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Here are the requested courtblogs from WFRV as requested by the one whose username starts with 4 letters and ends with 2 numbers. Reddit character limit forces me to split the blogs in two posts. This is only a partial archive, going back in time 11 years does have it's limitations :). Enjoy.
Will Steven Avery testify? That’s a question many people are wondering as the defense continues its case. So far we’ve heard from a bus driver who saw a woman taking photos near the Avery property, but can’t say with any certainty when. Next a propane delivery driver who was on Avery road on Halloween of 2005, who claims to have seen a green SUV driving away from the Avery Salvage yard between 3:30 and 4pm, an hour after the prosecution says Teresa Halbach was murdered. But again, he can’t say if the driver was a man or woman. Plus a man who owns the trailer where Avery lived and the .22 caliber rifle inside the home, thought to be the murder weapon. He says he fired over 3,000 shots over the years on the property, and the defense wants the jury to believe he‘s the possible source of 11 shell casings recovered by investigators.
We would expect to hear from a forensic expert to contradict the bone fragments in the burn pit or the DNA on the bullet pulled from the garage. You would hope for direct evidence of two vengeful law enforcement officers out to get Avery, for the shame they felt about prolonging his time in prison for a wrongful rape conviction. But where’s that one piece of evidence that shows the prosecution has got it all wrong straight from the mouth of the accused? Where’s Steven Avery?
If Avery took the witness stand, he could tell all what happened on Halloween of 2005. He’s really the only one who knows.
If you were facing life behind bars, wouldn’t you want to speak on your own behalf? If I were on the jury, I would want to hear what he has to say. But it obviously would be a huge gamble, and it’s still unclear if the defense is ready to take that chance. Posted by Kris Schuller at Mar 9, 2007 11:09 am False Imprisonment Charge Thrown Out The false imprisonment charge Steve Avery faced has been thrown out.
The decision came Monday morning as Judge Patrick Willis ruled on three motions filed by the defense last Friday. The judge ruled there simply wasn’t enough evidence presented during the trial to support the charge. The prosecution had argued that Teresa Halbach had to have been held against her will and forced into the garage, where they say she was murdered by at least two shots to the head from a .22 caliber rifle by Avery. The defense had argued that charge was only added after the other suspect charged in Halbachs murder, but facing a separate trial, Brendan Dassey, confessed back in March of last year of being involved in the murder. He later recanted his confession and faces trial in April.
But the court ruled against dismissing all of the charges as requested by the defense. The court also ruled the DNA evidence found on the bullet inside Avery’s garage would not be suppressed and that the police did nothing wrong during their week long search of the Avery property. So motions to suppress evidence collected from the burn pit and other areas of the Avery Salvage yard can still be considered by the jury.
The judge is now individually talking to jurors to make sure they have been following his order not to watch, read, of listen to media coverage of this case.
This case is quickly winding down. Expect it to go to the jury within the next few days. Posted by Kris Schuller at Mar 12, 2007 9:12 am Motions To Supress 'Magic Bullet' Denied False Imprisonment Charge Dropped, Motions to Supress Evidence, “Magic” Bullet: Denied Steven Avery’s attorneys won one battle today. Judge Willis agreed that the State did not present enough evidence to prove the charge.
Dean Strang and Jerry Buting lost the motions asking to suppress the bullet with Teresa Halbach’s DNA on it, and the motion asking to throw out the evidence in the burn barrel and burn pit, since authorities did not obtain a new search warrant when they searched those areas. Judge Willis said the cops had five days to execute that warrant. Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 12, 2007 1:19 pm What About Teresa Halbach? Everyday, I drive to the Calumet County Courthouse by myself. It’s a nice, pretty drive, and it gives me some “alone” time before and after work. And many times, I drive through Teresa Halbach’s neighborhood to get there.
Calumet County is Halbach Country. This is where the Halbach family lives, and you can feel the pain that still lingers here from her Teresa’s death.
Over the last several weeks, we’ve heard a lot of testimony about Teresa’s bones, her DNA, her Daisy Fuentes jeans and even her teeth. Sprinkled in between all of that was testimony from her mom (which broke my heart), her younger sister Katie, and her brother Mike. They bring you the human face to the person some of us never knew. But other than that, at times it seems Teresa Halbach gets lost among the science lessons about chemicals and vials of blood and the difference between tires with steel belts and those without.
I was sitting upstairs yesterday, while Judge Willis conducted individual voir dire of the jurors. I parked myself outside of Judge Willis’s chambers and talked with Mike Halbach for a few minutes. He’s a real sweetie and he’s getting married this summer, without his sister to stand by him. It really got me thinking. I don’t know how this family does it. They sit through these long days in court, and their lives will never be the same. We could all learn something from the Halbachs... and from Teresa.
There’s a photo of Teresa that I first saw the day Ken Kratz announced that Steven Avery would be charged with her murder. My colleague, Olga Halaburda, attended the news conference, and I went to a prayer service at St. John Sacred Hearth Church in Sherwood. I remember sitting in the church as the Halbachs filed in, sitting in the first pew. Mike wasn’t there, but all of the other siblings were in attendance. The hymn “On Eagle’s Wings” played as the service ended. That song will always remind me of Teresa Halbach.
That day, I was live at 5 and 6 outside of the church, near a candle that had been lit several days before as the community prayed for Teresa’s safe return. Next to the candle sat the cutest photo of a little girl that I think I’ve ever seen. It was Teresa Halbach, clad in a blue dress, sitting inside of a tractor tire. Next to it, sat a Reader’s Digest with The Beatles on the cover (that was Teresa’s favorite band). The magazine was sealed in a Ziploc bag with a post it stating, “May angels be with you on your journey.” Every time that I see that photo, it reminds me why we are here. Not that I’ve ever forgotten, but in between the talk of burn barrels and finger prints and DNA, sometimes you have to put her out of your mind, or at least tuck her in the back. Sometimes, you just have to do that to get through the day, so you can do your job and meet your deadline. But we must remember one thing: If the Halbachs can sit through court and listen to this, then we can, too. We must.
I snapped a picture of this photo using my digital camera at Seven Angels Restaurant here in Chilton. The Halbachs are regular customers there, and the Sabani family owns it. They’re some of the nicest people that I’ve ever met. They make me feel at home every time I go there, and it’s nice to sit there and get a feel for what the community is thinking and feeling. People are very interested in the outcome of this trial, and they love the Halbach family and Teresa. This photo is hanging in the front entrance of the restaurant. You can’t miss it; it’s right above the gum ball machine as you walk in.
But, maybe the next time we hear expert testimony about teeth, and bone fragments and “magic bullets”, this picture will come into our minds. Teresa Halbach is a little girl who grew up to be a photographer, but never lived to comb grey hair. In a way, she’s everyone’s little sister, daughter, niece, granddaughter and friend. Her’s was a life taken too soon, and for what?
I don’t think we’ll ever really know. Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 13, 2007 10:20 am The Chilton Hilton That’s what some of us reporters have affectionately dubbed our media room down here. It’s a big conference room in the basement of the Calumet County Courthouse. The officials here, led by Sheriff Jerry Pagel and County Administrator Bill Craig (if I’m leaving anyone out, I apologize) allowed us to transform it into a newsroom. They’ve been so nice to let us do that, because let me tell you, it beats sitting out in the truck in the middle of winter!
The time has just flown by down here. Sometimes, it seems like hours fly by like minutes. I liken this room to a casino in Las Vegas. There aren’t any windows, no clocks on the walls. You sit all day long and listen to testimony and crank out stories and before you know it, you’re sitting in front of a camera, doing live shots for the 5, and going to a news conference and slamming it together for a 6 o’clock live shot. It’s almost like they keep us fueled by pumping this place full of oxygen and feeding us a constant stream of coffee. It’s like in Vegas when the cocktail servers keep the drinks coming, free of charge, just so you’ll keep gambling!
