The Trib reported
Like telling Mt. Lebanon officials how many deer you have killed? Uh...protecting the identities of property owners who "donated" use of their properties? I love how a related link to my Right To Know appeal appeared following the quote. They do their best to inform people, but don't share any emails that might eliminate the element of surprise."We don't want to offend anybody and we don't want any surprises, so we do the best we can to inform people," Maddock said.
WTAE showed a reporter walking the same path that Amy Castor walked and shot the same footage that Amy Castor photographed, yet Blaise will reduce her $1100 fine to $200, if she removed her photos from social media. Hmm.
Caster's attorney, Nita Fandray, said the Commonwealth didn't present a strong enough case. Fandray went as far as saying that the judge made up his mind before her arguments were heard.
"I think this was decided long before we went into the courtroom, and this is what we expected would be the outcome," Fandray said.
24 comments:
After reading a different post here on Lebo Citizens, I am so upset to learn that Amy Castor and here attorney were treated very rudely. I have a question for those who attended today's hearing. Were there many people there who can spread the word about how horribly Amy and her attorney were treated? Who would have thought that this would be happening here in Mt. Lebanon? It seems that the good ole' boys network is alive and well here in Mt. Lebanon. I was always under the impression that Blaise was a good person - I never thought he was part of the corruption.
There was no need for this woman and her attorney to be treated so rudely! I read the news report - if I was in from out of town, taking a walk and then suddenly run into a hunter with his gear and dead deer, I'd be very upset. I'm not sure how I would have reacted. It sounds like she is a brave woman who is sticking up for animals and for what is right. I wish she knew she had my support! I tried to look her up on FB, but cannot find her.
I'll see that she gets your message, 9:52 PM.
Amy's sin was that she took photos. Blaise was negotiating over her constitutional rights. I do hope the ACLU steps in.
Elaine
I can't believe they offered $900 off her fine to take down her pictures. That in and of itself seems like bribery or extortion.
I was there at the hearing and I think being eyeballing the room there was prob only 3-4 Amy Supporters.. the rest seated were press and the chief of police...
Blaise treated Amy and her attorney like she was a major criminal who needed desperately to taken off the streets..im still shaken from what I witnessed and Blaise should be ashamed for his very very RUDE behavior.. it was almost sophomoric with a lot of strong armed intimidation... both Amy and her attorney were much stronger than myself because I don't think I could keep it together with all comments from Blaise. esp when he asked her attorney if she was an actual lawyer, where she went to school and what her law license # was... I don't think he might it in a humorous way... another thing that Blaise said a couple of times is that he lives two blocks away and knows the area well... I just wonder how often he has actually been on foot on that wooden path at the end of thornwood drive? I myself walked that area when the pen was up during last winter and there would be no way I could tell if I was one someone's property unless there was fence....Finally,, Greg Perri is the youngest of 12 kids of the late Dr Francis Perri of Standish Blvd.. and with Perris being of the few families who were chosen for the deer cull, I cant help but think,, this case was already decided before Amy got on her plane to Pittsburgh....Amy and her attorney were very courageous to stand up and speak the truth in front of these horrible men.. Blaise will never get my vote again...
This latest intimidation of somebody against the status quo in Mt Lebanon..reminds me of the old Blog Lebo run by Mike Madison... he finally gave up his blog because someone didn't like the discussion on his blog concerning a pathway through a neighborhood and had a downtown attorney send Mike a letter asking him to delete all his comments or else......Blaise was just protecting the rights of one of the "power" families in the community.. and how dare an outside intellectual come in and try to change things..
Blaise just got reelected to his second six-year term. HOW? He is a maniac without one brain cell in his head.
I am curious as to why the reporters who sat through the 90-minute Castor hearing did not mention Blaise's continual abusive behavior? That should be all over the news. His conduct was outrageous and he needs to step down from that bench. No community can afford six more years of Blaise's Kangaroo Court. Time to go, Blaise.
As I recall, 2:34 AM, it involved Susan Morgans' daughter. Yes, quite similar. I'm betting that the same thing is happening to me with MTL appealing my appeal. It just warms the heart knowing that my tax dollars will be spent against me in Allegheny County court.
