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Archive for September, 2011|Monthly archive page
Advocates Outraged Over Refusal to Prosecute Abuse Cases — WDAF
In domestic law on September 30, 2011 at 12:01 amSusan Murphy Milano Time’s Up
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1st collector for Susan Murphy Milano Time’s Up
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Topeka, KS – City Plans to “Decriminalize” Domestic Violence and Repeal the City Ordinance Making Domestic Battery a Crime!
In domestic law on September 28, 2011 at 6:48 pmDomestic battery ordinance repeal to be taken up
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2011-09-27/domestic-battery-ordinance-repeal-be-taken
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TIM HRENCHIR/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
Interim city manager Dan Stanley spoke Tuesday evening at a work session where the Topeka City Council discussed how to react to District Attorney Chad Taylor’s decision to stop prosecuting misdemeanors committed in Topeka, including domestic batteries.
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By Tim Hrenchir
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
Interim city manager Dan Stanley hoped to see Topeka’s governing body reach a consensus Tuesday on how to deal with Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor’s decision to stop prosecuting misdemeanors committed in the capital city, including domestic battery.
That didn’t happen, Stanley said after a work session Tuesday evening focusing on that topic.
Stanley said he will continue the discussion next week, when he will arrange for the governing body to hear the first reading of a proposed ordinance that would repeal the part of city ordinance making domestic battery a crime.
Such a move would force the district attorney to handle the prosecution of those who commit domestic battery in Topeka, according to the city attorney’s office.
Council members John Alcala, Sylvia Ortiz, Chad Manspeaker, Bob Archer and Andrew Gray each indicated at the work session they could support repealing the domestic battery ordinance.
"If the D.A. thinks that we don’t want to play hardball, I say we all suit up and play hardball," Manspeaker said.
Alcala said, however, that he also could support entering into a one-time arrangement for 2012 through which the city, the county commission and the district attorney enter into a "friendly compromise" to share prosecution costs.
Stanley said after Tuesday’s session that he saw no clear direction from a majority of the governing body on what to do and would continue the discussion when the governing body next week hears the first reading of the proposal to repeal the domestic battery ordinance.
Governing body members generally act on proposed ordinances one week after they are heard for first reading.
Taylor announced Sept. 8 that he would no longer prosecute misdemeanors committed in Topeka, including domestic battery, saying his action required the city attorney’s office to prosecute the cases his office would no longer handle, an obligation Stanley said the city isn’t prepared to execute.
Stanley told governing body members last week the city’s options included:
■ Seeking some period of transition while the city develops a program for prosecuting and providing services related to domestic battery cases.
■ Seeking to negotiate an agreement through which the city would pay some costs to help finance the district attorney’s prosecution of misdemeanors.
■ Trying to force the district attorney to prosecute.
Stanley said the proposal on next week’s agenda for first reading would pursue the latter strategy by seeking to repeal the ordinance banning domestic battery the council adopted as part of the uniform public offense code developed by the League of Kansas Municipalities.
Chief city prosecutor Craig Spomer said the city may repeal the section regarding domestic battery while leaving the rest of the code in place.
Spomer said Topeka police officers filing reports on cases regarding domestic battery have written them up "since the beginning" under the state statute banning that crime instead of under the city ordinance.
He said the city "for a lot of years" hasn’t prosecuted domestic batteries, as the district attorney’s office has handled those.
In response to a question from Councilwoman Denise Everhart, Spomer said the city’s repeal of its domestic battery ordinance wouldn’t necessarily mean Taylor would choose to prosecute the cases involved.
Everhart asked Stanley about his statement reported in The Topeka Capital-Journal last week that if he had to pick from among the city’s options, he would arrange for it to assume prosecution of the domestic battery cases.
Stanley replied that he would choose that option "in a perfect world that I could construct with infinite money, the perfect court and perfect support system," though that isn’t what the city faces.
Stanley also told the governing body he had had discussions with county officials and senses "there is a willingness to negotiate something that is fair to all."
Tim Hrenchir can be reached
at (785) 295-1184
or tim.hrenchir@cjonline.com.
Manspeaker?
