Cliff Divers and Rabbit Hoppers

By Jillian Maas Backman

I want to dedicate this entry to my good internal emotional friend,   Fear.  One of the most mis-understood emotions and yet, has the greatest potential to be our working warrior beside all of us in a time of need.  

  

So much is written about this illusive emotional condition.  Just the word alone conjures up a negative reaction and sends people into a tailspin.  Why?  Along the way, we have received implied mixed messages, finger pointing towards FEAR as the “evil one” from our emotional piggy bank from which to draw from.  Origins deriving from such statements, as “We must conquer our fears!”  “That fear is going to kill you!”  “FEAR is the root to all evil!”  This kind of verbiage sets up a battlefield inside your conscious mind.  Think about it this way, whenever someone goes into battle there will always be a winner and loser.  When we apply this same kind of tactical representation towards fear, it is no longer an ally.  It becomes an adversary to suppress.  Nothing good comes from this kind of thinking in your head.  We end up segregating pieces of ourselves and assign judgment.  A power struggle ensues between good and evil.   

We have humiliated ourselves into thinking it is cowardly if we admit experiencing some form of fear.  Somehow, we are less emotionally healthy if we have bouts of fearful momental breakdowns.  What a set up that is, in so many sad sad ways.  Fear is a human emotional conditions we should honor and respect on different levels.  It is not meant to be a comfortable state of being, by any means what so ever.  

NEVERTHELESS, it can be an immutable force behind your intentions! 

Every human emotion was given to us for a higher purpose of some kind.  I believe we are trying to think our way through changing the human archetype we were heavenly blessed with from inception.  Impossible and a waste of human time.  My ability to feel fear is necessary for my survival in certain situations.  It is how you act upon those internal markings is a gift not a punishment.

Let us take the fear out of “being in fear.”

First, there is lots of wiggle room between using fear as a catalyst for expansion and creating a fear addiction.  As always, I am addressing a healthy dose of “fearness” herein.  This is not intended for those of you that feel you may have crossed into the danger zone of a “fear addiction.”  As with all addictive behavior, intervention prevention by trained professional is always advised. 

Please do not abandon your sense of fearing.

Fear, as with all other human emotions, will be present forever.  It is our natural sense indicator of change in the rawest form possible, an involuntary boundary sensor.  The minute you find yourself outside your comfort zone, that fear brain sensor will be busy transmitting all forms of warning signs.  Why in the world would you want to intellectually spend time fighting against this loving emotional companion is beyond me.  For goodness sake, walk with it. 

Years ago, I too was immobilized with my own fears.  My perceived options were either ignore the presence of it and force my way through or accept defeat and surrender.  Both seem ludicrate at the time.  Neither option was going to get me to my desired destination of transformation.  I trusted myself enough to know that fear was not my enemy.  I  was being guided to delve deeper for illumination on the gift of heavenly fear.  The answer was not about the elimination of it, more on how to manage my way through the consistency of fear.  How do you deal with the innate presence of emotional fear?

Which one are you;   Cliff Diver or a Rabbit Hopper:

Before I share the details, let me preface this by stating:  No one category is better than the other.  Each one has inherited advantages and disadvantages.  I use these labels as a fun way of stepping out from the wake of fear, observing how you personally deal with conflict resolutions, and possible modifications.

Cliff Diver:  Peaks of Fearlessness followed by Peaks of Fear

Now cliff divers are the ones that do exactly what the label sounds like.  Not literally, of course.  When they decide to make changes, they usually go big.  Not in the sense of crazy big, more like something out of the ordinary.  The opposite, they sit back, internally analyze, wait for the right moment to jump, and then jump long!  All the while, vacillating between moments of fear-ness and fearless-ness.  This reminds me of that old cartoon, Wily E Coyote and the Road Runner.  The coyote would chase the roadrunner off the end of a cliff.  His first reaction on his face described it all.  “Oh crap, what did I just do?”  Eyes wide as silver dollars, realizing his forthcoming quandary, flapped   his arms as fast as he could in the attempt to soften the blow with his eventual landing.  He always seemed   to survive another day of relentless chasing the Roadrunner.    

Advantage:  

-Fear instantly subsides.  There is immediate spontaneous resolve to the inaction of fear. 

-Go with the flow kind of people, flexible

-More times than not, this decision defines completion.

-  Meaning, you have completed a cycle in your life that has been festering for a long time and your inability for movement has stalled.  Your last bit of built up fears pushed you forward to a decisive action and possibly propel you to new territory of exploration.

- Feel your way through fears.  No intrinsic internal need to identify and label each fear individually. 

-Able to handle both conscious and unconscious pretara of “perceived fears” simultaneously.

-Insights always come from a multitude life lessons.   

Disadvantages:

-Be aware of compulsive fearless moments.  It is an incredible motivator but may also create lingering repercussions.

-Be conscious that you are a cliff diver.  The natural order of human fear will settle in again, but the configuration will definitely be different from before.  You will eventually decide to jump off the cliff of fearlessness once again and the cycle will repeat.  What measure have you set in place to reconfigure a new way of handling fears when it comes around again?  A good solution would be to adapt the ways of a “rabbit hopper…”  Therefore, when you decide to “jump” again the aftermath may have a softer landing.

Rabbit Hoppers:  Equal amount of fear and fearlessness

Bless them, for many do not understand their unseemly unassuming ways.  We are promoters of cliff divers in this country.  “Go Big or Go Home.”  Come on really?  Not every big way is the best way.  There are times when slow and steady is the best method to resolutions of all kinds.  I again reference a childhood story, “The Tortoise and the Hare.”  Even though the hare is portrayed in this parable as the one who lost in the end maybe both were correct. 

Advantages:

-Break down fears into workable “chucks of insights.”

-Deal with fear as it comes along.  They live by the rule, literally, one-step at a time.  In this case, one hop at a time. 

- Extremely methodical in handling all aspects of fear- based experiences.  Goals firmly placed in front of them.  Set in their immediate intentions.

-Can only deal with single fear issues one at a time.  Multi-tasking lessons are not an option. 

-Keep internal fear/fearlessness in balance.

Disadvantages: 

  -Assume fearlessness as being out of control.

-Tendency to avoid situations of complete fearlessness and spontaneous decision.

-Inflexible.  Rarely deviate from the pre-set course of action.

