West Virginia’s corrupt Judge Michael Kelly has issued a blatant 1st-amendment defying order in order to protect the secret kangaroo courts he presides over:
Publisher Appeals Unconstitutional Order
“This order is further proof th
Judge Michael J. Kelly is insane,” says PutnamLIVE.com Publisher Mark Hallburn. “You can’t ban a reporter from a courtroom hallway. It’s a blatant violation of The First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Halls of Justice belong to the people, not to the Cretins in Black Dresses. Send Kelly to Leavenworth-for life!”
Kelly issued the order, September 10th, 2013, after Hallburn brought his camera into the courtoom hallway and attempted to take photographs of the above portrait and KISRA brochures on the bulletin boards. Another brochure was placed under the glass covering of the Respondent’s table in Kelly’s courtroom. Hallburn says cameras are banned there. “Another First Amendment violation.”
The First Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
“Kelly sits on KISRA’s Board of Directors,” explains Hallburn, “And orders people to go to KISRA for anti-Domestic Violence programs. This is a conflict of interest.”
Of course, Hallburn has reported Kelly’s conflict of interest. And, since Kelly sits on Hallburn’s divorce case, (another conflict of interest) Hallburn has to appear in court, and observed that much of the KISRA material has been removed since Hallburn reported about the issue.
“He apparently reads PutnamLIVE.com,” says Hallburn. “That or the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals slapped him on the wrist and told him to remove the KISRA material.”
This is not the first time Kelly has retaliated against Hallburn. In 2012, Hallburn complained about Kelly to the West Virginia Supreme Court. Kelly used that as an excuse to keep Hallburn from taking his son, Matthew, out of West Virginia. Kelly also retaliated by refusing to let Mark’s son, Matthew, visit Mark’s mother, Nancy, before she died, August 5th, 2012.
When Hallburn protested Kelly’s improper interference into his family’s rights to visit, Kelly called Hallburn a “disgrace” to his mother. “Kelly is a disgrace,” says Hallburn. “I can’t wait to publish that video.” (The video has been ordered and has yet to be delivered.)
“Kelly’s ongoing misbehavior is a classic example of the daily corruption in the West Virginia court system,” says Hallburn. “A lawsuit against Kelly was tossed by Judge Hatcher who lied about documents that we filed and he says were not. The West Virginia Supreme Court rejected the appeal. This corruption is appaling!”
Hallburn has filed an Emergency Motion to Overturn Kelly’s ban on Hallburn’s presence in the courtroom hallways to Putnam Circuit Judge Phillip M. Stowers. Hallburn cites The First Amendment’s protection of Freedom of the Press. As of this publication, Stowers has not ruled on Hallburn’s appeal.
In addition, Hallburn plans to file a complaint, about Kelly, to the West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commission. “They will likely come up with any excuse to let Kelly off the hook. They always have. The JIC is just a group of ‘Good old boys’ covering the backsides of corrupt ‘Good old boys,'” says Hallburn.
“Kelly is a vindictive jackass who should have been tossed from the bench years ago,” says Hallburn. “But there isn’t enough integrity in the West Virginia Supreme Court to get rid of Kelly. Rogue and corrupt judges, including Kelly, need to be held accountable for their misbehavior. Since the supreme court has failed to remove Kelly, the voters will have their chance, in 2016. I hope they kick his sorry carcass to the curb.”
(This item first appeared on PutnamLIVE.)
