to the way too easy "punishment" (wink wink) negotiated by DA Jim Martin for Judy's 1st DUI which was a very special "VIP" brand of House Arrest.
Let me explain: ya see, Judy Fulmer was allowed to LEAVE her house, any time she wanted.
Some "no nonsense punishment," eh?
See Page 9 ...
Quite possibly Dan Hartzell was "missing" some other info in his earlier headline on this case ...
LEHIGH COUNTY DA TO HANDLE FULMER PROSECUTION. JAMES B. MARTIN SAYS HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH BAKER AND ACQUAINTANCE WITH HER FRIEND DON'T CONSTITUTE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
By DAN HARTZELL
Oct 15, 2000
Readers, over the years, crooked and incompetent DA Jim Martin has fine-tuned his way-too-easy handling of drunk drivers who kill people.
In this example case (see below) that included a drunk driver and a pedestrian who was also under the influence (like in the Fulmer/Baker case), DA Jim Martin concluded that a person driving drunk ... w/ a blood alcohol count TWICE THE LEGAL LIMIT ... would have the same reflexes ... and reaction time ... as would a completely sober driver.
Yup.
From The MOrning Call "newspaper" archives:
Woman likely to serve two days in deadly accident **26-year-old, who struck, killed teacher, pleads guilty to DUI.
Morning Call - Allentown, Pa.
Author: Kevin Amerman
Date: Oct 30, 2008
Start Page: B.9
Section: Local
Text Word Count: 357
Document Text
A 26-year-old South Whitehall Township woman, who drove drunk last April and crashed into a popular Parkland High School teacher, killing him, will likely serve two days in jail for driving under the influence.
Jennifer A. Gehringer, who was not charged with vehicular manslaughter or homicide by vehicle, will have to report Friday to begin serving her sentence in Lehigh County Prison.
Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony sentenced Gehringer Monday to 48 hours to six months in jail the same day she pleaded guilty to driving drunk with a blood alcohol level between .1 and .16 percent.
Her attorney and cousin, Stephen Gehringer of Pipersville, Bucks County, said the sentence was the mandatory minimum and said Gehringer will be released after two days. She will have to follow conditions of parole for the remainder of the sentence. Those conditions have not been specified yet, the attorney said.
Gehringer struck 50-year-old Parkland High School gym teacher John S. Toggas as he started to cross the Lincoln Avenue jug handle off Hamilton Boulevard near Dorney Park on April 19.
Toggas was also drunk, said authorities, who earlier in the night booked Toggas on suspicion of drunken driving after a traffic stop in Upper Macungie Township.
"We could not prove her driving under the influence in any way contributed to the accident," Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin said Wednesday night.
After being processed at central booking in Allentown, Toggas was released to his wife. They were going to their home in Berks County when - for an unknown reason - he got out of the car near the Atrium office building, 2895 Hamilton Blvd. He started walking home, almost 13 miles away, authorities have said.
Gehringer's car hit Toggas at 2:19 a.m., just after he stepped off the berm and was three feet into the road.
Toggas, 50, had coached the Parkland wrestling team for 20 years, resigning in 2000 to spend more time with his family. At the time of his death, he taught physical education at the school.
kevin.amerman@mcall.com
610-820-6510
Credit: By Kevin Amerman Of The Morning Call
Credit: By Kevin Amerman Of The Morning Call
On the subject of DA Jim Martin being "soft on" and full of nonsense when it comes to prosecuting drunk drivers who kill people ...
Readers, drawing on our first-hand experience, we’d like to reveal to you how Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin fixes DUI homicide cases-- at least one of the ways that we know of, having experienced it first-hand.
Fortunately for us, we foiled Martin's case fix efforts. More on that later, but here’s how DA Jim Martin fixes DUI Homicide cases:
1. He waits for a trial date to be set by the court for the homicidal drunk driver criminal defendant who is oftentimes the offspring or close relative of a drinking buddy or reelection campaign contributor.
Note: in our case, the trial start date for Sheena’s well-connected killer was set for February 12, 2007.
