CapeCodToday Blog Chowder

Yea, why you always pickin on YarMouth? I live in YarMouth. I don't want my picture up there, no way Jose!?! Det. 'Jimmy' McNulty from the Western District will straighten this out. He thinks it may be an accounting error or just a misunderstanding. He is a natural police. Tru Dat. Mos def.

Say what? 'I doubt anyone like Deval who "betrayed" the Clintons after all they did for him is done... stick a fork in him.'

What are you talking about? Go Christy, go! Deval is better than Romney, and Christy will be better than Deval,... mark my words. Actually, I propose Deval for Supreme Court, instead of Ms. Santa Claus Mayor, that Puerto Rican loser magooser imposter.

Somebunny, mine was 6 when the State of CT gave him a death sentence, illegally AND unlawfully. 115-20 lbs., strong like bull. His bark was ferocious, but he was actually a pussycat. He would have lived longer than 8. I fed him well and exercised him vigorously. My best friend. Thanks.

Did you seen the chimpanzee story from Stamford, CT this week? Horrible. Go to courant.com or nhregister.com and search chimpanzee. Unbelievable. I bet the owner-lady does not get charged.

DogsRus.

I had a Rottweiler too, once upon a time. Best Dog I ever had, long story,... in fact, the real reason I'm here on Cape. My Story: Constancy of Complaint: False Arrest and Malicious Prosecution in the Unconstitution State. Buy it at your local bookstore. Don't have a dog now,... nor a woman. 28 years. Umpahh! The dog is who i miss. (There's always another woman.) somebunny, did I see you walking your dog around the cranberry bog off exit 8?

I'm reading Flook right now. She's not that bad. OK?!? It's a woman's book, but that's OK with me. At least she knows how to write. It's a slow-go, lots of local color and historical background. God, you people have a lot of time on your hands. There are some really important issues out there! Dow Jones Chow Mein, down 50%, unemployment, Ponzi schemes, UnReal Estate, you name it...

Codswaddle! Not with me, he's not. Vote the bums out,... all of 'em,... immediately, if not sooner. You know what I'm talkin' about. Come on people, wake up? For real! This is getting out of hand. Hey Kerry, when are are you going to get back to me? Jerk. You Sir, are no senator.

Buzz, you gotta mind like a steeeal trap.
Am going to call you Trapdoor Johnny.

Crusader is on a crusade,... oops, I mean a vacation. Maybe the Gaza Strip. Ever been to the Bahamas this time of year? It's pretty nice, but a lot of Americans have been dying there lately: Anna Nicole Smith's son, John Revolta's son, and now a teacher from Waterbury, CT. Bermuda Triangle, anyone? How about Aruba! That Holloway girl from Alabama disappeared there. Van der Sloot ditched her. It was on _____TV? over the holidays.

Karen2, calm down! I personally think cru and bitter are onto something. What that something is, remains to be seen. Stay tuned. Don't give up the ship. Truth will Out! Trust it.

Does the Winter Hill Gang still exist?

There is so much literature out there, it's hard to know where to begin. Two interesting stories, with commentary, in The Hartford Courant: "Innocence Project Proving a Point," Dec. 21 '08 and "DNA offers Two Hope," Jan. 4.

McCowen notwithstanding, Mass. may in fact be substantially better with regard to criminal justice than neighboring Connecticut. (I am from CT.) CT has an incarceration rate over 100% higher than Mass. That's astonishing.

And last year, New Haven had a murder rate 85% higher than Boston. That too is surprising. (Hartford led the pack.) So I think things may be worse all around in nearby CT. But that does not mean that there's no room for improvement here.

"They just can't show any undeniable proof to their claims other than circumstantial and theoretical. No fact."

Thank you, Karen2, for the insight from your vast well of legal knowledge. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said, in the early part of the 20th C., "I would rather see nine men go free than one innocent man go to prison."

When Joseph Stalin heard that, he said, "I would rather nine innocent men go to prison than one guilty man go free." (Now that's apocryphal!) The point is, would you prefer having Stalin's system of justice or our American/Anglo-Saxon-derived system?