By dragooncreek | 09/27/11 – 09:45 pm
"If the D.A. thinks that we don’t want to play hardball, I say we all suit up and play hardball," Manspeaker said.
Who votes for these clowns?
This is not a game. The County Commission votes to cut the DA’s budget by 10% in a department that is 95% wages. That means that people are let go and that means jobs don’t get done. Because all the DA does is prosecute crimes that means that some crimes don’t get prosecuted by the DA. So then it makes sense that if DA is not going to prosecute some cases the DA should start cutting the cases that the city can prosecute. What is the alternative? The DA prosecutes the misdemeanor cases and lets Stanley take on the murders, rapes, home invasions, and pedophiles? Sure. That’s a great idea.
But now the City Commission wants Topeka to be the only city in Kansas that decriminalizes beating the ********** out of your wife? That will certainly draw in the good jobs.
This whole thing is stupid. The new DA comes in and re-energizes the office. Clears a huge backlog left by the last DA and greatly increases the number of cases that are charged and prosecuted in the county. The county leaders, led by Miller and an overwhelming fear of doing their jobs, arbitrarily picks a number and cuts the department budgets across the board. Then they pretend to be mystified that these cuts have consequences. The city, which has known about this problem since it started being discussed this Spring, then acts surprised that all of a sudden it has to enforce its ordinances. Finally we have some Transplant Stanley make a bunch of ignorant, half baked statements about laws he clearly knows nothing about before declaring that he would love to prosecute violations of the city ordinances – if only he could, but since he can’t Topeka will just have to make beating your wife legal in Topeka (but not in Shawnee County).
I got an idea. We want crimes prosecuted, we want potholes filled, we want bangers arrested, we want shorter lines at the car registration office – we need to pay for it. And if we can’t pay for it all then we either need to thoughtfully prioritize what services get fully funded or we need to kick in a little extra to cover the basics. We have clowns playing games and posturing instead of leading this community. It is time Topeka elected serious people to office who are prepared to do serious work.
Girl, 5, On 911 Call: ‘My Daddy Shot My Mommy’ Child In DCF Custody After Double Murder-Suicide
In domestic law on September 28, 2011 at 3:29 pmSEE VIDEO HERE: http://www.local10.com/news/29319816/detail.html
Amplify’d from www.local10.com
Police believe Marcus Trotman fatally shot his wife, Danielle, 30, and her mother, Linda Scudera, 56, on Sunday at a home in the 4000 block of Del Rio Way before killing himself.
Listen:
UNCUT: Sunrise 911 Call
The 30-year-old woman’s 5-year-old daughter, Angelique, witnessed the shootings, ran next door and called 911 with the help of a neighbor.
“It was a shoot and then my daddy shot my mommy and then he shoot my grandma, and now my daddy’s dead. My grandma’s dead,” the child told a 911 dispatcher.
“Is she injured in any way?” the dispatcher asked the neighbor.
“No. I am just praying to God that she was watching TV and it’s not true,” the neighbor said.
“Where did he shoot Mommy?” the dispatcher asked the child.
“On the ear,” the girl said.
“On her ear? And where is she now?” the neighbor asked the child.
“She was shot on the ear?” the dispatcher asked.
“Yes. My grandma’s dead and my daddy’s dead,” the girl said. “Please.”
“I’m trying to find mommy’s number,” the neighbor said.
“I told you they’re dead,” the girl said.
In court Tuesday, Angelique was the focus of a hearing. A man at the hearing claimed he is her biological father and agreed to a DNA test.
Meanwhile, she will be taken from a family friend and placed in a foster home until the Department of Children and Families can determine the best place for her to stay permanently.
Watch:
The man whose gun sources said was used by Trotman, local celebrity Lazaro Mendez, also known as D.J. Laz from Power 96, issued a statement via a publicist Tuesday. The statement said:
“Lazaro Mendez is deeply shocked and saddened by the events that transpired over the weekend. We ask that the media respect Lazaro Mendez and his family’s privacy during this time. He will take the next few days to grieve and will at all times be helpful to police investigators. His condolences go out to all of the victims of this tragedy and their families. Thank you for your support and concern during this difficult time.”
