The Anatomy of Public Corruption

The Dorothea Leslie Milne Trust

Bennett Losses

Good Will Hunting Estates

It took Pete Bennett several years to disseminate the source of severe economic losses. Like other financial fraud victims hailing from Contra Costa County

Probate Fraud

Pete Bennett was lilsted as 1/3 Benificiary to an trust estimated to be valued at over One Million. Bennett lost all his legal documents when relocating from Danville to Walnut Creek during December 2004. His Mormon home teacher fro Alamo 1st Ward scooped up his 4 x 8 trailer filled with 25 years of legal, personal and medical history.

At the time Bennett was duress unaware of police officers setting up divorcees or did he realize the depth of the murders near him or his defendants

The Felonious District Attorney

Deputy District Attorrney Mark Peterson and Pete Bennett connect through a series of muurder or cold cases. Bennett met with Peterson just a month before the November 2010 election hoping a direct meeting with bring some resolution to ongoing incidents such as fraud, arson and attempted murder. A few weeks later he was evicted from his offices on Oak Park Blvd. in Pleasant Hill where after getting a series of credible deaths threats he fled to San Francisco. He was forced to leave behind his equipment, servers and software development projects.

A Will to Collect

The investigation regarding the forgery connected to the Dorothea Leslie Milne Bennett Trust was a classic stonewalling an investigation. It is also Abuse of Authority under Color of Law and Official Right.

In August 1995 my mother passed leaving an estimated estate of One Million.  I waited to collect mine due a tax problem for liens to expire.
The core reason for the liens was being forced from Pittsburg CA when the FBI arrived in regards to events unfolding in Pittsburg which today is part of my current issues with the County and the Contra Costa Bar Association plus cities participating in the Municipal Pooling Authority (MPA) operating under the laws in regards to the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) 

A Will to Collect

In August 1995 my mother passed leaving an estimated estate of One Million.  I waited to collect mine due a tax problem for liens to expire. The core reason for the liens was being forced from Pittsburg CA when the FBI arrived in regards to events unfolding in Pittsburg which today is part of my current issues with the County and the Contra Costa Bar Association. A troubling connection is the cities participating in the Municipal Pooling Authority (MPA) operating under the laws in regards to the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) strongly correlate to the dead witnesses.

Dubious Document 

The trust document at issue is about it's validity, the authoring of the will, the original distribution intentions and legitimacy of release of funds.  I cannot challenge anything at this point as the person connected US Grand Jury Cases permeate endless roadblocks thrown up by Police Officers, The Courts themselves and the attacks on my counsel.  

The Strack/Bennett Connection

The trust document at issue is about it's validity, the authoring of the will, the original distribution intentions and legitimacy of release of funds.  I cannot challenge anything at this point as the person connected US Grand Jury Cases permeate endless roadblocks thrown up by Police Officers, The Courts themselves and the attacks on my counsel.  

Crush or Kill Litigants

The following is a sample of the medical journey connected to events such as poison, arson, bacteria and numerous severe beatings. Bennett considers his maladies nothing compared to loss of the lives of others.

Bennett in ER over and over

It is clear after two decades of setbacks Bennett had a target on his back. Eventually it became clear it was a protection opera

Pete Bennett was lilsted as 1/3 Benificiary to an trust estimated to be valued at over One Million. Bennett lost all his legal documents when relocating from Danville to Walnut Creek during December 2004. His Mormon home teacher fro Alamo 1st Ward scooped up his 4 x 8 trailer filled with 25 years of legal, personal and medical history.

At the time Bennett was duress unaware of police officers setting up divorcees or did he realize the depth of the murders near him or his defendants

Longs Senior Project Manager/Director

Former Longs Senior IT Director James Powell passed away at the end of 2019 His ex-wife escaped the deadly fire in Paradise CA

James Powell resided in Walnut Creek but grew up in Berkeley. He was with Longs Drugs formerly located on N. Civic Drive Walnut Creek. Jim was a senior IT project manager in charge of the Point of Sale Systems.