In our system, the defendant does not have to prove a bloody thing. He cannot be compelled to testify. He does not even have to attend his own trial. The burden is upon the state or commonwealth to prove guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt."

Unfortunately, these days, under Reagan/Bush and the current Supreme Court, our system has been taken over by official thugs who care not one whit for the Constitutional protections. They merely give lip service each and every time they walk into the courtroom. It is sad.

"Superior Court Judge Gary Nickerson last month ruled in favor of the motion and ordered a hearing to be held Jan. 10 and 11, with jurors returning to the courthouse in Barnstable village to respond to the allegations."

This should read, "...last month [Dec. '07] ruled...," I believe. These hearings have already gone down, and Nickerson has ruled against the defense,... unless I missed something. (Hey, maybe Nickerson is getting religion?!?)

Who did they catch? They didn't catch anybody. The killer is still out there, people. They wasted a ton of "judicial resources" on a joke and a charade for criminal trial.

Where's that book Manso promised us? Thanks for the intro, Karen2. (She knew I--and a few others--would be waiting in the wings.) "No, no, no, it's not over, not at all."

Mumia Abu-Jamal has been fighting his false conviction in PA for 26 years. New book: The Framing of Mumia..., by Patrick O'Connor is excellent, and an excellent "roadmap" for he who would write McCowen's story. Crusader, that's you. I know you can do it.

Thousands have been falsely convicted in America's so-called criminal courts, including yours truly. CT just released another DNA prisoner, after 16 years. Here's a new one: "DNA Offers Two Hope," courant.com, Jan. 4. For every DNA false conviction, there may be 99 false convictions which were not DNA relevant. Which means there are plenty of persons in prison who don't belong there.
But if it makes you feel good, lock em up and throw away the key. Can you say Prison-Industrial Complex?

Drunkin Donuts,.. the best kind. Tis the Season. Don't be hard on us. "If at first you do not succeed, try, try, try again." Welcome back! At least you're paying attention. I give you that much?!?

It's either Bearse's Way or the Highway! There's the haves, the have-nots; the hasbeens and the forgetmenots. Also the the whatups?!? Can't say as I missed you, since I didn't know ya. Anything can cause anything. Nothing means anything these days; no matter where you go, there you are. Lately, it's just me and my dog against the world.

We have more communications and telecommunications than ever before, and yet it gets harder and harder to find and communicate with people. Go figure. Here's a good read: "The Durable Internet: Preserving Network, Neutrality without Regulation," by Timothy B. Lee. 36 pages of codswaddle put out by the Cato Institute, with 128 footnotes. I don't understand a word of it, and I went to college.

Some people worry about taxes. I worry about faxes,... and unwanted cell phone calls which I have to pay for.

Hey, Christy Mihos ain't a bad role model. He posts here and at boston.com. That is certainly civic-minded of him. I go to bed easy every nite too, Mid-Cape,...having left CT for good. What a hellhole that place is. And then there is New York City,...

There once was a writer named Manso,
Who crossed the prevailing Inelligentsio.
He arrived on the Cape,
To the charges of "Rape"!
And proceeded two write his own manifesto.

There once was a DA name O'Grief,
Who wanted to police every chief.
He went to the Court,
In the face of a tort,
And discovered he'd forgotten his brief(s).

Buzzzz, I'm sure you're a nice guy, etc. I just don't think you have much real-world experience with the criminal "justice" system. You come across as naive,... as in "naivete." Remember, the French do not have a word for "entrepreneur." (Bush 43.) Naivete and entrepreneur go together like a horse and carriage. Ha, Obfuscator strikes again. Vendettas R Us,... get real, for dog's sake.

Sunbunny,... double entrendre, if you catch my drift. (At least someone was paying attention.) Achtung! In my case, there's more than meets the eye,... fact is stranger than fiction, John Grisham-breath. P.S., I don't read fiction anymore. I'm sorry, Herman Melville and other great writers!?!

Buzzzzzz!?! Off,... The "murdered woman's family" tried to cash in. What plant do you live on? You can't possibly be that dumb?!? For real, get with the pogram.

