KC Star: Count Kline as a JoCo no show

Kline again acting like the rules don’t apply to him.

 http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/10676

Kline Can’t Let His Old Job Go

From staff who still call him ‘General’ to multiple references to Paul Morrison, former attorney general Phill Kline is having a rough time moving on from the beat-down he received last fall at the hands of the man he replaced – and whom replaced him.

Read about his personal struggles here: KC Star question and answer.

Kline Wrongs Victims Rights

As reported on this and other blogs, current attorney general Phill Kline’s lack of committment to crime victims has resulted in a dismantled and destroyed victims services department within the attorney general’s office.

It has been widely known that the current victims rights coordinator, Jeannete Stauffer has not only ‘quit’ multiple times, but now it appears she doesn’t even show up to work. In fact, it appears no one works within the department:

“Several telephone calls placed to the statewide crime victims’ rights division in Attorney General Phill Kline’s office this week rang multiple times before being sent to an answering machine.”

“Only one of five calls placed by the Harris News Service to the victims’ rights telephone hotline during business hours wound up being answered by a staff member on Wednesday and Thursday.

On unanswered calls, a message told callers they could also contact the National Organization for Victim Assistance in Alexandria, Va.”

Click here for yet another example of Phill Kline’s actions speaking louder than his words.

Former AG Bob Stephan Calls For Kline Investigation

Breaking news-

From the Topeka Capital-Journal:

Former Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan today asked the state ethics commission to investigate the campaign finance report and political fundraising of Attorney General Phill Kline.

Read the entire article here.

Much has been made of Kline raising money in churches, but quite possibly the most damaging is the claim is that Kline paid himself over $3000 from his campaign account- for campaign equipment storage in a building he owns.

Naturally, Phill ‘I’m the victim here’ Kline will most likely begin attacking former AG Bob Stephan the way he has attacked Paul Morrison in an attempt to deflect attention from the real issue.

To all of the Kline apologists: look at this on the bright side, when Kline is charged with fraud and whatever else they find, maybe he’ll decide to represent himself in court, and finally get the courtroom/jury/trial experience he’s been looking for.

Exactly how many cases have you tried in court, Mr. Kline?

 

Here is a priceless transcript from today’s Journal World chat with Phill Kline:

kugrad: Exactly how many cases did you try in court, meaning you were the lead attorney in the courtroom giving oral arguments, prior to becoming attorney general? If you must estimate, use small incremental steps such as 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, etc. Thank you, kugrad

Attorney General Phill Kline: My practice primarily consisted of construction mediation and arbitration. Early in my career my caseload was more substantial in number and less substantial in size of the case. I would average about 20 cases at a time. In my specialty of practice, however, I would be primarily responsible for 1 or 2 cases the cases were so mammoth in size. For example, my representation of the State of California consumed more than one year. My representation of Emerson Electric in a terrible accident in Hutchinson involving a salt plant consumed an enormous amount of time. Conversely, I represented the prison doctor at Lansing from inmate lawsuits and I would work 10-15 cases at a time. My experience in the law has been much more broad than Pauls who has had one type of case in one district court and has never entered private practice.

So, what’s your answer, Kline?  Not sure I see one. Why are you so afraid of saying you have no courtroom experience?

 I’d also like to see someone ask him how much courtroom experience he has received while he’s been attorney general. From what we hear, the only times he shows up at court is for a procedural hearing where cameras are present.

MORRISON TO TAKE UNPRECEDENTED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM STATEWIDE

Looks like Morrison has heard about Kline’s massive failure with the Victims Services division. Bravo, Mr. Morrison, for doing more than just talking about making things better. Perhaps Kline could learn yet another lesson from your campaign- offer solutions instead of rhetoric.

Politics aside, this sounds like an incredible program- and one Kansas has needed for a number of years.

Morrison unveils the Kansas Domestic Abuse Response Initiative

TOPEKA-Johnson County District Attorney and candidate for Kansas Attorney
General Paul Morrison unveils his comprehensive plan to decrease domestic
violence (DV), end the cycle of family abuse and ultimately lower homicide
rates.

