Monday, June 30, 2014

THE LADY CANDIDATES FOR CHARLEVOIX COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE

MARY BETH KUR (KERR)

Mary Beth Kur, Charlevoix attorney

Announced her candidacy in February and had an article in the Petoskey News Review on February 8, 2014.
In that article, in the second paragraph, it stated that Mary Beth Kur, is a Charlevoix Native-
            -           That is not true ( a lie).  Mary Beth Brown, her maiden name, was raised in Flint                              Michigan.  Why does she not want to acknowledge that she was raised in flint.                              People need to Google her name and George Crear III. 


Also in that article, the paper notes that Kur “launched a bold early campaign this week taking out a billboard on US 31 announcing her candidacy.
            -           This billboard violated the law by not having the proper identification on the                           billboard and this has been turned over to the elections bureau.
HOW CAN SOMEONE WANT TO BE A JUDGE AND NOT FOLLOW THE LAW THEMSELVES.
Kur is also the same person who was sued by numerous persons in two different lawsuits in the prosecutor’s office while she was in charge.
            -           Jarema claimed that Kur misappropriated money while she was in office.  Kur                              gave him a judgement of $50,000 three weeks before going to trial.
            -           Ward and Rozema sued Kur for her hostile treatment after they gave depositions                                     in the Jarema suit.  This case went to a jury trial and the jury, after 6 hours,                                  awarded a 1 MILLION DOLLAR JUDGMENT PLUS ATTORNEY FEES-                             TOTALING OVER 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS.
            -           The retaliatory actions cited included harassment, assignment manipulation,                             verbal comments, gestures, threatening conversations and confrontations. 
       -      Kur asked that her depositions be sealed so that the public would not know of                              claims of pornographic material in the prosecutor's office, "misuse of county                                   funds" and "witness tampering by prosecutor Kur in the (John) Jarema case."

In a civil case, the “winning party” gets a judgment.  These cases did not settle.  These were not settlements but judgments.  Instead of going to trial with Jarema, Kur gave him a judgment instead of going to trial.   Ward and Rozema got a jury verdict. 
-           Kur’s website claims that she is endorsed by Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sauter.  He is a former            prosecutor of Eaton county and was a paid expert at $150 per hour to testify on her        behalf in the Ward/Rozema trial, which resulted in a one million dollar verdict against Kur.  The news article stated that he and another former prosecutor expected to get paid             $3,000 each for their testimony.        Petoskey News Review May 12, 2005

-             Kur endorsed Telgenhof during his campaign for county prosecutor.  Telgenhof has already   been fined $1,500 from the state for not following the law in the election.   Telgenhof has assaulted his wife, bounced checks and kept his landlord’s property.   He is under           investigation for perjury.  This endorsement goes straight to Kur’s character and her flawed   character has no place in such an esteemed position as circuit judge.


-             Kur is damaged goods, she should never be in a government position to manage persons             based on her track record.  There are 1.3 million reasons [dollars] that she cannot manage           persons and 1.3 million reasons why she shouldn’t be judge. 

 

Judge: Jarema-Kur case like 'a skunk in the courtroom'

Saying it was like letting a skunk in the courtroom, Circuit Judge Thomas Power on Wednesday cautiously allowed the defense in the high-stakes Ward-Rozema case to refer to the politically charged Jarema-Kur lawsuit that was settled out of court two years ago.
Power permitted the defense to present evidence that contradicted the claim that then-prosecutor Mary Beth Kur had created a hostile work environment for plaintiffs Sandra Ward and Jacqueline Rozema in retaliation for depositions they gave in the Jarema lawsuit.
The two, members of Kur's support staff, allege they suffered a combined economic loss of more than $857,000 as well as extensive non-economic loss for stress and health problems related to the stress resulting from the alleged abusive treatment.
Former Charlevoix County workers Ward, Rozema, awarded $500,000 each

CHARLEVOIX - The six-member Charlevoix Circuit Court jury found that former Charlevoix County prosecutor Mary Beth Kur "constructively discharged" her former employees Sandra Ward and Jacqueline Rozema through abusive behavior that created intolerable working conditions in the office, and awarded them approximately $500,000 each in damages.
The unanimous verdict came at the end of a seven-day trial of the suits that had earlier been dismissed by Grand Traverse Circuit Judge Thomas Power for lack of merit. Power later allowed the suits to be heard under an amended complaint based on the state's Whistleblowers Act.
Kur said she was "stunned" by the verdict, which she said would be appealed. She said she would have no further comment.
County clerk Jane Brannon said the county's insurance carrier will be responsible for paying the judgment.