Garbage Inn, Garbage Out,... Route 28. That's the Cape for you. (Credit cards accepted.) One man's trash collector is another woman's buried treasure. (Once you go back, you never come black.) Robert George plays Richard Burton. O'Grief plays Paul NewMan. Knickers-on plays Oars-on Welles. Manso plays Dusty Hoffman. Jackoff plays John Revolta. Pamela plays Marilyn. Eric Williams,... plays himself,...

Dumpster Divers Unite!?! You have nothing to lose but your cellphone (when it slips out of your pocket).

Probably more honest too.

Tony Jackoff should talk! A Terrible Mind is a Thing to Waste. CPCS? Cape Preserves Corrupt practiceS! O'Grief is a moron. His buddy Knickers-on is a retard,... oh, but a slick one. "Do you REALLY want me to declare a mistrial, Mr. George?" No Lemuel Shaw, not he. Tony should keep his mouth shut and his hands busy. Wrap any fish lately? Where's Manso when we kneed him? What's his take?!@#$%^&*. Anybody ever notice that Manso is Manson without the "n"?

I agree, the janitors are worth more than the prosecutors,... a whole lot more. Nice try, O'Grief. You left yourself wide-open, moron.

Sunbunny,

It's not that collecting trash is such a bad job, it's just that producing bad trash is such an awful occupation. It's something like, "a terrible mind is a thing to waste." (I've been known to do a bit of dumpster-diving in my day, hee hee.) I think you are onto something, honestly! Hey look, as I and others have posted, they had to pin the tail on the donkey in order to justify their outrageous (and unearned) paychecks.

When all else fails, blame the black guy, the n*gro, if there's one around. Bye the way, "they all look the same."

As an aside, I notice in today's Globe, MA has 11,380 prisoners. Where I'm from, CT, there are approx. 19,660 prisoners, which, given the population differential, makes CT's incarceration rate over 100% higher than Mass. I did not know that,... incredible, but true. So count your blessings. Mass. may not quite be the police-state that Connecticut and New York are,... not to mention Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, and perhaps a few other states. Food for thought.

Tucked in bed by 11 p.m., out and about by 8:30 a.m. Seems about right. Some people worry about bars. I worry about cars. I think Route 28 could use some trolley cars, like San Fran. That might attract the youngn's. Unfortunately, when you move to the Cape, you must bring your money with you. Cash is preferable, especially these days.

This is a serious problem. I have gotten nowhere with senators Kerry OR Kennedy. Congressman Delahunt is the worst, indeed. I met him in HiAnus last Feb. 29. He was v. pleasant and promised to get back to me. He never did. Sen. Kerry, at the same veterans' function, said to my face he would get back to me. I said, "You--I want to hear from you--not someone from your staff." He said, "You will hear from me." (I told him he stole my place at Yale, ha ha.) Three weeks later, a member of his staff called me. I gave her a piece of my mind which she will never forget. Nuff said, I rest my case.

As a CT native, I can assure everyone, it's no better in the unconstitution state. Sama-thing, the big ring-around-the-rosie. Can U say LieberMouth? Doddo Bird? SubRosa DeLauro? Don't forget Rowland and Rell!?! (Relland carries baggage for Rowl, trust it.)

There once was a lady named Crusader
Who told Maverick "I'll see you later."
She got onto a bus (northbound) in such an awful fuss,
She thought she was in beddy with Neddy.

There once was a blogger named Aaron
Whose knowledge of Bible was legion.
He come onto the forum like a Nor'east storm,
And ran smack into the resident moron(s).
P.S., he failed to lose his decorum.

Prudential? Wachovia? There once was a TV financier name Jim Cramer,
who knew all the names of the famous.
Came into work one day,
And before he could pray,
The market tanked right away.

thanks for the boost, Cru. Anyway, we're off-topic: The cop shouldn't a shot the kid, right Shelli? That's the bottom line. ("hey everybody, I'm over here now!"...famous last words!) Anyway, I live HERE in Ya'muth and I called city Hall to give them a piece of my mind. I told them I retired here from Oshkosh (?!) to get away from this sh*t. I hit the Send button once above,...honest.

