Victims of Crimes
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
World's oldest man dies at 112 in New York state | Reuters
World's oldest man dies at 112 in New York state | Reuters
Sanchez was born in El Tejado de Bejar, Spain, in 1901 and worked as a sugarcane field worker in Cuba before emigrating to the United States, where he found work in Kentucky coal mines.
Sanchez liked to garden, do crossword puzzles, and play gin rummy every night with friends, according to Guinness.
Sanchez was known for his musical talents as a boy, playing a dulzania, a Spanish double reed instrument related to the oboe, Guinness said. He went to school until age 10.
Sanchez moved to the Niagara Falls area of New York state in the early 1930s and became a construction worker. He worked for Union Carbide Co for more than 30 years before retiring.
He married his wife, Pearl, in 1934. Sanchez had two children, seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren, according to Guinness.
Sanchez was born in El Tejado de Bejar, Spain, in 1901 and worked as a sugarcane field worker in Cuba before emigrating to the United States, where he found work in Kentucky coal mines.
Sanchez liked to garden, do crossword puzzles, and play gin rummy every night with friends, according to Guinness.
Sanchez was known for his musical talents as a boy, playing a dulzania, a Spanish double reed instrument related to the oboe, Guinness said. He went to school until age 10.
Sanchez moved to the Niagara Falls area of New York state in the early 1930s and became a construction worker. He worked for Union Carbide Co for more than 30 years before retiring.
He married his wife, Pearl, in 1934. Sanchez had two children, seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren, according to Guinness.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Where is the JVC Digital Mini-Cassette Video File? - GHung - Open Salon
Where is the JVC Digital Mini-Cassette Video File? - GHung - Open Salon
“Where is the JVC Digital Mini-Cassette Video File For The Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier in Illinois?”
During 1999, fourteen (14) years ago, I discovered a treasure trove of stained glass windows and relics, while walking along Navy Pier at the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. In order to preserve a digital memory of my findings, I video recorded my stained glass visions on my JVC digital cybercamera in a mini-cassette digital video file. While video-editing on my Packard Bell computer, I left the JVC mini-cassette digital video file on my second floor Home Office desk at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard which used to be my Father’s business office before he was murdered at Vencor Northlake Hospital on June 18, 1998. Since I have been victimized by repeated and deliberate home invasions as a Lombard resident homeowner, intruders and trespassers in my Home Business Office stole my JVC digital mini-cassette video file featuring religious and secular stained windows at the Smith Museum Navy Pier by Lake Michigan in Illinois USA. Many years have passes since then, while I still remember the missing JVC mini-cassette digital video file containing stained glass images from the Smith Museum.
Last week, I had another chance to wander around Navy Pier and walked right into the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows once again, featuring other stained glass masterpieces and treasures from the past, present, and future craftsmen in the Chicagoland area and around the world.
“Where is the JVC Digital Mini-Cassette Video File For The Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier in Illinois?”
During 1999, fourteen (14) years ago, I discovered a treasure trove of stained glass windows and relics, while walking along Navy Pier at the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. In order to preserve a digital memory of my findings, I video recorded my stained glass visions on my JVC digital cybercamera in a mini-cassette digital video file. While video-editing on my Packard Bell computer, I left the JVC mini-cassette digital video file on my second floor Home Office desk at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard which used to be my Father’s business office before he was murdered at Vencor Northlake Hospital on June 18, 1998. Since I have been victimized by repeated and deliberate home invasions as a Lombard resident homeowner, intruders and trespassers in my Home Business Office stole my JVC digital mini-cassette video file featuring religious and secular stained windows at the Smith Museum Navy Pier by Lake Michigan in Illinois USA. Many years have passes since then, while I still remember the missing JVC mini-cassette digital video file containing stained glass images from the Smith Museum.
Last week, I had another chance to wander around Navy Pier and walked right into the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows once again, featuring other stained glass masterpieces and treasures from the past, present, and future craftsmen in the Chicagoland area and around the world.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
A Centennial Crisis for the U.S. Department of Labor, 1913-2013
Anniversary for the U.S. Department of Labor: 1913-2013, A Centennial Crisis
By Gardenia C. Hung
Since Hilda L. Solis resigned as Secretary of Labor on January 22, 2013, Deputy Secretary Seth D. Harris is the Acting Secretary of Labor. Now employees and employers can TalkToDOL@dol.gov about labor issues, abuse of employees at work, and Violence Against Women during the course of employment.
My name is Gardenia C. Hung, Illinois Victim of Crimes for the last twenty-two (22) years after I worked as a federal employee full-time at the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workman’s Compensation, Employment Standards Administration, General Services Administration, at the Kluczynski Building, 230 North Dearborn Street, 8th Floor, in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1991-1992, I have been denied Crime Victims’ Rights in the State of Illinois for this 22-year-old case matter in Department of Labor court summons, court hearings, court appearances, arbitrations, meetings, panel discussions, U.S. Mail notifications, advisories, etc. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation staff had me held by force to induce drug injection on the right thumb to paralyze my right hand and wrist during October 1991.
Twenty-two (22) years ago, I worked for the U.S. Department of Labor at the John C. Kluczynski Building, 230 S. Dearborn St., 8th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60604 across from the Dirksen Federal Court building, and next the Loop Station U.S. Post Office, downtown. In 1991, I was still a newlywed married to Nathan Scott Wittler for three years, hoping to have a baby. I lived on the Northwest side of Chicago at the corner of West Belle Plaine and North Sacramento in a building owned by Mrs. A.C. Nylen and family of realtors in Chicago, Illinois USA. During the decade of the 1990s, I lived near my Father, Mr. Roberto Hung who worked for the Felt-Products Corporation in Skokie, Illinois. As a newlywed, I was always working and looking for work to do. I had already worked for healthcare travel insurance company known as GESA Assistance, Groupe Européen S.A. In addition, I also worked as a Certified Legal and Medical Interpreter and Translator, Illinois Notary Public in Cook County, at the Industrial Commission with Action Translation Bureau managed by Joseph Raudonis in Palos Heights, and also for Carmen Kenny and Associates based in Arlington Heights, Cook County; plus I travelled and commuted by car, train, and Metra for Interpreting and Translation assignments in DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County, LaSalle County, Will County, DeKalb County, Kendall County, throughout the state of Illinois, USA.
Previously, during 1990, I had responded to a job advertising after I found a Help Wanted job posted in the Chicago newspaper for Diplomatic Languages Services looking for bilingual Spanish, French, and Portuguese interpreters and translators when Elizabeth Degnan was the Director at the DLS headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Elizabeth Degnan assigned me to work as certified Spanish interpreter and translator for the Dirksen Federal Building with a Special Agent in Charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation office which used to be located in the same federal court building facility. Also, I was assigned Spanish translation for Audiotape Transcripts into English which were to be typed and forwarded by mail and/or facsimile to DLS in Virginia.
After I completed the interpreting and translation assignment for Diplomatic Languages Services in October 1991, I began to look for additional work and another job. I found a Help Wanted job listing posted by the U.S. Department of Labor in Chicago, Illinois USA.
Twenty-two (22) years ago, during 1991-1992, I was hired as a certified medical claims examiner, analyst, by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workman’s Compensation, on the 8th Floor of the Kluczynski Building, across from the Dirksen Federal Building. While I worked full-time as a federal employee at the U.S. DOL, OWCP Office, the first week of October 1991, I was injured, harassed, and abused during the course of employment, after 5:00 PM; since then, I have become an Illinois Victim of Crime because I worked for Richard Kadus, Phyllis Crane, Shelene Turner, Joan Rosel, Thom M. Sheridan and other federal employees reviewing and adjudicating fellow federal employees claims for the Office of Workman’s Compensation in Chicago, Illinois.
