Bill Montgomery sets Flakes loose on county taxpayers

Imagine you’re Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. Com’on, you can do it.  You’re full of political vim and aspiration and like a good establishment soldier dutifully await a greater opportunity. The U.S. Senate sounds good. But dang! That old goat McCain is making noises about running again. He’ll be 79 in August and a six-year term would place him at a gnarly 85. Not only will the youthful glow also be off Montgomery’s rose, but playing well with that Flake family is not bringing the hoped for returns.

Rather than repeat the gruesome facts of the case involving Sen. Jeff Flake’s son Austin and daughter-in-law Logan along with her parents Todd and MaLeisa Hughes, and its potential to derail Montgomery‘s ambition, read Bill Montgomery, dead dogs & the Flakes: We got it right the first time.

Now that Montgomery has dropped all felony charges against Austin and Logan they’re suing Maricopa County and Sheriff Joe Arpaio, seeking $8 million to resurrect their formerly pristine reputations, claiming they were targeted by the Sheriff’s office and their characters were ruined by this investigation. 

“The Sheriff has a long history of bringing cases for publicity.  This case to him had everything.  It had publicity, it had a politician’s son, it had pets and the one thing it didn’t have was probable cause,” claimed lawyer Jack Wilenchik. His law partner father Dennis Wilenchik, previously represented Arpaio and cozily lists the “Maricopa County Attorney” as a client.

The Wilenchik’s, publicity seekers extraordinaire, were singing a different tune —- “Vamos Jose!” (Let’s Go, Joe!) —- with Sheriff Joe Arpaio in happier times, as they interviewed him about the “latest county news” on their podcast radio show.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a champion of animals, who has had an Animal Crimes Investigations Unit as part of his office for over a decade forwarded twenty-one charges of animal neglect and cruelty to Montgomery, recommending numerous felony charges of animal neglect and cruelty in connection with horrific abuse resulting in the deaths of nearly two dozen family pets.

On Oct. 15, a Maricopa County Grand Jury indicted both couples. At the time, Montgomery solemnly stated, “Today’s indictment is the result of a thorough review of the extensive investigation into this incident and a decision to seek charges based on objective facts. We now look forward to the next step in seeing that justice is served in this case,” he said. But God knows he wanted the hot potato to go away.

If these marginal Flakes are successful in their outrageous lawsuit, Maricopa County taxpayers will be the ones paying out millions, and that includes the families who lost their beloved pets to the Flake’s obscene neglect.

It was clear from the June 20 onset, when the dead and dying family pets were found, Bill Montgomery was loath to touch this case.  He finally dropped it Dec. 22, 2014.

Background on this case can be read in these links:

Dec. 24, 2014:  Bill Montgomery, dead dogs & the Flakes: We got it right the first time

Dec. 13, 2014: Flake kin beg for cash to aid in dead dog defense

Nov. 14, 2014: Austin, Logan Flake plead not guilty in dog deaths

Oct. 16, 2014: Indicted! Austin & Logan Flake, Todd & MaLeisa Hughes

Oct. 13, 2014: Bill Montgomery: Focus of daily’s sarcastic jab remains inert

Sept. 29, 2014: Still awaiting Montgomery’s Flake decision

Sept. 19, 2014: Bill Montgomery: Between a Flake and a hard place

July 17, 2014: 21 dead dogs inconsequential as Flake connection gets cover-up

June 27, 2014: AZ Republic uses dead dogs to bash Arpaio, give pass to Flake & Update

Weekend reading guaranteed to make you smarter

Powerline’s John Hinderaker has written a must-read column titled, “Obama’s Amnesty: It’s even worse than you thought.”  This fact-filled commentary is guaranteed to infuriate, which is all the more reason you should read it. Knowledge is power and you’ll get an impressive dose on Powerline.

Author John Hinderaker’s bio can be read here.

Brnovich: The name Laurie Roberts is unable to write

MIA AZ AG Mark Brnovich, issues statement, hides behind assistant

Although the topic is far from humorous, alert readers had ample reason to smirk while reading Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts’ most recent biased-laced offering.

For those who no longer subscribe to the agendized newspaper with a decidedly leftward bent, Roberts is the one who describes conservative Republicans as “Kooks,”and used her allotted space to continually lambaste Arizona’s former Attorney General Tom Horne on the basis of innuendo and contrivances.

