Abbie Hoffman Moment

Affluenza, A Petition From MADD

Remember Ethan Couch, the "affluenza kid"? Now that he has been caught, after Tonya Couch, his so-called "mother", helped him hide in Mexico in order to avoid the constraints of probation for the four murders of which he was convicted in 2013, and is fighting deportation, a judge has the option of transferring his case from juvenile court to adult court. Had he been held accountable for his crimes, or even if he had shown some gratitude for his light sentence and taken advantage of the opportunity to sober up, perhaps so many people would not be outraged at him and his mother.

Among those outraged are Mothers Against Drunk Driving. They have circulated a petition to show Texas how the rest of the nation feels about rich teens who drive drunk, kill people, and get free passes from the judicial system to do it again, while otherwise violating probation. The link is shared here, and it is not only worth reading, but worth signing. Petition To Fight Affluenza

Update To Colton Barrera Petition

 

Colton Barrera has now been missing for seven years. There was talk at one point about involving the FBI, but no investigation was ever done by them. There have been tips called in over the years to the sheriff in Russell County, Kansas, concerning a possible murder and possible whereabouts, but it appears that the sheriff and all of his men have chosen to ignore any information that is offered, all the while refusing to ask the FBI for help. I have updated the petition I wrote a few months ago. Please sign it and share it; the link is here: Petition Requesting An Update To Colton Barrera's Case.

Colton Barrera's Petition

Colton Ross Barrera disappeared on September 26, 2008. Since then, the case has stagnated in the office of the Russell County Sheriff's Office, in Kansas and has been assigned to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in Great Bend, Kansas, but with no notable progress in searches or interviews with witnesses. Because it has been over six years since Colton has been seen anywhere, his family, his friends, and the citizens of Kansas would like this case handed to the FBI for further investigation and a fresh look at any leads that may or may not have been pursued. The people of Kansas would also like an update on the case from the Russell County Sheriff's Office and from the Kansas Bureau of Investigations, complete with an accounting of the outcomes of any interviews and the findings of any search warrants. Colton and his family deserve to know the progress of the investigation and the case. Here is the link to the petition to request renewed efforts to find Colton and resolve his case; please click on the link and sign it.

Colton Ross Barrera Petition

Colton Ross Barrera did not return home on September 26, 2008. Since then, the case has faltered because of uninvestigated leads and uninterviewed witnesses. This petition is to request an update about the case from the Russell County Sheriff's Office in Kansas and from the Kansas Bureau of Investigations. It is also a request to turn the case over to the FBI. Please sign it and share it with everyone.

Petition To Oust Brownback

Governor Brownback, (R) of Kansas has at least inspired some creativity. He has also inspired a petition for a recall. Beyond getting the attention of the appropriate people, an online petition to recall a governor in Kansas doesn't really accomplish anything by itself, which is why your blogger ignored it until now. Brownback probably knew there would be mass disapproval of his performance. He does not show any signs of actually caring. The voters in Kansas really shouldn't be surprised.

Marijuana Will Be Up For Vote In Wichita

The new petition for decriminalization of marijuana, particularly first offenses, was written up, passed around, and signed by enough people to force the city of Wichita, Kansas, to put it on the ballot in April. This will make possession within the city a municipal offence with a small fine, rather than a felony, or whatever is convenient for prosecutors to call it. It seems like a step in the right direction; perhaps our jails and prisons can reserve space for those who commit violent crimes, instead of locking up those who get caught taking bong hits. It's also nice to see Wichita listening to it's constituency.

