Everyone else is reading "the book." And you don't even have to say any more, everyone knows which one you are talking about, and don't dare be a spoiler. But I am reading the book, "Deadfall." Just arrived. Very interesting indeed. Chapter 13 talks about Stoen, the prosecution of Debi August, and the Grand Jury.
I'm told Borders has some copies "in transit" - I wonder why they don't have this book featured, given that it is a local murder mystery, with multiple unsolved stranglings of young women.
And I wonder why they didn't do a meet the author/book signing? Why none of the local bookstores held a book signing? It's not too late. If not Borders, one of our local bookstores...
Puleeeezeeeee
ReplyDeleteGod, I support you Rose, but Debbi August was 100 percent GUILTY.
One simply canNOT represent themselves in front of the planning commission as private citizen, and then THE VERY NEXT MEETING FOR THE VERY SAME PROJECT represent themselves as a member of the city council, something she was advised to not FUCKING DO.
And Debi, if you are reading this, and I am sure you are, YOU ARE a POX, a BLIGHT on the very same City you were sworn to protect.
ReplyDeleteOh for God's sake, she paid a high enough price, too. In more ways than one. The process that was brought to bear was overkill, it was manipulated by Stoen and Gallegos. Two Grand Jury forewomen, each in their own way, saw something was seriously wrong and took their own steps to try to keep things right, to protect the system from the two people who care the least about the sanctity of the system, Gallegos and Stoen.
ReplyDeleteI for one, am grateful, Because Debi August stood up to Stoen, and siad, "No." He was exposed.
That's what it takes. People standing up. And speaking out. Too many people in the Gallegos saga are afraid to speak out, though many know things that haven't yet seen the light of day.
I appreciate your service, 7:54. And based on what you know, and found, you are entitled to your opinion on this.
AND, there was more going on than you knew. That was clear from the testimony.
indeed there was, Rose, and that's why debi obfuscated, delayed and demurred.
ReplyDeleteShe was guilty as sin, she said it on the public record, and got away with it.
And, if so, the proper thing would have been for the Grand Jury to issue a scathing report, and turned the matter over to the City Council. At that point, the proper thing would have been for the fellow City Council Members to decide whether or not to sanction her.
ReplyDeleteInstead, Stoen guided the Grand Jury into a rarely used "accusation" process.
And what would have been the penalty? She would be removed from office.
And, when 4 out of 5 of the charges were tossed out by the judge, and with his one remaining count against her, he offered her a plea bargain.
She would plead guilty, and she could run again. I might be wrong, but I think it also included that her sentence would be deferred.
And, regardless, her case sent a clear message to others who would have spoken out against Gallegos and Stoen. This can happen to you.
And, in the end, what was shown? Documents were missing. And the case was dismissed.
I wish it hadn't been dismissed, actually, because I would like to know what was missing, why it was missing, who was involved, and what was really going on.
ReplyDeleteI am curious though - do you think Gallegos should have been going after Debi August, or John Annibel?
ReplyDeleteHe chooses to prosecute Penny O'Gara, who hit a patch of hail in a freak downpour; John Biord, for not paying his bed taxes; Sean Marsh for god knows what reason, but lets the accused Whitethorn rapists, who allegedly tie a woman to a tree and rape her for three days strike a plea.
He promises Lisa LaDeRoute that John Annibel will finally face justice, and then, after using her for his campaign PR, turns his back on her.
That's what we are really talking about here.
7:54pm I was at all of those meetings, at least ten, including the single ONE that Debi August attended. She NEVER attended any Council meetings concerning the project. She never voted. She never spoke as a council member. She never influenced any staff member or commissioner (read the transcript). IN FACT the commission and the council voted to add NEW conditions to an already burdened project that would eventually kill it. Drive by the site. It has not changed and the owners of the project dropped it and it was never completed. You believe a lie. Plain and simple. What Debi did was to try and help a member of her community. She never voted or influened the vote of this project. I agree with you Rose, and I know that Debi does as well. She fought hard to get this before a jury so that the truth could be finally told. 7:54pm is certainly entitled to his or her beliefs but one would hope that before he or she spews such anger born from lies that they would at least do the research first. If he or she can give any factual basis to their beliefs I would love to hear them. And please do not repeat what you read in the TS, they were on PG's and TS side and they printed lies. Give me only factual truths that you can bare witness to.
ReplyDelete8:16 - she did this at planning commission meetings, not city council meetings.
ReplyDeleteI dont care anymore. I moved from loop road after she and her bullying contractor friend tried to get us to sign letters saying we didnt need the road to be widened.
Debi needed to do more than
ReplyDelete" try and help a member of her community"
She needed to represent her entire community, including those of us who were and still are on south loop road.
