February 24, 2015 at 1:34 P.M. I returned the form, allegedly from the U.S. Attorney, to the U.S. Justice Department with attachments.
I find it amazing that the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York needs to ask whether I am a U.S. citizen. It is also unusual for the U.S. Attorney to use a postage meter number belonging to a Trenton, New Jersey government agency.
The package to the U.S. Attorney was sent by me via overnight mail under the following tracking number: EK 701672829 US. Delivery will take place before 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, February 25, 2015.
It is a federal crime to represent yourself as the U.S. Justice Department, or the I.R.S. (or as Ms. Letitia James, N.Y.'s Public Advocate), and it is far worse to use the U.S. mails in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy. ("New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics" and "Have you no shame, Mr. Rabner?")
February 18, 2015 at 1:31 P.M. I am in receipt of a request for further information from the Department of Justice in connection with matters that I have brought to the attention of the U.S. Attorney.
I will complete the necessary form and return it to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. I will supply copies of this form to the District Attorneys that I contacted in connection with previous matters detailed in these blogs. ("An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq." and "The Invicta Watch Company" as well as the "Invicta Watch Company Caper" then "Stuart Rabner's Selective Sense of Justice" and "Have you no shame, Mr. Rabner?")
I would be happy to meet -- privately, if you prefer -- with officials at the U.S. Attorney's Office and/or representatives of the OAE and/or New Jersey's Supreme Court (if they deem it appropriate) to examine these issues. ("New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System.")
February 17, 2015 at 1:25 P.M. Did Ms. Poritz have sexual contact with Marilyn Straus at the time of Ms. Poritz's undisputed "erotic relationship" with Diana Lisa Riccioli? Did Ms. Riccioli supply young women as sexual partners for Ms. Poritz? If so, was this "supplying" of young women on the part of Ms. Riccioli "compensated" in any way by Ms. Poritz, New Jersey's former Chief Justice? Was Ms. Riccioli allowed to identify herself as a "therapist" by Ms. Poritz? Did Jennifer Velez have sexual contact with Marilyn Straus? Did Jennifer Velez participate in hypnosis or other "therapy" sessions involving Marilyn Straus?
Was Estela De La Cruz a sexual partner of Marilyn Straus at any time, including while Ms. Straus was drugged or under hypnosis? Did Ms. De La Cruz identify herself as "Diana Lisa Riccioli" to any person at any time? Did Ms. De La Cruz, a Superior Court Judge in New Jersey, use fictitious names to contact my clients, or former clients, or any other person in connection with matters pertaining to me, or Ms. Straus, at any time? If so, when and with whom did Ms. De La Cruz engage in these activities and/or practices? Did (or does) Ms. De La Cruz use the services of prostitutes at any time? ("Marilyn Straus Was Right!" and "Protecting Sex Workers.")
Did Diana Lisa Riccioli use fictitious names (including representing herself as Estela De La Cruz) to contact or communicate with anyone at any time? Did persons falsely claim to be "judges" or other officials in order to contact persons in the life of Marilyn Straus, including her former employer, UNIVISION in Miami? Luisa Gutierrez, Esq., does this ring a bell? ("Trenton's Nasty Lesbian Love-Fest!")
Is the continuing silence and inaction by the OAE and Mr. Rabner complicity in the criminal conspiracy against me and so many others? Is this today's legal "ethics" in New Jersey, Mr. Rabner? Is the continuing cover-up and "wall-of-silence" approach to my inquiries and those of so many others concerned with these matters in Trenton an effort to protect Ms. Poritz? Mr. Rabner? Mr. Menendez? All of the above? ("Have you no shame, Mr. Rabner?" and "An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq.")
February 10, 2015 at 3:05 P.M. A list of sources will be added to this essay in the days ahead. Alterations and deformations of this text are always expected, possibly as a result of hackers using New Jersey government or police computers. Access to the Internet is still blocked from my home laptop. I continue to await (and look forward to) Mr. Vance's response to my letter. Several pages of this text were deleted before I could post them. I will retype those pages and re-post them.
Alan Blinder, "Judge Defies Gay Marriage Law," The New York Times, February 9, 2015, p. A1. (Alabama Chief Justice Roy S. Moore, borrowing a page from Stuart Rabner's book, has ordered his state's Probate Judges to refuse licenses to "anyone" whose request violates his state's constitution. The "anyone" targeted by this pronouncement refers to gay residents of the state. The Alabama legislature provided for same-sex marriage licenses and the U.S. Supreme Court's Winslow decision mandates recognition of any one state's decision on such a matter by all other states as well as by all persons -- whether they are affected, personally, or not! -- within the enacting state. Clearly, Chief Justice Moore opposes same-sex marriage and wishes to read his personal rejection of this right held by some of his fellow citizens into the Alabama constitution in the absence of a case or controversy before his court. This is to exceed the judicial power. Furthermore, preemption and supremacy provisions of the federal Constitution may well preclude this unilateral action by Mr. Moore. State constitutions may grant greater (not lesser) rights to citizens than those afforded by the U.S. Constitution. This is a fact forgotten by Ms. Poritz and her successors in the New Jersey Supreme Court. However, it is a legal principle that will certainly be brought to the attention of Chief Justice Moore by the U.S. Supreme Court. "New Jersey's Feces-Covered Supreme Court.")
Ashley Southern, "Substitute Teaching Assistant Accused of Raping Mentally Ill [sic.] Boy," The New York Times, February 9, 2015, p. A15. (Maria Contreras, 29, has been asked to move to New Jersey where this sort of thing is routine. Ms. Contreras claims to be a lesbian. "Trenton's Nasty Lesbian Love-Fest!")
Kirk Semple, "New Yorkers Clamor For IDs, Swamping the Mayor's Key Project," The New York Times, February 7, 2015, p. A1. (Republicans at this newspaper have reworked their Obamacare forecasts of doom in order to criticize the mayor's city identification card project. I appeared on the second day of availability and was given a date in April to receive my card. Perhaps this was a deliberate sabotage attempt by persons critical of the mayor, or myself. I am sure that Mr. de Blasio and I are equally flattered by this hostility.)
Kate Zernike, "U.S. Subpoenas Travel Records of Ex-Port Authority Chief," The New York Times, February 7, 2015, p. A17. (David Samson, Esq., former Chairman of the Port Authority and New Jersey Attorney General, is certainly no friend of mine nor of President Obama's administration. Exactly what role Mr. Samson played in Bridgegate is unclear and so is the amount "missing" from the P.A.'s coffers. Perhaps Sheldon Silver can shed some light on this mystery? "David Samson Resigns!")
Samuel G. Friedman, "Strains Grow Between Israel and Jews in the U.S.," The New York Times, February 7, 2015, p. A17. (Has Mr. Netanyahu's policy alienated his core constituency in the U.S. while creating unhelpful conflicts for all Jews? "The Audacity of Hope.")
Sheraib Almosowa & Rod Nordland, "Drone Strike in Yemen Said to Kill Senior Qaeda Figure," The New York Times, February 6, 2015, p. A6. (U.S. drone policies have worked brilliantly in Yemen resulting in the collapse of the U.S.-friendly government in that nation. Al Qaeda is spreading to Oman and Saudi Arabia from Yemen. Bahrain is said to be next. This is not the best of times for Mr. Netanyahu to speak before a joint session of Congress. "Israel Heightens Gaza Crisis.")
Jason Grant, "Sayerville [N.J.] Football Coach is Ousted After Scandal," The New York Times, February 6, 2015, p. A17. (George Najjar faces sex abuse and other charges in typical Jersey fashion. "Neil M. Cohen, Esq. and Conduct Unbecoming to the Legislature in New Jersey.")
J. David Goodman & Al Baker, "New Challenges to Secrecy That Shields Police Files," The New York Times, February 5, 2015, p. A19. (Please reveal the truth about my matters, Mr. Rabner. "Have you no shame, Mr. Rabner?")
"Will Anyone Pay For Abu Ghraib?," (Editorial) The New York Times, February 5, 2015, p. A26. (When "crimes against humanity" are ignored by a legal system that claims to be "ethical" -- that system loses respect and credibility. It is necessary to prosecute those who commit such atrocities in order to protect the very concept of legality. "New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System" and "John McGill, Esq., the OAE, and New Jersey Corruption.")
Michael R. Gordon & David M. Herzenhorn, "U.S. and Europe Working to End Ukraine Fighting: Conflict Intensifying," The New York Times, February 6, 2015, p. A1. (Threatening Mr. Putin will not work. The number of casualties in Ukraine has not yet matched the deaths in Gaza and East Jerusalem. "Mr. Putin's Advice to America.")
Julie Hirshfield Davis [Jennifer Shuessler] & Ashley Parker, [Manohla Dargis] "A Democrat Who Defies Obama On Cuba and Iran," The New York Times, February 6, 2015, p. A15. ("Ashley Parker" is the most WASP name this "journalist" could come up with: "Manohla Dargis"? "Lizette Alvarez"? "Lilian Munoz"? "Tricia Enright"? "Victoria Burnett"? "Estela de La Cruz"? Some help with the names may be in order, ladies. "Kim Guardagno"? "Kim Lueddeke"?)
Michael D. Shear, "Obama and Senator Spar On How to Handle Iran," The New York Times, January 16, 2015, p. A9.
Jeff Pillets & Herb Jackson, "Flurry of Political Activity on Xanadu: Emails Show Menendez as 'Amazing' Help to Project," The Record, February 7, 2015, p. A-1.
"What went wrong[?]," The Star-Ledger, February 9, 2015, p. 1.
Claude Brodesser-Akner, "It's Not Over Yet: Republican Operatives Say Gov. Christie Still Has Time to Get Back in the Groove," The Star-Ledger, February 9, 2015, p. 1. (He's "grooving" on a Tuesday afternoon.)
"ETHICS: A left-leaning [?] watchdog group has asked the New Jersey State Ethics Committee to investigate [Christie's] acceptance of free travel to Israel and Jordan. The legal fund also filed complaints regarding his trips to Dallas Cowboys games."
New Jersey residents may be more unhappy that Mr. Christie was allowed to return to the Garden State. ("Is Christopher Christie 'Mentally Deranged' and a 'Liar'?")
I have reason to believe that numerous groups have requested the truth in my matters from the Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE) and New Jersey Supreme Court without receiving the courtesy of a response from Trenton. ("New Jersey's Political and Supreme Court Whores" and, again, "New Jersey's Feces-Covered Supreme Court.")
