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Beautiful Penokee Range in
Iron County (Wisconsin).
"The Penokee-Gogebic Range
consists of two steep, parallel ridges
that dominate the local
landscape rising 1,200
feet above nearby Lake Superior.
The topography of the area
and the variety of soil conditions
result in a wide range of habitat
that supports a diverse
group of species and
natural communities."
(Nature Conservancy)
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Update II: Iron County District Attorney Martin Lipske—inclined to shoot his mouth off in service to favored litigants such as the GTac mining company—should read Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule [
SCR 20:3.6 Trial publicity]: "(a) A lawyer who is participating or has participated in the investigation or litigation of a matter shall not make an extrajudicial statement that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know will be disseminated by means of public communication and will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter."
Now, I'm no attorney, but Lipske's statement made to
Steven Verburg of the Wisconsin State Journal (July 17, 2013) sure seems to me like a "extrajudicial statement that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know will be disseminated by means of public communication and will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter."
State Journal headline reads: "Details of harassment incident at mine show a troubling threat, prosecutor says."
Here is Lipske's quote: '"The details on the [alleged criminal] incident (of Katie Kloth and a small group) help explain why the Gogebic Taconite mining company hired heavily armed security guards from Arizona who wore camouflage and masks, Lipske said."
On a different matter, hey Lipske, you ever ask for a favor in exchange for performing specific duties of your office? Just checking it, friend.
Update: District Attorney Martin Lipke, working in service to GTac, reportedly wants mine protestor Katie Kloth to pay $10,000s to GTac because GTac brought in Bulletproof Security—heavily armed with assault weapons,
unlicensed and operating illegally under Wisconsin law—to provide "security" against a handful of unarmed, young protesters and Native Americans growing rice and sharing traditional meals with journalists and visitors to the area, often at the
Lac Courte Oreilles Harvest and Educational Camp.
There was never any
question that Bulletproof operated illegally, yet Lipske refused to press criminal charges against Bulletproof, instead Lipske actually supplied free public relations for the criminal actor, Bulletproof: "The details on the [alleged criminal] incident (of Katie Kloth and a small group) help explain why the Gogebic Taconite mining company hired heavily armed security guards from Arizona who wore camouflage and masks, Lipske said." (
Steven Verburg. Wisconsin State Journal)
Bulletproof also made "false statement(s) in connection with (its) application for a license or permit," a violation of
Wisconsin Statute 440.26(6)(a)(3), as
Steve Horn reported in December 2013. Bulletproof's president, Tom Parrella had claimed "to have reached out to local officials in two counties and to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) before he sent his employees to northern Wisconsin. But officials with those counties and the DNR deny this."
Lipske again refused to prosecute.
One would think this inequitable treatment, this selective prosecution, would perhaps supply grounds for dismissal of charges, or a substitution of judges.
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"Iron County is a place of incredible natural beauty. With 300 pristine lakes encompassing 34,000 acres of pure water the only thing that could make it better is Lake Superior coastline. Good thing Iron County has that too. Come and enjoy an amazing waterfall or take a long walk on the beautiful sandy beaches of Saxon Harbor."
So notes the
official website of Iron County in northern Wisconsin, population of some 5,200 residents, most of whom know each other personally or by reputation.
Rightwing money pouring into Iron County wants to see pristine lakes, watersheds and rivers fouled by toxins from a proposed massive, open-pit mine—brought and paid for by billionaire mining mogul, Christopher Cline, and one cog in his extraction operations: GTac or Gogebic Taconite.
The
Wisconsin State Journal is reporting the Koch Brothers-funded Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is dropping over a 1,000 political pamphlets defaming residents in Iron County as "anti-mining radical(s)" in an effort to elect pro-mining members of the
Board of Supervisors in the April 1 election. (
Verberg)
"A well-funded Wisconsin conservative group is blasting seven county board candidates in sparsely populated Iron County, calling them 'radical anti-mining' environmentalists," reports Verberg.
No
election is too small for the Koch brothers, and they are wreaking havoc on a planetary scale.
