Savagery comes in all manner of people and in a variety of places these days. Sometimes it arrives in waves that simply threaten to overwhelm.
Jimmy Holmes we know about. NBC News is reporting that recently released court documents show that a full month before Holmes shot up a crowded movie theater, killing 12 and wounding 70, his psychiatrist reported to University of Colorado Police he had threatened her via emails and text messages. She described the threats as, "homicidal statements." The same day she made the report university officials deactivated Holmes' student ID, officially removing him as a member of the student body. Apparently that was enough for the campus cops. There is no evidence they ever questioned Holmes, or that they reported him to any other law enforcement agency. Meanwhile our man continued to case the theater where the shooting took place and amass a vast array of weapons, ammunition, and explosive material. The rest, tragically, is history.
Reuters' Teresa Carson posted a story online today that Portland, OR. police arrested a man named Keven Michael Purfield. Apparently Purfield has been contacting relatives of Holmes' victims and harassing them over the phone and through emails and social networks. According to Aurora, CO police the number of people Purfield got a hold of is in the dozens. They claim he initially began telling them, "conspiracy theory stuff." Then it escalated to name calling and "hoping bad things would happen to them." On a Facebook page Purfield maintained that some of the coffins of the Aurora dead were empty. There were also references to Sandy Hook Elementary and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Purfield was charged with five misdemeanor counts of telephone harassment and one count of stalking. Bond was set at $10,000.
Our old pal Al Gerhart didn't get off so lucky in Oklahoma City. Gerhart, co-founder of the Sooner Tea Party (Not to be mixed up with the Oklahoma City Tea Party, which disavowed his foul ass as soon as this story broke) had emailed republican state Senator Cliff Branan threatening to "...dig into your past, your family, your associates and once we start there will be no end to it." He also promised to make Branan the "laughing stock of the Senate." All this because a bill he wanted passed was languishing in Branan's senate committee. Tuesday he was charged with blackmail and violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. Both counts are felonies.
According to a story in The Oklahoman by Nolan Clay, Gerhart has maintained his email was free speech and that he was being harassed because Sooner Tea Party tactics were effective. At a news conference last week, Brother Gerhart delivered on his promise by claiming that the scuttlebutt was that Branan had an affair with an aide, told his wife he wanted a divorce, but was later spurned by the aide. Branan says that the scuttlebutt is simply vile bullshit. When pressed for proof of the alleged affair, Gerhart admitted he had none.
Clay reported that the judge set bail at $15,000 and because Gerhart is such a ruthless and perhaps violent cretin he issued an order that prohibits him from coming within a 1000 feet of the Senator and any member of his family. In yesterday's story, Clay wrote that as of Tuesday night Gerhart had yet to surrender to authorities.
Then in Washington, Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe proved once again why many people consider his brain the most reptilian of any man alive. The Huffington Post quoted Inhofe as saying of the Newtown, CT parents who lost their children in December's deadly shooting spree, "See I think it is so unfair of the administration to hurt these families, to make them think this (the gun control debate) has anything to do with them, when in fact it doesn't." When reporters informed the senator that the families thought it had a lot to do with them, Inhofe responded, "Well that is because they've been told that by the president."
Jim, trust me on this. If my six year old was shot multiple times by some demented geek who was armed with a semi automatic assault style weapon and high capacity ammo clips I'd think gun control legislation has everything to do with me. I wouldn't need anyone, up to and including the President of the United States of America, to tell me it does. And I certainly wouldn't need some crass bastard such as yourself to dismiss that notion with such off handed cruelty.
No one has ever accused Inhofe of decency, or even of possessing higher thought processes, but it takes a rare beast to make the likes of Mitch McConnell appear civilized. The only question at this point is where the Oklahoma republican hides his tail.
How we got to this level of dementia is unclear. Unfortunately we are here and we're going to have to deal with monsters such as these on a daily basis.
As Thomas Paine once wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls."
Little did he know.
4-11-13
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The NRA's Senate Posse: Screw the People and Forget the Dead
The least republicans owe the parents of those 20 little babies who were murdered at Sandy Hook is a thoughtful debate.
Nevada Senator Harry Reid
Yeah, well tell that to these guys.
Ted Cruz, R-TX
Rand Paul, R-KY
Mike Lee, R-UT
Jim Inhofe, R-OK
Richard Burr, R-NC
Mike Enzi, R-WY
Marco Rubio, R-FL
Jerry Moran, R-KS
Pat Roberts, R-KS
Ron Johnson, R-WI
Dan Coats, R-IN
Mike Crapo, R-ID
James Risch, R-ID
Mitch McConnell, R-KY
It is a gruesome list of cowards, fools, and feral weasels. They are the fourteen United States Senators who say they will filibuster to block any and all debate on gun control measures that might be proposed by their colleagues. Yes, not only do they oppose any sort of gun control, they are going to make damn sure no one even talks about it.
To call them obstructionist is to be kind. Several republicans have touched upon the subject. Peter King, republican congressman from New York was quoted as saying, "The public deserves discussion. To stifle debate and cut it off almost makes it as if these Senators are afraid of something." Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia says a filibuster would be "inappropriate." John McCain stated on Face the Nation that, "The purpose of the Senate is to debate and vote and to let the people know where we stand. I would not only encourage it, I don't understand it. What are we afraid of?"
Indeed, what is this gaggle of conservatives afraid of? Are they afraid of losing an up and down vote on universal background checks? It is an issue that polls show 90% of the American people support, so they certainly aren't afraid of the public. In fact it is brutally obvious they don't give a rat's ass what the vast majority of Americans think. Are they afraid they'll lose votes on bills that ban military style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines? Maybe, but they also know that any sort of bill like that must eventually pass in a much more conservative House of Representatives and that isn't likely.
Their fear even extends beyond the Senate Chamber. The Huffington Post is reporting that all 14 have refused interview requests by CBS News. It could be they know they are defending the morally reprehensible, although in truth, most of them have never let morally reprehensible behavior stop them in the past.
Yesterday President Barak Obama made a speech in Hartford. In the middle of it he touched on that spot that caused these distinguished gentlemen to turn their backs on the dead that are strewn across the country from Newtown, Connecticut, to Aurora, Colorado; from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Chicago, Illinois. In his words, "What is more important? Our children or an 'A' grade from the gun lobby?"
Well I guess we know the answer to that question. Rest easy boys, those NRA checks are in the mail as I type. Wayne LaPierre has your backs so there is nothing to worry about.
The National Rifle Association likes to talk about how it represents the majority of Americans. It has 4 million members. It looks like a lot, until you realize that in the 2012 presidential election 118 million people voted. In addition there was another 101 million eligible voters who sat at home last November. Best guess at the current United States population is 315 million people.