Such requests for the truth in my matters continue to be ignored. Mr. Vance -- evidently, for reasons unknown -- cannot respond to my communications even if this silence violates his oath of office and professional ethics standards as a prosecutor. ("An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq." and "Prosecutorial Misconduct.")
"PORT AUTHORITY: United Airlines confirmed it has been asked to turn over information to federal prosecutors who are looking into flights by David Samson, [who is seemingly protected by Stuart Rabner from any meaningful New Jersey ethics inquiry,] the former Port Authority Chairman [and loyal friend to Mr. Netanyahu?] who resigned in the aftermath of the GWB scandal." ("David Samson Resigns!")
Mr. Samson is said to detest President Obama. David Samson, former N.J. Attorney General, was probably among the persons going after me on behalf of Senator Menendez -- perhaps for some under-the-table cash. ("New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics" and "New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System.")
Accusations of racism and strange bookeeping against Essex County's David Samson have been made in the past.
"PR: An off-the-cuff comment on vaccination backfired on Christie, prompting his office to issue a clarifying statement and drawing fire from likely Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton. [Christie] also refused to answer a journalist's question about ISIS while in London." ("Christie Gives a Donor $1 MILLION of New Jersey Money.")
Meanwhile back at the ranch: Menendez must have spent a great deal of money for what purported to be a "favorable" article in America's newspaper of record:
This sort of "puff-piece" in America's self-proclaimed newspaper of record (see above) is known as a form of "journalistic fellatio." In fact, the gist of this article is unhelpful to Menendez as it arrives with new allegations of corruption and secret calls for legal ethics investigations against the Senator over the doomed Xanadu project. ("Menendez Loves Xanadu!" and "Cement is Gold!")
Menendez was "amazingly helpful" (according to emails) in exchange for what appears to be a small fee from developers who scammed billions of dollars of N.J. and federal taxpayer money. ("Xanadu and You Are Perfect Together!" then "Is Menendez For Sale?" and "Bribery in Union City, New Jersey.")
Menendez asked for $50,000 for his efforts, but (allegedly) only received $20,000 from the Xanadu people. ("Senator Bob, the Babe, and the Big Bucks" and "Corrupt Law Firms, Senator Bob, and New Jersey Ethics.")
In the discovery emerging from the latest Joe Ferreiro corruption trial, it is clear that Menendez traded efforts to secure the Xanadu "Developer's" (I use the word loosely) "efforts" against federal officials -- including the Army Corps of Engineers who smelled a rat -- to "facilitate" a project that never happened, except that BILLIONS of New Jersey taxpayer dollars were lost. ("Does Senator Menendez have mafia friends?")
Worse, it seems that Menendez's "running of interference" was deemed "amazing" by the Xanadu people, perhaps because they resulted in Menendez asking, through his "friend" Kay LiCausi (the so-called "bag person"), for $50,000 in "contributions." ("Joe Ferreiro is Bergen's Godfather.")
"The [Army Corps of Engineers expressed concerns about Xanadu] and is 'playing games at the last minute,' executive Jim Dausch [then legally represented by the man who is now N.J.'s U.S. Attorney, Paul Fishman, who obviously "ain't gonna do nothing!"] wrote in an email to his lobbyist Kay LiCausi [who was really Menendez's "lobbyist," as it were,] a former aide to then Rep. Bob Menendez, the third-highest ranking Democrat in the House at that point."
Mr. Dausch said:
" ... 'Could you dial up Menendez and tell these guys [the feds, that is,] to lay off?' ..." ("Mafia Influence in New Jersey Courts and Politics" and "More Mafia Influence in New Jersey Courts and Politics" then "Joe Ferreiro Indicted Again.")
The feds have a very poor sense of humor about these things. Sure enough, good-old-Bob's efforts to "block the feds" paid off:
"Democratic leader Joe Ferreiro depicts Menendez jumping into action and winning a lucrative approval for jubilant Xanadu developers, who called the Congressman 'amazing.' ... "
Yes, but does Ms. LiCausi feel the same, Bob? Alicia Mucci? ("Wedding Bells Ring For Menendez!" and "Menendez Consorts With Underage Prostitutes!" and "Another FBI Investigation of Menendez.")
Cash for Menendez soon followed from his "legislative efforts" to coin a phrase. ("Was Menendez Bribed to Get a Visa For a Croney?")
"In Grand Jury testimony released this week, Dausch said Menendez or someone Dausch believed was speaking for Menendez [Ms. LiCausi?] sought $50,000 in campaign contributions from the Xanadu developer after the permit was granted." ("Illegal Payments to Bob Menendez.")
It has been suggested that Menendez received the full $50,000, but only deposited $20,000 (as a campaign contribution), allowing the balance of $30,000 -- probably in cash -- to "go south," as it were, being undeclared income, or more along the lines of a personal contribution to his own wallet rather than any political campaign. ("Is Menendez For Sale?" and "Union City New Jersey is Meyer Lansky's Whore House.")
"Baby, we were born to run!"
Mark Mazetti, "C.I.A. Report Found Value of Brutal Interrogation Was Inflated," The New York Times, January 2, 2015, p. A7. (The C.I.A. now admits lying about the value of torture-generated "information." Please see: "C.I.A. Lies and Torture.")
Stephen Castle, "A Cover-Up, Of Sorts, At a Tabloid in Britain," The New York Times, January 21, 2015, p. A7. ("After more than 40 years of running a picture of a topless woman almost daily on its page 3, 'The Sun,' Britain's raucus and best selling newspaper, [sic.] appears to have given in [sic.] to changing social attitudes." Nothing is sacred in today's Britain. By way of response, apparently, The New York Times featured a photo of a shirtless man on the front page February 19, 2015.)
Adam Liptak, "Scalia Lands On Top of Sarcasm Index of Justices," The New York Times, January 30, 2015, p. A10. ("As his acid dissent in a 2013 gay rights case [indicated, Scalia opposes] the cause of same-sex marriage. The 'legalistic argle-bargle in Justice Kennedy's majority opinion,' [in Winslow,] Justice Scalia wrote, 'suggested that it was only a matter of time until the court established a constitutional [sic.] right to same-sex marriage.' ... " Horrors!)
Bruce Webber, "Robert Stone, Novelist of the Vietnam Era [sic.] and Beyond, Dies at 77," The New York Times, January 12, 2015, p. A16. (Robert Stone's "A Hall of Mirrors" may be the best political novel of the contemporary era. There is no one writing novels today -- especially among younger American novelists -- to equal Stone's best work.)
"Judges With Hat in Hand," (Editorial) The New York Times, January 19, 2015, p. A19. ("The Florida judiciary is no stranger to misconduct and corruption." New Jersey is the only state that surpasses Florida for judicial misconduct and incompetence as well as corruption in the United States of America. "New Jersey's Failed Judiciary" and "Christie Rails Against New Jersey's Corrupt Judges.")
Lizette Alvarez & Kirsten Hussey, [Manohla Dargis] "Cubans Convicted in the U.S. Face New Fears of Deportation," The New York Times, January 19, 2015, p. A1. (Many of Senator Menendez's contributors may face deportation to Cuba, including "Manohla Dargis," perhaps, who has "opened her legs." Please see "Manohla Dargis Strikes Again!" then "'The Reader': A Movie Review" and "Cubanazos Pose a Threat to National Security.")
Matt Arco, "As Trip Ends, Christie Zips His Lips Amid Controversy," The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2015, p. 1. (Mr. Christie's "foot-in-mouth" disease is getting worse. It appears that New Jersey's governor has sacrificed his political fortunes through ill-considered remarks. "Is Christopher Christie 'Mentally Deranged' and a 'Liar'?)
Jonathan D. Salant, "Targeting State Department, Menendez Pushes Extradition of Chesimard at Senate Forum," The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2015, p. 3. (Mr. Menendez urges extradition of Assata Shakur from Cuba, but opposes deportation of convicted Cuban-Americans who contribute to his campaign and the efforts of fellow Cuban-American politicians. "Another FBI Investigation of Menendez" and "Is Menendez For Sale?")
Christopher Baxter, "Former Jersey Teacher Admits Stealing $249K in Disability Benefits," The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2015, p. 20. (A former Parsipany [N.J.] teacher stole $249,000 in disability benefits, possibly while working in another state. Sound familiar, Maria? Is Menendez providing protection for you, Maria? Were you approached to inform against me by Menendez or the OAE, Maria? Jennifer Velez? Were extra rewards available for lying about me, Maria? And how much did you steal from me or my office, Maria? "Jennifer Velez is a Dyke Magnet!")
Dan Ivers, "Teacher Accused of Hitting First-Graders With a Ruler," The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2015, p. 20. (An elementary school teacher ENJOYED -- probably sexually -- hitting small children with a ruler, including in allegedly "erotic" ways. "Diana's Friend Goes to Prison!")
Ben Horrowitz, "Teacher to Face Grand Jury On Misconduct Charge," The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2015, p. 20. (Nicole McDonough, 32, former high school teacher joins the growing ranks of teachers involved in sexual relationships with their students. Perhaps only the legal profession in the Garden State can claim as many child molesters as are found among N.J. school teachers. "Edward M. De Sear, Esq. and New Jersey's Filth" and "New Jersey Female Professor Rapes a Disabled Man.")
Christopher Baxter, "Man Accused of Hiding Child Porn in False Can," The Star-Ledger, February 4, 2015, p. 20. (Michael Prinzo, 24, joins the many child porn enthusiasts, consumers, and distributors in America's child porn capitol, New Jersey. "New Jersey Welcomes Child Molesters.")
"How to Force Prosecutors to Play Fair," (Editorial) The New York Times, February 16, 2015, p. A16. ("When prosecutors cheat and lie repeatedly to win convictions, should their office be held accountable? When a man spends years, or decades, in prison as a result of such prosecutorial misconduct, should he be compensated?" Please see: "New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System" and "New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics.")
Campbell Robertson, "Most Alabama Judges Begin to Issue Licenses For Same-Sex Marriages," The New York Times, February 14, 2015, p. A13. ("After a week of conflicting court orders and sparring theories of judicial authority, the showdown over same-sex marriage in Alabama seemed to be heading toward an endgame on Friday." The Alabama Chief Justice finally accepted the supremacy of the federal Constitution. If only New Jersey could do the same all would be well. "New Jersey's Political and Supreme Court Whores.")