- There will be times of urgency to make a fast decision.  Fear is an incredible activator for quick movements.  Many times rabbit hoppers avoid this kind of situations at all cost.  That itself can create potential  danger.  You must adapt and take the “cliff diver” approach and jump in.

In order for rabbit hoppers to continue to move forward, they must always keep a balanced perspective on both fear and fearlessness.  That is a tall order, for the demure rabbit.  Fear has a tendency to silently take over the rabbit hoppers momentum.

I presented this fun fear quiz to demonstrate how each one of us handle and manage the stress of fear.  Both represent the beautiful ways in which we assimilate our fears, transpose them into lessons, and share our well -traveled  wisdom with others.   

In gracious love, Jillian Maas Backman

Jillian Maas Backman is an Intuitive Life, Author (Beyond the Pews, spring 2011), and Award winning Radio Host.  She can be heard on her weekly Sunday morning program entitled:  “It’s For You” on-air 9-10am(CST)  Lake 961 fm,   Lake Geneva, WI, North Shore Chicago, Ill or by listening on-line world wide  at  www.lake961.com   

Exclusive War Coverage: The Murders of Stacy Peterson and Kathleen Savio

By Susan Murphy Milano



In March 1, 2004, there was no media coverage in the silencing of Kathleen Savio whose death was ruled "accidential."


Just blocks away from where Kathleen's body was discovered 2 1/2 years earlier, in October of 2007, another war erupted and Stacy Peterson was taken capitive again by the same predator, and serial abuser, former police Sergeant Drew Peterson.

The front page headlines would name both women in the search for the young wife and mother. Within 3 days the Will County State's Attorney's office would begin the legal process and exhume the body of Kathleen. The cases were now joined at the hip, you could not mention one woman without discussing the other. In Chicago it filled the front page headline's for months. But so did Drew Peterson's sudden thrust into the national spotlight. Within a week, Drew Peterson's was a household name and the two victims in the war of intimate partner homicide were refered and labled as wife #3 and wife #4.

Strangers, friends and family members worked tirelessly to keep the flame burning on each case, in particular because Stacy had vanished more emphasis was placed on finding her and brining her home. A site no longer available "findstacypeterson.com"with membership in the thousands, created by the family and friends of Stacy was the only place where the young wife and mother would be featured and information with updates would run 24/7. Other's sites such as Juror13 and Websleuths also carried round-the-clock coverage. The national media however would discard this young woman's life, including her conversations with Pastor Neil Schori, as though she were invisible. During this time Drew Peterson was reaching millions via Larry King Live, MSNBC, NBC Today, Good Morning America, Greta, Nancy Grace, Jane Valdez-Mitchell, CNN, Anderson Cooper, Bill O'Reilly, Geraldo, John Gibson, CBS Morning Show, Scared Monkey's Radio, NPR News, People Magazine, The National Enquirer among others. Peterson was prancing, smiling while and acting as though he had jumping beans under his chair in the studio's where he was interviewed while surrounded by the bright lights.

Within months the "catch me if you can" theme song would become Peterson's anthem. With words and lyrics compsed by the man of the hour himself. Verses in his song included "Stacy ran away, it's a bright new day, catch me if you can that's all I'm gonna say." The national media played Peterson's words like a hit record for 18 long months until he was finally arrested for the murder of Kathleen Savio.

Now, nearly 3 years after Stacy Peterson vanishes the Chicago Sun-Times decides to play his song again, only this time from behind bars while he awaits trial. Without any regard for the victims of war or their surviving family members. A jounalist by the name of Michael Sneed and the editors of the Chicago Sun-Times punish these two dead women, saying their voices and lives had no significance, printing his words in a letter authored by in my opinion, from the man whom murdered both Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson.

I realize the photo's from the crime scene when Kathleen Savio's body was found will likely never be released and kept under seal from the public. For three reasons:

1st-If you saw these particular photo's you would know by viewing them that she was beaten. Brusises covered her back, torso, arms, shoulders, stomach and legs. From the naked eye there was no doubt this was not an accident, Kathleen Savio was murdered.

2nd- The way her body was positioned in the tub is something commonly taught at the police academy, dipicting a staged crime scene.

3rd-Those investigators who looked away by not documenting her murder, thinking they were doing their fellow buddy in blue a favor, caused the killing of yet another innocent victim of war Stacy Peterson.

I for one would like the names of these so called investigators along with former State's Attorney Tomczak to be gathered together for a formal Senate investigation hearing for the "war on intimate partner homicide." I realize it will do nothing to give Stacy Peterson and Kathleen Savio back their lives. But it will do so much to prevent future casualities in this war. Peterson is a social and psychotic nightmare of the worst kind, and we can learn a great deal in talking, reviewing and analyzing what has and hasn't happened since the murders.

"If you are outraged by the Chicago Sun Time and their disregard for the families of Kathleen Savio and Stacy Peterson by making headlines of Drew Peterson's jailhouse letters, do your part and let them know by calling, emailing or faxing. Nothing will change unless action is taken. The columnist, Micheal Sneed and her editor, should know that by making decisions based on headlines and readership instead of integrity and ethics is one of the reasons the public fuels people like Drew Peterson."

Fax number to the Chicago Sun Times is 312-321-3084

Michael Sneeds direct email address is : msneed@suntimes.com

Andrew Hermann, Managing Editor 312-321-3000

Zach Finken, News Editor 312-321-3000

Some Concerns About False Allegations of Abuse Are Accurate

By Barry Goldstein

We often hear complaints about false allegations of abuse. The research is definitive that women rarely make deliberately false allegations of abuse. Victims who make such allegations are subject to vicious attacks, discussion of painful and embarrassing circumstances and very often cruel retaliation for telling the truth. Accordingly it is not surprising unless you live in the pretend world of abusers that only one-two percent of allegations of abuse by women are deliberately false. While unqualified professionals often discount or discredit such allegations particularly when made in the context of contested litigation, we rarely hear the question of how frequently men's denials of abuse are accurate. Abusers virtually always deny charges against them despite the fact they are almost always accurate, but these same professionals are rarely skeptical of abuser denials that have far less truth value. This is another example of gender bias that tends to be invisible to those who unconsciously use gender biased methods.

The myth that women frequently make false allegations has serious consequences. Many prosecutors and child protective agencies routinely refuse to investigate allegations by mothers if there is a contested custody case pending. Custody courts often punish mothers for making such allegations. Even when the allegations are not immediately discounted, they are generally treated with tremendous skepticism.

