EJF comments
From: "Dr. Charles E. Corry"
EJF newsletter - Don't throw your crayons 11/5/04
From: "Dr. Charles E. Corry"
EJF newsletter - Don't throw your crayons 11/5/04
The ridiculousness and stupidity of "domestic violence" laws continues to sink to new lows as witness the following story from Avon, in Eagle County, Colorado near Vail:
Avon school principal's husband arrested for throwing crayonsAbstracted from an article in the October 10, 2004, issue of Speakout!Story by Mike Cacioppo and used with permissionAccording to a Town of Avon police report, Kimberly Walter, the principal of Meadow Mountain Elementary School, dialed 911 on October 4th and hung up. However, the police dispatcher sent an Avon cop to her home where she told Officer Jonathon Lovins that she and her husband, Richard, were having an argument about finances. According to Lovins' report, they "get into arguments about once a month."According to the school district, Kimberly Walter earns approximately $70,938 annually, plus $12,059 in annual benefits. Plus, she recently received a check for approximately $9,000 from the school district's recent additional cost of living increase."Kimberly said the arguments sometimes get heated like this, but she just picks up the phone as if she is going to call 911, and that usually calms Richard down and ends the argument," Lovins wrote.The report continued: "Kimberly said there was no hitting or pushing, but Richard did throw a box of crayons across the room."The thrown crayons resulted in "minor crayon marks" about "5 to 6 inches above the table," according to Lovins' report.*Lovins then walked Richard Francis outside the home and cuffed him before taking him to the Eagle County jail. **"Kimberly was upset that I arrested Richard," Lovins wrote. "Kimberly told me that she would now never call 911, unless she was getting the crap beat out of her."
* The officer searched their home without a warrant.** A warrantless arrest is mandatory when "probable cause" is found. At least a night in jail is required, with an average of 5 days, though we've heard of many cases where the man spends 15-26 days in jail in such cases before being given a hearing and allowed to bond out.
In similar cases: From Naples, Florida, we hear of a man being arrested for DV after throwing a doughnut. From Rhode Island a police officer's wife tells us her next door neighbor was arrested on DV charges for flicking a cigarette butt to the ground in their driveway in a contemptuous manner in front of his wife.But Eagle County seems to be constructing a special niche for itself in male persecution, the Kobe Bryant case simply being the most famous one recently. Among many other inane cases, in 2000 an enamored swain took on some liquid courage in Avon with the intent of asking his girlfriend to marry him. Instead they got into a loud argument and the neighbors called the police, who then maced him, handcuffed him, beat him, and threw him down stairs (see Avon cops accused of abuse). In another case an Eagle County woman had her boyfriend arrested and then went to visit him in jail the next day. The Eagle County DA then charged the man with violating a restraining order. And these are just a few of many such cases there.I often wonder about couples who have never so much as had a pillow fight, or thrown each other down on the bed or a couch and wrestled and made love. What sad relationships those must be! But now, of course, such fun and games are "domestic violence."One of the most astounding things, however, is how rare real violence is in "domestic violence" cases. Both defense and prosecution attorneys tell me that real violence only occurs in about 3% of the cases that come before the courts.Colorado, presently leading the nation, and likely the world, in draconian and insane laws against domestic violence, has just elected a Democratic House and Senate. One can reasonably predict even more totalitarian laws against men, marriage, and families in the coming two years as a result. Already restraining orders outnumber marriages in this state.I am left aghast at the folly of these laws and the representatives who pass them!Charles E. Corry, Ph.D., F.G.S.A.
The mailing list of the Equal Justice Foundation is not distributed to third parties. Occasionally members are put in touch with other individuals on our mailing list when there are known common interests or problems. In normal circumstances permission is requested of the third party before disclosing their e-mail address. Prior permission is not sought if referral is made to another group or individual working on the same, or related problems, and that group or individual is known to seek such referrals.
______________________________________________Charles E. Corry, Ph.D., F.G.S.A.
President, Equal Justice Foundation http://www.ejfi.org/
455 Bear Creek Road
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906-5820
Telephone: (719) 520-1089
Domestic violence against men in Colorado: http://www.dvmen.org
Personal home page: http://corry.wsCurriculum vitae: http://www.marquiswhoswho.net/charleselmocorry/Default.aspxThe good men may do separately is small compared with what they may do collectively.Benjamin Franklin
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