Thank god i moved to mckinleyville.
South Loop Road has not changed. The contractor friend (Kindergarden Teacher, now retired) has chosen not to do anything with the land. It is the same as God created it 4000 years ago. I am glad you are happy in McKinleyville and hope you are not near any vacant land.
ReplyDeletecontractor friend = dw not c.smith
ReplyDeleteyou know, the one who started carving up the hillside before the project was even supposed to start?
ReplyDeleteI was aware that Carmen went door to door but was not aware that Dennis did.
ReplyDeleteI'm still curious - what should have been a higher priority, prosecuting John Annibel - or prosecuting Debi August?
ReplyDeleteLet's make it even more basic - what was more important, prosecuting Debi August or returning Lisa's phone calls? Arranging to return her sister's remains?
How about, what was more important - going after Sean Marsh, or deciding whether or not to prosecute John Annibel?
A higher priority for a normal dedicated District Attorney? Debi August wouldn't have ever have been brought to light. A normal DA would have sent that back to the City of Fortuna. A "normal dedicated" DA would have went after the criminal case NOT the civil case. But we are not talking normal or dedicated here. PG is a blight to his public office and should be prosecuted himself for his blatant miss use of it!
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing is, Lisa LaDeRoute waited all those years for justice, and then through a stroke of misfortune, the remains are finally discovered on Gallegos watch.
ReplyDeleteThe DA's Office was in a state of lockdown and turmoil - Gallegos had issued his "Gag Order" telling the staff that anyone who talked to the press would be fired, morale had sunk to unbelievably low levels, the Deputy DA's put their heads down and tried to continue doing their jobs, but conditions went from bad to worse, and now most of them are gone. Those remaining are hopelessly overloaded, and the valuable experience is gone.
I am going to try and answer the questions posed above by Rose @ 8/5/905pm and the following post by anon 8/6 839am. Please bear with me as I try to gather my thoughts.
ReplyDelete"I'm still curious - what should have been a higher priority, prosecuting John Annibel - or prosecuting Debi August?"
Rose, I am not a PGallegos supporter. I certainly do not think that prosecuting Debi August or supposed Palco fraud should take priority over a murder case; However, this is not a one person shop. He should not have to sacrifice one case at the expense of the other. To infer that he drop one at the expense of the other is wrong. He should be investigating, prioritizing and prosecuting ALL wrongdoing brought to his attention, including what Debi August did.
"Let's make it even more basic - what was more important, prosecuting Debi August or returning Lisa's phone calls? Arranging to return her sister's remains?"
Again, why does it have to be one or the other? He should have done BOTH. I'm with you, he's an incompetent boob. But that doesnt excuse what Debi August did. It was wrong.
"How about, what was more important - going after Sean Marsh, or deciding whether or not to prosecute John Annibel? "
Once again you infer he is only doin one thing at a time. I agree, his priorities suck.
8/05/2007 9:04 PM
"Anonymous said...
A higher priority for a normal dedicated District Attorney? Debi August wouldn't have ever have been brought to light. A normal DA would have sent that back to the City of Fortuna."
I totally disagree with this statement. The GRAND JURY, brought forward based on complaints by CITIZENS OF FORTUNA, NOT Timothy Stoen, or Paul Gallegos. A normal DA might very well have pressed criminal charges. A normal District Attorney should very much "have brought to light"
the MISDEEDS Debi August brought upon the residents of south loop road.
"A "normal dedicated" DA would have went after the criminal case NOT the civil case."
You people thinking that the DA's office only pursues one case at a time are using some really convoluted thinking. Do you think that someone like, say, a real estate agent is only working on the sale of one property at a time?
" But we are not talking normal or dedicated here. PG is a blight to his public office and should be prosecuted himself for his blatant miss use of it! "
I agree one hundred percent. I just want to paraphrase you though with regards to the unfortunate reign of Debi August:
But we are not talking normal or dedicated here. DAugust was a blight to her public office and should have been prosecuted herself for her blatant misuse of it.
In the words of my dearly departed dad, "Two wrongs dont make a right".
What she did was wrong, and those of us who were bullied and abused will never forget it, nor will we allow history to rewrite it painting poor debi as a victim.
I do agree with you that one should not rule out the other - that the DAs Office should be able to prosecute more than one case at a time, that's why they have 19 or so Deputy DAs - some specialize in child abuse prosecutions, some in drug prosecutions, some juvenile, some civil, and so on all across the board. And in a small office, all of them have to be able to take up pretty much any case and run with it.
ReplyDeleteGallegos has been on the radio numerous times espousing his theory that he doesn't want any of them to get comfrtable in any one area, so he shuffles them around rather than letting them specialize - or - in other words, he keeps everyone at their least efficient.