During January 1991, when I was working full-time for the U.S. Department of Labor, OWCP Office, I was trained and hired to review federal employees’ medical claims for work injuries suffered during the course of federal employment for adjudication, medical treatment, rehabilitation, vocational training, and a recommended monetary award.
A few months later, during the first week of October 1991, after the visit of the former U.S. DOL Secretary Lynn Martin to the DOL Chicago Office, the Supervisor for Unit 2, Shelene Turner had returned from a two-week vacation touring Rome, Italy. Then, other federal employees like Anita Freeney and Lois Ware in Unit 2, also wanted to go on vacation and take their leave of absence immediately; so they started transferring their assigned OWCP claim files to the desk of Gardenia C. Hung for additional review, adjudication, and awarding, leaving several tall, high stacking files from their end of the office to the other side by the window cubicles where I was sitting. At the end of the day, Anita Freeney started screaming at me, shouting that I had to take all her pending federal employees’ OWCP incomplete and unfinished, harassing me while I was at my office cubicle desk, after Shelene Turner, the Supervisor, had gone home for the day—since I was staying after 5 PM, working extra hours without any compensation, leave of absence or vacation time off.
Then, Anita Freeney ran to Richard Kadus’ office, when the latter came out and started verbally reprimanding Gardenia C. Hung because of the former’s federal OWCP case loads and stacks, incomplete and undone, files stacked high on the medical claims examiner’s desk because Anita Freeney wanted to go on vacation, instead of continuing to work on her OWCP case loads—when it was not Gardenia C. Hung’s fault. Suddenly, Richard Kadus started abusing Gardenia C. Hung to force her to take some white pills he had and afterwards, injecting her right thumb with a drug from a hypodermic needle to paralyze her right wrist and hand, and marking her white shirt with blue ink marking a cross. As a Victim of Crime, I was abused and drugged by Richard Kadus and Anita Freeney at the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workman’s Compensation. Consequently, I had to be hospitalized for three (3) months at Rush St. Luke Presbyterian Hospital next to the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle Campus.
This federal incident also caused me a problem with my former employer, Jose Poquet, who was then the Executive Director of Premier GESA Assistance Groupe Européen, a travel emergency medical insurance network for North America, the Caribbean, Central and South America.
While I was hospitalized at Rush St. Luke Presbyterian Hospital because of the U.S. DOL OWCP Office abuse and induced drug injection on my right thumb, I was also injured and kicked by a security staff man at the hospital who abused me and caused an extended hospitalization which resulted in the loss of my job during January 1992. Richard Kadus would not let me return to work at the U.S. DOL OWCP Office when Illinois Senator Paul Simon was involved with the federal workman’s compensation office at the Kluczynski Federal Building.
Even when I filed a Complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, Annabelle T. Lockhart denied my claim for compensation and lied about the circumstances involving abuse of my person at the OWCP Office in Chicago, Illinois. U.S. DOL OWCP has not contacted or mailed any notifications to me as an Illinois Victim of Crime, thus denying me constitutional crime victims’ rights to date during 2013.
There is a Centennial Crisis at the U. S. Department of Labor when I have become an Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes and Violence Against Women, denied Civil Procedure, Civil Rights, and Due Process by Law since I worked for the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workman’s Compensation for the General Services Administration at the Kluczynski Building, 230 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago, Illinois 60604 in the United States of America.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
United States Department of Labor Centennial Anniversary 1913-2013
United States Department of Labor
March 4, 1913, marked a milestone event in the history of the American workforce. On that day, President William Howard Taft — on his last day in office — reluctantly signed legislation creating the U.S. Department of Labor and giving workers a direct seat in the President's Cabinet for the first time.
Observance of our centennial actually got underway last year, with the production of a centennial video, an interactive timeline, a series of historical posters and collection a of historical vignettes in our DOL newsletter — all designed to educate, inform and inspire the public about our rich history.
March 4, 1913, marked a milestone event in the history of the American workforce. On that day, President William Howard Taft — on his last day in office — reluctantly signed legislation creating the U.S. Department of Labor and giving workers a direct seat in the President's Cabinet for the first time.
Observance of our centennial actually got underway last year, with the production of a centennial video, an interactive timeline, a series of historical posters and collection a of historical vignettes in our DOL newsletter — all designed to educate, inform and inspire the public about our rich history.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
gardeniahung's blog
gardeniahung's blog
From The East Lakeshore in Rogers Park To Lilac Town
Commuters in the Chicagoland area use all the rainbow color-coded railway lines of the CTA Red, Green, Blue, Pink, Brown, Purple, Orange, and Yellow elevated trains and subways to travel from the east Lakeshore in Rogers Park to Lilac town all the way to the western suburbs in DuPage County, Illinois. Plus the buses are linked between the CTA and PACE Suburban commuter routes travelling east to west, across towns, from Rogers Park…all the way to Lombard in York Township, DuPage County, Illinois USA. In addition, the Union Pacific Railroad METRA moves in all directions for travelers and commuters.
For the last twenty (20) years, while I lived in Lilac Town, at the corner of Westmore Avenue, the west suburban bus PACE Route 313 picks up and drops off commuting passengers at the corner of Washington Boulevard and then travels south along Westmore-Meyers Road to the Yorktown Shopping Mall.
It is not surprising to find visitors, travelers, and commuters from DuPage County in Rogers Park and viceversa. DuPage County seniors citizens, disabled, retarded, women and children many times are transported for relocation to Rogers Park from the western suburbs unbeknown to their relatives and family friends. For instance, my Mother who lived with me and left Lilac Town on January 12, 2006 near St. Pius X Catholic Church and School, was relocated by Elmhurst Memorial Hospital to be near Loyola University Lake Shore Campus to continued Graduate Studies in Spanish Literature with Dr. Carol Holdsworth, which is known to be in the Rogers Park area. Since my Mother was relocated near Loyola University, a Catholic University managed by the Jesuits, she never contacts me, writes to me or calls me on the telephone—even when she has my telephone number. After I helped my Mother to be discharged from Illinois Masonic Hospital for Thanksgiving in November 2005, she was staying with me at my Lombard home, 502 S. Westmore Avenue and Washington Boulevard near the Deicke Home for the Retarded. While I went to the Harold Washington Library, someone visited my Mother from Rogers Park and disturbed her, causing her to have a crisis at our Lombard home in DuPage Co., Illinois USA.
Family friends of my parents, Cousin FernandoWong and his wife Yoland Fen with their children Meiling, Fernandito, and Sueling lived in the Rogers Park area on Howard Street before they moved along the same street to suburban Skokie, Illinois. Fernando Wong worked with my Father at the Felt-Product Corporation on McCormick Boulevard and Touhy Avenue. Mr. Mendoza and his son Frank who attended Northeastern Illinois University with me and belonged to the Spanish Club, also worked at Felt-Pro in Skokie, Illinois USA.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
NEIU 2013 Alumni Reunion October 18-19 - CNN iReport
NEIU 2013 Alumni Reunion October 18-19 - CNN iReport
Northeastern Illinois University is inviting Alumni to the 2013 NEIU Reunion and a special Welcome Home Luncheon for Chicago Teachers College Alumni on Friday, October 18, 2013. There will be a Medallion Ceremony for the Diamond Alumni of the Class of 1952 and Golden Alumni of the Class of 1962 in the afternoon on campus.