Her most recent column on the handling of the serious case of rape perpetrated by a convicted sex offender on a teacher is a stellar example of Roberts’ keyboard contortionism.

In her opening sentence Roberts notes that the Arizona Attorney General’s Office is asking for dismissal of the lawsuit filed by the teacher who was brutally assaulted and raped after being left in an unguarded prison classroom with a convicted sex offender. “The AG’s reasoning,” she writes, “is essentially this: the woman knew she was in a prison, so what did she expect?”

We take no exception with Roberts’ righteous sarcasm.

But what is more than a bit odd is that she names Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Weisbard, but neglects to even mention his elected boss, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich —- the man at whose desk the buck is supposed to stop.

In its coverage of this brutal crime, even the left-of-center Huffington Post tops its report, “Arizona Attorney General’s Office Wants Lawsuit Of Teacher Raped By Prison Inmate Dismissed” with an expansive photo of Attorney General Brnovich.

The victim, who has filed a $4 million lawsuit, cites a lack of basic security measures to ensure her safety as she gave a GED exam to inmates Jan. 20, 2014.  Jacob Harvey, the 20-year-old rapist, who lingered behind, was serving a sentence incarcerating him until 2041 after being convicted of sexual assault, kidnapping and dangerous crimes against children. He raped and beat a woman in front of her young child during a home invasion. Find out more about this character using the DOC inmate search. His inmate number is 279133.

“Plaintiff is an ADOC (Arizona Department of Corrections) employee who routinely worked at the prison complex,” lawyer Weisbard wrote in his motion to dismiss. “By being placed in a classroom at the complex, the officers were not placing Plaintiff in any type of situation that she would not normally face. The risk of harm, including assault, always existed at a prison like Eyman.”

Huffington notes, Brnovich wasn’t available to comment Wednesday, but the Attorney General’s Office issued this statement: “As a former prosecutor, no one is more sympathetic to victims of violent crimes than Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Our office was disappointed to see a misleading opinion piece that was recently published regarding the brutal assault of a Department of Corrections employee that occurred in January 2014. The Attorney General’s Office is taking affirmative steps to make sure that justice is served for the victim of this heinous crime. We would ask all parties to respect the integrity of the legal process.”  (Editorial Brnovich referenced as “misleading.”)

Since the office Brnovich leads is seeking dismissal of the victim’s lawsuit, it raises the question of exactly what “affirmative steps” —- other than his sympathy —- he is taking to “ensure justice is served for the victim of this heinous crime?” 

The case goes forward. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton has rejected the motion to dismiss the victim’s lawsuit filed by Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office.

Departing candidate Mitt gets it right with Jeb jab

Bush fatigue coupled with Jeb Bush’s notorious amnesty stance make his candidacy unacceptable

In his Friday morning announcement that he will not be running for president, Mitt Romney lobbed a less than subtle parting shot at 61-year-old Jeb Bush.  Though cloaked, conservative politicos got his message loud and clear —- and Romney was right on target.

“After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the Party the opportunity to become our next nominee,” Romney, 67, said, as he underscored the need for a fresh face for the GOP.

“I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee,” he told supporters on the conference call during which he announced his decision. “In fact, I expect and hope that to be the case.”

We join Mitt Romney in that hope.

Here is Jeb Bush calling the invasion of the United States by illegal aliens, “an act of love.” 

“Yes, they broke the law,” Jeb Bush acknowledges, “but it’s not a felony. It’s an act of love. It’s an act of commitment to your family. I honestly think that that is a different kind of crime. It shouldn’t rile people up that people are coming to this country to provide for their families.”

Illegal ID thieves become victims in topsy-turvy world

The laws that Arizona citizens look to for protection from the life-altering crime of identity theft are not worthy of being enforced if the perpetrator happens to be an illegal alien, in the world according to U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell.

Prosecutors are now dismissing identity-theft cases in light of Campbell’s preliminary injunction ordering law enforcement and prosecutors to stop pursuing felony convictions in cases where stolen identity is used to obtain employment until he issues a final ruling on the case —- according to a report in the pro-open borders Periódico de la República de Arizona (Arizona Republic).

In short, this means that the court’s loathing of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is greater than its concern for the actual victims of crime perpetrated by those who have invaded our country.

