Bush Issues First Pardons - 7 granted - Bush uses excellent judgment

FOX News Channel ^ | December 24, 2002 | FOX News Channel Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

WASHINGTON

[MeekOneGOP]

Here is the Dallas Morning News version, just fyi.....

Bush issues pardons for 7

In holiday tradition, convicts absolved for minor offenses

12/24/2002

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Bush pardoned seven people Monday for an array of minor offenses, from a Mississippi man who tampered with a car odometer to a postal employee who stole $10.90.

They were the first pardons of Mr. Bush's administration.

The president maintained a long-standing tradition by issuing the pardons near the holidays.

"What all these cases have in common is that each pardon recipient committed a relatively minor offense many years ago, completed his prison sentence or probation and paid any fine, and has gone on to live an exemplary life and to be a positive force in his community," said Ashley Snee, a White House spokeswoman.

Those pardoned are:

- Kenneth Franklin Copley of Lyles, Tenn. Sentenced in 1962 to two years of probation for manufacturing untaxed whiskey.

- Harlan Paul Dobas of Portland, Ore. Sentenced in 1966 to three months in jail for conspiracy involving the sale of stolen grain.

- Stephen James Jackson of Picayune, Miss. Sentenced in 1993 to three years' probation and fined for odometer alteration.

- Douglas Harley Rogers of Brookfield, Wis. A Jehovah's Witnesses minister sentenced in 1957 to two years in jail for not reporting for military induction.

- Walter F. Schuerer of Amana, Iowa. Fined $15,000 in 1989 for making a false statement to the Social Security Administration.

- Paul Herman Wieser of Tacoma, Wash. Sentenced in 1972 to 18 months' probation for stealing copper wire valued at $38,000.

- Olgen Williams of Indianapolis. Mr. Williams, a postal worker, was sentenced in 1971 to one year in jail for stealing $10.90 from the mail.

---

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/nation/stories/122402dnnatbush.c2c7.html

[JennysCool]

Gee, Meek, this can't be right -- no financiers? No terrorists? No radical activists? What's the world coming to?

[RabidBartender]

These are obviously close relatives of big oil companies. But Fox News, in it's usual biased fashion, failed to dig that up. (-sarcasm)

I think the point needs to be brought up why x42 didn't pardon those first two, if they applied during his tenure. "I'm sorry and I feel yer pain. But you weren't a big campaign donor and your wife doesn't have big gazangas. Maybe if you fled the country or something."

[e_engineer]

It is good to see Bush using the presidential pardon in a responsible manner, as a contrast to Clinton's criminal misuse.

It would be even better if Bush would use this power to undo some of the damage that has been done by corrupt liberal judges and prosecutors. Here in Maryland there are several people in prison because they defended themselves (using firearms) against criminals in their own homes or businesses. These people are NOT criminals, they are political prisoners.

Obviously, the presidential pardon is not the vehicle that should be used to prevent this in the future, but it could certainly be used to undo some of the damage that has already been done.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Gee, Meek, this can't be right -- no financiers? No terrorists? No radical activists?

A quick Google search shows all these people are members of the Trilateral Comission, The Bildebergers, The Council on Foreign Relations, and local block wardens for the NWO. :)

[A. Pole]

Gee, Meek, this can't be right -- no financiers? No terrorists? No radical activists? What's the world coming to?

Could Rafal Pietrzak be added to this list - the man who was unjustly sentenced to the long prison term in Texas in 1998? Read the letter in his defence(found on soc.culture.polish):

Newsgroups: soc.culture.polish
Date: 2001-06-21 16:05:56 PST


June 19, 2001

Rick Perry,
Governor of the State of Texas,
P. O. Box 12428
Austin, TX 78711-2428

tel: 512-463-2000
fax: 512-463-1849
http://www.governor.state.tx.us


Dear Governor Perry, -- PETITION FOR INTERVENTION

For four years now, a young man is incarcerated in a State Prison in Texas for crimes he did not commit. This situation demands your immediate attention.

The instant Petition is submitted to you on behalf of Rafal Pietrzak #826611, unjustly deprived of his freedom for the next 26 years at Allred Unit, 2101 FM, 369 North, Iowa Park, TX 76367-6568. We also request the immediate transfer of Rafal Pietrzak from the present life-threatening conditions to a safe facility while you examine the entire court proceeding which led to his imprisonment.