One can assume he started this "practice" to cover for the fact that his handlers had concluded that he had to take Dikeman out of senior position long before the election, give him the shit cases and keep him from winning any cases. To cover that he had to shuffle everyone, despite the fact that he had people who were awarded 'prosecutor of the year' in their area.
What he fails to account for - maybe doesn't comprehend - is the value of having a specialty, the contacts, the knowledge base, and the value of experience, it keeps things from slipping through the cracks.
The way it is now - cases are assigned to "buckets" - and each DDA picks up the "bucket" and goes to court, whether or not they know anything about the case.
All except Stoen, in his day. Stoen "had issues" with "buckets" and didn't have to hold up his end.
But back to your point - Gallegos chose to make Palco his signature case. Stoen chose Debi August.
How many cases did Tim Stoen handle while he was the second highest paid man in the office? A dozen? Five?
Whatever Debi August may or may not have done it pales - PALES! - in comparison to what has been and is being done by this DA - and HE is getting away with it.
Agree with everything you just said Rose, except that again, two wrongs don't make a right and he should have prioritized and investigated and prosecuted.
ReplyDeleteWe really don't know if in fact as you say "Whatever Debi August may or may not have done it pales - PALES! - in comparison to what has been and is being done by this DA - and HE is getting away with it"
We could have known for sure whether or not it paled in comparison to paul, if she had not delayed the trial time and time, and yes, time again, while at the very same time crying that she was not getting her day in court.
They both were and are a blight on the communities they supposedly serve/served.
There is absolutely no comparison. Stoen plotted to poison the water supply of Washington DA, plotted to KILL Les Kinsolving, according to published accounts by the survivors of Jonestown.
ReplyDeleteWhen he came here, he showed that he had not changed, he was still capable of the same dirty tricks, still into the same mind games... no, he didn't get around to plotting murder (that we know of) - but he certainly tried to ruin a judge - and that's only part of the story.
And, it was my impression that it was Stoen who kept delaying things. In both of his cases.
Stoen wanted them to cave in and give him a win. That was his pattern. It was how he had operated all his life. He would threaten them, try them in the press, and in order to save what shred of dignity - and money - his targets had left, they would plead and he would have another notch on his belt.
The great and fearless prosecutor, trying his prey in the press. He was a master at it.
But not here. Two of his targets refused to plead.
And BOTH of his cases were thrown out of court.
I have yet to find a case that he actually TRIED.
Has he ever been before a jury?
And, don't forget - he (Stoen) had Salzman, working overtime to stack the Grand Jury, and soliciting letters to the editor against Debi August via his listserve. When this apparently failed to produce the desired results, he took to writing the letters himself, but using other people's names.
ReplyDeleteThat's what the Web Of Lies story is all about.
Using Dick Wyatt's name to slam home his anti-Debi talking points is how he came to be discovered.
Okay now I am mad 9:02pm! Debi August NEVER delayed the trial. Last I heard she had two attorney's handling this case for her. Do you really believe she wanted to stack up charges of more than $2000 a day?? Your an idiot and one who has more anger and hatred then is even conscionable for this case. Just who are you and why are you so angry? Debi never did a damn thing she was accused of and if you want to pay for her to go back to court and prove it then I say go for it! In fact why don't you and your ahte monger friends get a fund going to pay for it. Bet you couldn't raise 2 cents! Your a hate filled idiot! What has Debi ever personally done to you? And make no mistake, the GJ was totally manipulated by Stoen. If PG could have brought criminal charges then why in hell didn't he? Because HE would have had to come forward not the GJ and he had NOTHING to go on. He wanted her to resign, plain and simple and out of revenge. I say God Bless Debi August, wish we had a thousand more just like her!
ReplyDeleteAnd bear in mind, besides going after John Biord for not paying his bed taxes on time, Stoen only had two cases. For this he was paid a reported $81,084 a year, plus benefits from 1-08-2003 to 7-22-2005.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, the proper thing for him to have guided the Grand Jury into doing was to have filed a scathing report and turned it over to the Fortuna City Council. HE chose to research and guide them into an accusation. That is clear from the testimony, posted here.
Four of the five counts he charged her with were tossed prior to trial. He intended to go to court on the one remaining count - AND he offered a plea bargain that negated the charges anyway, hoping he could still pull a win out of the hat.
AND - incidentally - it was GALLEGOS himself who was FINED $10,000 by the FPPC - some of the same kinds of charges they had leveled at Debi August, reporting irregularities - difference is, hers were thrown out of court
However August was not prosecuted by the DA for any crime at all. The misguided and complicit Stoen misled the GJ thru the accusation process. At least that is what came out in court. And they did so because of an agenda that had nothing to do with justice. It was a vendetta. That office clearly doesn’t give a shit about victims or crimes. All paul does is use people to advance his agenda...the agenda of “me - Paul”.
