Chaps my @$$!!!

[Black Bullitt]

I found this on one of my mustang forums I'm one. Pissed me right off for the day.

December 30, 2007
Equal justice for a Marine?
Thomas Lifson

Marine Sgt Mike McNulty, on activation orders to Iraq (his second tour), and leaving January 2nd, is about to suffer a grave injustice. An anti-military lawyer, apparently angy at the Marine Corps, damaged Sgt. McNulty's personal vehicle, seeing Marine Corps identification. Now the lawyer is gaming the system, and forced to leace for Iraq, Sgt. McNulty is unable to pursue the legal remedies to which he is entitled.

Blackfive offers a detailed account, and supplies a copy of the police report on the incident:

Victim related to P/O that as he walked back to his vehicle, he observed the offender leaning up against his vehicle and rubbed/dragged his left arm and hand across the passenger side. As offender walked away from victim's vehicle, victim observed a scratch along the rear trunk and passenger's door area where offender dragged his arm and hand over. Victim and witness stopped offender and confronted him. Victim has military plates and decals on his vehicle and offender made anti war and military comments to victim. Upon P/O's arrival to scene, offender denied scratch victim's vehicle, but did admit to rubbing past it. Victim at this time did not sign complaint, because he is leaving tour for military duty. Offender said they accused him of scratching the car because he is Jewish. Offender's statements/responses to P/O's questions unreasonable.
I am infuriated.

Anti-Military Lawyer Damages Marine's Car on Eve of Deployment
Posted By Blackfive

This ought to make your blood boil. And this Marine should receive a commendation for not kicking the living crap out of the guy...seriously.

Marine Sgt Mike McNulty is on activation orders to Iraq (second tour). On December 1st, 2007, Mike went to visit a friend in Chicago before deploying to say goodbye. In order to get to his friend's residence, and keep in mind that Chicago is a myriad of diagonal and one-way streets, the front entrance (right way) to the one-way street was blocked. Mike, being a Marine, overcame and adapted by driving around the block to the other end of the street and backing up all the way to his friend's place.

While saying goodbye, at about 11am, he noticed a man leaning up against his car. Mike left his friend's apartment and caught the man keying his car on multiple sides.



After caught in the process, the man told Mike, "you think you can do whatever you want with Department of Defense license plates and tags". (In Illinois you can purchase veteran, Marine, or medal plates. Mike has Illinois Marine Corps license plates.) During the exchange, he made additional anti-military comments.

Mike called the Chicago police and had the man arrested. A citation against the man was issued for misdemeanor criminal damage to private property.

The police report (and I have copies if needed) states:

Victim related to P/O that as he walked back to his vehicle, he observed the offender leaning up against his vehicle and rubbed/dragged his left arm and hand across the passenger side. As offender walked away from victim's vehicle, victim observed a scratch along the rear trunk and passenger's door area where offender dragged his arm and hand over. Victim and witness stopped offender and confronted him. Victim has military plates and decals on his vehicle and offender made anti war and military comments to victim. Upon P/O's arrival to scene, offender denied scratch victim's vehicle, but did admit to rubbing past it. Victim at this time did not sign complaint, because he is leaving tour for military duty. Offender said they accused him of scratching the car because he is Jewish. Offender's statements/responses to P/O's questions unreasonable.

As it turns out, the man is Chicago lawyer Jay R. Grodner, who owns a law firm in the city and has offices in the suburbs.

After sending the car to the body shop, it was determined there is $2400 in damage, making this a felony. Mike went to court Friday morning to collect the damages against Mr. Grodner and file felony charges. Though the damages are over $300 (the amount which determines felony or misdemeanor) Grodner offered Mike to pay his deductible, $100, and have Mike's insurance pay for it.

The Illinois States Attorneys tried to coerce Mike into accepting the offer. Appalled, Mike said he wanted this to be a felony. The state told Mike that it was not worth pursuing felony damage against Grodner because they don't have the time. In addition, the state prosecutors told him that he would never it 'would be difficult to recover the damages' from Grodner because he is a lawyer.

Instead, the State asked Mike if he would accept probation for Grodner. Mike accepted, probation was offered to Grodner, and Grodner declined the offer, saying within ear shot of Mike, "I'm not going to make it easy on this kid". Mike's next court date is tomorrow, Monday, December 31st, to pursue misdemeanor charges against Grodner.