Ironically, Paul Charlton, the lawyer representing one of the highest-profile business owner defendants arrested by the sheriff’s office, is the former United States Attorney for the District of Arizona —- appointed by President George W. Bush.

Carlos Garcia, director of the radical Puente Arizona, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said he hopes the injunction is the beginning of the end for the ID-theft laws.

Sure. Why not?

Arizona courts have incrementally gutted the ability of law enforcement to protect citizens as further protections have been gifted to those invading our state and nation.

ID theft is not a victimless crime. “In some of the worst cases of identity theft, people who have had their name stolen, are refused loans, have lost their jobs, have had their wages garnished or been arrested for crimes they haven’t committed,” said AARP’s previous Arizona State Director David Mitchell.  “And cleaning up the mess can take years and money.”

Illegal alien identity thieves are also stealing your child’s future. Their Social Security numbers are especially valuable targets, since children aren’t employed, making discovery of the fraud unlikely until years after it has occurred and hundreds of thousands in debt have been accrued.

As far back as 2008 we wrote Illegal alien couple applied for home loan, bought cars, using stolen SSNs.

Has Judge David Campbell ever watched this video which highlights the $750,000 debt piled on a young Arizona girl by illegals? Does he care?

Illegal murders young clerk: plea deal fails us all

In the early morning hours Thursday, Apolinar Altamirano, an illegal alien and previously convicted felon, entered a Mesa QuikTrip convenience market from which he had been banned by a court order just two weeks earlier. Altamirano, 29, became enraged when 21-year-old clerk Grant Ronnebeck told the man that he needed money before he could give him the cigarettes he demanded. When Altamirano pulled a gun, Ronnebeck attempted to hand him the cigarettes. The clerk’s efforts were in vain. The 5’6, 250 lb. Mexican national shot Grant Ronnebeck in the face.

Surveillance video captured Altamirano calmly stepping over Ronnebeck and grabbing a couple of packs of Marlboro cigarettes before he left the store.

Following a high-speed chase, the cold-blooded murderer was apprehended. Police found him in prohibited possession of a 9mm semiautomatic and a revolver. Altamirano had been charged with burglary in 2012, but had the charges reduced to facilitation to commit burglary in a plea deal and was placed on two years probation Jan. 2, 2013. (Read the four-page court document under link.)  Finally in custody, his bail has now been set at $1 million. 

The question to ask is why a felon known to be in the state of Arizona illegally was found worthy of having his sentence suspended, being granted probation and released onto valley streets? The family of young Grant Ronnebeck and the people of Arizona deserve an answer.

Judge Katherine Cooper’s cringe-worthy lack of judgment

Convicted sex offender & fugitive live-in boyfriend arrested at judge’s home

In a startling report of a judge —- entrusted with life or death decision-making in the lives of Maricopa County residents —- KPHO-TV 5 exposes the personal reality disconnect of Superior Court Judge Katherine “Kay” Cooper.

Living in the digital age and surrounded by nearly daily technological advances, it would be a reasonable assumption that a trial court judge would be astute enough to at least do a free public records search on the honey she’s moving into her home. Exercising that bit of savvy is known as being judicious —– at trait judges should have in abundance. Judge Cooper has been on the bench since being appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer in 2011.

In the case of romance-blinded Katherine Cooper, her live-in boyfriend of two years is a convicted sex offender under indictment for extortion in New York.

In this in-depth coverage, complete with photos of the couple, reporter Donna Rossi notes the judge’s boyfriend, Michael Kent Krause, 42, was indicted recently in New York on a felony charge of grand larceny due to extortion.

Detectives tracked Krause down at the central Phoenix home owned by Cooper after they could not locate him at a small, ramshackle trailer at a Mesa RV park where he rents a space. The Mesa location is the address the state has on record for Krause as part of his sex offender registration requirement.

Krause has quite a rap sheet. He’s a registered sex offender, a convicted felon out of California and was recently arrested at the judge’s home on a warrant for being a fugitive from justice.

It has also been reported that California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records show that Krause has spent time in prison for burglary, assault with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to commit a sex offense.

Though she claimed to be “shocked” when news of the allegations against Michael Krause became public, and stated that he no longer resides with her, it appears she has hired a former law school classmate to defend him.

Judge Katherine Cooper (her first name was misspelled as Catherine in this voter guide) was just retained by Maricopa County voters in November.