Morrison was joined by domestic violence survivor Ann Whedon Altermann,
social workers and other domestic violence activists in a news conference
today at the State Capitol in Topeka.

“Shortly after becoming Johnson County District Attorney in 1989, I
implemented an aggressive, comprehensive program to crack down on domestic
violence,” said Morrison. “I can say without hesitation that many people are
alive today because of that program and many more have seen a significant
difference in their lives here in Kansas.”

In 1999, the Johnson County domestic violence program was studied by an
independent group with a grant funded the Federal S.T.O.P Violence Against
Women Grant Program, administered by the Kansas Attorney General, Carla
Stovall. The study found that Morrison’s protocol for handling DV cases
saved lived and lowered the County’s homicide rate.

“We have a strict, no nonsense policy that doesn’t take excuses and focuses
primarily on protecting victims and helping families end abuse,” said
Morrison. “My goal is to help all Kansas families by expanding this program
statewide.”

First, Morrison proposes establishing a Domestic Violence Unit within the
Criminal Division of the Kansas Attorney General’s office. This Unit will
consist of specially trained assistant attorneys general and a domestic
violence specialist.

The focus of this Unit will be to assist counties with prosecution of
domestic violence cases, coordinate training efforts and provide victims
with support as they proceed through the criminal justice system.

“By assisting counties, the attorney general’s office will help both law
enforcement and non-profit organizations more efficiently use their limited
resources to serve victims more effectively,” said Morrison.

Second, Morrison proposes that the Kansas Attorney General’s Office
specialized Domestic Violence Unit coordinate and collaborate with other
entities in providing statewide training for criminal justice professionals,
law enforcement officers, prosecutors, probation and parole officers,
community corrections, victim/witness coordinators, crime victim advocates,
healthcare professionals and faith based initiatives.

These training programs will occur regionally with collaboration from others
involved in training efforts.

“The first step towards decreasing domestic violence is educating the
community and law enforcement about the warning signs and indicators of
violence,” said Morrison. “By providing educated assistance to victims, we
can stop the cycle of violence that destroys families and hurts our
children.”

Next, Morrison proposes that the Domestic Violence Unit provide a guide to
the best practices in dealing with domestic violence cases. He suggests
assisting law enforcement with new procedures to hold abusers accountable
while still allowing for flexibility around the state.

“Because of the diversity within our state, it’s necessary to allow
flexibility while at the same time insisting that counties aggressively
pursue domestic abusers,” said Morrison. “I have the experience and
expertise to lead the fight.”

Morrison also recommends strictly enforcing Kansas’ mandatory arrest statute
and amending it to require law enforcement to arrest the “predominant
aggressor.” He also recommends strictly enforcing protections orders.

“Too often further harm to victims happens once they leave the abusive
situation. Protection orders need to be strictly enforced and prosecuted
when violated,” said Morrison.

The final component of Morrison’s plan will be to create a trial Pro Bono
Program to assist prosecutors who have limited staff and financial resources
to handle an increase in case load.

The program will create a pool of volunteer attorneys across the state
trained to prosecute domestic violence cases. The Domestic Violence Unit
will train the attorneys and assign them to prosecutors in their area.

“As attorney general, I will strive to achieve justice for all victims, in
all corners of the state,” said Morrison. “The Pro Bono Program will
eliminate all obstacles to justice.”

“With this comprehensive plan, Kansas can crack down on domestic abuse, save
families and end the cycle of violence that harms our children. We have
proof that this multifaceted approach saves lives and I will work hard to
help all Kansas families in need,” said Morrison.

###

Kansas Domestic Abuse Response Initiative

For over 25 years, Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison has faced
the issues of domestic violence head-on. Shortly after taking office in
1989, Morrison implemented one of the most aggressive and comprehensive
domestic violence programs in the nation. This program proved successful and
according to an independent study funded by a grant from the Federal S.T.O.P
Violence Against Women Grant Program administered by the Kansas Attorney
General’s office, has lowered the County’s homicide rate. (See attached
Study)

Because of his dedication to the safety of Kansas families, Morrison
proposes implementing this comprehensive domestic violence program
statewide.