Sometime during 2007 while at work during lunch he collapsed in the Rest Room then left in an Ambulance but never returned. His life changing stroke eventually destroyed his family via finances as a side effect of strokes often are dramatic personality changes.

The Driscol Murders June 2005

Pete Bennett had a friend and her daughter that set a picnic date with but dissappeared during June 2005.

Pete Bennett was lilsted as 1/3 Benificiary to an trust estimated to be valued at over One Million. Bennett lost all his legal documents when relocating from Danville to Walnut Creek during December 2004. His Mormon home teacher fro Alamo 1st Ward scooped up his 4 x 8 trailer filled with 25 years of legal, personal and medical history.

At the time Bennett was duress unaware of police officers setting up divorcees or did he realize the depth of the murders near him or his defendants

<!-

Good Will Hunting Estates

It took Pete Bennett several years to disseminate the source of severe economic losses. Like other financial fraud victims hailing from Contra Costa County


Share:

Traffic Tickets to Undermine Litigants - Hail CalPERs and Municipal Pooling Authority

Heading

View details »

Heading

Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Donec sed odio dui.
View details »

Heading

View details »

Share:

Public, Elected and Appointed Officials with related incidents

Senator Don Perata

In May 2013 
View details »

Richard Rainey

Newphew Michael McNulty killed in solo Suicide in Humbolt County. 
View details »

Heading

View details »
sss
sss
aaaa

Share:

CNET Team Members - Collateral Losses

Heading

View details »

Officers Killed 

It can months or years for connections between CNET and other incidents to materialize.  In the Contra Costa Times article referencing Paul Starzyk was a little disturbing as in 2008 few knew about CNET.  But in 2010 the Matriarch of the Torres Family was killed in the San Bruno Explosion. It sure appears that someone is covering up CNET's long running activities. When this happened I'd met Officer Starzck a few times getting coffee - he seemed like just an all around guy. I sense he left CNET because of Wielsch.

Starzyk, a 12-year veteran of the force and a married father of three small children, began his law enforcement career as a Martinez cadet. Budget cuts forced him to join another department, but he returned to Martinez and became a member of the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team. Starzyk, 47, also supervised field training officers who work with new recruits.

View details »

Heading

View details »

Share:

CNET Officer Paul Starzyck - Went Work For Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET)


Details emerge in Martinez triple shooting


By Lisa P. White and Katherine Tam
Contra Costa Times


POSTED: 09/07/2008 08:22:52 PM PDT | UPDATED: 6 YEARS AGO



Catalina Torres survived domestic abuse and became a strong advocate for a nonprofit group that helps victims of domestic violence.

"She was a battered woman who became an advocate," said Maria Preciado, Torres' close friend. "She took negative experiences and turned them into positive things."

In a tragic turn of events, the 44-year-old STAND Against Domestic Violence volunteer lost her life Saturday, an innocent bystander in a deadly domestic Click photo to enlarge

At the scene where a domestic violence shooting began Saturday September 6, 2008, people leave... disturbance involving her cousin's estranged husband.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office identified Felix Sandoval Jr., 49, of Martinez, as the gunman who fatally shot Torres and Martinez police Sgt. Paul Starzyk in an apartment behind Elegant Hair Design salon, located at Pacheco Boulevard and Morello Avenue. Police shot and killed Sandoval in the same unit.

More details emerged Sunday in the triple shooting that stunned the county hub and its small police-force.

Officers were called to the salon about 11:35 a.m. Saturday on reports of a domestic disturbance. Sandoval broke the salon's front window with his hand and entered holding a gun, police said. According to witnesses, he was looking for his estranged wife, salon owner Margarita Sandoval.

Martinez police Chief Tom Simonetti said Felix Sandoval, who was waving the gun around, never fired a shot in the salon, but confronted his teenage daughter in the parking lot behind the salon and told her he was going to kill his wife and his other children. Sandoval ran to an upstairs apartment on the opposite side of the parking lot where Torres, an unidentified woman and three of Sandoval's children were, the chief said.

