Clinton Oxford looks like a very scary guy in The Express Times picture accompanying his stalking trial story this week. In reality, rather than looking like a monster, he looks like an idiot, especially with his Jim Carey Dumb and Dumber haircut. I watched bits and pieces of the trial. I figured it was the least I could do because, at one time, he was a regular on this blog.
Of all the people in the world, he decided to stalk his probation officer. A Jim Carey move, to be sure.
When he started commenting here, I knew Clinton was a former inmate. But he was clean and sober, so I actually encouraged him. I even suggested he should return to school.
His comments really offended Tricia Mezzacappa, Jim Gregory and the Blog Mentor. That made me like him more. They regularly accused me of using "Clinton Oxford" as a pseudonym. Jim Gregory and Mezzacappa even made that claim on their short-lived radio show.
I guess they know now they got that wrong.*
A few months before his troubles, Clinton stopped commenting here. I later learned from one of the jail volunteers that he had fallen off the wagon. The demons had returned.
I also know his probation officer, whose name has already been mentioned enough. She is highly intelligent and very capable. More than that, she is a genuinely nice person who tries to help her clients. When I heard the kinds of emails that Clinton was sending to her, I was disgusted. When I heard that he was even walking by her former home, I was appalled.
She did nothing to deserve this kind of mistreatment.
Clinton had also started lying. He had falsely accused someone (a male and a recovering alcoholic) of sexually assaulting him. In reality, this guy refused to allow Clinton to use drugs in his home. Police determined that Clinton was a liar and were considering charges. It's around that time that he went off the deep end with his probation officer.
District Attorney John Morganelli took this case very seriously, as he should. He assigned one of his best prosecutors, Rich Pepper, to try the case. And try it he did. I torment Pepper because he's a shitty sailor, but he is a classic barrister. All he needs is a frickin' powdered wig. He knew when to raise his voice for dramatic effect. At one point, he himself peppered the victim with questions in rapid succession, using all the foul language contained in those emails, knowing that the victim would start crying and be even more appealing to the jury.
He played his role well.
In his closing, he gave the old tried and true prosecutor argument that "If you think it's perfectly OK for someone to send emails that talk about killing someone, set him free."
Defense attorney Tony Rybak is looking like an idiot right now, especially after being chewed out in front of the jury by the judge. But in fairness, he got this case at the last minute.
Judge Jennifer Sletvold slammed him for suggesting that the victim, by the very nature of her profession, was being protected.
Of course she was!
District Attorney Morganelli explained this himself. "Our probation officers are not going to be harassed and intimidated on the job."
It's his job to protect her.
But I don't understand why Judge Sletvold freaked out when Rybak stated the obvious. The facts were against him,The law was against him. The only thing he had left was abusing his opponent.
That's probably the only issue he has on appeal, and it's unlikely that will get him very far. Even if Judge Sletvold was wrong to admonish him in front of the jury and basically accuse him of willful misconduct, there's simply too much evidence of guilt. Besides, she may have had other reasons for wanting that door unopened.
Morganelli feels he'd win any appeal raising that issue. "If not, we'll try him again and we'll win it again."
And he will.
The moral to this story is that you should not ask for a jury trial after you've pleaded guilty and are waiting to be sentenced. Especially when the evidence of guilt is overwhelming.
______________________________
1) Mezzacappa, the Blog Mentor and Gregory sometimes accused me of using Clinton Oxford as a pseudonym. (" "Clinton Oxford" is a fake name. ... i sign mickey mouse under my name....get it? I proved you're a liar and have proof. ... Clinton Oxford is a made up name. Period. No story.") During his short-lived radio show, Gregory falsely accused me of creating all the characters on my blog, "He uses fake names, Clinton Oxford and the rest." Mezzacappa, on her blog, began using "Clintop Poxward" to counter what they accused me of doing. All this time, Clinton Oxford was a real person who was posting under his own name. I don't post anonymously or under any name but my own.
Instead of just admitting that she was wrong and moving on, Mezzacappa doubles down with yet another lie. According to her, "Clinton Oxford was charged with Stalking and Harassment on 3/31/14 with a bail amount set at $15,000. Docket sheet shows that no bail was posted. Most of his vile comments directed at yours truly and Jim were posted after 3/31/14. Its not looking good for O'hare."
This is simply untrue. I blogged about Clinton's arrest on 4/1/14. There were no comments from him posted on this blog after that happened, nor could there be, because he's been in jail. Interestingly, Mezzacappa fails to provide a link to a single comment from Clinton Oxford posted after 3/31/14, because she knows she's lying. Publishing lies that you know are lies is what the courts call "actual malice."