The following are Johnson County District Attorney and candidate for Kansas
Attorney General Paul Morrison’s proposals to address domestic violence:

Domestic Violence Unit

Establishment of a Domestic Violence Unit. Recognizing and addressing the
problem of domestic violence is necessary not only to promote safety in our
homes but also safety in our communities. Kansas law enforcement officers
respond to approximately 18,000 incidents of domestic violence crimes each
year. Recently, domestic violence related homicides have increased in
Kansas. It is necessary to have a dedicated unit in the Criminal Division
of the Kansas Attorney General’s office which specializes in domestic
violence cases.

Recommendation: Morrison proposes establishing a Domestic Violence Unit
within the Criminal Division of the Kansas Attorney General’s office. This
Unit will consist of specially trained assistant attorneys general and a
domestic violence specialist. The focus of this Unit will be to assist
counties with prosecution of domestic violence cases, coordinate training
efforts and provide victims with support as they proceed through the
criminal justice system.

The Kansas Attorney General’s office should provide the necessary legal
assistance for addressing the crime of domestic violence to prosecutors, law
enforcement officers and other criminal justice professionals. This Unit
will specifically focus on domestic violence and assist counties with these
cases. The Unit will provide assistance in the best practices in addressing
domestic violence.

The domestic violence specialist will advocate on behalf of victims of
domestic violence, assist with training of victims/witness coordinators and
other criminal justice professionals and coordinate with domestic violence
programs, statewide domestic violence coalition and other community groups
to build partnerships and ensure that the necessary resources are available
to assist these programs.

* There is currently one Victim’s Rights Coordinator and one
advocate in the Kansas Attorney General’s office.

Domestic Violence Training

Domestic Violence Training. It is critical that all Kansas criminal
justice professionals are educated in recognizing and addressing domestic
violence crimes.

Recommendation: Morrison proposes that the Kansas Attorney General’s Office
specialized Domestic Violence Unit coordinate and collaborate with other
entities in providing multi-disciplinary statewide training for criminal
justice professionals, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, probation and
parole officers, community corrections, victim/witness coordinators, crime
victim advocates, shelters, healthcare professionals, and faith based
initiatives. These training programs will occur regionally with
collaboration from others involved in training efforts.

This coordinated effort will allow for a consistent, cohesive message of
holding offenders accountability and providing for victim safety. Only
through consistent and on-going training can we ensure that domestic
violence crimes are addressed appropriately.

Domestic Violence Best Practices

Domestic Violence Best Practices. As Johnson County District Attorney, Paul
Morrison developed one of the most successful domestic violence programs in
the nation. According to a study funded by a grant from the Kansas Attorney
General’s office in 1999, the program decreased the homicide rate and saved
lives.

Recommendation: Morrison proposes that the Attorney General’s office provide
a guide to best practices for handling domestic violence cases. Because of
the diversity within the state, the Domestic Violence Unit will work with
each county to allow flexibility while at the same time ensure that domestic
violence crimes are aggressively pursued.

DV Best Practices. The following are suggested practices for addressing
domestic violence:

* Mandatory Arrest Statute. Under Kansas law, law enforcement officers
are required to make an arrest when there is evidence of domestic violence.
All Kansas law enforcement should enforce this statute.
o Predominant Aggressor. Morrison recommends that the current
mandatory arrest statute be amended to require that law enforcement officers
arrest the “predominant aggressor” specifically. This will eliminate the
possibility that victims are arrested without a thorough investigation by
the arresting officer.
o Review Law Enforcement Policies. Morrison recommends that the
Domestic Violence Unit review existing law enforcement policies that are
required by law to ensure compliance and to assist local law enforcement
agencies with their policy development and enforcement.

