Report from McGuckin attorney Ed Steele

June 11, 2001 - First, the fund report:  My wife, who opens the envelopes, photocopies
everything, endorses the checks to the trust fund and prepares the deposit
receipts, reports that we just went over $14,000 with Saturday's mail.  You
know, we might just end up buying them a new place to live.  Of course, if
things go right, the county will end up buying them a pretty nice place to
live (as it should!).

I continue to have my heart rent every time she shows me a $25 check from
someone living on social security or a couple of dollar bills sent by
someone with even less.  The letters sent by those with nothing, who can
include only heartfelt best wishes, are perhaps my favorites,
however.  Cyndi remarked again tonight how this experience is renewing her
faith in humanity and America, as she sees strangers from every state in
the union opening their hearts and their purses to share what they have
with others.  I remarked how I wished that we could someday have a huge
picnic somewhere, with everyone coming and spending the day
together.  Maybe we can do something like that on a more limited scale when
this is all over.....we'll see.

Yes, you noticed getting emails from me from different addresses and
ISP's.  My main one was a little sick night before last and hiccuped a few
extra copies of some emails and didn't send others.  I switched to a
backup.  Anything from steele@pop.net or steele@nidlink.com or
(anyone)@plainlawtalk.com is me.

Tomorrow morning is the "shelter hearing" for the kids.  I spent a couple
of hours this afternoon with the nicest lady, a close family friend of the
McGuckins with whom I have been in contact from the very beginning, and we
think we have it set for her to take all the kids as a unit until we can
get them put back together with JoAnn and start the healing process.  We're
keeping her name and location a secret, so the kids can start out with her
without any media intrusions.  She is the perfect choice and was JoAnn's
suggestion the night I first met with her.

Those who have sent me that dreadful article of Dave Turner's from
yesterday's Bonner County Daily Bee will be interested to know that this
lady also signed an affidavit for me, confirming that JoAnn told her early
on that she had asked me to represent her and her kids for their civil
interests in connection with this case.   I have faxed a pointed letter to
the Sheriff, asking him to have that Lieutenant Valdez of his confirm or
deny each and every statement attributed to him in the article.

What you don't know, of course, is that Turner is a defendant in a pending
libel suit that I filed against the Bee for calling me a Nazi back when I
handled the Aryan Nations case.

This affidavit also puts the lie to the representations put out at the same
time by the Prosecuting Attorney's office (our ol' buddy Phil) and the
public pretender, Bryce Powell.  Gee, the same baldface lie mouthed by all
those people at precisely the same time - what are the odds of that, do you
suppose?  I must be doing something right, to have all these members of the
establishment gunning for me, so I suppose I should be flattered.  In fact,
I am royally pissed off right now and in no mood to "just get over
it."  Glad I'm not going to have to produce the notes of my two-hour
meeting with JoAnn the night of May 30 (rationale:  If she didn't ask me to
represent her and her kids, why did she tell me her life's story and dump
all the details I need to run with the civil aspects of the case?)

What I find really annoying is how nobody seems particularly concerned
about the best interests of the kids and putting this family back together
again.  Nobody but us, that is.  There was a second public defender just
appointed, by the name of Sara Seaborg.  She seems genuinely interested in
helping the McGuckins and seems a genuinely nice person, too boot.  I'm
hopeful that Sara's addition will finally get the case on the right track,
but first we've got to get Powell off center.  Powell felt so caught up
that he took four or five days off last week to take an "R&R" trip into
Canada....while JoAnn still languished in jail, of course.  I have learned
to regret not offering to represent JoAnn for everything when I first met
her.  Ah, well - hindsight, donchaknow.

Tomorrow might see some interesting developments, aside from the picketing
planned by some politically-incorrect sorts.  JJ Johnson is in town to help
out.  I'm hoping they arrest him and the lady in the wheelchair.  Make for
a great photo spread, don't you think?  (JJ is this big, strapping black
guy with a nonstop smile and the editor of The Sierra Times, a great
alternative internet news site.)    The Sandpoint police chief stopped by
Pizza Hut to deliver a copy of the ordinance governing demonstrations, just
for intimidation value.  I think it is unconstitutionally vague and
overbroad, of course.  We might just get a chance to test my opinion.

It's way late, kids.  I have an 8 am court appearance.  Later.

-ed

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