San Diego County District Attorney Jeff Dort Snubs Family Court Crime Victims

Just received a copy of a phone message left by Jeff Dort to a crime victim from family court.  The victim had funds stolen by her attorney, Patricia Gregory, over two years ago.

(Photo left, Jeff Dort)

Gregory admitted to stealing money from a "Trust" (no play on words) account, from two client/victims. There could be more but there is no investigation.  The known amount Gregory admitted to is over $100,000.00.  However, Dort's message only sparked more questions.

But the Patricia Gregory case - now going on two plus years, is interesting on another level.  As is revealed by the accompanying video, it's the victims who are doing the legwork.  It's the crime victims who are supplying the information, almost like unpaid staff of the District Attorney's office.

However, the District Attorney has not subpoenaed a single record.

Instead, the DA continues to ask the victims who have steadfastly provided evidence, for more evidence.   How much more is needed when the thief admits guilt I'm not sure.  DAs don't return calls.

How DA inaction benefits criminals

The case could have been filed immediately after Patricia Gregory's signed a statement admitting she took the money.  After the State Bar ordered Gregory inactive in 2011 (although she continued to keep her website active in spite of the State Bar's request to remove it from the internet) and accepted new clients, then the DA could have added a "Crime, bail, Crime" charge which would qualify Gregory for more prison time.  Oh wait. Scratch that.  More on that later.

DA's holding pattern

Still, after two years of what can realistically be referred to as a non-investigation, District Attorney Jeff Dort rejected the case.  The money remains gone.  The thief admitted guilt and - nothing.  This is same Jeff Dort who prosecuted personal injury attorney David G. Ronquillo for stealing from clients under similar circumstances.

In the Ronquillo case Judge Charles Rogers said Ronquillo would be eligible for about eight years of prison time, but would likely receive probation. 

San Diego judges aren't real fond of sentencing attorneys to prison.  It's a clubby kind of thing.

Other ways the DA aids criminals

The victims are aware given the non-responsiveness of the DA, coupled with the DA's philosophy of dealing with crimes after the State Bar deals with Administrative issues, the Statute of Limitations is approaching. 

Thus the phone message featured on the video ended with Dort wishing the crime victim a nice weekend. 

Other factors

One other thing.  We've heard Patricia Gregory used to work for the County. 

Child Support enforcement.

Rancho Santa Fe donor money significantly influences San Diego mayor race, records reveal...

It might be conventional wisdom in San Diego that La Jolla has an outsized influence in city politics. However, Rancho Santa Fe, not even in the city of San Diego, has just as much influence, maybe more, due to campaign contributions.

Donors from La Jolla's 92037 zip code gave almost $82,000 to the four major 2012 mayoral candidates in the campaign's first month, according to campaign finance data. That's almost double the money coming from any other zip code.

Three of the four candidates, City Councilman Carl DeMaio, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Congressman Bob Filner, raised more money from La Jolla than anywhere else. La Jolla was second to Rancho Santa Fe's 92067 zip code for Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher.

A closer look at the individual candidates' disclosures shows that their bases of support aren't surprising, either.

DeMaio pulled in money from Rancho Bernando's 92128 zip code, which is in his council district. Dumanis was strong in downtown's 92101 zip code, which would indicate her support among the city's downtown establishment. Filner raised money from the South Bay communities of Chula Vista and Bonita, which are outside the city of San Diego but in his congressional district. Rancho Santa Fe is outside the city, but the 92067 zip code neighbors Fletcher's assembly district.

The four major candidates raised $1.1 million in the race's first month, including DeMaio's $270,000 personal contribution to his campaign.

Here are the top three zip codes for each of the candidates and overall:

DeMaio

• La Jolla (92037), $30,981

• Rancho Bernardo (92128), $14,730

• Downtown (92101), $14,552

Dumanis

• La Jolla (92037), $17,777.31

• Downtown (92101), $17,735

• Hillcrest/Mission Hills (92103), $16,150

Filner

• La Jolla (92037), $6,150

• Chula Vista (91910), $4,725

• Bonita (91902), $4,200

Note: Filner transferred money from his congressional campaign to his mayoral fund, meaning some of these contributions were originally for his federal campaign.