Moments later, Starzyk and a K-9 officer arrived at the scene. They heard gunshots and climbed the stairs to the apartment.

"If we know there's violence of this nature going on, in the old days it was lock it down and call for SWAT. But they made the correct decision that there were people's lives in danger and they needed to get in there," Simonetti said.

A gun battle erupted as the officers attempted to enter the apartment and Starzyk was shot twice, Simonetti said. When a third officer reached the apartment he saw Sandoval, who also had been shot, lying on the floor with the gun still in his hand. When Sandoval moved, the officer shot and killed him, the chief said.

Sandoval and Torres died at the scene. The children, who were hiding in a closet, and the second woman were uninjured, police said.

Felix Sandoval owns the apartment building, but it was unclear who lived in the apartment where the shootings happened, Simonetti said.

According to Contra Costa County Superior Court records, Margarita Sandoval requested a restraining order against Felix Sandoval in July 2007. She filed for divorce a month later and the order was extended until 2010. A settlement conference was scheduled for Oct. 27.



Margarita Sandoval could not be reached for comment.

Sheriff's office spokesman Jimmy Lee said autopsies will be performed today to determine the causes of death.

Elegant Hair Salon, which sits next to a tattoo parlor on a nondescript strip mall, has established a reputation in Martinez as the top hair styling spot, especially for proms and other social events, clients said.

On Sunday, the door was closed and wooden boards covered the broken window. Patrons and Torres' friends laid flowers at the entrance of the salon where Torres worked part time. One message read: "Our prayers are with all of you during this sad time. May God be with you all."


Torres, nicknamed "Cata" by family and friends, was divorced with children and had just become a grandmother, her friend Preciado said.


She fought through dyslexia and graduated from Diablo Valley College, then returned to campus to teach math, her friend said. She participated in Puente, a club encouraging minority students to continue their education by transferring to four-year colleges.


"From third grade and on, I could never get math, but she could teach you. The way she did it, she made it so easy," said Delin Finley, Torres' former student. "She knew what it was like to not be able to learn."


A mile away at the Martinez police station, well-wishers placed flowers and lit candles in memory of Starzyk near the entrance.


Starzyk, a 12-year veteran of the force and a married father of three small children, began his law enforcement career as a Martinez cadet. Budget cuts forced him to join another department, but he returned to Martinez and became a member of the Central Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Team. Starzyk, 47, also supervised field training officers who work with new recruits.


Starzyk is the second officer in Martinez police department history to be killed in the line of duty. The first fatality was in 1973.


Starzyk's death has hit the close-knit department hard and grief counselors are available, Simonetti said. Officers from Pleasant Hill, Concord and the California Highway Patrol will patrol Martinez streets for the next day or two.


Police are working closely with Starzyk's family to plan his funeral, which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday. They are also setting up a college fund for Starzyk's children, Simonetti said.


"The people of California are forever indebted to Paul's tireless service, and we will never forget his selfless dedication to public safety," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement Sunday. Flags flew at half-staff at the Capitol.


Reach Lisa P. White at 925-943-8011 or lwhite@bayareanewsgroup.com. Reach Katherine Tam at 510-262-2787 or ktam@bayareanewsgroup.com.




Share:

Prepared Homeless and Welfare Statement The Three Minute Brown Act

The Speech 

The speech I'm preparing is about fairness in the system, how my elected appointed and elected officials plus their respective agencies plus events connected to CNET have created Welfare Recipients with high probability that witnesses are being killed.  The connections are now empirical leading to deaths of several persons working within the system or Government Gulag.

View details »

Welfare Costs 

The hidden costs to the ongoing of Abuse of Authority Under Color Of Law has put an entire family on Welfare while local Authorities attempt to keep the lid on CNET my sons, ex and myself are welfare.  

View details »

The Brown Act

They never listen but they have to hear you.
View details »

Share:

Police Targeting - Abuse of Authority To Thwart Civil Rights Actions

Simplicity Of Process

View details »

Misuse Of Intelligence Apparatus  

The Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Taskforce (CNET) arrests were a culmination of decades of corruption spilling from under the pixie dust waterfall of the war on drugs. The war Contra Costa County sent thousands to prisons while Norm's friends likely got special treatment but proving it much harder as Police can use many tools at their disposal to conceal the truth.