One aspect of this matter that is troubling, however; is one of the considerations listed by the city of Wichita, as a possible reason ignore the voters. Wichita is worried about lost revenue via fines and other fees, collected from offenders. Suppose everyone in Wichita sobered up and quit smoking pot? Or perhaps got better at hiding from cops? Then how would Wichita deal with "lost revenue"? Is it possible that our judicial system is actually, in it's own way, discouraging addicts and alcoholics from recovery because of financial considerations? Say it ain't so! Financial loss in the form of  penalty fines and fees should never be a consideration in this type of referendum. Here's an excerpt from Wichita's proposal:

Abbie Hoffman Moment

Terri Horman Has Another Identity Crisis

Terri Moulton Horman, former stepmother of missing Kyron Horman, who disappeared from his school in Portland, Oregon in 2010, when he was seven, wants to try to change her name. She has already tried this once, and the court in Douglas County, Oregon decided against it. Not only had she chosen the name of a foreign national whose hair color and complexion are similar to her own, which could easily create a passport nightmare in the event that a warrant is issued for her arrest, but finding Ms. Horman in another country in the first place would be difficult. Because Ms. Horman is the last person known to have seen Kyron on the day he went missing, the public's best interest would be served if she would cooperate with law enforcement and answer their questions about the day Kyron disappeared from his school before changing her identity. She refuses, and has failed two polygraph examinations, which leaves a gaping hole in the investigation and forces authorities to consider her as a possible suspect in this case, rather than a mere witness. Under those circumstances, Douglas County determined in August that Ms. Horman should not change her name.

Questions indicating deception on Terri Horman's polygraph examinations.

Terri Horman's new court date in Lane County, Oregon is on December 11, 2014. To date, she has not cooperated with law enforcement in Kyron's missing persons case and has not answered their questions. A petition protesting the name change is circulating right now, and will be hand delivered to the court during the hearing. You can click here to sign it. 

Terri Horman And The Mystery Man

One of the reasons for the recent petition that has been circulating about the Kyron Horman case is the somewhat new distraction of the "mystery man" spoken of by Kyron's former stepmother, Terri Horman, and her et els. She and her attorney both purport that there was an unknown man at school with Kyron on June 4, 2010, yet neither of them have expressed a desire to know more about this "mystery man" until recently. Please note that Kyron has been missing for four years. It  really seems that any family member truly hoping to find Kyron would have brought up the existence and presence of this unknown witness immediately after Kyron disappeared, rather than four years, a divorce, and an unsuccessful name change later. Terri, where's Kyron?

There is a petition circulating at the moment, asking the police in Multnomah County, Oregon, to clarify the existence and description of this "mystery man", or lack thereof, as the case may be. The petition can be signed and accessed here. Please note that neither Terri Horman or her attorney wrote the petition or made any request to identify the "mystery man" or bring Kyron home.

While We Are On The Subject Of Petitions

Maryland has a prisoner by the name of Timothy Conrad Phillips. Mr. Phillips took up residence in prison because he murdered two small children and pretended, at first, that he didn't do it. He was sentenced to twenty years for each murder, plus ten more years for the abuses that went hand in hand with the murders, but the sentences unfortunately run concurrent, rather than consecutive. He also has a parole hearing in January of 2015. If Mr. Phillips gets parole, he will have only served seventeen years of his sentence. Neither Amani Renee Robinson or Andre Michael Whitworth had a chance to reach the age of seventeen; why should Mr. Phillips reside somewhere outside of prison after only serving seventeen years?

There is a petition circulating now, requesting that probation not be granted to Timothy Conrad Phillips. You can peruse and sign it if you follow this link. Please sign it, and share it with everyone. It's time for all of us to stop hearing about this type of crime.

So Someone Has A Problem With Petitions?

Okay, this is to the person who has a problem with this post. Go home and take a baby aspirin! If a person, or a few persons, in the community want to know about the progress of a missing persons case, particularly that of a child who disappeared from a public school, there is not a problem in asking about it! If you are not interested in the sheriff's answer to any of the questions, don't bother to read any media or information about the petition! The whole idea of shutting down an investigation prior to resolution is only beneficial to the guilty party, no one else.