What happens when fathers make allegations against mothers in the context of contested custody cases? These allegations are taken seriously and agencies that routinely discount mothers' allegations make a full investigation of fathers' complaints. These complaints are often used as a strategy by abusers to quickly switch custody at the start of litigation in order to gain an advantage. Nevertheless, agencies that see far more allegations by mothers because men in our society are so much more abusive tend to believe they need to take men's allegations seriously in order to appear neutral.

An important research study was done for the Canadian government led by Nicholas Bala. The researchers investigated complaints to child protective agencies involving allegations of sexual abuse in the context of contested custody cases. This research established that fathers are sixteen times more likely to make deliberately false allegations than mothers. The research is not saying mothers are sixteen times more honest than fathers. This research is limited to parents in contested custody cases. Most contested custody cases cannot be settled because the father is an abuser using custody as a tactic to pressure the mother to return or punish her for leaving. These abusers believe the mother has no right to leave them so they are entitled to use any tactic including false allegations to get their way. Most of the inadequately trained professionals relied on by the custody courts believe the myth that mothers frequently make false allegations, but are unaware of the scientific research that fathers in contested custody cases are much more likely to make false allegations. This research has important implications in criminal cases, child protective proceedings and custody disputes.

This study has important implications for the work of prosecutors and child protective workers because they must exercise caution before bringing charges based on allegations by fathers involved in custody disputes. Not only are such allegations often false, but the professionals are likely to be fooled because abusers are particularly adept at manipulation. Professionals who believe they have the ability to determine if someone is telling the truth just from observing them are particularly vulnerable. Best practices would require these professionals to speak with the mother and consult with domestic violence experts (such as advocates) before reaching any conclusions. Prosecutors and case workers should require independent evidence and be cautious about children who normally are very credible but might be under the influence of the abuser.

One of the last cases I worked on as an attorney illustrates what can happen if professionals fail to consider an abuser's motivation and permit themselves to be manipulated. The father started by making false allegations to Child Protective Services (CPS), but the children told the caseworkers nothing happened so the reports were quickly dismissed.

The father learned his lesson so that when the parties separated he made new complaints to CPS and pressured their older daughter to support his charges. Thereafter he convinced the district attorney that his wife had cut him with a surgical instrument (she is a nurse) and they brought criminal charges against her. The case went to the domestic violence court so the judge could handle both criminal and custody issues. The father obtained a protective order for himself and the children and received temporary custody based upon the criminal charges and the indicated cases by CPS. The judge was relatively reasonable under the circumstances and permitted the mother regular visitation with the two daughters.

The court appointed an evaluator who recommended custody for the father based on the indicated CPS charges and pending criminal charges. The mother's prior attorney encouraged her to settle by giving the father custody since it looked like this was the likely outcome. The criminal charges against the mother and father (he had earlier assaulted her) were each settled by plea agreements that made no findings, avoided convictions and continued mutual orders of protection. It was at this point that I was brought into the case.

We appealed the indicated case from CPS and at the hearing some of the earlier caseworkers testified that the child told them the father was pressuring her to make false complaints against the mother. The new caseworker had not bothered to investigate the history and was intimidated by the father who kept calling the office until they made findings against the mother. The hearing also established the father's history of domestic violence. The administrative judge wrote a strong opinion establishing the falsity of the charges against the mother and left two indicated cases against the father for assaulting the mother in front of the children.

With the findings from CPS, the mother now had a good chance to win custody. The father had stopped paying his share of the mortgage and his aggressive litigation tactics forced the mother to file for bankruptcy. They would lose the family home unless it was sold, but he would only cooperate if she used a broker he designated. The broker represented the father at the closing and the sale went through. The father then sought additional child support claiming the mother received money from a fraudulent sale of the home. He also started a divorce action in another county seeking to punish her for the alleged fraudulent sale of the home.

We were able to prove that the father signed the real estate contract and power of attorney for his agent. I insisted on a hearing on grounds for divorce which was the first time we had the opportunity to prove the father's history of abuse (the custody trial was taking years because the judge could give us only a few hours at a time and the father's attorney was often unavailable which helped the abuser who had fraudulently obtained custody). The divorce judge was experienced and understood domestic violence resulting in a strong decision exposing the father's history. The court found the father had used the child to make false CPS complaints, cut himself and then brought false criminal charges and there was a long pattern of coercive and abusive behavior by the father. These findings were fully binding on the father because he was a party to the divorce case. Accordingly we had a strong chance to win custody. I made a motion to immediately return the children based on the divorce court findings. I expressed concern the abuser would again pressure the children to make more false complaints if he maintained control, but the judge decided to wait until the trial on custody could be completed.

Knowing he was going to lose custody, the father contrived still more false charges. At a visitation exchange the father instructed the older daughter to refuse to go with her mother and instead claim her mother twisted her wrist causing a black and blue mark. The prosecutor filed new charges against the mother and the father unilaterally stopped visitation sometimes claiming the children refused to go. Of course if a mother ever did this she would be in jail and custody changed, but the judge limited himself to repeatedly ordering the visitations to take place, finally arranging the transfers in the court.

I contacted the prosecutor and showed her the long history of false complaints by the father including pressuring the daughter to lie about her mother. The prosecutor refused to drop the charges and wanted the mother to plead guilty which of course would have destroyed her custody case. At the trial, the police officer who interviewed the child revealed that contrary to the charges, the child had no marks on her after the attempted exchange. A witness the district attorney failed to interview testified that the alleged incident never happened and the child never testified. The judge dismissed the charges after trial.

The judge tried to avoid further problems by allowing the mother to pick the children up at school so there could be no interaction between the parents. During the weekend visitation the mother dropped the children at the church for religious instruction. Unbeknownst to the mother the father came to the church threatened the nun so badly that she was scared of him and instructed the older daughter to make new charges against the mother. Since the criminal charges were dismissed in part because there was no injury, the girl bit her arm and told the school nurse her mother had squeezed it. CPS was called and the caseworker investigated the charges without interviewing the nun, reviewing the prior history or considering what the mother had to say. Instead they brought new charges and the county attorney filed petitions in Family Court that resulted initially in supervised visitation, but often no visitation as the father used his control over the girls to destroy their relationship with the mother.