Hey Maverick, interpret this,... Cia, Nbc, Ira, Irs, Fbi, Necn, cct, Aflcio, Dcf, Mgh,...Lof, I mean Lol,... for crying out loud. ha!

Hey Maverick, interpret this,... Lol,Pov,Cia, Nbc, Ira, Irs, Fbi, Necn, cct, Aflcio,...

POV= Point of View? Winter Hill Gang? Christmas is comin'. Unfortunately, Whitey is on the lam. Can U say Palermo? And Flannigan is layin' low in HighAnus. We all love Cape Cod, even the Ruskies. I live in YarmouthCourt, a small town. Ha! Born in Pensacola, college in PA. Ha! Ha, Rick Santorum-breath.

"After botching the McCowen trial, he [Nickerson] may be having buyer's remorse,..." he said, "and may now feel now is the time to do 'the right thing.'"

Preview, preview, preview.

When your license to drive is about to expire, does not the state/commonwealth send you a notice and application for renewal? When your motor vehicle registration is about to expire, does not the state/commonwealth send you a notice and application for renewal? Inquiring Minds.... Why should it be any different for LTC/permit holders? Or is consistency he hobgobblin of little minds, like Manso's? Inquiring Minds want to know! After botching the McCowen trial, he's having buyer's remorse and now feels he must do "the right thing," especialy, as Crusader points out, retirement may be just around the corner. (None too soon, I might add; ditto, Mr. Michael (Handgun) Oh'Grief.)

Like man, I mean, like wow! What a dis-cuss-ion. don't mis-under-est-i-mate me but, Is this over the top? (This is over the top.) Where's my Wikipedia? 19%, that's peanuts compared to what's comin'. (You-all had a free ride for 19 years,... so there! What goes up, must come down.) Bobby Vinton?!? How about Bobby Dylan. Oh well, you got the Bobby right. Palin? He coulda chose Gov. Jodi Rell (CT),... big mistake, no sex appeal,... Mother Rell,... mother hen that is. We'll see.

Wrong blog, or wrong bong. Which is it? Now who should be banned?

Krusader,

Thanx, I'll she-mail, oops I meean e-mail you as soon as I clear my head. I sat next to MM a couple of times, nice lady. Also Rose, but can't place her right now. I guess I'm a little naive. Wherever I go, I'm naive. When does the naivete end?

Funny, I thought you were male this whole time. "Crusader" is sooo masculine!?! No problem! We have a female VP on the ticket for the first time, I believe. Women can be crusaders as well as men, I suppose. What else can I say? I've enjoyed the exchange.

Scratch,

I like yours too. Scratch me where it hurts! However, am male, and don't hang out in P-Town anymore, he he!

Question #3: No; Scott Harshbarger (sp?). He preceded Mommy Martha, I think. In any case, covered decisively and succinctly by Dorothy Rabinowitz in her 2003 (?) book, "No Crueler Tyrannies," a must read if you're interested in mass hysterias and gross miscarriages of injustice in the "commonwealth" of MASS...excuuuuuse me! Dorothy is a smart cookie, and HARSH-barger one of the worst attorney generals ever. Well, second to Mike Nifong, who really takes the CAke.

Good grief, Charlie Brown, wonders never cease! Hey what's with this Hurricane Gustav? Deja Voodoo all over again!

Krusader,

Your comment of 1;50 pm leaves me in the dust. Don't forget, I'm new here. Although I did read Manso's book, P-Town--which I was familiar with, but not to the extent he was.

As to your next comment, I tried to sit directly behind Manso (and George) whenever I could. I wanted to eavesdrop. I wore the same black fleece pullover every day, with "Le Coq Sportif" on the back. I only missed 3 days in five weeks. Typically, I went home during lunch break and watched the afternoon session on CTV. The audio and video was far superior to actually being in the courtroom. Remember Mountain Man, the cameraman? What a character!

Funny Krewsader! So far, no takers on my "support group" idea. Well, it is a holiday weekend, so they say. To me, everday is a holiday, as I retired two years ago. These days, am a full-time ACTIVE-ist,... a frustrated one. Take care.