Above is a little something from the Facebook page of Terri Horman, sometime step parent of Kyron Horman, who disappeared from his second grade class at Skyline Elementary in Portland, Oregon in June of 2010. A rather nasty message to any journalists scoping out Terri Horman's page, after she failed two polygraphs, was posted on Terri's wall by one of her friends. This friend indicated that Kyron's family was not interested in the publicity that the media could guarantee, and was thereby rudely discouraging anyone to post pictures and information about Kyron's missing persons case. This is actually quite contrary to the desires of both of Kyron's parents and the rest of his family. Four years have gone by, and Kyron has not been found, so a new petition, which is promoted in the post that attracted an angry troll whose comment was too profane for print, was drafted. It is a request for updated information and progress on Kyron's case, and the link is here. Please sign it; Kyron's family has been waiting for four years.

A New Petition For Kyron Horman's Case

Terri Horman.

The four of you that were at the courthouse harrasing and stalking Terri should be arrested for harrasment, violating her rights and being stalkers. You have NO business doing the police's job. All you dramma queens are doing is hurting the investigation. If you have REAL facts to offer the case, I am sure the police would love to gear from you. Give it a rest. Besides, she may not have been the last one to see him. The murderer is  . Also you may have forgotten about innocent until proven guilty. It applies in all cases. Even the ones you think you know about. Or dont like. Someone said "what if it was your kid?" My anser would be simple. If my kid is being harrased and stalked by people accusing them of a crime, posting signs all around the neighborhood claiming that they were guilty beforebeing proven guilty. I would definitely have my day in court with them, I would sue them for liable. So, for thoes of you who feel it is ok to harrase someone that you think is guilty of a crime without due process. Remember, you are giving up your rights to the same due process.     

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Above is a rant from Craigslist in Roseburg, Oregon, that I found shortly after Terri Moulton Horman's petition to change her name was denied by the Douglas County Court in Oregon. I reproduced it, complete with spelling errors. It contains one statement, which is highlighted, that  I find very unusual, about the "last person" to see Kyron Horman, who disappeared from from his school in Portland, Oregon, in June of 2010. There has been a lot of discussion about this "last person", by law enforcement and by the general public. The difference between the existing discussion and the above Roseburg rant is that the questions and discussions already generated in the Kyron Horman investigation concern the "person who was last seen with Kyron Horman", not the "last person to see Kyron Horman". Those are two very different statements, and do not necessarily mean the same thing at all. Also, exactly how would this Roseburg ranter know that there is a "murderer"? Since Kyron has been missing since June 4, 2010, these details seems rather intimate for the knowing of someone who simply happened to see a flyer with Kyron's picture and a description of the case.

 

A petition has been written, requesting that the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office in Portland, Oregon not only update everyone about the Kyron Horman investigation, but about the "last person" actually seen with Kyron. Because he disappeared from a public school, the community needs to be aware of such a person, if it is someone other than his former step parent, Terri Moulton Horman. Her attorney has also spoken of another person having been seen alone with Kyron Horman on the morning of June 4, 2010, yet to date, an actual description of the person, if the person exists, has not been given. I am asking everyone to sign this petition, which will be delivered to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and which will hopefully get their attention and give them some inspiration to look for Kyron again.

Wichita's New Petition To Decriminalize Marijuana

A new petition to decriminalize marijuana in Wichita Kansas is in the works. The old one was rejected by the city council when they went over each and every signature, looking for flaws and reasons to reject the petition. It had garnered over twice as many signatures as necessary to put decriminalization on the ballot, but the city council was determined to find a reason to deny the voters what they wanted, so they questioned a few of the signatures and told Kansans For Change that they were thirty-six signatures short. Would Kansans have this much trouble with a petition to put prayer in school on the ballot, despite the fact that federal law trumps it already? Probably not. A new petition should be in circulation on October 1. This blog will post a link.

Disclaimer: your blogger does not engage or approve of the use or abuse of any recreational drugs. She simply thinks that your tax dollars, along with hers, could be better spent on pursuits other than malicious prosecution of anyone who violates a prohibition law.