The Alumni Center is located in Building I at the entrance of 3701 Bryn Mawr for Registration and additional information about the NEIU 2013 Reunion this year.
On Saturday, October 19, Alumni and Friends will be welcomed for a brunch and general meeting. Tour Your NEIU Campus is arranged for all guests, visitors, and friends at Northeastern Illinois University.
The NEIU Alumni Association encourages everyone to learn more about the University's great achievements and its progress throughout the years to grow and enhance its programs which benefit all students.
NEIU 2013 Alumni Reunion October 18-19
Northeastern Illinois University is inviting Alumni to the 2013 NEIU Reunion and a special Welcome Home Luncheon for Chicago Teachers College Alumni on Friday, October 18, 2013. There will be a Medallion Ceremony for the Diamond Alumni of the Class of 1952 and Golden Alumni of the Class of 1962 in the afternoon on campus.
The Alumni Center is located in Building I at the entrance of 3701 Bryn Mawr for Registration and additional information about the NEIU 2013 Reunion this year.
On Saturday, October 19, Alumni and Friends will be welcomed for a brunch and general meeting. Tour Your NEIU Campus is arranged for all guests, visitors, and friends at Northeastern Illinois University.
The NEIU Alumni Association encourages everyone to learn more about the University's great achievements and its progress throughout the years to grow and enhance its programs which benefit all students.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Film Critic Roger Ebert's Funeral at Holy Name Cathedral - CNN iReport
Film Critic Roger Ebert's Funeral at Holy Name Cathedral - CNN iReport
The funeral for film critic Roger Ebert, who died last Thursday at age 70 after a long battle with cancer, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. today at Holy Name Cathedral.
The funeral for film critic Roger Ebert, who died last Thursday at age 70 after a long battle with cancer, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. today at Holy Name Cathedral.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
TASTE OF THE PAST - Celebrating the 'New Day'
TASTE OF THE PAST - Celebrating the 'New Day'
The Spring Equinox, the day when the sun will be almost exactly between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer and when night and day both last almost exactly 12 hours, falls this year on March 20 at 11:02 a.m. For those who live in the north, it means longer, warmer days. In some places, especially in the Middle East, celebrating the Spring Equinox is a tradition that has been around for millennia.
Over those centuries, several practices began that have been continued. These included men leaping over an open fire either as an act of purification or to prove their bravery, and women cleaning their houses and preparing sweets, gifts and colored eggs.
The Spring Equinox, the day when the sun will be almost exactly between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer and when night and day both last almost exactly 12 hours, falls this year on March 20 at 11:02 a.m. For those who live in the north, it means longer, warmer days. In some places, especially in the Middle East, celebrating the Spring Equinox is a tradition that has been around for millennia.
Over those centuries, several practices began that have been continued. These included men leaping over an open fire either as an act of purification or to prove their bravery, and women cleaning their houses and preparing sweets, gifts and colored eggs.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
U.S. Constitutional Reconsideration: Mr. Roberto Hung, J.D. and Family, Lombard Resident Homeowners Victims of Heinous Hate Crimes in Illinois - gardeniahung's blog
The Lombard Fire Department, former Fire Chief Georges Seagraves, Keith Steiskal, and Lombard Police Chief Ray Byrne, Police Marilyn Gabinski, and others, have not compensated the Daughter of Mr. Roberto Hung for stealing personal clothing, belongings, and other household items from the garage at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard during 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
The Village of Lombard, Police and Fire Department have not compensated the Family of Mr. Roberto Hung, his Daughter, Lombard Resident Homeowner as Victims of Crimes, Structural Disaster Roofing Water Damages and Losses at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard, one block southeast from St. Pius X Catholic Church, and one block southwest from Westmore Elementary School, near the Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White Motor Vehicles Facility.
U.S. Constitutional Reconsideration: Mr. Roberto Hung, J.D. and Family, Lombard Resident Homeowners Victims of Heinous Hate Crimes in Illinois - gardeniahung's blog
The Village of Lombard, Police and Fire Department have not compensated the Family of Mr. Roberto Hung, his Daughter, Lombard Resident Homeowner as Victims of Crimes, Structural Disaster Roofing Water Damages and Losses at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard, one block southeast from St. Pius X Catholic Church, and one block southwest from Westmore Elementary School, near the Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White Motor Vehicles Facility.
U.S. Constitutional Reconsideration: Mr. Roberto Hung, J.D. and Family, Lombard Resident Homeowners Victims of Heinous Hate Crimes in Illinois - gardeniahung's blog
Friday, March 1, 2013
BBC News - Pope Benedict XVI formally resigns to become 'pilgrim'
BBC News - Pope Benedict XVI formally resigns to become 'pilgrim'
The pontiff, aged 85, was earlier flown by helicopter from the Vatican to his retreat at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.
The college of cardinals, headed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is now in charge of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics until a new pope is elected.
Benedict vowed "unconditional obedience and reverence" to his successor.
He stepped down after nearly eight years in office - the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.
The resignation was marked by the papal Swiss Guards stepping down from their posts at Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. The protection of Benedict was taken over by Vatican police.
In his retirement, Benedict will wear a simple white cassock rather than his papal clothes, and swap his famous red shoes - the colour is symbolic of the blood of the early Christian martyrs - for brown.
His "Fisherman's Ring", the special signet ring which contains the Pope's name and is impressed to validate certain official documents, is expected to be destroyed along with the lead seal of the pontificate.
The German pontiff, who was born Joseph Ratzinger, will continue to be known as Benedict XVI, with the new title of "pope emeritus".
The long-time theologian is expected eventually to retire to a monastery on a hill inside Vatican City, with officials saying he will not be able intervene publicly in the papacy of his successor, though he may offer advice.
The conclave of 115 cardinals is expected to meet at the Vatican on Monday morning to start planning the election of the next pope.
The Pope left the Vatican in a motorcade before boarding a helicopter to the papal retreat
Pope Benedict XVI has officially resigned, saying that he now "will simply be a pilgrim" starting his last journey on earth.
The pontiff, aged 85, was earlier flown by helicopter from the Vatican to his retreat at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.
The college of cardinals, headed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is now in charge of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics until a new pope is elected.
Benedict vowed "unconditional obedience and reverence" to his successor.
He stepped down after nearly eight years in office - the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.
Continue reading the main story 
In normal times, popes make their final exit from the Vatican in a coffin and - after a period of mourning - are laid to rest in the crypt of St Peter's Basilica as the great bells of the first church of Christendom boom out.
But not Benedict XVI.
His nearly eight-year-long pontificate has ended not in death, but with a remarkable resignation.
Benedict was clearly relieved that the world has now accepted the fact that his physical health has declined to a point where he cannot continue to carry on the heavy responsibilities of leading his Church.
Pope Benedict's last words on his final day in office - as he greeted one-by-one the cardinals - were a plea to work together in harmony.
Benedict, a classical music lover, urged them to seek to play in harmony, just like an orchestra - for the future good of the Catholic Church.
'Pope emeritus' Analysis
But not Benedict XVI.
His nearly eight-year-long pontificate has ended not in death, but with a remarkable resignation.
Benedict was clearly relieved that the world has now accepted the fact that his physical health has declined to a point where he cannot continue to carry on the heavy responsibilities of leading his Church.
Pope Benedict's last words on his final day in office - as he greeted one-by-one the cardinals - were a plea to work together in harmony.
Benedict, a classical music lover, urged them to seek to play in harmony, just like an orchestra - for the future good of the Catholic Church.
