Utah Teacher Gets Early Release

(Tooele, Utah) In August 2006, 42-year-old teacher's assistant at Tooele High School, Leslie Baird, was arrested for sexually abusing several students.

In November, Baird pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse in exchange for the prosecution dropping counts of forcible sodomy, supplying alcohol to a minor and dealing harmful material to a minor.

In January 2007, 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris ordered Baird to undergo a 90-day psychological evaluation period with the Utah Prison system.

In April, it was reported that Judge Kouris sentenced Baird to probation.

However, according to the latest report, Baird was actually sentenced to a one-year jail term, starting in January. It has also been reported that Baird was released early from Tooele County Detention Center after her attorney told Judge Kouris that there have been no incidents during her incarceration.

Consequently, Baird served less than half of her sentence. She will be fitted with an ankle bracelet and allowed to serve the balance of her term on house arrest.

Teacher Darcie Esson Guilty in Sex Case

(Glenwood Springs, Colorado) In December 2006, a 32-year-old English teacher at Elizabeth High School, Darcie Esson, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 17-year-old male student. Authorities were alerted after the student reportedly bragged about having sex with Esson in a Glenwood Springs hotel room.

At the time, Esson was going through a divorce and had her two children, ages 4 and 8, plus a babysitter in the hotel room with her. The three kids were believed to be asleep when the student entered the room in the early morning hours to have sex with Esson. The babysitter allegedly saw the boy enter the room and the following morning found a used condom on the floor of the bathroom.

Subsequently, Esson was charged with sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust. She was released on bond and later hired high-profile attorney, Pamela Mackey, who previously represented LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant in his frenzied celebrity rape case.

Yesterday, Darcie Esson, now 33, pleaded guilty before District Judge Denise Lynch to engaging in sex with the boy.

Esson had been charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child ages 15-17 while in a position of trust, and one count of sexual abuse on a child in a position of trust as a pattern of abuse. She pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual assault on a child ages 15-17 while in a position of trust, and the other two charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Esson faces mandatory lifetime parole supervision, but any time in prison will be up to Lynch, who noted that convictions of such offenses carry a possible indeterminate sentence up to life.

Consequently, it's up to Judge Lynch to determine Esson's punishment, if any, at sentencing, currently scheduled for August 16th. Remaining unexplained in the Esson case is the status of new charges reportedly filed against her last month.

Interestingly, attorney Mackey objected during yesterday's proceedings when Deputy District Attorney Amy Fitch read the "factual basis" of Esson's offense, detailing the activities in the hotel room.

"This has nothing to do with the elements (of the crime)," Mackey said "The press is in the courtroom."

Apparently, shining the light of day on the details of the crime is not beneficial to the defense.


[12/14/07]

Esson sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Mayor Bloomberg Now Independent

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent, fueling speculation that he plans to run for president.

"I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party," he said in a statement issued while he was in California delivering political speeches.

"Although my plans for the future haven't changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our city," the mayor said.

I think this means that, upon review of his performance, Bloomberg finally realized that he has no core values common to either political party. Maybe I should have ended that statement with "no core values."

Meth Teacher Gets Probation

(Grand Junction, Colorado) Tammie Liberty Lee (formerly Tammie Lee Reed) has been sentenced.

Mesa County District Judge Thomas Deister sentenced Reed, 42, to four years on probation, 21 months of work release, 100 hours of community service and mandatory drug treatment.

The sentence was handed down as part of a plea agreement that dismissed two of Reed's four criminal cases in exchange for two guilty pleas in cases involving possession of more than 1 gram of meth and theft from a check-cashing business.

Deister also granted Reed permission to leave the state to attend her daughter’s wedding next month before she must surrender her driver’s license.

I'm at a loss for words. Obviously, Tammie Liberty Lee (formerly Tammie Lee Reed) is coated with Teflon.