North of Wisconsin in Canada, a
subsidiary of Koch Industries is the largest lease holder in Canada’s oil sands, reports
EcoWatch.
One pro-mining resident, Saxon Assistant Fire Chief Karl Krall, "said he wonders where they (AFP)are getting their information. Krall said he is a strong proponent of the mine, and he is puzzled and angry about being described as a job-killing radical on the material sent to his friends, neighbors and potential voters in the district where he is a candidate," reports Verberg. 'Everybody in the town except me got the flyer saying I’m an anti-mine radicalist. It’s a joke,' said Krall."
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Katie Kloth - A woman whose spirit
is as beautiful as the Penokees. The
rightwing hates her and is out to
destroy Ms. Kloth's life because of
her opposition to the Gtac mine. |
Katie Kloth
What is not so funny about Iron County, is mining protestor Katie Kloth, a 20-something, anti-mining protestor about to get the book thrown at her, already overcharged by Iron County's notoriously corrupt
District Attorney Martin Lipske.
The 26-year-old Kloth raised her voice at an anti-mining protest and is accused of stealing a cell phone and smashing it.
For this, Kloth is being subjected to an abuse of office by Lipske, who has a history of outrageous conduct of this nature.
Kloth faces three misdemeanors and one felony charge
Kloth's
arraignment hearing is Monday, April 24.
Judge Patrick Madden and Iron County District Attorney Martin Lipske
I spoke to some Iron County folks (
not Don Miller) the last few days, and as much as they detest Lipske, they believe few outside Iron County have any idea how corrupt this isolated county is, and specifically point to
Judge Patrick J. Madden, presiding over Kloth's arraignment.
"I hope Katie Kloth's lawyers know whose courtroom they are walking into when they go before Madden. You think Lipske is corrupt; Madden is worse. I can prove plenty of stories of criminal conduct, but a lot of people could get hurt, but I'll still pull the trigger when the time is right," says a long-time resident, speaking to me, and asking to remain anonymous because of feared retaliation and the sensitivity of the topic. "At least the spotlight is on these __holes for a while."
Tiny and beautiful Iron County is a focus of billionaires, Christopher Cline and the Koch brothers.
The District Attorney and Circuit Court judge are corrupt, and fronting for GTac and the billionaires.
Now, 27-year-old Katie Kloth, a socially conscious woman with no criminal record, is going to get the book thrown at her as Lipske and Madden do the mining company's dirty work.
Last year, Lipske tried to charge a 76-year-old farmer, "Barrel Bob" Gollubske, a gentle farmer from Kimball in Iron County, with "bomb scares" and terrorizing the community after Gollubske called the FBI and said he is afraid of what the Gtac is planning on doing, and then complaining to the DNR.
Gollubkse had long said destructive blasting by a local asphalt company would be nothing compared to GTac's plan to blast open their proposed 26-mile-ling open-pit mine.
All
criminal charges against Gollubske were dismissed in December 2013 because the charges were fabricated, ludicrous and intended to intimidate anti-mining sentiment; Gollubske's lawyer,
Jeff Scott Olson of Madison, had successfully moved for a judge substitution in August last year.
Gollubkse said by phone in December, "I feel happy, I fell relieved, but my wife you know, she had a heart attack over this, a quadruple bypass, and thanks to Marshfield (Clinic). Being called a terrorist, how it felt. I still can't believe I was accused of being a terrorist."
Lipske is a sociopath with no conscience about lying and literally destroying lives.
Madden is worse, having reportedly recruited Lipske to become Iron County District Attorney after Lipske's law license was suspended from 1990-1994 for misconduct, under the category of "Suspended for Discipline" for "dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misconduct" in 1990.
Perfect qualifications for DA in Iron County.
Madden, aka "Madman" and Lipske run their horror show in isolated Iron County. Other Wisconsin jurists cannot comment on corruption of their colleagues other than filing notice with the State Bar of Wisconsin Bar, actually an obligation.
Light and media attention are now being shone on their actions, and this site will be monitoring events closely.