Fletcher

• Rancho Santa Fe (92067), $27,950

• La Jolla (92037), $27,600

• Carmel Valley (92130), $19,100

Combined

• La Jolla (92037), $81,838.71

• Downtown (92101), $41,239

• Rancho Santa Fe (92067) $40,451.

@Bonnie Russell...Allison Morelli -- The follow up: What was the 'Today Show' thinking?

In response to Allison Morelli's interview with Matt Lauer on the TODAY SHOW, I wrote "Why My Psycho Ex Wife was not about free speech" examining the many reasons why the interview missed the obvious.

Someone sent it to Allison and she contacted me. I subsequently learned in the five hours TODAY Show free-lance producers spent with Ms. Morelli, much which was very important didn't air.  Turns out the Today Show piece was worse than most could have imagined.

Not mentioned

That the Psycho Ex-Wife did not solely slam Allison Morelli.  The site also featured posts that were highly critical of both boys. Criticism that will not be repeated here.  That was not featured in any part of the interview regarding a court system that is supposed to oversee the best interests of the children.

Morelli runs a website called Mrcustodycoach.com where he "advises" members paying a monthly fee for "custody coaching" services starting as low as $29.00/month. (Sane people are likely to immediately demand a refund.)

Also not mentioned

Allison learned of the blog from her two kids....one of whom is now annoyed she read it.

But wait - there's more!  (Also not mentioned)

The initial blog wasn't "My Psycho Ex Wife."  Spoiler Alert!

No, the original free spew hate was created by Misty Weaver-Ostinato, Anthony's girlfriend, as far back as 2004 or 2005.

Misty's initial hatred for Allison erupted via divorcingforever.blogspot.com...which apparently Misty created to express her feelings about her extra-marital affair....with a another man.  Sometime later she met Anthony Morelli and they've been together since.  (It is not clear whether Misty ever divorced). 

However, once Misty and Anthony hooked up Misty's attention was diverted to focus on Allison.

Allison learned of Misty's original blog after a woman in another state half-way across the country tipped her.  Allison read it, but said nothing, and posted nothing in response. 

divorcingforever.blogspot.com remains current, but private. 

Some entries before it went private are below:

"Entering the Real World" Misty wrote:  "We will have to work out how Mr. M will get paid so as not to give 50% of every fucking dollar we own to Psycho Mom.  We have no problem with child support, but she isn't getting her fat grubby litle hands on my empire."

(Misty works in personal training, search engine optimization, selling house plans...whatever works in this economy.) 

Misty's not overweight.  Apparently Allison has consumed her.

Feb. 24 2005:  By Misty:   "Psycho Mom can die.  Maybe I shouldn't print that for all to read, but really.  She's a fucking psycho whore."

May,  2005:  "That bitch deserves to fry in hell.  Psycho Mom decided to go Pro Se (to save money of course, the cheap idiot) so I hope they bury her"
 
Oct. 2007 "Psycho Mom, still psycho. Ha! How come only the good die young"
 
Dec 12 2007  "The bitch will not fucking die"

The above represents some of the nicer entries.  More recent ones amp up the hate. 

Also Not mentioned

No mention during the Today Show interview of guns and wishes for Allison's suicide.

No mention during the Today Show concerning the now seven year steady drip of toxic hate not seriously addressed in the interview, by the evaluator, or that the judge is giving Allison former husband and his venomous girlfriend, four extra months to decide to change their ways.

The interview concentrated instead, on Anthony Morelli's right of free speech. 

But wait, there's more!  Also Not mentioned

The latest evaluation (they're been four - Allison's fine) produced a report that moderately criticized Anthony Morelli - but not enough to result in any kind of change to encourage Mr. Morelli to change his behavior.  In short, the latest evaluation produced - nothing.  No parenting consequences.

So I interviewed Allison.  Click on it, here.

The rest of the interview is on-line.  However, as I wrote yesterday, media mostly misses the mark in family court.  That's why Familylawcourts.com exists as a cheat-sheet for those who would like to know how the courts work?

The shame being what's happening to Allison Morelli and her two sons isn't really parental alienation, although clearly it's partly that.  Allison confided seven years of hate has negatively impacted their attitude towards her. 

But the shame is all three have had to endure year seven of full-on, outright hatred.  Which continues.

None of this was any part of the Today Show interview. 