From previous entry - 05/15/07:

The story of former first-grade teacher Tammie Liberty Lee (formerly Tammie Lee Reed) has become ridiculous. Two days after she appeared in court last month and pleaded guilty to drug and check fraud charges, Tammie Liberty Lee failed a drug test. Two freakin' days! So, she was arrested ... again.

Forty-two-year-old Lee has been arrested five times in the last 19 months for methamphetamine possession and various other charges. It appears that all she does is go into jail, gets bailed out and then, apparently immediately, goes and gets more methamphetamine.

All the while, it seems the law enforcement community and prosecuting attorneys explore every conceivable way to avoid punishing her. Time and again, words of probation and treatment and supervision are uttered, but not prison. It's exasperating follow the story.

On Sunday, Lee was arrested on a warrant issued after her failed drug test and today she appeared in court. Judge Richard Gurley set bond at $20,000 and recommended a drug treatment program be included in her sentence.

It's unclear what's going to happen next. Possibly, Lee's plea agreement will be voided because of the new charge. If the plea agreement holds, however, a ruling in expected on June 18th.

And the ruling is -- probation.


[Update 06/30/07]

There should be little surprise here. Less than two weeks after her sentencing, Tammie Lee Reed (Liberty Lee) is arrested again.

Tammie Lee Reed, 42, was arrested Friday afternoon after investigators discovered she lied during her June 18 sentencing hearing to obtain a permit to leave Colorado before reporting for work release, according to court records. She could face charges of attempting to influence a public servant and violating bail-bond conditions, both of which are felonies.

According to a warrant affidavit, Reed's statement that she needed to leave Colorado from July 2 to July 11 for her daughter's wedding in Reno, Nev., could not be true, because her daughter is not scheduled to marry anyone.

Of course, this eventuality will allow the authorities to administer yet another hand-slap. Stay tuned.


[Update 04/10/08]

Reed convicted again. Sentencing in May.

Illegal Accused of Attempted Kidnapping of Girl, 14

(Brookings, South Dakota) A 20-year-old illegal alien, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, has been arrested for the attempted kidnapping of a 14-year-old Elkton girl.

Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring says a man had gotten into an Elkton home early Saturday and tried to pull the girl out of a window, but she fought back and the man ran off. Authorities then were contacted about 3:00 AM.

The girl gave authorities a description and a first name, which eventually led to the arrest of Juan Manuel Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has been charged with multiple crimes, including kidnapping and burglary. He was booked into custody at the Brookings County Jail in lieu of $20,000 cash bond.

I guess one would have to know more details but it seems that $20,000 is a fairly low bond amount for an individual who is a definite flight risk.

Gov. Strickland Bows to Terror Supporters

This just makes me sick.

Ohio's psychologist governor, Ted Strickland, spoke at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Ohio chapter, annual banquet on Sunday. Strickland told the group he appreciated its promotion of justice and mutual understanding and blah, blah, blah you guys are wonderful.

Obviously, Strickland doesn't mind that CAIR has been implicated as a co-conspirator in a criminal conspiracy to support the Hamas terrorist group. Apparently, it also doesn't bother Strickland that, even today, ski-masked Hamas terrorists are killing Palestinians in a takeover of the Gaza Strip. Do an Internet search if you'd like to see much more of CAIR's actions as a supporter and apologist for terrorists.

But our psychologist governor either hasn't been keeping up on current events or he doesn't care. And, of course, Ohio's lefty media is ignoring Strickland's butt-kissing foray among the CAIR cabal.

I shouldn't be surprised, though. It's business as usual for leftist politicians and the leftist excuse-makers in the media.

Milwaukee Police Officer Is Illegal Alien

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Last month, a Milwaukee police officer named Jose Morales was placed on suspension for investigation as an illegal alien who allegedly stole a dead cousin's identity.

Since that time, it's been confirmed that 24-year-old Oscar Ayala-Cornejo stole the identity of his cousin, Jose A. Morales.

In February, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent received an anonymous call from someone reporting Ayala-Cornejo was an illegal immigrant but was using the identity of his dead cousin, the complaint says.