I'm not a whiz at math, but it looks to me like there are a lot of fucking people around here who the NRA doesn't represent. Of course the key to the problem is that every gun manufacturer in the world supports the NRA, so it has, for all practical purposes, an unlimited supply of money. And money buys elections and Senators.
Yes, you can piss off some of the people most of the time and even most of the people some of the time, but what you can't do is piss off your source of cash. If you do it will end up in the pocket of the guy running against you in the next primary. Now that is fear.
So now we know. All this caterwauling about the constitution is just so much noise. Hell, if you were to stick some truth serum into Jim Inhofe's veins he'd tell you he thinks parts of the constitution itself are unconstitutional. No, this is all about the NRA and the money and holding up your end of the bargain. Don't even talk about this gun control shit. Nip things in the bud right now before something goes wrong. Screw the people and forget the dead. And, oh, before we forget, here is the money for those new campaign ads.
Slate and @GunDeath are reporting that as of yesterday at least 3,345 Americans have been shot to death since the Newtown murders.
Luckily for the 14 Senators none of them will be voting in the next election cycle.
4-9-13
Nevada Senator Harry Reid
Yeah, well tell that to these guys.
Ted Cruz, R-TX
Rand Paul, R-KY
Mike Lee, R-UT
Jim Inhofe, R-OK
Richard Burr, R-NC
Mike Enzi, R-WY
Marco Rubio, R-FL
Jerry Moran, R-KS
Pat Roberts, R-KS
Ron Johnson, R-WI
Dan Coats, R-IN
Mike Crapo, R-ID
James Risch, R-ID
Mitch McConnell, R-KY
It is a gruesome list of cowards, fools, and feral weasels. They are the fourteen United States Senators who say they will filibuster to block any and all debate on gun control measures that might be proposed by their colleagues. Yes, not only do they oppose any sort of gun control, they are going to make damn sure no one even talks about it.
To call them obstructionist is to be kind. Several republicans have touched upon the subject. Peter King, republican congressman from New York was quoted as saying, "The public deserves discussion. To stifle debate and cut it off almost makes it as if these Senators are afraid of something." Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia says a filibuster would be "inappropriate." John McCain stated on Face the Nation that, "The purpose of the Senate is to debate and vote and to let the people know where we stand. I would not only encourage it, I don't understand it. What are we afraid of?"
Indeed, what is this gaggle of conservatives afraid of? Are they afraid of losing an up and down vote on universal background checks? It is an issue that polls show 90% of the American people support, so they certainly aren't afraid of the public. In fact it is brutally obvious they don't give a rat's ass what the vast majority of Americans think. Are they afraid they'll lose votes on bills that ban military style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines? Maybe, but they also know that any sort of bill like that must eventually pass in a much more conservative House of Representatives and that isn't likely.
Their fear even extends beyond the Senate Chamber. The Huffington Post is reporting that all 14 have refused interview requests by CBS News. It could be they know they are defending the morally reprehensible, although in truth, most of them have never let morally reprehensible behavior stop them in the past.
Yesterday President Barak Obama made a speech in Hartford. In the middle of it he touched on that spot that caused these distinguished gentlemen to turn their backs on the dead that are strewn across the country from Newtown, Connecticut, to Aurora, Colorado; from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Chicago, Illinois. In his words, "What is more important? Our children or an 'A' grade from the gun lobby?"
Well I guess we know the answer to that question. Rest easy boys, those NRA checks are in the mail as I type. Wayne LaPierre has your backs so there is nothing to worry about.
The National Rifle Association likes to talk about how it represents the majority of Americans. It has 4 million members. It looks like a lot, until you realize that in the 2012 presidential election 118 million people voted. In addition there was another 101 million eligible voters who sat at home last November. Best guess at the current United States population is 315 million people.
I'm not a whiz at math, but it looks to me like there are a lot of fucking people around here who the NRA doesn't represent. Of course the key to the problem is that every gun manufacturer in the world supports the NRA, so it has, for all practical purposes, an unlimited supply of money. And money buys elections and Senators.
Yes, you can piss off some of the people most of the time and even most of the people some of the time, but what you can't do is piss off your source of cash. If you do it will end up in the pocket of the guy running against you in the next primary. Now that is fear.
So now we know. All this caterwauling about the constitution is just so much noise. Hell, if you were to stick some truth serum into Jim Inhofe's veins he'd tell you he thinks parts of the constitution itself are unconstitutional. No, this is all about the NRA and the money and holding up your end of the bargain. Don't even talk about this gun control shit. Nip things in the bud right now before something goes wrong. Screw the people and forget the dead. And, oh, before we forget, here is the money for those new campaign ads.
Slate and @GunDeath are reporting that as of yesterday at least 3,345 Americans have been shot to death since the Newtown murders.
Luckily for the 14 Senators none of them will be voting in the next election cycle.
4-9-13
Monday, April 8, 2013
Korea on the Brink: One Kim Too Many
The Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth the II has a few titles. In fact it takes two or three lines of this blog to list them all. However Her Majesty has nothing on Dennis Rodman's pal, Kim Jong-un. He is--take a deep breath--First Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea, presidium member of the central politburo of the Workers Party of Korea, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, First Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army. In short, if you want to get something done in North Korea, he is the man you need to see.
His standing army is 1.1 million strong. He has an unknown quantity of biological and chemical weapons, a bunch of missiles, and a handful of nuclear warheads. He might also be bat shit crazy.
Over he last few month or so Mr. Kim has brought saber rattling to new heights on the Korean peninsula. He has done things like say the armistice between his country and the south is over with and that a state of war exists between them. His news agency has issued statements such as, nuclear weapons are part of "the nation's life and won't be traded even for billions of dollars." He has cut off hot lines to the south. Recently he warned foreign embassies in his country that his government cannot guarantee their safety after the 10th of this month. He has moved at least two long range missiles to his country's east coast and finally he shut down a shared industrial complex, kicking out South Korean workers and withdrawing the North Korean work force.
The South Korean public has had to put up with all manner of bombastic bullshit from the Kim family for three generations now and most haven't blinked an eye while the rest of the world has grown edgier and edgier. However, today NBC News is reporting, that even the placid ROK goverment has begun to distribute handbills instructing the civilian population on what to do in case of a nuclear, biological, or chemical attack. This after the new president of the republic, Park Geun-hye issued a statement last week saying "as commander in chief of the armed forces I will trust the military's judgement on abrupt and surprise provocations by North Korea."