With coverage like that, it's easy to understand why the public still (mistakenly) believes family court is about the best interests of the children.

Bonnie Russell On: Dumanis’ continued reluctance to prosecute inactive attorney P. Gregory...

Bonnie Dumanis’ continued reluctance to prosecute inactive attorney Patricia Gregory remains a mystery to those aware of Dumanis’ preference for being handed evidence by crime victims. This makes Dumanis’ latest refusal to prosecute an open and shut case against an about to be disbarred attorney, more than a little strange.   

But first, a brief history on internet crime

A decade ago, then San Francisco columnist Reynolds Holding, wrote The State Bar should Crack Down on California Lawyers” in a column featuring one of California’s worst attorneys, Ron Lais.  The column stated State Bar response to client complaints was sluggish at best, considering the bar had ten years worth of complaints regarding the Ron Lais "performed."  Eventually though, the State Bar forced Lais’ resignation, until he paid his now former clients restitution.

Lais promptly filed bankruptcy, which immediately discharged the State Bar’s restitution order.  Lais then promptly incorporated Child Custody Legal Network and continued offering legal services online as an International Child Custody Consultant, (and sued me four times for warning potential victims not to use him).  The Orange County DA charged Lais with double-digit felony counts regarding the Unauthorized Practice of Law online, and Lais went to prison for a while.  (He's now out and touting himself as an International Law Professor on Twitter.) 

But Lais got me thinking as the problem of non-attorneys or former attorneys practicing on-line has increased.  Most recently in San Diego.  But at least there is some good news. 

The first being the State Bar is now acting a little quicker, and the second being an easy solution to prevent the public from being duped online by former attorneys with a cash and moral problem.  More on that later, as the original problem remains.

San Diego’s blind eye to unscrupulous, former attorneys

San Diego North County family law attorney Patricia Gregory is now listed on the State Bar site Ordered Inactive – Not Eligible to Practice Law.”   

The back story is Gregory had dipped her hands into the trust account of her client, Luwain Ng, to the tune of 80k.  Gregory later admitted the money was gone and made arrangements to repay Ng.

Plans went awry. Nine months later Ng had still not been paid in full. Eventually Ng complains to the State Bar.  This prompts Gregory to fire a snarky email to Ng in which Gregory advises she will discontinue interest payments, before ading as if she was somehow a victim,

“If you wanted to punish me you have succeeded.  I am destroyed.  You have a $20,000.00, a ridiculously low legal bill and my obligation to pay $80,000.00.  I have nothing.  Seems a bit unfair, no?  But you did get your revenge.  Hope it was sweet.” 

Gregory’s  website remains active, announcing:  CARLSBAD DIVORCE ATTORNEY representing clients in divorce, custody, support, and domestic violence cases in San Diego County. 

The solution to protect the public from those who practice law on-line who shouldn’t, was well received by the State Bar president after it popped into my head last week.  He suggested I mention it to a State Bar prosecutor, who also seemed to like it.  (The prosecutor's email after our conversation indicated he forwarded my suggestion to the intake office.)

As it now stands, since Patricia Gregory refuses to remove her website from the Internet in spite of the State Bar’s repeated requests, Gregory is likely going to face additional charges.

(Interestingly,  Gregory's legal website remains in full working order - including the claim:  “She currently teaches graduate level courses in Business Law and Ethics”).  However, a second problem slipped to the forefront.

The second problem being District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis' tolerance for white-collar crime

In spite of a request from Patricia Gregory’s former client to charge Gregory, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis refuses to prosecute.  Or say why she won't.  This is puzzling as the case is very straight-forward.  Gregory admitted to her 80k raid on Ng's account; and Ng provided much in the way of proof along with her request DA Dumanis charge her.  

Sound of crickets chirping.

Calls to the DAs office remain unreturned.

The silence of San Diego's District Attorney is problematic as Bonnie Dumanis has spent an enormous amount of tax payer dollars in an unsuccessful effort to have her perceived stalker tried and convicted for writing what Dumanis considered a threatening letter.  This would be months after declining to prosecute Diana Gonzalez’ husband, after he kidnapped and raped Gonzalez.  After which Diana was found butchered to death in a college bathroom.  (Diana’s husband promptly disappeared).