Investigators compared Ayala-Cornejo's driver's license to yearbook photos from two high schools he attended as two different identities, the complaint said. Relatives also admitted Ayala-Cornejo took the identity of Ayala-Cornejo's cousin Jose Morales, who was born in Chicago about seven months before Ayala-Cornejo.

Last week, Ayala-Cornejo agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors which specifies six to 12 months in prison, deportation and resignation from the Milwaukee Police.

Interestingly, Ayala-Cornejo's brother, Alexander Ayala, 26, is a U.S. citizen and a Milwaukee police officer. It seems that brother Oscar had an opportunity to become a U.S. citizen by the normal, official route but opted for the illegal method after being encouraged by the Morales family.

Ayala-Cornejo's mother, Maria, told authorities her now-dead husband helped arrange the identity theft with relatives in Chicago, according to the complaint.

Jose Morales died of cancer, Morales' brother, Jamie, told authorities. Jamie Morales said his father volunteered Jose's identity when he died, the complaint said.

Questions still remain regarding the adequacy of background checks and the culpability of other individuals, in particular, Ayala-Cornejo's brother, who was complicit in keeping the identity theft a secret.

Also, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Jon Reddin, Ayala-Cornejo's criminal acts likely won't affect the resolution of previous cases since he wasn't "a terribly active officer" nor "involved in any major cases." Nonetheless, every piece of paper with Ayala-Cornejo's signature (as Morales) could be impeached.

Sentencing remains to be scheduled.

Tip: slwlion

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Woman Accused of Rape of Boy

(Glens Falls, New York) A 53-year-old Queensbury woman, Debra Menhert, has been arraigned in Glens Falls City Court on rape and criminal sex charges involving a 13-year-old boy.

Police were alerted a week ago by the boy's mother.

Menhert reportedly has admitted to the offenses. She was booked into the Warren County Correctional Facility with bail set at $10,000.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 10/01/07]

[Note: Two spellings have been used in the reporting of this case -- Mehnert and Menhert. According to WhitePages.com, Mehnert is correct.]

Mehnert sentenced to prison.

Boy, 5, Takes Heroin to School

(Buffalo, New York) State authorities temporarily closed a local day care center last week after a five-year-old boy was found to be handing out packets of heroin. Six children were rushed to the hospital, evaluated and released.

The boy's parents contend that their son must have found the heroin while walking to school with his mommy and two sisters.

"It was all wrapped up in waxed paper and they had smile faces stamped on them like these M&Ms," the child's father, Wayne Clamp said.

He said he was shown the packets of heroin by police after it was confiscated.

The parents insist the heroin didn't come from their house.

"He didn't think it was something bad," Clamp said. "He said it smelled like bread crumbs."

If one believes the parents, it appears that Buffalo's drug dealers are somewhat negligent by leaving packets of heroin on the ground like litter. On the other hand, it's much easier to imagine that the boy picked up the heroin in his house. Police are investigating.

Tip: slwlion

Hispanic Protest in NE Ohio

(Painesville, Ohio) The temperature and tension are rising in Lake County's Mexican community. In May, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended 24 illegal aliens in accordance with arrest warrants, separating them from their families.

Since then, federal agents have returned several times with arrest warrants for specific people. But the agents typically question other Latinos they chance upon and detain those suspected of being here illegally.

Greg Palmore, a spokesman for the ICE in Detroit, said federal agents are enforcing the law and will continue to do so.

In response to the enforcement actions, a gathering of about 300 pro-illegal protesters, some imported, rallied yesterday in downtown Painesville.

The crowd included smiling children, grim-faced grandmothers and men in white straw hats common to Leon, Mexico, which has sent hundreds of its sons and daughters to Lake County. Church leaders came from Cleveland and farmworkers rode buses from Northwest Ohio.

They marched six blocks to Veterans Memorial Park, the downtown common, waving American flags and carrying signs.