The mother had a lot of things going for her that many domestic violence victims did not. She had a strong relationship with her daughters and support from her family. She was a nurse and so had income to try to protect her children. The divorce judge and administrative judge were outstanding and I would like to think she had a good attorney. While the domestic violence judge could have done a better job, he was not as hostile as many other judges. The District Attorney's Office in Westchester County was the first prosecutor to have a special office to prosecute domestic violence crimes. Some of the CPS caseworkers and particularly the earlier ones had the integrity to speak out when the agency became intimidated by the abusive father. Nevertheless, the abuser was able to manipulate the system to destroy the children's lives.

False criminal, child protective and other charges have become a common practice among abusers in contested custody cases. Professionals in these systems need to be trained to be aware of these practices and conduct the kinds of investigations necessary to avoid colluding with abusers. Our children are depending on it.

Barry Goldstein is a nationally recognized domestic violence expert, speaker, writer and consultant. He is the co-editor with Mo Therese Hannah of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE and CHILD CUSTODY.

Documentation of Abuse

By Heidi Hiatt

Typing furiously before he got home, I decided to make another copy. I cut the entire document, many months of notes, from the hard drive and pasted it on the disc whirring in its slot.

At that point I knew that a record of all of the threats, all of the frightening behavior, and my fears on what he was planning had to exist in multiple copies. I had to be sure that someone knew what really happened if I was unable to speak for myself.

Before ejecting the disc, I checked it to be sure the file was on there. Wait—this had to be a mistake. It wasn’t. I went back to the hard drive. I clicked paste again to see if pages upon pages of information would reappear.

It didn’t.

In my haste to get everything off of the computer before 7:00, I had erred and wiped out every bit of information that I’d been saving to get help. When the prosecutor became involved, they tried to recover the data from the disc, but it was long gone.

That incident made me more careful about saving important information that we may need later. It illustrated the importance of having multiple copies of such notes and the need to keep them in more than one place.

Today I want to emphasize how important it is to create and properly store documentation when something in your life doesn’t seem right.

There isn’t a criteria for what should and shouldn’t be saved. You don’t have to be able to prove something in a court of law to justify writing it down. You just have to trust your gut instinct that you need to be keeping a record of what’s going on.

There are many reasons to document what’s going on in your life. You may be experiencing emotional abuse, which frequently escalates. Maybe you are being falsely accused. Perhaps your partner is physically or sexually assaulting you, or things just aren’t adding up.

You may suspect that your partner is being unfaithful. Your spouse’s former partner may be stalking or harassing you. Your partner may be minimizing or excusing someone else’s behavior when it alarms you, or is making you feel like you’re the crazy one.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.

If someone’s behavior is scaring you or making you uncomfortable, you don’t have to justify that anxiety to anyone. Something’s not right.

As security expert Gavin de Becker says in his must-read bestseller The Gift of Fear, “intuition is always right in at least two important ways; it is always in response to something. It always has your best interest at heart.” He also reminds readers that denial is a save now, pay later scheme.

If things don’t seem right in your life, just start writing. It’s that simple. It is important that you make a permanent record of the events that you sense as “off.”

Don’t be a perfectionist about it. Whether you jot down three sentences on a calendar about what happened on a given day, or you take twenty minutes every night to maintain a detailed diary, just let it flow. It’s unlikely that you’d feel motivated to do it if something wasn’t wrong.

I prefer a free-flowing journal format in which I state the facts and then add how I feel. It is important to record facts and who witnessed the same things. If you need a court order or you have to protect your children in a child custody case, the judge is going to be more keyed into material presented to them as facts than feelings.

It is also important to record your feelings. You might be surprised at how deeply you have been hurt, or how bothered you actually are, when you start letting it out. In this way journaling your circumstances not only protects you, it is therapeutic because it lets the poisons festering inside of you drain out.

Be specific in your entries. Let it all out. Don’t write as if you’re going to be embarrassed about it later. Tell people there’s no way you’d commit suicide, so if that’s suspected, they should investigate until they find out the truth.

If someone’s deception led to rape or medical problems, if your partner was having an affair, and no matter what mistakes you might have made, be sure it’s all there. Honesty is the best policy.

If you won’t do this for your own sake, then do it for your kids, your significant other, or other people who may be hurt by the questionable behavior. Abuse and stalking never affect just one person. You are probably not the only victim of that stalker or abuser, and you may have the opportunity to stop them from doing it to others.

If you are being abused—whether it’s emotional, physical, or both—DO NOT let your partner know that you are keeping those records. There may be times where you want to pull the document out and read to them how you feel, but you have no guarantees that they will ever be sincere about changing their behavior.

If you are keeping tabs on a third party who is trying to harm your relationship or is causing you fear, your partner may be well aware that you are keeping records, but not agree on how to handle that person. Keep a copy hidden from them anyway. Some people’s loyalty shifts like sand dunes in a hurricane.

If you are the family member of someone who is being used, stalked, or making bad choices, you might want to keep your own journal. Your relative doesn’t need to know about it. It might be your “just in case” plan.

You might see your loved one engaged in a relationship that is sure to take them off a cliff at some point. You may notice that they seem oblivious to the consequences of their choices. Write it down. Your prudence could help save a life.

If the information you want to keep is digital, like a photo or information on the internet, and there’s no clear “save as” option, press your “alt” and “print screen” buttons at the same time, then paste it into a Word document. You can also print it.

Because electronic information can be easily replicated, I prefer to save things to CD, DVD, and/or an external hard drive. While it is wise to keep certain original documents, you can keep copies of receipts and medical records by scanning them into your computer. You can also make, save, and duplicate audio and video material.

If the person harming you has access to your computer, you should be very careful about this. They can track your internet usage, rifle through the recycle bin, or maybe even be tech savvy enough to recover files you’ve deleted. You may want to use a library, work, or friend’s computer instead.

For some good information on how to protect yourself, check out Susan Murphy Milano’s book Time’s Up: A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships, http://www.amazon.com/Times-Up-Abusive-Stalking-Relationships/dp/1608443604.

DO NOT STORE THESE DOCUMENTS AT HOME, OR SOLELY AT HOME. I cannot emphasize that enough. Do not keep records of such value in an obvious place. Ensure that if your home is broken into or destroyed, or if your computer is stolen, your tormentors won’t have access to your files. You always have to be three steps ahead of them.