Wichita Gets Unpopular With Voters

The city of Wichita, Kansas obviously does not want to decriminalize marijuana, but the people do. After a petition to put changes in the law about marijuana on the ballot this November had garnered more than enough signatures and was presented to the city council, the city council somehow determined that there were not enough signatures. Because citizens called city hall to let Wichita know what they really thought of that, the city has decided to allow Kansans For Change to draft a new petition. Okay, Wichita. Whatever. It appears you know what your voters want. Just don't make them ask for it 420 times.

Kansas For Change And Wichita

          City Hall 316-268-4331 just say Put it on the Ballot.

                                                                              

          Election Office 316-660-7100 see if you registered

Real quick, everyone, the citizens of Wichita Kansas and Kansas For Change would really like to decriminalize marijuana marijuana in Wichita, Kansas. They collected about twice as many signatures as they needed on a petition to get the decriminalization of marijuana on the ballot, so everyone who votes can vote on it. Instead of simply including this item for voters, Wichita is falsely invalidating over half of the signatures, and no matter how many signatures Kansas For Change collects, there always seems to be a reason to disregard the wishes of the people.  If you are part of this district, and you also wish to be part of a constructive change, please call the number printed under the picture for City Hall in Wichita, and tell them you want decriminalization of marijuana on the ballot. 

*Yours truly does not approve or engage in the use of any recreational drug. She simply hates to see the judicial system waste her tax dollars and everyone else's on selective and insane prosecution.

Wichita Kansas May Have To Put Marijuana On The Ballot

A petition to decriminalize marijuana has gotten 5,800 signatures so far, in order to force Wichita, Kansas to decriminalize marijuana and change the nature of the offense from a criminal misdemeanor to a minor civil offense. This is over twice the number of signature needed, so Wichita really has no excuse to refuse to put the question of decriminalizing marijuana on the ballot. The petition calls for a twenty-five dollar fine in municipal court instead of the current criminal sanctions and requests that violations be treated the same way building code violations or uncontrolled pets are treated. I do not use recreational drugs and do not approve of recreational drug use, but I also do not approve of prosecuting victimless crimes with millions of dollars that can more productively spent on education. It's also a nice gesture to avoid the needless ruin of lives with what amounts to malicious prosecution and selectively applied sanctions. Power To The People!

Making A Freedom Of Information Act Request

While talking with several Kansas crime victims and their families, from different parts of Kansas, it became abundantly clear to me that the Kansas judicial community not only plays a vicious game of favorites, but at times when it is inconvenient to actually solve a crime and pursue justice, either because the suspect is someone deemed important, the suspect is the child of someone deemed important, or the crime was done so expertly that law enforcement in Kansas is unable to solve it; courts and police departments will actually withhold information from victims and family members, and tell them that pertinent cases are closed, without providing documentation that said pertinent cases are closed. This is usually a stalling tactic, but can sometimes be subterfuge, specifically to protect favored guilty parties. Either way, while some information, during an investigation, can be legally withheld; if an investigation is closed, a parent has the right to know how his child died, a family has the right to know about important updates in a missing persons case, and a crime victim has the right to be informed of progress in relevant criminal proceedings.

The Freedom Of Information Act, or the FOIA, was enacted in 1966, and serves as a simple vehicle
for discovery of facts that are legally available to the individual seeking these facts. One may write a letter to an organization or individual, citing the latest update of the FOIA, and request the information. For example, "In accordance with the Freedom Of Information Act Of 2012, (or the most recent update of the law) I am requesting the files you refused to release to me via personal request." Sometimes it is a good idea to offer reimbursement for postage or shipping. One should name the specific information desired, and tell the reader why one is legally entitled to this information. This needs to be done in writing, and copies of all written communication should be
saved. Should the agency to whom the request is made refuse to cooperate, a written answer should be supplied to the petitioner. If the requested information truly belongs to the petitioner as well as the respondent, it can be used later in court, showing the lack of cooperation. In the event of cover-up or suppression of evidence, it can be a very serious ethics violation, depending on which agency suppresses information. In Kansas, there may not always be a lawyer available to represent victims of the mockery we call law enforcement, but there are some major media covering several cases wherein the Freedom Of Information Act has factored in one way or another, and copies of unlawful refusals can easily be scanned and published.