ReplyDeleteEvidently, the DA staff said that there was nothing to what the GJ’s case, but that wasn’t what Stoen wanted because his agenda was to shut up all criticism of Paul and himself.
The DA’s first and foremost and statutory obligation is to prosecute crimes...civil suits are statutorily second priority.
So I agree with Rose on this one. Charging and prosecuting Annibel for murder takes priority over any civil suit. This should have been handled by the political process in Fortuna. Even the FPCC said it was bullshit so lets just get back to the focus of this blog...and that is that Gags is NOT doing his job and REAL PEOPLE are suffering because of it.
AMEN!!!
ReplyDeleteD.
His staff and investigators also told him he did not have a case with the Palco suit. Even Stoen knew it, but he tried finnagling a way to make it fly. The State agencies who were involved told him it was a no-go, and Stoen shut them out.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, the case did not even pass demurrer, yet Gallegos continues to waste County resources and precious prosector hours on his appeal.
Why?
prosecutor - God I hate typos.
ReplyDelete9:53, you really need to calm down. First you say that you are "mad" then you accuse others of being hateful. Let's go through your post, shall we?
ReplyDeletePerhaps it will provide some anger management therapy for you.
"Okay now I am mad 9:02pm! Debi August NEVER delayed the trial. Last I heard she had two attorney's handling this case for her."
Debi August's attornies delayed the trial several (read, MORE THAN ONCE)times. To say that "Debi August NEVER delayed the trial" is factually incorrect, as in WRONG.
Those attorneys represent the client and worked for her. To say she never delayed the trial is hair splitting of magnificant proportions.
My point, which you leave unaddressed is that she simply cant have it both ways, sniveling that she never got her day in court (go back, look it up, she actually said that she was sad that it didnt go to trial so her story could be heard), yet it was HER, and her attorneys delaying it time and time again.
"Do you really believe she wanted to stack up charges of more than $2000 a day??"
I don't claim to know what exactly she "wanted". I do know what she did. She represented herself as the agent of record on that project. Then she represented herself before the planning commission as a councilmember advocating for the project. Then she said she was acting as a private citizen.
See a problem? Do you see, dare I ask, a CONFLICT?
Go back and ask my former neighbors on South Loop Road who were being bullied in an attempt to accept a substandard road that would be handling a much greater flow of traffic.
" Your an idiot and one who has more anger and hatred then is even conscionable for this case. Just who are you and why are you so angry?"
I think this kind of says it all. I am not angry anymore. I got the heck out of Fortuna. I don't hate anyone. I think YOUR hatred is very much on display here. Everything that I have posted here is verifiable in the Grand Jury transcripts. All you have said is something along the lines of
"@#$#$#@$ She didnt do it #$$@#$#$, you are angry"
See the irony? It's delicious.
" Debi never did a damn thing she was accused of"
Umm, yes she did, go back and read the grand jury transcripts once again.
"and if you want to pay for her to go back to court and prove it then I say go for it! In fact why don't you and your ahte monger friends get a fund going to pay for it. Bet you couldn't raise 2 cents!"
Well, here's the thing, my "ahte monger friends" (not I though, as I moved to ) DID PAY FOR A PORTION OF IT!!!!!!!! The citizens of Fortuna for paid for a third of her legal fees. I know my former neighbors are pretty angry about that.
"Your a hate filled idiot!"
Well, I love my grandkids. I also like cats, love them actually.
" What has Debi ever personally done to you?"
If you had read the thread clearly you'd see what she did. To me. And my neighbors.
"And make no mistake, the GJ was totally manipulated by Stoen."
The complaint was brought to Grand Jury by a resident of south loop road period, end of story.
Which leads me to my point(s) of agreement, that Gallegos, Stoen & Co are incompetent boobs, ones who are a blemish on our humboldt county community. That, however does not excuse Debi August from what she did.
"f PG could have brought criminal charges then why in hell didn't he?"
Again, I am not a mind reader like you seem to be. I can only go by what actually happened. I believe that one of the counties that gallegos went to for advice actually said that criminal charges would have been the way to go.
BUT - my memory is fuzzy on this particular point, and as I don't choose to research it any further to verify it, I could be incorrect. I just dont believe that I am.
"because HE would have had to come forward not the GJ and he had NOTHING to go on. He wanted her to resign, plain and simple and out of revenge."
You really are a mind reader.
" say God Bless Debi August, wish we had a thousand more just like her!"
If that were the case Fortuna would really be broke.