-ong incentive to study "law" real quick. (Not a pretty picture. Try reading some Mass. appellate and/or Supreme J. Court decisions. Not recommend for pleasure while on holidays.)

Even the best counsel money can buy, as in Robert George, guarantees you nothing. And don't forget, attorneys generally get paid up front, and in cash. See "Phony Lawyer gets 20 Years," New Haven Register, August 30, and comments.

McCowen's convictions were "engineered" thru a subtle co-conspiracy between the Court, including an incompetent jury, and the D.A. (who was merely "doing his JOB"). Together, they made repeated end-runs around due-process protections and the Bill of Rights, not to mention the "Constitution."

Karen T,

Very good. Brian has family in Truro. I'd have to review my notes and paperwork, but I believe Brian did a tremendous amount of medical research from prison and determined, to my satisfaction, that the child's head bruises were caused by a pre-existing condition (subdural hematoma?). Also, I believe the child was found having a seizure on or near the sidewalk bordering the front yard. The child was not his, rather his girlfriend's.

Of course the prosecution wants to make innuendos to the effect that the child was shoved, kicked, or otherwise thrown down the stairs in order to sway the jury. Sound familiar? This is simpley incredible!

Brian is also a very smart "jailhouse lawyer.," and I have one of his petitions for retrial. Petition denied. Brian's problem, which is the problem a lot of us have, is his inability to acquire adequate counsel. In my own cases, I suffered the "lack of effective counsel" for four years, and no counsel at all for another four years,...as I inch my way toward the U.S. Supreme Court in a v. bizarre set of circumstances myself. So there is v. str

Krusader,

I may have sat next to you, or near you. Answer to #1: When Nickerson asked George, "Are you SURE, Mr. George, that you want me to declare a mistrial?" George said, "No, your Honor."

Answer to #2: Brian Alfred Rose, Union Correctional Institution, Raiford, Florida. I presume that is public information and that I'm not breaching any confidentiality.

Pop Quiz #3: Who was the former Middlesex District Attorney involved in the 20-year scandal that was Mass. v. Fells Acre Day Care Center (Malden, MA) and who refused to give Gerald Amirault a new trial when evidence of malfeasance and hysteria was presented to his office? Thus making it one of the two biggest criminal justice scandals in Mass. during the 20th century. (And when was Amirault released?)

Pop Quiz #4: What was the other big 20th C. scandal and where did it occur?

Additional note: I witnessed Manso beeing interviewed by CTV once myself in person, on site, while hobnobbing with the "press corps."

Has it ever occured to anyone that maybe it was the cops themselves who set off the alarm at Manso's house--in his absence--which triggered the police response, which then gave them "probable cause" to search the house for unlicensed weapons, and god knows what else,... druuuuuugs, perhaps?!? Stolen antiques, manuscripts, paintings, stocks and bonds? More MURDERED BODIES?

MaNsO has eVeRy RiGhT to feel PaRaNoId. How can you blame him?!? When you're between Nickerson and O'Keefe, you're between a Rock and a Hard Place. (O'Keefe ain't 1/2 as bad as Headbanger Harshbarger. More about him later,... if I'm still here.)

Bittersweet,

You read me a little too quickly. Of course it matters to you and me, but not to the public-at-large here on Cape, which seems to be satisfied that the tail got pinned on the donkey,... the black one. If you are in fact innocent until proven "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," well then clearly McCowen is innocent, legally speaking.

Unfortunately, the criminal "justice" system is hypocitical: It does not really work that way.

Like I said above, these are everyday occurences. Pop Quiz #2: What is the name of the Truro native falsely convicted of murder in a "shaken baby" death/incident in W. Palm Beach, Fla., '88, now serving a life sentence?

I'm not even from these here parts, and I know his name. Furthermore, have communicated with him in prison, never having met him.

Krusader, You OK? Excuses, excuses! I don't hate you,.. just worried.

Hey look people, I landed here in '04, working here and there (carpenter). I was working the outer cape and kept hearing stuff,... bits and pieces. Somebody would claim to know something, but wouldn't talk. I couldn't figure it out. That is one reason why I went to the trial.