2. He then cuts a secret plea deal with his drinking buddy’s criminal offspring and doesn’t breathe a word of this to the DUI homicide victim’s grief-stricken family.
3. He then secretly changes the trial start date, to a guilty plea hearing court date, and secretly moves the court date up-- and again, he does not breathe a word of any of this to the victim’s family.
Note: In Sheena’s case, on January 17, 2007, DA Jim Martin secretly changed, and moved, our trial start date of FEB 12, to a guilty plea hearing court date of FEB 2, and never breathed a word of any of this to Sheena’s grief-stricken family. More on this later.
4. With the DUI homicide victim’s family not present in court for the guilty plea hearing (because the DA’s office um “forgot” (wink wink) to inform them of the court date and procedural change), DA Martin’s office can tell the judge anything it wants. And what they say … usually goes something … like this ...
“Your Honor, the prosecution is withdrawing the major charge in this case as part of a plea deal that the victim's family is in agreement with."
Note: This is, of course, a lie.
5. The victim’s family, however, IS NOT THERE IN THE COURTROOM TO REFUTE THE LIE ('Gentleman Jim' is a genius, eh?) and it's not the judge’s job to determine if the DA is lying about the victim’s family being “on board” with the guilty plea deal.
6. And the offspring of Martin’s drinking buddy gets off easy and the grief-stricken family gets ROBBED AGAIN, only this time by someone they had been trusting: i.e., the County’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, DA James B. Martin.
7. If/When the DUI homicide victim’s grief-stricken family cries foul ...
DA Martin merely tells them they “misunderstood” the court proceedings and if they want to get a lawyer and complain, well go right ahead, because it will be their word against His.
8. Case Closed, with The Morning Call looking the other way and steadfastly refusing to meet with anyone who has “excellent questions that deserve to be answered” regarding how DA Jim Martin’s office “handles” select/connected DUI homicide cases.
CONTINUED ...
In late January 2007, I got a phone call (no caller I.D.) from a woman who told me that the scheduled trial start date for Sheena’s killer (FEB 12) had been changed to a guilty plea hearing court date … and that this guilty plea hearing court date had been secretly MOVED UP 10 DAYS to FEB 2.
Jim Martin’s office never breathed a word of this to us in advance of FEB 2. But when Sheena’s family, and dozens of Sheena Squad members unexpectedly showed up in court on FEB 2 for the guilty plea hearing, Jim Martin was forced to keep all the major charges “in play.” That is, he couldn’t tell the judge to dismiss any significant charges, because Sheena’s many supporters and family in attendance would have screamed bloody fuckin’ murder.
Readers, I’ll go to my grave knowing exactly what Jim Martin would have pulled, and what he would have gotten away with, had we not been there in court on FEB 2, 2007-- Martin would have dropped as many charges as he could have gotten away with.
--------------------
In September of that same year, 2007, DA Jim Martin repeated the exact scenario I’ve described above in another DUI homicide case—i.e., he cut a plea deal the victim’s grieving family was on record as being against … and he changed a trial start date, to a guilty plea hearing court date, with no advance notification to the grieving family, who was not in attendance in court for the guilty plea hearing to refute their alleged “agreement” (according to Martin’s office) with the terms of the plea deal, which included a dropping of 9 of the 14 charges, including the major charge.
Note: In this case, incredibly, the homicidal drunk driver criminal defendant had actually received a second DUI, after having already killed someone while driving drunk. And Jim Martin still dropped 9 of the 14 charges, including the “big one,” in direct opposition to this grieving family’s stated position on any plea deal.
Also Noteworthy: the grandfather of the criminal defendant in this case was an invited guest at Jim Martin's reelection swearing-in ceremony four months later.
Unfortunately, in this case, the grief-stricken family did not have the good fortune of receiving an anonymous phone call, tipping them off as to how DA Jim Martin handles select/connected DUI homicide cases.