Benedict officially ceased to be the Pope at 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT).
The resignation was marked by the papal Swiss Guards stepping down from their posts at Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. The protection of Benedict was taken over by Vatican police.
In his retirement, Benedict will wear a simple white cassock rather than his papal clothes, and swap his famous red shoes - the colour is symbolic of the blood of the early Christian martyrs - for brown.
His "Fisherman's Ring", the special signet ring which contains the Pope's name and is impressed to validate certain official documents, is expected to be destroyed along with the lead seal of the pontificate.
The German pontiff, who was born Joseph Ratzinger, will continue to be known as Benedict XVI, with the new title of "pope emeritus".
The long-time theologian is expected eventually to retire to a monastery on a hill inside Vatican City, with officials saying he will not be able intervene publicly in the papacy of his successor, though he may offer advice.
The conclave of 115 cardinals is expected to meet at the Vatican on Monday morning to start planning the election of the next pope.
BBC News - Queen to visit Swansea for St David's Day celebrations
BBC News - Queen to visit Swansea for St David's Day celebrations
She will carry out a traditional St David's Day ceremony of presenting leeks to members of the 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh, according to the royal diary.
The Queen is the regiment's colonel-in-chief.
The ceremony will take place at Swansea's Guildhall on 2 March.
The Queen is to visit Swansea as part of St David's Day celebrations next month, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
She will carry out a traditional St David's Day ceremony of presenting leeks to members of the 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh, according to the royal diary.
The Queen is the regiment's colonel-in-chief.
The ceremony will take place at Swansea's Guildhall on 2 March.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
A Constitutional Anniversary From A Time Traveller — Elmhurst news, photos and events — TribLocal.com
A Constitutional Anniversary From A Time Traveller — Elmhurst news, photos and events — TribLocal.com
—Then and Now…
The Constitution of the United States was signed in agreement, two hundred and twenty-five years ago, on September 17, 1787, at the closing of the Constitutional Convention held in Independence Hall, Philadelphia , in Pennsylvania . There were thirty-nine (39) representatives of the states, who signed willingly:
“In Witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed Our Names”. [1]
George Washington, President and deputy from Virginia
John Langdon and Nicholas Gilman from New Hampshire
Nathaniel Gorham and Rufus King from Massachusetts
Wm. Samuel Johnson and Roger Sherman from Connecticut
Alexander Hamilton from New York
William Livingston and David Brearley from New Jersey
Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris,George Clymer from Pennsylvania
T’hos. FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson and Gouv Morris from Pennsylvania
Geo: Read, Gunning Bedford jun, John Dickinson, Richard Basset from Delaware
Jaco: Bromm from Delaware
James McHenry, Dan of St. Thos. Jenifer, Danl Carroll from Maryland
John Blair and James Madison Jr. from Virginia
Wm. Blout, Richd. Dobbs Spaight and Hu Williamson from North Carolina
J. Rutledge, Charles C. Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler from South Carolina
William Few and Abr Baldwin from Georgia
Attest William Jackson, Secretary
According to a feature article, “Inside the Masons”: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and thirteen (13) of the 39 signers of the U.S. Constitution, were members of the Fraternal Order of the Freemasonry and founders of the new nation, called the United States of America[2].
Constitutional and inalienable rights inherent in the laws of equal justice, fairness, and equity, drawn by the 39 state representatives, are based upon the Masonic values of the fraternal order for honorable civic-mindedness with “equal justice under the law”, a high regard for learning and progress, and a broad tolerant religiosity. In retrospect, “freemasons helped to give the new nation a symbolic core and a sense of the American civic culture”, as stated by Steven Bullock, historian and leading scholar of the Masonic brethren in America[3].
Symbols of the Freemasonry have transcended the stonemason guilds for the display of the compass, square, and other signs of the Freemasons—including the Great Seal of the United States which contained Masonic symbols.
The founding fathers, Washington and Franklin, were documented and active members of the Masonic lodges, while Jefferson and Adams were not.
The first President of the United States , George Washington was initiated into Masonry rites on November 4, 1752, at the age of twenty, in the Lodge of Fredericksburg, in Virginia[4].
The American Revolution was won by patriotic men, united by Masonic ties and religious events.
Benjamin Franklin was a Freemason in the Lodge of Saint John in Philadelphia in 1731. Franklin used his resources and printing presses to promote Masonry, writing pro-Masonry articles, drafting the lodge’s by-laws, and printing the first Masonic book in America .
The U.S. Constitution was drawn by several influential Freemasons—including Washington, Franklin, and Randolph—and by non-Masons John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The signers of the Constitution were already Masonic brethren and others would become Freemasons afterwards. Although, Madison, Adams, and Jefferson were not Masons, nearly all the signers participated in Masonic lodge activities. David Brearley was active in the Masonic Order in New Jersey . Mr. Brearley supported the Constitution at the New Jersey ratifying convention[5].
Later on, on April 30, 1789, George Washington was sworn as the first president of the United States of America by Robert Livingston, the grand master of New York ’s Grand Lodge who administered the first presidential oath of office. General Jacob Morton, a Freemason, was the marshal of the day. General Morgan Lewis, also a Freemason was Washington ’s escort. George Washington was the master Freemason of the Alexandria Lodge in Virginia[6].
More than two hundred years ago, the new nation’s capital of the United States of America was blueprinted in a Masonic plan, designed by the French Mason Pierre-Charles L’Enfant—that is to say, Washington , D.C.
For historical reference, Freemasons practice faith in God, addressed as the “Great Architect of the Universe”. In the Middle Ages, freemasons formed guilds of stonemasons working with free-stone. There were 25 lodges in Scotland during the 17th century, from which 16 became centres of Masonic skills—stonemasonry. The order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons began in London as the first Grand Lodge, in 1717. During the 18th century, Freemasonry was promoted in Great Britain and traveled to the new nation of the United States in the Americas , Europe , and around the world.[7]
[1] The United States Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It, page 30, supplemental text by Terry L. Jordan. Copyright©2005 by Oak Hill Publishing Company.
[2] U.S. News & World Report, page 30, September 5, 2005. Copyright© 2005 by U.S. News & World Report, Inc.
[3] Ibid., pages 30-31.
[4] “The Masonic Lodge and the American Revolution”, Steven Sora, page 118.
[5] McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum , Blueprint for Freedom, What Will You Build?, page 20. The United States Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It. Copyright© 2006 by Oak Hill Publishing Company.
[6] “The Masonic Lodge and the American Revolution”, Steven Sora, page 171.
[7] QPB Dictionary of Ideas. Copyright©1994 by Helicon Publishing Ltd. Originally published in 1995 , in the United Kingdom under the title, The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ideas.
Consulting Media Arts Communications©2010 Gardenia Hung.
All Rights Reserved.
—Then and Now…
The Constitution of the United States was signed in agreement, two hundred and twenty-five years ago, on September 17, 1787, at the closing of the Constitutional Convention held in Independence Hall, Philadelphia , in Pennsylvania . There were thirty-nine (39) representatives of the states, who signed willingly:
“In Witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed Our Names”. [1]
George Washington, President and deputy from Virginia
John Langdon and Nicholas Gilman from New Hampshire
Nathaniel Gorham and Rufus King from Massachusetts
Wm. Samuel Johnson and Roger Sherman from Connecticut
Alexander Hamilton from New York
William Livingston and David Brearley from New Jersey
Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris,George Clymer from Pennsylvania
T’hos. FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson and Gouv Morris from Pennsylvania
Geo: Read, Gunning Bedford jun, John Dickinson, Richard Basset from Delaware
Jaco: Bromm from Delaware
James McHenry, Dan of St. Thos. Jenifer, Danl Carroll from Maryland
John Blair and James Madison Jr. from Virginia
Wm. Blout, Richd. Dobbs Spaight and Hu Williamson from North Carolina
J. Rutledge, Charles C. Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler from South Carolina
William Few and Abr Baldwin from Georgia
Attest William Jackson, Secretary
According to a feature article, “Inside the Masons”: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and thirteen (13) of the 39 signers of the U.S. Constitution, were members of the Fraternal Order of the Freemasonry and founders of the new nation, called the United States of America[2].
