http://www.sightings.com/general10/real.htm
The McGuckin Family Of
Idaho - The Real Story
>From Rayelan [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Rumor Mill News
http://www.rumormillnews.com
6-3-1
The bulk of this release has been composed over the last two days. As you
will see, it is our contention that this is a land grab, and the the
children and the international media attention got in the way.
Well, we just moments ago learned that we were more right than we thought
and certain members of Bonner County government are intimately involved in
the foreclosure, seizure and disposal of the McGuckin property to pave the
way for a real estate development.
Apparently, the McGuckins, who the media reported had no water, are sitting
on the best source of clean water in the area and that source is sufficient
enough supply several sites with water. We will not comment further on this
aspect of the story until we have more information. But, what we will be
reporting soon is the real story here and it may be explosive enough to
really damage some very big players in Bonner County government.
Stay tuned,
Rayelan
The McGuckin Story
By Don Harkins
The McGuckin story, which, as I will explain, epitomizes both the arrogance
of county government and the power of network dominant media. The story,
which on the surface seems like a simple state-
concern-for-the-welfare-of-children case, is incredibly complex. I believe
that it boils down to a four (or more) year persecution of an unfortunate
family that has a really neat, and possibly strategic, 40- acre piece of
property with a pristine lake. This entire travesty would never have made
more than a few lines of the local evening news if it had not been for one
thing: The McGuckin children sicced their dogs on the "authorities" and made
a stand.
Since the Idaho Observer keeps its office within 17 miles of the "standoff"
and, since no other media in the area has the editorial license to tell the
truth and, since millions of people all over the world are fixated on
understanding the truth behind this surreal scenario, I will place things
into proper perspective. My wife Ingri and I were able to gain the proper
perspective by riding with Joann McGuckin's (former) attorney Edgar Steele
while he delivered a letter that withdrew his representation from this case
and when we discovered that a bond reduction hearing that had been scheduled
for 4 p.m. had been postponed until Monday, June 4, 2001 amid strange
circumstances.
Rather than turn this into a series of newsstories, this is just going to be
Don talking. There will be a mixture of facts that can be verified by
documentation and my own interpretation of events based upon my knowledge of
the characters involved and other stories that I have covered which are
connected or related. I will, however, break each segment down under a
headline to make things easier to explain.
To fully understand the McGuckin story, it would be best to obtain copies of
the November and May editions of The Idaho Observer wherein we reported the
christening of the Cutthroat (a 110 foot unmanned submarine that is now
being used for research in Lake Pend Oreille) and the Parkison story wherein
another Bonner county family was squeezed for several years until they lost
their property. I also suggest that you obtain a copy of the September, 2000
edition of The Spectrum newspaper (1-877-280-2866) wherein some interesting
clues regarding this region's importance to sophisticated technology
research are found.
It appears that the veneer of propriety on the part of the state is
extremely thin in this case. Now that the "standoff" has ended, it will be a
matter of simple investigation to prove that the McGuckin's land was stolen
from them illegally and that the charges of child neglect alleged by Bonner
County Prosecutor Phil Robinson were fabrications that are not supported by
evidence.
Breaking News - The "standoff" has ended
By the evening of June 2, 2001, the standoff ended peacefully and the five
remaining children have been taken to Bonner General Hospital where they
were to spend the night. Three persons, including a family friend and
neighbor whom the children trusted, made contact with the children and it
was that contact which ultimately led to their decision to come out. Bonner
County Sheriff Phil Jarvis claims that he sent word to the children that
they would not be separated if he has anything to say about it. The three
mediators also gave the kids a note from their mother in jail. It is
reported that the note allegedly from mom was what compelled them to go with
"authorities." Jarvis' promise that they would not be separated may not be
his to keep as the children are now in thecustody of state child welfare
workers who have made no such promises to the children.
By all reports the children were all in fine shape physically and mentally
were in good spirits when they left their home. The children were taken to
the hospital where they would all be given physicals. It is also likely that
the hospital staff was be ordered to administer vaccines to make them
current with state recommended vaccination regimen. If the children are
healthy now and then begin to experience adverse reactions to vaccines, I am
concerned that the mother will somehow be blamed for the delayed reaction of
ill health and that the introduction of toxic substances directly into their
blood streams will not be considered as the cause. I am also concerned that
the "authorities" will, in their attempts to pacify the children's emotional
needs, start feeding them a bunch of junk food which will exascerbate
vaccine-related health complications and compromise their psychological
equanimnity. There is still no word on when Joann McGuckin will be released
from jail though it appears there is no reason to continue holding her
because her children are obviously not the victims of neglect as alleged in
the complaint filed by Bonner County Prosecutor Phil Robinson May 29, 2001.
Myths and fabrications:
1. The children have no food and are eating lilly pad soup. This is not true
as more than one person reports that the children have plenty of food.
2. The children have no heat. This is north Idaho. They have wood and a wood
stove.
3. The children have no electricity. The house has electricity that is
hooked up and paid for.
4. The family has 27 vicious and hungry dogs running wild and hunting in a
pack. The number is probably closer to 15 dogs that are more protective than
they are vicious.
