CHAPTER 28: The Opera: Act III; Pt. 4 [cont. 11]
From "The Saga of One F**ked Mother
It’s August '92 and Legion’s third custody trial is underway. She is pro se, doing a stellar job on direct examination of her many witnesses. She’s getting exhibits and documents on the record that correct the lies and omissions she still naïvely believes led the judge to wrongly switch custody to Herry. She’s irked that a children’s attorney was not appointed for her boys, not realizing yet that judges only appoint ones who steer the case to the father and ignore ones who don’t.
Legion has many friends in the gallery, including Tsianina, a Native American who’s alerted her to “the Look” Judge Butcher would give Herry and his attorney—the same one Indians would notice when up against the white man in court. She recognizes “the Look” that that is a tip-off to the truth—that it is just a show trial and she did not have a “snowball’s chance in hell” of winning custody back.
On the third day of trial, halfway into direct examinations of her 15 witnesses, Legion comes down with the stomach flu and asks for the day off. Instead, the judge sticks it to her by scheduling it for two months later—another two months she will not see her precious boys, another year they will be starting school five states away...
In the last section of Chapter 28, Legion gets to sneakily see her oldest son Zane every weekend for a month when he comes to Iowa for a visit, staying with her mother—but only because he did not give his grandmother Herry’s note directing her to keep him away from Legion. She is so pleased to have that little bit of time with one of her children. She has not seen or heard from the others.
Legion is busy pro se for the third Family Court trial, along with her multiple jobs. She is doing discovery, organizing witnesses, and filing all necessary documents timely and properly, including subpoenas. She is miffed that Herry’s shiesty attorney unscrupulously obtained her therapy records without giving her time to object to the subpoena.
CHAPTER 28 of Mother-Fucking: The Saga of One Fucked Mother begins with Act III, Part 4 of “The Opera” from Book 3. The Opera has three Acts with five Parts—one for each of the three Family Court and two Appellate Court trials. Chapter 28 covers all of Act III: Part 4: the third Family Court trial and Part 5: the second Appellate trial. This is a long chapter and will be published in newsletter-sized bites.
Dr. Blue’s novel is based on her own experience of the Custody Crisis. It uniquely conveys how Family Court judges are “mother-fucking” women—a form of systemic oppression—as protagonist Legion is systematically and methodically deprived of her children and money and reduced to “one fucked mother”.
Chapters are stand-alone interesting so you can begin reading anywhere. A Cast of Characters follows to help readers at any point. All published chapters are included in the Section: “Saga of One F**ked Mother” accessible on the top bar of the home page of Women’s Coalition News & Views. Sequential chapters are published every Wednesday so make sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet!
TEASERS
That was the basic substance behind the Indian’s definition of The Look, “You, Legion True, you don’t have my, Tsianina’s, proverbial Snowball’s chance in Mother‑Fucking Hell, Woman! You don’t! You do not! You are ooooone fucked mama.”
Meanwhile––meanwhile what does this delay mean for all of us Fucked Mothers on Trial?! Our children grow older; they grow up. They friggin’ grow all the fuck up. They continue to grow up––without us. Mirzah, Jesse and Zane got older and older and did all sorts of seventh, eighth and high school grades’ things and I, their ma, was still––still … to them … invisible.
BOOK 3: Dr. True's Opera in Three Acts—with Five Parts
CHAPTER 28: The Opera: Act III; Part 4 [cont. 11]
…Most certain I was of the exhibits. They cannot lie.