Sources told Local 10
that Trotman had been staying with Mendez while separated from his wife.Local 10 has learned that Mendez reported the gun stolen after hearing what happened and realizing the weapon was missing. Mendez told investigators he does not know how Trotman got the gun out of its case.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/qLsbYe
Susan Powell’s children: temporary custody granted to her parents
In domestic law on September 28, 2011 at 1:08 pmTuesday, Susan Powell’s parents were granted temporary custody of her two children; another hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Susan Powell is the missing Utah mom who disappeared almost two years ago in Salt Lake City; Josh Powell, Susan’s husband is the only person named a person of interest in her disappearance.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Susan Powell’s children: temporary custody granted to her parents – Salt Lake City Headlines | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/headlines-in-salt-lake-city/susan-powell-s-children-temporary-custody-granted-to-her-parents#ixzz1ZFgtwkeK
Amplify’d from www.examiner.com
Chuck and Judy Cox are in Washington State today after Josh Powell’s father was arrested six days ago on voyeurism child pornography charges, and have filed for custody of the children. The two children have been in foster care for six days. Tuesday afternoon, ABC 4 reported that Josh Powell is also being investigated on voyeurism and child pornography charges. A court hearing was already scheduled for Wednesday, but with this latest news about Josh Powell, a Washington State judge granted temporary custody of Josh and Susan Powell’s children to Chuck and Judy Cox.
Josh Powell has had custody of their two children and moved to Washington State shortly after Susan’s disappearance to live with his father, Steven Powell.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/oAV0ib
Topeka, KS – Domestic Violence Case’s Still Not being Prosecuted
In domestic law on September 28, 2011 at 12:59 pmThis is beyond insane and illegal. See 9-22-2011: Claudine Dombrowski on Intimate Partner Violence and Barry Goldstein protecting Battered Women in the Courtrooms on Zeus Radio
http://archives.zeusradio.com/here-women-talk/susan-murphy-milano-times-up/9-22-2011-smm/
Interim city manager Dan Stanley hoped to see Topeka’s governing body reach a consensus Tuesday on how to deal with Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor’s decision to stop prosecuting misdemeanors committed in the capital city, including domestic battery.
That didn’t happen, Stanley said after a work session Tuesday evening focusing on that topic.
Amplify’d from cjonline.com
Stanley said he will continue the discussion next week, when he will arrange for the governing body to hear the first reading of a proposed ordinance that would repeal the part of city ordinance making domestic battery a crime.
Such a move would force the district attorney to handle the prosecution of those who commit domestic battery in Topeka, according to the city attorney’s office.
Council members John Alcala, Sylvia Ortiz, Chad Manspeaker, Bob Archer and Andrew Gray each indicated at the work session they could support repealing the domestic battery ordinance.
“If the D.A. thinks that we don’t want to play hardball, I say we all suit up and play hardball,” Manspeaker said.
Alcala said, however, that he also could support entering into a one-time arrangement for 2012 through which the city, the county commission and the district attorney enter into a “friendly compromise” to share prosecution costs.
Stanley said after Tuesday’s session that he saw no clear direction from a majority of the governing body on what to do and would continue the discussion when the governing body next week hears the first reading of the proposal to repeal the domestic battery ordinance.
Governing body members generally act on proposed ordinances one week after they are heard for first reading.
Taylor announced Sept. 8 that he would no longer prosecute misdemeanors committed in Topeka, including domestic battery, saying his action required the city attorney’s office to prosecute the cases his office would no longer handle, an obligation Stanley said the city isn’t prepared to execute.
Stanley told governing body members last week the city’s options included:
■ Seeking to negotiate an agreement through which the city would pay some costs to help finance the district attorney’s prosecution of misdemeanors.
■ Seeking some period of transition while the city develops a program for prosecuting and providing services related to domestic battery cases.
■ Trying to force the district attorney to prosecute.
Stanley said the proposal on next week’s agenda for first reading would pursue the latter strategy by seeking to repeal the ordinance banning domestic battery the council adopted as part of the uniform public offense code developed by the League of Kansas Municipalities.
Chief city prosecutor Craig Spomer said the city may repeal the section regarding domestic battery while leaving the rest of the code in place.
Spomer said Topeka police officers filing reports on cases regarding domestic battery have written them up “since the beginning” under the state statute banning that crime instead of under the city ordinance.