Mike's leave is over on January 2nd when he reports to Camp Pendleton before heading to Iraq.

Jay Grodner knows this and is going to file for a continuance until Mike is gone and cannot appear in court.

By account of the Illinois State's Attorneys, Grodner is likely to get away with defacing Mike's car with no penalty because, 1) Mike is about to deploy to Iraq and will not be available to appear in court, and 2) Grodner is a lawyer and can get out of this very easily.

[WillT]

http://www.clr.org/Grodner-Jay.html

[gsh341]

If I remember correctly (and he may wish to contact his JAG office about this) according to the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act, all court cases involving deployed or deploying service members are held in limbo indefinitely until the service member can appear, unless the case is a felony committed by the service member. In the case of a service member committing a felony, the case will proceed and the service member cannot deploy.

This means that even if this Marine is deployed for years, he can still pursue legal action against the lawyer after returning stateside.

[tomfoolery]

i hope karma bites that lawyer in the butt. its one thing to damage someones property but another level of low to do it to someone wo defends your freedoms and EVEN LOWER to prey on the fact that he has to leave the country on deployment.

[trelane]

The Illinois Bar Association can be contacted about this. You might also call up the Marine Corps public affairs office, and any current or former Marines you know. Also contact your congress critter, their congress critter, and senators as appropriate.

[Cumminalong]

First, I have to say that I highly commend this guys self restraint in not beating this idiot to death. I don't think I could have resisted sticking him in the 5" tailpipe of my Cummins and giving him a taste of the Black Cloud of Diesel Death.

Second, while I'm not fan of vigilante actions (well, sort of).....pay back is a mother.

That's one of the things you just don't do. Don't mess with a man's family, don't mess with his house and don't mess with his car. Do any of those don'ts and you get what you get.

Double that if you're the coward who screws with a man that defends your rights to act like a coward and then hides behind a vail of legal hoola hoops.

How's it go? The pen is mightier than the sword.....

Yeah, but the sword will cut off the hand holding the pen.

[Dave Starr]

From www.moonbattery.com

Car-Keying Lawyer Update

Here's an encouraging update on Jay Grodner, the Chicago lawyer who keyed the car of Marine Sergeant Mike McNulty, apparently to express his hatred for our armed forces. A Blackfive reader reports:

Sgt McNulty was called forward by the State's Attorney in order to discuss the case. I am not sure what transpired behind the closed doors, however, I overheard the State's Attorney expressing her intent to prosecute this guy to the fullest extent. It seems as if BlackFive is the sole catalyst to this story getting out and I am sure Sgt McNulty has probably heard the effect of yours and other blogs from the results of today's proceedings to include several Marines and civilians who showed up in his support.

Jay R Grodner was called before court and in his absence, the Judge issued a warrant for his arrest effective immediately. Sgt McNulty was departing the court when Grodner rolled in to the courtroom more pathetic than anyone I had ever seen. The Judge had questioned him on his tardiness and he explained that traffic had been busy and he 'made a wrong turn'. The Judge chastised him for his tardiness, pathetic excuses, and that he was lucky the warrant had not been executed prior to his arrival.

It seems the blogosphere has put the ball in Sgt McNulty's court. Furthermore, it is also apparent that the State's Attorney's Office has decided to take this matter on a much more serious level. A new and very aggressive State's Attorney seems to have a genuine interest in pursuing this case to the extent that it warrants.

It looks like Grodner's plan to get off because McNulty will be too busy fighting terrorists in Iraq to testify isn't working out so well, now that authorities are no longer blowing off the incident. Hats off to Blackfive for inspiring readers to apply some pressure.
On tips from Conan and Conservative Belle.

[Black Bullitt]

Thanks for the update. I hope Sgt McNulty's attorney nails this scum bag.

[Cumminalong]

That's good to hear.

Although, I don't see why he couldn't have been deposed and given his testimony while deployed, it's not that uncommon.

The only time that his deployment should have been a factor would be if HE was the one with the charges on him.

Because it's on someone else, he should be able to give his statements from theater.

I'm by no means a lawyer, but his lawyer in this should have been able to keep him from even having to step into the court room.

[Cannibul]

I would hope that some NOLOAD (No Longer On Active Duty) Marines will meet up with this shyster as he stumbles out of some gin joint early some morning. And administer some of that good old USMC Wall to Wall NJP.