Here is a summary of events. In December 1998, the court of the Judicial District of Collin County sentenced the 30 year old Rafal Pietrzak, a Polish immigrant, to 30 years in State Prison. The charge was sexual molestation of a 5 year old Doris, the daughter of his common-law wife, Bertha Alvarenga a citizen of El Salvador. The charges were raised in Plano by the Child Protective Services (CPS). The little girl's mother and the girl herself denied the charges. The laboratory results of Rape Kit examination proved negative for rape. The opinion of the court psychologist, Dr. William Hester, categorically rejected any accusation of rape. Although during the court proceedings no wrong-doing by this man was equitably determined, the State of Texas: a) deprived him of his freedom; b) deprived him of enjoyment of life; c) deprived him of the enjoyment of his family, as Bertha Alvarenga and her two daughters have become to him; d) deprived him of a marriage that he and Bertha were planning; e) deprived him of life's time to secure a future for his family and himself; f) deprived his children of a father, g) deprived him of his own father who died of a heart attack immediately upon hearing of his son's conviction and sentencing. All the mentioned and not mentioned unjust depravations by the State of Texas are not returnable and irreparable. They also have a profound negative impact on his common-law wife and daughters. It is the opinion of all who observed the proceedings that the court, the prosecutor and CPS, - collectively the State of Texas, engaged in prejudicial conduct against this Polish immigrant. During the proceedings, the prosecutor used ethnic slurs to which she later admitted and privately, but not yet publicly, apologized.

Rafal Pietrzak arrived in the USA in February 1990. He felt lonely in a strange country, longed for a family and companionship. Several years later, while employed in Plano, he met Berthy Alvarega, who also worked in Plano. They fell in love. In October 1995, they became engaged, later they established a home with plans to marry shortly. A familial love developed between Rafal and Berthy's two daughters by a previous marriage, 7-year old Saire and 4-year old Doris. Both girls called Rafal "daddy" and loved him for being a father to them which they did not have before. They established contact with Rafal's parents in Poland.

While Berthy was pregnant with Rafal's child, Doris became ill, bleeding from her genitals. Both parents took the child to a pediatrician, Dr. Nena Piga, who prescribed medication for bladder and intestinal infection. (Dr. Piga, although called as a witness in court, did not show up) Later, already during the court process, another doctor, Dr. Miller, testified that in her records, Dr. Piga noted that Doris had a malformation (fistula) which, unless surgically repaired, could cause bleeding. Several days later, while under the care of a nanny, Doris fell from her bicycle. The heavy fall, damaged her already sensitive area and she again started bleeding. Rafal, (who completed two years of medical school), decided to clean the child (since she also experienced diarrhea), before he and Berthy rushed her to the Children's Medical Center in Dallas. The doctors found that Doris' injury was due to the fall and that surgery was necessary. After Rafal and Berthy signed the necessary release forms, a doctor, - Dr. Megison, questioned the differences in their respective surnames. A highly prejudicial action by the doctor. Most savvy individuals would have brought the doctor up on charges at that point. When Rafal explained that he is the step-father, for unexplained reasons Doris' injury was recorded as "sexual molestation". The distraught parents made all attempts to object to the error but to no avail. Dr. Megison notified the Child Protective Services. CPS immediately filed against Rafal who was ordered to move out of his home during the investigation.

On Nov.19, 1996, Doris underwent surgery. Dr. Miller, who assisted in the surgery, testified in court that the surgeons feared cancer but tests proved negative. Apparently, none of the surgeons recorded any suspicion of molestation.

On December 3, 1996, Plano Police Detective Holway, called Rafal for an interrogation which lasted for over three hours. The interrogation was videotaped without Rafal's knowledge, and without an attorney present. This unlawful videotape, obtained under stress and duress, was accepted by the court and allowed to be used in the court proceeding against Rafal by Laurie Blake, the assistant to the prosecutor Sharon Curtis. The jury saw and heard this unlawful tape and unlawfully considered it in their verdict against Rafal. Court psychologist, Dr. W. Hester, testified that during the interrogation as registered on the video, "the accused was under great stress and responded under pressure by three interrogating officers".