I had notarized affidavits from all three Truemaier Boys. I had Zane’s and Jesse’s personal journals. I had letters home to me from the Boys. Twelve pages of my own testimony from the September 1990 trial, a page of guidelines detailing my requests to ‘the Court’ in view of the changed circumstances. I had a notarized, three‑page affidavit from the reporter, Ms. Abbey Gaffey, of the notoriously nefarious, front‑page and headlining September 25, 1990 Ames Tribune article. Of course, I had that mother‑fucking article itself plus all of the letters which the Tribune’s editor had received because of it. I had telephone bills, both of Herod Edinsmaier’s and of mine plus the billings for the 800 telephone number which I had secured for the Boys and through which conduit they could call me from anywhere, a transcript from an audiotaped telephone conversation with Mirzah, a detailing of the sudden rash of harassing phone calls which László and his partner, Jude, kept receiving at their country home, the threatening letter which Herry‑Daddee sent to Therapist Keith Log, a copy of the ratings of West Virginia schools, Urbandale High School Principal Druid’s affidavit and Grace Portia’s affidavit. Of course as well, too, the Opprobrious Eight Pages: the evidence in a modification of custody‑case which is that infamously necessary “material change of circumstances” and is, in the hoo‑hahs’ legalese jargon, … The Smoking Gun’s Absolute Truth.
The most significant of the crucially needed documents was a copy of ‘the Court’ ’s denial back to me after my request for the appointment of a guardian ad litem to represent Jesse Truemaier, Mirzah Truemaier and Zane Truemaier. Of nearly equal weight, I thought, were the copies of the Boys’ journals and their letters home to me, the Ames Tribune article and Ms. Gaffey’s affidavit chronicling the entire generation of that article, Principal Druid’s sworn statement about how he’d come by possessing said article “on me,” and Herry The Daddee’s written threat to Mr. Log. The Wicked‑Smart Blonde in … ‘the Court’ ’s … room had my ducks all in a row and was more than confident and strong to go.
The first thing … after his gaveling us all down in to “order” … for which I asked ‘the Court’, daMan, daJudge Harley Butcher, … was the production of a document to me from Mr. Shindy Scheisser … well, one truly from Herry. I yet needed to receive … an unaltered hard copy of The Smoking Gun … the Eight Pages! I already had several copies of it, of course, but I wanted to see if Herry or Herry and Ms. Fannie Issicran McLive or Herry and any other of his folies’ folks would try to change it in any way. I told Judge Butcher that this request had been part of my formal pretrial Production of Documents’ petition, something which I was fully and legally entitled to receiving … and to receiving before any actual first day of such proceedings!––but which perversion‑riddled and ‑chronicling record in Herry‑Daddee’s own scripted jots had not yet been given over to me from the Employer Edinsmaier‑Shyster Scheisser folie’s duo.
To which statement of mine the extremely raucous, the very “Shindy” Scheisser accusatorily screeched as, beside him, the Mightily Mother‑Fucking Herod Edinsmaier snidely and silently sat smirking, smirking, smirking and Ms. Fannie Issicran McLive took up her discriminatory and soooo, so male‑identified, subservient position immediately behind Her Man in the right wing––while … all of my witnesses for the morning had had to seat themselves … sequestered … outside in the courthouse’s hallway, “We don’t know, Your Honor, to what Legion here alludes with this request of hers. There is no such thing. There is nothing to produce. Dr. Edinsmaier categorically denies anything like that ever existed. There never was such a set of pages so there are no copies of it to be given over to her or to anybody else, Your Honor!” Dr. Herod Edinsmaier’s employed shamster, using no title and last name for Dr. True of course, had just deflected the ‘Real’ Doctor’s lying and deceit away from The Daddee and … onto, instead, … me!
This, Jury, is your lovely American family law court system. “Truth? Justice? O, for cryin’‑out naïveté … hardly!” In my mind’s ear, I can––now––hear Grace Portia blisteringly detonate.
It is that simple. It truly, truly is. To lie and to deceive, depending upon who you are and upon what your pedigree is, in an American court of family law, … that is literally all that it takes. Because he can. Because he is a male and he is a pillar. “Next item up for business. Let’s move on then,” and more of The Look fired from daJudge to Herry and to Mr. Scheisser at their table, from daMan who, in essence, has just spouted off these “Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up … we don’t have all day” words! “We have to listen to the friggin’ Blondie‑Cunt rant cuz The Law says we have to––but when I see you’all on the first tee this afternoon for a short round of nine holes, why, we’ll just forget about the Stench of her Trench and enjoy each other’s company around the greens, won’t we, Shindy … Herry?!?!”
