Stop Judge Samantha Jessner/ Save Melissa Balin -- a
looking for the exact memo that Alissa Malzman Sterling sent to Division 95, and found this post. Worth re- posting now that Open Salon has died.
 |
| Look at that Kathie Lee Gifford Smile on judge Jessner's gross mug. |
 |
| Why does Judge Samantha Jessner think she can get away with so many crimes from teh bench... Well you see, her mother Patricia Philips is a big big shot in L.A legal land. Head of the Bar etc. |
worthy cause kind of post
I’ve been advised by friends and family to not focus on social media, at all. I’m averse to facebook and twitter so it’s only been a mess of a blogger blog and open salon . Now, there is our salon too. The collapse of Open Salon and the birth of Our Salon has left me …. Silent social media wise. I can’t afford to be.
“Just write the book”, they say. “No one cares, and no one will care, until they understand that it can affect them too,” I sense that they are right . It is frustrating. It is disheartening. It’s depressing. But, it is understandable. It is one of those, “ If it doesn’t happen to you , you just can’t understand it situation.” Being maliciously prosecuted and denied justice, is not novel, but it is esoteric. Aaron Swarz would understand, but he is dead, and there are no support groups that I know of.
So, I sit, or lounge, every day, and try to present the outrages, that occurred in my case, in a way that might spur this elusive justice business. I have no doubt that “moving on” when one sees such systemic abuse and general evil is a coward’s move. Some days, it seems that what I am up against requires divine intervention. The last five years have left me in position after position where it seemed only an omnipotent force of good, could be of assistance. In the past, what I have witnessed, and how I escaped, seem to bear testament to divine intervention. But, those instances are too astounding to express in this particular post. Yesterday, felt like it was one of those days. Maybe not a show of divinity as intense as I’ve experienced -- but something ethereal seemed to be in the air.
I was writing a particularly painful chapter . I felt as if I just couldn’t do it. How could the layman make sense of the legal stuff and would anyone suspend so much disbelief? I needed help, but I would settle for commiseration. You see, I’d never yet heard a story that mirrored the part where the prosecution and corrupt cops would go as far as to use the mental health courts as a weapon against defendants who demanded rights, and would not plea when innocent. Aside of my own story, I’d never heard of a story where judges were alleged to be complicit or were caugth being complicit in playing Nurse Rachet in a one flew over the cuckoos nest type tale. There was some Angelina Jolie movie, and there was Frances Farmer. But, those were the bad old days, and those stories were very different.
Yesterday, that feeling got so strong : Uncomfortable in a way that I’ve grown used to, but that I hadn’t experienced till five some years ago. I focused on what lay beyond the ceiling, and begged for help from that force that seems to have saved me so many times. More particularly: I prayed for some guidance—the quickest and best way to attain peace. And then I prayed for understanding, as to why I feel so rushed, and so out of time. Almost always I hear this annoying mantra, “Time is of the essence. Time is of the essence! You dont' have time,” but realistically, no timeline exists. I am free, all charges were dismissed or acquitted, and am not old enough to consider that my death is imminent .
Aside of that same old awful rushed and rudderless sense, yesterday seemed vaguely fortuitous . Lance Armstrong’s fall after so many years, after he won all those court battles, and he beat down innocent people—ruining so many names. Year after year of strongarming the truth into submission. Armstrong is my Tig Notaro et al. Armstrong’s unveiling struck me as a great day for delayed justice. Just sustain and survive and stay honest, and you will be rewarded with the right result.
Then, for absolutely no genuinely understandable reason, I decided to google, “ Judge Samantha Jessner.” I mean, I google some of the tortfeasor monsters, every once in a while, and learn strange things. Judge Kerlin, Jessner, and Stratton have all been moved to what I can guess are lesser courts. Some in the knows have told me that their new placements look like demotions. When Judges commit crimes you can count on not much more. That’s a dark little factoid.