Part One - Intelligence apparatus
Part Two - The Software Providers
Part Three - Technical Breach Risks
Part Four ~ Systemic Breach - Off Shoring AT&T databases 

Tactical Methods 

This is specific to Contra Costa and East Bay Counties but is derived from personal experience connected to arrests of more than 10 police officers that targeted me, my clients and nearly killed my sons.  The State workers e.g. CalPERS and CalSters members can work in unison across most departments due to the endless family connections which has been detailed by Contra Costa Times and other Bay Area Papers.

For several years I kept noticing persons attending a search warrant class at Walnut Creek City Hall I walked in the open door and listened for over two hours.  I was taken aback by the instructors near cavalier attitude in regards to Civil Rights Cases, the time it takes to wind through the system and how long the the litigant has to wait for justice.  Most cases are stalled in the Federal Court backlog but in my potential cases I've endured fines, tickets and arrests.

Please read my Prepared Homeless and Welfare Statement for the Three Minute Public Hearing.  My hope is to get off welfare, get my life back and get my sons off welfare


.
 

Agenda 

 

Share:

Victims Compensation Program - No Police Report - No Help

Heading

View details »

Heading

Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus. Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod. Donec sed odio dui.
View details »

Heading

View details »


Web Development Job Vacancy

Hi Team.
Here’s a new Web Development Job vacancy at the SCO.  Feel free to share with anyone who may be interested:
·       Staff Information Systems Analyst (Specialist) Limited Term – 12 months (POSITION MAY BE EXTENDED OR BECOME PERMANENT AT A LATER DATE)
·       Salary Range: $5166.00 – $6793.00


Share:

CA: Commission on Judicial Performance

Council on Judicial Performance

This state agency is responsible for setting issues with Judges procedural issues, performance and hearings plus personal issues with Judicial Members.  I happen to have met several of judges over the years and some have stellar records but in my particular incident - one member failed to take my complaints seriously e.g. arson and attempted murder.

We both know the same attorneys, police officers and  court staff.  In 2004 my F-250 burst into flames on 680 but there is no police report, no fire investigation and then more assaults.  Subsequently there were two Gas Line Explosions in 2004 and 2010 with billions in damages, billions in insurer losses and over 15 deaths connected to each explosion.

CJP Links

 Action the Commission Can Take

  • Close (Dismissal)
  • Advisory Letter
  • Private Admonishment
  • Public Admonishment
  • Public Censure
  • Removal from Office / Involuntary Retirement


CNET Dashboard »

CJP Complaint Process 

My complaints currently being formulated will likely have greater impact on cases, fines and other judicial proceedings than any other complaints filed undermining decades of convictions. In San Jose a Police Officer raped a homeless woman but when she brought forward her complaint for damages everyone with responsible authority deliberately omitted the victims constitutional rights - to redress the damages with remedy against the city.  The public officials have fallen into a unexpected trap of violations of due process and unexpected theoretical application of the Hobbs Act which ensnared Commander Norman Wielsch convicted in May 2013.  Did San Jose Officials violate the Hobbs Act which would supersede state law?  

My complaints and events precede several cases connected to the CNET Scandal and several devastating Gas Line Explosions.  In 2004 persons with links to CNET tried to kill me for my life insurance and I'm positive that Butler's reduced sentence was him giving up decades of insurance fraud that has found it's way through numerous courtrooms.

.