Because a safety deposit box is an obvious choice, you may want to give or mail CDs to people who’ve proven their trust and loyalty for safekeeping. You could give them a small locked box that you ask them not to open in case you are incapacitated, missing, or deceased.

There’s also off-site electronic storage so that you can transmit and update such information over the web. But I advise keeping hard copies in places and with people that are not easily suspected anyway.

Maybe you have a relative 3000 miles away who could keep your files without looking at them, or you have not just people but hiding places that trusted friends will know about.

The bottom line is to be sure that trusted friends or family members, your attorney, and/or your executor know how to find this information if something happens. It is important that more than one person knows where to find your off-site records in case of emergency.

You can have this written into your will. My will is set up so that certain documentation will be automatically disseminated to multiple entities, government and otherwise, about several situations if I expire prematurely. An adequate attorney can help you put your instructions in concrete.

You must structure this life and the next in such a way that no one will get away with harming you or your family. So no matter what happens, the truth will come out, and what the perpetrators have dished out will come back on them a hundredfold.

Even if your abuser works in the legal system, that information doesn’t have to be released to the legal system only, or at all. You can arrange for the truth to be sent to people in the media, politicians, family members, acquaintances, or activists.

Chapter 4 in Susan Murphy Milano’s Time’s Up workbook details how to create an increasingly popular means of documenting abuse, an Evidentiary Will and Abuse Affidavit. As she says, this information isn’t supposed to scare you, but protect you.

An Evidentiary Will and Abuse Affidavit is a notarized document and video documenting the truth to be kept in a secure location. It is not a substitute for taking steps to protect yourself in the here and now, but an added layer of insurance.

Here is an example of the video portion of an Evidentiary Will and Abuse Affidavit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9uGnrtwK3Q

Documenting abusive, suspicious, or inappropriate behavior is advisable for men and women, the dating or married. Our society sometimes forgets that men can be victims of these trials and deceptions as well because women are abused more often than men.

Any violation of your personal boundaries is unacceptable no matter who you are. Please protect yourself—and those you love—by keeping detailed records, which helps you beat your abusers and accusers at their own sick game. You can—and should—come out on top.

**********************************************************************************

Stalking is a frequently misunderstood and belittled concept. I’d like to highlight a definition of stalking that I found for a term paper on the subject.

One of the most comprehensive definitions of stalking in modern academic literature is “a course of conduct directed at a specific person that involves repeated physical or visual proximity, nonconsensual communication, or verbal, written, or implied threats sufficient to cause fear in a reasonable person”

Stalking is not simply following someone home from work, or making repeated phone calls. It can be any repeated behavior that places someone else in fear or violates their boundaries.

**********************************************************************************

One of the greatest sorrows of human existence is that some people aren’t happy merely to be alive but find their happiness only in the misery of others.
–Dean Koontz

The Way You Lie!

By Gayle Crabtree

Keeping our children safe includes talking with them about domestic violence. We have to also get them to understand that songs like “Love the Way You Lie” with Rhianna and Chris Brown is just wrong in my opinion.

"What are Rihanna and Eminem really saying with the song "I Love the Way You Lie"? Domestic violence is wrong even though this video indicates otherwise. I'd love to know wouldn't you? While we're at it I'd love to know what Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox were thinking when they created the video. 

For those of you who haven't seen this piece of junk it's on YouTube right now. Be warned before you watch it. The video is graphic and raw. It could have been used to condemn domestic violence instead it condones it. Listeners and viewers get the impression that it's ok to beat women. Even worse, the title "I Love the Way You Lie" hints that women like to be beaten."....www.gaylecrabtree.com

The raw graphics and violent scenes are as disturbing as the lyrics. Something even more shocking lingers underneath. This song, “Love the Way You Lie” is already a hit. This means that even more kids will get the idea that domestic violence is ok.
Video for “Love the Way You Lie”is on YouTube. The song’s lyrics are online. Beware before you read/watch this. The violent scenes of domestic violence are as disturbing as the lyrics.
One of the last lines of the song is about tying a woman to the bed and setting the house on fire around her. Then, “Love the Way You Lie” goes a step farther. It gives the impression that women like being abused.
Do our kids needed to be influenced by this garbage? Talk to them about this song. Tell them that domestic violence is wrong now. Make the message that no one likes or deserves to be abused unmistakable.
There are people who can help you start the conversation. The http://www.ndvh.org can help. No one deserves to be hit or abused. Call 1.800.799 SAFE to get help.

Empowerment for the Next Generation

By Lyn Twyman 

A quote from John F. Kennedy goes "We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last ". The future of our families and our country lies in our young people. We want our children to succeed. We want our young people to outlive us and become successful in every aspect of their lives. When it comes to protecting our young people and their hearts, not just in regard to love but their entire being, they are truly fragile. Remember when you were little how you looked for approval from your mom or dad, maybe an older brother or sister, or someone that you looked up to for things like a stick figure drawing you created, a mud pie or even the first level you beat in a Nintendo game? Our young people seek our approval which makes them budding sources of energy and change but also very vulnerable to bad influences.

If we want our young people to succeed we have to plot out a path that demonstrates success. Plotting that path does not mean that we are loaded with tons of money, the first and best of electronics nor does it mean that we force them into a career just to satisfy our own desires. It simply means that we lead by example, good examples that we live by that they can follow. No matter what, we are all creatures of repetition.

Psychologists call the first 10 years of a child's life The Magic Years. That is when a child will learn and develop who he/she is and his character. Often the essence of an individual, their temperament, their drive, their motivation becomes set for the remainder of their life during The Magic Years, that crucial window of opportunity for learning, growth and development. The Magic Years for a child largely formulates from their environment. As people, we will emulate follow what we see and hear that goes on around us good or bad.

How do we help this next generation not fall prey to violence, victimization and unhealthy relationships or become abusive? What do we want to tell the next generation about empowerment? What does empowerment consist of? Empowerment consists of the same areas we talk with victims of domestic violence about when we are trying to help them rebuild their lives. These areas are self esteem, healthy relationships, mental health, physical health, finances, education, self defense and spiritual well being. These should also be the same areas we work with our young people on as well to not only keep them from becoming victims but to live well rounded lives, healthy lives. These areas are often missing by many parents, just brushed over or completely skipped to let the young person play their favorite Xbox game, spend the day at the mall with the kid from school they barely know or maybe to avoid some personal guilt. As parents and caregivers of young people, we must live and operate proactively, not reactively, and by example.