Taped deposition sealed

 CHARLEVOIX - A judge has sealed a videotaped deposition by Prosecutor Mary Beth Kur in a pair of whistleblower lawsuits that Kur's attorney said are "fraught with political undertones."
      Grand Traverse Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power, who is hearing the suits, ordered the deposition sealed on a request from attorney Dennis Taylor of Traverse City, who is representing Kur and Charlevoix County.
      Taylor argued the depositions contained "irrelevant, slanderous and potentially personally or professionally damaging" testimony. 
      That included claims of pornographic material in the prosecutor's office, "unsubstantiated claims involving school and legal issues involving prosecutor Kur's young son" and unsubstantiated allegations of "misuse of county funds" and "witness tampering by prosecutor Kur in the (John) Jarema case."
      Attorney Grant Parsons of Traverse City, who is representing county employees Sandra Ward and Jacqueline Rozema in their lawsuits, questioned the sealing of Kur's deposition.
      "Why close the record on a public official for something they did at work?" he said.
      Kur defended the action.
      "I don't have anything to hide," she said. "(But) if someone asks you a question like, 'When did you stop beating your wife?' you can't un-ring that bell.


Charlevoix prosecutor loses to former employee


CHARLEVOIX - Charlevoix County Prosecutor Mary Beth Kur fired her then-chief deputy, John Jarema, two years ago.
      Now it's Jarema who will likely be taking over the prosecutor's job, and it's Kur leaving office.
      Jarema stunned his incumbent former boss in Tuesday's Republican primary, winning a narrow victory.
      Jarema outpaced Kur 2,825-2,661 with only Eveline Township not reporting late Tuesday.
      Jarema will be the overwhelming favorite against Green Party prosecutor candidate Ellis Boal in the Nov. 2 general election.
      Kur said she called Jarema's home telephone late Tuesday night and left a message on his answering machine, conceding defeat. Attempts to reach Jarema for comment late Tuesday were unsuccessful.
      The Kur-Jarema campaign was one of the most interesting - and contentious - of all the northern Michigan primary races.
      Jarema received a $50,000 settlement from the county last year after filing a whistleblower's lawsuit claiming he was fired as he attempted to expose alleged corruption and mismanagement in Kur's office. Kur consistently denied any wrongdoing.
      Jarema promised to be a more in-court prosecutor, blasting Kur's record of rarely handling trials herself. Kur, in turn, throughout her campaign said Jarema lacked experience and a grasp of the job's requirements.
      Kur heavily outpaced Jarema in campaign fund-raising. She declined to speculate on the reason for her ouster.


QUOTE FROM ARTICLE

  East Jordan voter Allison MacKay seemed as enthusiastic about voting against Kur as she did for Jarema.
      "I'm going to vote her out," MacKay said, as she headed toward the polls.
      MacKay said Jarema "seems more honest, straightforward." She said of Kur, "there's too much politics there.



VALERIE SNYDER


          -         Running on community service- elected to the school board, past                                  charlevoix county commissioner-

          -         she ran for county commissioner by pledging to eliminate the health                          insurance, then took the health insurance when she was a commissioner-              see article below.
                     -         said she was wrong about it? 
                     -         she lied-  plain and simple
          -         she then resigned from the board and nominated her dad to take her seat
                     -         see article below
                     -         any more than the good ole’ boys club
                     -         good ole’ boys club
                               -         endorsed Telgie- the wife beater, who now supports her
                                         -         by endorsing him, she endorsed his character
                               -         they have been law partners for 10+ years-  good ole boy                                          club is she is judge