The Complaint Process »

 


Share:

List of Statues and Convictions related to CNET


Share:

Pete Bennett - The Homeless Constituent - Living in Every City, Town and County

Homeless Programmer 

In 2003 I had solid clients, projects and plenty of work but in 2010 right after the PG&E Gas Pipeline Explosion a PG&E Engineer and a San Francisco Police Officer (Ret) were in my offices.  within weeks I was running then driven from Walnut Creek ending homeless in San Francisco.
Three years later PG&E is being indicted and my laptop with filled with thousands of pages of PG&E Documents was breached but a PG&E Vendor hired me in Feb 2011 to work on the most sensitive litigation in the Country - the San Bruno Explosion that killed eight, destroyed a neighborhood and left a city screaming for help. Like me they've been screwed over.
The Police Win and You Lose 
  • Assets forged, taken or converted
  • False Arrests 
  • Fatal medical serious hospitalization  
  • Targeted by arsonist
  • Nearly burned alive  

NO POLICE REPORTS FOR MOST INCIDENTS
That judge slammed with now what is $15,00 in fines but more important there are murders near his attorney friends connected to the CNET Scandal.

Investor Fraud Summit 

In October 2012 in Rossmoor CA (Walnut Creek Jurisdiction), US Attorneys along the west coast, SEC Officials and several lessor known entities.  The US Attorney from the District gave a speech titled:

It Could Happen to You: Stories of Recent Federal Prosecutions in California
In my case my challenges led to Police Officers now in Federal Prison who've been given tremendous overwhelming assistance from Attorneys within the system comprised of City and County Counsel, access to Medical Care, protected by shield laws known as POBOR plus the Risk Managers within the Joint Powers Association, the Municipal Pooling Authority all in essence are co-conspirators who have failed to detect the fraud cases and should have acted long ago with even the remotest suspicion of fraud.

Under the MPA Coverage Area there are 
  • Witness Murders, 
  • Arson Fires
  • Oakland Fire
  • Caldecott Tunnel
  • Kinder Morgan Pipeline Explosion 
  • Benny Chetcuti Jr Enterprises 
  • Walter Ng. and Bar-K defrauded over 2000 investors at a high cost in the billions 
  • Union investigators in Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Danville and San Ramon
The reason is they're involved as CNET, Chetcuti, Ng and others are all interconnected.


Elected Officials 

In my calls to elected officials I've been endlessly rebuked, blown off and given the run around.  With each incident I fall deeper in debt, deeper into despair and deeper into the California Gulag.  
While my elected officials called the Police, fined me and beat me up someone in parallel has been killing witnesses, suspects, persons related to Attorneys, Public and Elected Officials and 

Meet with me

When State Senator Mark DeSaulnier called the State Police back in August 2011 little did I realize how deep his union connections were but more important how those same unions have permeated every part of my life where this constituents civil rights are continually exploited.
 
For those outside of Contra Costa County a local CNET Police corruption story has impacted the lives of thousands.  When the arrests occurred in March 2011 a familiar set of faces appeared in the news.
The unexpected arrests and subsequent litigation, trials and ongoing revelations revealed that my connections to these persons began in the early 1980's which formulated one core conclusion - the depth of their activities started long before November 2010 as per Contra Costa District Attorney Mark Peterson stated.  Mr. Peterson was fully informed of the attacks on me, my business and my family long before CNET was disbanded.

What's been learned since the arrest lead to common set of actors. Below are groups or incidents meeting the evidence test of the Hobbs Acts for which former Task Force Commander Wielsch was convicted of in 2012.  
  • Union members
  • CalPERS Members (Current and Retired)
  • Corrupt Police Officers 
  • Billions of Suspicious Losses
  • Overlapping Connections to Pipeline Explosions
  • Overlapping Connections to Fraud Cases - Billions

Share:

Verdicts and Settlements

Share:

Homeless Court - Targeted to Homelessness Forced To Welfare Dying Dead Broke

I'm Eligible 

Once they stop giving me tickets 
View details »

Heading

Find out if you are eligible

Do you have a history of homelessness or are at imminent risk of homelessness? If so, you may be eligible if you meet the following requirements:

At least 90 days of continuous satisfactory participation in a Homeless Court approved case management program.
  • No new tickets or any other criminal charges within the past 6 months, and no outstanding misdemeanor warrants for non-Homeless Court eligible offenses.
  • No outstanding felony warrants and not in violation of parole or probation.
  • No offenses involving a victim, a weapon, or drug possession or sales (possession of drug paraphernalia or less than an ounce of marijuana may qualify).
  • Tickets were received within Los Angeles County.
  • Parking tickets, DUI, or tickets received as a juvenile are not eligible.


