Monday, October 09, 2006

Kennedy Takes Low Road In Prosecutor's Race

Democratic prosecutor candidate Melina Kennedy attacked incumbent Prosecutor Carl Brizzi today(R), saying that he couldn't be trusted to keep our children safe ala the Mark Foley page scandal because he did not prosecute a former prosecutor in his office who acted inappropriately towards a 16-year-old girl. An assistant chief in the prosecutor's sex crimes unit, Jay Meisenhelder, was fired by Brizzi in 2005 as soon as he learned that Meinsenhelder had sent a letter expressing his love for the 16-year-old and took her to his home where he romantically kissed her on the lips. Meisenhelder was a career prosecutor whose employment with the prosecutor's office predated Brizzi's election to the office four years ago.

"Prosecutor Carl Brizzi promoted a man in his own office who was engaged in an online relationship with a young girl," Kennedy claimed according to WISH-TV. "How can we trust him to keep our children safe," she asked. "This is a desperate, negative campaign tactic," said Brizzi. "The day that came to our attention, I took action, and he was fired," Brizzi said. Although Kennedy specifically tied the issue she raised to the Foley scandal, WISH-TV wisely observed that there was no allegation of a cover-up of Meisenhelder's actions.

Meisenhelder was never accused of having sex with the girl. Kennedy noticeably didn't cite a criminal statute under which she would have prosecuted Meisenhelder. The age of consent in Indiana is 16, and the only state law under which such acts could conceivably be prosecuted, the felony seduction statute, does not apply to the acts which occurred in this instance. The federal child predator law would also not seem to apply since the e-mail letter Meisenhelder since the girl did not specifically solicit or discuss sex with her. Even if the federal law had applied, Brizzi is without power to prosecute federal crimes.

Kennedy is deliberately misrepresenting the facts of the case to make it appear that Brizzi covered up a crime. Without offering a shred of evidence, she inferred in her press conference today that Brizzi was aware of Meisenhelder's overtures to the girl when he promoted him to a new position in his office. She obviously is not concerned at all for the well-being of the alleged victim in this case, who she is shamelessly exploiting. Frankly, I would be concerned about electing someone as prosecutor who displays a willingness to fabricate a crime where none exists for political gain.

Brizzi's office has in fact conducted online sting operations to nab numerous child predators and has instituted a program to distribute tracking software to parents so they can track what sites their children are visiting. Suggesting that Brizzi has somehow or another run the prosecutor's office in a way that makes children in Marion Co. more susceptible to child predators is simply beyond the pale.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Advance Indiana:

Melina Kenndy is not a credible candidate in my opinion. She has no criminal law experience,so the attack strategy is the only way she can attempt to get the attention of voters. No respect for the victims are their family members. She is jeopardizing pending criminal cases before the courts.

It's ironic or intentional, she does not blame the judges for any of the early releases or light sentences. No mention of the Mayor Peterson's police department or the sheriff's department in her ads.

No substance, each of her allegations are fabricated with no eveidence to back them up. Her commercials don't have to be true, only believeable for those voters who can't think for themsleves.

She is pathetic. I wouldn't trust her with the power of the prosecutor's office if my life depended on it. the Democrats don't have a decent platform to run on, so hey make it up as they go along. We have 5 weeks to go, and I am already tired of her rhetoric!

Anonymous said...

While some Brizzi flack cuts and pastes talking points above, let's look at something.

If I remember correcctly, Meisenhelder had the girl over, and attempted to kiss her twice. Sounds like it borders on sexual assault. As for the connection to Foley, it's the right political play.

Additionally, didn't Brizzi's COS reach up a woman's shirt? (Apprently Brizzi's handpicked staffers are perverts).

Anonymous said...

Check this so-called Lawrence Friedman's IP address AI? It has to be Jen Wagner.

Anonymous said...

Her attack is another example that she has no graps of the law.

You can't prosecute someone when there wasn't a law broken that they could be charged with.

And to throw a 16 year old under the bus just to try to get press shows that this peice of work (I can't call her a lady, that would be an insult to all the other females)has no soul.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, she wouldn't be that bad if she'd just stop trying so hard to talk trash. She really comes off as a vindictive person.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Lawrence M. Friedman is actually an internationally renowned, prize-winning legal historian on the faculty of Stanford Law School. It is doubtful that the real Lawrence M. Friedman would be posting on this site on behalf of Melina Kennedy. Hmmm. Is that something Jen would do?

Anonymous said...

No something Jen would do, something I did. I'd like to remain anon, but have found that when the whole thread is anon, it gets hard to read. I had a Friedman book sitting on my desk and it became the pinname of the moment. No harm intended.

Anonymous said...

It is doubtful that the real Lawrence M. Friedman would be posting on this site on behalf of Melina Kennedy. Hmmm. Is that something Jen would do?

Do we REALLY need to answer that question Gary? C'mon this is the same Jennifer Wagner that posted Eric Dickerson's SSN to the internet for all to see! She has no [scruples, morals, common sense].

Anonymous said...

AI: "Hmmm. Is that something Jen would do?"

Since you seem in the mood to guess/out the identity of AI’s anonmice, let’s be fair and do the same with the Dickerson …hmmm… shall we say, eccentrics.

Wilson46201 said...

Eric's SSN is available to any citizen for 4 cents at the Indianapolis Police Department.

Anonymous said...

Kennedy's campaign commercials and
speeches have been careless, misleading and wreckless. We don't have to like Brizzi personally but
one thing he is not doing is lying
and misleading voters. Kennedy has
used every dirty and untruthful tatic she could think of..IS THIS
HOW THE PROSECUTORS OFFICE WILL RUN
AND HER INPUT INTO THE COURTROOMS??

Anonymous said...

Wilson, that wasn't even funny.

What are you gonna harp on after Nov.7, and you don't have Eric to kick around?

Anonymous said...

What are you gonna harp on after Nov.7, and you don't have Eric to kick around?

Wait 2 years when Eric runs for re-election.

Anonymous said...

AI
brizzi put commons in charge of this investigation. commons was known for a long time by brizzi and others to be inappropriate to women. this is what stinks

Anonymous said...

Hail, you obviously didn't get the point of the earlier post: what is Wilson gonna do when he doesn't have Eric to kick around? As in, Eric won't BE around.

Julia 56, Eric 40-42 at best.