5. The children are victims of neglect. Though they may not live in a family
like yours, these kids are not behaving like neglected kids. These kids love
each other, their deceased father, their mother and their home.
6. Joann McGuckin spends her money on alcohol. There is no evidence of this.
7. The children are armed. Benjamin said "go get the guns" to start this
standoff. Since that time nobody has seen them brandishing any weapons.
Benjamin, however, has allegedly admitted that there were five guns in the
house.
8. Joann McGuckin has mental problems and does not trust the government.
Joann has lost her husband, she has been slipping into poverty for the last
several years as her husband's health deteriorated and has been in full
knowledge that the loss of her home was imminent. Intrusive government has
not attempted to help her, it has been attempted to remove her from the
property by a variety of means. Then, charges of child neglect are
fabricated, she is tricked by police into being arrested, she is thrown in
jail and her kids decide to defend their home. How would you feel?
9. The children must be taken into custody for their own protection because
there is no place else for them to go. A family friend of ten years whom the
children trust and like, who lives 30 minutes away on a 140 acre ranch has
offered to take the children in but the state will not allow them to because
they are not "licensed."
10. Benjamin "gave himself up to authorities." Benjamin had apparently left
the house on a recon mission two days previously. He was unable to cross the
police line and his coming into police custody more closely resembles
capture than a voluntary surrender. Since he was taken into custody, nobody
but "authorities" have had access to him.
11. The bond reduction hearing was canceled because of a power outage in the
courthouse. The hearing was to take place at Bonner County Jail, not at the
courthouse. There was a TV setup at the courthouse for media members who
were going to watch the hearing from that location. There had been no power
outage at the courthouse as of 4:20 p.m. when Ingri and I left. At 3:55 p.m.
we learned that Judge Heise was still in the building and that Dublic
Defender Bryce Powell was nowhere to be found.
12. Ed Steele had his license to practice law in Idaho suspended. Ed never
mentioned such a thing and it does not stand to reason that he would
volunteer to represent McGuckin in this high profile manner if he was going
to be prevented from representing her in court. Steele said that he has not
been informed that he is not longer licensed to practice law in Idaho.
13. The children are unhealthy and malnourished. There is no evidence to
suggest this is true. The children appear to be healthy, vibrant and
intelligent. Benjamin was given a physical after being taken into custody
and is reportedly in excellent health. Benjamin reported that there is
plenty of food and water in the house.
14. The children have been home schooled and taught to be suspicious of the
government. Both of these things might be true, however the media spin is
negative where I see nothing but positives. The children were smart enough
to not be taken into custody by police who had tricked their mother into
going to jail and had sold their property at auction when it appears that
the foreclosure, seizure and sale of the property was conducted illegally.
It would appear that being suspicious of government is a survival skill that
all children should be taught. They are survivors, they are close-knit and
they have proven to be more capable than most children who attend public
school.
15. The father died of malnutrition and dehydration. This may be partially
true, but persons who suffer for years from the ravages of degenerative
disease may not feel like eating or drinking the last few days or weeks of
their lives. It would be absurd to conclude that the last four years of his
declining health was because he decided to starve himself and not drink
water.
Steele withdraws from McGuckin case-for now:
SANDPOINT, June 1, 2001-At 2:30 p.m. today Attorney Edgar Steele hand
delivered a letter to public defender Bryce Powell and Joann McGuckin that
announced his withdrawal from the case. Steele, who I must say is a personal
friend of mine, has stated to me that he would rather not practice law in
the courts of north Idaho because it has been his experience that law is not
the most important part of the judicial equation here. The fact that he
decided to try to help this woman and her six children was, in my
estimation, a purely selfless and noble gesture on his part.
Steele had an excellent visit with McGuckin May 31. McGuckin thanked Steele
for representing her without charge and definitely, according to Steele,
wanted him to represent her and the children in matters not related to
Robinson's criminal complaint. He learned a lot and found that there were
several areas that he could be of service to her because she and her family
had been given a raw deal with regard to the loss of the property. Powell
was representing her on the absurd criminal charges of felonious injury to
children. Steele was up until midnight researching and studying documents
pertaining to the case and working out a strategy. The following morning he
was unable to talk to her; she only wanted to communicate with Steele
through written memoranda and a couple of people friendly to McGuckin were
suddenly noncommunicative. Steele said that he cannot adequately represent
her under these conditions. He did tell Ingri and I that he left the door
open for her, though, and that if she was able to get her thoughts together
when things calm down, he would be glad to reconsider.
Based upon what we can infer from the characters involved, the fact that
Powell is a young attorney trying to make a living in a tightly controlled
small town legal environment, that he is very likely in way over his head in
this case and that he must listen to the local power clique to have a future
practicing law in Bonner county, it would appear that Powell convinced
McGuckin to dissuade Steele, an extremely competant attorney who cannot be
controlled by the local power clique, from digging into the injustices that
have been done to the McGuckins.