He said the city ”for a lot of years” hasn’t prosecuted domestic batteries, as the district attorney’s office has handled those.
In response to a question from Councilwoman Denise Everhart, Spomer said the city’s repeal of its domestic battery ordinance wouldn’t necessarily mean Taylor would choose to prosecute the cases involved.
Everhart asked Stanley about his statement reported in The Topeka Capital-Journal last week that if he had to pick from among the city’s options, he would arrange for it to assume prosecution of the domestic battery cases.
Stanley replied that he would choose that option “in a perfect world that I could construct with infinite money, the perfect court and perfect support system,” though that isn’t what the city faces.
Stanley also told the governing body he had had discussions with county officials and senses “there is a willingness to negotiate something that is fair to all.”
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/nCvkKg
Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit by Susan Murphy Milano from the Book “Time’s Up”
In domestic law on September 27, 2011 at 12:26 pmVodpod videos no longer available.
Teen girl and man, 26, die in apparent Inglewood murder-suicide
In domestic law on September 26, 2011 at 5:09 pmAmplify’d from latimesblogs.latimes.com
Teen girl and man, 26, die in apparent Inglewood murder-suicide
A 17-year-old girl was killed in an apparent murder-suicide inside an Inglewood optometry center, authorities said Thursday.
The apparent shooter, 26-year-old Christopher James McLeish, was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a bathroom at the location.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/nVINRV
Oakdale deaths are double murder, suicide
In domestic law on September 26, 2011 at 5:01 pmThe couple’s children will live with memory of bloody scene all their lives, a trauma expert says.
Amplify’d from www.startribune.com
The shooting scene at the blue split-level house, which involved two parents and a babysitter, left other victims as well. A 6-year-old girl returning home from school Thursday found the bodies and ran screaming into the street with blood on her hands. She and her two brothers, ages 3 and 8, were left orphaned.
“When I heard the child found the bodies it really did break my heart,” said Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, who expects the county might be asked to help with foster care. “I don’t know what it would be like walking in to see your mom and dad dead. That’s something that child will never get out of her head, ever.”
The dead were identified as Cintia Guadalupe Ornelas Bustos, 28; Jaime Anival Almaras Velasquez, 32, and babysitter Angela Uscanga Gonzalez, 43.
Police declined to say who was responsible for the shooting because the investigation is not complete. But the medical examiner’s office has determined that Velasquez committed suicide, said officer Michelle Stark.
A handgun and spent ammunition were found inside the house on the 7000 block of 13th Street.
Stark said that “the crime appears to have been entirely contained inside the residence” and that police weren’t looking for additional suspects “at this time.”
It was Oakdale’s first homicide since 2007, when 17-year-old Nicole Beecroft stabbed her newborn baby to death. She is serving life in prison. The only other homicide there in the past 25 years was in 1986 when Gloria Oursland, 49, was found beaten to death.
Oscar Amparan, a pastor who counseled the Oakdale couple, said Thursday that Velasquez was “a little violent” and had previous problems with alcohol.
Bustos and Velasquez had three children together but the legal status of their relationship hasn’t been confirmed, Stark said.
The youngest boy reportedly was inside the house when the shootings occurred, while the older boy was outside when his sister discovered the bodies. Police responded at 4:12 p.m.
Brady Hartman, a teenager who lives about four houses away, said he was outside when he saw the girl run out of the house sobbing and screaming, “Mommy, daddy dead! Mommy, daddy dead.” His mother, Julie Hartman, tried to console the little girl.
“She is going to have a lot of trauma,” Julie Hartman said. “She went in there. She had blood on her hands.”
As police took the three children away, the 3-year-old boy could be heard saying over and over, “momma dead, momma dead,” Hartman said. “He was in there alone.”
The violence shook the congregation at Iglesia Apostolica De La Fe En Cristo Jesus in Minneapolis, which Bustos and Gonzalez attended for seven years. The church at 1534 E. 24th St. is small — just 21 pews in all. Maps of Guatemala and Mexico grace the back walls.
The children currently are staying with relatives.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/r1eJLb
Claudine Dombrowski
Battered Mothers - A Human Rights Issue 