Constitutional and inalienable rights inherent in the laws of equal justice, fairness, and equity, drawn by the 39 state representatives, are based upon the Masonic values of the fraternal order for honorable civic-mindedness with “equal justice under the law”, a high regard for learning and progress, and a broad tolerant religiosity. In retrospect, “freemasons helped to give the new nation a symbolic core and a sense of the American civic culture”, as stated by Steven Bullock, historian and leading scholar of the Masonic brethren in America[3].
Symbols of the Freemasonry have transcended the stonemason guilds for the display of the compass, square, and other signs of the Freemasons—including the Great Seal of the United States which contained Masonic symbols.
The founding fathers, Washington and Franklin, were documented and active members of the Masonic lodges, while Jefferson and Adams were not.
The first President of the United States , George Washington was initiated into Masonry rites on November 4, 1752, at the age of twenty, in the Lodge of Fredericksburg, in Virginia[4].
The American Revolution was won by patriotic men, united by Masonic ties and religious events.
Benjamin Franklin was a Freemason in the Lodge of Saint John in Philadelphia in 1731. Franklin used his resources and printing presses to promote Masonry, writing pro-Masonry articles, drafting the lodge’s by-laws, and printing the first Masonic book in America .
The U.S. Constitution was drawn by several influential Freemasons—including Washington, Franklin, and Randolph—and by non-Masons John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The signers of the Constitution were already Masonic brethren and others would become Freemasons afterwards. Although, Madison, Adams, and Jefferson were not Masons, nearly all the signers participated in Masonic lodge activities. David Brearley was active in the Masonic Order in New Jersey . Mr. Brearley supported the Constitution at the New Jersey ratifying convention[5].
Later on, on April 30, 1789, George Washington was sworn as the first president of the United States of America by Robert Livingston, the grand master of New York ’s Grand Lodge who administered the first presidential oath of office. General Jacob Morton, a Freemason, was the marshal of the day. General Morgan Lewis, also a Freemason was Washington ’s escort. George Washington was the master Freemason of the Alexandria Lodge in Virginia[6].
More than two hundred years ago, the new nation’s capital of the United States of America was blueprinted in a Masonic plan, designed by the French Mason Pierre-Charles L’Enfant—that is to say, Washington , D.C.
For historical reference, Freemasons practice faith in God, addressed as the “Great Architect of the Universe”. In the Middle Ages, freemasons formed guilds of stonemasons working with free-stone. There were 25 lodges in Scotland during the 17th century, from which 16 became centres of Masonic skills—stonemasonry. The order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons began in London as the first Grand Lodge, in 1717. During the 18th century, Freemasonry was promoted in Great Britain and traveled to the new nation of the United States in the Americas , Europe , and around the world.[7]
[1] The United States Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It, page 30, supplemental text by Terry L. Jordan. Copyright©2005 by Oak Hill Publishing Company.
[2] U.S. News & World Report, page 30, September 5, 2005. Copyright© 2005 by U.S. News & World Report, Inc.
[3] Ibid., pages 30-31.
[4] “The Masonic Lodge and the American Revolution”, Steven Sora, page 118.
[5] McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum , Blueprint for Freedom, What Will You Build?, page 20. The United States Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It. Copyright© 2006 by Oak Hill Publishing Company.
[6] “The Masonic Lodge and the American Revolution”, Steven Sora, page 171.
[7] QPB Dictionary of Ideas. Copyright©1994 by Helicon Publishing Ltd. Originally published in 1995 , in the United Kingdom under the title, The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ideas.
Consulting Media Arts Communications©2010 Gardenia Hung.
All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Lombard Victims of Heinous Hate Crimes: Unique Approaches For A Unique Type of Crime--Prosecuting Hate Crimes
Civil Rights Prosecutions: Hate Crimes
Unique Approaches for a Unique Type of Crime: Prosecuting Hate Crimes
by Benjamin B. Wagner, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Crimes motivated by hatred, whether directed at the victim because of that person’s actual or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, can have a disproportionate impact on communities and pose unique challenges for investigators and prosecutors. Understanding those challenges is critical to effectively preventing and prosecuting hate crimes.
Some studies have indicated that assaults motivated by hatred are more violent, and more likely to result in serious injury to the victim, than other types of assaults. That is particularly so with respect to victims in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Studies have also shown that most hate crimes are carried out by persons who do not know their victim, and that the victims are selected based on how they are perceived rather than something they said or did. The arbitrary manner in which victims are targeted in hate crimes can be profoundly unsettling, because victims can do nothing to change their appearance or how their characteristics are perceived by others.
Hate crimes also have a much broader impact within communities than many other types of violent crimes or property crimes. Because they are motivated by bias, hate crimes are often intended to, and do, send a broader message of violent intolerance toward a broad class of persons. Like terrorist incidents, the “message” aspect of the offender’s motive can be profoundly threatening to people far removed from the actual scene of the crime. The fact that the victims of such crimes are selected based on characteristics such as their race or religion can cause all those in the community who share that characteristic to experience similar feelings of vulnerability and secondary victimization. In its impact on the community, the fear of becoming a victim of violence can be nearly as debilitating as suffering through an actual crime. The message of intolerance that is communicated through a hate crime can have broadly disruptive social effects as well, and can lead to greater distrust of law enforcement or friction between racial or religious communities.
Investigating and prosecuting hate crimes is a challenge. Victims are often afraid to come forward or lack the confidence that law enforcement will vigorously pursue the offenders. Some victims are reluctant to acknowledge their sexual orientation or immigration status to law enforcement. There may be cultural or linguistic impediments to effective cooperation with law enforcement. Because establishing motive is a key aspect to proving the crime, investigations often must range far beyond the criminal act itself to locate evidence relevant to the defendant’s state of mind before and during the crime.
In late 2009, the first significant new federal hate crimes legislation in many years was signed into law by President Obama. The Shepard Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act increased penalties for violent hate crimes, broadened and simplified federal jurisdiction, and for the first time recognized certain violent acts directed at individuals because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation as federal hate crimes. The Shepard Byrd Act provides investigators and prosecutors with important new tools to deploy against hate crimes.
Before the passage of the Shepard Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act in October 2009, there was no single federal hate crime statute, and prosecutions were based on a variety of civil rights statutes or other violent crime statutes. The scope of federal jurisdiction under some of these statutes was often unclear and, as a result, hate crime prosecutions frequently involved extensive litigation regarding collateral jurisdictional elements. For example, in a case prosecuted in the Eastern District of California in the 1990s that involved a racially-motivated assault at a 7-11 store, the case went to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the issue of whether the 7-11, because of the presence of video games in the store, was technically a “place of entertainment,” as defined in Section 245 of Title 18–a civil rights statute that covers certain bias-motivated conduct that occurs in hotels, restaurants and other places involving in interstate commerce.