After delivering the letter to McGuckin through her jailers, Steele was
stopped by the news media to give on camera interviews. In anticipation of
the bond reduction hearing scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. (it was at this time
3 p.m.) there were several local and national news teams and two satelite
trucks waiting around in the Bonner County Sheriff's Department parking lot.
Steele very eloquently and accurately said several things to the news media
that would have made all concerned Americans very proud. When asked what he
thought would be the best resolution of this matter, Steele said that
McGuckin should be let out of jail immediately so she can go home to her
kids and the police should go home to their families. He also indicated that
it was his belief that Bonner County Prosecutor Phil Robinson's charges of
child abuse were unfounded and demonstrably false.
Bond reduction hearing delayed:
SANDPOINT, June 1, 2001-A bond reduction hearing for Joann McGuckin that had
been scheduled to take place at the Bonner County Jail at 4 p.m. here today
in the court of Magistrate Judge Heise has been postponed until Monday, June
4 because public defender Bryce Powell was nowhere to be found. McGuckin,
45, was arrested through deception by the Bonner County Sheriff's Department
Tuesday after Bonner County Prosecutor Phil Robinson filed a complaint
against McGuckin for felonious injury to children. McGuckin is being held on
$100,000 bond though most of the charges Robinson alleged against McGuckin
have been demonstrated to be false.
Bond is a mechanism that is used to protect the community from the accused
if they are at risk for fleeing prosecution or pose a danger to the
community. McGuckin is not a danger to the community and the likelihood that
she would flee the area and leave her children behind is so remote as to be
absurd to contemplate. Therefore it would appear that $100,000 bond is
excessive and put in place to keep her in jail so that she does not have the
opportunity to speak to the press, have unmonitored access to legal counsel
or have contact with her children.
Local and national media with satellite uplinks were positioned at the jail
and Court room 2 at the Bonner County Courthouse in anticipation of the
hearing. Ingri and I were with several other reporters in the courthouse at
3:30 p.m. when it was learned that Judge Heise was still on site because
Powell was nowhere to be found though he was well aware of the hearing time,
date and location. It was learned later that he had been out attempting to
talk the children into giving themselves up. I believe that he was there
doing that, but that it was an excuse to not be present at the bond
reduction hearing at the jail. I believe that his controllers, the county
that appointed him to represent McGuckin in this case, arranged his not
being present for the hearing so that they could continue the hearing to
Monday. I think they wanted a couple days to think, hoping that something
magical would bring the standoff to an end before Monday. The more
conspiratorial side of me is concerned that she will be psychologically
manipulated into saying things that will compromise public perception of her
in a negative way.
The kids: Kathryn, 16, Banjamin, 14, Mary, 13, James, 11, Fred, 9 and Jane,
8 I have heard several people say that the kids, though sometimes a little
dirty, are nice, a little shy, but polite, intelligent and well spoken. It
sounds like these children should be used as poster children for the
benefits of home schooling rather than being labeled as outcasts unfit to
function in polite society. I for one, am proud of the McGuckin children and
hope to meet them some day and tell them so.
Conclusions to date:
This is a land grab case not a child abuse case. The kids are fine except
that their father is dead and the police tricked their mom into being
arrested on charges of felonious injury to children that are either bold
faced lies or baseless accusations. In either event there is no evidence to
support the charges against Joann McGuckin, there is no reason for her to be
in jail and there is no justification of $100,000 bond as she is not s
flight risk or a danger to society.
The McGuckin property, which has a homestead exemption and is worth nearly
$500,000, was seized for $5,000 in back taxes and sold at auction for
$50,000. It appears that the McGuckins have been under attack for at least
four years and the intent was to steal their property. I personally believe
the attack was subtle, and conducted with the use of sophisticated
technologies that to most people are the stuff of science fiction. They
became increasingly reclusive, I think, because nobody would believe them if
they told them what was going on and they were afraid that people would
think they were crazy.
So, the two components of this surrealistic scene is the provably illegal
seizure and disposal of their property and the provably fabricated charges
of child abuse and neglect. The veneer is so thin that when this thing
begins to unravel, the corruption and arrogance behind this property theft
will become obvious. I was a disappointed that though there are millions of
people talking about this, the public was not represented at the jail or the
courthouse. The only people on hand were media types. I guess people wish to
be angered by the events by understanding the issue through the eyes of the
dominant media.
Copies of the complaint of child neglect filed by Bonner County Prosecutor
Phil Robinson (CR-01-01116) can be obtained by calling the Bonner County
Courthouse at: (208) 265-1432. The Idaho Observer will FAX a copy. Call
(208) 255-2307.
The Bonner County Prosecutor, Phil Robinson, can also be reached at the
above number.
Don Harkins is the editor of The Idaho Observer, a monthy tabloid- sized,
24-page newspaper that seeks to report the truth of events that are shaping
the socio/political, spiritual and economic demise of our our once free
nation. For back issues or subscription information, contact The Idaho
Observer at: (208) 255-2307 or by visiting the website at:
http://www.proliberty.com/observer
The Idaho Observer PO Box 457 Spirit Lake, Idaho 83869 (208) 255-2307
[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.proliberty.com/observer
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