THE EVOLUTION OF JUDICIAL TYRANNY IN THE UNITED STATES:

"If the judges interpret the laws themselves, and suffer none else to interpret, they may easily make, of the laws, [a shredded] shipman's hose!" - King James I of England, around 1616.

“No class of the community ought to be allowed freer scope in the expression or publication of opinions as to the capacity, impartiality or integrity of judges than members of the bar. They have the best opportunities of observing and forming a correct judgment. They are in constant attendance on the courts. Hundreds of those who are called on to vote never enter a court-house, or if they do, it is only at intervals as jurors, witnesses or parties. To say that an attorney can only act or speak on this subject under liability to be called to account and to be deprived of his profession and livelihood by the very judge or judges whom he may consider it his duty to attack and expose, is a position too monstrous to be entertained for a moment under our present system,” Justice Sharwood in Ex Parte Steinman and Hensel, 95 Pa 220, 238-39 (1880).

“This case illustrates to me the serious consequences to the Bar itself of not affording the full protections of the First Amendment to its applicants for admission. For this record shows that [the rejected attorney candidate] has many of the qualities that are needed in the American Bar. It shows not only that [the rejected attorney candidate] has followed a high moral, ethical and patriotic course in all of the activities of his life, but also that he combines these more common virtues with the uncommon virtue of courage to stand by his principles at any cost.

It is such men as these who have most greatly honored the profession of the law. The legal profession will lose much of its nobility and its glory if it is not constantly replenished with lawyers like these. To force the Bar to become a group of thoroughly orthodox, time-serving, government-fearing individuals is to humiliate and degrade it.” In Re Anastaplo, 18 Ill. 2d 182, 163 N.E.2d 429 (1959), cert. granted, 362 U.S. 968 (1960), affirmed over strong dissent, 366 U.S. 82 (1961), Justice Black, Chief Justice Douglas and Justice Brennan, dissenting.

" I do not believe that the practice of law is a "privilege" which empowers Government to deny lawyers their constitutional rights. The mere fact that a lawyer has important responsibilities in society does not require or even permit the State to deprive him of those protections of freedom set out in the Bill of Rights for the precise purpose of insuring the independence of the individual against the Government and those acting for the Government”. Lathrop v Donohue, 367 US 820 (1961), Justice Black, dissenting.

"The legal profession must take great care not to emulate the many occupational groups that have managed to convert licensure from a sharp weapon of public defense into blunt instrument of self-enrichment". Walter Gellhorn, "The Abuse of Occupational Licensing", University of Chicago Law Review, Volume 44 Issue 1, September of 1976.

“Because the law requires that judges no matter how corrupt, who do not act in the clear absence of jurisdiction while performing a judicial act, are immune from suit, former Judge Ciavarella will escape liability for the vast majority of his conduct in this action. This is, to be sure, against the popular will, but it is the very oath which he is alleged to have so indecently, cavalierly, baselessly and willfully violated for personal gain that requires this Court to find him immune from suit”, District Judge A. Richard Caputo in H.T., et al, v. Ciavarella, Jr, et al, Case No. 3:09-cv-00286-ARC in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Document 336, page 18, November 20, 2009. This is about judges who were sentencing kids to juvenile detention for kickbacks.

Saturday, March 28, 2026

The full depositions in The Reporter's lawsuit against Delaware County

In this blog article, I am publishing the full original texts of depositions of County officials in the lawsuit of newspaper The Reporter (Walton, NY) against Delaware County, NY and its Supervisors and County Attorney, in individual and official capacity.

I personally purchased from Pacer.gov.

Taxpayers of Delaware County - enjoy if you can.

Because if YOU need to resolve an issue through a court proceeding, you, most likely, won't be able to afford an attorney.

And the defendants - list below:

#NamePosition in Delaware CountyTown (Supervisor Of)
1Delaware County, New YorkMunicipal entity—
2Tina MoléChairperson, Board of SupervisorsTown of Bovina
3Arthur MerrillMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Colchester
4Mark TuthillMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Delhi (retired) 
5Thomas AxtellMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Deposit (retired)
6Jeffrey TaggartMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Franklin (retired)
7Wayne E. MarshfieldMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Hamden
8Jerry VernoldMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Hancock
9James E. EiselMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Harpersfield (retired, DEAD)
10George Haynes, Jr.Member, Board of SupervisorsTown of Kortright
11Betty L. ScottMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Masonville
12James G. EllisMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Meredith
13Carl Patrick DavisMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Middletown
14Allen R. HinkleyMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Roxbury
15Eric T. WilsonMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Sidney
16John S. KosierMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Stamford
17William LaytonMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Tompkins
18Joseph CettaMember, Board of SupervisorsTown of Walton
19Amy MerklenCounty Attorney—


 - who caused this lawsuit by their personal misconduct - are pilfering your tax money through the third year now of costly litigation, including these depositions - that you, for yourself, won't be able to afford.

So - enjoy reading, if you can.


#

Date

Name

Role / Position

Status

1

14-May-25

Wayne Shepard (1)

Delaware County Office of the Aging Director (retired)

Not a Defendant

2

15-May-25

Wayne Marshfield (1)

Town of Hamden Supervisor

Defendant

3

23-May-25

Wayland Gladstone

Town of Andes Supervisor (retired)

Not a Defendant

4

6-Jul-25

Arthur Merrill

Town of Colchester Supervisor

Defendant

5

25-Jul-25

Jerry Vernold

Town of Hancock Supervisor

Defendant

6

29-Aug-25

Shelly Johnson-Bennett

Delaware County Public Information Officer; Commissioner of Planning, Parks & Watershed Affairs

Not a Defendant (here)

7

3-Sep-25

Kimberly Shepard

Co-owner, The Reporter

Plaintiff

8

16-Sep-25

Joseph Cetta

Town of Walton Supervisor

Defendant

9

19-Sep-25

Randy Shepard

Co-owner, The Reporter

Plaintiff

10

25-Sep-25

Joseph Ermeti

Delaware County Public Defender

Not a Defendant

11

26-Sep-25

Allen Hinkley

Town of Roxbury Supervisor

Defendant

12

8-Oct-25

Wayne Marshfield (2)

Town of Hamden Supervisor

Defendant

13

8-Oct-25

Wayne Shepard (2)

Delaware County Office of the Aging Director (retired)

Not a Defendant

14

15-Oct-25

Amy Merklen

Delaware County Attorney

Defendant

15

29-Oct-25

Tina Molé

Town of Bovina Supervisor; Chairperson, Delaware County Board of Supervisors

Defendant

16

30-Oct-25

Lillian Browne

Editor, The Reporter

Plaintiff’s editor

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