Word has it that both the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the Painesville Police were placed on cautionary alert for yesterday's rally in preparation for potential disturbances. None materialized. All in all, the protest rally was uneventful.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Parole Boards Define Arbitrariness

One of the reasons I support the death penalty for capital criminals is that it's definite, conclusive and assured punishment. The customary alternative, life in prison, exhibits none of those characteristics.

People sentenced to life, for example, could escape or could be accidentally released via an administrative technicality or they could be pardoned, have their sentences commuted or they could be paroled. In fact, there are so many variables related to life prison terms that one realistically should have a sense of foreboding rather than reassurance when they are imposed.

With all that in mind, Matt Dole relates the story of murderer, William Clumm, convicted in the 1977 premeditated death of his wife and sentenced to life in prison. After 30 years, the Parole Board now apparently thinks Clumm has spent his entire life in prison, obviously disregarding the fact that he's still alive, and the board wants to release him. Growing up without a mother, the children of the murdered woman are outraged that her killer is being released and fear for their own safety. They are asking for support to keep Clumm in the joint.

Go visit.

Restrictions on Homework

(Toronto, Canada) There is entirely too much educatin' going on in Canada, according to two teenage trustees of the Toronto District School Board. Consequently, teen trustees Nick Kennedy and Ted Kuhn have asked the school board to approve a new homework policy.

The new homework policy the Toronto District School Board is being asked to consider:

- Homework assignments cannot exceed 10 minutes per grade, per night

- No "overloading" students with homework on weekends; assign equivalent of only one night's homework

- Include time spent reading in allotted homework time

- No homework during March Break or Christmas holidays

- No tests on Mondays

The board already approved a policy proposed last week by teen trustee Kuhn that puts "a four-day pre-examination moratorium on major assignments and activities so that students writing exams won't be saddled with homework."

It's believed that the new policy will "help stressed-out students" and provide consistency throughout the district, according to Kuhn.

Also, it's logical to assume that the Toronto District School Board is trending toward possibly having even younger trustees advocating longer recess periods, video games in each classroom and the abolition of school detention. The complete elimination of adult influence on the school board is possibly the utopian goal.

Upstate NY Woman Accused of Sex with Girl

(Fort Edward, New York) A 28-year-old local woman, Christina M. Garrison, was arrested last week for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Garrison faces counts of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child and felony third-degree criminal sexual act.

A caller to the Washington County Sheriff's office alerted authorities to the alleged sexual relationship.

Garrison was booked into the Washington County Jail with her release contingent on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Cooking Crab Nets Animal Cruelty Charge

Yngve Ekern, the food writer for the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, has been accused of animal cruelty by the animal rights group NOAH for writing an article about cooking crab. A criminal charge was dismissed and referred to the Conciliation Board for resolution.

"Showing how to boil living crabs is encouraging law-breaking. Crabs are also covered by the Animal Protection Act, and animals shall not be exposed to pain," NOAH leader Siri Martinsen told Journalisten.no.

"It is highly probable that crabs have the ability to feel pain. We know too little about it and the animals should get the benefit of the doubt," she said.

To resolve the crab-pain issue, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will establish a committee to examine the question of what crabs can feel during the boiling. Presumably, the committee will contract the services of several eminent crab psychologists.

Sex Assault of Horse

(Corvallis, Oregon) A 17-year-old male was arrested on burglary and animal sexual abuse after being caught in the barn being rather intimate with a horse. His parents are likely not very proud of his interest in animal husbandry. The teenager was booked into the Linn-Benton Detention Center and released. A court appearance is scheduled for June 20th.

Readers may recall a similar story about horse sex in Washington State that resulted in the death of a participant. There must be something in the water in the Pacific Northwest.

More disturbing is that a critically-acclaimed film called Zoo was trumpeted at the Cannes Film Festival this year for its "mysterious and intensely beautiful" depiction of bestiality.

We can all thank moral relativism for removing all barriers to uncivilized behavior.

