PRESS RELEASE - IMMEDIATE June 6, 2001, 2:00 p.m., Sagle, Idaho
Contact:
Edgar J. Steele, McGuckin Family Lawyer-in-Exile
Thousands wouldn’t believe you, Phil, but don’t worry – I do.
Sandpoint,
Idaho. The time has come to
directly address the many false representations made about the McGuckin case by
local government, as personified by the Prosecuting Attorney, Phil Robinson.
By way of doing so, Edgar J.
Steele, the McGuckin Family Lawyer-in-Exile
releases the following open letter, since Mr. Robinson refuses to communicate
with him in private.
Dear Phil,
Well, it’s been a pretty wild ride so far, hasn’t it?
Guess you didn’t expect it to turn into quite the media circus that it
has become. Of course, if those
kids hadn’t possessed the moxie
to defy your storm troopers, this whole affair would have gone down without a
hitch, with nobody the wiser, wouldn’t it?
I can appreciate why you might be worried now, particularly since you
swore, under penalty of perjury before Magistrate Heise, to so many things that
so many people now claim are so false.
Like that business about there being no power to the house?
Northern Lights, the utility company, said it was hooked up and working
all along, but they must be mistaken. They
don’t seem to believe you, Phil, but don’t
worry – I do.
And about the kids starving and having no food in the house?
The people at the Food Bank, who gave them 200 pounds of food the week
prior, don’t seem to believe you. Nor
do the good people at Bonner General Hospital, who examined the kids after being
holed up in the bathroom of that little house for five days while under siege
from their own government, yet pronounced
them to be “in good health.” But
don’t worry, Phil – I believe you.
And about that lily pad soup you said the kids were cooking up in their
back yard over the camp fire? I
know many people have researched it and claim it’s not true because lily pads
are poisonous and the kids would all be dead now, so they must not believe you,
either. Don’t worry, though, Phil
– I believe you.
And about the husband, Michael, dying of malnutrition and dehydration,
the same things you say the kids are suffering from?
I hear that Mr. Coffelt, the coroner, has now recanted and says the death
certificate is wrong, that Mr. McGuckin actually died as a result of multiple
sclerosis, so he must not believe you, either.
But don’t worry, Phil – I do.
And about that pack of marauding, vicious dogs?
Lots of people, including the vet and the receiving animal facility seem
to think there’s a lot fewer than 27 and that many of them are actually puppies,
to boot, so they don’t seem to believe you.
Can you imagine? Now, I saw
them myself the other day and thought they were pretty small and could have
sworn many of them were wagging their tails, but I just figured it must be some
breed of midget fighting dog. Don’t
worry, Phil – I’m with you on this one, too.
And about the house being filthy and strewn with dog feces?
Well, I’m absolutely sure you’re right about this, and it’s a good
thing that, once the kids were out of there, you had your people in there taking
pictures without wasting time to get a search warrant, to prove it.
I know there are those doubting Thomases who say the kids had the dogs
inside with them during the siege so your “jackbooted thugs” (not a phrase I
would ever use, of course) wouldn’t shoot them and, of course those vicious,
huge, marauding canines couldn’t be expected to use the toilets because the
water was off, so of course there was a huge mess, with dog feces everywhere.
I’m sure it was like that all along, just like you said, so don’t
worry, Phil – I believe you here, too.
And about the kids being poorly educated?
Well, we all know how inadequate home schooling is – after all, the
only reason home-schooled kids are taking top honors in all the national
spelling and geography bees is because they sit at home, 24 hours a day, boning
up just for those things and ignoring the really important stuff that is taught
in the government schools these days. Yep,
Phil, I’m with you all the way on this one, too.
And about me being disbarred? They
haven’t told me about it yet and, when I called them to discuss the ethics of
what you have been doing and saying, they said they didn’t know anything about
my being disbarred, so the people at the Idaho State Bar don’t seem to believe
you. But I’m sure you’re in
contact with those who are really in the know, so, don’t worry, Phil
– I believe you on this one, too.
And about me being fired by JoAnn McGuckin?
Well, of course, you have issued orders to everybody, including the
Sheriff (isn’t he an elected official, by the way?), that I am not to
be allowed even to talk with any McGuckin family member by telephone and I am
not to be told when the secret hearings about the kids take place, so of course
I have to take your word for this one, as well.
But I know you wouldn’t lie about something like this, Phil.
And about JoAnn being held incommunicado despite Magistrate Heise’s
recent order? Well, we all know she
is stubbornly refusing to sign that O.R.
release paper, thereby admitting that she is guilty and that she will
stay away from her own children, so of course you can’t just let her go.
We all understand that, Phil.
And, of course, since she is pretty fragile mentally and extremely
susceptible to being unduly influenced, there are those who say you and your
minions have been keeping her that way until she falls in line.
But don’t worry, Phil , because I know you would never stoop to that
sort of thing – I believe you.
And about the public defender, Mr. Powell, being in your pocket?
There are those who say, because he was a Shoshone County PD before he
came here and because he’s kind of hurting for money (his words, not mine) and
would be doing much better financially if he was one of your assistants, that he
is carrying your water on this case. I
think that is a simply scurrilous suggestion and refuse to believe one word of
it, even though he also refuses to let me talk to JoAnn.
Don’t worry, Phil, I believe you on
this one, too.
And about your pushing for $100,000 bail for JoAnn, even though her
public defender hadn’t gotten around to seeing to her interests, and getting
it without a struggle from Magistrate Heise, even though you and I both know how
difficult it is to get bonds like that for murderers?
I know you, Phil, and I am absolutely certain this is true.
And about your being sorry you didn’t have JoAnn arrested during her
husband’s funeral? I have no
doubt whatsoever about this one, Phil.
I realize you have a powerful motivation to ensure that everything you
swore to before Magistrate Heise is shown to be true, since you gave up your
unqualified government official immunity when you chose to testify yourself.
That’s the problem with actually swearing out your own arrest warrant,
of course, and why so many district and prosecuting attorneys know better.
I know, however, Phil, that everybody who says that is why you are
pushing the above things with such a vengeance is just being mean-spirited,
because you would never allow your self interest to come into play in a case
involving a citizen.
Thousands wouldn’t believe you, Phil.
But don’t worry - because
I do.
Sincerely,
Edgar J. Steele
Copyright © Edgar J. Steele, 2002
Forward as you wish. Permission is granted to circulate
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Contact author for all other rights, which are reserved.
Write to me at Steele@ConspiracyPenPal.com
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