Martin Boags ( The city attorney who I believe came up with the competency scheme) seems to be suffering adversity according to Google. It’s tacky to talk about but he is not doing well. But, since he clearly is a sociopath , what does suffering adversity mean? And, of course, Tig Notaro, allegedly was bombarded by bad luck until the elite media gave her a helping hand. So it’s not that weird that I’d willy nilly just google “Judge Samantha Jessner,” but it is really weird that I wouldn’t stop at page 2, when I always had in the past. I’d see the regular stuff there and my ranting and ravings about her. It does feel weird that I kept going to page 5.
I’d heard mutterings from assorted lawyers, that I wasn’t the first, and I wouldn’t be the last, to have the mental health courts brought in to punish those who wouldn’t plea. But until yesterday, I’d heard nothing concrete. I didn’t want to think that this was regular practice because that makes the country of my residence no better than Iran or Stalin’s Russia. Though it was lonely to not have met anyone who experienced this, it was better to hope this was some rare aberration cause by some mysterious confluence of circumstances.
Awhile back I’d learned that Judge Maria Stratton was moved from the mental health court(where she was the supervisor and head) to the civil courts downtown, and then to Van Nuys. Judge Karla Kerlin was moved from Downtown to East L.A . Judge Samantha Jessner, however was moved from being a trial judge downtown to replace Maria Stratton as the top dog, in charge of ruling on competency matters. I was particularly haunted by this judge Jessner. The way she behaved in my case indicated a complete absence of fear of accountability. The jaded public defenders expressed that even by rampant injustice standards, she was out there. A few months ago, when I learned that Jessner had been moved to the mental health courts, I got a sick feeling. It was clear from my case that Judge Samantha Jessner was not unbiased or fair or judicious. She was sinister and gleefully callous and unjust. It was also very clear that she had no idea about the laws surrounding “Competency to stand trial.”The transcript of the (instant and unnoticed) hearing with her bears that out.
I was told by a Michael Hoagie, the public defenders supervisor, that he and others had complained about her actions, in my case, to the supervising judge of the Clara Foltz courthouse, Patricia Snegg. I had to hope that perhaps this was some ironic sort of punishment, “ Hey Jessner, you want to break the laws, have open ex partes with prosecutors while tons of public defender are watching, and declare doubts to competency, with no godly reason to do so -- let’s strip you of your criminal trial judge status in fancy downtown, and put you there in that godforsaken place.”
Still, I told my sister, “ I have a gut feeling that she was put there so that anyone who blogs about or otherwise offends her cronies is silenced.” We both shuddered -- did what we could to rid such “crazy” thoughts from our minds. But, it has niggled and niggled. If that was the case, than I had not done my part. I felt guilt and a sense of failure and impotence that, if my gut was right, it would happen again, and fate and destiny, or whatever, had not saw fit to imbue me with the requisite ability to make sure it didn’t.
Yesterday, I saw that it has happened again.My damn gut is now too trusty for comfort. Please read as much as you can of the links attached in her mothers facebook page. There is no way that Melissa Balin’s story will not be of interest to enough Americans.
This is what the Los Angeles Superior court has become in 2013 AD.http://www.facebook.com/events/386414331449209/permalink/3883177979...
Please note, Judge Samantha’s involvement. In my case she a did not belong in the department where she was to do her dirty work. The sitting judge in Division 40, the misdemeanor court, was Judge Marie Lou Villar De Longoria( The mayor’s sister wouldn’t you know. Villar was considered “very bad” by the public defender in that court, but for some reason she did not make any dramatic decisions in my case . Though there is much evidence that she is rotten to the core. Recently she presided over a case where the defendant was a dear friend of her brother, Anthony Villargrossa, and it raised eyebrows but not much else.)Her presence there is very suspicious. Some evidence shows that she was there to allow them to add four charges that no reasonable judge would permit but when Boags talked to me and saw that the four charge bit would not get me to plea the competency scheme began . Jessner did not know it was coming, by evidence, but she submitted, as expected.