Helping to empower this next generation also means that we should educate ourselves and show our young people that we are not afraid to learn, not that we know everything. So if you lack skills in the financial area schedule sometime with your local bank representative to learn how to save an invest better. If you do not know self defense, sign up for a class that you and your young person can take together. If you come from a background where your family life was abusive, go to a family counselor or holistic therapist for a few sessions to get a better understanding of how your past affects you.

Helping to empower our young people means coming out of our shells and stepping out on a much greater plain, challenging our own selves and perhaps some of our own demons. It is not an easy path but a path worth taking if we are truly concerned about giving our young people the tools to succeed in the immediate and throughout the rest of their life. For many children, younger and older, the knowledge and wisdom you have to share in the 8 areas I previously mentioned could be life or death. There will always be children that fail but at the end of each day ask yourself these questions, "Did I lead by example? Did I do everything I could do?" Let that be your guide to see how well you are working to empower this next generation.

Strip Search of a Stark County, Ohio female, Hope Steffey; Know Your Rights...

By Anny Jacoby

October 20, 2006 will be embedded in Hope Steffey's mind, body and soul for the rest of her life.

Never to minimize Hope Steffey's illegal experience with officers of the law.....females are being victimized by law enforcement officers every damn day. Unfortunately they are scared, do not have the support, legal representation or advocacy that they so much deserve hence life goes on within departments. Well, Stark County in Ohio has had a major wake-up call and I pray that other police departments and sheriff departments will be called out for illegal actions.

Hope Steffey was assaulted by another woman in Paris Township, Stark County, Ohio. A 911 call resulted in Officer Gurlea with the Stark County Sheriff's department being dispatched to the scene. Gurlea questioned Steffey, asked her for her identification, but she mistakenly gave the officer her deceased sister's driver's license which Hope had kept as a personal memento of her sister. When Hope "immediately noticed her mistake" she asked Officer Gurlea to return her sister's license, but Gurlea refused. While trying to explain to Gurlea, she "begged" for the return but he still refused.

Hope had been assaulted, with facial bleeding and a bald spot on her head where her hair has been pulled out by the woman who allegedly assaulted her. Hope became visibly upset with what was transpiring. Hope's cousin, Trinette Zorger reminded Gurlea that Hope was the VICTIM, she had been knocked unconscious and was acting "uncharacteristically loud and upset."

Officer Gurlea still refused to acknowledge Hope's injuries or call for medical help. When Hope asked Gurlea again for her sister's license back the Officer turned and angrily responded, "Shut up about your dead sister." Hope reminded Gurlea that her sister was here, she was someone (meaning that she was once alive and her life counted and that she meant the world to her).

Gurlea exploded into rage and without provocation turned toward Hope and physically slammed her face into his cruiser, breaking one of her teeth. He pinned her against his cruiser with his pelvic area, twisted Hope's arm high up behind her back, which inflicted extreme pain in which her reaction showed.

Officer Gurlea then picked up Hope up off the ground and slammed her, face-first, into the dirt road, causing her nose to hit hard against the ground, causing cuts and bruises. Hope's chest and lungs were jammed into the ground by the entire weight of Gurlea's body and knees, blood began streaming down her face and neck. With his knees in her back, Zorger (her cousin) saw that Hope couldn't breath. She screamed at Gurlea, "She can't breathe, let her go, you're hurting her."

Steffey was handcuffed and thrown in the back of Gurlea's cruiser, still no medical attention was obtained for her. Hope Steffey was on her way to the Stark County Safety Building (jail) and what follows is of the most upsetting nature.

Hope was taken into a room and told to face the wall where approximately six deputies/guards/staff, some male, surrounded her in the small room. She was asked if she any weapons or sharp objects, Hope replied "no." Hope was told to stand on a line, face front and answer a nurse's questions. She complied. With no warning, no words were spoken by Hope's assailants, her legs were knocked out from under her and face was jammed hard into the floor.

The video below obtained is graphic, has offensive language and upsetting...but you must see and listen to Hope's pleads, unnecessary abuse and ILLEGAL strip search. You will never forget this video footage. Yes, this search was clearly sexual abuse and assault, and even rape.

Mind you that the title of the video is to somehow put into your mind that the strip search was for her benefit - not others! "SUICIDE PRECAUTIONS..." Cut me a break!

I know that each of you at this point is staring at your monitors, the video footage is replaying in your minds and you are all asking, "how in the world could this happen?" Hope was truly VICTIMIZED BEYOND WORDS!

Now imagine if it was your wife, your daughter, or your mother getting forcefully stripped after calling the police for help! It has now been discovered that at least 128 women between 1999 and 2007 were strip-searched, forced to remove their clothing or placed on suicide watch or homicide watch or "naked detention" at Sheriff Swanson's jail. Hope was held in a cell for six hours, covering her body in toilet paper to keep warm and to prevent anyone from seeing her naked. During this time she was not allowed to use a phone or seek medical assistance for injuries sustained.

Sheriff Timothy A. Swanson denied all charges. The sheriff's policy requires officers conducting any strip search to be of the same sex, the sheriff contended that the tactic used on Hope was not actually a strip search. Then what the hell would you call it? Personally...I call it rape! Male officers removed her panties, held her down, used force and in my opinion the female officers were just as much at fault - they did not order the males to leave according to policy and procedure set forth. For God's sake if they needed the males for assistance with Hope they would be right outside of the cell door! And, did you notice that the last two officers leaving the cell were males?

Officers, male and female, are taught in Basic Law Enforcement Training a move called, "Point of Domination" - so that's a crock or perhaps they missed this training! Ladies, if you can't do your jobs and subdue a female prisoner who is not under any influence; then you are in the wrong damn field! Or get behind a desk and push papers as you certainly do not belong in the "field" not knowing what you are doing nor how to do it.

Hope was told by a guard that her charges were "resisting arrest and disorderly conduct." Wouldn't you resist basically being raped, clothes being torn off you, not communicated any charges against you? OH HELL YES YOU WOULD! And what threat did this small woman pose? She was at their mercy - but no respect or was she dignified at any time throughout her entire ordeal? NO!

