What Would Abraham Lincoln Say About The Citation Given To Jason West?

Jason West, a Utah man, apparently had a dispute with the Basin Clinic about a medical bill. According to the Deseret News of Salt Lake City, Jason asked the staff if they accepted cash. When they responded in the affirmative, he apparently paid the twenty-five dollar bill by pouring 2,500 pennies onto the counter. According to the paper, he then requested the staff to count the pennies. As a result of the May 27, 2011 incident, West has been cited on a charge of disorderly conduct.

According to Assistant Vernal Police Chief Keith Campbell, dumping the 2,500 pennies on the counter upset the staff because pennies were supposedly strewn about the counter and floor. It was also reported that West's action served "no legitimate purpose." On its face, this comment seems to be blatantly inaccurate. Last Legal Pub researched the issue, a penny was still valid U.S. tender. Payment of a bill in cash does have a legitimate purpose of satisfying an indebtedness. Furthermore, the expression of free speech by paying this obligation in currency is a peaceful, protected action.

Despite what appears to be lawful action, police issued the 38-year-old West a citation for disorderly conduct. The potential fine is $140 or 14,000 pennies. Hopefully West secures the services of a lawyer who will take this case probono. The precedent set by punishing a man for peacefully exercising his rights can not be tolerated in a free society.

Read more: Article.

Martha Rivera Alanis Cares By Protecting Her Students.

A Mexican governor from the northern state of Nuevo Leon awarded kindergarten teacher Martha Rivera Alanis an award for her "outstanding civic courage" in her protecting her class from collateral damage from a nearby gunfight in Monterrey. Rivera Alanis used her cell phone to tape a video, in which she is heard coaxing the class to lie flat on the floor.
"No, my love, nothing is going to happen, just put your little face on the floor," Rivera Alanis told one worried little pupil. Loud gunfire is heard on the video. Paramedics later confirmed the gunfire was from the slaying of five people at a nearby taxi stand.

On the video, this fantastic teacher distracts the kids by leading them in a song. LINK.

6-2-11: Regarding a completely different woman in the news, Michelle Hoang Thi Le is missing. She was last seen at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward. She was last seen after her clinical rotation on Friday. Let's hope this 5'6" woman is found alive and well.

6-3-11: Mean time, a severe strand of E. coli is threatened the health of Europe. The source of the E. coli is thought to be raw tomatoes and cucumbers but has yet to be isolated. So far, 18 people have died and almost 2000 have been afflicted with severe illness. Scientists have classified the new strain as "super toxic."

Video Guy's Impression of Dr. Phil Allowing Shanda Sharer's Mom To Confront Hope Rippey

Here is an exclusive update on the brutal 1992 murder of Shanda Sharer.

Legal Pub: Please refresh the readers recollection about this story.
Video Guy: In January of 1992 four teenage girls, Melinda Loveless-16, Laurie Tackett-17, Hope Rippey-15, and Toni Lawrence-15, all from Southern Indiana. Abducted twelve-year-old Shanda Sharer from the safety of her home, in the middle of the night. For ten hours Shanda was beaten, tortured, molested and eventually burned alive, dieing from asphyxiation from her own burning flesh. This ten-hour ordeal that Shanda endured covered over fifty miles with Shanda spending most of that time in the trunk of Laurie’s car, half naked in sub-zero temperatures.

Legal Pub: Throughout the time that you have been a regular poster on Legal Pub, you have appeared to have a keen interest in this case. What all have you done to follow this saga?
Video Guy: I have been involved with this case for over three years and here are my videos of many of the locations where the crimes to Shanda occurred. I also speak with Toni and Hope asking them if they would be interested in appearing on camera and speaking out against teen violence and bullying. They both refused.Link: http://www,youtub.com/user/FullMoonVideo?feature=chclk

Legal Pub: What is the latest development in this story?Video Guy: Friday May 20th Dr. Phil interviewed Shanda's mother Jacque and her sister Paije. On Monday May 23d, the interview continued with one of the defendants, Hope Rippey. http://www.drphil.com/shows/

Legal Pub: What were the allegations as to Hope Rippey?
Video Guy: Hope Rippey’s involvement with this crime was extensive, She apparently lured Shanda from the safety of her home to Laurie's car, drove the car while Melinda Loveless held a butcher knife to Shanda’s throat. Stole Shanda’s Mickey Mouse watch and jewelry, then pranced around in Shanda’s cloths, while she was being beaten by Melinda and Laurie. She also allegedly assisted in holding Shanda down while Melinda strangled her with a shoelace, then helped drag Shanda to the trunk of Laurie’s car and toss her in.