Heading


Share:

Bennett v. Town of Danville and Gary Vinson Collins

I CALLED ALLIANT RISK SERVICES 
for Litigant Risk Insurance 


Dead Employee

Workplace Retaliation 

Friends with Public Servant


My employees have murdered 

Share:

Kaiser Care Over CCRMC - The poison case they should have investigated

Victim List 
Alicia Driscoll, daughter Jineva,
Ashley Turton 
~ (DC, Husband worked for Obama)

Ernie Scherer Jr. and Wife (Mormons Danville, many cross contact)
Catherine Perata 
~  Daughter-in-law of State Pro Tem Sen. Don Perata 

Roma Bahita ~ Customer (one of six deceased realtors, contacts)
Peter Branagh and Mona Branagh, Builder and Banker (Business Contact)
Kellie Reed - Bartender
Eiko Sugihara - tragic death outside residence and murder scene of Pamela Vitalie 

Dino Ghilotti, son Dick Ghilotti Brothers 
Anthony Banta Jr. Starbucks Barista Walnut Creek - the nicest person ever, would come out and busk with me.  

Michael McNulty - Patron of Tiki Toms, nephew of Sheriff Rainey 

Chuck Silverman ~ Havana Bartender 

Card image cap
The Victim Collage - Alicia Driscoll, daugher, Ashley Turton, Ernie Scherer Jr. and Wife, Catherine Perata, Roma Bahita, Peter Branagh and Mona Branagh, Kellie Reed, Eiko Sugihara, Dino Ghilotti, Anthony Banta Jr. , Michael McNulty, Chuck Silverman (hidden)

Contra Costa County 

In November 2005 I was lying on a gurney at Merrithew Memorial Hospital dying from either bacteria or poison. It was a brutal 20 hours on top of the 20 plus hours from onset of symptoms.  This started within a few hours of dinner with my wife and sons that was estranged from for over a year. I went home to Richmond CA in a near continuous vomiting episode then returned to the ER and nearly died during the night.

 

Ten years later there were multiple US Grand Jury cases connected to the same agency.

Over the summer of 2005 my counsel was mugged in Walnut Creek CA which derailed Bennett v. Contra Costa County, in 2014 my roommate David Bremer died in custody after being picked up in Walnut Creek CA and his father has retained the same firm that just won 13.5 million.

 

I've been saying for several years they are killing witnesses and taking down collateral targets.

Bennett / Supervisor Glover Meeting - April 2009 

When Danville PD concealed the 2004 Danville assault, I started calling the FBI as by December of 2004, I was getting tickets, been set on fire, pulled over, accused of dealing drugs, thefts and DUI.

After the Eric Nunn fatal crash my opinion, which includes members of his family, was this was a murder not an accident.   Then in April 2009 a purely coincidental meeting was me taking a restaurant seat with Supervisor Glover where that evening, we learned we shared near identical and near fatal bacterial events.

 

For years I went to the ER with maladies of intestinal, bacterial and heart attack symptoms but often call the nurse advice line. After several years of calls one day the nurse said - have you considered that you were being poisoned which after the Nunn crash I knew something was going on.

The County ER staff is controlled by the county, they are like so many others incidents connect to the same risk management entities using he along most other Contra Costa Cities utilize MPA.

After filing claims with the City of Walnut Creek, they gave me the phone number for the Municipal Pooling Authority located on San Miguel Drive where across the street my friend who worked at McNamara Law but few know this is another local attorney like my attorney offices were burned down in 2012.

The coincidences fall in line with other allegations with State Senator Mark DeSaulnier whose been fully informed of events which precede the PG&E Gas Explosion which precedes the CNET Arrests in March 2011. Mark's answer to my car accident and incidents was to call the Legislative Threat Assessment Unit who like everyone have been fully informed.