JUDY TELGENHOF'S 911 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL

 
CHARLEVOIX COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY ALLEN TELGENHOF

LINK TO 911 CALL - LISTEN FOR YOURSELF

          -         Snyder was on the board and chair of the personnel committee when the                               county stopped insurance on Rozema-  see article.
                     -         this cost the county another 275,000.00


Charlevoix commissioner admits campaign promise was in error

Charlevoix County Commissioner Valerie Snyder, who campaigned in 2002 on a promise that if elected she would work to eliminate health benefits for part-time county employees, last year was compensated $11,737 for Blue Cross and $752 for dental benefits, according to county records.
"I believe I was wrong about my campaign promise," Snyder told the News-Review. "I did not appreciate the amount of time and the limited compensation that commissioners get.
"The other consideration is we had a change in circumstances in our family situation and I felt it was necessary to take advantage of the health insurance coverage available."

Valerie Snyder resigns from Charlevoix board, father Josh Barnes steps in


CHARLEVOIX - Two-term Charlevoix County Commissioner Valerie Snyder provided her colleagues with a bit of high drama at Wednesday's board meeting. Actually, several bits.
After listening to a detailed presentation of a proposed regulation that would ban smoking in public and private workplaces in the four-county health district, Snyder changed her position and cast the decisive vote to make Charlevoix the third county to adopt the measure.
The proposal, already approved unanimously by the Emmet and Otsego county boards, provides that all four boards in the health district must approve the measure before it can go into effect. Only Antrim has yet to vote, and a no vote by Snyder would have doomed the proposal.
Snyder then announced her resignation from the board, effective today (Thursday), citing her pending move to Henderson, Nev., with her husband, Mark, and two children, allowing that she would return to Charlevoix for the summer.
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And finally, Snyder prevailed on the board to appoint her father, former Charlevoix mayor and one of the founders of LexaLite, Josh Barnes, as her replacement on the board until an election can be held for the position in August.
The vote was unanimous, with Snyder abstaining.

Rozema suit against Charlevoix County settled

CHARLEVOIX - Jacqueline Rozema, who was awarded a half-million dollar settlement last May in a suit against Charlevoix County and her one-time employer, former county prosecutor Mary Beth Kur, has settled a second suit against the county for an undisclosed amount.
County clerk Jane Brannon told the News-Review on Tuesday that Rozema's suit for the medical benefits she alleged had been denied her was settled in December of last year.
She said papers confirming the settlement were recently filed with the clerk's office. Brannon told the News-Review the settlement could not be disclosed to the public.
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In her suit Rozema claimed damages of at least $400,000 for medical benefits she alleged were denied her when she was "constructively discharged" by Kur.
Rozema claimed that prior to resigning, she had been assured that she was entitled to, and would receive, retirement health benefits for herself and her husband for life upon retirement.
She claimed that two days after she and her colleague Sandra Ward were awarded more than $1 million by a Charlevoix County Circuit Court jury, the county terminated her health benefits.
Rozema claimed the denial of health benefits was a violation of the Michigan Whistleblowers' Protection Act, which was the basis for the suit she and Ward had filed against the county and Kur.
At the time of filing, Brannon said Rozema was not entitled to the health benefits. Brannon said that in order to retain retiree health benefits Rozema would have to draw a pension, but she was not eligible to retire because she did not have enough years of service credit.
In May 2005, a six-member jury found that Kur had "constructively discharged" Rozema and Ward through abusive behavior that created intolerable working conditions in the office.
The verdict came at the end of a seven-day trial of the suits that had earlier been dismissed by Grand Traverse Circuit Judge Thomas Power for lack of merit. Power later allowed the suits to be heard under an amended complaint based on the state's Whistleblowers Act.
Rozema and Ward alleged they were made victims of "serial retaliation" and "workplace violence" by Kur for testifying under subpoena in a Whistleblowers lawsuit brought against Kur and the county by John Jarema after he was fired as chief assistant prosecutor in 2002.
Jarema was subsequently elected Charlevoix County prosecutor.


CHARLE

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