Jason Grant, "Selling a Cure For Being Gay Found Illegal In New Jersey," The New York Times, February 14, 2015, p. A19. (A Superior Court Judge in Hudson County, Peter J. Bariso, ruled that so-called "conversion therapy" which claims that homosexuality is a "curable mental disorder" is a form of criminal fraud. I concur. Interference in the sex life of anyone -- including heterosexuals! -- is illegal and fraudulent, especially when undertaken by crackpots calling themselves "therapists" while lacking all credentials and acting without the consent of victims. "Terry Tuchin, Diana Lisa Riccioli, and New Jersey's Agency of Torture" and "An Open Letter to My Torturers in New Jersey, Terry Tuchin and Diana Lisa Riccioli.")
Natalie O'Neill, "Hung Jury: Justice is Blind Drunk at Obama's Address," The New York Post, February 14, 2015, p. 3. (Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Gingsburg, 81, was fast asleep during President Obama's State of the Union Address. Ms. Poritz, New Jersey's former Chief Justice, was often inattentive, or asleep -- maybe worse! -- during arguments, even as Ms. LaVecchia, allegedly, received phone calls from the now-indicted Joe Ferreiro and other alleged underworld figures while on the bench. Hey, Jaynee -- did they ever find the $300 MILLION "lost" in the HIP scam on your watch? "Jaynee LaVecchia and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "Deborah T. Poritz and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey.")
Joseph Berger, "Dutchess County to Pay $7.5 MILLION For a Wrongful Conviction," The New York Times, February 13, 2015, p. A23. (Dursey Barzula is the latest African-American exonerated after appeals and after spending 26 years in prison for a murder he did not commit thanks to prosecutors' incompetence -- at best -- and/or heinous misconduct at worst: "John McGill, Esq., the OAE, and New Jersey Corruption" and "Prosecutorial Misconduct.")
John C. Ensslin, "Jury Trial for Dems' Ex-Chief: Feds Drop Bid for New Evidence in Ferreiro Case," The New York Times, February 5, 2015, p. A-1. (M. Robert De Cotiis, Esq., the Dean of N.J.'s corrupt political lawyers -- and a distinguished former member of the New Jersey Legal Ethics Committee! -- is witness number one for the feds in Mr. Ferreiro's organized crime and/or racketeering trial. This is probably in exchange for not being prosecuted himself. Mr. De Cotiis was counsel to Governor McGreevey and alleged front-person on a number of scams in Trenton. Bob Menendez is also an alleged "unindicted and unidentified co-conspirator" in this matter. Do you fine ladies and gentlemen of the N.J. Bar Association speak to me of "ethics"? "New Jersey's Politically-Connected Lawyers On the Tit" and "Corrupt Law Firms, Senator Bob, and New Jersey Ethics.")
"Christie's Travels: England Trip Muddies Ethical Waters," (Editorial) The Record, February 5, 2015, p. A-8. (Mr. Christie's trip was funded by "Choose New Jersey" an organization made up of entities doing business in -- and with -- the state of New Jersey, possibly fronting for Sheldon Adelson, a very pro-Israeli citizen. What hurts investment in New Jersey is the corruption and ineptitude of the state's legal and political system as evidenced by this very trip to promote investment, allegedly. "New Jersey is the Home of the Living Dead" and "Law and Ethics in the Soprano State.")
Shawn Boburg, "PA Inquiry Puts Official in Unwanted Spotlight: Transport Chief Has No Comment On Subpoenas," The Record, February 7, 2015, p. A-5. (N.J. Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox did some lobbying for United Airlines and may face conflict of interest and other ethics charges in matters that may have enriched the former Chairman of the Port Authority, David Samson. "David Samson Resigns!")
Stephanie Dazio, "Fugitive in Stalking Case Extradited: Tenafly Activist For Kids With Special Needs Back in Bergen," The Record, February 7, 2015, p. L-1. (Jon Singer, 50, is fond of working with "special kids" and also involved in cyberstalking and harassment. Malbus? More child abuse allegations involving prominent officials in New Jersey are forthcoming. "New Jersey is the Home of Child Molesters.")
Melissa Hayes, "Ex-Christie Aide Named to State Commission of Investigation: Rosemary Iaconne Has Long Service With the Governor," The Record, February 10, 2015, p. A-5. (Ms. Iaconne is rumored to have underworld affiliations. America's "Soprano State" has selected the right person for the state's soiled Commission of Investigation: "Mafia Influence in New Jersey's Courts and Politics.")
Amir Alexander, "Disorder Rules the Universe," (Book Review) The New York Times, Science Times, February 17, 2015, p. D3. (A serious misunderstanding is revealed in this review by "Amir Alexander" -- who is probably "George Johnson" -- that reduces the value of this review substantially. It is not, in fact, "disorder" that governs REALITY, but rather more complex notions of "order" are necessary to encompass quantum mechanics and the requirement of a participatory element in scientific KNOWLEDGE. Chaos physics is not the same thing as quantum physics. Quantum physics "explains" phenomena where "prediction" is meaningless or irrelevant. Chaos principles apply in the every day world we inhabit. For example, they trouble persons concerned to "predict" the weather with imperfect success, who may be perfectly able to "explain" weather phenomena. "Is the universe only a numbers game?")
Kathleen Lynn, "Ex-CEO to Pay $793,000: Englewood [N.J.] Man Who Led G-Trade Services Settles Federal Fraud Accusations Related to Taking Secret Profits," The Record, February 17, 2015, p. A-6. (Craig Lax, 50, former CEO of G-Trade Services, LLC. admitted "wrongdoing" -- not criminal conduct -- in settling the case, according to the SEC. Mr. Lax thanked his attorneys for all the help. He will enjoy a trip to the Bahamas for a little vacation.)
Ylia Khrennikou & Cornelius Rhan, "Hacker Group Blamed for $1 BILLION in Bank Thefts: Financial Institutions in 30 Nations Targeted , Firm Says," The Record, February 17, 2015, p. A-6. (Hackers based in Russia have found creative ways to counter the effects of the U.S.-sponsored sanctions. Mr. Putin said that he can neither condone or approve of such methods. "Mr. Putin's Advice to America.")
John Brennan, "1,700 Izod Center Workers Receive Their Pink Slips," The Record, February 5, 2015, p. A-6. (339 additional workers at Arcamak Food and Beverage Company will also lose their jobs because the Izod Center will close. Perhaps they can find jobs at the Xanadu Mall or working for Mercedes Benz in New Jersey, except that those entities are not available any more.)
John C. Ensslin, "Ferreiro's Racketeering Trial On Hold: Judge Weighs Defense Claim That U.S. Attorney Has Conflict," The Record, February 10, 2015, p. L-1. (A District Court Judge must consider whether N.J.'s U.S. Attorney has a conflict of interest in indicting Joe Ferreiro. I think Paul Fishman may have indicted Mr. Ferreiro to protect himself, Jim Dautsch, and Bob Menendez. This has nothing to do with how one feels about Joe Ferreiro. Menendez should have been indicted first and foremost. "Menendez Loves Xanadu!")
Jim Norman, "Accounts by Girls Lead to Sex Charges Against Two Men," The Record, February 10, 2015, p. L-3. (John Molinelli, Bergen County's Prosecutor, has indicted 2 men in separate incidents of aggravated sexual assaults: Bob Menendez supporter Julio Peralta-Aguilar, 47, from Cliffside Park, engaged in "inappropriate sexual activity with a 7-year-old girl"; Daniel O'Brien, 38, of Saddle Brook, molested a 9-year-old girl. I doubt that, given their ages, this is the first time for these offenders.)
David E. Sanger, "Fear of Israeli Leaks Fuels Distrust as U.S. and Iran Hold Nuclear Talks," The New York Times, February 18, 2015, p. A6. (Will Mr. Obama's "Iran strategy" succeed? Will leaks and subversion efforts from Israeli lobby politicians cause the failure of the strategy? We will see.)
Jodi Rudoren, "Inquiry by Israeli Comptroller Criticizes Spending Habits of Netanyahu and Wife," The New York Times, February 18, 2015, p. A7. (Among the incidental costs paid by Israeli taxpayers, in addition to salaries, was "nearly $120,000 in 2012, a third of that money for take out [sic.] meals. The state [sic.] paid $2,000 to clean the Netanyahu's private home" even when the Netanyahu family was residing in Jerusalem, also at public expense.)
"A Stronger Freedom of Information Act," (Editorial) The New York Times, February 18, 2015, p. A20. (Stop the cover-up and lying, New Jersey. Please tell me the truth. "No More Cover-Ups and Lies, Chief Justice Rabner!")
Susan K. Livio, "Long-Serving Head of Human Services Ready to Step Down," The Star-Ledger, February 18, 2015, p. 13. ("State Human Services Commissioner JENNIFER VELEZ, the top executive of the largest and most expensive department in state government, is resigning at the end of the month." Did Jennifer Velez use a fictious name, like Diana Lisa Riccioli, to communicate with persons in connection with me at any time? Is there a connection between Jennifer Velez and Maria Martinez? Diana Lisa Riccioli is also a "friend" of Ms. Velez, allegedly, as is Estela De La Cruz: "Jennifer Velez is a Dyke Magnet!")
Bill Wichert, "Maplewood Teacher Indicted On Charges of Sex Assaults On [Upon] Students," The Star-Ledger, February 16, 2015, p. 13. ("Nicole Dufault, 35, of Caldwell was indicted for assaulting six male students." There may be a repressed incident of sexual assault in this young woman's life that explains these events. "Protecting Sex Workers.")
Bill Amoral, "Teacher is Charged After Drinking at a Party Leaves Teen in Hospital, Cops Say," The Star-Ledger, February 18, 2015, p. 16. (A party at an Edison school teacher's home placed a 15-year-old's life in danger from excessive drinking. What else might have happened had police not arrived at the scene is impossible to tell since many children were "blind drunk.")
Hugh R. Morley, "Business Rebates Go Unpaid by State: After Companies Do Their Part, N.J. Cuts Funds for Tax Breaks," The Record, February 18, 2015, p. A-1. (N.J. lied to businesses concerning tax rewards or incentives. Hence, more jobs will be leaving the state in 2015, probably because the money is "missing" to fulfill the state's obligations. Is this the "Christie miracle"?)