46 comments:
Hey O'Hairy! We knew you weren't Clinton. Yeah right. You milked the use of his name knowing he couldn't have the ability to post. You do this all the time with the Banker, the priest, the school teacher, the lawyer, and now the prison inmate. Be careful or you are going to end there very soon. You should have been there a long time ago. Stay Sharpe!
a shame. he was a pretty intelligent commenter.
The blog mentor lost everything and has only Bernie's blog to get him up in the morning. Sad, really.
A CEC success story, well at least he is to them, he didn't reoffend within a year of his graduation. So it doesn't count againgst the percentages.
Excellent article Bernie. This case shows how poorly equipped we are to handle mental health issues in this country. Look at Mezzacappa - she could have been sent to a mental institution by her parents years ago, and it would have benefited society. I see nothing in what we are going to get out of this man spending 10 years in prison.
I know a woman whose son is great on medication, but if he drinks alcohol, he becomes violent towards her. He did this a few years ago, and she hit her emergency panic button. They got there just as he was holding a knife to her throat. She wasn't happy that they sent him to prison, because she knew that would do nothing for him. He got 1-1/2 years for that. This guy gets 9-1/2. Neither sentence helps solve the problem.
His drinking seems to be a typical, albeit poor, coping mechanism for his mental illness. Sentencing the mentally ill to state prison is misguided and mean.
4:26, the Blog Mentor accused me of being Retired ASD teacher, the Banker, Clinton Oxford and numerous others. Mezzacappa and Gregory joined in this. They don't understand that some people are honest, and wanted to accuse me of doing what they do.
At one point, when the Blog Mentor was raging that I was Retired ASD Teacher, he promised to make some donation to charity if he was wrong. He was. The guy called him. The Blog Mentor never apologized. He never made that donation either. And just went on to the next name.
The reality is that I don't post under other names or anonymously. I think that when I maintain a blog and try to tell people what is happening, I have an obligation to be honest.
Mezzacappa and the Blog Mentor use a host of fake names on the Express Times and others sites. They are liars and that is why, in the end, they lose.
"A CEC success story, well at least he is to them, he didn't reoffend within a year of his graduation. So it doesn't count againgst the percentages."
And your point is? Are we to stop treatment bc it is not reducing recidivism as much as you'd like? Maybe you and Barron should do another audit., or you should give another speech saying you are not bothered to see inmates sleeping in a gym.
"a shame. he was a pretty intelligent commenter."
I could see he was struggling, but he was trying to turn his life around. In some ways I am very lucky. Yes, I was publicly disgraced when I lost my license, and it is always mentioned like it happened yesterday though it was nearly 30 years ago. But I went thru rehab just once. That was all I needed. My cousin ended up killing himself. I know others who fail as well.
Clinton has to accept responsibility for what he did. If he's hearing voices, he has issues beyond the booze and drugs. What he did was very wrong, magnified by the fact that it was to a very good person.
But there's a person inside there.
After being proved wrong about Clinton Oxford, MezzacRaZy is not in the slightest embarrassed. Instead, she is now suggesting that I impersonated him AFTER he was incarcerated. She is going to file discovery requests demanding that information. My blog is available for her to scour, day and night, to look for such evidence. She does not need discovery. She won't find any Clinton Oxford posts after he was incarcerated because I never impersonated him. Though she and her Blog Mentor do that sort of thing, I don't.
She also takes me to task for sitting in the courtroom. If anything, I would have provided moral support to the probation officer. I know her better and longer than Clinton. I only met Clinton once, for about thirty seconds. Under normal circumstances, I would have stayed away. But Clinton was a regular here at one time, and I wanted to tell that story.
Mezzcappa is now trying to present a case of guilt by association. I was always taught to hate the sin, but love the sinner.
Another laughable blog by Mezzalunatic. She writes of Oxford going down in flames, but fails to mention the one she associated with and helped violate a PFA went down in flames with her help. Her friend Jim Gregory sits in prison because she did nothing to reign him in when he crossed the line. She even attacked his victim herself in writing.
Thanks for doing a piece on Clinton. I know his story all too well and I knew at some point the hammer was gonna fall on him. He was not a boozer. His drug of choice was weed. Were the demons chasing him? Absolutely they were. My hope is that he gets help and wants that help. a tortured soul indeed.
Very smart and very destructive to those around him including his own family and poor daughter who will grow up w/o a father figure in her life. This is a sad story all around. Not sure what would have been appropriate under the circumstances. He blew his plea deal for this? Shows how unstable he is and incapable of making sound decisions about his own future. Poster child for mental illness.
