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"Railroading" Prosecutor from the McMartin Pre-School Case

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text —— Original Message —– Newsgroups: misc.legal,us.legal,alt.lawyers,alt.lawyers.sue.sue.sue,alt.politics,alt.po l itics.usa,us.politics,alt.politics.republicans,alt.politics.democrats.d,alt . politics.elections Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2000 5:00 PM LA County DA Steve Cooley Hi Ken, What is the direct Web link to that "ICCRT" site? Via at least one of the following Web sites (http://www.religioustolerance.org/tunnels.htm and at http://www.axiomatic.net/ragnar/mcmartin.htm), it is mentioned that "Dr. Stickel" was a professor (or similar) at UCLA, but a telephone call confirmed that he had no such affiliation… Also, there were supposedly earlier trash fill holes (or similar) that might have been thought to be the "tunnels". But the key is that there were no trap door (or similar) "entrances" in the concrete slab foundation of the McMartin Pre-School (not even any "entrances" that were sealed!). The "tunnel" assertion was bogus (according to what I have read that has been ojectively written). There is no doubt in my mind that the McMartin family was "railroaded" (in the most prolific prosecutorial "witchhunt" in American criminal case history) by DDA Lael Rubin (as seen in that HBO film about the McMartin trials). How the new LA County DA (Steve Cooley) can "reward" her (in return for her supporting his campaign) and ignore what she did to the McMartin family is a further travesty… Your posts to this thread have been much appreciated and have been "on the money" as well (as I look forward to keeping in touch with you). The following is another Web site which claims that the "tunnels" assertions were bogus: http://www.axiomatic.net/ragnar/mcmartin.htm here is a simple SCIENTIFIC answer to the hysterical crap on sites like the ICCRT website: 1. The soils under the McMartin site are primarily very compacted Holocene marine sand deposits, horizontally layered over with two distinct strata of fill: one older, loose fill and one more recent compacted fill which was most likely put in place during the construction of the foundation of the school. Both of these fill layers also consisted largely of sand, while the earlier fill also contained a great deal of organic material and refuse. Some minor interlayers of clay are also present between the Holocene sands and the older fill layers. (reference attached Appendix 1.3a from Dr. Gary Stickel’s study: a letter from Dr. Don Michael, his geotech consultant <geol-mm.txt) This type of soil configuration is more or less stable for the support of gravitational loads provided it has been properly prepared and compacted prior to construction. The Holocene sands contain approximately 30% silt/clay mixed in with the sand and thus are also what is generally termed "partially expansive." Excavating in such soils without maintaining an appropriate angle of repose (which I would guesstimate as around 1.5Horiz.:1Vert. for these soil conditions) or extensive engineered shoring would most likely result in progressive collapse. Even a small tunnel would most have most likely resulted in structural failure without some heavy shoring. By heavy shoring, I mean steel and timber lagging. Plywood and 4×4 wood posts would not be structurally adequate. Dr. Stickel found no evidence of piling or lagging. If the "tunnels" had been in place for a significant period of time with such reinforcement, the building would likely have been seriously undermined. Even small unsupported gaps under a foundation can have very serious consequences. Also, shoring is VERY expensive and requires an engineer’s design to do it right.. —- Original Message —– Newsgroups: alt.true-crime,alt.crime,alt.news-media,alt.politics.media,alt.law-enforcem e nt,alt.private.investigator,alt.journalism,alt.journalism.print,alt.journal i sm.newspapers,talk.politics.misc Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 2:25 PM by New LA County DA Steve Cooley Some are not of "one mind" with the O.J. Simpson situation either, but the bottom line is that no tunnels were found at the McMartin Pre-School (other than what was made from prior excavation of the site), and O.J. Simpson would have been found guilty by an objective jury. Child molesters should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but innocent people should not have been "railroaded" by an out of control prosecutor (Lael Rubin). What would you do if a mentally ill woman (like Judy Johnson) accused you of being a child molester when it was really her husband who was the culprit (according to what I have read and watched). Again, watch that HBO McMartin trial film (which starred James Woods) as it is scary what Lael Rubin did to the McMartin family (simply go to http://www.amazon.com and type in "McMartin" in the "video" search field to find the film). <The appointment that drew the most questions at the news conference was that of Senior Trial Deputy Lael Rubin as special counsel. Rubin prosecuted the McMartin Pre-School case, an unsuccessful three-year prosecution that was the most costly in county history.                      *         * * I’m surprised this person would be appointed to anything. This idiot completely destroyed the business and lives of an entire family and several employees on nothing evidence.  The testimony of some of the children was just ludicrous; there were stories of being taken to see pink elephants at a circus, on spaceships, and all kinds of other complete nonsense.  The mother who started the whole thing was a nut case.  I could see suspecting the son but they arrested a half dozen middle aged and older women including one disabled in a wheelchair. How could anyone think that several people of this kind would all conspire together to molest children?  