Down in Havana Fidel is calling this crisis the most dangerous since the old Soviet Union and the United States came within an inch or so of total nuclear war because of Russian missiles located in his country. Vladimir Putin has claimed the situation in Korea could make the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl look like a "fairy tale." The Chinese are saying things like, "No country should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain."
So assuming Kim isn't delusional, what exactly is it that he wants? Is it more food aid? The prevailing reports in the west and elsewhere are that his people, at least in the rural areas, are hard pressed to put a decent meal on the table, although sometimes you have to wonder how much of that is our own propaganda. Is it economic investment from someone besides the Chinese? If it is, this sort of crazed nonsense seems counter productive to that goal. Lets face it, not even the greed heads at Nike will build a plant in a place where the leadership might go off its nut at a moment's notice.
No, it may be something so profoundly juvenile that it makes George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq look responsible. Think back to the "nukes are our nation's life" statement and the assertion North Korea won't give them up for even billions of dollars. Almost lost and nearly ignored because of that sensational and surreal statement was the announcement that North Korea had passed a law regarding the use of her nuclear weapons. In fact the law stated that North Korea would use nuclear weapons only to "repel invasion or an attack from a hostile nuclear weapons state and make retaliatory strikes." It also promised to never use atomic weapons against non nuclear armed countries and oh by the way, North Korea is prepared to participate in non proliferation talks.
What Kim seems to be saying is, world you need to recognize us as a power and behave toward us as if we're an equal. We are all grown up and we have the nukes to prove it. There is no giving them up, so you should treat us like you would any heavy weight and we'll act responsibly.
Although it may be far more complicated than just that one has to think it is a large part of it. If this version of Kim gets that sort of recognition for North Korea he will have accomplished something his grandfather and his old man didn't. He will have made North Korea a world player instead of an isolated pariah. All the rest will eventually come and it will come on his terms.
The problem is that he may not know when to shut up. If he pushes just once too hard it could prove to be disastrous. After all the rookie president in the south has all ready said, hey, its up to my military now, I'm not making the call, they are. That is never a good thing. Soldiers aren't trained in the fine and subtle art of diplomacy. They are trained to shoot to kill.
And of course if Kim actually does believe his own propaganda machine, if he really is just as loony as say James Holmes, none of this speculation means squat. He is going to do what ever it is those little voices in his head tell him to do, regardless of the consequences.
If that is the case we're going to find out soon. The cryptic date of the tenth is right around the corner while joint military exercises between South Korean troops and American forces are scheduled to last until the end of the month.
So does the little man go over, or does he ease his foot off the pedal before the bus gets to the edge of the cliff? Unfortunately for all involved these things tend to take on a life of their own and right now Kim Jong-un himself might not even have the answer to that question.
Here is hoping someone in North Korea does and it favors sanity.
sic vita est
4-8-13
His standing army is 1.1 million strong. He has an unknown quantity of biological and chemical weapons, a bunch of missiles, and a handful of nuclear warheads. He might also be bat shit crazy.
Over he last few month or so Mr. Kim has brought saber rattling to new heights on the Korean peninsula. He has done things like say the armistice between his country and the south is over with and that a state of war exists between them. His news agency has issued statements such as, nuclear weapons are part of "the nation's life and won't be traded even for billions of dollars." He has cut off hot lines to the south. Recently he warned foreign embassies in his country that his government cannot guarantee their safety after the 10th of this month. He has moved at least two long range missiles to his country's east coast and finally he shut down a shared industrial complex, kicking out South Korean workers and withdrawing the North Korean work force.
The South Korean public has had to put up with all manner of bombastic bullshit from the Kim family for three generations now and most haven't blinked an eye while the rest of the world has grown edgier and edgier. However, today NBC News is reporting, that even the placid ROK goverment has begun to distribute handbills instructing the civilian population on what to do in case of a nuclear, biological, or chemical attack. This after the new president of the republic, Park Geun-hye issued a statement last week saying "as commander in chief of the armed forces I will trust the military's judgement on abrupt and surprise provocations by North Korea."
Down in Havana Fidel is calling this crisis the most dangerous since the old Soviet Union and the United States came within an inch or so of total nuclear war because of Russian missiles located in his country. Vladimir Putin has claimed the situation in Korea could make the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl look like a "fairy tale." The Chinese are saying things like, "No country should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain."
So assuming Kim isn't delusional, what exactly is it that he wants? Is it more food aid? The prevailing reports in the west and elsewhere are that his people, at least in the rural areas, are hard pressed to put a decent meal on the table, although sometimes you have to wonder how much of that is our own propaganda. Is it economic investment from someone besides the Chinese? If it is, this sort of crazed nonsense seems counter productive to that goal. Lets face it, not even the greed heads at Nike will build a plant in a place where the leadership might go off its nut at a moment's notice.
No, it may be something so profoundly juvenile that it makes George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq look responsible. Think back to the "nukes are our nation's life" statement and the assertion North Korea won't give them up for even billions of dollars. Almost lost and nearly ignored because of that sensational and surreal statement was the announcement that North Korea had passed a law regarding the use of her nuclear weapons. In fact the law stated that North Korea would use nuclear weapons only to "repel invasion or an attack from a hostile nuclear weapons state and make retaliatory strikes." It also promised to never use atomic weapons against non nuclear armed countries and oh by the way, North Korea is prepared to participate in non proliferation talks.
What Kim seems to be saying is, world you need to recognize us as a power and behave toward us as if we're an equal. We are all grown up and we have the nukes to prove it. There is no giving them up, so you should treat us like you would any heavy weight and we'll act responsibly.
Although it may be far more complicated than just that one has to think it is a large part of it. If this version of Kim gets that sort of recognition for North Korea he will have accomplished something his grandfather and his old man didn't. He will have made North Korea a world player instead of an isolated pariah. All the rest will eventually come and it will come on his terms.
The problem is that he may not know when to shut up. If he pushes just once too hard it could prove to be disastrous. After all the rookie president in the south has all ready said, hey, its up to my military now, I'm not making the call, they are. That is never a good thing. Soldiers aren't trained in the fine and subtle art of diplomacy. They are trained to shoot to kill.
And of course if Kim actually does believe his own propaganda machine, if he really is just as loony as say James Holmes, none of this speculation means squat. He is going to do what ever it is those little voices in his head tell him to do, regardless of the consequences.
If that is the case we're going to find out soon. The cryptic date of the tenth is right around the corner while joint military exercises between South Korean troops and American forces are scheduled to last until the end of the month.
So does the little man go over, or does he ease his foot off the pedal before the bus gets to the edge of the cliff? Unfortunately for all involved these things tend to take on a life of their own and right now Kim Jong-un himself might not even have the answer to that question.
Here is hoping someone in North Korea does and it favors sanity.
sic vita est
4-8-13
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The Adams Family and Joe Cyr
I am letting any willing man come and have his way with my wife with a little compensation for us to help with our holiday funding we need.
An online ad posted by Justin Dewayne Adams
So it is safe to say that the Justin and Jaymie Adams family dynamic didn't resemble that of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, or Ward and June Cleaver. In fact from the outside looking in words like unimaginable, bizarre, and weird come to mind, but hey, there is no accounting for taste. As Kinsey said, "there is no such thing as normal sex."
According to her husband, Jaymie Adams, who was 25 and pregnant with her fifth child, went off into the night on December 9th, 2011 to meet what was originally described to the cops as a friend. Later, as his story began to shift some, Justin Adams admitted it was really to hook up with a client, who, in less polite company, could also be described as a "john." Something went terribly askew that night though. By the morning of the 10th, Justin Adams called police to report her missing.
Her body was found in southeast Oklahoma City, near Lake Stanley Draper on January 7th. She had been stabbed 29 times. 18 of the wounds were in her back. In addition her jaw was broken in three places. The investigation almost immediately homed in on her husband, who by then was telling police that he and his wife were swingers who both advertised on Craigslist, looking to meet men in order to have sex with them.
To make a long story short, Justin Adams' actions and conflicting stories led police to take the path of least resistance. He was charged with two counts of first degree murder. One for his wife, one for the unborn child. However things were never that clear even in the beginning. According to a story in today's The Oklahoman, written by Tim Willert, a man named Joseph Cyr was interviewed by police as early as December, 19th, 2011. Cyr reportedly told investigators he had been in contact with Jayme Adams and that they'd exchanged emails and text messages the night she went missing.
According to Willert, Cyr also told police that after getting pictures and prices from her and talking to her on the phone, he decided to take a pass on the transaction. He claimed then and still does that he never met her. Willert reports that Detective Chris Cunningham wrote in an affidavit, Cyr was very evasive with his responses and would not answer questions directly. He denied engaging in sexual activity with her. He denied killing her.
Well that certainly doesn't seem particularly surprising. There are probably a whole lot of guys who would be a tad evasive when it comes to answering questions about the act searching out a prostitute. After all, it isn't something you brag about. Later police obtained a search warrant and got a sample of Cyr's DNA. Willert reports that in July of last year police found out the sample was a match to DNA taken from the victim. On Tuesday Cyr was arrested in the Tulsa area and charged with two counts of first degree murder.
Charges against, Justin Adams were down graded to first degree manslaughter. His attorney, Irven Box claims the new accusations lack merit and he doesn't believe they'll hold up in court.
It has been a long and twisted road since that winter evening in 2011. It was apparent months ago prosecutors had realized Justin Adams wasn't the killer. In January the DA office announced the OKCPD was looking for additional evidence against Mr. Adams. The first truly overt indication came in July when a local judge allowed him out of county jail on $100,000 bail, even though he was still technically charged with murder. Finally in October the judge went so far as to rule that police should remove Adams' ankle monitor.
Since then other reports have been drifting about. Rumors of Cyr being spotted on a Wal-Mart security camera buying items that were found near the body being the most sensational.
The fall and winter of 2011 was a particularly gruesome time in Oklahoma City. First Carina Saunders' dismembered body was found, then Kelsey Bransby was shot to death in her south side apartment. In November the nude body of Alina Fitzpatrick was found on the far east side of town and in December, Jaymie Adams disappeared only to turn up dead a little less than a month later. The Saunders' murder investigation was so mishandled by the Bethany police it might not ever come untangled. When it comes to Fitzpatrick the Oklahoma City cops apparently haven't a clue as to who might be involved. Two of Bransby's friends were charged in her death, but local media outlets have been completely mum about the disposition of her case. Now it looks as if the authorities initially charged the wrong guy with the murder of Jaymie Adams. It isn't the first time. In February prosecutors had to let Luis Ruiz and Jimmy Massey off the hook after they'd sat in the county lock up for months accused of murder in the Saunders' case.
According to Willert prosecutors came up with manslaughter charges against Justin Adams because he, aided and abetted Jaymie Adams in engaging in acts of prostitution, participating in criminal conduct that resulted in the death of Jaymie Adams. Well either that or because he is an asshole and they desperately need to save some face in light of all these screw ups.
Obviously there are no Lt. Columbos or Jack McCoys in the real world, just as there aren't any Perry Masons. However, it appears that right now in this town, the railroad known as justice not only lacks a conductor, but an engineer as well. In fact it wouldn't be unreasonable to consider the term cluster fuck appropriate when it comes to all of this.
Hopefully, at last, the police and D.A. have their man and he is the right one. It would be a refreshing change from what has become the norm.
It is time for a smoke.
Over and out.
4-4-13
An online ad posted by Justin Dewayne Adams
So it is safe to say that the Justin and Jaymie Adams family dynamic didn't resemble that of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, or Ward and June Cleaver. In fact from the outside looking in words like unimaginable, bizarre, and weird come to mind, but hey, there is no accounting for taste. As Kinsey said, "there is no such thing as normal sex."
According to her husband, Jaymie Adams, who was 25 and pregnant with her fifth child, went off into the night on December 9th, 2011 to meet what was originally described to the cops as a friend. Later, as his story began to shift some, Justin Adams admitted it was really to hook up with a client, who, in less polite company, could also be described as a "john." Something went terribly askew that night though. By the morning of the 10th, Justin Adams called police to report her missing.
Her body was found in southeast Oklahoma City, near Lake Stanley Draper on January 7th. She had been stabbed 29 times. 18 of the wounds were in her back. In addition her jaw was broken in three places. The investigation almost immediately homed in on her husband, who by then was telling police that he and his wife were swingers who both advertised on Craigslist, looking to meet men in order to have sex with them.
To make a long story short, Justin Adams' actions and conflicting stories led police to take the path of least resistance. He was charged with two counts of first degree murder. One for his wife, one for the unborn child. However things were never that clear even in the beginning. According to a story in today's The Oklahoman, written by Tim Willert, a man named Joseph Cyr was interviewed by police as early as December, 19th, 2011. Cyr reportedly told investigators he had been in contact with Jayme Adams and that they'd exchanged emails and text messages the night she went missing.
According to Willert, Cyr also told police that after getting pictures and prices from her and talking to her on the phone, he decided to take a pass on the transaction. He claimed then and still does that he never met her. Willert reports that Detective Chris Cunningham wrote in an affidavit, Cyr was very evasive with his responses and would not answer questions directly. He denied engaging in sexual activity with her. He denied killing her.