Additionally, after Dumanis’ alleged stalker was acquitted in Riverside County, Bonnie Dumanis received 24/7 law enforcement security for herself.  She then spent time and energy maneuvering to have the guy prosecuted in federal court at additional taxpayer expense. 

The jury deadlocked.

Unfortunately the public receives no such service from San Diego’s current DA and mayoral candidate for a relatively easy-to-prove, white collar crime.

The solution?

As a preventive measure, until Dumanis brings charges against Patricia Gregory, or her site goes dark, Gregory will be listed on the "Do Not Hire” portion of  Familylawcourts.com.

Meanwhile I just received an invitation to join Bonnie for a day at the races on August 28.  I wonder if I should bet on whether Bonnie answers my questions if I go.

Bonnie Russell Observes: In San Diego's mayoral race the war on women continues...

Turning our attention from the east coast and Congressman Wiener, we attempted to learn how disposable San Diego women might remain based on a question we asked representatives of each mayoral candidate last Thursday.

Specifically, each was asked: "Do you support family court judges using GPS with Victim Notification devices in Family Court?" Representatives were told we would be checking responses over the weekend and publishing on Monday.

At first blush a State Family Court might not seem to be a city council or mayoral problem.  At second blush however, it ties in significantly, since everything begins with San Diego Police; which given the spate of San Diego police officer related sex crime arrests, is a problem.

Keeping in mind the San Diego City Council has mostly been quiet during what appears to be an ongoing police scandal, the inquiry is also timely given the murder rate of women trying to leave relationships.

 In the case of Councilmember DeMaio we left a voice mail.  But we communicated with representatives of each candidate - including Senator Christine Kehoe, who has not yet filed for office, but has formed an exploratory committee.  To each we described the problem just as we had on October 19, 2010, during the public comment section of a City Council meeting.  At that time we alerted the council San Diego women are paying taxes for police services the police refuse to provide when reporting inter-family crimes.  Click here for that video clip.

San Diego women attempting to report physical or sexual attacks from family members expect responding officers to ask if weapons were involved, or to be shown bruises or other forms of evidence.  Instead, officer response is to inquire if the women are going through a divorce or custody battle.

If the response is affirmative, San Diego police will not act.  No reports will be made.  Instead, officers will suggest women go to Family Court and "get a restraining order."  If the crime is against a child, the officers will suggest a request "Supervised visitation" for the attacker.

Since most people are unaware the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Castle Rock vs. Gonzales, police aren't mandated to enforce Civil restraining orders - and since Family Court is considered a civil court; this is not helpful. 

Separately, police failure to begin the process is what kept a child molester free and molesting for five years while Joyce Murphy repeatedly asked the the police and Family Court for relief.   To no avail.  Eventually Joyce broke down and ran with her daughter.  She was caught and prosecuted by Bonnie Dumanis.  After this news clip aired, however, Joyce's ex husband, who had been awarded full custody, was only arrested after making one mistake.  He molested two girls from intact families, who then told their parents, who immediately called and received police services. 

But prior his mistake, Joyce was enduring a five year "sentence" of supervised visitation by Family Court judge DeAnn Salcido knowing her former husband continued to molest other people's children. With impunity.

Supervised visitation is also problematic

As noted in Line One of the, California Judicial Council Form Number FL341(A) for Supervisd Visitation which clearly states:

"1.  Evidence has been presented in support of a request that the contact with the (Petitioner) or (Respondent) with the children be supervised based on allegations of:  abduction of the child(ren), Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Domestic violence: etc.,"

this Family Court form decriminalizes crime.  Kidnapping becomes "abduction," battery, is "domestic violence" and sexual molesting, becomes the softer sounding "abuse."  This form keeps cases which should be in criminal court in Family Court.  As the stats reflect, often with deadly results.

The above explains why all mayoral candidates were asked if they supported Family Court judges ordering GPS with Victim Notification as an enhancement to any restraining orders they might make, also necessary as the Family Justice Center's Lt. Lori Lunhow telephoned us last year to inform us the Family Justice Center is not interested in real-time GPS.

Women victims however, are.  Because GPS with real monitoring, (not "tracking") means in real-time,and in time enough for women to vacate the area, a GPS monitoring staff member would notify them ahead of time as soon as the restrained person began to violate the court ordered stay-away distance. That means for the first time,

Technology is available for judges to craft an Effective restraining order.

