WOMAN WITH HUMAN SKULL GETS CHARGES REDUCED (The Zombies are next!)

Miami Herald ^ | 3/31/2006 | Amy Sherman

[FerdieMurphy]

A woman who faced up to 15 years in prison for bringing a human skull into the United States now faces only a maximum of one year in jail.

A federal prosecutor changed the charges from three felonies to one misdemeanor in a hearing in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale today.

Myrlene Severe now faces a misdemeanor charge of improper storage of a human body part.

Severe spoke little during the hearing which lasted about two minutes, however she did quietly voice a concern to Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow: ``I don't have my privacy.''

The 30-year-old Miramar woman told federal agents that she planned to use the skull to ward off evil spirits as part of her Vodou religion. Severe, who has practiced Vodou since childhood, is a priestess in her native Haiti and in South Florida, her attorney Kenneth Hassett said.

She brought the skull back from Haiti on Feb. 9 when federal agents stopped her at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.

Prosecutors originally charged her with intentionally smuggling a human head into the U.S. and not having the proper paperwork as well as bringing hazardous material onto an airplane.

But prosecutors agreed to change the charge to a seldom-used misdemeanor statute. As part of a deal with Severe, she will plead guilty to the misdemeanor April 12, said her lawyer Kenneth Hassett.

Since Severe has never been convicted of a crime, she would likely get zero to six months jail time although she could face a year, Hassett said.

The deal puts Severe - who is a legal U.S. resident but a citizen of Haiti - in the best position possible in terms of avoiding deportation. Typically, people are deported for crimes of ''moral turpitude'' -- usually felonies.

Severe moved to the U.S. in 2000 in search of a better life and lives here with her 9-year-old daughter. After the hearing, Severe declined to answer reporters' questions except to complain that people have been bothering her since the publicity of her arrest.

''I don't want people to follow me, bother me, ask me questions,'' she said.

Hassett said that Severe did not realize bringing a human skull into the country was a crime.

''This is a woman that believes in Vodou and she made a mistake,'' he said. Federal prosecutor Robin Waugh-Farretta referred questions to a spokesperson who was not immediately available for comment.

[FerdieMurphy]

...however she did quietly voice a concern to Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow: ``I don't have my privacy.''

That was Jeffrey Dahmer's complaint as well.

This nation needs more voodooists from Haiti for the sake of diversity.

[jdm]

"WOMAN WITH HUMAN SKULL"

I thought all women had skulls. Huh.

[eeevil conservative]

well- if she had been busted trying to bring a human skull that was inside of a living, breathing, un-documented, laborer, she would just have to "register" it, pay a fine, and teach it English...

;-)

[SENTINEL]

What about the privacy of the person who's skull she had ? Nothing more private than the shape of ones skull.

[FerdieMurphy]

Who knows where that skull was before this voodoo queen got her hands on it.

Hope she washes her hands before eating.

[NormsRevenge]

Human numbskull detained for bringing skull thru customs, claims religious privilege.

[dennisw]

Woman Carrying Voodoo Skull Agrees To Plead Guilty

Plea Deal On State Charge Would Help Woman Avoid Deportation

 

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -- A woman who was arrested after a human skull was found in her luggage has agreed to a plea deal that might keep her from being deported to Haiti. Myrlene Severe's case has proved complicated for prosecutors because she says that she was carrying the skull for protection as part of a voodoo ritual. Her lawyer said that she had no criminal intent and the skull was strictly to be used for protection as part of her religion.

Severe was on Lynx International Airlines Flight 203 from Haiti on Feb. 9 when customs officials examined her luggage and found the skull in a rice bag filled with grass, banana leaves, dirt, rocks and an iron nail. She had not declared in her paperwork to enter the country that the skull was in her luggage.

Severe, who lives in Miramar, is a Haitian national who has permanent residency status in the U.S. Her attorney said she is seeking citizenship.

If a federal judge agrees to the plea deal, Severe will plead guilty to a misdemeanor state charge of illegal storage with a maximum penalty of one year in prison. If she had been arraigned on federal charges, she could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

After a hearing Friday, Severe said she wants to be left alone and get her privacy back. She has expressed anger about reporters trying to question her regarding the case. Severe's lawyer said if she is allowed to plead guilty to the state charge, she will stand a better chance of not being deported.

At a hearing on April 13, Severe will find out if a federal judge will approve the deal.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"I thought all women had skulls. Huh."

Well, this one does, but there ain't nothin' in it.

[Nathan Zachary]

"Severe, who has practiced Vodou since childhood, is a priestess in her native Haiti and in South Florida, her attorney Kenneth Hassett said."

She was on her way to Hillary's place to do a voodo ritual. It was a "freebee" since the last one didn't work so well for Bubba.

Thanks to the Clinton's that evil cult is cosidered a 'religion".

[David Isaac]

Your sarcasm is very timely, very funny, and sadly, very true.

[mtbopfuyn]

As a priestess, she should have claimed diplomatic immunity.

[joesnuffy]

intentionally smuggling a human head into the U.S. and not having the proper paperwork

when is the last time someone 'unintentionally' smuggled one in?

or got a ticket for it?

Now how did that get in MY golf bag?

[Hank Rearden]

But prosecutors agreed to change the charge to a seldom-used misdemeanor statute.

Don't you just love this?

"Wait a sec, yer honner. Gimme a minute to root around in my bag of tricks here - there's gotta be sumpin in dere I can use. Hang onna minnit."

[Kirkwood]

don't lose your head over this.

[Hadley V. Baxendale]

The deal puts Severe - who is a legal U.S. resident but a citizen of Haiti - in the best position possible in terms of avoiding deportation.

Can we at least deport the head?

[FerdieMurphy]

It's easy to understand the light sentence.

The judge didn't want this priestess to begin sticking pins in a rag doll replica.

[Nathan Zachary]

I guess she has learned a valuable lesson. In the future, the human ritual skulls have to be USA born and died corpses. She should ask the court to specify what the proper storage devise should be to avoid future misunderstandings.

[george wythe]

I love voodoo music. I bought a CD of voodoo music at a South Florida "botanica" religious store, and I love it.

Nevertheless, this lady needs to update her religious practices. A plastic skull is enough to guard off the evil spirits. . . or a plastic Jesus on a dashboard

[FerdieMurphy]

In the future, the human ritual skulls have to be USA born and died corpses.

Actually she can get all the corpses she needs in order to collect their skulls. She could just peruse the DemocRAT voting records. That party knows where all the bodies are buried because they're still voting.

Probably they're the zombies.

[dennisw]

.