You bring me those Grand Jury transcripts and I will post them. It is my understanding that we are not allowed to see them under any circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI watched this whole thing pretty closely. My initial reaction when I first heard about it was similar to my reaction to Jeff Dunk's 'troubles' - gee, that's too bad, seems like they shoulda known not to do that, but obviously they didn't think about it. It doesn't mean they were bad people, they just made a mistake.
Then I heard people talking about Stoen's intent, and I started paying attention. People were saying Stoen was after Debi August.
What I saw was indeed very troubling. Grand Jury members and ex members suddenly going public, writing My Word Op-Eds, details coming out that should only be known to the Grand Jury. Grand Jury members (and a foreperson) huddling with Stoen in the Courthouse hallway.
The Grand Jury was to have handed the case off to the DA's Office. Why the huddle? Perhaps, 7:06. you can fill in some of the blanks for me.
First Amendment challenge:
ReplyDeleteHow the Journal got the Grand Jury evidence unsealed
by EMILY GURNON
IT STARTED WITH AN ANONYMOUS PHONE CALL TO THE JOURNAL IN JULY.
Check out the law regarding the sealing of Grand Jury transcripts, the caller said.
So we started to do a little digging. What we found out was that state law (Penal Code 938.1) was pretty clear on the subject: When a grand jury makes an indictment or accusation against a defendant, a transcript of all testimony is to be given to the court as well as to the defendant and the district attorney. The transcript is to remain sealed for 10 days, after which it "shall be open to the public unless the court orders otherwise on its own motion or on motion of a party "
It sounded straightforward to us. But when we showed up at the civil court window at the courthouse to ask for the transcripts, we were turned away. "It's sealed," the clerk said.
We went back to the office and called to get an appointment with Deann McCall, manager of court operations. She told us Judge John Feeney had ordered the transcripts sealed "until further notice of the court."
On the advice of our lawyer, we asked to see the formal written "order" of the judge. There was none. But this was not unusual, McCall said. Her boss, Court Executive Officer Dwight Clark, concurred. A judge can simply give a verbal order, he said.
Not so, said our lawyer.
It seemed we were at an impasse.
We sent a letter to the judge asking for the file to be made available. Clark called back a week later, saying we were welcome to bring our request before the judge in open court. That meant filing a special notice, waiting at least three weeks and bringing our lawyer all the way here from Sacramento -- a pricey endeavor for a community newspaper like the Journal.
So we tried again, with two more letters, on Aug. 10 and Aug. 20, asking the court to consider our request without us having to go to court.
Why would we go to all the trouble of fighting to get the file unsealed? First and foremost, the press has a duty to advocate for the right of the public to get information about the workings of its government. The Grand Jury represents the citizens of Humboldt County, after all, and its proceedings -- according to law -- are to be public in cases like these. The exception is when a judge or an attorney in the case argues successfully that the file's disclosure would undermine the defendant's right to a fair trial. That didn't happen in the August case.
Last Friday, at the latest hearing in the case, Judge W. Bruce Watson announced he was unsealing the transcripts. "It does not appear the court on its own motion, or on motion of a party, has ordered the transcript remain sealed," he wrote in a minute order filed Aug. 30.
The result is the Journal piece you're reading today.
And, I will add again, because it bears repeating - I saw Stoen trying his prey in the press, I saw Salzman maneuvering to influence public opinion, working the media, trying to galvanize his listserve, soliciting letters to the editor praising Paul for his "justice for all" stance in taking on Debi August -(no matter how wealthy or sacrosanct, I think those were Stoen's words, used in Paul's Help Wanted ad, the one they pulled) - Salzman distributing the Talking Points, and ultimately, Salzman resorting to writing the letters himself, using a combination of real, stolen and made up names. He was a master of biting innuendo, making his points and evsicerating his opponent, all while propping up the little Emperor Paul.
ReplyDeleteDick Wyatt agreed to let Richard Salzman use his name for one of his letters. Salzman wrote two. The other names he used were names of people who were either retired, or in no condition to defend the use of their names.
This is all very clearly uncovered and laid out in Hank Sims coverage - The Web Of Lies is only the first one. Additional facts were uncovered by the Times Standard, and the Eureka Reporter.
It turned out Salzman had been playing this game all along.
I was one of his targets as well.
I stand corrected - the transcripts are available. It's the testimony that's not.
ReplyDeleteBear in mind - in a Grand Jury and Accusation process is one sided - there is not defense attorney giving the other side.
It is tantamount to an indictment, but it is civil and not criminal (as an indictment is).
It is a sequestered and one-sided process which must rely upon the guidance and character of the District Attorney (and Assistant District Attorney) in helping them through the process, helping them decide how to proceed.
That is where the system failed here.