Please click on this, and please then read the documents at the bottom of the page
Note that I too was involved in an over a year long misdemeanor, refused to take any plea, was “too competent” and I wrote a blog. Note that I too filed a Pitchess motion right before the competency ploy took place. A Pichess motion of John Gregozek if heard would be fatal to the prosecution. Note too that they also played with my jail papers and bail numbers, and this caused great distress.This is done to break you. Your tax payer money at play.
This can be found in the scribd document on Rochelle Balin’s facebook, but not so easily, so I’ll post it because it is chilling beyond reason.
I had awful lawyers. Just awful, and I’m easy to please, but none sold me out in such a nightmarish way as this lawyer has done to Mellissa Balin.
It always helps when the press lends some credibility ,and this was clearly written before the competency outrage. Salem? Hmmm. Aside of the witch hunt implications, please ask yourself why the L.A ,or national press, is not covering such stories. I have been told that they don’t like to get involved in the courts, but that is why such outrages keep happening.
If you are duly outraged or even disgusted, please sign the petition. Mellissa Balin(somehow who I have never met and never heard of until yesterday. ) needs you. Please facebook like or twitter or share it etc. She, from what I’ve since learned, has done so much to help the disenfranchised . Please google her to get an idea of the good work she’s done for many . She only needs less than 50 more signatures. If you are anywhere in the L.A area , please go to this facebook event. This can truly happen to you . They are now forcing her to go to “Competency training,” sessions once a week and it appears that they plan to forcibly medicate her . From what I understand, at 37 , she has never taken any medication for any mental illness. Please, try to do anything to stop this dark age outrage.
Petition link: http://www.change.org/petitions/miscarriage-of-justice
A not too potent post that will give some idea why this story is so compelling to me:http://open.salon.com/blog/fernsy/2010/07/22/what_a_case_of_the_creeps
Just a link to highlight the banality of evil: http://pasadenanow.com/pasadenaschools/polytechnic-school-class-of-...
An interesting memo in light of the Mellissa Balin case.
TO: Department 95 Attorney FROM: Alissa Malzman, DPD II, Central Misdemeanors
(213) 893-7945
DATE: October 7, 2009
SUBJECT: People v. Alisa Spitzberg 8CA10541 ______________________________________________________________________________ Ms. Spitzberg is an out-of-custody pro per defendant whom we’ve been appointed to represent for Doubt Proceedings only. In my opinion, she is competent. I was not present on 08/12/09 when Judge Jessner declared a doubt in Dept. 40 but from what Ms. Spitzberg and from what public defenders who were present tell me, Judge Jessner did so upon the urging of City Attorney prosecutors at an ex parte bench conference and without articulating reasons for doing so. Ms. Spitzberg did go to Dept 95 on 09/03/09, but since Judge Jessner forgot to appoint counsel, she was sent back to Dept. 40 on 09/08/09. In my presence, Ms. Spitzberg appeared on her own behalf and a further pretrial was set for 10/02/09. On 10/02/09 the parties were sent out to Dept. 51 (Judge Vanderet) for both prosecution and defense motions. I attended the motions because Ms. Spitzberg informed me that the prosecution had filed a “Motion to Appoint Counsel and Set a 1368 Hearing.” I watched Ms. Spitzberg argue that the prosecution had no standing in the matter and that no doubt had ever been declared by Judge Jessner. I think she argued this competently and intelligently. Pursuant to PC 1368, Judge Vanderet appointed the Public Defender’s office as counsel and admitted that Judge Jessner had neglected to do that. I argued that under PC 1368, once counsel is appointed for a pro per defendant, the appointed counsel should take reasonable time to decide whether, in their opinion, the defendant is competent. I put on the record that it was my belief after speaking with Ms. Spitzberg and watching her in court on more than one occasion that she is competent. Judge Vanderet sent her back to Dept. 95 despite my arguments. I have never seen the complaint or arrest reports associated with Ms. Spitzberg’s case. They were not given to me, so I’m sorry but I cannot attach them. Thanks!
