Dear Friend of Justice,
Here are some links:
OUR VIEW: A Christmas Day like no other for a free Nancy Smith
VIDEO: Joseph Allen calls holiday at home ‘a blessing’
VIDEO: A Christmas ‘miracle’: Freed from prison after 15 years, Nancy Smith enjoys holiday with family
-Bob Chatelle
Dear Friend of Justice,
I was contacted by a reader who’d like a short summary (with references) of Martha Coakley’s probelmatic career as a prosecutor and as Attorney General. He is looking for something neutral in tone that could be presented to the unconverted.
I don’t have the time to pull something together, as I’m leaving very early in the morning for a ten-day trip to Minnesota.
Do any of you have anything that fits the bill? Might someone be interested in taking a crack at pulling something together?
I think such a summary should include discussion of:
1. The Louise Woodward case. I am not an expert on this one. The Judge (Hillaire Zobel) reduced the verdict, sentenced Woodward to time served, and let her go home.
2. The Ray and Shirley Souza case. One of the classic witch hunt cases. Very problematic. Coakley was the prosecutor. See Mark Pendergrast’s account.
3. The Amirault case. Her involvement began after she was elected DA of Middlesex County. To refresh your memory, go to my Amirault Chronology and search for Coakley.
4. Her decision to prosecute Paul Shanley based soley on the recovered “repressed” memory testimony of a disturbed individual who had received a huge financial settlement from the Catholic Church. This is tricky, because the press has convinced most people that Shanley was guilty. But he is not.
5. Her recent signing on Massachusetts onto an amicus before the US Supreme Court supporting absolute immunity for prosecutors.
I’m sure I’m leaving out some important stuff. Anyway, if you have something or would like to put together something, email me at [email protected]. I will have email access next week during normal business hours.
-Bob Chatelle
Dear Friend of Justice,
Martha Coakley will, barring a miracle, become the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.
Yesterday she received the votes of 7.5 percent of registered voters.
-Bob Chatelle
Dear Friend of Justice,
December 8, 2009. Another day that will live in infamy.
As expected, Attorney General Martha Coakley won the Massachusetts Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Massachusetts is a one-party state. Barring an act of God, Coakley will be our next Senator.
My sentiments about this election are essentially those expressed by W.C. Fields, when he was told he couldn’t get a drink because it was election day. Fields said,
“That’s carrying democracy too far.”
I’m also reminded of what Dick Tuck said when he lost his primary race to Richard Nixon.
“The people have spoken — the bastards.”
-Bob Chatelle
Dear Friend of Justice,
Even though the Appeals Court has already stated that they will not send Nancy Smith and Joseph Allen back to prison (see http://www.bobchatelle.net/10/07/innocents/the-smith-allen-case-is-over/), the Lorain County prosecutors are still trying to achieve this.
See http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2009/12/01/prosecutors-seek-to-jail-smith-and-allen/
This leaves me speechless.
Over the pass couple of days I have been addressing Christmas cards to victims of prosecutors like these — and like Martha Coakley, who almost certainly will be the next Senator from Massachusetts — and I am appalled when I realize that I live in a country where the majority of people care nothing about injustice.
Except, of course, when it happens to them or someone they care about. And then it’s too late.
-Bob Chatelle
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