School Principal Gets Jail for Crack

(Tampa, Florida) The 40-year-old principal at Van Buren Middle School, Anthony Giancola, was sentenced this past week to 364 days in jail after pleading guilty to purchasing crack cocaine, possessing crack cocaine and possessing marijuana.

Giancola was arrested in February after buying a $20 rock of crack cocaine from an undercover police officer.

"Just 20, that's all I got," Giancola is heard telling the confidential informant. "I cashed in my change. I'm so [expletive] broke."

Police, in the taped interview, asked Giancola what had brought him to this point and whether he had ever partied or smoked crack in the school. Giancola said he had drugs in his pocket one time, but he never smoked during work.

Giancola did cocaine with prostitutes at local motels, although he never had sex with them, he told police.

What a guy! Sure, Giancola went to motels and did drugs with hookers but there was no sex. Obviously, he's a man of self-restraint and strong character.

Giancola must report to jail by June 30th and he must forfeit his teaching credentials. If he completes an in-jail drug treatment program before his term has expired, the balance of his sentence will be suspended.

Woman, Man Guilty of Gross Sex Assaults

(Bangor, Maine) On Friday, a jury convicted a 46-year-old woman, Stephanie Stark, and a 49-year-old man, Peter Mills, of multiple counts of gross sexual assault of two women in 2005. Mills was also convicted of assaulting a third woman.

The eight women and four men of the jury found that Stark and Mills drugged the women in order to make them unable to resist sexual attacks.

All three victims in the case testified earlier this week that they believe they drank wine laced with some sort of drug that made them unable to resist the assaults. All three said one or both of the defendants subjected them to sexual acts, some of which involved sex toys and other objects. Each victim said she never consented to any of the sexual acts.

After the verdict, Michael Povich, Hancock County district attorney, praised the "three amazing and courageous women" for coming forward and filing criminal complaints against Mills and Stark.

 
Stephanie Stark & Peter Mills

Two of the women were 20 years old on June 16, 2005, when they went out to a Bar Harbor restaurant with Mills and Stark and then returned to Mills' Bar Harbor apartment. One woman said she blacked out after drinking wine Mills poured for her at his house, while the other said after she drank the same wine she started feeling hazy and oddly detached from her surroundings before she was sexually assaulted by Stark. Both women said they hurriedly left Mills' house feeling ill early the next morning after they awoke in Mills' bed and were sexually assaulted by him.

The third victim, who is 48 years old, testified that she was sexually assaulted by Mills and Stark after they came to her house in Surry on June 18, 2005.

After the verdict was read, Stark and Mills were taken away in handcuffs to await sentencing, tentatively scheduled for "sometime in the next few months."

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 09/27/07]

From Bangor News:

Justice William S. Brodrick sentenced Peter Mills, 50, of Southwest Harbor, to 10 years in prison with none of the sentence suspended. Stephanie Stark, 45, of Bar Harbor, was sentenced to seven years in prison, also with none of it suspended.

On additional charges, each also received consecutive multi-year sentences that were suspended entirely, Mills for seven years and Stark for five. Each will serve three years of probation upon their release from prison but could go back behind bars for the duration of their suspended sentences if they violate any conditions of their probation.

Defense attorneys said they intend to appeal.

Toddler Given Alcohol at Applebee's

(Antioch, California) The mother of a two-year-old, Kim Mayorga, is making a big deal out of the fact that a local Applebee's restaurant served alcohol to her child in his plastic sippy cup and he became sick.

She had ordered his favorite drink -- apple juice -- but he kept making funny faces and pushing away his plastic, lidded cup.

"Finally, I'm like, 'That's crazy. He loves apple juice,' " she said.

Concerned, Mayorga opened the lid and checked the juice. She was instantly hit by the reek of booze.

"When I called the waitress over, I couldn't believe what I was saying: 'You served my son alcohol.' "

Corporate representatives later told Mayorga that the mistaken beverage poured in her son's cup was their "top-shelf" margarita, complete with Triple Sec and high-quality tequila.

