Dear Friend of Justice,
Check out
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_14169222?IADID=Search-www.berkshireeagle.com-www.berkshireeagle.com
-Bob Chatelle
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
A Judge Catches Wise to Berkshire County Shenanigans
January 13th, 2010Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
Joseph Allen and Nancy Smith Spend Christmas at Home With Their Families
December 26th, 2009Dear 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
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
In Ohio, the Attorney-General is Apparently Also Crazed
December 14th, 2009Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
Coakley Summary?
December 10th, 2009Dear 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 bobchatelle@gmail.com. I will have email access next week during normal business hours.
-Bob Chatelle
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
Democracy in America
December 9th, 2009Dear 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
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
Nifong's Revenge
December 8th, 2009Dear 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
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
Crazed Ohio Prosecutors Refuse to Give Up!
December 1st, 2009Dear 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
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
An Assesment of Martha Coakley by a Berkshire County Friend of Justice
November 28th, 2009I spent many years in Berkshire County practicing law. I have since moved out of Massachusetts.
Martha Coakley badly mishandled the Fells Acres alleged child abuse case in Malden, Massachusetts, with the Amirault family, causing the premature death of Violet Amirault and lasting personal and professional harm to Cheryl Amirault LeFave and her brother Gerald, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 18 years. Violet and Cheryl each served 8 years in prison, after which Violet developed and died from stomach cancer.
Coakley is a disgrace to the legal profession, a prosecutor without any feel for justice or truth.
Many Berkshire County residents are leery of Coakley, as well they should be. It is bad enough that she got elected chief legal officer of Massachusetts (attorney general). It would be a travesty for her to be elected to the United States Senate.
Judge Isaac Borenstein kept Cheryl from being retried, but only at the cost of her most fundamental personal liberties, including the right to speak publicly about the case until a mere three weeks from now WHEN IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT SHE WILL CASTIGATE MARTHA COAKLEY PUBLICLY FOR HER DISGRACEFUL ROLE IN THIS CASE.
In 2008 Judge Francis Fecteau issued a lengthy opinion freeing Bernard Baran, another wrongfully imprisoned purported child sex offender from Berkshire County, after 22 years of imprisonment in a similar case that was complicated by the fact that the Baran is gay. Homophobia ran rampant. Only the concurring opinion of the Massachusetts Appeals Court convinced Martha’s colleague David Capeless, Berkshire County DA, from retrying Baran, who suffered horrendous abuse during his long imprisonment.
Keeping children safe from sexual abuse is one thing. Persecuting innocent caretakers is quite another kettle of fish. Coakley still doesn’t know the difference. She is unfit for ANY public office.
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
Please Send a Card to a Prisoner
November 27th, 2009Dear Friend of Justice,
This is a most difficult time of the year to be in prison, especially if you are innocent with little hope for justice.
You can bring some cheer to a prisoner just by taking the time to send a card, letter, or note.
If you don’t regularly correspond with a prisoner, here is a list of some names and addresses.
Thanks!
-Bob
Friends of Justice is a personal blog. Here I speak only for myself.
A Step in the Right Direction
November 23rd, 2009Dear Friend of Justice,
This was sent to me by a Friend of Justice
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/nyregion/23innocence.html?sudsredirect=true
-Bob