Well that certainly doesn't seem particularly surprising. There are probably a whole lot of guys who would be a tad evasive when it comes to answering questions about the act searching out a prostitute. After all, it isn't something you brag about. Later police obtained a search warrant and got a sample of Cyr's DNA. Willert reports that in July of last year police found out the sample was a match to DNA taken from the victim. On Tuesday Cyr was arrested in the Tulsa area and charged with two counts of first degree murder.
Charges against, Justin Adams were down graded to first degree manslaughter. His attorney, Irven Box claims the new accusations lack merit and he doesn't believe they'll hold up in court.
It has been a long and twisted road since that winter evening in 2011. It was apparent months ago prosecutors had realized Justin Adams wasn't the killer. In January the DA office announced the OKCPD was looking for additional evidence against Mr. Adams. The first truly overt indication came in July when a local judge allowed him out of county jail on $100,000 bail, even though he was still technically charged with murder. Finally in October the judge went so far as to rule that police should remove Adams' ankle monitor.
Since then other reports have been drifting about. Rumors of Cyr being spotted on a Wal-Mart security camera buying items that were found near the body being the most sensational.
The fall and winter of 2011 was a particularly gruesome time in Oklahoma City. First Carina Saunders' dismembered body was found, then Kelsey Bransby was shot to death in her south side apartment. In November the nude body of Alina Fitzpatrick was found on the far east side of town and in December, Jaymie Adams disappeared only to turn up dead a little less than a month later. The Saunders' murder investigation was so mishandled by the Bethany police it might not ever come untangled. When it comes to Fitzpatrick the Oklahoma City cops apparently haven't a clue as to who might be involved. Two of Bransby's friends were charged in her death, but local media outlets have been completely mum about the disposition of her case. Now it looks as if the authorities initially charged the wrong guy with the murder of Jaymie Adams. It isn't the first time. In February prosecutors had to let Luis Ruiz and Jimmy Massey off the hook after they'd sat in the county lock up for months accused of murder in the Saunders' case.
According to Willert prosecutors came up with manslaughter charges against Justin Adams because he, aided and abetted Jaymie Adams in engaging in acts of prostitution, participating in criminal conduct that resulted in the death of Jaymie Adams. Well either that or because he is an asshole and they desperately need to save some face in light of all these screw ups.
Obviously there are no Lt. Columbos or Jack McCoys in the real world, just as there aren't any Perry Masons. However, it appears that right now in this town, the railroad known as justice not only lacks a conductor, but an engineer as well. In fact it wouldn't be unreasonable to consider the term cluster fuck appropriate when it comes to all of this.
Hopefully, at last, the police and D.A. have their man and he is the right one. It would be a refreshing change from what has become the norm.
It is time for a smoke.
Over and out.
4-4-13
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Al Gerhart, the Great and Powerful
Political pain and embarrassment will be necessary if the citizens expect to regain control of this Senate down here from the state chamber of commerce and special interests. The time for "nice" behavior is over with.
Al Gerhart, co-founder of the Sooner Tea Party and the man who wants to be in charge of everything.
Al Gerhart has been accused of many things by his fellow travelers in that netherworld known as conservative politics, but "nice" has never been one of them. Apparently he has been pushing people around like he was Joe by God McCarthy for years now.
A sampling of comments from state wide conservatives found on Mike McCarville's republican newsletter, mccarvillereport.com reveals Brother Gerhart has a long and gruesome history of bellicose bullying and intimidation.
One Steve Dickinson writes, I don't know what his agenda is or what he hopes to accomplish, aside from destruction. Dickinson adds that Gerhart's attacks on him and his wife have led him to seek legal counsel and perhaps civil action against the Moore based carpenter turned political tough guy.
Jillian Harvey writes, He has slandered and libeled many, but narry (sic) gives it a thought. In essence he has no conscience to speak of.
Christ Kurtz claims Gerhart is simply chasing and craving media attention, power, or a title.
An anguished conservative who identified him, or herself only as "Edmond Voter," pleads, For the sake of our state and nation don't let this bad man stop good legislation because of his bad actions.
That good legislation would be House Bill 1412. It is a bill which prohibits any state community from having anything to do with the U.N. Agenda 21 plan, which is about as threatening to U.S. sovereignty as is the nation of Luxembourg. It is, however, a hot button issue to many on the far right, including Gerhart who is demanding its passage in the Senate.
When the bill appeared stalled in a committee chaired by republican, Cliff Branan, Gerhart went on the offensive with a vicious email that threatened to make the law maker a "laughing stock" in the senate. Gerhart promised he would dig into Branan's past, his family's past and the past of any and all of his associates unless he made sure the bill moved to the Senate floor.
In a news conference yesterday, Gerhart continued the attack. Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman quotes him as saying, (Branan) is concerned that we have some information on him on an alleged infidelity. That is why Mr. Branan has reacted the way he does. It's the real reason he's attacking us, according to suttlebut inside the Senate. Why shouldn't I bring it up?
Branan's response was, It just makes me sick. He has no shame. It was a crazy untrue allegation that was just shameful. We've been happily married for 18 years...our marriage is awesome.
The immediate consequence of Gerhart's savage assault was to have the bill's Senate sponsor, Patrick Anderson, a republican from Ardmore, pull it. In a statement he said, I'm appalled at the personal attacks and false accusations that you (Branan) have endured regarding your family in an attempt to influence your decision to hear HB 1412.
At about the same time Anderson was pulling the bill, Branan issued a statement saying his committee wouldn't take it up during its next meeting, meaning it would be rendered dead during this session of the legislature. Among other things, Branan claimed the bill was a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. It's more of a fringe conspiracy issue that is frankly just bad public policy.
So in the end, Gerhart's actions not only helped kill the legislation, but put him in a position where he could possibly be charged with blackmail. Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson, Jessica Brown confirmed that the OSBI has begun looking into the affair to see if criminal charges are warranted.
When The Oklahoman's Clay pushed Gerhart for proof of Branan's infidelity, he admitted he had none. Clay then noted that what Gerhart had to say during the news conference could be used as evidence against him if he is formally accused of the crime.
McCarville's site reported that Gerhart is holding another news conference this afternoon at the capitol. The subject will be "when activism is criminalized."
Well, as the song says, when you're hot you're hot and when you're not, you're not.
After googling Mr. Gerhart yesterday and today and reading some of the things his fellow republicans have to say about him one has to be a little suspicious when he uses the words we and us. Indeed, unless he is using them in the imperial sense one could reasonably assume we and us means I to him.
Simply stated this guy, besides being the worst sort of brute thug, is increasingly looking like a publicity hound who won't be satisfied until he is crowned, King Al I, the Great and Powerful, Ruler of the Universe, Protector of the Faith, and God's Own Arbiter.
