Thursday, August 24, 2006
Life is a funny thing but I don't want to talk about that right now. Rather, Anna Bloviations would like to instead focus on her new-found role as Erin Brokovich. Well you see August is to put it mildly a slow month at the State House, so what better to do than take down the biggest S.O.B. real estate holder in Town X for his unscrupulous and intimidating tactics. We have discovered that the majority of Evil Landlord Greene's tenants tend to be single moms who can barely rub two nickels together let alone muster the energy to complain about an inch-and-a-half thick worth of building code violations. That is until Dineen came along. All of four foot eleven and with a three-year-old in tow, she isn't putting up with Landlord Greene's slum lord ways. But it ain't easy. She is juggling a job, day-care, and meager pay checks. Landlord Greene is confrontational and has a scum-bag lawyer to boot. So Anna Bloviations took the first step and went to testify on behalf of Dineen based on my extensive conversations with her when she contacted us.
Sitting in the courtroom for over an hour before the judge heard our case (there were three criminal proceedings prior to our civil hearing) I was struck by the fact that our entire judicial system is now premised on the notion of keeping whacko criminals drugged until they can get a court date to stand trial i.e. an actual conversation between the the judge, prosecutor and defense lawyer revolved around whether criminal X could be trusted to be in a low-security environment and have the discipline to take his 29 meds each day that would prevent him from perhaps reenacting his first crime of vehicular homicide (while intoxicated), taking a CHAIN SAW to his parents home and then stealing a big-rig truck, driving it up to New Hampshire to cause thousands' of dollars of damage crashing into cars, buildings, and lamp posts.
But I digress. We were talking about 4 foot 11 Dineen who bravely stood her ground against sleeze ball lawyer since we have not yet found her a pro bono lawyer to represent her (but we will....). She called me to the stand and I responded at my most professional and articulate best. By the fourth question sleeze ball mumbled he had no more questions. He then paused and said, "I'm sorry.... I didn't catch your name?"
No sooner did I get home when my constituent called to tell me that pyschopath Landlord Greene was flaunting his restraining order by sitting in her driveway staring up at her window. It should be noted that the kind of restraining order Dineen got is unfortunately toothless in that there is a clause that says that the landlord is allowed on the premises to conduct "landlord duties". Nonetheless Evil Landlord Greene is doomed on a number of fronts. Dineen keeps meticulous notes, saves all voice mails, takes pictures with her cell phone, and calls god and the world for help. For instance we are in custody of a letter that in paragraph three states that her "actions will have fatal consequences" (written by Greene). Not the brightest bulb on the street this landlord. There is the fact that Dineen was paying gas for the whole building. There are the rodents. Oh and did we mention the lead paint? The list goes on. Plus she has Anna Bloviations working the background. This guy is going down.....
Sitting in the courtroom for over an hour before the judge heard our case (there were three criminal proceedings prior to our civil hearing) I was struck by the fact that our entire judicial system is now premised on the notion of keeping whacko criminals drugged until they can get a court date to stand trial i.e. an actual conversation between the the judge, prosecutor and defense lawyer revolved around whether criminal X could be trusted to be in a low-security environment and have the discipline to take his 29 meds each day that would prevent him from perhaps reenacting his first crime of vehicular homicide (while intoxicated), taking a CHAIN SAW to his parents home and then stealing a big-rig truck, driving it up to New Hampshire to cause thousands' of dollars of damage crashing into cars, buildings, and lamp posts.
But I digress. We were talking about 4 foot 11 Dineen who bravely stood her ground against sleeze ball lawyer since we have not yet found her a pro bono lawyer to represent her (but we will....). She called me to the stand and I responded at my most professional and articulate best. By the fourth question sleeze ball mumbled he had no more questions. He then paused and said, "I'm sorry.... I didn't catch your name?"
No sooner did I get home when my constituent called to tell me that pyschopath Landlord Greene was flaunting his restraining order by sitting in her driveway staring up at her window. It should be noted that the kind of restraining order Dineen got is unfortunately toothless in that there is a clause that says that the landlord is allowed on the premises to conduct "landlord duties". Nonetheless Evil Landlord Greene is doomed on a number of fronts. Dineen keeps meticulous notes, saves all voice mails, takes pictures with her cell phone, and calls god and the world for help. For instance we are in custody of a letter that in paragraph three states that her "actions will have fatal consequences" (written by Greene). Not the brightest bulb on the street this landlord. There is the fact that Dineen was paying gas for the whole building. There are the rodents. Oh and did we mention the lead paint? The list goes on. Plus she has Anna Bloviations working the background. This guy is going down.....