Melissa Hayes, "68% of N.J. Voters Find Fault With Christie," The Record, February 18, 2015, p. A-3. (Mr. Christie is planning a "good will tour" of Disneyworld with his family at N.J. taxpayers' expense. Say hello to Mickey, Chris!)
Peter J. Abramson, "Russia Denies Role in $300 MILLION Hacking: Accused in Global Theft of Hacking Data," The Record, February 18, 2015, p. A-3. (Mr. Putin is "shocked" to learn that this hacking has taken place and, allegedly, blames Mr. Medvedev, for the incident.)
Kibret Marcos, "Dad of 9 gets 3 Years for Selling Stolen Goods: $275,000 in Appliances on EBay and Amazon," The Record, February 18, 2015, p. L-2. (Allegedly, Abraham Baruchov of Clifton, N.J. -- was Diana Lisa Riccioli "cut in" on his scams? -- cried and said: "My people don't steal." Please see: "Taking My Business Elsewhere.")
Richard Correa, "Fired Recreation Chief Denies He Extorted Fees: Passaic Ex-Official Turns Down Plea Offer," The Record, February 18, 2015, p. L-1. (Eddie Carrero, 54, former Passaic Recreation Director, pocketed more than $11,000 in program fees while he worked for the department. This is little league theft compared to Bob Menendez's "efforts." Ethics, Bob? Compare "Bribery in Union City, New Jersey" with "Illegal Payments to Bob Menendez.")
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
"Will you come with me for fellowship?"
February 3, 2015 at 1:44 P.M. Mr. Vance, please understand that your office and America's legal system are being judged on an international level by thousands of people (including your fellow professionals) concerning whether and/or how well you respond to a citizen's communication and evidence of serious criminality. Legal obligations of good faith and honesty on the part of prosecutors are also being tested in this matter.
No response to my communications to the Manhattan District Attorney has been received by me. Is it necessary for Mr. Vance to receive the permission of a public official in New Jersey? Does Mr. Vance require the permission of Mr. Silver to proceed with this matter? Or Mr. Netanyahu, perhaps? ("An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq.")
February 2, 2015 at 1:59 P.M. I was unable to make a reservation today at NYPL, Morningside Heights branch. I learned that my card had "expired' without a previous warning.
The card was renewed, immediately, by the librarian who made a reservation for me at computer number #7.
I cannot say whether I will have to go through this experience each time that I reserve a computer from now on. I hope not. The renewal is effective, I am told, for three years.
It is possible that my information was obtained by hackers after a recent visit to the main branch of the library. I do not know whether this will affect my ability to print from computers.
January 30, 2015 at 1:34 P.M. As far as I know, I am the only member of these blogs. No other persons are members nor are any memberships sought or available to readers.
January 28, 2015 at 3:18 P.M. A list of sources will be added to this essay in the days ahead. Strangely, I have not heard from Mr. Vance. ("An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq.")
Dan Bilefsky & Maia de la Bareme, "Terrorists Strike Paris Newspaper Leaving 12 Dead: Targeting Journalists Who Lampooned Islam -- One Suspect Surrenders," The New York Times, January 8, 2015, p. A1. (How to defend against terrorism while retaining our liberties has become the burning issue in all Western democracies and elsewhere in the world.)
Doreen Carvajal & Suzanne Daly, "Proud to Offend, Paper Carries Torch of Political Provocation," The New York Times, January 6, 2015, p. A1. (Censorship cannot be allowed to prevail. I will attempt to create another blog elsewhere online if I continue to be prevented from doing so at blogger. Blogger is "Google" which is how they say "NSA" in China. "How censorship works in America.")
Timothy Williams, "Lawyer Denies Allegations of Sex With a Minor," The New York Times, January 7, 2015, p. A13. (Alan Dershowitz, Esq. is accused of having sex with a minor. What would Rabbi Blitzstein say, Alan? I find the accusations against Mr. Dershowitz absurd. I have met and admire Mr. Dershowitz who is a fine appellate advocate. I highly recommend Professor Dershowitz's writings on the misunderstood relation between psychology and law as well as his books The Best Defense, Reversal of Fortune, and The Abuse Excuse.)
Jennifer Steinhauer, "Former Virginia Governor is Sentenced to 24 Months for Corruption," The New York Times, January 7, 2015, p. A11. (Bob McDonnell, Democrat of Virginia, convicted of corruption as new investigations are launched against Mr. Menendez: "Was Menendez Bribed to get a Visa For a Croney?" and "Another FBI Investigation of Menendez.")
Alison Smale, "Cyberattack in Germany Shuts Down Official Site," The New York Times, January 7, 2015, p. A9. (Concerns about future combined computer attacks on the part of North Korea and Russia are increasing. There is a greater threat of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism in Germany than is ever going to exist in France.)
Adam Nagourney, "Governor, Governor's Father[,] and an Eloquent Liberal Beacon," The New York Times, January 2, 2015, p. A1. (The loss of Mario Cuomo is the loss of the conscience of the Democratic party.)
"Prosecutors, Torturers, and Their Bosses," (Editorial) The New York Times, December 22, 2014, p. A26. (I favor prosecutions of persons for torture, or any "crime against humanity," by some legal entity.)
"Killing of Police Tests Promise of One City," (Editorial) The New York Times, December 22, 2014, p. A22. (Threats to police can only be heightened by politicizing responses to mayoral statements and actions on the part of the men and women in uniform. Actions of protest and criticism by uniformed public servants must take place on your own time as private citizens.)
Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Eric Lightblau, "Ex-Chief Leads Defense of Spy Agency," The New York Times, December 13, 2014, p. A1. (Mr. Cheney and George Tenet, former head of the CIA, claim that the "boys got a little carried away." "C.I.A. Lies and Torture" and "The C.I.A. and Torture.")
Adam Liptak, "Justices Called On to Decipher One Word: 10 Year Sentence Hangs On Definition," The New York Times, December 3, 2014, p. A20.
Whitfield v. United States, U.S. Supreme Court, Docket No. 13-9216. (No opinion has yet been handed-down by the U.S. Supreme Court in this matter.)
Richard Posner, "Other Illustrations of Practical Reasoning in Law," in The Problems of Jurisprudence (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990), p. 101.
"WASHINGTON -- After a botched bank robbery in 2008 in North Carolina, Larry Whitfield entered the home of a 79-year-old woman, telling her he needed a place to hide. He directed (emphasis added) the woman who was upset and crying, to move with him from her living room to another room some nine feet away."
The difference or distance is alleged to be crucial to the case, but may in fact be totally irrelevant to the issue of principle:
"Those few steps exposed Mr. Whitfield to prosecution under a federal law that calls for a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence when a 'criminal forces any person to ACCOMPANY him during a bank robbery or while fleeing.' ..." (emphasis added!)
"Kidnapping" does not require that the victim be moved from one location to another, only a deprivation of freedom wherever the victim happens to be.
What does the word "accompany" mean in this context? What is the purpose of this provision in the law? A concern with violence is not explicitly voiced in the relevant statute? Does this law reflect a legislative effort to provide additional punishment or "aggravation" for crimes that involve not only theft under threat of violence, but interference with, or limitations upon, the autonomy or freedom of movement of victims? ("What is law?")
This raises the question, again, of the meaning of the word "accompany" in the law.
Is the use of the word "accompany" about a criminal's invitation to a person located in the crime scene to provide some pleasant company? Or is the word "accompany" inherently coercive when used by a person pointing a gun at the victim's head during, or just before, a lovely stroll? ("Ronald Dworkin On Law as Interpretation.")
Let us begin with the dictionary:
"Accompany ... to go with, to escort, to cause something specified to be done, uttered conjointly with something, to accompany words with actions. ... to occur in association with, lightning accompanies the storm. ... "
The New Webster's Dictionary of the English Language: International Edition (New York: Lexicon, 1989), p. 5.
The definitions in standard legal dictionaries are equally unhelpful. How far does this (or any) definition get us in construing a criminal statute?
Not very far, I think, because the issue in this legal context is the policy that is to be served by the law featuring the particular word, or the larger social purposes of the law. ("Charles Fried and William Shakespeare On Interpretation" and "The Allegory of the Cave.")
An exchange between several justices -- including the Chief Justice -- seemingly missed the hermeneutic point entirely.
Debate among the justices centered on whether the enhanced penalty could apply when persons "accompanied" a culprit only a short distance raising "slippery slope" problems. Exactly how far would the distance or "accompanying" have to be to establish liability? A foot? How about eleven-and-a-half inches? The justices expressed bafflement:
"Mr. Whitfield's lawyer, Joseph B. Carpenter, said [the enhanced penalty] should not apply to short distances."
Distance, again, may be irrelevant to the question of whether the "accompanying" by the victim is voluntary or extracted under duress:
" ... Justice Antonin Scalia said 'accompany' is commonly used that way. 'I can accompany my wife to the table when we go to a dinner party,' he said. 'Isn't it proper to say I accompany her to the table?' ..."
Justice Scalia's analogy would be far more apt if he were to put a gun to his wife's head when he made his request that she "accompany" him to their table. Such a gun-to-the-head tactic used on women is not unheard of among Jersey boys:
"Justice Ruth Bader Gingsburg, perhaps reflecting on a recent trip to the hospital[,] ... offered a different example. 'Suppose I were to say, The nurse accompanied a patient as she [the patient] walked around the Intensive Care Unit[?]' she said."
Again, the crucial issue seems to be whether the "accompanying" is voluntary. Motivation and/or victim autonomy is ignored, however, due to a lawyerly focus on "key words" as in contracts or tax cases:
"Chief Justice John G. Roberts gave an example of the anomalies the law could produce."
A distinction is established by the Chief Justice, at this point, but not necessarily one that makes much difference. The Chief Justice simply narrows the focus of discussion: What are the results (or consequences) that follow from the various uses of the word "accompany" under the law?
Many statutes produce anomalous (or insane!) results, which are exclusively for legislatures to correct by rewriting laws, Chief Justice Roberts, unless they directly violate the rights of specific litigants before the bench in a genuine case or controversy:
" ... 'You take ... two bank robberies,' [Mr. Roberts] said. 'One, the robber comes in, waves a gun, pistol-whips five people, grabs the money and runs.' ..."