The other day, I wrote out a check and I asked the cashier for the date, and she said, “it’s March 10.” I nearly fell over. I couldn’t believe it was March. And, there have been more than a few days when I got home around 8:30 p.m. or later, and I couldn’t remember what day it was.
We have a lot of really nice people down here in the Chilton Hilton, and we all get along. It’s a shame that we’re always so busy, and that we don’t get to talk more. We have fun when we get to chat. Mick from TMJ4 sits in front of Kris and I. Peter from FOX 6 in Milwaukee sits behind me; very nice guys. Dan from TMJ radio sits across the way with Tom from The Journal Sentinel. We go out to lunch sometimes and we’ve gone out after work a couple of times. Carrie from the AP sits at the end of my table, but she was gone for a while, which was a bummer. Colleen Henry from WISN sits across the room, and I wish that she was closer to us. She’s really interesting and I’d like to talk to her more.
Then, there are my print pals, like John Lee from the Post-Crescent! He’s my bud! I do a lot of my live shots over at the Gannett table, otherwise known as Andy Nelesen’s “front porch.” I usually leave stuff on his desk, my glasses and make up, and he always returns them. He doesn’t like it when I leave my stuff at his “house” but he puts up with me.
All of the Green Bay TV stations have people here, too. A few of us have been on this case since day one, and it’s like we’re all in it together. We’ve spent a lot of time together, whether it’s in the courtroom, or at news conferences, or in the parking lot at the Manitowoc County Courthouse, which seemed like the entire summer. We have to see it through to the end.
Everyday after court, we flock to the podium together and for the news conferences, which can be a lot of fun! The attorneys and Mike Halbach are always nice to us, and they all have good senses of humor.
I’ll get some pics of our digs posted. Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 16, 2007 8:33 pm Jury Is Done For The Night 6:28 p.m. – The jury ordered cold cuts for dinner, and then called it quits for the night.
They’ll start back up again at 8:30 a.m. and we’ll be here! Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 16, 2007 8:34 pm Juror Question #2 We learned that the jurors had a question. We're in hurry up in wait mode. So, we all arose from whatever we were doing and got into position. I wouldn’t call it organized chaos, more like just getting ready (this is what we do, so it’s pretty routine). Judge Willis was in chambers with the attorneys for a while, and then around 3:15 p.m., Judge Willis read the question.
The jurors wanted a portion of Sherry Culhane’s testimony read back to them. Culhane is the DNA analyst with the State Crime lab. She worked on Avery’s wrongful conviction case in 1985. She testified at that time that the hairs found on the victim in that case, were Steven Avery’s. DNA testing in 2003 (again conducted by Culhane) on those hairs showed they actually belonged to Gregory Allen. Culhane conducted all of the testing in this case.
The jurors wanted the testimony from Jerry Buting’s cross examination of Culhane read back to them, when she answered questions regarding the DNA testing of the .22 caliber rifle found hanging above Steven’s bed. Prosecutors say Avery used that rifle to murder Teresa Halbach. Roland Johnson, who actually owns the trailer where Avery lived, testified that gun actually belonged to him. Johnson said that he must have fired that gun 3,000 times. He liked to shoot gophers at his “weekend getaway” adjacent to the Salvage Yard.
Ok, so in the testimony, Culhane said that she swabbed several parts of the gun, including the barrel and the trigger. Culhane testified that she found neither Teresa Halbach’s nor Steven Avery’s DNA on the rifle, including the trigger guard.
The jurors returned to their deliberations.
From our count down here, Sherry Culhane was the 33rd prosecution witness to testify. If the jurors are taking this chronologically, then that means they’re just over half way through.
What do you think the question means, if anything? What do you think any of this means, if anything?
Email me and I will post your entries.
Angenette Levy: [email protected] Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 17, 2007 5:22 pm Sunday Morning at the Courthouse, Deliberations Resume Good Sunday Morning everyone! The jury arrived at 11 a.m. and resumed deliberations. They stopped at 5 p.m. last night. I heard that Sheriff Pagel offered to order some hot meals for them, and they declined. They ate the leftover cold cuts from Friday for lunch yesterday.
Some people are speculating that we’ll have a verdict by 1:00 because the Badgers game starts shortly after that. I don’t see that happening.
Anyway, Everyone is here and accounted for. Colleen Henry from WISN brought donuts for everyone. We’ve all brought food in at one point or another, and it’s always something tasty like donuts or cupcakes or something like that! Many of us are listening to music this morning as we work. It’s nice to listen to some music for the first time in a long time!
I was driving here this morning on my usual route and the Lionel Richie song, “Easy Like Sunday Morning” started playing in my head. It stopped when I drove past Sacred Heart Church in Sherwood. Cars were pulling in for church. It was sad to see all of the blue ribbons by the church, even though I’ve seen them many times before.
I want to thank everyone who has emailed me. I really enjoy reading your emails, and as I’ve said before, keep ‘em comin’.
Here are some of you responses regarding Juror Question #2 and other items dealing with the trial.
More later, I promise. Sounds like to me a mistrial or years and years of appeals is in the offing. I would very much like to see what odds Vegas would put on this trial if they even knew about it.
Tim
It scares me. I think they DO find serious doubt in the truth of Sherry Culhane's testimony. I know if I were on the jury, I would doubt her, no questions asked! She ONLY deviated on THIS case in how many years? I find HIGH doubt in that. Like the 'evidence' shows, the cops left her a message stating they wanted her to place Teresa in his house. But, as for other evidence, it just seems fishy. No, I don't actually think the police planted evidence, but I also am not 100% convinced Steven Avery did it! I have watched about 99% of the trial on the live stream. What an exhausting case. I do enjoy reading your journal and wanted to tell you so! Glad you got a cushion for at least some comfort. Hope this trial is over soon, for the sake of the Halbach's and all involved. As I said, I am on the fence and either way the jury decides, I can see how they would be unsure and glad I'm not one of them!!! I DO think he could have done it and may get away with it because 18 years in prison-he wasn't just sitting there...it probably warped him (more) and possibly gave him ways to get away with it! I also can't wait for his nephew, Brendan's, trial to get under way. I wonder how long that will take. In my opinion, I don't care how mentally unfit, nobody (hardly anyone) says they did that sort of thing if they didn't. That also is why I think more than not the Steven did do it.
OH-I also think Judge Willis is AWESOME! He's SO fair, I was surprised by that, to see such a fair judge-yeah, rare, isn't it. No Judge Ito here! (Thank God)
Mary Howard’s Grove, WI
I think the question is favorable to Steven Avery. They are piecing together the obvious things. If he raped her and did whatever in his trailer, there would have to be DNA of her in there somewhere (be it a single hair on the bed or in the carpet). If he shot her in the head from close range, the would be splatter in the barrel, which there wasn't.
I think based on the fact the jury is out this long and that type of question was asked, there are more people in the jury room trying to sway a not guilty verdict then the other way around.
Mark in Charlotte, NC
Quite a defense Avery put up--huh? Let me see, a gopher shooting, absentee dementiated landlord, some wicken lab auditor who could not definiately contradict the lab analysis but was probably paid very well just to put up some smoke, and some other bozos that could NOT factually impeach any of the prosecutions evidence or exhibits. Now, if you were Avery and truely innocent--would you not want to take the stand and try to convince the jurors? I would demand it. So would any innocent person. But he did not want the opportunity.
I thought both sides did a good job in their closing. The defense had little to work with, but created as much smoke as they could. Contrary to what you think, I want the defense to do a good job, in that way there is little chance of winning a new trial on appeal. Ken did a good job also, considering the magnitutude of all the evidence. I just wish he had a lower and stronger voice--sorta sounds like a cross between a whiney Wayne Newton and Michael Jackson at times. Some well placed theatrics should also have been used. Ken is pretty square.
I heard that if Avery gets off, that he is moving in to an apartment with Robert Blake and OJ Simpson, so they can pool their resources searching for the "real killers". I am moving to Canada where they have Smith and Wesson justice. Just kidding.