Ladies & Gentlemen, in Lehigh County, without a guardian angel/anonymous informer pulling for you, you may not get any justice out of DA Jim Martin.
Please keep this in mind the next time Jim Martin runs (unopposed again?) for reelection in 2011.
Readers, I should point out that crooked, incompetent, and pusillanimous DA Jim Martin has refused to meet with me as well.
E-Mail sent to Lehigh County DA Jim Martin on June 27, 2008 …
Subject Heading: Your Cowardly Refusal To Meet With Me
Mr. Martin, I was disappointed--but not surprised--hearing from your office's Crime Victim Advocate Christina Wallace recently that you will "never" meet with me to discuss the reasonable questions I have about your office's handling of my daughter Sheena’s case and a second DUI Homicide case that “resolved” in September 2007 that I’ve been inquiring about.
I thought our first meeting on August 15, 2006 was "productive."
At that meeting you didn't even try to conceal your empathy with and support for the homicidal drunk driver who killed my daughter Sheena. And this was valuable information I put to good use in having hundreds of people write letters to you and to the Judge informing you that thousands of people were watching Sheena's case very closely in an election year for both of you. As you know, this 'groundswarm' strategy was the difference between the slap on the wrist (house arrest/work release) Sheena’s killer may have gotten and the 5.5 to 12 years in state prison he is currently serving.
Illuminating and inspiring statements you made to me during our August 15, 2006 meeting with a witness present included:
* "I've received letters of support for the young man (i.e., my daughter Sheena’s killer) and I'm impressed by these letters." (Mr. Martin, I've always assumed these letters came from lawyers at the criminal defendant’s father’s law firm, many of whom have been generous and regular contributors to the Committee to Elect Jim Martin as can be discerned via public records at Lehigh County Voter Registration).
* "Mr. Villa, how would you feel if you were this boy's father?"
* "I'LL COME AFTER YOU! I'LL COME AFTER YOU IN THE MEDIA!" (This one you bellowed at me, the grieving father, when I told you I knew the surrealistically high crash speed that was indicative of the defendant terrorizing my daughter Sheena with speed; malice; and third degree murder).
* "Let's hope there's nothing wrong with the blood evidence because if there is I'll have to take that [major] charge off the table."
... which is exactly what you did in the September 2007 DUI Homicide case I’ve been inquiring about-- that is, you had Chief Deputy DA Renee Smith phone the DUI homicide victim’s father, the night before trial, and tell him that the Judge had "tossed" the blood evidence (and this wasn't true) so that you could take the major charge off the table for the criminal defendant's grandfather, a longtime pal of yours.
Mr. Martin, I'm certain you had this same 11th hour major charge-drop strategy in mind in February 2007, when you secretly moved my daughter Sheena’s killer’s guilty plea hearing up 10 days, from February 12 to February 2, and purposefully did not inform Sheena's family of this next court date's schedule change.
Had we not heard about this secret date switcheroo (which was executed on January 17, 2007) from a concerned and anonymous insider informant in late January 2007, and had we not been in attendance at the guilty plea hearing on February 2, 2007, I'm certain you would have told the Judge the same lie you told him on September 25, 2007 in the other DUI homicide case, and that is ...
that you were withdrawing the major charge (i.e., the charge that carries a state mandatory minimum 3 to 6 year state prison sentence) as "part of a plea agreement that both sides were in agreement with."
I'm sure glad we were tipped off and that Sheena's family was in court on February 2, 2007 forcing you to keep that major charge on the table through our mere presence.
CONTINUED ...
Unfortunately, the “September 2007” grieving family was not in attendance on September 25, 2007 when their son's killer unexpectedly ditched his next day trial start and pled guilty-- and why not, since you had thoughtfully dropped 9 of the 14 charges against him, including that major 3 to 6 charge, in a night before trial plea deal that the victim’s family was on record as being vehemently against since April 2007 when they found out that their son’s killer had scored a 2nd DUI in Northampton County after killing their son driving drunk.