It is difficult to determine whether the actual number of hate crimes is increasing or decreasing. According to FBI statistics for 2009, the most recent year for which full data has been released, the number of hate crimes reported by state and local law enforcement agencies to the FBI was down slightly in 2009 from 2008. This is good news, but hate crimes are notoriously under-reported, which makes small changes in statistics a less than reliable indicator. In addition to reluctance by many victims to report hate crimes for the reasons mentioned above, some law enforcement agencies do not report crime data at all to the FBI, or do not effectively report separately on hate crimes. Hate crimes are defined differently from state to state, which also affects reporting to the FBI. Some states include crimes motivated by the victim’s perceived sexual orientation, for example, and others do not. Finally, because a hate crime by definition involves a conclusion as to the motive of the perpetrator, many crimes in which the perpetrator cannot be found, or his motive cannot be established based on the facts of the incident itself, are not reported as hate crimes.
We do know, however, that hate crimes continue to be a major problem, and that they tend to increase when the political or social environment becomes emotionally charged in ways that can be associated with particular communities. After the tragedy of 9/11, for example, there was a spike in reported hate crimes targeting Muslim Americans and Sikh Americans (who are often mistaken for Muslims). In recent years, amid considerable acrimony in debates over immigration and related state legislation, there has been an increase in reported hate crimes against Latinos.
The Southern Poverty Law Center counted 1,002 active hate groups in the United States in 2010. Many of these groups use the Internet to promote their extremist ideologies, and to extol those who commit or advocate acts of violence.
The U.S. Attorneys’ offices have long been active in prosecuting hate crimes, together with our partners in the Department’s Civil Rights Division. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney prior to becoming the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, I prosecuted cross-burning cases, a case involving arson attacks on synagogues in Sacramento, and other civil rights matters. But more is being done now than ever before to combat hate crimes. Prosecuting hate crimes is one of the highest priorities in the Justice Department, and this emphasis has been reflected by the work being done in the U.S. Attorneys’ offices. A number of offices have established new units consisting of prosecutors dedicated to civil rights and hate crime prosecutions. In the Eastern District of California, we have appointed hate crime coordinators in both of our offices, and have recently prosecuted several violent hate crimes, including an incident in which a young south Asian couple was assaulted on a beach in South Lake Tahoe, and another in which an African American man was suddenly attacked and beaten without provocation in a bar in Chico. The defendants in both cases were convicted and sentenced to prison. Our office is currently prosecuting a man who is alleged to have vandalized a mosque and left threatening messages there.
To win the trust of victims and their communities, which is critical to the success of hate crime prosecutions, several U.S. Attorneys are engaged in active outreach efforts involving Muslim and south Asian communities, the Latino community, and others. To build more effective coalitions with local law enforcement and relevant communities to better prevent and prosecute hate crimes, and to ameliorate the effects of such crimes on both the direct victims and the affected communities, U.S. Attorneys in multiple districts have held hate crime summits and conferences to share information and best practices, to discuss victims’ rights, and to provide training for local agents and prosecutors. In the Eastern District of California, we have long had a Greater Sacramento Hate Crimes Task Force, which regularly brings federal and local law enforcement representatives together with community representatives and civic organizations to share information and address community concerns. A second hate crimes task force was recently constituted in the Fresno area.
Investigating and prosecuting hate crimes poses unique challenges, but these challenges are better understood now than ever before. With greater experience, new statutory tools, and an unshakable commitment to seeking justice for victims of hate crimes, the U.S. Attorneys’ offices will continue to be at the forefront of the struggle against hate crimes.
Achievements in Courtrooms Nationwide
Arkansas Men Convicted of Hate Crime Violations Under Newly Enacted Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009
Western District of Arkansas
A Western District of Arkansas jury convicted Frankie Maybee, 20, in the first case in the nation tried under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009. Maybee was convicted by a jury in May 2011 of five counts of violating 18 U.S.C. 249(a)(1) and (2), willfully causing bodily injury with a dangerous weapon because of the actual and perceived race and national origin of five Hispanic victims, and aiding abetting the commission of that crime; and one count of violating 18 U.S.C. 371, conspiracy to commit hate crimes. Maybee’s co-conspirator and co-defendant, Sean Popejoy, 19, pled guilty the day before the trial to one count of conspiracy and one count of 18 U.S.C. 249(a)(1). Both men are in custody pending sentencing.
In June 2010, Maybee, Popejoy and another Arkansas man observed five Hispanic males at a gas station in Alpena, Arkansas. Trial testimony revealed the Hispanic men stopped in Alpena for gas while en route to their homes in another part of the state. Popejoy hurled racial epithets at the men while they bought gas and snacks at the gas station. After the victims drove away, Maybee, Popejoy and the third man pursued their vehicle, with Maybee and Popejoy continuously yelling racial slurs. Maybee, the driver, repeatedly rammed the rear of the vehicle the victims were in it, violently forcing their vehicle from the road. The vehicle the victims were in crossed into the opposite lane of traffic, rolled and ejected three passengers before the vehicle erupted in flames. All five victims were injured and one was airlifted to a Level I trauma center in life threatening condition. All five victims survived their serious bodily injuries. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
Memphis Man Sentenced to Life for Racially-Motivated Murder; Crime Went Unsolved for Years after Dale Mardis Dismembered and Burned his Victim’s Body
Western District of Tennessee
Dale Van Mardis was sentenced to life in prison on July 5, 2011, for the 2001 racially-motivated murder of Shelby County Code Enforcement Officer Mickey Wright. Mardis admitted that he executed a helpless Mickey Wright after first shooting and wounding him, then transported Wright’s body from Memphis to northern Mississippi, where he dismembered and burned it.
Despite an intense investigation involving local, county, and federal law enforcement officials, the crime initially went unsolved. It was not until July 2004 when Mardis was ultimately identified as the killer. A protracted state prosecution followed and, due to a number of difficulties with witnesses and evidence, Mardis pled nolo contendere in state court and received a fifteen year sentence in April 2007.
Wright’s family forcefully opposed the state deal and asked the federal government to review the case. Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division joined with FBI investigators and a liaison from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office to determine if any federal charges were viable. They quickly determined that based on the available facts, the only possible federal charges hinged on a racial motive for the killing.
From the outset, the case presented daunting challenges: there were no eyewitnesses to the killing; there was no direct physical or forensic evidence, not even a body; almost all of the potential government witnesses had perjured themselves during the initial investigation; and Dale Mardis had a close relationship with two young African-American men whom he had mentored since childhood. Investigators and prosecutors spent thousands of hours reinvestigating the case and interviewing Dale Mardis’s closest friends, whom Mardis had told about the murder. They also followed dozens of leads and identified a pattern of racial violence and angry confrontations with code enforcement officers in Mardis’s past. Intense grand jury sessions to secure the testimony of key witnesses followed.
During the investigation, it was determined that Mardis had become enraged that an African-American code enforcement officer, Mickey Wright, had written him a courtesy citation and ordered him to clean up his car lot. Mardis then shot and wounded Wright while he was sitting in his county-issued vehicle. Wright begged for his life, but Mardis placed the gun to Wright’s head and executed him. Mardis then transported Wright’s body from Tennessee to rural Mississippi. He dismembered and cremated Wright’s remains to conceal his crime.
Based on the facts developed and the longstanding federal interest in aggressively prosecuting racially-motivated murders, prosecutors received permission to proceed with a federal prosecution even though there had already been a state prosecution. On January 30, 2008, Mardis was charged in a two-count federal indictment for the racially-motivated killing of Mickey Wright, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 245, and the use of a firearm to kill Mickey Wright during the commission of that federal crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j).