The Hallbach family is one class act. Sometimes in the heat of the battle, we lose sight of their grief. I tell this to everyone: if that had been my daughter, there would not be an Avery trial, and I would be behind bars charged and awaiting sentencing--because I would admit to everything. Eye for an eye...well, it even goes beyond that.
Mark from the Valley
I also get chuckles out of Mr. Buting. I have said to more than one person,"If I ever get in trouble I want those two guys defending me". Now, I do not ever anticipate that, but I think the defense has done a superb job of making the reasonable doubt a real possibility with the jurors. It has been fascinating for me to listen to both sides while at work through your network, and I am so glad I am not on that jury. I have my beliefs both ways of Mr. Avery but I will keep my thoughts to myself and see what the jury does.
T
Like him? About as much as a 10 foot cobra! The man is condescending, vastly rude and can take any fact and twist it to his version of the truth.
Why is everyone else stupid except him?
Both Mr. Buting and Mr. Strang have played on the sympathy of "poor" Mr. Avery, sent to prison for all those years for something he didn't do. That has no relevance to what was done to Ms. Halbach and to this crime. Does the fact of being sent to prison unjustly exonerate one from brutally murdering an innocent person? And if you have intelligently followed this trial, you will know that Mr. Avery did, without a doubt, commit this crime.
Both Mr. Buting and Mr. Strang just leave a very sour taste in one's mouth. Their smug superiority is very irritating and I feel detracts from their message.
I think if I were a juror, Mr. Kratz's famous powerpoint presentation would be helpful. Verbal and visual reminder of what was presented. I liked his style, he was easier to listen to than the defense. Although at times, I felt maybe a bit too ingratiating. But overall, I think he did an exemplary job of laying out the facts.
Barb S. Green Bay Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 19, 2007 4:38 pm When The Verdict Came In Around 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, everyone down in the Calumet Casino (a.k.a. The Chilton Hilton) started to wonder, “what in the world are we going to do for a story today?” None of us anticipated a verdict, and we were all brainstorming. We thought, “well, maybe they’ll (the jurors) come up with a question.” I wanted to do a story with all of the attorneys, asking them what was the longest they’d ever waited for a verdict. None of them seemed interested, then I approached Sheriff Pagel and he didn’t think he would be allowed to comment due to the gag order.
So, I started to walk upstairs around my best estimate of 4:44 p.m. to fish around for another story. I was on the phone with my producer Michael as I approached the stairwell leading to the lobby and was met by Sheriff Pagel, a line of reporters trailing after him. Colleen was directly behind him and I can’t remember who else was there, but I joined the line of reporters and followed them inside, and told Michael that I would call him back.
I expected Sheriff Pagel to say, “the jury’s done for the day.” Instead, he said, “ok, we have a verdict.” I flipped open my cell phone, got the phone tree going and started to get ready. Everyone dropped what he or she was doing, and picked up phones. Remember, this is what we do. It’s our “hurry up and wait” mode, and when the waiting’s over, we spring into action. It’s an autopilot type thing, and it’s hard to describe, but your heart kind of pounds and you get this tunnel vision, and forget about everything else. You have one focus, and that’s get the story right, and get it on the air as soon as possible. For example, I had been suffering from shooting pain in my back and legs for two days prior to this, and the second Sheriff Pagel made the announcement, all of the pain disappeared.
I was to be stationed outside but I had time to watch the verdict from the media room off of the courtroom. I’ve been on this case since the beginning, so I had to see it up close. There wasn’t room in the courtroom for me, but the media room was just fine with me. John and Dewey from the Post-Crescent were in there, along with Morry from the AP (nice guy, great still photographer) and so was Fred Berry from WOMT.
We’d been waiting for this for nearly 18 months. It was judgement day. The courtroom was packed with Halbach family members. Steven Avery’s mom Dolores arrived, but her husband, Allan, was not present. Dolores’s brother was there, along with Steve’s aunt Ivonne. They’ve been in this spot with Steve before and the last time he went to prison for 18 years.
I was looking around and the attorneys appeared calm, yet tense. Some Calumet cops kept peeking into the media room, I think they were just making sure everything was okay. Then, I saw a couple of faces that I hadn’t seen in weeks, but they were two faces I’d seen many times before: Manitowoc County Sheriff Rob Hermann and Inspector Gregg Schetter, the Manty County Cops. I greeted Sheriff Hermann, who I’d met at a news conference nearly a year and a half ago. He’s a nice guy and I’ve seen him a lot over the last several months. Rob was standing next to me, it was pretty much standing room only in our media room. Morry climbed up on a chair to get a picture or 10 of Steve as they brought him in.
To quote Simon and Garfunkel, the only thing that you could hear was the “sound of silence” and camera clicking.
Everyone in the courtroom sat down, the jury was brought in. I watched as they walked in because I wanted to see whether they would look at Steve. I’ve often heard that jurors delivering a not guilty verdict will look at the defendant. These jurors did not appear to look at Steve as they walked in, but we had no idea of what the verdict would be.
The papers were handed to Judge Willis and he started to read, “We the jury find the defendant Steven A. Avery guilty of first degree intentional homicide.” I stood there frozen, and I didn’t even hear the second count being read, when Judge Willis said the jurors reached a not guilty verdict on the mutilation of a corpse charge. By all appearances, the courtroom was silent.
Judge Willis thanked the jurors for their service. That was my cue to get outside. I marched down the hallway with another reporter, and we walked outside, and got into position in front of our cameras. Chelly Boutott was there and she was trying to get interviews with people leaving the courthouse.
We then went down to the media room and Mike Halbach was speaking. It was very touching. He said that his family would be keeping the Averys in their prayers, since they too have suffered a great loss. What a class act, with all they’ve been through.
Then Dean Strang and Jerome Buting spoke. They were disappointed. They believe in Steven. I’ve never seen two attorneys advocate so strongly for a client. They worked very hard for Steven Avery.They are to be commended. They’re very nice guys.
Then Special Prosecutor Ken Kratz and the Calumet and Manitowoc County cops came down. It’s been a long road for them, and they’ve worked hard to see that justice would be served for Teresa Halbach and her family. They all look tired. It was weird sitting there , watching this Wall O’ Law Enforcement. I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time with these guys over the last 18 months whether it was at court or at news conferences. Cops sometimes get a bad wrap, but I can tell you, these cops the Manitowoc and Calumet guys were thinking of one thing throughout this case, and that was: Teresa Halbach.
What did you think of the verdict? Did you watch? We may post your response.
Posted by Angenette Levy at Mar 20, 2007 8:47 pm Cross Examination of Dr. Gordon Ken Kratz accused Dr. Gordon of “cherry picking” by choosing to put things in his report that would favor Brendan Dassey’s assertion that his confession was false, and the result of suggestion by investigators.
Ken Kratz cited a question Dassey was asked. Dassey said that he believed it was true that anyone would lie to keep out of trouble. Gordon said that the testing he used was not suitable to determine whether Dassey could be diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder, or anti-social tendencies. Anti-social personality disorder is defined as:
“A psychiatric diagnosis in the DSM-IV-TR recognizable by the disordered individual's disregard for social rules and norms, impulsive behavior, and indifference to the rights and feelings of others.”
Kratz also cited the difference between suggestibility and a truly false confession. He pointed out studies about false confessions.
There are three types of confessions:
1) Voluntary 2) Coerced, compliant – the subject perceives a gain 3) Coerced, internalized – the subject convinces herself or himself that they committed the crime
Kratz: Their studies indicate that most false confessions are the result of very long interrogations, sometimes that last into the days, rather than just an hour.
Gordon: True.
Kratz said Dassey started to make admissions about 60 minutes into his 3 to 4 hour interrogation.
Gordon conceded that Dassey’s low IQ which has been estimated between 73 and 81, his shyness and other personality traits, could make him susceptible to giving a true or false confession.
Gordon reiterated that his testing was designed to show how suggestible Dassey might be, not the truthfulness of his statement. Apr 24, 2007 9:38 pm The Dane County 15 Let me tell you, Brendan Dassey couldn’t ask for a better jury, in my opinion. These people are a smart, smart bunch. They seem attentive and considerate and open-minded.