Laurie and Melinda dropped Hope and Toni off at Laurie’s house than apparently proceeded to drive around with Shanda in the trunk, stopping periodically to stab and beat her with a Tire Iron. Upon their return they opened the trunk to show Hope their handy work and with Shanda bleeding to death in the trunk while crying for her “Mommy”, Hope said; “You don’t look so hot now do you”, and proceed to spray Windex into Shanda’s open wounds.

... The four girls drove to Madison, Indiana to purchase the gas. While at the service station, Shanda, barely alive, began kicking and scratching while in the trunk drawing the attention of another patron. Hope than apparently moved Laurie’s car to a more secure location.... (They proceeded to) a rural location ... where Shada was to be burned, once there she helped remove her from the trunk and poured the gasoline onto Shanda’s beaten and broken body… Laurie than ignited. It was reported by Toni (who wanted nothing to do with this crime) that as Shanda’s tiny body went up in flames and she struggled to try and get to her feet, the three girls came running back to the car laughing.

Legal Pub: What punishment was given?

Video Guy: Hope Rippey was sentenced to 50 years, cutting a deal to avoid life without parole. Hope was released early in 2006 after serving only 13 years, backed by the religious organizations affiliated with the Indiana Prison System because she had been “Born Again” in prison and deserves another chance.

Legal Pub: I know that you have been critical of Hope's early release, what comment about the show do you think is fair?

Video Guy: I have spoken with Hope Rippey over a year ago and she told me she would NEVER appear on TV or in a video…I’m now wondering what her motivation is to do this show. So, watch the show and comment…Is Hope Rippey sincere and deserving of another chance? Or is she still the manipulative person she was back then, only more street-smart from her time?

Editor's note: Dr Phil made the following quote on his show: "It could not have been easy to sit before them, but I think you owed it to them. You doing that indicates to me that you're doing what you can. There's no way to make this right — you just have to make the rest of your life right. Anything short of bringing her back is not a fix for them. If you have 30 years, 40 years or 50 years left in this world, you have to spend it doing the right thing and using your life."

Video Guy Rebuttal: There are many things Hope told me... over two years ago, including ... her " I don't know why" reason for what she did. I also told her the same thing Dr. Phil told her... and was even working on helping her to find youth groups she could speak with. That was until I believe that I discovered her intentions of making contact with me were deceptive and I cut all communication with her.

Video Guy's video may be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/FullMoonVideo?feature=chclk

Update 7-17-2018:  Not really sure what happened to Video Guy.  He stopped posting here a few years ago.  By way of updating what happened to those charged with the crime, the following is offered.  Toni Lawrence plead guilty to one count of criminal confinement.  She was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years.  She was released on December 14, 2000, after serving nine years. Toni's parole ended in December of 2002.

Hope Rippey was sentenced to 60 years in prison.  Ten years of her sentences was suspended for mitigating circumstances. Hope's sentence was further reduced on appeal to 35 years. Hope was released early on April 28, 2002 from Indiana Women's Prison after serving 14 years of prison.

Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett were each sentenced to 60 years in prison. Tacket was released on Jan. 11, 2018.  Melinda Loveless is due to be released in 2019. 

Camden Hughes Asphyxiated And Then Dumped Along Side The Road by Good Old Mom, Julianne McCrery?

While a Florida mom is currently on trial for allegedly murdering her daughter LINK, an Irving, Texas woman may face a similar fate. Julianne McCrery, 42, is accused of killing her 6-year-old son, Camden Hughes, and dumping his body alongside a dirt road. (Photo at left courtesy of Facebook.) She has been charged with second-degree murder. Camden's body was found in Maine (near the border with New Hampshire.) McCrery was apprehended in Massachusetts. When please found her, she was supposedly sitting in her blue Tacoma truck reading the bible. It is believed that Camden was actually killed in New Hampshire, where charges were ultimately filed. New Hampshire Attorney General Michael A. Delaney is expected to oversee the prosecution.

According to the autopsy, Camden's died of asphyxiation. The mechanism of death is listed as homicide. According to police, Julianne McCrery claims that she accidentally gave Camden too much cough syrup. Camden Hughes asphyxiation

Public records show that McCrery was apparently arrested on prostitution charges and for possession with intent to distribute drugs in Texas. In 2009, she was apparently sentenced to one year in prison for a misdemeanor conviction of prostitution. In 2004, she apparently received three years of probation for a felony conviction of possession of a controlled substance.

The most disturbing fact is that Camden had not been reported as missing. A computer-generated image showing a boy with dirty blond hair and blues eye was recognized by Christian von Atzigen, of Irving, Texas. Christian told police the image appeared to be of McCrery's son. According to Von Atzigen, McCrery and her husband were divorced and he never saw McCrery mistreat her son. He described Camden for the A.P. as "... a great little boy, just fun, a good kid, smart as a whip."