Hope Steffey filed suit against the Stark Count sheriff, deputies, and commissioners. The good news is that U.S. District Court Judge David Dowd in a court order that the plaintiff's, including Sheriff Tim Swanson and the Stark County Board of Commissions, "have entered into a resolution of the plaintiff's case against those defendants, reserving only a determination by the Court as to the amount of attorney fees and costs." The amount of the settlement, however, is undisclosed, a rather strange thing given that it would appear that the cost of the police abuse of Hope Steffey will be born by the taxpayers. Don't they have the right to know just how much their police have cost them? Since when does government impropriety get to be swept under the rug so that the citizens, for whom the cops exists, are left to wonder?

There has been no admission of guilt by Sheriff Swanson nor the department. County officials had no reaction either. Personally, I am shocked that all from the top down are in law enforcement - if they are at this time, including the county officials. Talk about the good ole boys.

The good news is......It is great to hear that Hope Steffey received a settlement for the harm done in this shocking case, though disappointing that the local sheriff would still hide from what happened. Again, Hope Steffey will live with this ordeal the rest of her life! There is no amount of money/settlement that will or can erase this experience.

It is a shame that the full array of what went horribly wrong won't be aired publicly as a message to police everywhere. And it's a shame that the individual cops involved WON'T have to pay personally for what they did do this young woman and others.

It's not everything one could want in a settlement but it is better than giving these sick, perverted, disgraceful cops (males and females) medals. Sad that a few bad apples spoil the bunch.

Take care and STAY SAFE!

Anny Jacoby
Personal Safety Expert
The Realistic Female Self-Defense Company
Project Safe Girls
www.annyjacoby.com

There's Two Sides to Every Case - Restoring the Balance of Justice to the Victim

On May 9, 2010 45 yr. old realtor, Angel Downs, was found shot in the head in her front yard in Gulf Shores, AL. Neighbors heard shots fired and saw former boyfriend and elected Mobile County Commissioner Steve Nodine leaving the scene in his county provided red pickup truck.

After hours of deliberation the grand jury - classified it as a murder, not a suicide as implied by Steve Nodine, the lone suspect. Initial reports of forensics and autopsy reports have said suicide was unlikely. The Defense regularly leaks erroneous information to the media. Angel was taken to the hospital in 2006 – it was determined that it was not an attempted suicide but a possible problem with her medication. The Defense has also stated publicly that the autopsy found drugs in Angel’s system. Angel had to take medication just to stay alive everyday. The sad fact is this is NOT a search for the truth.

Our justice system does more to uphold criminal rights than it does victim’s rights. It means criminals should be prosecuted in a just way. It doesn’t mean letting the criminal lie, cheat or manipulate his way out of the truth, or God forbid coddling him at the expense of the victim!

How many of us remember the names of the Ted Bundy’s victim’s? You don’t - but you remember Ted Bundy’s name. It's high time that we remember the names and the lives of the VICTIMS and not the accused murderers like Drew Peterson and Steve Nodine!

If we speak about what a kind and loving person Angel was the Defense may say they can’t get a fair trail for the accused murderer, because Angel is spoken of too nicely. However Steve Nodine can tell other's he's writing a book and develop a PowerPoint Presentation of his good deeds to show the world his softer side.

In Wendy Murphy’s book “AND JUSTICE FOR SOME: An Expose of the Lawyers and Judges Who Let Dangerous Criminals Go Free” she tells how defendants (criminals, the accused) are taken care of by the legal system more than their victims. In fact, defense attorneys investigate victims and try to put the blame for the crime on them instead of where it belongs.

There should be someone who will argue for the rights of the victim. The Prosecutor doesn’t do it they represent the State, and the Defense represents the Accused. So who’s looking out for the victim? In reality victim’s rights are rarely enforced. Therefore, we need to restore the balance of justice to the victims.

Crime victims have a right to be heard in criminal proceedings and may directly address the court, with their own private attorney, to advance their rights under victims' "Bill of Rights" laws.

We’ve all heard many complaints about the (let’s not forget then-married) Steve Nodine's womanizing, his drug, alcohol abuse and impeachment. It seems many people in Mobile bore witness to his regular pattern of bad behavior, but few are willing to come forward with what they know. One anonymous person said, they honestly believe Nodine is a dangerous person but is afraid of losing their job or putting their family through this mess. So they choose to remain silent. This is why he’s gotten away with so much. Now Angel is dead.

Keep in mind that guilty people can often persuade themselves and others, that they’re innocent and they can be very convincing.

For the record the presumption of innocence is a courtroom rule – not a real world mandate. We can make our own judgments on the people we meet and the information we receive. We’d be fools not to. We all have to care about being fair in the courtroom. But erring on the side of caution in public is the better option.

To reduce Nodine’s bond made no sense. Was it because he served on the Alabama Sentencing Commission? The four guys charged with killing Kyser Miree are being held without bail in Mobile jail. I guess when you're a county commissioner; you follow a different set of rules.

And don’t let anyone lie to you about the definition of reasonable doubt. To quote Wendy Murphy, “Jurors can and should find a defendant guilty even if they have doubt as long as the doubt is not “unreasonable”.

Nodine like Drew Peterson had a public FriendsofSteveNodine site collecting funds for his defense. But it’s now been made private. And just like Drew Peterson defense fund - they also have yet to divulge how much money they raised.

We’ve all seen who Nodine’s friends are – a sketchy bunch of characters – with a weak bond. Tony Moore who owns Spot of Tea (who in the past served Federal time for his role in a gambling ring) and Mickey Dearmon another friend with a criminal past. Nodines choice of friends in his adult life supports the belief he suffers from an anti-social personality disorder.

Nodine doesn’t just have an addiction to booze, women and drugs. He has an addiction to power and attention. He feels power even now because he feels he is manipulating all of Mobile and Baldwin County.

When Nodine was asked in court if he understood the terms of his house arrest, he responded, “I have not let the United States down in 28 years and I won’t now.” (This is typical of Stephen, insolence and self-confident.)

In my opinion, Nodine most certainly has let us all down - numerous times! Not only in the impeachment but also in the Federal gun/drug case and, of course, the murder of Angel Downs'. He also violated his duty to support the U.S. and Alabama Constitutions? And why shouldn’t he be charged for that?

Both Steve Nodine and Drew Peterson “... lady killer’s” have had more than the usual 5 minutes of fame. And they love the limelight and can be heard asking “Don’t you know who I am?” They are not the kind of men who make history, but are the kind who make others suffer through it. The spotlight has always found them – the same way trouble does. Nodine, just like Peterson, knows how the system works and both have a history of slipping out of trouble.