11 women and four men sit on the jury. A woman was dismissed last Friday due to illness. I have watched them when I’ve been in the courtroom. A few look a little tired, but otherwise they seem to be holding up well. They listened carefully as Brendan Dassey testified yesterday. They also watched the confession; some took notes while I was in the courtroom. The day after the confession played, it seemed many of them couldn’t even look at Brendan, though. Some of the women just stared at him, skeptically. Some of the men did not look at him.
The jury is staying at a local hotel in Manitowoc. I’ve stopped by the bar there after work a couple of times to meet reporters who are also staying there . The jury always has a great spread set out for them. Last night, I walked by and there was some awesome Strawberry Shortcake on the dessert tray.
They arrive every morning looking fairly chipper. Tomorrow, they should have the case by late afternoon or early evening.
Does anyone want to guess how long they’ll deliberate? Apr 25, 2007 10:30 am Sexual Assault Charge: Amended This morning, Special Prosecutor Ken Kratz asked the court to amend the criminal complaint and change the first degree sexual assault charge as a party to a crime to second degree sexual assault as a party to a crime.
Judge Fox granted the motion. Then, Mark Fremgen asked to have that charge dismissed, citing a lack of physical evidence. Fremgen said there is no physical evidence to support the charge. In fact, he said the only evidence to support it is the confession, and according to the law, some evidence must be offered aside from the confession.
Special Prosecutor Norm Gahn said there isn’t a lot of physical evidence because Steven and Brendan burned Teresa’s body. However, he said the discovery of handcuffs and leg irons in Steve’s bedroom, along with Teresa’s DNA on the bullet found in Steve’s garage is sufficient evidence to corroborate the confession. Gahn also noted how the furniture in Avery’s bedroom had been rearranged, which Brendan said in his confession, and Jodi Stachowski, Avery’s girlfriend testified too, which supports the claim that the bedroom was cleaned thoroughly to destroy evidence.
Judge Fox said there’s enough evidence to have the jury consider the charge. Motion to dismiss, denied. Apr 25, 2007 5:10 pm More of Your Emails Thanks for writing in again, everyone! And, as I’ve said, keep ‘em comin’! I want to know what you’re thinking.
Brendan’s Testimony
Dug that hole a mile deep. That's why I find it quite interesting why a defense attorney would let his client go up on the stand, put a noose around his neck and hang himself. My past experiences were a defendant NEVER makes a good witness. The phone call to his mother seems to me to be the deal sealer.
Tim, De Pere
I think every word he confessed to is true. Steven Avery is the one that should pay dearly for this kid, I think he made a wrong choice but Steven is the real problem. Too bad Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty.
Marie
How long do you think the jury will deliberate?
I say once the jury gets the instructions, they will be out no more than 4 hours before they return their verdict. I can't help but feel that when Brendan took the stand Monday that he lost all possible hope for any "sympathy" from the jury to possibly convict on a lesser charge.
Tammi, Green Bay
1 hour
Dan
I think the jury will be out about 10 minutes...
Mark
I think the Jury will deliberate and reach a verdict in less than 2 hours. The evidence is clear. The decision should be easy.
MN DePere, WI
Tom Fallon’s Closing Argument
I caught most of it....compelling to say the least ? Is it just me or has Brendan "perked" up a little bit since his testimony Monday ? I sure hope this kid doesn't think that he is going home after all this....breaks my heart for both families.
Tammi
Angenette, Apr 25, 2007 7:28 pm We’re on Verdict Watch I’ve received some emails asking about what’s going on out here in Manitowoc County.
We’re all sitting in the parking lot of the courthouse or hanging out in the parking lot. It’s really, really cold out here!
The jury got the case around 4:30 p.m. after some pretty impressive closing arguments from the State and the defense.
The Dane County jury now consists of 13 people – 12 jurors and 1 alternate composed of four men and two women. Two women were relieved of their duties today.
They just got dinner. It’s Italian consisting of pizza and other stuff. It smelled delicious!
It could be a long night, or a short one. We’re in hurry up and wait mode. When we were in Madison for jury selection, the deputies at the Dane County Courthouse said that a jury their deliberated until 6:00 a.m. several weeks ago, and returned a verdict then.
We could be in a for a short wait, or a long night.
I’ll do my best to keep you updated. Apr 25, 2007 7:35 pm Two Mothers – Polar Opposites Karen Halbach -- Teresa’s Mom
Everyday for the last 18 months or so, I can imagine that Karen Halbach has awakened to milk her cows and see her two teenage daughters off to school. As she walks toward her barn, does she look across that farm field and see the home that used to be occupied by Teresa? I wonder what it must be like for her, to open her eyes every morning. Is Teresa the first thing that comes to mind? Is she the last thing she thinks about before going to sleep?
I know that my mom always says there’s probably nothing worse that a parent can go through, than to lose his or her child. Losing a child is a totally unnatural experience. Parents aren’t supposed to bury their children; they’re supposed to watch them grow up, have their own children -- or not -- and grow to middle age, and in some instances, old age. But, Karen Halbach was robbed of that by Steven Avery -- and now, Brendan Dassey.
I’ve heard over and over again that the Halbachs have a deep faith that has guided them through the last 18 months. Mike Halbach has often said that he gets his strength from his mother. I don’t know whether it’s faith or life experience or a combination of both, but I know that I don’t understand how this family has kept it together.
Imagine for months, turning on the news and listening to the man you believe to be the murderer of your daughter, granting interviews and suggesting that your daughter might still be alive. Imagine Karen Halbach, listening to Steven Avery talk about how cops might have planted his blood to frame them for her daughter’s murder. To listen to him say, “she was here for 5 minutes, and left” even after his nephew gives a three-hour recorded confession.
I feel for Karen Halbach and the rest of the Halbach family. My younger sister is Teresa’s age, and let me tell you, if that had been my sister, I would have lost it a long time ago. The first time Steven Avery walked into the courtroom smirking my way, I might have lost it. But then in a way he wins. I might be in a straight jacket by now, if something like that happened to my sister. But, then again, you never know how you’ll handle a situation, until you’re in it.
I don’t know whether the phrase “grace under pressure” adequately describes Karen Halbach -- it seems like it’s not good enough. We could all learn a thing or two from Karen Halbach and her family. They’ve got more class in their little finger than some people could ever hope to have.
Barbara Tadych
I met Barb Tadych on the evening of March 1, 2006. It was the night that her son, Brendan Dassey, confessed to helping rape and murder Teresa Halbach and then burn her body.
I stumbled upon Barb and she agreed to talk with me. Standing outside, she looked absolutely stunned. She told me about her baby, Brendan and how her brother threatened him to go through with it. I stood outside in the cold, it was misting a bit, and listened to her as she poured out her heart to me. She told me about how badly she felt for the Halbach family. She didn’t understand how someone could “take an innocent life.”
Barb told me that Brendan had a learning disability and that “he does as he’s told.” I had no idea at this point that Brendan had confessed to the things he did -- I thought that he had confessed to helping burn Teresa’s body, nothing more.
I’ll never forget what it was like to look into her eyes as she realized what her brother had dragged her son into that Halloween day. She said that she was “numb.” She looked into the camera and spoke to her brother and said, “Steven, I know you’re going to be watching this and I hate you for what you did to my son, so you can rot in hell, alright. And I’m gonna get you for it.”
That night, I would learn that Brendan Dassey had confessed to murder and implicated Steven Avery in the crime. I was stunned. I remember thinking, “a 16-year-old kid did this?” Of course it’s possible, but how could a kid do this?
As I’ve said before, only Brendan Dassey can answer the “why” question. And, if he did do it, and if it was simply because he “wanted to see what if felt like”as far as sex goes, then why did Steven Avery bring his young, impressionable nephew into this?
How could he do this not only to Teresa Halbach, but to his sister and his nephew? Only Avery can answer that question and right now he’s saying that he didn’t do it.