Several hundred people attended a candlelight vigil in the boy's memory Tuesday night in front of the South Berwick town hall. Three crosses, dozens of stuffed animals, candles, flowers, a baseball and other children's items have been placed at the place Camden's body was found. While grieving is well underway, the questions of why this little child is no longer in our midst remains a mystery.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Not Quite the Ladies Man He Was Thought To Be? 7-2-11 Update

Sooner or later they all get caught. Dominique Strauss-Kahn is suppose to be so smooth with women. In fact he was thought to be so smooth that he survived an affair with a subordinate. The International Monetary Fund leader was on a direct path to the French presidency. All that may change as Dominique faces his stiffest challenge, one in which he is accused of sexually assaulting a maid in his 28th floor hotel room. According to at least one report, Strauss Kahn entered the room naked, chased the maid, grabbed her chest and attempted to remove the maids pantyhose. He then allegedly grabbed her between her legs and "forced her to perform oral sex." The alleged victim is a 32 year-old single mother who lives in a borough of the Bronx. She is originally from Guinea (West Africa.) She has been an employee of the hotel for about 2 years.

The New York maid supposedly identified Strauss-Kahn out of a lineup. An arraignment will occur today. Strauss-Kahn's lawyer William Taylor said DNA testing along with a forensic exam have been completed. Early DNA reports are apparently consistent with the maids story; however, prosecutors are remaining silent. In the mean time, Strauss-Kahn is being held in isolation without bail. The IMF, which controls the European debt crisis, named an acting leader. Since the arrest, the public has thirsted for more details as to how this major political figure got caught. Legal Pub has heard that Strauss-Kahn apparently called the hotel on his way to the airport. Seems he made a common mistake folks in a hurry sometimes make, he forgot his cell phone. The maid had already reported the incident and the police were sent to meet the diplomat at the airport.

Another lawyer for Strauss-Kahn, Benjamin Brafman, told The Associated Press that his client will plead not guilty. And of course, Strauss-Kahn is to be presumed innocent unless otherwise proven in a court of law. However in the mean time, another woman has come forward who claims she was a victim of Strauss-Kahn back in 2002. If true, why did this woman wait so long? While questions remain unanswered, Strauss-Kahn is confined to a 11 by 13 cell in New York's Rikers Island jail complex with little to no chance of bail. First Deputy Managing Director John Lipsky will function as acting manager director."

Update 5-17-11: Tristane Bannon, a 31 year old writer, claims that in 2002 Strauss-Kahn attacked her during an interview. She describes him as acting like a "chimp in heat." She describes a graphic struggle that ended in her kicking him. Who knows at this point what really happened, but one thing is for sure, Ms. Bannon can certainly tell a good story. LINK.

Update 5-18-11: So what are people saying? According to Assistant D.A. John McConnell, the suspect, "grabbed the victim's chest..., attempted to remove her pantyhose..., forcibly grabbed her between her legs..., forced her to engage in oral sex and anal sexual conduct." He also allegedly tried to force her to engage in intercourse but apparently the act was not consummated.

"I do not see how he can perform his duties as director of the IMF, so by definition, this issue should be resolved in the coming days." Jean-Francois Cope, Sec-Gen of UMP party.

"...obviously not in a position to run the IMF," says U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

However, Anne Sinclair, Strauss-Kahn's journalist wife, is sticking by her man. Before you jump to the conclusion that she is crazy, keep in mind that the Conseil Sondage Analyses (Council of Polling Analysis) published a poll that "57% of the French people think Strauss-Kahn was victimized." So the majority of the public disagrees with the politicians calling for his head. Entrapment theories are growing stronger and stronger in the U.K. 54% of the Strauss-Kahn Socialist Party think the party can still get a candidate elected president. Politics aside, the hotel maid victim is now represented by attorney Jeffrey Shapiro who has been quoted as saying, "She is very scared about her future." One suspects that Strauss-Kahn is probably also concerned about his potential schedule change for the next 25 years.

Update 2-19-11: According to Kristin Davis, Strauss-Kahn used her escort service twice in 2006. This is the same Manhattan Madam who allegedly supplied prostitutes to ex- Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Apparently Strauss-Kahn purchased two hours of "female company" for $1,200.

Update 7-2-11: Was Legal Pub one of the first to question the story of the victim?
It just seemed all too coincidental. On the brink of big financial meeting, INF leader attacks a hotel maid. The New York posted has no confirmed that the hotel maid who accused former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique-Strauss Kahn of sexual assault has allegedly worked in the past as a prostitute. New York Post. It has been alleged that the Sofitel Hotel housekeeper would have sex with male guests at the hotel for money. It appears that there is evidence that the housekeeper sometimes earned "extraordinary tips" and had a lot of expenses "paid for by men not related to her."