By the way, that Journal article (NCJ - The Debi August Files - The first real investigative report...) is also posted here in addition to the Journal's website.
ReplyDelete7:06 pm - you obviously were on the grand jury and you OBVIOUSLY ARE VIOLATING YOUR PROMISE TO JUDGE MILES MADE WHEN YOU WERE DEPANELED AT THE END OF THE YEAR. Fortunately, you can not achieve revisionist history here with other that have read the transcripts and who went to court.
ReplyDeleteFirst - is your memory "fuzzy" or is is "Fregeau"?
The trial was only "delayed" if you can call it that because Stoen and certain members of the GJ did not make sure that Ms August had the discovery that the constitution guarantees to her.
Second. All of the charges except one that the GJ based its accusation were thrown out by the judge prior to trial as being baseless....try getting over that hurdle Suzie.
Third, the remaining charge was a lame and the judge got rid of it after Stoen got caught with his pants down regarding all the subterfuge of trying to destroy documents to prevent them from getting to Debi's lawyers and from the communications by the GJ members that the DA MANIPULATED AND MISLED THE GRAND JURY.
Read the record of those proceedings.
It is obvious that you were deeply imbedded with this so called investigation and that you should never have been part of it as you had a conflict of interest by living on that road. It is a shame that you didn't remove yourself from that process as you tainted that process by staying irrespective of your conflict.
Get over it Suzie.
And what were you and Goldberg and Marlow doing in that trial every day especially after the JUDGE TOLD YOU THAT IT WAS OVER AND TO STAY OUT OF IT COMPLETELY.
Answer: you were not impartial and didn't give a shit about what the judge said.
Now pipe down.
Hey 7:06pm Hope your not as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside!
ReplyDeletehey 7:06 you said:
ReplyDelete"Again, I am not a mind reader like you seem to be. I can only go by what actually happened. I believe that one of the counties that gallegos went to for advice actually said that criminal charges would have been the way to go."
So pray tell, what county and what did Gallegos or stoen tell you about this? As a grand jury member?
"because HE would have had to come forward not the GJ and he had NOTHING to go on. He wanted her to resign, plain and simple and out of revenge." Your response was " "You really are a mind. reader."
First - I was not that poster, but was in court and know that Stoen and Gallegos offered her the following...if she pled to the accusation, they would hold it in abeyance, let her finish her term and then get rid of it and she could run for office again.
Not a lot of mind reading involved in that one.
7:06 - I am glad that you are finally seeing Gallegos for what he truly is. Now it is time to let go of your hatred of DA especially in light of the facts that came out after your GJ was hijacked by Stoen and Gallegos.
See, that's the weirdest thing - if the only penalty was forced resignation, and 4 of the 5 counts had already been thrown out, and the trial was to be held on the one remaining count, and Stoen was willing to forego the penalty in exchange for letting him win - on paper - after all that expense, and time and angst, and damage, was he insane?
ReplyDeleteI mean, honestly, it defies the imagination.
And the Palco case is JUST as weird.
"7:06 - I am glad that you are finally seeing Gallegos for what he truly is. Now it is time to let go of your hatred of DA especially in light of the facts that came out after your GJ was hijacked by Stoen and Gallegos"
ReplyDeleteI have ALWAYS thought they were quacks. However, it does not excuse what Debi August did, her defenders (all one or two of them, notwithstanding).
"7:06 pm - you obviously were on the grand jury and you OBVIOUSLY ARE VIOLATING YOUR PROMISE TO JUDGE MILES MADE WHEN YOU WERE DEPANELED AT THE END OF THE YEAR. Fortunately, you can not achieve revisionist history here with other that have read the transcripts and who went to court.
First - is your memory "fuzzy" or is is "Fregeau"?"
Ahh, there you go again, reading minds and making completely incorrect assumptions. I was not nor have I ever been a member of any grand jury. I have, however, read the grand jury transcripts, when they were made available to the public, as I, at the time being a south loop road resident, was a very interested spectator.
"It is obvious that you were deeply imbedded with this so called investigation and that you should never have been part of it as you had a conflict of interest by living on that road. It is a shame that you didn't remove yourself from that process as you tainted that process by staying irrespective of your conflict.
Get over it Suzie"
Incorrect. Wrong. Not Suzie Fuzzy Fregeau.
I really MUST repaste this one, as we agree,(somewhat):
"Fortunately, you can not achieve revisionist history here with other that have read the transcripts and who went to court."
And lets review what I have said
1)Debi August was the listing agent of record for the Carmen Smith subdivision.
right or wrong? Ohhh, Right.Correct.
2)Debi August, while the listing agent of record represented Carmen Smith before the planning commission, first as a city councilperson, then as a private citizen.