With this technology women no longer have to remain the sitting ducks they have been. Click on any of the news clips, here.  All devices featured could be used in Family Court if it wasn't for one thing.

Indifference at every level of government

Although each of the devices featured in the news clips could be adapted for family court and greatly reduce family murders, as seen here, the reality is San Diego Family Court judges don't have the same concern for victim litigants requesting their help as victims do with San Diego's Criminal Court judges. Family Court judges refuse to use the technology.

 Responses to our query were as follows:

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis: No response. No mention of the safety of women, her costly prosecution of Cynthia Sommers or the now dead, Diana Gonzalez. whose husband Dumanis "declined" to prosecute, then refused to explain. Also no mention of her defense of Deputy Lowell Bruce, who shot his wife in the face, killing her. Dumanis petitioned for another judge because she thought the Deputy's judge made a harsh comment about the deputy, a Los Colinas Women's Detention Center guard. Likewise there was no mention of her boycott of two other judges, as reported in the Voice of San Diego.

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher: No response. Assemblyman Fletcher's representative indicated he was very busy. We advised his representative we had been calling Fletcher's office about this particular issue with family court since before the John Gardner trial. We noted on Sunday Assemblyman Fletcher participated in...

ag Day. We noted his website stresses family values and problem solving. But Fletcher did not respond to our question of last week, or the past two years.

Senator Christine Kehoe: No response. Senator Kehoe's representative informed us the senator was busy in redistricting meetings over the weekend. We advised her representative we had spoken to Senator Kehoe about this when she was in town months ago, including follow up calls.

San Diego City Council Refuses To Hold Police Chief Accountable

Perhaps Mayor Sanders - San Diego's former top cop and in his "strong mayor" capacity will lend a steadying hand in continuing the status quo.  This means until the council acts, San Diego women and children aren't safe.

Facts demonstrate a long-time problem

Although long-time San Diego police officer Art Arevalous (photo far left) kept women's underwear in his locker, and long-time San Diego police Sgt, and "Officer of the Year" Ken Davis (photo above in suit) is going to trial for stalking, and Art Perea (photo above) resigned over a rape charge, not a single media report to date backtracks to why San Diego women aren't safe. 

City Council inaction

Back in 2005, when former attorney Ron Lais emailed "I will hunt you down" (Lais was upset I'd featured him as a con artist, and was actively helping the DA make a successful case against him), I attempted to report his threat,  including, recording the exchange.  Officers arrived at my home but were very reluctant to make a criminal report. 

Instead I was repeatedly questioned as to a relationship with Lais, and when a second one officer noticed the recording equipment, the conversation stopped.  The officers refused to complete the report until the recording stopped. When their demands were not met, both officers left.

Chief William Lansdowne response to the conduct of the officers, was to comment,

"I support the officers decision to not make a police report while you were recording."

Which prompted another police chief to quip, "Where is it codified the police can work in private?"

When Lansdowne's comments were reported to the City Council in a televised meeting it was to blank stares all around.  Absolutely no action was taken.

Nor did anything happen when the council was advised again in 2010 of police officers ongoing refusal to make criminal reports.

Silence is golden

Five arrests of San Diego police officers in 45 days and dead silence from Mayor Sanders.  Dead silence from San Diego's City Council, which have long ago should taken steps for Police Chief Lansdowne to step down.  Especially after Chief Lansdowne in a televised interview identified criminal charges as "mistakes." 

The problems also applies to women crime victims forced to remain in Family Court. 

As the news clip demonstrates, San Diego police refuse to provide services, pedophiles remain free to molest other people's children. 

Family Court - where crime stays

The continued lack of consistent media coverage in San Diego's busiest court, few remember the victims who repeatedly begged for help...but were told by police to "get a restraining order in family court."  These women are dead now, but remembered by name.

Unless and until the city council decides to act to protect half the population, now and in the foreseeable future San Diego women have no reason whatsoever to expect they will be safe.  As such, San Diegans will continue paying taxes for police services the police continue refusing to provide. 

Apparently with full knowledge and cooperation of San Diego's city council and mayor.

Freed killer looking for love in all the wrong places on Match.com

Just in case you wondered, - or didn’t think to ask:  please know most on-line dating sites don’t do background checks.  It’s why a “dating” category was added to Familylawcourts.com.