The restaurant keeps apple juice and the premade "top-shelf" liquor fusion in two identical-looking plastic bottles on ice behind the bar, [Applebee's Vice President] Tei said.

Markings on the bottles differentiate the two, but a manager who was working at the time mistakenly grabbed the margarita mixture instead of the apple juice jug.

Logically, the next person pulled over by the cops after getting hammered at Applebee's can say, "Honest, Offishur. All I had was apple juice."

The Growing Hispanic Brothel Industry

(Nashville, Tennessee) Frankly, I'm thinking that this story doesn't exactly fit into the "doing jobs Americans won't do" meme.

[L]aw enforcement officers tasked with combating the illicit, highly organized businesses say Hispanic brothels are a growing problem in the Nashville area, where single, male immigrant laborers are creating a burgeoning demand for the services of female immigrant prostitutes.

Of course, it is disturbing that the illegals arrive and, instead of becoming customers for home-grown American whores, they demand that Latino hookers be smuggled into the U.S. The U.S. brothel industry and all American prostitutes have been besmirched.

Therefore, hookers are sneaking across the border not to do jobs Americans won't do but to do jobs Americans won't do well enough. Sheesh!

Convicted Molester Sent Home

As a reminder, here's the history of the case.

(Doylestown, Pennsylvania) Twenty-year-old Telford mother of one, Krystal Gehret, was charged with sexual assault of two different 14-year-old boys in two different counties.

Gehret was convicted of the offenses in both counties and now she has been sentenced in both counties.

Here is a timeline of Krystal Gehret's legal troubles.

In April 2006, Gehret was arrested and charged for engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy in Montgomery County, Pa. The relationship led to a pregnancy and an abortion. Gehret was arraigned and released on bail.

Later in April 2006, Gehret was arrested and charged for engaging in sex with a different 14-year-old boy in Bucks County, Pa. Allegations surfaced that Gehret also attempted to intimidate a witness. She was arraigned and released on bail.

In August 2006, Gehret pleaded guilty in Bucks County to aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault and other offenses related to engaging in sex with the first 14-year-old.

In January 2007, Gehret pleaded guilty in Montgomery County to statutory sexual assault in connection with a June 2005 incident. She was sentenced to six to 23 months in the county prison and ordered to complete two years probation upon release. Gehret was paroled in March.

Two months ago in Bucks County, Judge Rea Boylan sentenced Gehret to 11 to 23 months in prison for sex crimes committed against a 14-year-old boy. Judge Boylan also sentenced her to a year of probation after her release for intimidating a witness and prohibited her from being alone with anyone under 14 unless approved by child protective services. Sex offender registration is also required.

Apparently, the penal system will be charged with sorting out exactly what Gehret is required to do. As it is, she likely will be in prison for the next year and then be on probation for at least a year. It's not clear how the punishments and conditions will be consolidated since two different jurisdictions are involved. In any event, I think Gehret would have seen harsher treatment had all her crimes been adjudicated in one court.

And let's not forget that Gehret is responsible for the lasting damage of imparting unknown psychological trauma on two boys while bearing a child and aborting another. A few years from now, Gehret will likely be able to shrug everything off and go on with her life. The victims' lives, however, are forever tainted.

And, here's the latest.

A 20-year-old Telford woman who had sex with two 14-year-old boys in 2005 -- and threatened one to prevent him from testifying against her -- won the right to go on house arrest Friday.

Bucks County Judge Rea Boylan ordered Krystle Joy Gehret to be released to house arrest -- living in the home of her grandparents -- as long as she undergoes sex offender treatment and stays away from children.

She was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison in April.

So, after two months, she goes home. Apparently all the supervision and treatment and evaluation and crap was too much for the system and the only escape for the judge was to give up and say "The hell with it. Let her go." Just freakin' great!

In a nutshell:

January 2007 - Sentenced to six to 23 months in prison.
March 2007 - Paroled
April 2007 - Sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison.
June 2007 - Sent home.

Is it any wonder that terror suspects want to be tried by the U.S justice system?