I’ve watched Barb over the last 13 months. This has worn on her terribly. She wants her son to come home and the truth of the matter is, he may never see the light of day again once that jury returns with a verdict.
It’s very, very sad. If Brendan Dassey did this then he must be punished, he must be held accountable. But, Barb didn’t do anything and it’s hard to watch a mother who may lose her child -- albeit in a much different way than the Halbachs.
In talking to Barb I can tell that she’s tried to be a good mother and that she loves her children. We all have to play with the hand we’re dealt, and sometimes it just seems like Barb got a really bad hand.
It’s also terribly sad that most of the time Barb comes to court by herself. Brendan’s dad Peter has been here in the mornings, but he has to work in the afternoon. When Steve was on trial, many of the Avery family members showed up for court everyday. It’s sad to see that Brendan’s grandparents, Dolores and Allan, and his uncles choose to stay home for his court appearances. Why all the support for Steve and none for Brendan?
It must be awful to feel like no one’s behind you, or your son. She also trusted her brother with her son, and now look what’s happened, if what Brendan said is true.
P.S. -- Karen Halbach and Barb Tadych share the same birthday.
Angenette Apr 30, 2007 3:34 pm

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[Table] I am a native american social worker working on a USA Indian Reservation. AMA

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Date: 2013-02-21
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Questions	Answers
Do you have any thoughts on Indian casinos and whether they are beneficial or detrimental to a reservation community?	I think they are and can be both. With many tribes, the casino affords them the ability to operate as a functional soveriegn society. This tribe has its own school, clinic, tribal court, elder housing, tribal housing program, etc because the casino money pays for most of it. The casino pays my salary. The per capita payments are another thing...some people use the payments responsibly and still work and make themselves useful members of the community, others take it as their pass to stay at home and do nothing. It's a huge temptation and when you don't have to work...you get bored. When you get bored in a small town where there's nothing to do you find illicit drugs to keep you entertained.
Ojibwe huh? Boozhoo nijii! Thanks for doing this ama ;)	Boozhoo niij! Miigwech giin gaye :)
On your reservation, is there a stigma for people who "act white?" It seems like many groups have terms and attitudes towards members of the group who embrace certain so-called "majority" characteristics.	Absolutely. Our term is "Apple"...red on the outside, white on the inside. My own husband faced this quite a bit as he is very dark skinned but did not have a reservation accent, lived in town, did not follow spiritual traditions, and decided to go to college. There's a huge stigma attached to going to college because you're "going to learn the white man's ways" and are "leaving your people behind." It's sad, because what would move society forward faster than educated natives coming home and working for their people?
Do you see much classism the tribe? I used to live in the Northwest and talked to a few people who grew up on reservations who had an intense dislike for people in the tribe who made it big, usually by securing upper management positions at the casino.	Oh yeah, jealousy is a huge cultural issue for us. I get judged for my education because it was assumed I "think I know everything."
:(. Are you working to reverse this thinking? What percentage of high schoolers on your reservation go to a 4 year college? Do the high schools have programs encouraging going to a 4 year?	I am personally working to reverse it because an education has afforded me so much for my life. the high schools here do not have such a program. Some tribes have programs to pay for college education...my tribe, the Oneida, do.
Where are you currently working? We are from the same tribe. :) This has been my favorite AMA thus far! Also, what do you know about Boys and Girls Clubs on native land? Are they available where you are, and if so, are they functioning and beneficial?	Yep! We have them on this rez and the kids really enjoy them. I wish they had something like it for older children who are getting picked up by gangs.
So, you are Oneida but you work on an Ojibwa reservation? Have you ever had any problem with that?	Not really. They're just happy to see a Native person doing my job as opposed to someone non-native.
What's the best success story that you've had so far? Do you see things looking up, generally?	The best success story so far is a woman who was addicted to heroin and abused her children while high. After having her children removed she was very defiant towards social services, in denial about what she'd done. When she went to treatment she sat me down and thanked me for removing her children. She said that that was the kick in the butt she needed to realize she had a problem. She had missed out on so much of her children's lives and had caused them to worry and grow up too fast...she wanted to make it up to them. That really brightened my spirits...and she's still doing well today.
how are the kids doing?	They're doing okay. They are in separate placements and so don't see each other as much as they used to. The eldest child is the one who is dealing with the most...
Whats the worse case you had to deal with as a social worker in the reservation?	A case where the mother has fetal alcohol syndrome and the father has a traumatic brain injury. Their kids were so medically neglected that their skin condition had caused their eyes to be swollen shut, they had open bleeding sores, and were in so much pain they couldn't move.
That's horrible. How functional was the mother and father? Could they even take care of themselves?	They were functional, but just didn't understand how serious the problem was...they just felt that the symptoms of what was going on was just something they kids had to live with.
	Plus they were using meth as well as their mental status being not the greatest...so they were more consumed with finding their drug than helping their children.
:(. What are your resources as a social worker to help the children and parents in that case? Does the BIA manage this or Child Protective Services?	Well, we placed the children with their uncle and aunt who are more able to care for the children and have several children of their own. The children also have a Band public health nurse visit them weekly. The band has their own resources and we also use the resources of the county. We don't work with the BIA. We work with the different surrounding county governments.
What in god's name happened to those poor children??	Yes they're much happier now and since they are getting the medical attention they need their skin has cleared up and they are back in school.
Edit: I see that they were placed with their Aunt and Uncle. Are the happy? Healthy?? Well-adjusted???	We don't usually do parental rights terminations in our organization but in this case the court is considering it just because the parents may literally be incapable of caring for their children.
At a previous job, I had the Navajo as a customer. Talking with them, they felt that a lot of problems were the result of corruption within the tribal leadership. Are you seeing any of that?	Oh gosh yes. Last year the tribal chairwoman was re-elected despite being under investigation for money laundering and fraud. There's a lot of nepotism in tribal affairs...it's all about who you know and not your education or reliability.
Hey there, thank you for this AMA. Here i go: what tribe do you originate from? (hope i'm not making an offensive question, if i am please diregard) Is the american society polarized with native americans as much as it seems to be with other minorities or races? and finally do you feel that the native american heritage & cultural history has its rightful place in the american educational system?	I am enrolled with the Oneida tribe of Wisconsin and am a descendant of the Ojibwe tribe. I moreso follow Ojibwe traditions as my dad was raised by his Ojibwe mother and grandmother.
	Society does treat us differently. When I was in highschool I faced a lot of racism. One kid actually tried to light me on fire, stating my race as his reason, and when we told the principal he said "maybe he just has feelings for you he doesn't know how to express." Basically, boys will be boys. It's even worse around communities near reservations...in Green Bay near my Oneida rez there are places that won't serve Indians. The local government will try to block development projects that will bring more income to tribes. There's a lot of jealousy surrounding tribal per capita payments...though believe me a lot of us are not getting rich. I get a thousand a year from my tribe, and my husband gets a hundred and fifty.
	I don't think that Native American history is explored well. I feel that places should focus on local tribes and talk about tribes and bands as individuals and not homogenize us. Plus the way they teach the history of Columbus is fucking ridiculous. He threw babies to dogs as punishment for not bringing him gold...he doesn't deserve a holiday.
What is your favorite or most interesting part of Ojibwe culture? What traditions do they still hold?	My favorite part is the language. I used to teach Ojibwe language at the high school level and I am proficient in it. I also love the spirituality and ceremonies. We actually hold a lot of our traditions still, especially our spirituality. We had to adapt them to times because our spirituality was actually illegal until the late 70's so we still kind of do everything in secret, but it's still a big part of our lives. Plus our cooking and general way of life, customs, social nuances, they're all around.
Can you explain how it was illegal? Wouldn't freedom of religion protect you?	You would think so, but it was actually specifically outlawed until 1978. Here is information on the American Indian Religious Freedom Act that finally made it legal.
Thanks for the answer. What kind of food is considered traditional? What's your favorite dish?	Berries are considered traditional but especially blue berries and strawberries. Venison, Moose, wild rice. My favorite is wild rice hot dish.