These copies make really good pictures and illustrations in the absence of pictures of the cowards who refuse to come forward with requested discovery and information.

 

Update On Cinderella's Petition

A few days ago, I wrote this post, about a young lady named Rhiannon Ambrose, who attempted to take advantage of open enrollment in Kansas by enrolling in Marysville High School, where forensics, speech, and drama are part of the curriculum; instead of enrolling in Frankfort, the public school closest to her home, where none of those classes are offered and one of the teachers is a confessed, yet unprosecuted, child abuser. Today, in a telephone conversation, superintendent Randy Freeman explained to Rhiannon that his initial reason for accepting all students requesting transfer from other districts, except her, would remain undisclosed, but that a new reason is the petition she wrote. Randy Freeman does not welcome students who write and send petitions, either online, or take hard copies of the same door to door. He also stated that he does not welcome students whose parents write and have published various written works. This writer finds that position quite interesting for an educator at an American school! Has Randy Freeman not heard of the Constitution? And the First Amendment? Petitions and public announcements are the cornerstone of Freedom of Expression! In essence, Randy Freeman has told Rhiannon that because she has engaged her First Amendment rights and petitioned, via written word, and because she has first degree relatives who write and have published their work, she is unwelcome in his school, while other transfer students whose parents do not know how to write, are welcome! Are there any more questions about exactly how American public schools have gotten "dumbed down"?

Here is the Updated Petition, don't be shy about signing it! Now that we have an administrator who openly admits that he only wants average or below average children in his school, gifted and talented need not apply, this has become bigger than one child in Kansas. All of our children have a right to learn about communication and about their rights as citizens. Today, an arrogant man, to whom quite a few childrens' educations have been entrusted, proudly announced that he does not encourage learning about the Constitution, or about writing or communication skills.

 

The original post about this whole matter can be read here.

 

Petition Requesting Fairness Of Marysville Kansas School Board

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote this post concerning the residence of a talented high school junior in a Kansas school district that would rather cut and cut the curriculums and extra curricular activities for their students, rather than consolidate with other Kansas school districts, enabling the availability of more educational options for students. Sports, of course, was not touched; only the classes which appeal to the more artistic or intellectually inclined students, of which USD 380, Vermillion Kansas, has too few.

Rhiannon Ambrose would love to attend a school that offers forensics, speech, and drama. She also would like to sing and take music. Unfortunately, Frankfort, her home school, does not offer those classes, and when she tried to take extracurricular vocal, the music teacher denied her, reserving the slots in his choir for children who have lived in Frankfort since birth or early childhood, or whose parents have political connections in the area. He admits this, too, and says he has been doing this for over twenty-seven years, and that he is not going to change now! Okay, fine; but J.D. Gallion even took it a step further, and told Rhiannon her voice was terrible, and not to ever sing again! What a jerk! He also discriminates against anyone who does not attend a Christian church, too, and proudly discriminates in the name of Frankfort United Methodist Church, but that's another post!

Rhiannon Ambrose decided to simply ask USD 364, a neighboring school district, if she could take advantage of "open enrollment" in Kansas and attend Marysville High. The answer was "no"! Apparently, "open enrollment" is only "open" to "certain" children, even though the law and the policy, itself, state that it is open to any student in good standing!  It would be better for USD 380 to keep Rhiannon and suck up those enrollment dollars for her presence, rather than let go of her, and allow her to attend a different school, where she could happily take the classes in which she excels. I am sharing a link to the petition that was written about this, and I am asking everyone to sign it and share it. This is unfair, and it has made a political casualty out of a high school student.

Rhiannon's petition can be signed if you click on the link. Thankyou, everyone!