All of this precedes the deaths of relatives of State Senator Richard Rainey (ret) and Don Perata (Ret) but there plenty of other deaths.

The FBI Call

After the Glover meeting and extensive my theory that Elected and Public Officials were being targeted and killed. That call preceded Councilman Shimansky's death by weeks who would know Danville Officer Stephen Tanabe, resident Loretta Hale, and Attorney James Greenan whose son Nate was murdered on WB-24. My FBI call was persons near CNET were dying. Glover and Bennett were poisoned by bacteria or expert poisoning. The County Hospital fought me over the allegations where my many attempts to reach the leadership fell on death ears.


Obama Care Medi-cal Care 

The recent malpractice loss within regards to the 1 in 30,000 pregnancy supports my allegations.  One part of this case leads my near 24 hour ER event and my poisoning allegations. I kept returning to the ER of pattern of maladies consistent with ingested a foreign substance.  In 2004 I was sick, inhalers, asthma, vomiting, diarrhea and parasites plus heart attack symptoms.

Today without medication or any significant medical care have shed my inhaler and no longer have intestinal problems.

Ten years later they're arresting police officers connected to assault   suspected connected to my 2004 Arson Fire,

 pcb_todo
Share:

Woman who says she was raped by San Jose cop seeks to file late claim against city

Woman who says she was raped by San Jose cop seeks to file late claim against city

By Tracey Kaplan tkaplan@mercurynews.com

POSTED:   09/18/2014 08:43:09 AM PDT1 COMMENT| UPDATED:   2 DAYS AGO

SAN JOSE -- The woman who prosecutors contend was raped last year by an on-duty San Jose police officer is asking the courts to waive the six-month deadline for filing a financial claim against the city and the cop, arguing that she was too traumatized after being sexually assaulted to file on time and was misled by government officials about her legal rights.

Without a timely financial claim, the woman, who is undocumented and speaks limited English, cannot file a lawsuit against the city and Officer Geoffrey Graves for physical and emotional injury, mental distress, medical and counseling costs and loss of earnings.

Late last week, the woman petitioned the courts to force the city to consider her claim, which she filed last month -- more than three months late. The city immediately denied the claim and now plans to oppose her petition for reconsideration.

"A deadline is a deadline," City Attorney Rick Doyle said Wednesday. "We've got to protect the city's interests ... and look out for the taxpayers' interests."

The woman could not be reached Wednesday, and her lawyer, Roger Hecht, declined to comment. But in the court petition Hecht filed last week, he essentially describes the woman as being caught in an almost Kafka-esque, bureaucratic double bind -- at the same time as she is suffering from a diagnosed case of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.

Advertisement

Her predicament is that the law requires her to file a claim within six months of the incident -- and a lawsuit about six months later, if the claim is rejected -- or forfeit her chances of being compensated via state court for even the medical costs or loss of earnings associated with the alleged rape. She could file a lawsuit in federal court, but it might be tougher to prevail.

But suing the city and the officer might well jeopardize the prosecution's chances of convicting Graves, whose lawyers could argue to jurors that she's just after the city's money. Graves, who has pleaded not guilty, is free on $100,000 bail and on paid administrative leave.

In the petition, Hecht suggests that police, who interviewed her three times, and representatives of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office purposely misled her.

"In the course of SJPD's interrogation of her, as well as in her interactions with DA's Office, she asked whether she needed to do anything more to protect her interests. ... She was never told she needed to submit a formal claim within six months. To the contrary, she was told to do nothing until the criminal case was concluded ... and then was to 'go through' them."

The petition states that she and representatives of the District Attorney's Office specifically discussed her interest in obtaining a visa, which can be pursued after the case resolves. In a declaration attached to the petition, the woman also says she was told she would have to wait until the case was over before she could proceed with "any filing," not just the visa.

Carlos Vega, the prosecutor handling the case against Graves, said Wednesday that the obligation of the District Attorney's Office is to obtain justice for the victim and the community, not to make sure victims are financially compensated for their trauma.