* Review Enforcement of Protection from Abuse Orders. Too often
further harm to victims happens once they leave the abusive situation.
Protection orders need to be enforced and prosecuted when violated. The
Domestic Violence Unit will provide assistance in enforcement of these
orders.
* Require Standards for working with Batterers. Statewide protocols
for working with those convicted of domestic violence crimes is needed. A
complete assessment and monitoring tool for offenders needs to be
established. Batterer intervention programs should be certified and follow
best practices for working with these offenders.

* Community Partnerships. The Attorney General and Domestic Violence
Unit will work with community, healthcare, and faith based organizations to
build partnerships to assist in efforts to address domestic violence.
Partnerships will provide for a cohesive message that domestic violence will
not be tolerated and offenders will be held accountable.

Pro Bono Program

Pro Bono Program. Often county prosecutors face financial and resource
challenges in prosecuting domestic violence cases. This program is designed
to give prosecutors additional attorneys to prosecute domestic violence
cases.

Recommendation: Morrison proposes creating a trial program to help
prosecutors around the state manage their domestic violence case load. This
trial program, coordinated by the new Domestic Violence Unit, would connect
the prosecutors’ offices with private attorneys willing to take cases on a
pro bono basis. This program will help eliminate any obstacles prosecutor’s
offices have to filing domestic violence cases.

The volunteer private attorneys will be trained by the new aforementioned
Domestic Violence Unit.

###

Kline denounces Phelps family, used their money to win his 2002 election

  

On Saturday August 12, 2006 Phill Kline spoke to the Patriot Guard in Mulvane, Kans.

As reported by KAKE Wichita, Kline commented on the Phelps family by saying “They only represent the most base of human condition, and that is those who believe their only value can be gained at the misery of another.”

Kline failed to mention that on Oct. 17, 2002 he accepted $500 from Benjamin C. Phelps, grandson of Fred Phelps, Sr., for his campaign for Attorney General. (Kansas Ethics Commission) Kline used the money to squeak out a razor thin victory.

“The fact that Phill Kline would take money from a person who protests the funerals of our service men and women is disturbing. Someone with such terrible judgment and skewed priorities has no business being Attorney General,” said Mark Simpson, Morrison for Attorney General Campaign Manager.

“Sometimes you know a lot about a person by the company he keeps. In Phill Kline’s case, it is another reminder that Kansas deserves an Attorney General with the right priorities and good judgment,” said Mark Simpson, Morrison for Attorney General Campaign Manager.

The Patriot Guard tries to protect military families from the protests staged by the Phelps Family and Westboro Baptist Church. Nationwide there has been an outcry against the Phelps Family protests at the funerals of military men and women.

Kline under attack for not doing enough to protect kids from online predators

The Wichita Eagle reports that the only attorney general candidate with jury trial experience, Paul Morrison, has outlined a proposal which would keep kids safter from internet pedophiles, something he claims Kline has not done.

Morrison has also taken aim at Kline by accusing him of running to the feds with sex cases instead of prosecuting the cases himself. Kline replied by claiming he was the one responsible for hiring two KBI agents and then sending them to the FBI.
Kline also said he was responsible for finding the money to hire the KBI agents.
“ …he created those two positions by cutting his office’s travel budget… ”

Do those words sound familiar? They should. We’ll explain why in a future post.

We guess the attorney general doesn’t know anyone can request and receive budget reports explaining how much money is for office travel year to year…

What to expect in the coming weeks

We explained several months ago that a decision had been made to keep the powder dry and sit back until after the primary election. It’s been very difficult to sit on a number of news items and intel, but we have largely remained quiet.

With only a few days to go before the primary, we are already gearing up for an active posting schedule between August and November. We have a number of posts ready to go and more are being prepared this weekend.

The amount of email received and personal conversations we continue to have with past and current attorney general employees, poltical insiders and many others will allow us to present factual information which will further damage any hope of Phill Kline being reelected.

If you want to get in on the fun and have something more than a rumor to share, email us at firekline@gmail.com.

Kline Not Just Losing Staff

Now he has lost the private law firm that he hired (why hire someone else in the first place, Kline?) to defend the state in the school lawsuit.