3)Dennis Wendt and his crew started illegally grading the side of loop road before getting the necessary permits, which led to a his work being halted due us (the neighbors) calling our councilpeople and city hall.
4)A combination of Debi/Dennis Wendt and Carmen Smith tried to bully us into signing a letter saying that the substandard road was OK with us(which some felt pressured to sign due to the bullying of some named above, and the misrepresentation of the project by others).
5)Debi August admitted that what she did was wrong, apologized for it, and about a week later was right back at it.
6) Debi August complained in one of the last articles regarding her case that she was upset that her story would never be told, when all along it was her lawyers that delayed the case, time and time again.
Items 1-6 are not opinions. They are not educated guesses. They happened, and I lived through them.
If you have any doubts, go back and ask the residents of south loop road.
In response I have been responded to by priceless gems like this:
"Hey 7:06pm Hope your not as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside!"
Well, first, my husband still thinks I am beautiful on both the outside and the inside even after over 25 years of marriage.
But dearie, you really cant handle someone standing up and refusing this to be glossed over with the Paul Gallegos handled it brush. What she did was wrong. Period. And all you are reduced to doing is name calling.
I can see that more than likely you are the same person who raged 8/6 9:53. It really is ironic that someone so filled with anger and venom out there accusing others of the feelings and dare I say ugliness that fills your posts.
Once again with regards to criminal charges being instead of an accusation,
" So pray tell, what county and what did Gallegos or stoen tell you about this? As a grand jury member? "
Ummmm, I believe I said I read it in the one of the newspapers, but that I could be incorrect on that. So, no, it wasnt as a grand jury member. I really dont want to pay the times-standard to search their archives, and once again, as I didnt try to hide the fact that my memory was fuzzy on it, I didnt hold it out there as an absolute fact.
You Debi Defenders (double D's) really need to get over yourselves. What she did was wrong.
Whatever PG and TS did doesnt excuse what she did. Again, take a stroll up south loop road and talk to the neighbors. But you wont, because all you want to do is cry about what a victime she is.
Oh, she was a victim, alright. You can disagree over whether or not she deserved it, but she was a victim of a vindictive rogue Assistant District Attorney (and District Attorney, if only by default.)
ReplyDeleteWhat penalty were you hoping for? The electric chair? Losing her seat? Being drug through the mud? Having her name forever smeared? Not to run again? Paying out a small fortune?
I'd say you got more than you wished for.
Unless, like Stoen, you just wanted her to be a good little girl and plead guilty. The Great and Powerful OZ HAD spoken after all.
Rose,
ReplyDeleteBy your own admission you have not read the grand jury transcripts. I respectfully suggest you read them and see what she did before you absolve debi and nominate her for sainthood.
You keep saying that.
ReplyDeleteI have read quite a bit of what I could get my hands on. I have a pretty good handle on what the complaints were. And it doesn't strike me as unusual for neighbors to be upset about a subdivision proposal, and details like whether or not a road gets widened usually get negotiated.
It is also increasingly common for baby-boomers to inherit a piece of land - or buy a piece of land with the intent of splitting it.
Rules and restrictions being what they are, they usually find the project they envisioned morphs beyond thier control or imagination. Up to four lots is not a major subdivision, but anything over four triggers all the requirements for a major subdivision, roads, and the full catastrophe. It gets more expensive and the lot sizes get smaller to try to cover the costs and allow for a profit.
I don't see a "developer" when i look at Carmen Smith. I see a person who was going to do something with a piece of property, yes, develop it, as many others have done, but not a professional developer by any stretch of hte imagination. But once words are bandied about, words like "developer" create villains.
What I read was that Carmen Smith put Debi August's name on the form as the "agent" unaware of the repercussions of that term. I could be wrong.
8:42 - Why do you assume that you were the only one living on loop road? I drive it every day and every night.
ReplyDeleteAnd I disagree with you.
And I have read the Grand Jury Transcripts...SO DID THE JUDGE THAT THREW THE CASE OUT AS BEING BASELESS.
AGAIN GET OVER THAT HURDLE!
Now - again - quit the revisionist history. All the crap that you posted is just small pieces of what was before the GJ and EVIDENTLY as I pointed out before, the good judge WHO READ IT ALL THREW IT OUT!
Now please, quit whining and get back to the substance of this blog. I am sorry that you feel the way you do, but the facts simply are not there to support you Suzy.
Here is what happened...in Debi August's own words.....