"We ethically prosecute those who violate the law," said Vega, noting that the woman met only with a victim advocate and paralegal from the office, not him. "It's what society asks of us. We don't advocate for civil or monetary gain." Vega added that the office filed the rape charges only three weeks before the woman's six-month deadline.

The woman was raped the day before her 34th birthday, according to the petition. The assault sent her into a tailspin, in which she "spiraled in depression and fear, losing her ability to think clearly and act appropriately." She blamed the stress for her Oct. 13 arrest for drunken driving, saying she had "never done such a thing before, let alone be arrested for anything at any time." She pleaded no contest to the DUI charge and was sentenced to three years' probation, nine days in county jail if she violates probation and eight days on the weekend work program, most likely cleaning up freeways. She also was ordered to pay fines and fees of about $1,900.

She didn't consult an attorney until Aug. 1, more than 10 months after the Sept. 22 rape. Four days later, Hecht filed an "application to present a late claim," which the City Attorney's Office returned as untimely on Aug. 8.

"It feels like the system is set up in conflict with the survivor's best interests," said Sue Barnes, director of the Rape Crisis Department of the YWCA of Silicon Valley. "We're very, very hopeful the judge will make a decision in her favor, given the extraordinary circumstances. She shouldn't have to suffer more."

Contact Tracey Kaplan at 408-278-3482. Follow her at Twitter.com/tkaplanreport.

Share:

Jury awards family of brain-damaged Contra Costa boy $12.1 million

Jury awards family of brain-damaged Contra Costa boy $12.1 million

By Gary Peterson
Contra Costa Times

POSTED:   09/19/2014 05:58:58 PM PDT0 COMMENTS| UPDATED:   ABOUT 3 HOURS AGO

MARTINEZ -- A Contra Costa jury on Thursday awarded $12.1 million to an East County family who alleged in a lawsuit against Contra Costa County Health Services that their son was born with brain damage as a result of medical malpractice.

After a two-month trial, the family of Brian Cuevas was awarded more than $55,000 in past medical care, $9.577 million for future medical care, $2 million for loss of future earnings and $500,000 for past pain and suffering resulting from negligence by the county in caring for the boy's mother during her high-risk pregnancy in 2008.

"It's a very large number," said Michael Gatto, attorney for the plaintiffs. "Awards are always a function of two things: What does a person need, and what is his life expectancy."

Gatto said the boy, now 6, was born with brain damage that adversely affects his speech and also with diminished motor skills. The jury estimated the boy has a life expectancy of 74 years.

"The defense admitted at trial that he would never be able to live independently and never would be employed," Gatto said.

"We are always saddened by unfortunate medical outcomes, but privacy concerns prevent the Health Services Department from discussing the specific details of this case," said Anna Roth, CEO of Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and Health Centers, in a statement. "We can say that since that time we have made, and continue to make, significant advances in the care we provide to pregnant women."

Advertisement

Coming Soon Related Stories

According to Gatto, Brian Cuevas' mother was assigned a family practitioner unqualified to treat her "1-in-30,000" pregnancy. The mother, the attorney said, was carrying twins in one placenta.

The family practitioner, Gatto said, allowed the pregnancy to continue too long and failed to respond appropriately when an emergency occurred during what was supposed to be a routine prenatal exam at the Pittsburg Health Center on June 27, 2008. Delays in getting the woman to the hospital for an emergency C-section exacerbated the situation, Gatto said, depriving the fetuses of blood and oxygen.

One of the twins died. Later, the attorney said, it was discovered that the family practitioner had altered medical records after the fact and provided false testimony.

The money will be placed in a special trust for the boy, his guardian, Liza Servin, said.

"He may never be normal," Servin said, "but I do believe he will have a much better quality of life with the resources the jury has provided."

Gatto said the pain and suffering award will likely be reduced to $250,000 to conform to California's cap on general damages.

Contact Gary Peterson at 925-952-5053. Follow him at Twitter.com/garyscribe.

Share:

Anchor links for post titles

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Labels

Recent Posts

Popular Posts

Labels

Recent Posts

Pages

Labels

Blog Archive

Recent Posts