Helpfully--and erroneously--The Morning Call reported on September 26, 2007 that the victim’s family "had agreed earlier this year to prosecutors dropping the major charge."
This was a lie.
The Morning Call has yet to print a retraction or a clarification.
I know all this, Mr. Martin, because I have spoken at length with the father of the DUI Homicide victim in this case. And he has spoken with Lehigh Valley Hospital who informed him that there was nothing inadmissible about the blood evidence your office told him had been "tossed" by the Judge the night before trial because of an error on Lehigh Valley Hospital's part involving the paperwork on the chain of custody of the blood evidence. This was a complete fabrication.
And most damning: the criminal defendant’s grandfather, your longtime pal, who the Villa family has known for 40 years, told my parents, on the steps of the Cathedral, that you and he are longtime friends and that he was an invited guest at your invitation-only swearing-in ceremony in January 2008, 4 months after you had manipulated 18 months in county jail for his grandson, instead of the state mandatory minimum 3 to 6 years in state prison.
In a nutshell, Jim, thousands of Lehigh County voters have your number.
We know how you fix DUI Homicide cases for cronies.
And there's a big difference between 'prosecutorial discretion' (which you can hide behind in my daughter Sheena's case) and flat-out lying-- to a judge, to the victim's family, and about Lehigh Valley Hospital, the night before a scheduled trial.
A district attorney--the county's top law enforcement officer--is not supposed to side with the criminal defendants and against the grieving families of crime victims.
But this is exactly what you do whenever you feel like it.
We are determined to spare future grieving family members of DUI Homicide victims the needlessly cruel added agony of experiencing you siding against their deceased loved one and cutting their loved one's killer the break of a lifetime.
Like you did in my daughter Sheena’s death case by not charging third degree murder when it clearly applied.
Like you did in the “September 2007” case by making that major 3 to 6 charge vanish via flagrant and arrogant abuse of power, the night before trial.
Mr. Martin, our goal is to have you removed from office and disbarred.
And we're telling you this because we want you to see it coming at you like a drunk driver.
Sheena's Dad
Bill Villa
Readers, wanted to share this with you.
It's an excerpt from an email Bill received several months back from the managing editor of a PA newspaper much smaller than The Morning Call that has won many awards for its (non-puppy-related) investigative journalism. This fine newspaper is one of many PA newspapers, television stations, and investigative boards that is keeping their collective eye on the increasingly curious story of The Morning Call "newspaper" refusing to meet with a grieving father who has "excellent questions that deserve to be answered" about DA Jim Martin according to its own investigations editor, Tim Darragh.
----------
"Personally, I don't see the point of not meeting with you - up here we meet with people all the time that we may not agree with and may not be able to help. At its most Machiavellian, doing so allows us to take the high road and prevents PR nightmares like the one you are currently conducting. It costs some time and no small amount of aggravation on our part, but in the long run that's preferable... and sometimes we discover we do agree on some things, and we actually can help on others. However, I am not in a position to tell other newsrooms how to conduct their business."
According to Lehigh County's "Right To Know" procedures ...
"The county has five business days to respond in writing to:
* Grant the request
* Deny the request (citing the legal basis for denial/partial denial)
* Invoke a 30-day extension for certain reasons
The clock starts the day after the request is received during regular business hours."
This gives Kathleen Parrish until Tuesday, July 28, end of business day, to address my most recent excellent question that deserves to be answered ...
Q. Did this Executive Aide/Public Relations position in DA Jim Martin’s office exist prior to Debbie Garlicki's permanent layoff from The Morning Call newspaper?
Or was this position created especially for Debbie Garlicki?
Get 'em.
(thanks) we're on it.
Question: Have you tried to tell your story to a real newspaper, like the Inquirer, or perhaps the Harrisburg newspaper? Maybe the state AG or some honest public servants in Harrisburg need to know.