Match.com recently changed its policy for sex offenders.  A Hollywood producer was attacked by Alan Wurtzel, a convicted sex offender with convictions stemming from women he met on-line.  I’d sent the below to the attorney representing the attacked Hollywood producer along with a network news guy.  My note opened with:

“I’ll see your convicted rapist and raise you a triple-murderer, since freed, who is looking for love on Match.”  

                                                           The kiss

Just in case you wondered – on-line dating sites make about 850 million per year.

So it's not like they couldn't afford to conduct checks.

This lack of - oh, everything worked very well for awhile for convicted killer, Abraham Fortune; a man looking for love. 

Fortune has been looking for his soul mate on Match.com, Yahoo Personals, and a bunch of other sites, too. 

He's had a lot of time to search since selling his motorcycle shop, along with enough money to render himself attractive.    

My guess is Abraham uploaded a nice, photo-shopped picture of himself on all of the site he's registered.  

Below is one that isn't.  Because the State of Texas doesn't photo-shop.

 According to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records, Abraham Fortune was convicted of killing two people in 1970.

He served less than 11 years. 

And while the San Francisco Chronicle reported Fortune killed two people, The San Antonio Express named three. 

Including a four year old child. 

One more thing.  Abraham Fortune used to be Michael Paprskar.  He was Paprskar when he killed the child and sentenced to die in the electric chair.

According to the San Antonio Express:

 “A more deliberate, cold-blooded murder of an inoffensive child ... would be hard to imagine,” a federal appeals court judge wrote in 1980. Paprskar thought he had been sold “bad heroin,” the judge wrote.

(Separately, Fortune pleaded guilty to heroin possession in 1983; the charge was dismissed after he served about five years' probation.)

Paprskar was sentenced to die in the electric chair for the child's murder, but the sentence later was reversed because items seized during a warrantless search hadn't been suppressed. He never was retried, but he pleaded guilty to the two other murders and received concurrent 20-year sentences, though it appears he served less than 14 years.

Oh. Just one more thing.  Fortune/Paprskar is awaiting a new trial after he shot someone else at his former motorcycle shop.

Back to love!

According to the Chronicle, Abraham Fortune/Michael Paprskar wrote he "loathed betrayal, meanness, duplicity."   

He didn’t mention his multiple murders.  Or dual identities. Last, and this is just a minor point - he also lied about his age.

Naturally, given Fortune's/Paprskar's temper, I began to wonder how quickly he would shoot anyone he felt was mean.   Or committed (at least in his mind) a "betrayal."   

But as bad as Fortune/Paprskar is, please also consider another guy.  Dave Evans.   A "good" guy.  Now Evans hasn't killed anyone, much less, three people.  And I'm reasonably sure he only has one identity.  

But check out Evan's attitude towards women.  Because Dave Evans runs a dating blog site.

As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.

"We're dealing with a lot of people who lack those street smarts," said Dave Evans, editor of Online Dating Post, a blog about the business. 

 "They assume the site does everything. People say, 'I thought everybody on here was supposed to be legitimate.' 

 What rock did you crawl out from? Every single dating Web site out there has child molesters and murderers," he said.

I've often joked for some people, being on OS probably constitutes a parole violation,  But jeez...this is way over the top.  

So, just as a reminder:  Ladies, Moms, and Dads...remember; 

On-line dating sites do not conduct background checks for killers.

One last thing. 

A friend of mine once worked at one of San Diego’s brick-and-motar, "Let us find your soulmate" relationship businesses which essentially, sells romance.  They've been sued several times, but their chi-chi office remains located in an upscale area of the county.  

This particular company brags about conducting background checks. 

My friend quit the relationship business the day one guy's credit card worked.  He had plenty of money - but he also had a prison record for child molesting. 

However, since he was out of prison, had money, and his credit score was good, as far as the dating agency was concerned he was good to go. 

They signed him up. 

So much for the background check. 

What happened to my friend?

