06142012 - News Article - Lake Station juggles 2 court deputies

Lake Station juggles 2 court deputies

Post-Tribune (IN) 

June 14, 2012

LAKE STATION — In a Wednesday night special meeting called less than a week after the mayor ’s stepdaughter was fired from her job with the city court, the City Council voted to strip two deputies’ jobs from the court and move them back to the clerk-treasurer’s budget. 

Miranda Brakley was the deputy terminated by City Judge Chris Anderson last week. 

The move highlighted the fallout between Mayor Keith Soderquist and Anderson. The two were political allies and friends when they first took office in 2008. 

Anderson could not be reached for comment late Wednesday. 

The two jobs were under the clerk-treasurer’s budget until November 2008, when the council voted to move the jobs to the court’s budget. With the Wednesday vote, the council returned the positions to their original budget item, but they still will work with the court, city attorney Ray Szarmach said. 

Soderquist , who enjoys the support of most of the council, insisted the council’s move was not a political or personal vendetta. He also suggested Anderson fired Brakley because the judge may have heard the two jobs would be stripped from his court. 

“(Brakley’s termination) possibly could be retaliation because (Anderson) got wind the council would do this,” he said. 

Clerk-Treasurer Brenda Samuels said she likely will rehire Brakley as a deputy working with the city court. 

“It will only make sense, since I don’t really know the court,” Samuels said. 

Soderquist said the council has been weighing the move since revenue from the court began plummeting two years ago. 

According to Soderquist , the city court — with an annual budget of $200,000, including the two deputy spots — has seen revenue from fees and citations drop from about $150,000 in 2009 to $58,000 last year. 

Police Chief Kevin Garber said his officers have been frustrated by what he called the judge’s frequent waiving of court fees and citations for offenders, which means less revenue for the city and his department. 

“I don’t know exactly how much we’re supposed to be collecting, but, obviously, if the city is collecting a third of what we used to collect, then that’s way less revenue for the department,” said Garber, adding his officers have been issuing about 500 tickets and citations a month since he took office in January. 

06132012 - News Article - Clerk positions restored in Lake Station; firing no factor?

Clerk positions restored in Lake Station; firing no factor?
NWI Times
Jun 13, 2012
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-station/clerk-positions-restored-in-lake-station-firing-no-factor/article_84bb09bb-f783-5442-bff3-7aebb80dd132.html

LAKE STATION | The City Council on Wednesday agreed to move two clerk positions back under the supervision of the city's clerk-treasurer.

Mayor Keith Soderquist said the move, which transfers two clerks out of the supervision and budget of City Judge Chris Anderson, has nothing to do with judge's firing last week of Miranda Brakley, the mayor's stepdaughter.

"The two positions are going back under the budget and supervision of Clerk-Treasurer Brenda Samuels where they belong," Soderquist said.

Anderson, who didn't attend the meeting, said over the phone that he believes the illegal transfer of power is being made in retaliation for his firing Brakley as one of his two court clerks June 7.

"In my opinion the council doesn't not have the authority to transfer the control of my staff to the clerk-treasurer. And the only reason this is being done is the mayor is retaliating against me  because I fired his stepdaughter," Anderson said.

Anderson declined further comment at the advice of his legal counsel.

Soderquist said city officials have been planning to move the two positions back under the department from which they were removed four years ago.

"They are going home," Soderquist said.

The City Council in 2008 took action amending the clerk-treasurer's duties which included removal of two clerks under Samuel's supervision and budget and placing them under Anderson's supervision.

"Now the council wants to put the positions back," Soderquist said.

Soderquist denies the move has anything to do with the termination last week of his stepdaughter,  a former city court administrator.

Rather the move is something he and other city officials have been discussing for several months, Soderquist said.

"Transferring the two positions back to the clerk-treasurer's office will be more efficient. We began talking about this two months ago. It was already in the works of being done," Soderquist said.

Samuels, at the end of the meeting, confirmed that she will likely hire Brakley back as one of the two clerk positions she now supervises because of her on-the-job experience.

"It would make only sense to hire her," Samuels said. 

06092012 - MOORS - US Department Of Justice - US Attorney's Office

2002-2008-US-DepartmentOfJustice--US-AttorneysOffice-DistrcitOfNewJersey--MOORS-pg20

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5COo64H_0inZy1id05zbVNkTUk/view?usp=sharing

Judge Karen Kahil began to call out, "We've got a group of Moors in here!" She continued her comments towards the courtwatchers, "Are you a part of that group? Who here is part of that group - the Moors group?"

Moors--International-Proclamation-To-The-Nations

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5COo64H_0inQkZydDRsQklxMnM/view?usp=sharing

David Schied was booked and is held under false records. The Habeas Corpus petitons are going up and door – repeatedly being denied by the courts.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5COo64H_0indTEwRThtVjg3YjQ/view?usp=sharing

Moorish Cipher: Get Out Of Jail Card - The Writ of Habeas Corpus

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5COo64H_0inQWc1bzMzeXhCb2c/view?usp=sharing

06082012 - News Article - Judge: No delay in Aug. 13 McCowan murder trial

Judge: No delay in Aug. 13 McCowan murder trial

NWI Times
June 08, 2012 - 11:49 am

nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/portage/judge-no-delay-in-aug-mccowan-murder-trial/article_7eaa4d70-963e-5990-a47c-fa18ff94e2fe

VALPARAISO - Porter Superior Judge Bill Alexa called a special hearing Friday to make it clear he would like to see the Dustin McCowan murder trial begin as scheduled on Aug. 13.

But Portage attorney John Vouga, who took over the defense fewer than 60 days ago, said he still is waiting on evidence and faces too much preparation work to be ready by that date.

Alexa asked when he would be ready for trial.

"This year? Next year? The year after?" he asked.

Vouga said the answer hinges on when he receives all the evidence from prosecutors, but believes he can be ready by November.

"I'm not going into a murder trial half-cocked," he said.

Alexa affirmed the Aug. 13 trial date and said he expected an update from attorneys during a hearing July 13.

McCowan, 19, is accused of murdering his former girlfriend Amanda Bach, 19, who was found shot to death Sept. 17 about 300 yards from McCowan's house in Union Township.

The trial already has been postponed once at the request of the former defense attorney, who said he was waiting on lab results from the FBI and prosecutors.

Alexa reminded Vouga on Friday his client is being held without bond at the jail.

"I don't like that one bit," Vouga said.

When Vouga said he is thinking about asking again for bond based on new evidence, Alexa said there will not be a second hearing on that topic.

Several plainclothes police officers were scattered through the courtroom Friday for security purposes during the short hearing.

Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek, who said her office will be ready for the Aug. 13 trial, said she has just a few documents to yet provide to the defense and is waiting on a lab result from the FBI that will not make or break the case.

Alexa explained he called Friday's status hearing in the wake of a recent trial being postponed at nearly the last minute because of the discovery of new evidence. He said he has set aside two weeks for McCowan's case.