Inexperienced in court processes and short of funds, Berthy agreed to a state defender, Ron Danforth. Mr. Danford never previously defended such serious criminal matters, only traffic violations. During proceedings, he was illequipped to present a proper defense, did not call Rafal to the stand and did not call previously sworn witnesses on Rafal's behalf, claiming lack of time, the desire of all present to go home, etc. In effect, Ron Danford gave away the case to the prosecutor. Additionally, according to sworn witnesses, prosecutor Sharon Curtis, from a distance of several centemeters from Rafal's face, while waving her hands and spraying his face with her saliva yelled at him that 'Poles are filthy, primitive and rapists from a communist country'. This behavior was approved by Ron Danforth and by the presiding judge. It became evident later, that the Rafal Pietrzak case was the hundredth for Ms. Curtis, a jubilee case, imperative to win.

The case finished on a Friday, the verdict was to be issued the following Monday. Prosecutor Sharon Curtis notified the editors of The Dallas Morning News to publish her "jubilee" work. That weekend this Dallas paper carried a long article of the Rafal Pietrzak case undoubtedly influencing the decision of the jurors two days later. Neither the defender Ron Danforth nor the presiding judge, Mark Tolle, objected to this unlawful, abominable tactic.

During the court process, judge Mark Tolle, allowed himself the unjudicial liberty of issuing comments on the merits of presented documents thus, undoubtedly, influencing the jury.

An appeal of the verdict was filed one day too late, and on such ground rejected by the Court of Appeals. It is shocking that the Court of Appeals in the State of Texas cares more about a hardly significant noncompliance with a court rule than about a man's life.

Governor Perry, - all Rafal Pietrzak wants out of life, is a natural pursuit of happiness, a family, a home and a job. Through the most contemptable arrogance, abuse of power, political ambition, prejudice and inhumanity, he has been deprived of all. Having done no wrong, he has been placed among hard-core criminals where everyday poses a threat to his life. It has been four years since his incarceration. Within that time, no one in the State of Texas has taken interest in his fate. We are requesting your immediate intervention toward his release and an immediate transfer to safety.

Today, we are distributing this Petition to the general public. We are relying on you and the State of Texas to protect Rafal Pietrzak from any harm to him by the prisons' inmates and/or staff as a result of this Petition.

In closing, please be informed that the Child Protective Services nationwide, have an atrocious record of destroying families instead of helping them. There are thousands of parents in this country falsely accused of molestation, neglect or the like.

Sincerely submitted, Dana I. Alvi

c: Attorney General of Texas John Cornyn, P. O. Box 12548, Austin, TX 78711-2548, tel: 512-463-2100, fax: 512-463-2063, e-mail: cac@oag.state.tx.us, United States Senate, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Embassy of El Salvador, Pol-Am Organizations in the State of Texas, United Nations Human Rights Commission, Court TV, other interested parties.
(See the soc.culture,polish link)

[A. Pole]

Rafal Pietrzak bump

[TLBSHOW]

already posted!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/811405/posts?page=14#14

[Cicero]

The current president's father left office under a similar cloud after pardoning former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five other Iran-Contra figures.

This pretence of parity between clinton pardoning rich criminals for campaign donations and Bush Sr. pardoning senior statesmen being persecuted in an endless political vendetta is typical liberal mouthwash.

[aruanan]

The current president's father left office under a similar cloud after pardoning former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five other Iran-Contra figures

No way in hell did GHWB leave under a cloud similar to that of Clinton. Clinton's pardons were done out of self-interest. GHWB's pardons were done in an attempt to right some of the wrong done by Democrats in Congress in their partisan witch hunt in Iran/Contra.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Wow. Not a millionaire among them. Not a Republican party donor there. Amazing.

[MeekOneGOP]

[dighton]

The pardons, the first by Bush, were all granted to people convicted of relatively minor crimes. None were major political donors.

Highlighted just for you, Slick Willie, in case you lurk here.

[MeekOneGOP]

Wow. Not a millionaire among them. Not a Republican party donor there. Amazing.

Yep. I thought this was interesting.....

Bush is just the second president since the end of World War II to wait until near the end of his second year in office to issue any pardons; Clinton was the first. Since becoming president, Bush has rejected 2,673 requests for pardons or commutations.

The first President Bush issued nine pardons during his first 20 months in the White House, compared with 85 for Ronald Reagan, 162 for Jimmy Carter and 253 for Gerald Ford.

Man. Old Carter and Ford were busy boys. Bush has been busy too - busy turning them down! Brings a new twist to the expression "a thousand pardons"....

Looks like Bush is sticking to the Texas motto If you do the crime, you do the time !

[MeekOneGOP]

Man. You posted a nice thread, no comment about Lott, and get accused of it. Life in the fast lane, huh?.....

Merry Christmas from
Ming n Meek !