Following the indictment, numerous legal challenges loomed. The defendant vigorously challenged the indictment on double jeopardy grounds because of federal involvement in the initial investigation, but the government prevailed both in the district court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The defendant attempted to launch numerous fishing expeditions into the internal decision making process of the Department of Justice but was fended off at every turn. The defendant also filed multiple motions to suppress; he succeeded in convincing the magistrate judge to suppress his post-arrest statement, but the prosecutors convinced the district court judge to reverse and allow the evidence. Over several years, the defendant filed dozens of motions attacking the indictment and the government’s evidence on every possible ground, from asserting that the indictment violated the doctrineof separation of powers due to a congressman’s involvement to attempting to suppress evidence that the defendant tried to hire another inmate to murder witnesses against him.
In the face of significant circumstantial evidence arising from a comprehensive investigation, and unable to gain any traction with his legal arguments, the defendant opted to enter a plea of guilty to the civil rights count on the morning of trial, March 21, 2011. The focus of litigation immediately shifted to sentencing, as the plea agreement did not resolve the key issue of whether the killing was first degree murder, second degree murder, or voluntary manslaughter.
On the eve of sentencing, prosecutors and investigators made a shocking discovery while meeting with witnesses: in 1998, Dale Mardis had committed another murder. One of the witnesses advised prosecutors that Mardis had murdered an acquaintance, Henry Ackerman, during an argument. The investigators then began searching for any report of the unsolved murder. The Memphis Police Department was not aware of any unsolved murders that fit the description.
The agents and prosecutors worked into the night and discovered that Dr. Henry Ackerman, a child psychologist, had lived in Memphis, but had moved out of the area in 1996. After that, Ackerman seemed to have disappeared, never renewing his professional or driver’s licenses and never purchasing property elsewhere in the United States. Later that evening, after tracing various pieces of property, the prosecution team located Ackerman’s sister in New Jersey. She advised that Ackerman had disappeared in 1998 and nobody knew his whereabouts. She said that Ackerman had been renting an apartment in Baltimore, Maryland, but in June 1998 he traveled to Memphis to purchase a vehicle and was never heard from again. The Baltimore Police Department had an open Missing Persons case on Ackerman and traced his path to Memphis, but could not determine what happened to him.
Armed with this corroboration for their witnesses, the prosecution team confronted Mardis in prison and secured a confession that he had beaten Henry Ackerman to death with a hammer in a dispute over money. Mardis further confessed that he had taken Ackerman’s body to a rural area in Mississippi and cremated his remains. Ackerman’s fate had been unknown for thirteen years.
The prosecutors quickly worked out a new deal in which Mardis would drop his opposition to a federal life sentence and plead guilty to Ackerman’s murder in state court, where he would receive a concurrent life sentence.
Throughout the process, the prosecutors and investigators stayed in close contact with Mickey Wright’s family and made a priority of keeping them informed and seeking their input. The Wright family stood beside U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton at a post-sentencing press conference, where Stanton declared that “Justice delayed is not justice denied.”
“As the result of a lengthy and aggressive investigation and prosecution by an outstanding team of federal prosecutors and FBI agents, we were able to secure a guilty plea from Dale Mardis on the morning of trial. Today’s plea is the first time Dale Mardis has admitted his responsibility for the senseless murder of Mickey Wright. I am hopeful his admission of guilt today brings some sense of closure to the Wright family and to our community,” said Stanton. “This office will continue to work vigorously to ensure that justice is served by arguing for a life sentence without parole at the sentencing hearing.”
Solving these crimes gave not only the victims’ families closure, but brought closure to a community that had been enraged that a racially-charged murder would only result in approximately 10 years of real prison time after Mardis’s guilty plea in state court. The federal prosecution also protected future generations by ensuring that a serial killer would no longer walk the streets.
Friday, January 11, 2013
New Challenges. New Solutions. 2013 National Crime Victims' Rights Week: April 21-27th
In the year 2013, the National Crime Victims' Rights Week takes place from Sunday, April 21st through Saturday, April 27th, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crimes in order to inspire our communities to observe the Victims of Crimes Act of 1984 (VOCA).
The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) was an attempt by the federal government to help the victims of criminal actions through means other than punishment of the criminal. It created a federal victims-compensation account funded by fines assessed in federal criminal convictions, and it established provisions to assist state programs that compensated the victims of crimes. The compensation system is still in existence, having distributed over $1 billion in funds since it began.
The statute, codified at 42 U.S.C.A. § 10601, was a direct result of a task force set up by the Justice Department under the auspices of President Ronald Reagan called the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, the report issued by the task force in 1982 was harshly critical of existing victims-compensation programs. "In many states, program availability is not advertised for fear of depleting available resources or overtaxing a numerically inadequate staff. Victim claims might have to wait months until sufficient fines have been collected or until a new fiscal year begins and the budgetary fund is replenished," according to the report.
VOCA established the Crime Victim's Fund, which is supported by all fines that are collected from persons who have been convicted of offenses against the United States, except for fines that are collected through certain environmental statues and other fines that are specifically designated for certain accounts, such as the Postal Service Fund. The fund also includes special assessments collected for various federal crimes under 18 USC § 3613, the proceeds of forfeited appearance bonds, bail bonds, and collateral collected, any money ordered to be paid into the fund under section 3671(c)(2) of Title 18; and any gifts, bequests, or donations to the fund from private entities or individuals.
The first $10 million from the fund, plus an added amount depending on how much has been deposited in the fund for that fiscal year, goes to child-abuse prevention and treatment programs. After that, such sums as may be necessary are made available for the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to improve services for the benefit of crime victims in the federal criminal justice system, and for a Victim Notification System.
The Office for Victims of Crimes has chosen this year's theme to be: "New Challenges. New Solutions." The mission of the OVC's strategic initiative is called Vision 21: Transforming Victims Services in the 21st century for the new millennium.
According to Joye E. Frost, the Acting Director for the Office for Victims of Crimes, "in spite of all our progress, victims' rights laws in all 50 states, the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and the more than 10,000 victim service agencies throughout the United States of America--there are still enduring and emerging challenges for victims of crimes in America."
About 50 percent of violent crimes are not reported, and only a fraction of victims receive the help they need. There are still ongoing investigations to know and find out more about these victimss, how to help them in the best way, and how the victims' services can be targeted to reach every victim. While adapting to funding cuts, globalization, changing demographics, new types of violent crimes, and the changes (both good and bad) brought by technology. These 21st century new challenges call for bold, new solutions.
The promise and commitment of our Vision 21, will pave the way to the ongoing work with victims during the 2013 National Crime Victims' Rights Week, in order to transform victims' services in the 21st century--Office for Victims of Crime, Joye E. Frost, Acting Director
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Illinois Victims of Crimes Compensation and Victims' Assistance During The New Year 2013
Your Reference: Illinois Victims of Crimes Compensation and Restitution for Mrs. Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) and the late Mr. Roberto Hung Juris Doctor (Deceased), Lombard resident homeowner, Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Violence Against Women, Illinois Domestic Violence, Kidnappings, Torture, Physical Abuse, Burglary, and Abuse of Human Rights in Housing Under The Law at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard, near St. Pius X Catholic Church Parish, in District 5, York Township, Du Page County, Illinois 60148 USA. Mailing Address in care of Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler), Post Office Box 1274, Lombard, Illinois60148-8274.
Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes Mrs. Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) Is Petitioning General Assistance as a Lombard Resident Homeowner Victim of Crimes during January 2013 and the New Year.