I won’t say it’s 100% impossible but it’s close and requires a hell of a lot of evidence which they didn’t have. Dogs & children first. Keep in mind that the McMartin case was the most expensive (and was the longest!) in American criminal case history (not just in Los Angeles County history!). Also, the metro desk editor for the LA Times (David Rosenzweig) was putting out stories on behalf of the McMartin prosecution at the time of the case and then married the McMartin prosecutor (Lael Rubin)!: http://holysmoke.org/sdhok/sat17.htm Now that same former metro desk editor (David Rosenzweig) is the federal court reporter for the LA Times, does one really think that the LA Times is going to cover Rubin’s new appointment in depth (especially as at least one current LA Times metro editor used to work under Rosenzweig when he used to be the metro editor)! I think not! Apparently, the new Los Angeles County District Attorney (Steve Cooley) appointed Rubin because she was a supporter of his campaign and is a friend as well. So he appoints a prosecutor who is the most prolific prosecutorial "railroader" in American criminal case history! Apparently because she supported his campaign (in the time of the LAPD Rampart scandal which Mr. Cooley criticized Garcetti for not addressing in that gang bangers were "railroaded" by bad cops!). Yet, Cooley has no problem putting in a prosecutor who absolutely "railroaded" innocent people (such as the McMartin family) in the most prolific prosecutorial "witchhunt" in American criminal case history… One word describes his doing such: POLITICS! When I spoke with Cooley privately a few months ago (before he won the election), I mentioned the McMartin case to him, and he said that it was like the O.J. Simpson case in that the jury didn’t go the way the DA wanted. However, I disagreed with him because with the O.J. Simpson case there was evidence (especially the DNA evidence) that the jury just ignored (most likely because the defense played the "race card"). But in the McMartin Pre-School case, there was NO credible evidence! Only a "railroading" prosecutor (in Lael Rubin) who was out of control! She ignored exculpatory evidence (when she found out that the initial complaining witness’ husband had molested her child and blamed such on the McMartin Pre-School as she was mentally ill along with being an alcoholic!). Lael Rubin should not even be a prosecutor (and should

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http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20001206/t000116739.html http://www.ags.uci.edu/~dehill/witchhunt/cases/mcmartin.htm Cooley Announces Staff Changes on 1st Day in Office  Courts: He retains some Garcetti appointees and vows to release a plan on handling three-strikes cases. By TWILA DECKER, Times Staff Writer      On his first full day on the job Tuesday, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley announced highly anticipated changes in his executive management staff.      The appointees include two holdovers from the administration of former Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, career prosecutors, former ranking members of the district attorney’s office and a former Municipal Court judge.      The job of second-in-command went to Curt Livesay, who will be interim chief deputy. Livesay, who has 35 years experience as a prosecutor and defense attorney, also served as chief deputy under former Dist. Atty. John Van de Kamp.      The appointment that drew the most questions at the news conference was that of Senior Trial Deputy Lael Rubin as special counsel.      Rubin will oversee Cooley’s promised changes in the enforcement of California’s three-strikes law.      Rubin prosecuted the McMartin Pre-School case, an unsuccessful three-year prosecution that was the most costly in county history. The highly publicized case changed the way law enforcement officers across the country question children who may have been sexually abused.      But Rubin said her entire career should not be summed up by one case.      "I concluded my work on the McMartin case more than 10 years ago," she said. She noted that she had won a murder conviction just a few weeks ago.      The district attorney said he and Rubin will present a three-strikes plan in 10 days.      Cooley named retired Montebello Police Chief George Stephen Simonian as chief of the district attorney’s bureau of investigation.      He appointed three assistant district attorneys:      * Former Inglewood Municipal Judge Lawrence E. Mason will be in charge of line operations. Mason was a deputy district attorney from 1975 to 1997 and legal advisor to the Los Angeles County Grand Jury from 1989 to 1991.      * Head Deputy Dist. Atty. Peter Bozanich will direct special operations. Bozanich, who joined the office in 1971, most recently ran the south juvenile division.      * Assistant Dist. Atty. Sharon Matsumoto will keep her job as head of administration. She began the job in 1998.      Cooley also named eight bureau directors:      * Jacquelyn Lacey will be in charge of central operations. Lacey joined the office in 1986. She has been part of the hate crimes suppression unit for the past year.      * Head Deputy Dist. Atty. Curt Hazell will direct special operations. Hazell has been with the office since 1976.      * David Guthman will oversee fraud and prosecutions. He has been with the office since 1977. During the past two years, Guthman has served as director of the bureau of management and budget.      * Deputy Dist. Atty. Janice Maurizi will direct Region I of branch and area operations. She has been with the office since 1984.      * Deputy Dist. Atty. John Allen will remain as head of Region II of branch and area operations. Allen has been with the district attorney’s office since 1983.      * Former journalist Joseph Scott, who helped run Cooley’s campaign, will serve as director of communications.      * William R. Mangan, a commander in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, will direct the Bureau of Management and Budget.      * Former journalist Carol Baker will remain as acting director of crime prevention and youth services. She has served in that job since 1998. Virginia McMartin Dead At 88    TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) — Virginia McMartin, the grandmother acquitted of molesting children at her pre-school in the nation’s longest and costliest criminal case, has died. She was 88.    McMartin, who bitterly denied the charges leveled against her, her daughter, her grandson and pre-school staff, was pronounced dead Sunday in the emergency room at Little Company of Mary Hospital.    "It was natural causes. She apparently had a series of strokes lately," said police Lt. David Marsden.    McMartin founded the now-defunct McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach, which became the focus of a child abuse investigation in 1983 when a mother later diagnosed as mentally ill told police she suspected her 2 1/2-year-old son had been molested.    McMartin was arrested in 1984 with her daughter, Peggy McMartin Buckey, and grandchildren, Ray and Peggy Ann Buckey, and three teachers.    In the months that followed, allegations were made that teachers at the school had molested dozens of children, often during bizarre rituals. McMartin became a familiar figure in the heavily-publicized case as she went to court in her wheelchair.    In 1986, felony child molestation charges were dismissed against all but Peggy McMartin Buckey and her son. They were charged with molesting 11 children over a five-year period.    Mrs. Buckey was acquitted in 1990 after a three-year trial. The same year, Raymond Buckey was acquitted of 40 counts and a jury deadlocked on another eight counts against him in a second trial.    The entire case lasted seven years and cost Los Angeles County $13 million, making it the longest and costliest criminal prosecution in U.S. history. The O.J. Simpson trial cost $9 million. I’m sure you all have heard Virginia (the grandmother) and owner of the McMartin Pre-School died in her sleep today. I was very troubled by the short bleep on CNN.  It stated she was at the "heart of the McMartin" situation and although they made mention she, nor any one else was ever convicted on that case – there was more time spend telling about the charges. I think the world owes Virginia McMartin an apology. Through everything this family went thru – this woman held her head up with dignity.  This woman, her daughter and grandchildren remind me constantly of the system that went terribly wrong.  Nothing could counter the injustice done to them.  It was the beginning of  the reason we need a witchhunt board in the first place to debate this issue on.  This case continues to haunt me and always will.  It’s the first case I dealt with that made me ashamed of the American justice system – a system I have worked in since being a teenager. Today – 10 years later – the witchhunts march on. Laura Pasley I agree they are due an apology.  I also believe we owe them many thanks for being strong and fighting like they did.  Although we still suffer through the witch hunts today, there was much learned during the McMartin trials which have helped others. Grandmother cleared in molestation case dies TORRANCE, California (CNN) — Virginia McMartin, a central figure in a child molestation case that became the nation’s longest criminal prosecution, died Sunday. Authorities attributed the death of the 88-year-old grandmother to natural causes. The saga of the McMartin Pre-School began in 1983, when a mother — later diagnosed as mentally ill — called Los Angeles police to say she suspected her 2-year-old son had been molested. Mrs. McMartin was arrested in March 1984  with her daughter, Peggy McMartin Buckey, and grandchildren, Ray and Peggy Ann Buckey, along with three teachers. In the months that followed, allegations were made that teachers at the school had molested dozens of the children. In 1986, felony child molestation charges were dismissed against all but Peggy McMartin Buckey and her son. They were charged with molesting 11 children over a five-year period. Mrs. Buckey was acquitted in January 1990 after a three-year trial. Raymond Buckey was acquitted of 40 counts and a jury deadlocked on another eight counts against him in a second trial. The entire case lasted seven years and cost Los Angeles County $13 million. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text —— Original Message —– Newsgroups: alt.true-crime,alt.crime,alt.news-media,alt.politics.media,alt.law-enforcem e nt,alt.private.investigator,alt.journalism,alt.journalism.print,alt.journal i sm.newspapers,talk.politics.misc Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2000 12:49 PM by New LA County DA Steve Cooley Jim Morris wrote (in response to "Geminiwalker"): The next time a schizophrenic (and alcohlic)  "complaining witness" (like Judy Johnson) accuses you of molesting her child when her husband actually did such (and a "railroading" prosecutor like Lael Rubin  ignores such and unjustly slams you in jail for five years) we will be there for you as well! You might want to check out the message boards at: http://www.crimenews2000.com Forwarded: —– Original Message —– Newsgroups: alt.showbiz.gossip Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 4:33 PM DA Steve Cooley the whole thing was a nut case.  I could see suspecting the son but they arrested a half dozen middle aged and older women including one disabled in a wheelchair. And the son, who was convicted of nothing, spent four years in jail awaiting trial, enduring trial, etc.  Really horrible. Keep in mind that the McMartin case