Mr. Roberts pursued this line of reasoning with tenacity, firmly, but in what he later recognized may be the wrong direction:
" ... 'In another,' he continued, 'the lone robber comes in; just gets the bag of money' and [the robber] says, 'you walk over here two feet with me' so he can 'get the bag of money; and leaves.' ..."
Mr. Roberts then reaches his initial and "pointless" -- as Justice Scalia with characteristic politeness noted -- conclusion:
" ... 'Only the second robber,' the Chief Justice said, 'would be subject to the 10-year-minimum. That doesn't make any sense,' [Mr. Roberts] said."
I suggest that it does make sense, Mr. Chief Justice, if the concern of the legislature is to add what is essentially a kidnapping element to a robbery offense that already presupposes (or implies) a threat of violence, and usually the reality of violence as well.
The law may not have to make sense as long as it is clearly understood or capable of some coherent meaning for the justices. After all, it was written by Congresspersons. Do we expect much good sense from Congress? I doubt it.
It is interesting that none of the current justices has much or any experience as criminal defense lawyers. Justice Alito was a federal prosecutor, but otherwise there was little experience with the criminal justice system by the justices in their pre-judicial careers.
Legal hermeneutics -- problems of interpretation -- cannot be separated from the values implicit in legal codes that are intended to serve larger policy goals, nor with the world-views or intentions of speakers and/or authors of legislation, nor even from the values of those seeking to interpret and apply ambiguous laws.
To interpret any written or artistic text is to inhabit the mind of the creators of that text through a shared medium that is usually language.
This intellectual and emotive challenge of interpretation necessarily involves an element of identification (or empathy), a "fusion of horizons," between the recipient of the message and its creator(s) who are often divided -- and (sometimes) bitterly so -- over the goals or intelligence of proposed legislation, or any text:
"A court should put itself in imagination in the position of a legislature which enacted the measure. ... It should assume that the legislature was made up of reasonable persons pursuing reasonable purposes reasonably."
Henry A. Hart & Albert Sacks, The Legal Process: Basic Problems in the Meaning and Application of Law (Cambridge: Harvard U. Press/Harvard Law School, tent. ed. 1958), pp. 1414-1415.
A "plurality" of the current justices have clearly been especially influenced by the famous Hart and Sacks materials, notably Justices Scalia and Kennedy, but also Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Gingsburg.
The "reasonableness" factor betrays the Enlightenment origins of Anglo-American legal-interpretive thinking. The word "reasonable" is sprinkled over the common law tradition like the proverbial "salt on a good steak." Nevertheless, the word "reasonable" is not the first word that springs to my mind when I think of the U.S. Congress drafting laws or doing anything else.
Notice the parallel to Continental theory that appeals to weird philosophers who read Gadamer, Ricoeur, and Derrida on the indeterminacy of language and "deconstructions" of the shifting meanings of words.
I am delighted and surprised to find the word "deconstruction" entering the vocabulary of the United States Supreme Court. ("Jacques Derrida's Philosophy as Jazz" and "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Author.")
"Gradually there comes to be no correlation between the analysis of the object and our experience of it in understanding. ..."
Richard E. Palmer, "Toward Reopening the Question: What is Interpretation?," in Hermeneutics (Evanston: Illinois, 1969), pp. 233-246 (emphasis added).
If the "accompanying" by the victim in the case before the Court is "involuntary," as it surely is in any robbery involving armed gunmen and helpless victims, then the extra penalties should and would apply, very appropriately, to the culprit regardless of the distance that the victim(s) travels -- even if the victim does no more than reach for the contents of a drawer and then hands them to the criminal on request! -- so that the issue before the Supreme Court might have focused exclusively on "intent," besides the meaning of the word "voluntary," or motive, as well as the coercion felt by the victim as opposed to only the linguistic meaning of the word "accompany."
Robbery and kidnapping are specific intent offenses under the criminal law in every American jurisdiction.
Sorry, Mr. Whitfield, but I am confident that the Supreme Court's decision will be that you will be "accompanied" by the guards back to your prison cell for the duration of your sentence with the extra penalty, deservedly, added to your time.
Around the world in sixty seconds:
Mark Danner, "No Exit," The New York Times Book Review, February 1, 2015, p. 1. (Reviewing Mohamedou Slahi, Guantanamo Diary (New York: Little, Brown, 2015), Larry Siems, Editor.)
"On or about September 11, 2001, American character changed. What Americans previously flaunted as 'our highest values' were now judged to be luxuries that in a new time of evil the country could ill afford. Justice and its cardinal principle of innocent until proven guilty, became a risk, its indulgence a weakness. Asked recently about an innocent man who had been tortured to death in an American 'black site' in Afghanistan, former Vice President Dick Cheney did not hesitate. 'I'm more concerned,' he said, 'with bad guys who got out than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent.' In this new era in which all would be sacrificed to 'protect' the country, torture and even murder of the innocent must be counted simply 'collateral damage.' ..." (emphasis added!)
Gretchen Morgenson, "Two Judges Get it About Banks: Wells Fargo Loses Two Foreclosure Cases as Judges Cite Abuse and Forgery," The New York Times, Sunday Business, February 1, 2015, p. 1. (This is what needs to happen to clean-up Wall Street. Judges must make banks pay for their "creativity." A Missouri couple gets to keep their house and $3 million in damages.)
Reuters, "JP Morgan to Pay Out $99 Million Over Graft," The New York Times, Sunday Times, February 1, 2015, p. 13. (A settlement over PRICE RIGGING with global implications in currency trading -- the buying and selling of money -- is among the more surrealistic aspects of our lives. I expect to see Mr. Dimon at the MET's new "Carmen" in March. Champagne at the Grand Tier, Jamie?)
Benjamin Mueller, "New York City to Pay $5 Million in 'Mafia Cops' Case," The New York Times, January 20, 2015, p. A3. (NYPD cops moonlighting for the mafia is the sort of thing best left to NJ's West New York police officers. I have seen many Union City and West New York cops "accompanying" me on my strolls in Manhattan.)
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Group of Senators Seeks to Lift Cuba Travel Limits," The New York Times, January 20, 2015, p. A3. (A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Thursday to lift all travel bans for Americans visiting Cuba. This suggests that special immigration status for newly arriving Cubans are no longer logical and should be abolished to equalize the immigration status of all persons seeking legal status in America.)
Stephanie Clifford, "Revisited, a 1987 Conviction is Vacated: Prosecutors in Brooklyn Now Say a Burglary Never Even Occurred," The New York Times, January 30, 2015, p. A21. (Yet another false conviction reversed with unusual honesty from prosecutors at last. Will I hear from Mr. Vance now that Mr. Silver has resigned? OAE? "Prosecutorial Misconduct" and "An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq.")
"Washington and Havana Break the Ice," (Editorial) The New York Times, January 30, 2015, p. A22. (These are exciting times for Cubans and their U.S. relatives, most of whom favor Mr. Obama's normalization of relations between the two countries, even if Miami's politicians do not. "Cubanazos Pose a Threat to National Security" and "Miami's Cubanoids Protest Against Peace!")
Joseph Chuman, "Troubling Issues in Verdicts on Deaths of Brown, Garner," The Record, December 9, 2014, p. A-11. (Dehumanizing the victims of police murders. "Albert Florence and New Jersey's Racism.")
Kibret Marcos, "Teacher Facing More Sex Charges: Accused of Assaulting Eight-Grader," The Record, December 9, 2014, p. L-3. (N.J. substitute teacher LINDA HARDAN, 21, faces additional charges of sexual assault upon a 14-year-old. More charges of teachers sending nude photos of themselves to students are said to be forthcoming.)
Karen Sudol, "Female Police Officer Recruit at Port Academy Files Sex Harassment Suit: Alleges Being Taunted, Called a Barbie Doll," The Record, December 11, 2014, p. A-5. (A so-called "Jersey Chic" sues because, as a police recruit, she was subjected to sexual harassment. Shame on you, Mr. Samson. Allegedly, Mr. Menendez is a suspect in the incident. "Wedding Bells Ring For Menendez!" and "Menendez Consorts With Underage Prostitutes" then "Menendez Blames Castro For His Prostitution Habit.")
AP, "Christie Struggles in Polls in N.J. -- Is the Nation Ready? Survey Says No, Clinton Would Win," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. A-9. (The numbers for N.J.'s governor are still in decline in N.J. and nationally. Mr. Christie may find it difficult to win reelection even in New Jersey. It appears that Mr. Christie's "balls" have been "deflated," as it were, by the Bridgegate scandal. "Christie's Bridge of Sighs.")
Lizette Alvarez, "Law Favoring Cuban Arrivals is Challenged," The New York Times, February 2, 2015, p. A1. (Lizette Alvarez is probably a front-person for Rubio and Ros-Leghtinen as well as Miami's Right-wing forces. Ms. Alvarez is a Republican. Automatic exceptions for Cubans are in trouble.)
Michael Barbaro, "Christie Returns to Good Old London; London Says, 'Who?'," The New York Times, February 2, 2015, p. A16. (Mr. Christie visits London causing another possible war with the British.)
Peter Baker & Jodi Rudoren, "A Strained Alliance: Obama-Netanyahu Rift Over Years," The New York Times, January 31, 2015, p. A1. (The tensions between Israel's Prime Minister and the U.S. President "reflects six years of suspicion and mistrust and grievance, wounds from past brawls easily reopened by what might otherwise be small irritations. It reflects resentments on the part of Mr. Obama, who watched Mr. Netanyahu seemingly root [and more] for his Republican opponent in the 2012 election and now sees him circumventing the Oval Office to work with a Republican Congress instead.")
Kim Lueddeke, "Leonia Firehouse Assault Suit Settled: Parents of Victim Agree to $320,000," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. L-1. (A young boy was sexually molested at the Leonia firehouse leading to a settlement of $320,000.)
Peter J. Samson, "Child Porn Charges for Fort Lee Man," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. L-3. (Bob Menendez supporter and alleged financial contributor, JOSE CHAVARRIA, 53, was indicted on charges of possessing 100 computer files depicting graphic sex with minors and/or heinous sexual exploitation and abuse of children. This person is no amateur. This amount of material is not for personal use.)
