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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Superior Court Rejects Gregory Appeal

At this time two years ago, my blog was all but hijacked by the cRaZy antics of Jim Gregory and his psycho sidekick, Tricia Mezzacappa. They introduced a host of stange peripheral characters. These included a wife beater, a convicted pedophile and some kook who thought he was in the IRA. Everyone was screaming, "Molon Labe!" Gregory was eventually carted away to state prison, where he's expected to max out in February. Yesterday, the Superior Court rejected his appeal from his criminal convictions in a 17-page opinion written by Senior Judge James Fitzgerald. I thought it might be helpful to summarize exactly what happened, to those of you who weren't playing along back in those days.

Jim Gregory has been in and out of the local limelight since 1985, when he was terminated as a Lower Saucon cop for neglect of duty and excessive meal breaks. Over the years, he's been a state house candidate, Bethlehem City Council President, Bethlehem Mayoral candidate and union activist. After a particularly zany period in which he tried to run down a Governor Rendell bus and hopped a fence outside of City Hall, he found employment in Northampton County. Incredibly, it was as a mental health caseworker. After years of relative quiet, he started getting wacky again in 2013.

In May 2013, Geregory's then girlfriend was granted a temporary Protection From Abuse Act order (PFA) based on allegations that Gregory had "kicked, strangled, and choked her, bit her wrist, pushed 'really hard' on her eye sockets, and prevented her from leaving their residence." He had also sent her multiple threatening text messages.

Before there could ever be a final hearing, Gregory was cited for indirect criminal contempt. Following a hearing on July 3, 2013, Judge Leonard Zito entered a final PFA Order, found Gregory in contempt, and placed him on six months of supervised probation. Gregory was unable to stop himself from making contact and was cited for contempt again on July 13, 2013. This time he got a sentence of six months in jail, but Judge Zito relented and paroled Gregory on August 2, 2103, thanks to the outstanding advocacy of Gary Asteak.

Unfortunately, Gary's good counsel was for naught. Gregory continued to contact his ex-girlfriend in various strange ways, and eventually found himself facing five additional charges of indirect criminal contempt. A fed-up Judge Zito sent him away for 15 to 30 months. Here's what Gregory did:
  • On July 13, 2013, while in the courtroom, he handed a note to his ex through his lawyer. "I loved you at hello,” he gushed as they carted him away,
  • On July 22, 2013, Gregory sent his ex a love note through an inmate. "I loved you at hello,” he gushed again.
  • On August 2, 2013, Gregory sent yet another love note through another inmate. "I loved you at hello.” 
  • On the day after his release from jail, he called her more than 20 times.
  • Gregory also read a message to his ex from his radio show. "I gave you everything you wanted except my heart," he told her. "I didn’t do that, I apologize. You deserve that. If you come back, you’ll get it."
I was a witness against Gregory because I recorded and transcribed that part of the radio show. I made what I believe was a verbatim transcript, and the Court accepted it. Judge Fitzgerald concluded that my testimony was sufficient to authenticate the transcript.

Judge Fitzgerald also quoted, with approval, this portion of Judge Zito's opinion:
[Gregory] had used his considerable intelligence and charm in a manipulative and arrogant manner. The Court rejected his attempt to deflect the blame for his comments during the radio show onto his alter ego. The Court also took a dim view of . . . [Gregory’s] attempt to circumvent the PFA through his fellow inmates.

At his sentencing, . . . [Gregory] handed the letter to [his ex's attorney] in person. The volitional nature of this act is not subject to question. With respect to the phone calls, the Court was entitled to reject . . . [Gregory’s] dubious claim that he had mistakenly dialed [his ex’s] number.

In addition, [his ex] testified that she had received at least twenty calls from the unidentified number later determined to belong to . . . [Gregory]. This volume of calls cannot be attributed to mistaken dialing. With respect to wrongful intent, we observe that . . . [Gregory] has attempted to trivialize his contemptuous conduct. The Court views his repeated transgressions with significantly less levity.

The precipitating event for the PFA was . . . [Gregory’s] unprovoked assault on [his ex]. . . . Thereafter, he continued to violate the letter and the spirit of the PFA. He used his radio show to entreat her to return to him. He enlisted his fellow inmates to write love letters to her. He telephoned her repeatedly from an unidentified number. He even handed her . . . attorney a letter during his sentencing for a prior contempt.
I should point out that the District Attorney's office plays no role in the prosecution of PFA contempt charges, and so advised the Court. Nevertheless, Gregory has had Mezzacappa publish several epistles blaming him. I've been warned to pack my bags, although I refuse to be intimidated by a woman beater.

The one person he refuses to blame is himself.

When he gets out in February, the question is how long will he stay out.

Incidentally, yesterday was also the last day in which Tricia Mezzacappa could seek a review of my defamation judgment against her.  If she has failed to do so, she needs to do one of two things: pay the judgment with interest and costs or hand over the deed to the house she fraudulently transferred to her mother. Failure to do so is just going to make things more expensive for her mother, who has been sued in federal court.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

If he could do it all over again, he'd have another fool for a lawyer - Mezzawhackadoodledoo.

Mensa my ass.

Anonymous said...

Bernie you have nothing to fear from Jim Gregory. He has stated that he has given over his life to God. He will be happy to minster to you. he has forgiven you your role in his imprisonment and all others. He made some mistakes as others have. As humans we are not perfect. However, his life has been devoted to helping others.