Steve is online looking for love much the same way Drew did. Both used and abused their positions of authority and were charged with official misconduct (both quit before charges were taken to trial) Both have shown a pattern of deception in relationships and then further deception to cover up deception, making them less credible individuals. Makes one wonder why they have to lie about so many important things? Both are incapable of having any kind of honest relationship because all others are objects to be manipulated.

Just as Drew² - Steve also meets several criteria for the anti-social personality disorder – sociopath (also called a psychopath.) Anti-social personality disorder³ is three times as prevalent in men as in women. The disorder⁴ begins in early childhood and family dynamics play an influential part.

• Lack of remorse, indicated by being indifferent or rationalizing being hurt, mistreated or stolen from another.

• He shows a lack of feeling or concern for his losses. He does though show a feeling of loss for himself. He sees himself as the victim.

• Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior by repeatedly performing acts which are grounds for arrest.

• Steve’s alleged alcohol and drug abuse, misuse of funds and county vehicle makes it clear he sees himself above the law.

• His arrogance and cockiness about any of the charges he is facing is feeding his ego. He thinks he’s not ever going to get caught or punished. He can get away with it all.

• Deceitfulness, indicated by repeatedly lying, conning others for personal profit or pleasure

• Refuses to take responsibility or accountability for any of his criminal actions. Also uses God, good works, and his own son and celebrity status to his advantage.

• He admits to cheating, even taking his own son to spend time with his mistress. Nodine owning up to adulterous affairs sounds more like bragging.

• Now that Angel is dead he can continue to play his egocentric games, as there is no one left to call him on it.

• Nodine is trying to sell Mobile a softer side of himself. Hence, his writing a book and wanting to create a vehicle showing off all his so called good works. (Even when trying to display himself as a good church attendee he criticizes the rest of the congregation and calls them Dems who hate that he’s walking among them with his head held high.)

• Watching him in the media videos he seems to have a hard time keeping eye contact, his eyes keep looking down and shifting. You’re trying to avoid something when you’re looking down.

• Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.

• Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults.

• Angel, her friends and family say he was controlling, threatening and outright abusive even at public events and used his position of authority to escape and intimidate others.

• Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others.

• This is evident in the emails where Angel states she fears for her life. And calls him on his abuse of power and lack of good parenting.

• Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeat failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations.

OnJuly 27 BTR, hosts of Initiate Partner Homicide Investigations dedicated the show to Angel Downs. The family and friends of Angel Downs were to be the guests. The show was to be about Angel. How Angel was a loving daughter, sister, aunt and wife. How Angel was always special. Angel had spent most of her life severely ill with heart and kidney disease. She was on a transplant waiting list for years. And finally her doctors found the proper medication to keep her alive without the transplant.

Though Angel’s life had many medical ups and downs, she had been sheltered and cared for by a loving family and Dr’s and Nurses for most of her life. She was a fighter and she loved life, her family and all God’s creatures.

Angel was the optimist; she respected others and looked for peace. She was a realist who did the impossible by beating the odds. And just as she never worried about being born, she didn’t worry about dying, until she came to know Steve Nodine.

Mr. Nodine has shown everyone in Mobile how he’ll use anything to get what he wants. He uses his son, God, supposed good works and his celebrity status to his advantage. Many have seen his temper, his addictions and felt his intimidation.

Angel saw the light and made the decision to stop seeing him. She was moving on with her life. Angel wanted to be happy and to have a family, a good life with someone she loved. She knew she wasn’t defined by her mistakes but by God’s forgiveness. She also knew true love is sacrifice and God doesn’t want women to be abused or killed. Someone murdered her and they have to be brought to justice. If only pure, pristine souls could have justice for their murder we'd not even need a judicial system.

Nodine had shared too many of his secrets with Angel and worked hard to control her. If she got away she might be what brought him down. He had been in many bad spots before and always escaped accountability. Why should this be any different?

It was Mother’s Day; why wasn’t he spending it with the mother of his son? Could it be he wanted to see Angel, and he knew how to get her to say yes. I can imagine him saying Christopher has something to give you for Mother’s Day. It’s been rumored he often used his son to try to keep their rocky relationship going.

You see if you don’t confront a liar and a cheat and hold them accountable they are empowered to do it again and they get better at it.

Will there be Justice for Angel Downs? Yes, because God is a Just God. No matter what the court finds. God knows who murdered Angel and He will punish the wicked. To take a page from Nodine’s book - Pray for Nodine (the alleged perpetrator) to repent and come forth and stop putting others in danger.

Intimate Partner Homicide Investigation with Hosts Sheryl McCollum, Susan Murphy-Milano and Attorney Holly Hughes did an excellent job looking at this case and brought up many good and vital points. If you didn’t get a chance to listen please do. (Sponsored by Webslueths.com)

Best of all the show was dedicated to the memory of Angel Downs. She will not be forgotten; her life still holds great purpose.

*My comments are only my opinion, not fact. It is my commentary on the topic, and I'm exercising my 1st Amendment rights as a US citizen. Comments are NOT made with any malicious intent.

References

1. Murphy, Wendy “And Justice for Some: An Expose of the Lawyers and Judges Who Let Dangerous Criminals Go Free”
2. Hosey, Joseph “Fatal Vows The Tragic Wives of Sergeant Drew Peterson”
3. Robert D. Hare PhD, “Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us”
4. Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare PhD, “Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work”
   

5. Psychopath vs. Antisocial Personality Disorder and Sociopathy Discussion Excerpts: Robert Hare

6. UPDATE: The latest in this case Nodine’s Attorney wants to federal firearms case on hold until after the former Mobile County commissioner goes to trial on a murder charge. Thankfully U.S. Magistrate Judge Sonja Bivins set it for trial in September, but would not wait for the murder case to be resolved. Nodine’s attorneys are asking that this be overturned. Atty. Armstrong states; "Further, a trial and conviction on the federal gun charge prior to the trial of his murder case will generate additional publicity, as has been clearly demonstrated by the inordinate and prejudicial coverage of defendant's arrest" and other proceedings.
7. Kevin Lee: If Partin upholds the motion for expediency on Aug. 25, they would have to set the trial date to start within 120 days. Federal in Sept and we could have a murder trial before Thanksgiving.
   

8. Brendan Kirby, Press-Register AL.com Judge denies request to delay ex-Mobile County Commissioner Nodine's federal gun trial