The GOP controls this state and will for the foreseeable future, however what is happening right now in Oklahoma is a perfect example of why Barak Obama won last fall. It is the reason the very future of the republican party as a national entity is in question. They opened their door to the tea party radicals and now they are stuck with a bunch of nihilistic losers who equate compromise with defeat and reason with weakness.
It isn't the party of Lincoln any more. It isn't even the party of Cliff Branan. It is the party of Al Gerhart.
Think not? All you have to do is ask him. Just don't disagree with him, or you'll end up on his list too.
Infinitus est numerus stultorum
4-3-13
Al Gerhart, co-founder of the Sooner Tea Party and the man who wants to be in charge of everything.
Al Gerhart has been accused of many things by his fellow travelers in that netherworld known as conservative politics, but "nice" has never been one of them. Apparently he has been pushing people around like he was Joe by God McCarthy for years now.
A sampling of comments from state wide conservatives found on Mike McCarville's republican newsletter, mccarvillereport.com reveals Brother Gerhart has a long and gruesome history of bellicose bullying and intimidation.
One Steve Dickinson writes, I don't know what his agenda is or what he hopes to accomplish, aside from destruction. Dickinson adds that Gerhart's attacks on him and his wife have led him to seek legal counsel and perhaps civil action against the Moore based carpenter turned political tough guy.
Jillian Harvey writes, He has slandered and libeled many, but narry (sic) gives it a thought. In essence he has no conscience to speak of.
Christ Kurtz claims Gerhart is simply chasing and craving media attention, power, or a title.
An anguished conservative who identified him, or herself only as "Edmond Voter," pleads, For the sake of our state and nation don't let this bad man stop good legislation because of his bad actions.
That good legislation would be House Bill 1412. It is a bill which prohibits any state community from having anything to do with the U.N. Agenda 21 plan, which is about as threatening to U.S. sovereignty as is the nation of Luxembourg. It is, however, a hot button issue to many on the far right, including Gerhart who is demanding its passage in the Senate.
When the bill appeared stalled in a committee chaired by republican, Cliff Branan, Gerhart went on the offensive with a vicious email that threatened to make the law maker a "laughing stock" in the senate. Gerhart promised he would dig into Branan's past, his family's past and the past of any and all of his associates unless he made sure the bill moved to the Senate floor.
In a news conference yesterday, Gerhart continued the attack. Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman quotes him as saying, (Branan) is concerned that we have some information on him on an alleged infidelity. That is why Mr. Branan has reacted the way he does. It's the real reason he's attacking us, according to suttlebut inside the Senate. Why shouldn't I bring it up?
Branan's response was, It just makes me sick. He has no shame. It was a crazy untrue allegation that was just shameful. We've been happily married for 18 years...our marriage is awesome.
The immediate consequence of Gerhart's savage assault was to have the bill's Senate sponsor, Patrick Anderson, a republican from Ardmore, pull it. In a statement he said, I'm appalled at the personal attacks and false accusations that you (Branan) have endured regarding your family in an attempt to influence your decision to hear HB 1412.
At about the same time Anderson was pulling the bill, Branan issued a statement saying his committee wouldn't take it up during its next meeting, meaning it would be rendered dead during this session of the legislature. Among other things, Branan claimed the bill was a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. It's more of a fringe conspiracy issue that is frankly just bad public policy.
So in the end, Gerhart's actions not only helped kill the legislation, but put him in a position where he could possibly be charged with blackmail. Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson, Jessica Brown confirmed that the OSBI has begun looking into the affair to see if criminal charges are warranted.
When The Oklahoman's Clay pushed Gerhart for proof of Branan's infidelity, he admitted he had none. Clay then noted that what Gerhart had to say during the news conference could be used as evidence against him if he is formally accused of the crime.
McCarville's site reported that Gerhart is holding another news conference this afternoon at the capitol. The subject will be "when activism is criminalized."
Well, as the song says, when you're hot you're hot and when you're not, you're not.
After googling Mr. Gerhart yesterday and today and reading some of the things his fellow republicans have to say about him one has to be a little suspicious when he uses the words we and us. Indeed, unless he is using them in the imperial sense one could reasonably assume we and us means I to him.
Simply stated this guy, besides being the worst sort of brute thug, is increasingly looking like a publicity hound who won't be satisfied until he is crowned, King Al I, the Great and Powerful, Ruler of the Universe, Protector of the Faith, and God's Own Arbiter.
The GOP controls this state and will for the foreseeable future, however what is happening right now in Oklahoma is a perfect example of why Barak Obama won last fall. It is the reason the very future of the republican party as a national entity is in question. They opened their door to the tea party radicals and now they are stuck with a bunch of nihilistic losers who equate compromise with defeat and reason with weakness.
It isn't the party of Lincoln any more. It isn't even the party of Cliff Branan. It is the party of Al Gerhart.
Think not? All you have to do is ask him. Just don't disagree with him, or you'll end up on his list too.
Infinitus est numerus stultorum
4-3-13
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Ugliness, Thy Name is Al Gerhart
Here is how ugly it can get.
In today's edition of Oklahoma City's daily paper, The Oklahoman, reporter Nolan Clay writes that republican law maker, Cliff Branan received an edgy and threatening email from Sooner Tea Party co-founder Al Gerhart. Gerhart is hot to trot on House Bill 1412 which is Sally Kern's anti U.N. Agenda 21 measure. It passed the house, but is now sitting in Branan's committee in the senate.
Clay quoted Gerhart's email which said, Get that bill heard or I will make sure you regret not doing it. I will make you the laughing stock of the Senate if I don't hear this bill will be heard and passed. We will dig into your past, yoru (sic) family, your associates and once we start there will be no end to it. That is a promise.
Yes, that does seem a tad over the line doesn't it. Branan certainly thought so. According to the story he turned the email over to a Highway Patrol officer who gave it to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Clay writes that once their investigation is complete the OSBI will hand over the results to District Attorney David Prater. The possible charge? Blackmail.
Clay notes that under Oklahoma law blackmail can involve a written communication that threatens to expose information about someone which would in any way subject that person to the ridicule and contempt of society. He adds that it is blackmail if the communication is meant to "extort or gain any thing of value from another, or to compel another to do an act against his or her will."
Brother Gerhart initially told Clay that he was simply a constituent who was telling a senator about what repercussions there might be if he didn't get the bill to the floor. When Clay pointed out that Branan is term limited and can't run for re-election, Gerhart went off. He was quoted as saying, We want to know what is going on down there. We want to know if his wife has a criminal history. We want to know everything about him. We want to find out if this man is a responsible citizen, if he's even got his family under control, much less his office.