She's fine.  She switched to selling on-line legal advertising.   

 ~~~~~ 

Sources: 

 HYPERLINK "http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/27/BUMQ1E4L3M.DTL&tsp=1" San Francisco Chronicle

 HYPERLINK "http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/bye-bye_to_an_sa_biker_landmark_96613164.html?showFullArticle=y" San Antonio Express News

Robert Doisneau’s “The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville,”*

This picture was widely referred to as the most romantic.  The model, (I thought it was spontaneous, too) later sued for royalties. 

As long as family court judges continue putting woman at risk, real-time monitoring GPS with victim notification is their only recourse.

 Described as a "legal activist" and founder of Familylawcourts.com, Bonnie's interests range from sailing to civil rights. Bonnie's written for Pacific Sun, boating periodicals, and newspapers throughout the country. Her exposes on fake attorneys and therapists have resulted in prosecutions. Although her main client base includes attorneys, and their clients, Bonnie remains independent. Or as Bonnie offers while smiling sweetly: "I've been biting the hand that feeds me now going on 12 years."

Although local news media has widely reported the arrest of five, long-time veteran San Diego police officers on charges ranging from sexual battery to rape; not reported is the background of Judge Lisa Schall's refusal to issue a permanent restraining order for a thirteen year female San Diego Police officer against her former lover, Sgt. Ken Davis, a 23 year San Diego Police Department veteran, who didn't take the break-up well and threatened to kill her. 

Another wrinkle:

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled police officers are not mandated to enforce restraining orders.

San Diego police made arrangements for the female officer to hide out in a safe house.  The question is, why should she have to hide?

Background of Judge Lisa Schall

Judge Lisa Schall has been twice disciplined by the California Commission on Judicial Performance.  Once for inappropriately jailing a woman for five days, and once for driving the wrong way on a freeway, after her DUI arrest.

What seems clear is Judge Schall is at best, unfamiliar with Battered Women's Syndrome.  A lack of awareness remains a top-down kind of problem.  Former governor Gray Davis likewise was also uneducated in this area.  It wasn't until Arnold Schwarzengger was voted in in a recall of Davis that BWS was successfully used by defense attorneys in parole matters.

What is unclear is whether Judge Lisa Schall and other judges unaware, has an interest in educating themselves to the reality of Battered Women's Syndrome.

Meanwhile

However, to protect women until judges are educated, attorneys for the female officer should request GPS with Victim Notification.  As long as family court judges continue putting woman at risk, real-time monitoring GPS with victim notification is their only recourse.  Unfortunately, the City of San Diego shows zero interest in protecting half the population.

Del Mar's Bonnie Russell slams judicial system, government response to violence on women

On Sunday I spoke with State senator Christine Kehoe regarding the misogynistic attack on UCSD student Carli Thomas, as reported on Channel 10.

I provided Senator Kehoe with Carli's mother's telephone number....and indicated my preference we finally address San Diego's ongoing, outrageous examples of misogyny. 

It's a bipartisan  issue.  As the 2001 founder of Familylawcourts.com I have repeatedly written to Assemblyman Fletcher and Garrick about San Diego not minding women getting killed in family court....due to the failure of police and the courts to protect them. 

Mostly to the sound of crickets chirping.

Although budget wise, using GPS in family court as long as it included Victim Notification is an absolute no-brainer.    San Diego always has money to prosecute a murder so it only makes sense to throw a few thousand towards crime prevention....and empower the woman to save her own life.   However, San Diego's much ballyhooed Family Justice Center isn't absolutely not interested.  I mentioned this when asking the City Council to skip the non-profits and just buy the units for the courts, last October.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhOrh1_Oa3c

Clearly, as the California Judicial Council form for Supervised Visitation demonstrates crimes against family members are being adjudicated in Family court....it's about time the courts offer protection in the form of a restraining order with a GPS enhancement.  See some examples, here.

Because dammed if women can get police services.

Clearly, what's needed is for someone smart in San Diego, who cares enough about women to get the common sense GPS with Victim Notification solution, in place.

Unfortunately, the bottom line is San Diego remains unsafe for women and children; with the careful backing of the San Diego UT and local media.  I've finally begun to blog about it.

http://open.salon.com/blog/bonnie_russell/2010/10/22/how_the_san_diego_union_tribune_will_get_people_killed

And the law school professor Shaun Martin, kind of freaks me out, too.

http://open.salon.com/blog/bonnie_russell/2010/07/29/why_san_diego_law_professor_shaun_martin_scares_me

-- Bonnie Russell, Familylawcourts.com and Personalpublicrelations.com