I really wanted to figure this out. Not only that, but as an "activist" in another jurisdiction, I attended for the first time a trial for murder. I witnessed somebody I believed was totally innocent get railroaded into a false conviction, just like McCowen.

I know who I believe killed Christa W., but no matter. The whole thing was botched, and as I e-mailed Seth Rolbein, I consider the judge as reprehensible as the prosecution, perhaps more so. He is NO Lemuel Shaw! And I hope I don't ever have to appear before him.

Karen T, I also have 24 pairs of shoes/ boots, but that don't make me Imelda Marcos. P.S., the blogsite mentioned is not mine, but the guy is a "friend." My own Supreme Court appeal will be posted there shortly, under my real

Hey J Crewsaver,

You'e nothing if not entertaining. Once again: Townie rant!

"He also told the times he wanted to be deputized so he could cross ex. witnesses on the stand." That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. Everyone knows sheriff's deputies don't cross-examine anyone on the witness stand. Even Manso knows that. Are you for real?!?

Didn't Manso bring forth Delainda Julia Miranda to the Court, where she testified that her great-nephew, Eric Gomes was racially biased against his own people? I know, I was there. You might want to review "Writer Questions McCowen's Guilt," Hilary Russ, CCTimes, Feb. 23, '07. Also, an op-ed column by Manso around the same time. You seem to have things upside down.

Time to change your bottled water, and your tune.

Krusader,

You're ranting again. Methinks you have a horse in the race. I watched CourtTV as well and have no recollection of anything remotely resembling what you report. (I suppose Beth Karas, or someone at CTV could verify your accusations?)

Bob George did a bang-up job, but he made one serious error. Pop Quiz? What was it?

Now you've met one person who likes Manso: Me. I've met him, I know him. You sound like you're ready to get out the hangman's noose. Shame on you!

Ever notice that Manso is Manson without the "n"?

Gee, you people are busy.

Karen T, I have twelve pairs of sunglasses, wiseguy. I found a handle I liked better,... fits my "personality."

Bittersweet, I came up with a "sweet" idea after signing off last nite. Why not form a McCown support-group on Cape? I should have thought of it earlier, but after my experiences with a "grass roots" organization in another jurisdiction where we marched, demonstrated, held vigils, held forums, made the front page, etc., I got disgusted about how little progress we seemed to make.

In any case, I think it's time to start a group here. You will need a core group of 12-16 dedicated people. Three or four won't cut it. Here's what you are likely to find: (i) Most people will be unsympathetic and (ii) Those who may be sympathetic will be so caught up in their rampant materialistic lives that they "won't have time." (Others will simply be struggling to keep their own heads above water.)

I recommend that this group meet in Mid-Cape or Lower Cape, not the outer cape, or Orleans. I happen to be in YA'muth, which ain't chopped liver. How about a library?!

I attended McCowen's trial and blogged heavily on it under a different handle. And I also attended the jury inquiries earlier this year, wrote a letter to the CCTimes which was published. This is really awful, but these miscarriages of justice happen all the time across Amerika. If not a high profile case, such as this one, most of us never hear about them.

Bittersweet, I have been an activist for criminal justice and corrections reform for eight years, and have been frustrated for 8 years. There's plenty of literature out there, and web and blog sites. My own favorite is judicialmisconduct.blogspot.com, which has some stuff up there by and about me where my identity is undisguised. Here on Cape, I prefer to remain anonymous and not rock the boat, for obvious reasons.

This is what I do: call, write, blog, e-mail; call, e-mail, write, blog, and occasionally speak publicly at forums and public hearings. Pay attention to who you vote for, that goes without saying.

Hey krusader,

You Sir, are no JF...K. You're an animal. The Truth shall set ye free. Until then, Get back in your cage! (That's an order.)

Keep at it, clamshelli. Manso will do OK. He has an attorney, and a support network thru Robert George. Manso is a true gadfly. Nothin' wrong with that. He has every right to protect himself, given the controversies he's stirred up in the McCowen case. O'Keefe is the one who may be most vulnerable.

I agree that the search and seizure was illegal and should be thrown out.

A true journalist? How about you, crusader! You spell reel good.