Word is he wants to expand his ministry and be a powerful force for penal reform and human rights.

I think we all wish him well and hope God will bless his efforts.

Bernie O'Hare said...

i don't fear Gregory and never did. He is by no means reformed. His screeds on Mezzacappa's extinct blog are proof.

Anonymous said...

One thing you must admit, he is one handsome dude. You seem to think that picture make shim look strange, quite the contrary. That picture shows the dark Smokey heat he resonates. The human tripod has been pumping iron and doing thousands of pushups in prison. He was once the king of Gold's gym, can you imagine the musculature he will exhibit when he is released. His long flowing black hair and rippling physique.

The Mediterranean manslab will be back bigger, stronger and sexier than ever. So many have envied him for so long. It will something to see the new improved version of the golden man of Bethlehem.

Does anyone know what is plans are when he is release? Word is he could be out now if he admitted he was guilty but he stated he would not admit to something he feels he is innocent of doing. His principles are still intact.

Anonymous said...

Is Bernie a receipent of blessings from the Book of James? Are they scribbled in pencil, crayon, or feces?

Anonymous said...

BO once again displays his jealousy of 2 persons who are his betters

Anonymous said...

Gary W. Gorman writes @ 4:36am...

It's not his "principles" that are intact. It is his contempt and defiance of the law, his narcissism, and his on-going pattern of playing victim.

As some readers might remember, very early on in this "saga", I defended Gregory and Mezzacappa- not because I agreed with them, but having worked "in the system" for years, [thought I] understood their frustration, which seemed exacerbated by a ruthless blogger who seemed to [joyfully] exploit all of their [ridiculous] exploits. Honestly, the social worker in me felt badly for them. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Jim Gregory deserves to max out in prison and Tricia Mezzacappa should sign the deed to her house over to BOH.

Anonymous said...

7:34: By "2 persons who are his betters" I assume you mean Asteak and the lawyer for Gregory's ex girl friemd, right?

Anonymous said...

That "molon labe" crapola didn't work out so well for Jimbo or Whacko Woman. As Seinfeld would say, "that's a shame."

Bernie O'Hare said...

Gary Gorman, It's hard to explain, to be sure.

Celtic Warrior said...

When all is said and done Bill White and Bernard O'Hare will have to answer for their misdeeds regarding Jim Gregory's trial and conviction in the court of public opinion and Baked Ziti's pasta pot.

The notion that Jim was guilty of anything beyond having a broken heart is utter bollocks, righteous anger is written about extensively in the scriptures when it manifests itself via Jim's new ministry all who mocked him will be verbally castrated by his razor sharp tongue.

Anonymous said...

First Jim was going to get out of jail and become the right-hand old man of county council.

Now suddenly he's found religion. If only MezzaCwazy's bog was still moist and active we would have known this. Finding religion must have been somewhere between his 100th and 110th new partner. I'd find religion too.

But he will use religion to "castrate" people with his razor sharp tongue? Exactly what kind of religion is that? Sounds like a recipe for landing himself right back in prison. Just look how well MezzaNoBrains fared when she used her sharp tongue. She hot a hot poker state prison style.

Anonymous said...

Don't ever bury a Greggy story this far down on your blog roll.

Anonymous said...

Jim is a victim of love. It can happen to anyone. Look at Bernie. Once he and Mezacappa were an item now he is in court with her. Break-ups are tough. Jim's crime is too much passion. He is well known as a passionate man. That is what so many women have been attracted to.

Let us not judge Jim Gregory too harshly. He is a lover and he is in pain.

Anonymous said...

TM has shown herself to be a law breaker with no respect for the courts and law, the same as Gregory. Throw her in prison with him, and they can both minister to their fellow criminals as they eat slop out of the trough each night like barnyard animals.

@8:31PM Gregory has an illness that some women don't see - a fatal attraction. That isn't healthy, but you don't live a healthy life so you wouldn't recognize it. Pop some pills and wash them down with some yummy cocoa. Is this all you have to do with your life - come here and try to prop up the reputation of a woman beater? Get some sleep so you can work and pay off your bills.

Anonymous said...

@8:31PM You and Bernie were never an item. You've tried to use this lie over and over for a few years now, and nobody is believing it - the courts have ruled against you every time you packed a brief with a stack of lies.

Bernie is in court not with you, but BECAUSE you defamed him and refused to pay the judgment he won. You laughed at the judgment, you tried to appeal the judgment, and you've illegally concealed a car and fraudulently transferred your house out of your name. Nobody is listening to your incessant and repetitive lines of bull shit except you. Now you're getting your ass kicked, and those of us who support Bernie are laughing our heads off, you pathetic wretch.

Anonymous said...

I am an old union buddy of Gregory. Annon 10:13 and 10:19, you have an unhealthy obsession with this Mezzacappa woman, You accuse everyone of being her. You then drone on about wasting time on this blog, yet here you are allegedly shadowing her every step.

You need to get a life as badly as she does.

Anonymous said...

@12:12 AKA Jerry Green or Jimmy SChlener, when jimbo gets out willl you let him sleep on your couch/>>?

Bernie O'Hare said...

I honestly doubt Gregory has any allies left in the union community, I'm sure they care about him, and probably would let him crash on their couch, but won't participate in his nonsense.

Anonymous said...

He is a beautiful man with a beautiful soul.

I Moaner

Anonymous said...

Bernie,

I think YOU "loved Jim at hello"