If you would have said "fry bread" I was going to stop reading this AMA.	Lol too many people think it's a traditional food. It's more like soul food. We created it from commodity rations, it was not traditional.
How bad is the morale and alcoholism in the tribe you work with?	I would say morale is pretty low...parents generally feel that living on the rez means a shitty life and you have to accept that. A lot of people, when they want to get sober, choose to move off of the rez entirely which I don't fault them for.
	Alcoholism is here, but it's actually not the biggest substance abuse problem. Right now heroin is really making a comeback on this rez, and the second most popular drug is pills.
What's your educational and professional background?	I actually have a bachelors degree in teaching and ojibwe language and culture. This rez does not require a social services background, they train us for us after being hired.
What inspired you to become a social worker?	I had worked with people in these type of situations before as a domestic violence advocate. I fell in love with helping people like that working that job through college. It just felt more real than teaching, like I was actually making a difference (though believe me, teaching makes a difference too). I realized I had a knack for it and it's not a job a lot of people can do and so I sought it out.
lastly: thanks for what you do, regardless of the population you work with.	Thanks. It's a pretty thankless job so it's nice to be appreciated :).
Wow, you sound like such a good-hearted person! My deepest respects. If I may ask, where did you get a bachelor's in Ojibwe language/culture?	The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. It's called the Native Teacher Training Program now.
If someone wanted to do community service on a reservation, would that be frowned upon - especially if they were white? What would be the best way to volunteer?	I don't think it would be frowned upon but you may receive a different reception than a fellow native person would. There are a lot of white people who come into our community with a savior complex...saving the poor indians from themselves. But if the goal is to work ALONGSIDE natives we will accept a white person. We have white social workers and supervisors. I have an easier time being native than they do, but they are still accepted and the families still work with them. There are different programs on different reservations...the only one I can think of here is boys and girls club and they always love volunteers...they have white staff as well. You just have to see what opportunities the rez provides.
What do you feel the USA should do at the state/federal level to improve situations on reservations?	Improving communication with the tribes. They still pass laws regarding us without asking for our input, and for a long time there was no leader of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (I believe through the entire Bush II presidency). I don't think money is the answer...a lot of people seem to think Indians just want free money or reparations.
	Really the reservations need to act to improve their own way of life. The damage has been done by the government in the past and we need to act as a sovereign nation and help ourselves.
So, hypothetically speaking, I am a government agency that has grant money to give Indian Tribes. Most tribes are eligible to receive this funding, however, so few apply (it's not usually a lot of money, but it is money). How do we go about getting the word out and communicating that this money exists for them to use?	Moccasin telegraph is best. That's our way of saying word-of-mouth lol. You have to actually go to the communities to talk to people...they tend to think something doesn't exist or people don't care unless they can address them face-to-face.
You mentioned that cooking is one of your favorite parts of your culture. What are some of your favorite traditional dishes?	I LOVE Moose. Moose anything. Moose hot dish, moose burgers, moose steak. Moose is so lean and flavorful.
	I also like frybread. Everyone cooks it so differently and it carries so much tradition in each family. However it's not a traditional food...it's a food that came about because of commodities. Commodities gave us lard and flour and we made the best of it.
Have you ever thought that the reservations have served their purpose and are no longer necessary?	No. I think reservations are great because they still allow us some sovereignty and the ability to build our own societies in the way we feel is necessary and relevant to our culture. Unfortunately, reservations are full of poor people and like any place predominantly inhabited by poor people (ghettos, trailer parks) there is a lot of crime and drug use in order to "survive." I still feel that it's a great thing, however, that I can go to a doctor that will respect western medicine and medicine people. That my child can go to school and learn English and their tribal language.
Do the majority of people in the community hold traditional Ojibwe spiritual beliefs and what is the role of religion/spirituality, generally, on the reservation where you work?	I would say the majority have some form of traditional belief but like any spirituality it varies from person to person. We try to integrate it into our social work if it is what appeals to the family...we've used traditional healers to work with those struggling with substance abuse, to heal victims of sexual and physical abuse, and to mediate family arguments. I think most government facilities here try to use spirituality. They do a weekly prayer and drum circle at the tribal school, they open each official government meeting with sage and a prayer...we integrate it as much as possible.
I live on a native reserve in Canada, my reserve has about 800ppl. We have very few "traditional" reserve problems, we have 95% employment rate, very little (if any) violence, drug, alcohol, or poverty issues. That I hear about from other reserves (epically reserves in USA). Are the stories I hear true or false?	It depends on the reservation, but I'd say generally the reservations do have a lot of crime and drug use. My Oneida reservation doesn't have AS MUCH trouble with it as it is the only metropolitan reservation in the country AND they pay for college so there is a lot of opportunity for work and education. Here more people are poor and unfortunately with poverty comes the need for crime to pay the bills and the desire for drugs to numb the pain.
I worked for several years in the Megan's law program in California and was shocked to find out that due to the sovereignty of Native American tribes a lot if not most of the people accused or found guilty of rape or molestation on the reservation often go free or are not prosecuted at all. I also heard that in most cases they even end up living in the same neighbohood as their vicitms. First, is this true? And second, if it is, is there any way to prevent or solve this issue when the reservations sovereignty comes into play, leaving any outside law enforcement unable to assist in helping in such cases?	I haven't found that to be true here in Minnesota...they are prosecuted and sent to jail. That's a criminal issue and is handled more by law enforcement and county court. I think this used to be more true in the past as most crimes against natives were not prosecuted.
	This tribe has a way of dealing with it...banishment. Some tribes still use banishment as a punishment and do not allow perpetrators back onto the reservation. Tribal police will actually escort them off if they find them to be in the area.
Do you notice any sort of resentment towards the government from the locals? We are currently learning about indian history and how past aggressions have lasting impressions so I'm wondering if you still see people angry about that or is that all old news by now?	People are still angry about it but it's not generally something we discuss. I do, because I have to interact with state and federal government depending on the kind of case I have to investigate. I still see the state trying to infringe on our sovereign tribal rights because they believe they can do it better. I think it mostly manifests in who families are more willing to work with. Families are always more open to working with me as a tribal social worker than with county officials.
Do you have any insights into what the future holds for Natives? I work at a hospital close to a few reservations and I agree that the older generation still seems kind of resentful but the younger kids don't seem to be as much (or maybe just not yet), is a change on the horizon?	I can really only refer to the seventh generation prophecy among the Ojibwe people...that the seventh generation will bring about change and cultural revitalization. That's this generation so here's hoping.
Canadian here, we have a unique, but similar, situation here with our aboriginal population. What do you think the real solution is for problems on reservations? In Canada there is a lot of resentment of aboriginals and many people say they are "lazy, freeloaders who want free money". Many people here believe we should stop sending "blank cheques" to reservations and to put money into rehab centers, schools, etc. Critics of this say it is neo-colonialism. The aboriginal writer, Cardinal, believes things need to be solved internally by aboriginals and the government should provide money with no strings attached. A lot of Canadians don't think they should have to pay for past injustices, especially since we have such a large migrant population. What's your view/why? TL;DR What's the best solution for problems in aboriginal populations?	I think the real solution is for people to take more responsibility for our future. I think the government isn't as active in their efforts to destroy the native population, now they are indifferent (which can be a killer on its own). The government doesn't give a shit about us, so we need to stop blaming them for our current problems. We were dealt a bad hand...we have a history full of problems that has trickled down to current generations, but at this point no amount of money or government assistance is going to make that better. Tribes need to be responsible for their own people and need to create programs to help employ and educate their citizens.
What is the status of family law (e.g. paternity, guardianships, divorce, etc.) on the reservations?	It is different for each reservation. On Oneida they actually just got family court so they will do guardianships and child protection in tribal court for the first time. On the rez in which I work there is guardianship and child protection court already in place. For paternity, divorce, and criminal it is generally done in county court but it really depends on the reservation and their ability to provide that for their people or their relationship with state government.