When is Gregory getting out? It's september already and no sign of him. I hear the house he stole is in foreclosure and everything else he has Mezzacrazy stole and put in her house. Any truth to this Bernie? We need a Gregory Update
A Gregory update? I'll work on it.
12:53, No question he was guilty as hell, but was justice really done here? I'm not so sure. Of course, we don't have the benefit of all the data furnished to the judge. But if she was willing to limit the sentence to two years, as suggested in one of the news accounts, is 10 years really appropriate? Is his insistence on a jury trial really an indication that he has no remorse, or is it instead an indication that he is mentally ill?
I do feel bad for the probation officer, who said his antics biotehr her every day. She has a little boy and is right to be concerned.
But Clinton Oxford has a little girl, who I'm sure is bearing the brunt of this at school.
Is this really justice? Maybe, maybe not.
"Thanks for doing a piece on Clinton. I know his story all too well and I knew at some point the hammer was gonna fall on him. His drug of choice was weed. Were the demons chasing him? Absolutely they were. My hope is that he gets help and wants that help. a tortured soul indeed"
His problems may extend beyond weed, which you likely know. If you are the jail volunteer I know who works with these guys, thank you for what you do. I could never do it.
I appreciate that thought Bernie. Some you can reach and some you can't no matter what you try to do for them. When the hand that tries to help gets bitten it's hard to continue to try. Maybe an appeal at some point will come into play. The sentence is harsh but what alternative is there for someone with a criminal background and mental issues who commits this type of offense? I'm at a loss here.
Obviously, he needs to be in jail. Just as obviously, he needs help.
We don't really "need" a Gregory update, except possibly someone he was ordered to stay away from. According to Mezzacappa's bog, he is supposed to get out in November.
Bernie, you should be SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS! The big revelation today is she believes Oxford was in jail when comments were posted on your blog under his name. Evidently she is hoping to prove you posted using his name, I . I can't imagine you posting using an alias, but in her mind you're already guilty, young man! Just like she is innocent of the things she was convicted of. Up is down, down is up.
Love the O'Hare kiss-ass commenters on here. You poison posse boys are real good.
"The big revelation today is she believes Oxford was in jail when comments were posted on your blog under his name. Evidently she is hoping to prove you posted using his name,"
That won't happen because I only post as me. When you are honest, you have nothing to hide.
@2:41 Ah ha - we are rewinding the tape loop to "young woman" and "poison posse". Throw in a Stoffa and Angle reference and your vocabulary is plum exhausted, apparently.
It's either Bernie posts under all these pseudonyms or Bernie has a poison posse. Maybe people who really value the truth, unlike those who lie and tell you they are telling the truth, care about Bernie being vilified. Now, I have to go feed my horse - the men ride tonight at sundown. Later, Loser!
@ 3:41 I know you only post under your own name, Bernie, which is why I laugh anytime I see crapola for brains say she is going to catch you posting something anonymously. She can litigate until the cows come home, and she isn't going to find that you posted under Oxford, Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck.
Stop the yelling and making fun of me. I can't take your bullshit anymore. I don't know why you don't take me seriously anymore. But I can't live like tgis anymore. Just wanted to say fuck off before I leave this plce. And by the way, go fuck yourself. I am outta here for good. And all of this shit will be on your head.
Trying to encourage someone to hurt themselves is just wrong. Not unexpected for the poison posse that follow Bernie.
Still very, very wrong.
Also Clinton Oxford is a predator of women and should be behind bars. His angry rants on this blog were similar to some other people who post. All they talk about is hate, guns and violence.
6:57, you need a soak in a hot tub to cool off. It's the weekend - relax. You are the only one I see yelling.
You do a decent impersonation of a crazy person who used to live in West Easton, but your grammar is far better.
"Trying to encourage someone to hurt themselves is just wrong. Not unexpected for the poison posse..."
What are you blathering about? Are you just tapping into random trains of non-thought? Who encouraged whom to hurt himself?
I feel bad for the guy
The guy is an ass
An enigma wrapped in a conundrum. Shades of grey. The world is not black and white. It's not always a yes or no situation. We always want a definitive answer when in reality there are few of those to be had. Judge not lest you be judged accordingly. Count your blessings and say a prayer for those less fortunate. Clinton messed up bad and he will pay a heavy price. But for the grace of God...
Unfortunately..he outsmarted himself and fooled the CEC people on many occasions and graduated with a smirk on his face knowing he got over on them and shaved some time off his then sentence. It happens and there are no real guarrantees for people..no magic tonic to drink. A program is only good if you take advantage of what was imparted to you. Shame on him for not taking that advice for whatever reason.