Yes, I've been in contact with all three of the sources you helpfully mention (and thank you for taking the time to read our information and to make suggestions), in addition to every other newspaper and TV station in about a 100 mile radius. The most common response I get is that their readerships wouldn't be interested in the story of a crooked and incompetent DA from Lehigh County ("where's Lehigh County?") that is, it's not a "local enough" of a story for them to cover. Many of these reporters remain in 2-way communication with me and I get the impression they are monitoring the "heavy lifting" I'm doing for them so that they can swoop in and grab our scoop when it's conveniently "wrapped" for them.
PA State Attorney General Tom Corbett's office has blown me (and another persistent petitioner, the activist wife of a local physician) off totally. Not surprising, since "The Committee to Reelect Jim Martin" is one of the most generous contributors to "The Committee to Reelect Tom Corbett." Yep. Because Jim Martin runs UNOPPOSED every reelection and doesn't have to spend a dime campaigning to KEEP his office, he can bestow his hefty (and ongoing) campaign contribution monies on crony politicos (including: judges) who can do him some good. This is illegal in many states but it's still all too common practice here in Pennsylvania.
We don't know if they're "honest" or not but we can tell you that our SiteMeter(R) has been spotting visits from an increasing number of State (and City) employees flocking to this blog post, but we cannot tell, specifically, who these people are, so we hope these people please keep reading and disseminating our information on crooked and incompetent DA Jim Martin.
SILVER LINING DEPARTMENT
As I commented here earlier, there are some out-of-town eyes (with teeth) looking into all of this (and they are getting some good traction of late) that I cannot talk about yet. Hopefully soon.
It's very, very difficult to bring down a sitting district attorney, anywhere. It's especially difficult here, because Jim Martin has the local media (and the local blogosphere) in his pocket.
We're gonna get it done though, and I have no doubt on this.
Shhh,
don't wake the watchdogs ...
I can understand the Philadelphia Inquirer or the Harrisburg Patriot-News (or Pocono Record, or Times-Leader) not being interested in a "crooked and incompetent DA from Lehigh County."
But what's The Morning Call's excuse?
City Official, obviously, the "newspaper's" policy on crooked and incompetent DA Jim Martin is: See, Hear, & Speak Of No Evil.
But they have a completely different policy for their online "Forum" comment sections. There, "hate speech" evil rules because it "attracts advertisers," according to Bill White.
This is my favorite blog post and comments that I've ever read here.
I second that. Have a good weekend.
Bill, I'm assuming (b/c there's been no report here) that there's been no response from Kathleen Parrish regarding your Open Records Act, "Right To Know" request concerning Debbie Garlicki's new job, am I right?
You are right, but Ms. Parrish isn't past her "5 business days" deadline just yet because of a mailing glitch (an error on my part) that delayed my inquiry's arrival on her desk at the 7th Street Government Center. The clock is ticking, however, and thank you for your interest. Interestingly, our readership has been steadily increasing this past week (doubling, and then tripling), despite no new posts, or any new comments to this post (that we chose to publish) which to us is an excellent indication of the mounting state-wide interest in crooked and incompetent DA Jim Martin.
Stay tuned ...
Point taken ;D
its higher then 10 percent
Don't be jealous
cuz you can't be us ;D
... or have our state-wide (#5) and Lehigh Valley (#1) ratings
My Take...
Q. If Lehigh County Deputy District Attorney A. Renee Smith ends up "taking the bullet" (not a threat; this is a "figure of speech") for the DUI homicide case her boss Jim fixed for a longtime pally the night before trial in September 2007, which department at The Morning Call "newspaper" will A. Renee Smith be working at do you think? Have a great weekend!
Over & Out...
Ha! LCD! Good one! An exchange program!
Lemme see, I'd guess "Maintenance" (doing the "dirty work") or "Corrections & Clarifications."
How about CIRCULATION (as in "out of")
Certainly "Quality Control" is out of the question, the MC eliminated that department years ago.
Knowing Renee I think she'd be perfect in Inhuman Resources at the "newspaper."
"Inhuman Resources"
Oh that's good.
Who's heading up that department?
Mike Miorelli?
Or Dave Erdman?
We know it's not this guy :)
Touché.
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