To blog or not to blog?

I have been wondering if I should blog about this, but as this is a private blog and it won't affect the outcome, I am going to.

We've had some developments in the case that I mentioned here in November 2009. http://mandeglazebrook.blogspot.com/2009/11/civic-duty.html

Basically Michael saw a guy stealing out of a house that was being built three doors down from us in the cul-de-sac. I took a picture (not a very good one) and he gave a statement of what he saw to the police. We never heard anything else. Until a few months ago we got a letter in the mail from the DA office saying that the defence may try to contact us and that we should let the DA office know so they can be involved in any meetings. A few months later we got a call saying that they wanted to meet. We set it up and the defence cancelled the meeting. This happened to be during a period where Michael was traveling a lot last summer. We couldn't do any of the dates the defense wanted. So, they decided to subpoena us to meet with the lawyers on the Monday after I was due to have Michael Patrick. They actually tried to serve us with papers while I was in the hospital. After letting the Prosecutor know that we weren't going to make it they changed the date to the Monday the week of Thanksgiving.

The defense didn't even show up to depose us. They sent an investigator to depose us and the prosecutor was so inexperienced that he didn't even bring a note pad or business card. He recorded the deposition on his phone. Anyway, we told the truth and we were very credible witnesses. This guy was facing some jail time and decided to plead not guilty.

Anyway the trial was set for the first week of December and they were going to call Michael to testify. He happened to be out of town the day before he was to go to court.

Anyway, that afternoon Madelyn got home from school about 3:30. At almost 4:00 the doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. A few weeks before I had some drunk Hispanic try to get into my house when I opened the door (wrong house - thank goodness for the bar on the top of my door that kept him out). So needless to say I am very hesitant to open the door and usually ignore it if I don't know that someone is coming over.

When the doorbell kept ringing I looked out the window and there was no car outside (usually that means solicitors walking door to door) I peaked out the window and saw a woman with a baby. I immediately thought it could have been my neighbor who also has a small baby and maybe she had an emergency. Also my kids were outside and I thought she would know that I was home if she went in the back yard. I opened the door.

It wasn't my neighbor. She asked if this was Michael Glazebrook's house and I said yes. Then I asked who she was and she said we didn't know her but that she was the WIFE of the man Michael was testifying against. My heart dropped. I asked her how she got our address - she said it was on the paperwork. Seriously, it should not be so easy for the defendant's family to find a witness. She basically said her husband's car overheated and that was why he was there - but why was he stealing things then? She cried saying that they had two small children who needed their father.

Then she told me that they spent $7000 on a lawyer who said that Michael is a very credible witness and since is a Marine it would be hard to find a jury who wouldn't believe him. So, what did she want?

She wanted Michael to not show up to court the next day. To just not go. Yeah right. I know that when you don't show they send a warrant for your arrest. So, either she wanted to discredit Michael or she knew that he could be arrested if he didn't show up. Either way I told her that my husband is not a liar and that he was going to court and telling the truth.

Then she told me her husband didn't know that she had come to my house and please don't tell anyone. Then she left.

I called the Prosecutor and left a message. He called me back and I relayed the story. He seemed like it was no big deal. He said he would talk to a superior and if it was an issue he would let me know before 6pm. Even I know that witness tampering is against the law.

He called back and said this was a BIG DEAL and that an officer may come by in the next few days to get my statement of what happened. The next day the defendant plead guilty and got 5 years in prison.

So, what should be over continues. Now we are playing phone tag with an officer who wants to take my statement. I really think this was just a misguided lady who has a husband who makes bad choices (this was a third strike). I don't want her to go to jail, but I also don't want to have any contact from them ever again.