Jeff Green, "Judges Rebuked by State Justices: 2 Socialized With Indicted Official," The Record, January 22, 2015, p. A-1. (Two Passaic County "jurists were criticized by the N.J. Supreme Court" -- whose justices as well as many other N.J. judges have been known to do the same and worse! -- for "socializing" with an indicted official. "Mafia Influence in New Jersey Courts and Politics" and "New Jersey Supreme Court's Implosion" then "New Jersey's Judges Disgrace America" and "New Jersey's Failed Judiciary.")
Peter J. Sampson, "Rochelle Park Man Indicted in Lure Try," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. L-3. (Michael T. Mullins, 27, was arrested for attempting to lure a police officer he believed to be a 15-year-old child to his home for sex. "Mistake of fact" defense? Mr. Mullins is free on $30,000 bail. He claims to support Mr. Christie and the New England Patriots.)
John A. Oswald, "Reports: Silver Tried to Hold On to Power," Metro, February 2, 2015, p. 4. ("Silver tried one last back-room deal to secretly call the shots in the New York State Assembly as he fights the federal corruption charges against him." At the same time that this back-room effort was taking place, Mr. Silver was declaring, publicly, his willingness to leave office. Mr. Silver is believed to be behind some of the allegations that have surfaced recently about rivals for the Speaker's position. Regrettably, more charges are expected against the former Speaker.)
Jeff Green, "Teacher Suspended Over Alleged Sexual Contact: Clifton Instructor Charged With Act With Student," The Record, December 19, 2014, p. L-1. (Clifton's Marc-Andrew Marucci -- alleged "cousin" of Diana Lisa Riccioli -- "a high school teacher is accused of sexual contact with a 17-year-old student." Ms. Riccioli denies being a lesbian these days, allegedly, and all underworld affiliations. "Diana's Friend Goes to Prison!" and "Marilyn Straus Was Right!")
Jim Norman, "Agencies Ordered to Yield Records: Delays Thwart Law's Intent, Judge Rules," The Record, January 14, 2015, p. L-1. ("Police departments and other public agencies" -- Does this include the OAE that is still obstructing justice, lying, and covering-up the truth in my matters? -- "are OBLIGATED to promptly turn over documents requested under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act without resorting to unjustified delay or tactics aimed at thwarting the intent of the law, a state Superior Court Judge has ruled." Was this ruling a lie? If not, then why are the documents and truths that I have requested for so long still denied to me, Mr. Rabner? "Have you no shame, Mr. Rabner?" then "John McGill, Esq., the OAE, and New Jersey Corruption" and "New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics.")
Kate Zernike & Michael Barbaro, "In Christie's Career, Fondness for Luxury Travel," The New York Times, February 3, 2015, p. A1. (On a recent trip to Israel, Mr. Christie flew in a "private plane, on which Mr. Christie had his own bedroom," that was lent "by Sheldon G. Adelson, the billionaire Casino owner and supporter of Israel. At the time [Mr. Adelson] was opposing legislation before the governor to legalize online gambling in New Jersey." I have reason to believe that Mr. Adelson is "aware" of my blog posts. Invicta? "Christie Gives a Donor $1 Million of N.J. Money.")
Somini Segupta, "Leader of War Crimes Inquiry Into '14 Gaza Conflict Resigns," The New York Times, February 3, 2015, p. A1. (Israeli pressure may oust or prevent any Chairperson of the relevant UN committee from investigating Gaza war crimes. "The Audacity of Hope" and "Israel Heightens Gaza Conflict.")
Adam Liptak, "Courts Write Decisions That Elude the Long View," The New York Times, February 3, 2015, p. A11. (A way to avoid scrutiny for decisions courts are not proud of is simply to prevent their publication: "Secrecy of courts is the enemy of freedom.")
Melissa Hayes, "Menendez Leads the Way On Iran-Sanctions Delay: Senate Democrats Giving Obama Time for Talks," The Record, January 28, 2015, p. A-1. (Mr. Menendez may be responding to instructions from Netanyahu and/or the Israeli lobby that contributes to his campaign. In any case, Senator Menendez appears to be backing down from his conflict with President Obama on Iran. Menendez has said that he does not believe the president's efforts will be successful.)
Melissa Hayes, "Christie Planning to Meet With President of Israel," The Record, January 28, 2015, p. A-3. (Mr. Christie will meet with Israel's president to receive instructions, perhaps, on foreign policy issues.)
"A Welcome Retreat by Menendez," (Editorial) The Star-Ledger, January 28, 2015, p. 18. (Menendez "caves-in" in his confrontation with President Obama. Iran may be a part of a subtle geopolitical strategy by Mr. Obama that neither Menenedez nor Netanyahu understands -- or appreciates -- and that is related BOTH to the president's efforts on Iraq and ISIS in Syria.)
AP, "Legislator Jailed in Sex Case Faces More Charges," The Record, January 22, 2015, p. A-11. (Delegate JOSEPH D. MORISSEY, 57, indicted on four felony charges is represented by William J. Neely, Esq. -- known as "Fighting Joe"! -- after engaging in a fist fight with an adversary in the courthouse. Mr. Morissey may be appointed to the New Jersey Legal Ethics Committee after he serves his time and moves to Trenton.)
"Access to Public Records: Timely Release of Information is the Law," (Editorial) The Record, January 15, 2015, p. A-11. (Is the New Jersey Public Records Law a lie, Mr. Rabner?)
Lin That, "5 From Passaic Admit to Role in $2.5 Million Tax Refund Scheme: Used Puerto Rico Residents' Social Security," The Record, January 15, 2015, p. L-1. (Identity theft and other scams with alleged payments to public officials that may have involved New Jersey lawyers. "N.J. Lawyers in School Lunch Scam.")
Jim Norman, "Lawyers, Others Charged With Mortgage Fraud: Allegedly Obtained Inflated Loans," The Record, January 15, 2015, p. L-3. (N.J. LAWYER and alleged Bob Menendez supporter ANDYS SOFIA GOMEZ, ESQ., 47, of Chatham, New Jersey used the names of local men and women to file mortgage applications as scams. Gilberto Garcia? "Herbert Klitzner, Esq.'s Greed and N.J. Hypocrisy.")
No response to my communications to the Manhattan District Attorney has been received by me. Is it necessary for Mr. Vance to receive the permission of a public official in New Jersey? Does Mr. Vance require the permission of Mr. Silver to proceed with this matter? Or Mr. Netanyahu, perhaps? ("An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq.")
February 2, 2015 at 1:59 P.M. I was unable to make a reservation today at NYPL, Morningside Heights branch. I learned that my card had "expired' without a previous warning.
The card was renewed, immediately, by the librarian who made a reservation for me at computer number #7.
I cannot say whether I will have to go through this experience each time that I reserve a computer from now on. I hope not. The renewal is effective, I am told, for three years.
It is possible that my information was obtained by hackers after a recent visit to the main branch of the library. I do not know whether this will affect my ability to print from computers.
January 30, 2015 at 1:34 P.M. As far as I know, I am the only member of these blogs. No other persons are members nor are any memberships sought or available to readers.
January 28, 2015 at 3:18 P.M. A list of sources will be added to this essay in the days ahead. Strangely, I have not heard from Mr. Vance. ("An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq.")
Dan Bilefsky & Maia de la Bareme, "Terrorists Strike Paris Newspaper Leaving 12 Dead: Targeting Journalists Who Lampooned Islam -- One Suspect Surrenders," The New York Times, January 8, 2015, p. A1. (How to defend against terrorism while retaining our liberties has become the burning issue in all Western democracies and elsewhere in the world.)
Doreen Carvajal & Suzanne Daly, "Proud to Offend, Paper Carries Torch of Political Provocation," The New York Times, January 6, 2015, p. A1. (Censorship cannot be allowed to prevail. I will attempt to create another blog elsewhere online if I continue to be prevented from doing so at blogger. Blogger is "Google" which is how they say "NSA" in China. "How censorship works in America.")
Timothy Williams, "Lawyer Denies Allegations of Sex With a Minor," The New York Times, January 7, 2015, p. A13. (Alan Dershowitz, Esq. is accused of having sex with a minor. What would Rabbi Blitzstein say, Alan? I find the accusations against Mr. Dershowitz absurd. I have met and admire Mr. Dershowitz who is a fine appellate advocate. I highly recommend Professor Dershowitz's writings on the misunderstood relation between psychology and law as well as his books The Best Defense, Reversal of Fortune, and The Abuse Excuse.)
Jennifer Steinhauer, "Former Virginia Governor is Sentenced to 24 Months for Corruption," The New York Times, January 7, 2015, p. A11. (Bob McDonnell, Democrat of Virginia, convicted of corruption as new investigations are launched against Mr. Menendez: "Was Menendez Bribed to get a Visa For a Croney?" and "Another FBI Investigation of Menendez.")
Alison Smale, "Cyberattack in Germany Shuts Down Official Site," The New York Times, January 7, 2015, p. A9. (Concerns about future combined computer attacks on the part of North Korea and Russia are increasing. There is a greater threat of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism in Germany than is ever going to exist in France.)
Adam Nagourney, "Governor, Governor's Father[,] and an Eloquent Liberal Beacon," The New York Times, January 2, 2015, p. A1. (The loss of Mario Cuomo is the loss of the conscience of the Democratic party.)
"Prosecutors, Torturers, and Their Bosses," (Editorial) The New York Times, December 22, 2014, p. A26. (I favor prosecutions of persons for torture, or any "crime against humanity," by some legal entity.)
"Killing of Police Tests Promise of One City," (Editorial) The New York Times, December 22, 2014, p. A22. (Threats to police can only be heightened by politicizing responses to mayoral statements and actions on the part of the men and women in uniform. Actions of protest and criticism by uniformed public servants must take place on your own time as private citizens.)
Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Eric Lightblau, "Ex-Chief Leads Defense of Spy Agency," The New York Times, December 13, 2014, p. A1. (Mr. Cheney and George Tenet, former head of the CIA, claim that the "boys got a little carried away." "C.I.A. Lies and Torture" and "The C.I.A. and Torture.")
Adam Liptak, "Justices Called On to Decipher One Word: 10 Year Sentence Hangs On Definition," The New York Times, December 3, 2014, p. A20.
Whitfield v. United States, U.S. Supreme Court, Docket No. 13-9216. (No opinion has yet been handed-down by the U.S. Supreme Court in this matter.)