She's completely lost her mind, Bernie. There was evidence of this in the WE council meeting where she made the false claim that that the council president is "a felon", even though she knew this not to be true and the proceeding was being recorded. She acts as though she values the truth, when in fact all she values is what she would like to see the truth be.
She is her own worst enemy.
It's interesting that when people prove Mezzacappa wrong, which happens with increasing frequency, she runs off and hides somewhere. The link you posted proves exactly what you stated, Bernie. I remember reading this blog entry when you posted it, and wasn't sure if it was real because it was April 1. It is easy now to see who the real fool is.
As the blogger, I feel I have a responsibility to be honest with my readers. That means no anonymous or pseudonymous comments. I would never post under another person's name. Mezzacappa states that there were fake Clinton Oxford comments posted after 3/31, but fails to link to even one. That is because there aren't any. Her statement is a lie. She is deliberately deceiving her own readers.
Hey Bernie, OT here, please do a story on all the mucked-mucks that got their government sponsored free tickets to the "Eagles" concert at the new arena.
They claim they this is great for the "little" people but you didn't see any at the concert. The seats were filled with insiders and the elite of the "group for growth" club.
Hope the taxpayers didn't mind paying for all those free seats. The important people enjoyed them.
This is part of the process of creating an urban growth regime. One hand is greasing the other. I think it's wrong and may do a story for any elected official who did not pay his own way, with the exception of Allentown's Mayor and members of Allentown City Council. My guess is that most of officialdom was there, and did not pay their way. I would not spend good money to see the Eagles, unless it were the football team.
Heard that cabinet members of the twin cities and other political hanger-ons had a nice time on the peoples dime. It is an inbred thing. They give that treatment during musikfest for concerts so one hand continue sot wash the other. Doubt anything anyone can do about it.
Where is Mezzacappa's loony posse, with its response to your dismantling of her allegation that you posted as Clinton Oxford after he was incarcerated? From her bog: "Most of his vile comments directed at yours truly and Jim were posted after 3/31/14. Its not looking good for O'hare." Actually it is not looking good for her, if she decides to try to drag Oxford into her case.
Crickets...
Bernie ,Why Would Ms. Mezzacappa bother to go to council meeting at this point?Will she rent there after you own her home and firearm,jewelry that she still my have that did not moved out before the levy?
@Peter Cochran
She may be planning to borrow the $70K from her mother, and "sell" the house back to herself. People in West Easton will be so happy if she remains a resident, I'm sure. You can see the delight on council members' faces when she rises to speak.
Dude, Oxford's case is ripe with a ton of appeal issues. For starters, the judiciary should be reprimanded for presiding over a case involving a county probation officer (ie, one of their own). Second, the judge had represented the PO which should be an automatic recusal. Third, the trial judge was extremely biased and did not object to the Prosecutor's improper use of defendant's prior record. She also permitted a detective to give opinion testimony...another no no. Yeah, justice is supposed to be blind, but not mute. And the mistreatment of the defendant when he is attempting to get more time to complete a mental health exam? And calling out to the chief public defender in open court in front of the jury? That too is grounds for a mistrial. Great, now the jury knows the defendant is indigent. Purposfully embarrassing and degrading a litigant during a trial in front of a jury? That's another unprofessional act by the bench. Clinton Oxford has been prejudiced by Northampton County every which way. Various canons of judicial conduct may have been broken, all at Oxford's expense. The county owes him an apology. Perhaps a future windfall in a federal lawsuit will suffice.
Iget your arguments, but the evidence of guilt is overwhelming. This is a case that should make Judge Sletvold realize how wring she was in thinking her husband could be PD. If he were, it would have been him she would be talking to about the conduct of one of his assistants.
If hubby was appointed, she agreed not to sit on any criminal cases. The fact is, regardless of the weight of the evidence, the appearance of impropriety was evident and she failed to remove the judiciary from it. A judge should never put the court in that position. In your original blog on the case, you appear to agree that it looks bad. The safest thing to do was kick the case to Lehigh County, let the 'overwhelming evidence' convict him over there, and the verdict would withstand an appeal.
Wondering what the other black robes had to say to her after the deal went down? She really screwed the pooch. Morganelli must be livid also behind the scenes as this one has appeal written all over it and a civil rights violation counter suit seems to be in order. Her inexperience was very evident and she did not come off well in this one.
From what I saw, her demeanor on the bench was very good. But I missed her dressing down Rybak.
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