Why do they prefer to be called American Indians now, since its based on such a silly historical mistake?	I think because we've been identified with the term "indian" for so long...but actually you'd have to ask each individual what they prefer. Personally I prefer the term first nations, but mostly to be identified by the tribes I specifically draw heritage from. The latter is true for most people, we just don't expect that from outsiders.
How do you feel about sports teams with "Indians" or other similar names. I grew up at a school who had the Indians as our school symbol and we always took a lot of pride in learning a lot about NA culture in our school. We also live in an area where a lot of Mississippian Indians were basically absorbed into "white" culture. Now that a lot of schools are changing symbols I kind of feel like we are forgetting about part of our shared history. What's your take on this?	I think it depends on the representation. It sounds like your school had a more respectful way of dealing with it. The Redskins, however, is a term that is racially offensive. It comes from when bounty hunters used to turn in native skins to the government for their pay as transporting the bodies was more heavy and expensive. However, the fighting Sioux is okay with me because the Sioux people themselves are in favor of it.
My girlfriend once did some work with the Seminole Tribe. She said most of the people were obese and would wear cheap Wal Mart clothing, but had private jets and would spend ridiculous amounts of cash on the dumbest shit. Is obesity a problem with many other tribes? What's the usual diet for those living on a reservation? Are most people in the tribe wealthy, or is it structured similar to the outside, i.e. a few rich at the top and many people far below?	Obesity is a problem as is diabetes. Our bodies were not designed to digest the food that Europeans are. The usual diet on a rez is the diet of a poor person: cheap food loaded with preservatives and high in fat. In this tribe I'd say the majority are still poor. Generally people believe that because a tribe has a casino they must be rich, but it depends on the tribe. There are some tribes where their members make hundreds of thousands a month and others like my husband's (Leech Lake) where they get 125 dollars a year.
Do you think the social situation in the reservations is worsening or getting better, and do you have examples of social dramas?	That's a question with a complex answer. Like any society you have some people moving forward and others doing the opposite. I think there are more opportunities for people on reservations these days but the crime and drug problems remain. Could you explain what you mean by social drama?
I hope I don't sound too much of a "disaster tourist", but I was wondering if there are generation gaps/class distinction/internal troubles that we don't hear of too often. In short, is there unity or division among the members of the Ojibwe, and why do you think that is. And could you expand on the crime and drug problems? What drugs are used most?	Oh absolutely. Elders want the young to be more involved in their culture as they will carry it on into the future, and many native youngsters find them antiquated and find this to not be their responsibility. Young natives actually identify a lot with urban african american culture and listen to rap and dress in that style. There are natives who live in nice homes here by the golf course, and indians who live in tribal housing with cockroaches. Jealousy is a big problem with our people...and people who succeed are seen as "white lovers."
	There is a lot of gang activity on this rez (and many reservations). Here we have the "native mob" who do sex trafficking but mostly drug trafficking. The big drug here right now is heroin with pills being a close second.
Do the youngsters also hang out with African Americans, or do they only identify with them because of TV culture? Do you think that clinging to traditional values is good, or that "blending in" with modern society is the way to go? How do you think the social problems involving crime and drugs can be dealt with?	In some cases they hang out with African Americans, but there is actually a lot of racism towards African Americans, especially with the elders. I'm not sure why, I just know it's there. It's mostly the gang culture and tv culture youngsters associate with.
	I think that blending is good to a point as well as the clinging to traditions. The reality is I don't want to go back to living in the woods...I like internet and indoor plumbing...but I don't need to live in the woods to practice my spirituality, speak my language, or learn the traditions. I think we need to accept that we need to decide what our current culture is and not continue to be angry about or mourn the past. Never forget, but forgiving is okay.
	I think it is a complex problem that people are trying to answer in a one-note solution. They assume if you close down the drug dealers the problem is over. But really, you need to address the poverty, the depression and the stigma of seeking help for depression, the joblessness, and the cultural stuff like people's tendency to be fatalistic.
How is their government structured, and how does this affect daily life? I ask because I've some acquaintances in the Navajo Nation, which is run by consensus government, so getting projects approved and started can take forever.	They have the tribal chairperson and commisioners of different departments (education, finances, etc) and they meet as a board to make decisions. My tribe (the Oneida) have a general tribal council made up of whichever tribal members decided to show up that day (they pay out an incentive) who votes and the majority rules.
What do you think about pushes for traditionalism in a tribe? I live in Arizona, and I've heard speakers lament that kids have lost the old ways (spirituality, customs, language), but restoring them would solve a lot of problems that Native American youth have. Do you think that approach holds promise? Do you find that young people want that traditionalism?	I think that having stock in your community helps you to respect it more. Having your own sense of identity makes it so you don't need to seek approval and fellowship from gangs. Learning your language or involving yourself in learning how to do ceremonies occupies you so you don't get into trouble. I think it could help a great deal.
	I find that younger people can go either way as far as seeking traditionalism. I'm more exposed as a social worker to the ones who don't (and you can take from that what you will) and so I see more kids who look to gangs and crime.
Is this a problem in your area? If so, what are some of the ways to help these girls and women to gain their independence? How can we raise awareness in younger generations and teach men that it is NOT okay to pay for sex?	It is a problem here but it is not as prevalent. I think its so prevalent in Duluth because of the ports. I think what needs to happen is more native communities need to have open and honest dialogue about the problem. Native communities do not want to believe this happens to their girls and will shy away from discussing it.
I am a tribal member with Lac Courte Oreilles and I live off reservation. It has been three generations since my family lived on the reservation, and my generation is the first ones since about 1920 to even engage with our heritage. What advice would you give someone like myself to reengage with my heritage?	Firstly, if you have access to an elder or can find access, this is your best bet. Elders are our connection to our past, to our ways, and have a whole lot of history to share. Powwows are a great place to meet elders. Many places also have cultural workshops. I'm not saying the workshop will teach you as much as a member of the tribe, but this is a good place to MEET someone from the tribe. The more community involvement you have the more knowledge will rub off on you.
What are your thoughts on the proposed provisions to the Violence Against Women Act where a federal court can supersede a reservation's council? How prevalent is domestic abuse?	Federal court can always supersede tribal law.
	Domestic abuse is very prevalent, more prevalent in Native communities than any other. I used to be a domestic violence advocate in Duluth, MN. If you'd like to know more about that please read the "Shattered Hearts Report." It's a really good and heartbreaking inventory of how many native women are affected by rape, sexual assault, and domestic abuse.
Maybe a shallow question but what's your opinion on the use of your heritage as sport mascots? Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Blackhawks etc. EDIT: Would still like more info on this question... This answer (Link to www.reddit.com didn't clarify much... Any chance you can address teams like the Braves/Blackhawks/Indians?	Please see above.
I worked doing humanitarian work on several reservations in Arizona. One not so remote, and one VERY remote. Hilarious part was they hated being called Native Americans, and much prefered to be called Indians. Very sad to see the state of affairs, and I just want to thank you for doing what you do. It breaks my heart that they are in the United States and go nearly unnoticed (not that they don't share in the responsibility for a lot of their own shortcomings). Are you Indian/Native American yourself?	I am enrolled Oneida and a descendant of Fond du lac Ojibwe.
I don't have questions, I just want to say THANK YOU for everything you do. I have worked for several domestic violence and community organizations in South Dakota's Sioux reservations and know that the struggles of Native Americans are often overlooked or minimized by stereotyping and racism by the average American. Edit: I do have a question actually. I now live in WI and would be interested in getting involved in Native culture activism and non-profit programs. My educational background is in sociology and transitioning families. Do you know of any good programs in WI or MN that are looking for interns/volunteers or any educational resources for young people interested in getting involved in these areas?	I know the American Indian Community Housing Organization in Duluth, MN is looking for people and they have a lot of different positions and programs. Mending the Sacred Hoop in Duluth might need people as well. If not, they could point you in the right direction.
Can you provide proof?	I'd be more than willing to if you have any ideas as to how.
What do you think of Red Lake's new skatepark?	Hahah I have not been to Red Lake.