Elaine
Would someone kindly reach out to David Kaplan, the WTAE reporter who sat through yesterday's hearing and ask him to write about the hearing. Blaise Larotonda's savage conduct should be all over the press. It was the show of the century in Mt. Lebanon.
Blaise is a tool of the Mt. Lebanon government and a major player in the corruption here.
8:22 it was certainly a horrible spectacle to watch/listen.. I now have no respect for any of the MTLPD anymore.. and of course Blaise is just part of that group, he now just wears a robe..
I'm been tryin for 24 hrs now to understand to reason for his outragious behavior..of course we know he has the job for life so what does he care,, but there are three words that prob answer my question... FOLLOW THE MONEY.... that's it... the garden ladies and the people like Perri.. who buy a house right next to the woods but don't want see deer on his property...
2:49 PM, I have heard from those outside of his courtroom and shared with me how out of control Blaise was. This doesn't surprise me. I understand it is SOP. His screaming can be heard frequently. I'm sorry to say that I voted for him. Well, to be fair, he WAS running unopposed. But if you have a speeding ticket, he will go easy on you. If you are under 21 and caught drinking, the young adult then joins Blaise's 21 Club - "I'll let you go this time, but if you screw up again, I'll throw the book at you."
Elaine
Blaise doesn't give a crap about people who speed through Mt. Lebanon. He throws those tickets away. The substance of Yesterday's hearing was well beyond Blaise's grasp.
Yesterday's Blaise Show makes the Commission meetings feel like afternoon tea at the William Penn. We should have sold tickets to yesterday's violent drama.
agree,, 5:58,, he made Ms Linfante's behavior seem almost civil...
It seems to me that the cops had a lot of nerve citing Amy for investigating for 12 minutes what might have been an illegal hunt. Why was there no cautionary signage about archery at the entrance to the golf course where Amy was walking her dog? The municipality messed up again and did not receive any blame or take responsibility for its error. As Chief Lauth walked out of the building after Yesterday's hearing, at least four or five people heard him say that he was calling public works immediately about the lack of signage at that golf course entrance. The muni's stupidity cost Amy a lot of money and grief.
Never go to a meeting with these Mt Lebanon employees/government officials without a tape record or videocamera. They are known to exploit, lie and/or harass. Usually, they pick on folks they assume won't expect it and/or are unlikely to defend themselves. Having a lawyer and a crowd is good but even with that...
Having a lawyer, I think, just makes Blaise angrier. He threw a temper tantrum about every five to ten minutes at Amy's hearing. Crazy as a loon.
Elaine--I just had a clear enough head to re-read your post at the top of these comments and the Trib article that supposedly was about Amy's hearing. Please enlighten me, if you may. Why did that story turn out to be one about Jody Maddock? Huh? He began to offend me the first time he opened his mouth at the first "informational" meeting in the summer.
a couple of comments:
during the hearing, the new chief of police was sitting plain clothed in the audience and he looked very uncomfortable with what he was seeing/hearing..because
the "punishment" that Blaise gave Ms Castor DIDNOT fit the "crime"
,, I think Blaise was sending a strong message to the ANTI-KILL DEER community
Also I know some of people who have emailed the township about having White Buffalo on their property, and they are very very unhappy about the possibly of correspondence made public...
on more thing off topic.. Ms Vuono's real estate transfer is to todays PG,, which means that house prop sold three weeks ago.. is she still in Ward 3,, now that she no longer owns the home on Woodland Drive?
Yes, I think that Lauth and many of the 10 uniformed office that packed the courtroom, felt discomfort about Blaise's behavior. It was unbecoming of a judge. AND, unbecoming of a gentleman.
9:09 AM, they pick on everyone!
12:24 PM, I thought it was quite odd. His quote didn't seem to fit with reality.
1:08 PM, none of that hearing made any sense to me. Who does Blaise report to? Just the voters? I filed a RTK for documentation which proves Coleen's new Ward 3 residency, and I won't hear until on or before December 17. They had to do a "legal review" to see if that is public information. Meanwhile, the municipal website now shows that she lives on Kingsberry. Nothing shows up on the county website so far.
Elaine
Blaise is accountable to the PA judicial conduct board. If they heard complaints from enough people, they would investigate and perhaps send him packing. He's gotta go. He is insane.
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