Richard Posner, "Other Illustrations of Practical Reasoning in Law," in The Problems of Jurisprudence (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990), p. 101.
"WASHINGTON -- After a botched bank robbery in 2008 in North Carolina, Larry Whitfield entered the home of a 79-year-old woman, telling her he needed a place to hide. He directed (emphasis added) the woman who was upset and crying, to move with him from her living room to another room some nine feet away."
The difference or distance is alleged to be crucial to the case, but may in fact be totally irrelevant to the issue of principle:
"Those few steps exposed Mr. Whitfield to prosecution under a federal law that calls for a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence when a 'criminal forces any person to ACCOMPANY him during a bank robbery or while fleeing.' ..." (emphasis added!)
"Kidnapping" does not require that the victim be moved from one location to another, only a deprivation of freedom wherever the victim happens to be.
What does the word "accompany" mean in this context? What is the purpose of this provision in the law? A concern with violence is not explicitly voiced in the relevant statute? Does this law reflect a legislative effort to provide additional punishment or "aggravation" for crimes that involve not only theft under threat of violence, but interference with, or limitations upon, the autonomy or freedom of movement of victims? ("What is law?")
This raises the question, again, of the meaning of the word "accompany" in the law.
Is the use of the word "accompany" about a criminal's invitation to a person located in the crime scene to provide some pleasant company? Or is the word "accompany" inherently coercive when used by a person pointing a gun at the victim's head during, or just before, a lovely stroll? ("Ronald Dworkin On Law as Interpretation.")
Let us begin with the dictionary:
"Accompany ... to go with, to escort, to cause something specified to be done, uttered conjointly with something, to accompany words with actions. ... to occur in association with, lightning accompanies the storm. ... "
The New Webster's Dictionary of the English Language: International Edition (New York: Lexicon, 1989), p. 5.
The definitions in standard legal dictionaries are equally unhelpful. How far does this (or any) definition get us in construing a criminal statute?
Not very far, I think, because the issue in this legal context is the policy that is to be served by the law featuring the particular word, or the larger social purposes of the law. ("Charles Fried and William Shakespeare On Interpretation" and "The Allegory of the Cave.")
An exchange between several justices -- including the Chief Justice -- seemingly missed the hermeneutic point entirely.
Debate among the justices centered on whether the enhanced penalty could apply when persons "accompanied" a culprit only a short distance raising "slippery slope" problems. Exactly how far would the distance or "accompanying" have to be to establish liability? A foot? How about eleven-and-a-half inches? The justices expressed bafflement:
"Mr. Whitfield's lawyer, Joseph B. Carpenter, said [the enhanced penalty] should not apply to short distances."
Distance, again, may be irrelevant to the question of whether the "accompanying" by the victim is voluntary or extracted under duress:
" ... Justice Antonin Scalia said 'accompany' is commonly used that way. 'I can accompany my wife to the table when we go to a dinner party,' he said. 'Isn't it proper to say I accompany her to the table?' ..."
Justice Scalia's analogy would be far more apt if he were to put a gun to his wife's head when he made his request that she "accompany" him to their table. Such a gun-to-the-head tactic used on women is not unheard of among Jersey boys:
"Justice Ruth Bader Gingsburg, perhaps reflecting on a recent trip to the hospital[,] ... offered a different example. 'Suppose I were to say, The nurse accompanied a patient as she [the patient] walked around the Intensive Care Unit[?]' she said."
Again, the crucial issue seems to be whether the "accompanying" is voluntary. Motivation and/or victim autonomy is ignored, however, due to a lawyerly focus on "key words" as in contracts or tax cases:
"Chief Justice John G. Roberts gave an example of the anomalies the law could produce."
A distinction is established by the Chief Justice, at this point, but not necessarily one that makes much difference. The Chief Justice simply narrows the focus of discussion: What are the results (or consequences) that follow from the various uses of the word "accompany" under the law?
Many statutes produce anomalous (or insane!) results, which are exclusively for legislatures to correct by rewriting laws, Chief Justice Roberts, unless they directly violate the rights of specific litigants before the bench in a genuine case or controversy:
" ... 'You take ... two bank robberies,' [Mr. Roberts] said. 'One, the robber comes in, waves a gun, pistol-whips five people, grabs the money and runs.' ..."
Mr. Roberts pursued this line of reasoning with tenacity, firmly, but in what he later recognized may be the wrong direction:
" ... 'In another,' he continued, 'the lone robber comes in; just gets the bag of money' and [the robber] says, 'you walk over here two feet with me' so he can 'get the bag of money; and leaves.' ..."
Mr. Roberts then reaches his initial and "pointless" -- as Justice Scalia with characteristic politeness noted -- conclusion:
" ... 'Only the second robber,' the Chief Justice said, 'would be subject to the 10-year-minimum. That doesn't make any sense,' [Mr. Roberts] said."
I suggest that it does make sense, Mr. Chief Justice, if the concern of the legislature is to add what is essentially a kidnapping element to a robbery offense that already presupposes (or implies) a threat of violence, and usually the reality of violence as well.
The law may not have to make sense as long as it is clearly understood or capable of some coherent meaning for the justices. After all, it was written by Congresspersons. Do we expect much good sense from Congress? I doubt it.
It is interesting that none of the current justices has much or any experience as criminal defense lawyers. Justice Alito was a federal prosecutor, but otherwise there was little experience with the criminal justice system by the justices in their pre-judicial careers.
Legal hermeneutics -- problems of interpretation -- cannot be separated from the values implicit in legal codes that are intended to serve larger policy goals, nor with the world-views or intentions of speakers and/or authors of legislation, nor even from the values of those seeking to interpret and apply ambiguous laws.
To interpret any written or artistic text is to inhabit the mind of the creators of that text through a shared medium that is usually language.
This intellectual and emotive challenge of interpretation necessarily involves an element of identification (or empathy), a "fusion of horizons," between the recipient of the message and its creator(s) who are often divided -- and (sometimes) bitterly so -- over the goals or intelligence of proposed legislation, or any text:
"A court should put itself in imagination in the position of a legislature which enacted the measure. ... It should assume that the legislature was made up of reasonable persons pursuing reasonable purposes reasonably."
Henry A. Hart & Albert Sacks, The Legal Process: Basic Problems in the Meaning and Application of Law (Cambridge: Harvard U. Press/Harvard Law School, tent. ed. 1958), pp. 1414-1415.
A "plurality" of the current justices have clearly been especially influenced by the famous Hart and Sacks materials, notably Justices Scalia and Kennedy, but also Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Gingsburg.
The "reasonableness" factor betrays the Enlightenment origins of Anglo-American legal-interpretive thinking. The word "reasonable" is sprinkled over the common law tradition like the proverbial "salt on a good steak." Nevertheless, the word "reasonable" is not the first word that springs to my mind when I think of the U.S. Congress drafting laws or doing anything else.
Notice the parallel to Continental theory that appeals to weird philosophers who read Gadamer, Ricoeur, and Derrida on the indeterminacy of language and "deconstructions" of the shifting meanings of words.
I am delighted and surprised to find the word "deconstruction" entering the vocabulary of the United States Supreme Court. ("Jacques Derrida's Philosophy as Jazz" and "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Author.")
"Gradually there comes to be no correlation between the analysis of the object and our experience of it in understanding. ..."
Richard E. Palmer, "Toward Reopening the Question: What is Interpretation?," in Hermeneutics (Evanston: Illinois, 1969), pp. 233-246 (emphasis added).
If the "accompanying" by the victim in the case before the Court is "involuntary," as it surely is in any robbery involving armed gunmen and helpless victims, then the extra penalties should and would apply, very appropriately, to the culprit regardless of the distance that the victim(s) travels -- even if the victim does no more than reach for the contents of a drawer and then hands them to the criminal on request! -- so that the issue before the Supreme Court might have focused exclusively on "intent," besides the meaning of the word "voluntary," or motive, as well as the coercion felt by the victim as opposed to only the linguistic meaning of the word "accompany."
Robbery and kidnapping are specific intent offenses under the criminal law in every American jurisdiction.
Sorry, Mr. Whitfield, but I am confident that the Supreme Court's decision will be that you will be "accompanied" by the guards back to your prison cell for the duration of your sentence with the extra penalty, deservedly, added to your time.
Around the world in sixty seconds:
Mark Danner, "No Exit," The New York Times Book Review, February 1, 2015, p. 1. (Reviewing Mohamedou Slahi, Guantanamo Diary (New York: Little, Brown, 2015), Larry Siems, Editor.)
"On or about September 11, 2001, American character changed. What Americans previously flaunted as 'our highest values' were now judged to be luxuries that in a new time of evil the country could ill afford. Justice and its cardinal principle of innocent until proven guilty, became a risk, its indulgence a weakness. Asked recently about an innocent man who had been tortured to death in an American 'black site' in Afghanistan, former Vice President Dick Cheney did not hesitate. 'I'm more concerned,' he said, 'with bad guys who got out than I am with a few that, in fact, were innocent.' In this new era in which all would be sacrificed to 'protect' the country, torture and even murder of the innocent must be counted simply 'collateral damage.' ..." (emphasis added!)
Gretchen Morgenson, "Two Judges Get it About Banks: Wells Fargo Loses Two Foreclosure Cases as Judges Cite Abuse and Forgery," The New York Times, Sunday Business, February 1, 2015, p. 1. (This is what needs to happen to clean-up Wall Street. Judges must make banks pay for their "creativity." A Missouri couple gets to keep their house and $3 million in damages.)
Reuters, "JP Morgan to Pay Out $99 Million Over Graft," The New York Times, Sunday Times, February 1, 2015, p. 13. (A settlement over PRICE RIGGING with global implications in currency trading -- the buying and selling of money -- is among the more surrealistic aspects of our lives. I expect to see Mr. Dimon at the MET's new "Carmen" in March. Champagne at the Grand Tier, Jamie?)
Benjamin Mueller, "New York City to Pay $5 Million in 'Mafia Cops' Case," The New York Times, January 20, 2015, p. A3. (NYPD cops moonlighting for the mafia is the sort of thing best left to NJ's West New York police officers. I have seen many Union City and West New York cops "accompanying" me on my strolls in Manhattan.)
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Group of Senators Seeks to Lift Cuba Travel Limits," The New York Times, January 20, 2015, p. A3. (A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Thursday to lift all travel bans for Americans visiting Cuba. This suggests that special immigration status for newly arriving Cubans are no longer logical and should be abolished to equalize the immigration status of all persons seeking legal status in America.)