Have you had any dealings with Native Americans from Canada? From my few spots of observations while visiting Canada, a lot of Canadians are highly prejudiced against Native Americans.	One of my weh-ehs (the Ojibwe version of a godparent) is from Rainy River reservation in Ontario. He's really my only connection to Natives from Canada. I don't know a lot about their communities or struggles.

Last updated: 2013-02-25 21:11 UTC
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[Table] IAmA: I invented Baconfest Chicago. AMA!

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Date: 2014-12-05
Link to submission (Has self-text)

Questions	Answers
As someone who has frequented the Des Moines baconfest (and been friends with several of the past bacon queens) what sets Chicago apart from other baconfests? I only ask because Iowa is all about corn and hogs. What connection to bacon does Chicago have?	They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys. And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again. And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger. And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them: Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning. Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities; Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted against the wilderness, Bareheaded, Shoveling, Wrecking, Planning, Building, breaking, rebuilding, Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth, Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs, Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle, Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse, and under his ribs the heart of the people, Can't seem to get that formatted but Chicago has a LONG history with pork. More importantly, people here love to eat it now, chefs love to cook it, and bacon festers love to fest it. Our event is pretty different from Des Moines - smaller and more gourmet restaurant focused.
What was the hardest part of creating baconfest? The easiest? What's the strangest thing you've seen?	The hardest part is the logistics - basically we have one room that we rent for a couple of days and spend six months arranging for stuff and people to arrive at that room in a very short window of time. That's equipment, tables, chefs, food, beer, tradeshow booths, furniture, computers, merch, etc. All has to get there at the right time. The week of the event is always a little hair-raising to be sure that all the stuff gets to the right place. Since we have different restaurants at each shift, it's complicated to get them in and out with all their stuff - on Saturday we have a lunch shift and a dinner shift - between the two, we have move 50 restaurants out of the room, clean it up, and get 50 new restaurants back in - all in about two hours. I don't really relax that weekend until the changeover is done.
	The easiest? drinking a cold beer on the mezzanine looking out over the crowd at 6:15 during the saturday shift and realizing that we conjured that experience out of thin air: Link to www.flickr.com
	Strangest? These awesome bacon pirates that came and won our costume contest: Link to www.flickr.com
What spurred you to create the event back in 2009?	Great question!
	My partners went to see a rock and roll puppet musical called "Beer" which a local theater company put on (The Neo Futurists: Link to neofuturists.org.)
	After the show they went home and thought - what do we feel so strongly about that we would write a rock and roll puppet musical about it. The obvious answer: BACON!
	So they started writing some songs but got bored and decided to just throw a big bacon party instead.
	I got a call at 11:30pm from my buds saying : "Dude - let me know what you think about this idea: Baconfest Chicago - The Burning Man of Bacon".
	I liked the idea once I realized there were no art cars or hallucinogens involved.
	The next week, we set up our fb / twitter and drafted our manifesto and started to get interest from restaurants and bacon-lovers.
What a magical story. you "invented" this? Or did you just follow on after other successful events? Link to blueribbonbaconfestival.com.	We didn't learn about the existence of Blue Ribbon BaconFest until after we started building ours. We certainly know them now and wish them the best - Brooks came to our event last year. Convergent evolution i guess!
My native city already has a competing baconfest which makes me wonder how many baconfest business owners there are. I was curious, do you plan on branching out to other cities?	There has been a baconfest explosion since we started. In 2009, the only other Baconfests we were aware of were Des Moines and Atlanta. Since then there are hundreds of other fests that have appeared, some great, some less than great, some restaurant focused and gourmet like ours, others that are more carnivalesque.
	We have entertained expansion into other cities - we were very close to doing a festival in San Francisco two years ago but had to bail on it for a combination of reasons (timing, finances, etc). We've looked into DC and Green Bay WI too but haven't made another one happen yet.
	We work very hard on making Baconfest Chicago a truly fun and awesome event and would only expand if we could be confident that we'd be able to reproduce what we like about our event in new cities without going broke :)
What's the best way to cook bacon?	Depends! I like it fried hard with sunny-side up eggs. But there's a million ways I like it. One of the cool things about Baconfest is that you get to see how creative chefs work bacon into all sorts of dishes. Our buddy Pat Sheerin at Trenchermen in Chicago did a dish a few years ago that was Bacon-Stuffed Bacon: big slabs of bacon cut in to thick chunks that were then used as a sausage casing and stuffed with ground bacon. That bacon-log was braised with maple and topped with "whipped pancakes". Yum.
Hello Bacon aficionado, congrats on all your success with the event and hopes it keeps growing for years to come.	We are creatures of social media. We've relied heavily on Twitter and FB to get the word out. We were lucky that our event came onto the scene at a moment when those channels were not overwhelmed with promotions so we were able to establish our voice and get to be part of the growing restaurant / foodie social media community.
I wanted to ask you what methods did you use to get the word out about the event and any suggestions if I wanted start something of how to go about it?	Other than that, word of mouth, email, traditional PR. We get a fair amount of attention from local and national media. People like the bacon story. Link to baconfestchicago.com
What is your favorite bacon? Brand and or style of bacon?	Each occasion calls for its own bacon. We have a certain fondness for Nueske's Applewood Smoked bacon, not just because they send tons (literal tons) to our event, but because it's super delicious. But I also like slab bacon form a local Chicago smokehouse called Georges which is perfect for lardons. Dreymiller and Kray makes an amazing bacon that they smoke over wood from Goose Island Bourbon County barrels.
$100 for bacon and beer? Am I missing something here?	I mean that's the basic idea. The bacon dishes are pretty interesting and showcase a lot of creativity from some excellent chefs. There's more than just beer - cocktails and wine too. But yeah, it's $100 for access to a bacon-wonderland. Plus there is a charitable component - we gave $75,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository last year alone. Think of it as a nice meal out including drinks.
What shift is the best one to go to this year?	Wow! You're welcome and thank you for the glowing endorsement. Really makes me feel great to hear such high praise!
What's one restaurant that hasn't participated yet that you're excited for this year?	I don't know which restaurants will be at which shift yet. We try to balance out the shifts so there are some big names at each and some sleepers that we'd love to see get more attention. I haven't noticed dinner shifts having better food, though I usually enjoy the Sat Dinner best, because I get a few drinks in me and can relax and chat.
What's your dream choice of a restaurant to join in?	We haven't released the roster yet, but one new one is The Winchester which I'm super excited about- they just opened in the last year. I'd love to get some out of town chefs in - somebody like a Chris Cosentino or Sean Brock.
Have you ever had Epic Deli?	Never heard of it, but now I'll check it out! Thanks for the lead and see you in April!
What's your definition of invent?	I mean we had an idea and then we made it happen. There are obviously other tasting events that we looked at for our model - Green City Market in Chicago throws an amazing BBQ every summer with great restaurants. So we didn't invent the idea of a ticketed food festival but there was no Baconfest Chicago before and now there is.
God bless you, sir.	Thank you. I accept your blessing :)
What's the largest amount of bacon you've cooked so far?	Our bacon sponsor Nueske's delivers bacon to the restaurants who want to use it their event. Last year they shipped 7,800 lbs of bacon to our exhibitors. So, in a way, I cooked nearly 4 tons of bacon that day.
Edit: in your entire life, not just at the fest?	For my own personal consumption - I probably haven't cooked more than a pound at a time.
Do you participate in the consumption of this bacon at the fest, or have you focused on cooking it instead? I think, as much as I love bacon I might get baconed out!	At the festival itself, I'm usually running around like a chicken with my head cut off so I don't get to eat as much as I'd like. We have a chef competition - restaurants compete to win the "Golden Rasher" for most creative use of bacon. I try to sample all of the finalists and winners at least. Last year, Michael Jordan's steakhouse made a bacon-chunk in clams casino broth with little calabrian chilis that won one of the prizes. It was outstanding: Link to www.flickr.com

Last updated: 2014-12-09 17:30 UTC
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