How charming.
He went on to tell The Oklahoman reporter, These politicians need to know that it doesn't end when their term is over. They need to know that their decisions are going to follow them the rest of their days. They need to know the Tea Party is not going away--that if we don't win it the first time, we're going to come back the next year and the next year and the next year after. And we don't forget these people that are traitors to the Oklahoma people. He assured Clay that the tea party investigation would report what it found on the internet, in Branan's district, and his church. He ended the tirade by saying, I want people in his church to know what he is doing. That its wrong.
So who is this vicious little rodent? Besides being co founder of the Sooner Tea Party, he was, briefly anyway, state coordinator for the Ron Paul presidential campaign in Oklahoma. They fired him when they found out he apparently told Paul supporters that any Paul delegates to various county and district GOP conventions had to be vetted and approved by the national campaign. It turned out he and he alone was doing the "vetting." If you didn't pass the Al Gerhart purity test you weren't going to be a delegate. To this day his tea party "meet up" site, which claims 36 members, warns that anyone who wishes to join the group must first be approved by one of the "organizers." He is one, the other is listed as, Guy Fawkes
A brief look at the internet shows that Mr. Gerhart is utterly loathed by not just a few members of the republican party. Conservative activist Kaye Beach wrote in her blog that she had received an email from him that said, This would be a good time to take your medicine and remain silent about anything I do or say.
Cherokee County Paul supporter, Oadoshyah Fish claimed Gerhart ultimately cost Paul a win at the republican district two convention. Porter Davis, a long time local conservative politico, has written that he never understood how Gerhart got to be Ron Paul's state coordinator in the first place.
Now he may have taken his poor man's Joe McCarthy act a bit far. Looking at the letter of the law Al Gerhart seems to be standing on some shaky ground. It doesn't help that another one of his favorite whipping boys is, you guessed it, District Attorney David Prater.
In the end, he fell back on the old, "I'm being martyred" argument that so many of these right wing hacks do. He told Clay, My friend, they get me, they'll be after you next. That's all I can say.
Why do I think Al Gerhart is eating all of this up at the moment? I mean someone wrote a front page story about him in the state's largest newspaper, he got his picture on page three, and he worried a politician enough to make him call the cops. It is a bully's wet dream.
And in the final analysis that is all Al Gerhart is. He is a cheap jack bully who will continue to run amok until someone, anyone, finally bitch slaps him.
We can only hope it is soon.
Forgive me, I need to go spit.
4-2-13
In today's edition of Oklahoma City's daily paper, The Oklahoman, reporter Nolan Clay writes that republican law maker, Cliff Branan received an edgy and threatening email from Sooner Tea Party co-founder Al Gerhart. Gerhart is hot to trot on House Bill 1412 which is Sally Kern's anti U.N. Agenda 21 measure. It passed the house, but is now sitting in Branan's committee in the senate.
Clay quoted Gerhart's email which said, Get that bill heard or I will make sure you regret not doing it. I will make you the laughing stock of the Senate if I don't hear this bill will be heard and passed. We will dig into your past, yoru (sic) family, your associates and once we start there will be no end to it. That is a promise.
Yes, that does seem a tad over the line doesn't it. Branan certainly thought so. According to the story he turned the email over to a Highway Patrol officer who gave it to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Clay writes that once their investigation is complete the OSBI will hand over the results to District Attorney David Prater. The possible charge? Blackmail.
Clay notes that under Oklahoma law blackmail can involve a written communication that threatens to expose information about someone which would in any way subject that person to the ridicule and contempt of society. He adds that it is blackmail if the communication is meant to "extort or gain any thing of value from another, or to compel another to do an act against his or her will."
Brother Gerhart initially told Clay that he was simply a constituent who was telling a senator about what repercussions there might be if he didn't get the bill to the floor. When Clay pointed out that Branan is term limited and can't run for re-election, Gerhart went off. He was quoted as saying, We want to know what is going on down there. We want to know if his wife has a criminal history. We want to know everything about him. We want to find out if this man is a responsible citizen, if he's even got his family under control, much less his office.
How charming.
He went on to tell The Oklahoman reporter, These politicians need to know that it doesn't end when their term is over. They need to know that their decisions are going to follow them the rest of their days. They need to know the Tea Party is not going away--that if we don't win it the first time, we're going to come back the next year and the next year and the next year after. And we don't forget these people that are traitors to the Oklahoma people. He assured Clay that the tea party investigation would report what it found on the internet, in Branan's district, and his church. He ended the tirade by saying, I want people in his church to know what he is doing. That its wrong.
So who is this vicious little rodent? Besides being co founder of the Sooner Tea Party, he was, briefly anyway, state coordinator for the Ron Paul presidential campaign in Oklahoma. They fired him when they found out he apparently told Paul supporters that any Paul delegates to various county and district GOP conventions had to be vetted and approved by the national campaign. It turned out he and he alone was doing the "vetting." If you didn't pass the Al Gerhart purity test you weren't going to be a delegate. To this day his tea party "meet up" site, which claims 36 members, warns that anyone who wishes to join the group must first be approved by one of the "organizers." He is one, the other is listed as, Guy Fawkes
A brief look at the internet shows that Mr. Gerhart is utterly loathed by not just a few members of the republican party. Conservative activist Kaye Beach wrote in her blog that she had received an email from him that said, This would be a good time to take your medicine and remain silent about anything I do or say.
Cherokee County Paul supporter, Oadoshyah Fish claimed Gerhart ultimately cost Paul a win at the republican district two convention. Porter Davis, a long time local conservative politico, has written that he never understood how Gerhart got to be Ron Paul's state coordinator in the first place.
Now he may have taken his poor man's Joe McCarthy act a bit far. Looking at the letter of the law Al Gerhart seems to be standing on some shaky ground. It doesn't help that another one of his favorite whipping boys is, you guessed it, District Attorney David Prater.
In the end, he fell back on the old, "I'm being martyred" argument that so many of these right wing hacks do. He told Clay, My friend, they get me, they'll be after you next. That's all I can say.
Why do I think Al Gerhart is eating all of this up at the moment? I mean someone wrote a front page story about him in the state's largest newspaper, he got his picture on page three, and he worried a politician enough to make him call the cops. It is a bully's wet dream.
And in the final analysis that is all Al Gerhart is. He is a cheap jack bully who will continue to run amok until someone, anyone, finally bitch slaps him.
We can only hope it is soon.
Forgive me, I need to go spit.
4-2-13
Monday, April 1, 2013
Justice For James Eagan Holmes
It is my determination and my intention that in this case, for James Eagan Holmes, justice is death.