Kahn released without bail ">

As a result of some background checking on the victim, the prosecution agreed to allow the Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn go free without bail. His wife, Anne Sinclair, has apparently stuck by his side throughout the allegations. Strauss-Kahn may get back into the French Presidential race. French Presidential Bid

Should the maid's extensive background negate her accusations that Strauss-Kahn chased her through his luxury suite, tried to pull down her pantyhose and force her to perform oral sex? Well, the charges, which include attempted rape, have not been officially reduced. However, considering that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office revealed that the 32-year-old woman had committed a host of minor frauds to better her life, including lying on immigration paperwork, cheating on her taxes, and misstating her income so she could live in an apartment reserved for the poor, one suspects the charges may be dropped.

Prosecutors also admit that the alleged victim originally misrepresented what she did after the alleged attack by Strauss-Kahn. Rather than flee his luxury suite to a hallway and waiting for a supervisor, she went to clean another room and then returned to clean Strauss-Kahn's suite. Only then did she report the alleged encounter. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance admits that the investigation has "raised concerns about the complaining witness's credibility." Strauss-Kahn attorney William Taylor said, this case demonstrates "how easy it is for people to be charged with serious crimes and for there to be a rush to judgment... It is so important in this country that people, especially the media, refrain from judgment until the facts are all in."

But Ken Thompson, the accuser's attorney, said that Strauss-Khan's claim of consensual sex is a "lie." He said, "The victim here may have made some mistakes, but that doesn't mean she's not a rape victim." See: Foxnews.com hotel-maid-

Has Corporate Corruption Contaminated The Reputation of The Rich And Transformed Them Into Targets? 5-11-11 Analogy

Who really benefits from the current tax code? The top 1% of taxpayers end up paying almost as much in federal income tax (and some years even more) as the bottom 95% combined. Almost 50 percent of all U.S. households (69 million) are projected to have owed no federal income taxes for 2010. The vast majority of these folks are considered "low income." There are also a handful of millionaire that owed virtually nothing in taxes because of their big investment losses from the 2008 financial crisis. These same millionaires tend to be retired or self-employed. High-income households may also reduce their federal tax liability by making huge charitable donations.

During times of economic trouble, some say the rich should pay more tax. But there simply are not enough rich people to foot the bill even with a tax increase.

So why are the rich such popular targets? Well, BP (LINK) could not fix the catastrophic gusher it called a “leak,” Martha Stewart couldn't quite understand the insider trading laws, Enron executives didn't understand the concept of "fiduciary duty" and Barry Bonds (LINK) apparently struggles with examinations under oath. Since President Obama is struggling to fix the economy, the growing answer seems to be "why not?" The simple answer is that a few bad apples does not necessarily spoil the entire bunch. If the top 1% pay 95% of the taxes, is it really fair that the rest of us ask them to pull more of the weight? Furthermore, what if they finally say no thank you?

Update 5-11-11: We can explain our tax system by analogizing to 10 men going out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh $7.
The eighth $12.
The ninth $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

Let's further suppose that the ten men eat dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement. One day, when the owner says,"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20."

So, now dinner for the ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So, the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share'? $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from every body's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being 'PAID' to eat their meal.

So, the restaurant owner suggested to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But the sixth man said, "I only got a dollar out of the $20 and the tenth man got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right. And I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!" exclaimed the fifth man.

"Right, why should the tenth man get $10 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!" shouted the seventh man.

"We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" said the first four men. The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. So the next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner. When it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

Under our tax system, people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much and they just may not show up at the table anymore. (There are lots of good restaurants in over seas.)

R.W. McQuarters Shot In the Back by Mask Man For Unknown Reasons

Osama bin Laden was not the only man shot over the weekend. Locally, Former NFL player R.W. McQuarters was shot in the back in his hometown of Tulsa. According to police, McQuarters was leaving a friend's house in north Tulsa on Saturday at about 12:15 in the afternoon when the incident occurred. McQuarters claims that he saw a masked man standing around outside his friends home. He claims the man disappeared so he left the house and started to drive away. According to McQuarters, he was shot by the man wearing a ski mask as he drove away.Multiple shots were allegedly fired but only one hit McQuarters. McQuarters then says he drove himself to the hospital. McQuarter's condition is not believed to be life threatening.

McQuarters was shot once in the upper back. He was taken to a local Tulsa hospital by ambulance. His condition is stable. McQuarters had been a star in the NFL. He played for the Chicago Bears and most recently with the New York Giants in 2008. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and played for Oklahoma State before starting his NFL career with San Francisco.

The circumstances of being shot by a man in a ski mask has raised a great deal of scrutiny with the local police. Robber of the 34 year old McQuarters did not appear to be the motive. Police will want to know who knew McQuarters would be at this residence and why McQuarters did not initially report the man in a ski mask to police prior to exiting the residence.

For more information see Mcquarters.