Stephanie Clifford, "Revisited, a 1987 Conviction is Vacated: Prosecutors in Brooklyn Now Say a Burglary Never Even Occurred," The New York Times, January 30, 2015, p. A21. (Yet another false conviction reversed with unusual honesty from prosecutors at last. Will I hear from Mr. Vance now that Mr. Silver has resigned? OAE? "Prosecutorial Misconduct" and "An Open Letter to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Esq.")
"Washington and Havana Break the Ice," (Editorial) The New York Times, January 30, 2015, p. A22. (These are exciting times for Cubans and their U.S. relatives, most of whom favor Mr. Obama's normalization of relations between the two countries, even if Miami's politicians do not. "Cubanazos Pose a Threat to National Security" and "Miami's Cubanoids Protest Against Peace!")
Joseph Chuman, "Troubling Issues in Verdicts on Deaths of Brown, Garner," The Record, December 9, 2014, p. A-11. (Dehumanizing the victims of police murders. "Albert Florence and New Jersey's Racism.")
Kibret Marcos, "Teacher Facing More Sex Charges: Accused of Assaulting Eight-Grader," The Record, December 9, 2014, p. L-3. (N.J. substitute teacher LINDA HARDAN, 21, faces additional charges of sexual assault upon a 14-year-old. More charges of teachers sending nude photos of themselves to students are said to be forthcoming.)
Karen Sudol, "Female Police Officer Recruit at Port Academy Files Sex Harassment Suit: Alleges Being Taunted, Called a Barbie Doll," The Record, December 11, 2014, p. A-5. (A so-called "Jersey Chic" sues because, as a police recruit, she was subjected to sexual harassment. Shame on you, Mr. Samson. Allegedly, Mr. Menendez is a suspect in the incident. "Wedding Bells Ring For Menendez!" and "Menendez Consorts With Underage Prostitutes" then "Menendez Blames Castro For His Prostitution Habit.")
AP, "Christie Struggles in Polls in N.J. -- Is the Nation Ready? Survey Says No, Clinton Would Win," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. A-9. (The numbers for N.J.'s governor are still in decline in N.J. and nationally. Mr. Christie may find it difficult to win reelection even in New Jersey. It appears that Mr. Christie's "balls" have been "deflated," as it were, by the Bridgegate scandal. "Christie's Bridge of Sighs.")
Lizette Alvarez, "Law Favoring Cuban Arrivals is Challenged," The New York Times, February 2, 2015, p. A1. (Lizette Alvarez is probably a front-person for Rubio and Ros-Leghtinen as well as Miami's Right-wing forces. Ms. Alvarez is a Republican. Automatic exceptions for Cubans are in trouble.)
Michael Barbaro, "Christie Returns to Good Old London; London Says, 'Who?'," The New York Times, February 2, 2015, p. A16. (Mr. Christie visits London causing another possible war with the British.)
Peter Baker & Jodi Rudoren, "A Strained Alliance: Obama-Netanyahu Rift Over Years," The New York Times, January 31, 2015, p. A1. (The tensions between Israel's Prime Minister and the U.S. President "reflects six years of suspicion and mistrust and grievance, wounds from past brawls easily reopened by what might otherwise be small irritations. It reflects resentments on the part of Mr. Obama, who watched Mr. Netanyahu seemingly root [and more] for his Republican opponent in the 2012 election and now sees him circumventing the Oval Office to work with a Republican Congress instead.")
Kim Lueddeke, "Leonia Firehouse Assault Suit Settled: Parents of Victim Agree to $320,000," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. L-1. (A young boy was sexually molested at the Leonia firehouse leading to a settlement of $320,000.)
Peter J. Samson, "Child Porn Charges for Fort Lee Man," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. L-3. (Bob Menendez supporter and alleged financial contributor, JOSE CHAVARRIA, 53, was indicted on charges of possessing 100 computer files depicting graphic sex with minors and/or heinous sexual exploitation and abuse of children. This person is no amateur. This amount of material is not for personal use.)
Jeff Green, "Judges Rebuked by State Justices: 2 Socialized With Indicted Official," The Record, January 22, 2015, p. A-1. (Two Passaic County "jurists were criticized by the N.J. Supreme Court" -- whose justices as well as many other N.J. judges have been known to do the same and worse! -- for "socializing" with an indicted official. "Mafia Influence in New Jersey Courts and Politics" and "New Jersey Supreme Court's Implosion" then "New Jersey's Judges Disgrace America" and "New Jersey's Failed Judiciary.")
Peter J. Sampson, "Rochelle Park Man Indicted in Lure Try," The Record, December 12, 2014, p. L-3. (Michael T. Mullins, 27, was arrested for attempting to lure a police officer he believed to be a 15-year-old child to his home for sex. "Mistake of fact" defense? Mr. Mullins is free on $30,000 bail. He claims to support Mr. Christie and the New England Patriots.)
John A. Oswald, "Reports: Silver Tried to Hold On to Power," Metro, February 2, 2015, p. 4. ("Silver tried one last back-room deal to secretly call the shots in the New York State Assembly as he fights the federal corruption charges against him." At the same time that this back-room effort was taking place, Mr. Silver was declaring, publicly, his willingness to leave office. Mr. Silver is believed to be behind some of the allegations that have surfaced recently about rivals for the Speaker's position. Regrettably, more charges are expected against the former Speaker.)
Jeff Green, "Teacher Suspended Over Alleged Sexual Contact: Clifton Instructor Charged With Act With Student," The Record, December 19, 2014, p. L-1. (Clifton's Marc-Andrew Marucci -- alleged "cousin" of Diana Lisa Riccioli -- "a high school teacher is accused of sexual contact with a 17-year-old student." Ms. Riccioli denies being a lesbian these days, allegedly, and all underworld affiliations. "Diana's Friend Goes to Prison!" and "Marilyn Straus Was Right!")
Jim Norman, "Agencies Ordered to Yield Records: Delays Thwart Law's Intent, Judge Rules," The Record, January 14, 2015, p. L-1. ("Police departments and other public agencies" -- Does this include the OAE that is still obstructing justice, lying, and covering-up the truth in my matters? -- "are OBLIGATED to promptly turn over documents requested under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act without resorting to unjustified delay or tactics aimed at thwarting the intent of the law, a state Superior Court Judge has ruled." Was this ruling a lie? If not, then why are the documents and truths that I have requested for so long still denied to me, Mr. Rabner? "Have you no shame, Mr. Rabner?" then "John McGill, Esq., the OAE, and New Jersey Corruption" and "New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics.")
Kate Zernike & Michael Barbaro, "In Christie's Career, Fondness for Luxury Travel," The New York Times, February 3, 2015, p. A1. (On a recent trip to Israel, Mr. Christie flew in a "private plane, on which Mr. Christie had his own bedroom," that was lent "by Sheldon G. Adelson, the billionaire Casino owner and supporter of Israel. At the time [Mr. Adelson] was opposing legislation before the governor to legalize online gambling in New Jersey." I have reason to believe that Mr. Adelson is "aware" of my blog posts. Invicta? "Christie Gives a Donor $1 Million of N.J. Money.")
Somini Segupta, "Leader of War Crimes Inquiry Into '14 Gaza Conflict Resigns," The New York Times, February 3, 2015, p. A1. (Israeli pressure may oust or prevent any Chairperson of the relevant UN committee from investigating Gaza war crimes. "The Audacity of Hope" and "Israel Heightens Gaza Conflict.")
Adam Liptak, "Courts Write Decisions That Elude the Long View," The New York Times, February 3, 2015, p. A11. (A way to avoid scrutiny for decisions courts are not proud of is simply to prevent their publication: "Secrecy of courts is the enemy of freedom.")
Melissa Hayes, "Menendez Leads the Way On Iran-Sanctions Delay: Senate Democrats Giving Obama Time for Talks," The Record, January 28, 2015, p. A-1. (Mr. Menendez may be responding to instructions from Netanyahu and/or the Israeli lobby that contributes to his campaign. In any case, Senator Menendez appears to be backing down from his conflict with President Obama on Iran. Menendez has said that he does not believe the president's efforts will be successful.)
Melissa Hayes, "Christie Planning to Meet With President of Israel," The Record, January 28, 2015, p. A-3. (Mr. Christie will meet with Israel's president to receive instructions, perhaps, on foreign policy issues.)
"A Welcome Retreat by Menendez," (Editorial) The Star-Ledger, January 28, 2015, p. 18. (Menendez "caves-in" in his confrontation with President Obama. Iran may be a part of a subtle geopolitical strategy by Mr. Obama that neither Menenedez nor Netanyahu understands -- or appreciates -- and that is related BOTH to the president's efforts on Iraq and ISIS in Syria.)
AP, "Legislator Jailed in Sex Case Faces More Charges," The Record, January 22, 2015, p. A-11. (Delegate JOSEPH D. MORISSEY, 57, indicted on four felony charges is represented by William J. Neely, Esq. -- known as "Fighting Joe"! -- after engaging in a fist fight with an adversary in the courthouse. Mr. Morissey may be appointed to the New Jersey Legal Ethics Committee after he serves his time and moves to Trenton.)
"Access to Public Records: Timely Release of Information is the Law," (Editorial) The Record, January 15, 2015, p. A-11. (Is the New Jersey Public Records Law a lie, Mr. Rabner?)
Lin That, "5 From Passaic Admit to Role in $2.5 Million Tax Refund Scheme: Used Puerto Rico Residents' Social Security," The Record, January 15, 2015, p. L-1. (Identity theft and other scams with alleged payments to public officials that may have involved New Jersey lawyers. "N.J. Lawyers in School Lunch Scam.")
Jim Norman, "Lawyers, Others Charged With Mortgage Fraud: Allegedly Obtained Inflated Loans," The Record, January 15, 2015, p. L-3. (N.J. LAWYER and alleged Bob Menendez supporter ANDYS SOFIA GOMEZ, ESQ., 47, of Chatham, New Jersey used the names of local men and women to file mortgage applications as scams. Gilberto Garcia? "Herbert Klitzner, Esq.'s Greed and N.J. Hypocrisy.")
Monday, January 5, 2015
Was Menendez Bribed to Get a Visa For a Croney?
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