TO: Department 95 Attorney
FROM: Alissa
Malzman, DPD II,
Central Misdemeanors
(213) 893-7945
DATE: October
7, 2009
SUBJECT: People
v. Alisa Spitzberg 8CA10541
______________________________________________________________________________
Ms. Spitzberg is an out-of-custody pro per defendant
whom we’ve been appointed to represent for Doubt Proceedings only.
In my opinion, she is competent.
I was not present on 08/12/09 when Judge Jessner
declared a doubt in Dept. 40 but from what Ms. Spitzberg and from
what public defenders who were present tell me, Judge Jessner did so
upon the urging of City Attorney prosecutors at an ex parte bench
conference and without articulating reasons
for doing so. Ms. Spitzberg did go to Dept
95 on 09/03/09, but since Judge Jessner forgot to appoint counsel,
she was sent back to Dept. 40 on 09/08/09. In my presence, Ms.
Spitzberg appeared on her own behalf and a further pretrial was set
for 10/02/09. On 10/02/09 the parties were sent out to Dept. 51
(Judge Vanderet) for both prosecution and defense motions.
I attended the motions because Ms. Spitzberg informed me
that the prosecution had filed a “Motion to Appoint Counsel and Set
a 1368 Hearing.” I watched Ms. Spitzberg argue that the
prosecution had no standing in the matter and that no doubt had ever
been declared by Judge Jessner. I think she argued this competently
and intelligently. Pursuant to PC 1368, Judge Vanderet appointed the
Public Defender’s office as counsel and admitted that Judge Jessner
had neglected to do that. I argued that under PC 1368, once counsel
is appointed for a pro per defendant, the appointed counsel should
take reasonable time to decide whether, in their opinion, the
defendant is competent. I put on the record that it was my belief
after speaking with Ms. Spitzberg and watching her in court on more
than one occasion that she is competent. Judge Vanderet sent her
back to Dept. 95 despite my arguments.
I have never seen the complaint or arrest reports
associated with Ms. Spitzberg’s case. They were not given to me,
so I’m sorry but I cannot attach them.
Thanks!
TO: Department 95 Attorney
FROM: Alissa
Malzman, DPD II,
Central Misdemeanors
(213) 893-7945
DATE: October
7, 2009
SUBJECT: People
v. Alisa Spitzberg 8CA10541
______________________________________________________________________________
Ms. Spitzberg is an out-of-custody pro per defendant
whom we’ve been appointed to represent for Doubt Proceedings only.
In my opinion, she is competent.
I was not present on 08/12/09 when Judge Jessner
declared a doubt in Dept. 40 but from what Ms. Spitzberg and from
what public defenders who were present tell me, Judge Jessner did so
upon the urging of City Attorney prosecutors at an ex parte bench
conference and without articulating reasons
for doing so. Ms. Spitzberg did go to Dept
95 on 09/03/09, but since Judge Jessner forgot to appoint counsel,
she was sent back to Dept. 40 on 09/08/09. In my presence, Ms.
Spitzberg appeared on her own behalf and a further pretrial was set
for 10/02/09. On 10/02/09 the parties were sent out to Dept. 51
(Judge Vanderet) for both prosecution and defense motions.
I attended the motions because Ms. Spitzberg informed me
that the prosecution had filed a “Motion to Appoint Counsel and Set
a 1368 Hearing.” I watched Ms. Spitzberg argue that the
prosecution had no standing in the matter and that no doubt had ever
been declared by Judge Jessner. I think she argued this competently
and intelligently. Pursuant to PC 1368, Judge Vanderet appointed the
Public Defender’s office as counsel and admitted that Judge Jessner
had neglected to do that. I argued that under PC 1368, once counsel
is appointed for a pro per defendant, the appointed counsel should
take reasonable time to decide whether, in their opinion, the
defendant is competent. I put on the record that it was my belief
after speaking with Ms. Spitzberg and watching her in court on more
than one occasion that she is competent. Judge Vanderet sent her
back to Dept. 95 despite my arguments.
I have never seen the complaint or arrest reports
associated with Ms. Spitzberg’s case. They were not given to me,
so I’m sorry but I cannot attach them.
Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment