03/04/2017 Justice For Lincoln

March 4, 2017May 20, 2017 A Voice From the Gallery Administrative Judge Susan Ackerman, Chad Dunleavy Okoboji, David Dales DCI, DCI Agent Dan Moser, DCI Agent Terry Klooster, Dickinson County Magistrate, Dickinson County News, Dickinson County Sheriff Greg Baloun, Dickinson County States Attorney Edward (Ned) Bjornstad, DISTRICT COURT JUDGE FRANK NELSON, Finality Investigations LLC Terry KLooster, Genetic Technolgies Inc. Jami Harman, Greg Weaver, Gretchen Gjerde, Heath Richter Spirit Lake Iowa, IOWA APPELLATE COURT JUDGE FRANK NELSON, Iowa Innocence Project, Iowa State Patrol Officer Dan Schaffer, Jami Harman, JAMI HARMON, Jason Dunleavy Okoboji, John Sandy, Judge Paul Miller, Lincoln Belken, marcus@crazy.com, Nikay Dennert Peterson Schaeffer, Paul Miller, Project Innocence, Rebecca Rodawig, Rekha Basu Des Moines Register, Spirit Lake Attorney Edward (Ned) Bjornstad, Spirit Lake Attorney John Sandy, Spirit Lake Beacon Greg Drees, Spirit Lake Iowa, Steven Hunt Shindler, Tanya Sue Ross Fort Dodge Iowa, Tanya Sue Simpson Des Moines Iowa

Letter to the Editor

February 20, 2001

Over the past three years, I witnessed many miscarriages of justice and I have not been silent.

I participated in a criminal trial as an alibi witness for my nephew, Lincoln. I learned quickly the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution exists only in a museum and it is a bastardized version of these documents the real world practices. A prospective juror, a TEACHER in the Jefferson school district told the defense attorney during voir dire,

“…it is up to the defendant to prove himself innocent…”

I spent a year and a half fight for truth, fighting dirty law enforcement and struggling to keep my family whole. I spend a week in the Woodbury County Iowa Courthouse; during that week I watched Iowa DCI agents and the alleged victim’s boyfriend have coffee and donuts in the jury room with the jury present. I waited for the defense attorneys to do something, I waited for the Woodbury County Iowa Deputy to do something–finally I did something. The Iowa DCI Agents Terry Klooster and Dan Moser described me as confrontational. When I was finally allowed in the courtroom to testify (alibi witnesses were sequestered), I was subjected to a search. Ever have one of those? Most people have criminal courtroom experience only via entertainment television, so they have no concept of the sitting silently waiting for a jury to deliver a verdict. They cannot feel every hair on their body stand on end, feel the tentacles of cold despair radiate into their soul, hear the screams of their sister rip across the silence or the intense person pain emanate in tsunami-like waves from their brother-in-law as he grips their hand while the jury foreman makes the pronouncement,

“guilty”

My nephew was with me that fateful night, yet he was convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole at the age of 19.

I have spent the past years researching law, working for the appeal and waiting through the everlasting nightmare that has become normal life for my family. I have been in constant contact with my nephew in prison, in each conversation I have with him we discuss the things we did wrong and the things we did right. Upper most in each conversation, is we allowed public opinion to cow us and intimidate us into not fighting as strongly as we should have. On January 3, 2001, I went to Des Moines to listen to oral arguments in the Iowa Appellate Court for my nephew’s appeal. (ironically the same dimwitted judge who presided over the initial trial had been promoted to the appellate court) Imagine your whole life balanced on the best argument (?) your attorney can make in fifteen (15) minutes. On February 7, 2001, we received work the appeal was granted to my nephew, Lincoln, so we go back to trial—(only to have our hopes dashed later).

During the past three years, my attitude has undergone a catharsis. I will never stand silently allowing an innocent individual be railroaded by misinformation, untruths, by cowards who let others take blame for their actions or people too lazy to investigate the truth whether it is in Spirit Lake, Iowa, or here in Alcester, SD. To my critics, same comes from continuing to perpetuate a wrong on a good man when he has been proven innocent. If divisive means one faction fighting to restore a man’s good name while a second faction continues to perpetrate the wrong, YUP we are divided! If airing the dirty laundry is the only way to clean it, get the clothespins ready and the clothesline wiped down! I come from a line of fighters from the Revolutionary War to present. I am confrontational, I am pit bull tenacious, I am obdurate, but I AM NOT A QUITTER! (Keep that in mind marcus@crazy.com)

TO THE COWARDS WHO MAIL ME THE UNSIGNED, ANONYMOUS SOPHOMORIC DRIVEL, WHICH PASSES FOR YOUR OPINION–I DECLINE YOUR INVITATION! I AM HERE TO STAY, SO BRING IT ON!

FOR NOW

This is one little woman who will not only be seen but be heard. I will no longer silently sit back, hoping truth and justice will prevail. I will fight, annoy, push, shove, bully, harass and antagonize to ensure justice has a chance.

I am more than willing to, as the title of the jazz song suggests,

‘FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE!’

Justice for Lincoln 02/28/2017

February 28, 2017February 28, 2017 A Voice From the Gallery DCI Agent Terry Klooster, Dickinson County Iowa, DICKSINSON COUNTY SHERIFF GREG BALOUN, DISTRICT COURT JUDGE FRANK NELSON, Heath Richter Spirit Lake Iowa, IOWA APPELLATE COURT JUDGE FRANK NELSON, Iowa State Patrol Officer Dan Schaffer, JAMI HARMON, Judge Paul Miller, Paul Miller, Rebecca Rodawig, Robert Noble, Spirit Lake Attorney Edward (Ned) Bjornstad, Spirit Lake Attorney John Sandy, Tanya Sue Ross Fort Dodge Iowa, Tanya Sue Simpson Des Moines Iowa

lincolngradpic

(Photo used by permission of Rick Krebsbach-Marnin Burk Photography)

MEET LINCOLN BELKEN, a victim!

Lincoln became a victim in August of 1998

He became the victim of Spirit Lake Police Officer Greg Weaver, when Lincoln chose to fight a traffic ticket.
He became the victim of Spirit Lake Chief of Police, Dan Thomson.
He became the victim of Dickinson County (Iowa) Edward (Ned) Bjornstad.

09/29/2016 Justice For Lincoln

September 29, 2016September 29, 2016 A Voice From the Gallery Administrative Judge Susan Ackerman, Chad Simpson Spirit Lake Iowa, Dickinson County Iowa, Heath Richter Spirit Lake Iowa, Iowa State Patrol Officer Dan Schaffer, Judge Paul Miller, Lincoln Belken, Rebecca Rodawig, Rekha Basu Des Moines Register, Robert Noble, Spirit Lake Attorney Edward (Ned) Bjornstad, Spirit Lake Attorney John Sandy, Spirit Lake Iowa, Tanya Sue Ross Fort Dodge Iowa, Tanya Sue Simpson Des Moines Iowa

johnnys-nose

John L. Sandy, Spirit Lake, IA, attorney and arbitrator states in recorded telephone conversation with a friend concerning his ‘arbitration’ of Iowa Administrative Judge Susan Ackerman,

“…It went perfectly well for me. I get paid…in fact, I got paid to drive three and a half hours this morning that I didn’t drive…”

Heitshusen, Sonya, “Attorney Caught on Tape Raises Ethical Questions”, whotv.com, May 19, 2016, pages 1 & 2, Web, August 17, 2016.

“…but the real indication of a political motivations by Sandy (who upheld the firing of Iowa Administrative Judge Susan Ackerman) came in a telephone conversation he (John Sandy) had after the hearing on Ackerman’s case…accused Ackerman of ‘badmouthing the new administration’ and said he (John Sandy) had read of her case in the newspaper, which could give him a preconceived opinion on how he should rule. At the hearing he (John Sandy) claimed to know nothing about the case. He (John Sandy) also boasted of being paid to drive three and a half hours, which he said he had not driven…”

Rekha Basu, “State Worker Firing Raise Questions of Political Bias”, Des Moines Register, August 19, 2016 7:02 p.m.CDT, pages 1-3, Web, August 22, 2016.

The family of Lincoln D. Belken knows all-too-well the ‘money-oriented ethics’ and mediocre to abysmally poor legal skills of John L. Sandy of Spirit Lake, IA. We know all-too-well John L. Sandy’s failure to adequately represent his innocent client. The family knows John L. Sandy literally threw his client Lincoln D. Belken under the proverbial prison bus. Through John Sandy’s courtroom incompetence or perhaps something more sinister, he ensured all alibi witnesses were discredited by not allowing them to testify to the truth.

More to Come

Vickie A. Larsen

So who was the friend John Sandy was talking to?*

*John Sandy, Spirit Lake Attorney/Arbitrator was disciplined and suspended for six months arising out of his actions regarding Iowa Administrative Judge Susan Ackerman by Iowa PERB (public employment relations board).