Anti military lawyer damages Marine's car on eve of deployment

[RANDY P]

Can you believe this is actually happening? Someone needs to hang this lawyer

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/12/anti-military-l.html

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

NOTE: There is an important update about the hearing today at the end of the post.

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.
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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.

So, does anyone have any ideas about how to proceed? All peaceful and rational ideas are welcomed. We are contacting the media about this, too.

Please pass this story on to anyone you know that might be able to help.

Update 12-31-07 1000 CST: The hearing is today. After about four hundred emails offering help, I've taken down the email address for now. If I haven't sent you a reply, I apologize and hopefully will send one soon.

I will post updates as they occur. There are several options and we'll see what happens in court first before Mike decides on the next move.

And, BTW, a sincere thanks to all the Chicago Police Officers for their advice and offers.

Let me be clear. I do not want anyone to harass the lawyer, threaten him, damage his property or propose any other illegal suggestion. We can win this one clean and fair - one way or another...

Update 12-31-07 2000 CST: A Blackfive reader sends this update about the hearing today...

Attn: Black Five

I am writing to produce an update of the results of Sgt McNulty's case against Jay R Grodner. I was present in support of Mike and thought you may be interested in an update for this story.

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.

A lot of good people deserve our thanks today. Thousands responded with emails and phone calls and some even went to support Mike at the hearing. Thank you. I've said it before and I'll say it again - Blackfive and military blogs have the best readers on the planet - we really are a true community.

And, long time regular TB, sends this link to a Free Republic reader who also attended the hearing and provides a report.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to ring in the New Year. Twelve years ago, Mrs. Blackfive (before the "Mrs.") and I had our first date, and our first kiss was at midnight. We have a tradition to maintain.

Thank you! And have a Happy New Year!

December 30, 2007 •

[speeder]

That's horrible, but I have confidence that the legal system will have some mechanism for dealing with the scumbag.

Moral of story: When you catch someone in the act of keying your car, beat them in such a way that they will never remember WTF happened. God, that Marine is a frikkin' saint.

[Rick Lee]

Grodner whould have been beaten to within an inch of his life. No need to waste tax dollars on him. A good beating would be a lesson he'd never forget.

[legion]

Some thoughts:

1) I hate going into the actual city of Chicago. I start to smell it at the Cook County line and once in the city, my clothes feel saturated with the stench of oppressive socialism, elitism, and anti-militarism.

2) I know some good lawyers, but so many of them seem to feel they are above the law because they know how to "work the system". Take Dickie Scruggs for example. This attitude seems pervasive around big cities.

3) People in the legal community seem reluctant to help a common citizen or to challenge other members of the leagl community unless it yields big political points. Being pro-military does not win political points in Chicago.

[Rikao4]

Talk about self-control,
myself..well that would depend who could see me while I beat his a$$, and the tire print would indicate ..'that wasn't a Corrolla'
Rika

[frogger]

Would something like this be considered a hate crime and have federal involvement in prosecution? Just curious.

[speeder]

Once that guy's identity became public along with this story, I'm sure he'll get what's coming to him outside a convenience store before too long. How *convenient*.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by frogger

Would something like this be considered a hate crime and have federal involvement in prosecution? Just curious.

If that were the case, maybe we could actually get the Solomon Act enforced and college campuses defunded by the fed. gov't. if they discriminate against ROTC and recruiters.

[legion]

Originally Posted by speeder

Once that guy's identity became public along with this story, I'm sure he'll get what's coming to him outside a convenience store before too long. How *convenient*.

Not in Chicago. The suburbs...maybe, but not the city.

[speeder]

I just don't understand or relate to this kind of anti-militarism directed at enlisted personnel. It's just the height of ignorance and misplaced elitism.

My parents, (Mom and stepdad), are about as left-wing pinko as you can get and are what I would describe as "anti-militarism" in terms of our foreign policy, yet it does not extend to negative feelings towards actual troops. They did quite a bit of volunteer medical work in Haiti several years ago at the time that U.S. Marines were doing peace-keeping duty there and they were very impressed with the quality of people that the young Marines were. They liked them very much.

My brother is a relief worker in South Asia, previously in Africa for many years. His politics in regards to U.S. foreign policy are pretty close to my parents, (very left), and he has probably been to more Marine Balls in foreign countries over the last 20 years than anyone on this board, unless we have some "lifers" here that I don't know about. He told me that they "always" go to them, at least in Africa. He and his wife think that those young guys, (and women), a lot of them from inner-city and rural America, are some of his favorite countrymen. They meet them at the U.S. embassies on their beat.

So yeah, I don't get it.

[MRM]

No, "hate" or bias crimes are defined by statute. Where they exist they usually protect people from attack based on their race, religion, nation of natural origin - basically the same stuff as found in the Title VII employment law protections.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by legion

Not in Chicago. The suburbs...maybe, but not the city.

I dunno..., there are a ton of Marines from inner-city Chicago. If you hadn't noticed, the MC is pretty black/brown these days. One can always hope...

[legion]

Originally Posted by speeder

I dunno..., there are a ton of Marines from inner-city Chicago. If you hadn't noticed, the MC is pretty black/brown these days. One can always hope...

You're absolutely correct. I don't think that lawyer would ever be in a neighborhood that is typically recruited from, though.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Crazy.

[Hugh R]

His bar license should be suspended/revoked. The Marine should file a complaint with the Illinois Bar Association.

[HardDrive]

What a f*cking jerk.

I hope the good citizens in his community forcefully express their distaste with his actions, preferably with a Louisville Slugger.

[nostatic]

or just don't use his law firm. Hit him in the pocketbook...that's all he likely cares about.

[RANDY P]

You know he pulls a lot of a$$...

[MRM]

Most states have automatic attorney discipline for being charged with or convicted of a felony. I tried to find his firm's web site but it has closed down. I did, however, find about a hundred blogs telling people exactly where he could be found. I suspect he's paying the price he should for being such an @ss.

He's at least in his 50s (says he's 55, I'd bet a few years older) and is a sole practitioner specializing in divorces. He might make a good living at it, but even among other lawyers his status is that of a pimple on a butt.

[fintstone]

I have had my cars vandalized several times...the military stickers make you a target in many cities.