ReplyDeleteSeptember 23,2003
Commissioner's,
I would like to formally apologize to each Commissioner and each member of the public who were present at tonight's planning commission meeting. I now know that I should not have presented the Smith/West project at the podium. The reasons for doing so was that I felt that after I had eliminated the possibility of any future financial gain and had removed the possibility of any conflict of interest I could basically do anything I wanted. I was wrong. While standing in front of you tonight the realizations of what this must have appeared like was so overwhelming that I thought I would be physically ill. Please believe me when I tell you that it was not, and has never been my intention to influence or sway the commission one way or the other. Yet that is exactly what I was doing. I am sorry, truly sorry.
***********
Enough said. She did it.
So, is an apology, over $100,000 in legal fees, public humiliation, and not running again enough for you?
ReplyDeleteWhat should happen to Vellutini and Goldan?
JUST FOR FUN, Rose,
ReplyDeleteYou need to understand that there are a dedicated group of us who are just as dedicated as YOU (well, mabye not quite, LOL) who will not stand to see the Debi August Case slide into the Paul Gallegos incompetence file...that She was so fucking guilty that she admited it.
It doesnt matter WHO you compare it to. It is as if you want to compare the actions of actionJOE stalin to Angry Adolf to excuse what dealin Deb did....
Like I said, the double D's were and are GUILTY. End of story.
And Debi/MOM/SIS/friend...WE will always be out there to remind you...
I'd say you're way more successful than me - so far you have an apology, over $100,000 in legal fees, public humiliation, and not running again...
ReplyDeleteI'd settle for Paul resigning. He could return to his private practice without any hassle from me, as long as he didn't run for elected office again, this blog would cease and desist.
What should happen to Vellutini and Goldan? If anything.
Talking Double D's? Ain't Suzi. Must be a guy.
ReplyDeleteJim Wingo?
Evidently the judge disagreed with 9:54 as he THREW THE ACCUSATION OUT IN ITS ENTIRETY.
ReplyDelete9:54 - this is precisely why we havesystem of government and that both sides present evidence to a neutral fact finder.
I applaud the GJ in trying to clean up government, but you guys were way off base here. You are not selected like other juries are. You can get some pretty wild and biased persons working on your panel. You can also be misled by the likes of Tim Stoen and Gallegos.
Please consider this just for a moment. You could be very wrong in your assessment here and you could have really hurt someone who even the judge agreed hadn’t committed any civil wrong at all.
Just consider it.
The judge threw dismissed the last accusation because of our incompetent district
ReplyDeleteattorney, "not because the judge agreed (debi august) hadn’t committed any civil wrong at all."
Rose, to answer your question, which for some reason, you keep bringing up, which has absolutely nothing to do with either the DA or Debi August,
"What should happen to Vellutini and Goldan? If anything",
I had to go back and read the archives in the local press to see what was going on there, as I dont really follow Eureka to closely.
However, that being said, it is readily appararent in your quest to make Debi August a martyr, you choose to overlook that if she had done as they had done, that is RECUSE themselves, when their projects came before the RAB rather than try and PUSH a project through the planning commission, as both a COUNCILPERSON, AND THE REAL ESTATE AGENT OF RECORD, she would have been fine.
However, she did NOT recuse herself, hence the conflict of interest. My understanding is that the two Eureka RAB members DID, when their projects came before the RAB. I hope that the City of Eureka sues the bejeepers out of Sue Brandenburg and the Humboldt Taxpayers league.
Double D's = debi defenders/Dealin Deb, and I must apologize for my husband;s foul mouth.(He got the cold side of the pillow for that vulgarity) He is sick of some of the dearies who have been here attacking me for having the audacity to correct those who would turn Debi August and her conflict of interest into a martyr.
Not trying to turn anyone into a martyr.
ReplyDeleteIf that's what you get when I say Debi August standing firm and refusing to do what Stoen wanted exposed him, I don't know what to tell ya...
His pattern is and has been to try his prey in the press. By doing so he destroys reputations, and the very threat of that is enough to make his prey settle, or plead guilty. Thus he claims to have won cases. He's all threat, pomp and circumstance.
He tried it with the Palco case, he took his little dog'n Pony show out to all the Chambers, to the various little "political groups" like the 8:05 Club. He had Salzman go, he had others go - on occasion they would send reluctant Paul.
She stood firm. He was exposed.
Palco also refused to cave. He was exposed again. His case was baseless.
It's a lesson for all future targets of this sociopathic monster - don't plead. He's like the little man behind the curtain - a much overused metaphor, vut very accurate in this case.
10:pm - I understand that you are wedded to your point of view and while I disagree with it because of what I have reviewed from the court records, I do respect that it is your point of view.
ReplyDeleteHowever, for the record...the judge dismissed all but one of the counts in the accusation as being completely and utterly baseless. The Judge threw out the last weak one because of the DA's incompetence in presenting it to the GJ and because the DA violated Ms. Augusts constitutional rights to due process. So, I guess that we are both correct.