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text —– Original Message —– Newsgroups: alt.true-crime,alt.crime,alt.news-media,alt.politics.media,alt.law-enforcem e nt,alt.private.investigator,alt.journalism,alt.journalism.print,alt.journal i sm.newspapers,talk.politics.misc Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 2:25 PM by New LA County DA Steve Cooley Some are not of "one mind" with the O.J. Simpson situation either, but the bottom line is that no tunnels were found at the McMartin Pre-School (other than what was made from prior excavation of the site), and O.J. Simpson would have been found guilty by an objective jury. Child molesters should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but innocent people should not have been "railroaded" by an out of control prosecutor (Lael Rubin). What would you do if a mentally ill woman (like Judy Johnson) accused you of being a child molester when it was really her husband who was the culprit (according to what I have read and watched). Again, watch that HBO McMartin trial film (which starred James Woods) as it is scary what Lael Rubin did to the McMartin family (simply go to http://www.amazon.com and type in "McMartin" in the "video" search field to find the film). <The appointment that drew the most questions at the news conference was that of Senior Trial Deputy Lael Rubin as special counsel. Rubin prosecuted the McMartin Pre-School case, an unsuccessful three-year prosecution that was the most costly in county history.                      *         * * I’m surprised this person would be appointed to anything. This idiot completely destroyed the business and lives of an entire family and several employees on nothing evidence.  The testimony of some of the children was just ludicrous; there were stories of being taken to see pink elephants at a circus, on spaceships, and all kinds of other complete nonsense.  The mother who started the whole thing was a nut case.  I could see suspecting the son but they arrested a half dozen middle aged and older women including one disabled in a wheelchair. How could anyone think that several people of this kind would all conspire together to molest children?  I won’t say it’s 100% impossible but it’s close and requires a hell of a lot of evidence which they didn’t have. Dogs & children first. Keep in mind that the McMartin case was the most expensive (and was the longest!) in American criminal case history (not just in Los Angeles County history!). Also, the metro desk editor for the LA Times (David Rosenzweig) was putting out stories on behalf of the McMartin prosecution at the time of the case and then married the McMartin prosecutor (Lael Rubin)!: http://holysmoke.org/sdhok/sat17.htm Now that same former metro desk editor (David Rosenzweig) is the federal court reporter for the LA Times, does one really think that the LA Times is going to cover Rubin’s new appointment in depth (especially as at least one current LA Times metro editor used to work under Rosenzweig when he used to be the metro editor)! I think not! Apparently, the new Los Angeles County District Attorney (Steve Cooley) appointed Rubin because she was a supporter of his campaign and is a friend as well. So he appoints a prosecutor who is the most prolific prosecutorial "railroader" in American criminal case history! Apparently because she supported his campaign (in the time of the LAPD Rampart scandal which Mr. Cooley criticized Garcetti for not addressing in that gang bangers were "railroaded" by bad cops!). Yet, Cooley has no problem putting in a prosecutor who absolutely "railroaded" innocent people (such as the McMartin family) in the most prolific prosecutorial "witchhunt" in American criminal case history… One word describes his doing such: POLITICS! When I spoke with Cooley privately a few months ago (before he won the election), I mentioned the McMartin case to him, and he said that it was like the O.J. Simpson case in that the jury didn’t go the way the DA wanted. However, I disagreed with him because with the O.J. Simpson case there was evidence (especially the DNA evidence) that the jury just ignored (most likely because the defense played the "race card"). But in the McMartin Pre-School case, there was NO credible evidence! Only a "railroading" prosecutor (in Lael Rubin) who was out of control! She ignored exculpatory evidence (when she found out that the initial complaining witness’ husband had molested her child and blamed such on the McMartin Pre-School as she was mentally ill along with being an alcoholic!). Lael Rubin should not even be a prosecutor (and should definitely not have been appointed to a senior position in Cooley’s new regime). Just think if Virginia McMartin was your grandmother.. What I didn’t like about my conversation with Cooley is that he (and Rubin as well) seemed to think that the McMartins were still guilty and just got off (when in actuality, the McMartins were wrongly arrested and imprisoned!). Check out the links at the following Web site (especially the reviews about the McMartin book and HBO film from 1995 which won three Emmys in 1996): http://www.ags.uci.edu/~dehill/witchhunt/cases/mcmartin.htm PS: You can still buy the HBO McMartin film via http://www.amazon.com (just type in McMartin in the "video" search field there). While you are at it you might want to check out yet another web site, and know that all are not of one mind on this moment in history on which much in the way of healing remains unfinished: http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/mcmartin.htm …geminiwalker

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