On January 2, 2013, Diane Arturi at the York Township Community Center is refusing to
provide General Assistance for Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) as a Lombard Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Violence Against Women, and Illinois Domestic Violence, after Gardenia C. Hung has been a Lombard resident homeowner, taxpayer for the last twenty (20) years in District 5, York Township, DuPage County, Illinois 60148-3028 USA. During the conversation with Diane Arturi at 11:45 a.m. after I submitted the December 2012 Job Search form and letters received, Diane Arturi began to scream at me by the front Reception Desk and stated that she did not have to provide any General Assistance to me, Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) in January 2013 and during
the New Year.
I am still petitioning General Assistance from the York Township Community
Center as a Lombard resident homeowner, Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Violence Against Women, and Illinois Domestic Violence. My name is Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler), a Lombard resident homeowner, Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Violence Against Women, Domestic Violence, Conspiracy as a Lombard resident homeowner at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard, and the registered business Communications, Languages & Culture Inc. at 502 South Westmore-Meyers
Road and Washington Boulevard, in District 5, York Township, DuPage County, Illinois 60148-3028 USA.
I am writing to report that Diane Arturi at the York Township Community Center is
refusing to provide General Assistance and disburse a payment for Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) as a Lombard Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Burglary, Conspiracy, Abuse, Kidnappings, Torture, Physical Violence, and Robbery during 20 years of Lombard residency as a homeowner and taxpayer in the Village of Lombard near St. Pius X Catholic Church Parish in DuPage County, Illinois USA.
For your information, Diane Arturi at the York Township Community Center has not mailed any letter or correspondence stating that she is refusing to provide General Assistance to Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) as a Lombard resident homeowner, Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Violence Against Women, and Illinois Domestic Violence during January 2013 and throughout the New Year.
I, Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) have not received any official letter or correspondence from Diane Arturi to date from the York Township Community Center or the Village of Lombard Victims’ Assistance Program. Wherefore, I, Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) continue to petition and request General Assistance from the York Township Community Center and the Village of Lombard as an Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Violence Against Women, and Illinois Domestic Violence.
Under the Constitution of the State of Illinois, I, Gardenia C. Hung, I am entitled to Illinois
Crime Victims Compensation, Restitution, and General Assistance as a Lombard Victim of
Heinous Hate Crime.
Section 8.1. Crime Victims’ Rights
(a) Crime victims, as defined by law, shall have the following rights as provided by law:
(1) The right to be treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy throughout the criminal justice process.
(2) The right to notification of court proceedings.
(3) The right to communicate with the prosecution.
(4) The right to make a statement to the court at sentencing.
(5) The right to information about the conviction, sentence, imprisonment, and release of the accused.
(6) The right to timely disposition of the case following the arrest of the accused.
(7) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused throughout the criminal justice process.
(8) The right to be present at the trial and all other court proceedings on the same basis as the accused, unless the victim is to testify and the court determines that the victim’s testimony would be materially affected if the victim hears other testimony at the trial.
(9) The right to have present at all court proceedings, subject to the rules of evidence, and advocate and other support person of the victim’s choice.
(10) The right to restitution.
(b) The Illinois General Assembly may provide by law the enforcement of this Section.
(c) The Illinois General Assembly may provide for an assessment against convicted defendants to pay for crime victims’ rights.
(d) Nothing in this Section or in any law enacted under this Section shall be construed as creating a basis for vacating a conviction or a ground for appellate relief in any criminal case. (Section 8.1 added by the Seventh Amendment to the Constitution. Approved by the November 3, 1992, effective November 23, 1992.)
Section 12. Right to Remedy and Justice
Every person shall find a certain remedy in the laws for all injuries and wrongs which he receives to his/her person, privacy, property or reputation. He/She shall obtain justice by law, freely, completely, promptly.
Section 15. Right to Eminent Domain
Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation as provided by law. Such compensation shall be determined by a jury provided by law.
I, Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) do hereby petition Illinois Victims of Crimes Compensation and Restitution of personal, family assets, and business real property as a Lombard resident homeowner in District 5, York Township, Du Page County, Illinois USA.My name is Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler).I am an Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes currently homeless as a Lombard resident homeowner after purchasing Lombard real estate property at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road and Washington Boulevard with my late Father Mr. Roberto Hung Juris Doctor on September 2nd, 1993 and subsequent years 1994, 1995, 1996, when my Father, Mr. Roberto Hung suffered from a criminal Traumatic Brain Injury and Aneurysm after a blunt hit to the head while he was eating after 9:30 p.m. on December 21-22, 1996.
My Father, Roberto Hung was hospitalized at Good Samaritan Advocate Hospital in Downers Grove, Edwards Hospital, ManorCare Nursing Home, and at the Marianjoy Community Rehabilitation Center in Naperville; as well as at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital and Vencor Northlake Hospital where Roberto Hung was violently throttled and bludgeoned by Respiratory Therapist Ben Aguilar while the patient was asleep, under the medical care of Dr. Raied N. Abdullah, M.D. and Dr. Paul Grodzin, M.D., Nurse Janelle Nance Director of Nursing, Dr. Frankle, M.D., and Dr. Oliveras, M.D., with other medical staff at Vencor Northlake Hospital, 365 East North Avenue, in the City of Northlake, Illinois USA. Since Mr. Roberto Hung was fully insured by The Principal Group, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Medicare, COBRA, Physicians Mutual, and other private health insurance, his healthcare was covered in the State of Illinois.After my Father’s medical murder at Vencor Northlake Hospital, the Lombard real estate property at 502 South Westmore-Meyers Road was criminally damaged by Lombard Disaster Roofing Water and Structural Damages to existing wooden structures during 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.
Since November 5, 2008, the Village of Lombard has been abusing my Lombard resident homeowner’s civil rights in housing under the law when Keith Steiskal and Lombard Fire Chief George Seagraves, and Lombard Police Chief Raymond Byrne have failed to provide Court Notices, Summons, and legal correspondence, while disposing of my personal and business real property and family assets from the private Lombard family home owned by Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) and Family, without any authorization and consent.I have not received any Lombard real estate compensation, restitution and/or payment as a Lombard resident homeowner, Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Burglary, Thieving, and Abuse of Human Rights in Housing Under The Law.
For your reference, during 2012, the Lombard real estate property at 502 S. Westmore Avenue was sold by REMAX Achiever Realtor Kathy Volpe for only $50,000US to MANCO Home Builder without paying the Lombard resident Gardenia C. Hung (Wittler) any equity for Lombard real estate property holdings from 1993 through 2012.Now, J.W. Reedy Realtor Tom Fosnot, Jr., at 1136 South Main Street, Lombard IL60148 has sold the Lombard real estate property again, now in the process of closing the transaction.I have been petitioning Illinois Victim of Crimes Compensation and Restitution as a Lombard Resident Homeowner near St. Pius X Catholic Church Parish, District 5, York Township, Du Page County, Illinois USA.
I am currently a homeless Lombard resident homeowner, Illinois Victim of Heinous Hate Crimes, Violence Against Women, Illinois Domestic Violence, and Abuse of Human Rights in Housing Under The Law seeking Victims of Crimes Compensation in the Court of Claims under the Crime Victims Compensation Act, 740 ILCS 45/1, et seq. (2000).
Please support my petition for Illinois Victims of Crime Compensation and Restitution under the Constitution of the State of Illinois and the United States of America.
Sincerely,
(Reserved Signature)
Gardenia C. Hung
Post Office Box 1274
Lombard, Illinois 60148-8274
United States of America
Thursday: January 3, 3013
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