George Brauchler, Arapahoe County District Attorney
Well it should come as no surprise. After all, we aren't in Norway. The writing was on the wall that this was the road we would be traveling as soon as the prosecution turned down the public offer of a plea bargain by James Holmes' attorneys last week.
According to a story written by NBC's Erin McClam, Brauchler claims that last week's offer to plead guilty in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table was nothing more than attempt to generate public sympathy for Holmes.
That motive would seem to be a bit of a reach. I mean we are dealing with a geek who appears to have meticulously planned a military style attack for weeks if not months and then carried it out with deadly efficiency. Sympathy for a guy who killed twelve innocent people and wounded 70 is going to be a tough sell to just about the entire population of the United States. The truth probably is that by going public with the plea the defense was not only trying to save their client from the needle, but they were telling the victims and their families this entire horror show could be over quickly and without all the pain and angst of a jury trial. In other words, everyone pick up the phone, call the D.A. and tell him to take the deal so you can get this beast behind you and move forward.
Whether that ploy backfired or not has yet to be seen, but Brauchler wasted no time turning the offer back onto itself and exploiting it. He is quoted by McClam as saying, The only conclusion to be reached from the offer, is that the defendant knows he is guilty, the defense attorneys know he is guilty and both of them know that he was not criminally insane.
Well the first part of that statement belabors the obvious. Hell, everyone knows Jimmy Holmes is guilty. In this case there is no alleged to it. The prosecution's problem is that everyone with half a brain also knows the guy is as crazy as a badger on acid. Brauchler just has to make sure the jury understands the difference between crazy and legally insane. Luckily for him a quick review of Colorado statutes concerning the subject reveals that when a defendant pleads innocent by reason of insanity the burden of proof immediately shifts from the prosecution to the defense. The defense is now going to have to convince twelve men and women, good and true, that their client's mental defects fall within some extremely narrow guidelines. All those weeks or months worth of planning stuff that will come out during testimony is not going to help their argument. To the lay person's eye this looks to be someone who knew exactly what he was doing and knew, without a doubt, that it was wrong.
The trial itself has been delayed until February of next year and a new judge has been assigned to the case. At any point during this danse macabre Brauchler can reverse himself and accept a plea deal that will chuck young Mr. Holmes into a pen for the rest of his life, without any possibility of a parole. It is just a matter of whether he will do it. According to McClam the DA interviewed 800 victims and family members before deciding to pursue the death penalty. District Attorneys are politicians too, so one would assume this course of action is playing to the majority of those he talked to.That will make it harder for him to back out of it, unless large numbers of those he interviewed have changes of hearts over the next ten months, although even then it is unclear whether he would want to or not. An op-ed piece he wrote that appeared in the Denver Post on Sunday paints the picture of a man who isn't the least bit squeamish when it comes to going for the death penalty.
Only two things are certain right now. First is that come February, if the trial does proceed, we will watch an endless parade of psychiatrists called by both sides who will ramble on ad nauseam about studies, mental diseases, child hood traumas and God knows what else. Second, there isn't a jury to be found anywhere on this planet that will acquit if they think there is even a tear drop's chance in hell of James Holmes ever walking free again.
Yes, Jimmy Holmes is going away forever, there is no doubt of that, it is just a matter of how long forever turns out to be for him.
sic vita est
4-1-13
George Brauchler, Arapahoe County District Attorney
Well it should come as no surprise. After all, we aren't in Norway. The writing was on the wall that this was the road we would be traveling as soon as the prosecution turned down the public offer of a plea bargain by James Holmes' attorneys last week.
According to a story written by NBC's Erin McClam, Brauchler claims that last week's offer to plead guilty in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table was nothing more than attempt to generate public sympathy for Holmes.
That motive would seem to be a bit of a reach. I mean we are dealing with a geek who appears to have meticulously planned a military style attack for weeks if not months and then carried it out with deadly efficiency. Sympathy for a guy who killed twelve innocent people and wounded 70 is going to be a tough sell to just about the entire population of the United States. The truth probably is that by going public with the plea the defense was not only trying to save their client from the needle, but they were telling the victims and their families this entire horror show could be over quickly and without all the pain and angst of a jury trial. In other words, everyone pick up the phone, call the D.A. and tell him to take the deal so you can get this beast behind you and move forward.
Whether that ploy backfired or not has yet to be seen, but Brauchler wasted no time turning the offer back onto itself and exploiting it. He is quoted by McClam as saying, The only conclusion to be reached from the offer, is that the defendant knows he is guilty, the defense attorneys know he is guilty and both of them know that he was not criminally insane.
Well the first part of that statement belabors the obvious. Hell, everyone knows Jimmy Holmes is guilty. In this case there is no alleged to it. The prosecution's problem is that everyone with half a brain also knows the guy is as crazy as a badger on acid. Brauchler just has to make sure the jury understands the difference between crazy and legally insane. Luckily for him a quick review of Colorado statutes concerning the subject reveals that when a defendant pleads innocent by reason of insanity the burden of proof immediately shifts from the prosecution to the defense. The defense is now going to have to convince twelve men and women, good and true, that their client's mental defects fall within some extremely narrow guidelines. All those weeks or months worth of planning stuff that will come out during testimony is not going to help their argument. To the lay person's eye this looks to be someone who knew exactly what he was doing and knew, without a doubt, that it was wrong.
The trial itself has been delayed until February of next year and a new judge has been assigned to the case. At any point during this danse macabre Brauchler can reverse himself and accept a plea deal that will chuck young Mr. Holmes into a pen for the rest of his life, without any possibility of a parole. It is just a matter of whether he will do it. According to McClam the DA interviewed 800 victims and family members before deciding to pursue the death penalty. District Attorneys are politicians too, so one would assume this course of action is playing to the majority of those he talked to.That will make it harder for him to back out of it, unless large numbers of those he interviewed have changes of hearts over the next ten months, although even then it is unclear whether he would want to or not. An op-ed piece he wrote that appeared in the Denver Post on Sunday paints the picture of a man who isn't the least bit squeamish when it comes to going for the death penalty.
Only two things are certain right now. First is that come February, if the trial does proceed, we will watch an endless parade of psychiatrists called by both sides who will ramble on ad nauseam about studies, mental diseases, child hood traumas and God knows what else. Second, there isn't a jury to be found anywhere on this planet that will acquit if they think there is even a tear drop's chance in hell of James Holmes ever walking free again.
Yes, Jimmy Holmes is going away forever, there is no doubt of that, it is just a matter of how long forever turns out to be for him.
sic vita est
4-1-13
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