That was the basic substance behind the Indian’s definition of The Look, “You, Legion True, you don’t have my, Tsianina’s, proverbial Snowball’s chance in Mother‑Fucking Hell, Woman! You don’t! You do not! You are oooone fucked mama.”
That was the most angering event of Act Three Part Four: its very opening scene. I had to continue on without at all the “evidence”–exhibit of any of the telling … actually the screamingly smooooking … Opprobrious Eight Pages.
The absolutely most ludicrous event, however, arrived on Thursday when that alcoholics anonymous “sponsor” of Herry’s, Mr. Varry Wussamai, arose to take the witness chair. He and daJudge did not, …. but consequentially might as well have, high‑fived each other. What they did do was reminisce for over a minute’s worth about nostalgic old times back in Hoo‑Hah town or from wherever the hell they’d known each other for years––before Judge Butcher soooo, so regally pronounced from his power‑post, “Even though I know him personally, this man can testify. And he is not a hostile witness.”
“Heh heh heh … sniggers, titters and giggles,” all around. Except I … was not laughing.
“He isn’t?!” I should have asked daJudge back incredulously––if I hadn’t been DEhuman and if I hadn’t been … a blonde DEhuman! Mr. Varry Wussamai took the witness chair and proceeded to tell ‘the Court’ about his relationship with Dr. Edinsmaier as I had asked him to explain. Except that in very, very short order and over my vehement objections to his continuing to talk out of my line of questioning and with such a snide and sneering countenance, Judge Butcher allowed him to not only recite all of the 12 Steps of friggin’ aa but to then also back up after he was done with #12 to its Step #4 again and, there … to take my, Legion’s, inventory, with it! ! ! That is, my! inventory according to him––in his! bloviating! opinion! under so‑called oath! With daJudge’s blessing!
This––this mother‑fucking testimonial “evidence”––from a person who doesn’t even know me, who has never, ever spoken at length to me, not even one time, who has never more than grunted in my direction a mere acknowledgement of my presence, who is not a friend of any of my friends, who is indeed my ex‑husband’s alleged “12‑step program” “sponsor” because he’s always told Herry what narcissistic, passive‑aggressive Herry wanted to hear and only what Herry wanted to hear and is, in all of his daily comings and goings, rather himself a gargantuan failure! at whatever he touches overall! A dry‑drunk failure. True it was, he didn’t drink alcohol. But he did not succeed at anything else either. At none of his four marriages! nor had he adopted or fathered even one, small child of whom he was at least aware, let alone, for whom he was an engaged, involved caretaker! And is, today, some sort of a street preacher going around spouting even more patriarchy and more androcentrism and, I am sure, more of his vicious judgments upon us debased DEhumans.
Ridiculous! too, had been Mr. Shindy Scheisser’s cross‑examination of László the day before––and about which that night the two of us chuckled away. Except that it so illustrates male fixation, actually their “entitled” obsession––even inside a “civil” courtroom! of their absolutely having to know about and of trying to control through derision, mockery and through finger‑pointing a woman’s movements––her comings and goings––or her behavior around … other men! Men other than … the very questioning ones wanting to know and wanting the control of her! Men other than … themselves, of course! László, on direct examination, had answered my question put to him about Herry’s whoooolly unwarranted! search for Jesse of my Havencourt condominium by way of Chris, the Ames cop on the evening of Monday night, 28 October 1991, of, “Did Dr. Edinsmaier, in your opinion, seem at all upset or concerned?” with, … “No. There was no outward sign of him being particularly upset at all about the fact that he didn’t know where Jesse was. It was all very matter‑of‑fact and very routine and quiet.”
On cross then, Mr. Scheisser right off the mother‑fucking bat laid into László with, “Where are you employed? And what do you do there? Professor of what? How long have you been at Iowa State? Have you been married before, Sir? Do you have any children, Sir? Now, you have said you have been around the Respondent, Dr. True, many, many times. Would you tell ‘the Court’ about your relationship with Dr. True?”
To which László responded, “We have probably communicated on the average of at least three times a week, sometimes maybe more times. Sometimes I have been out of town.”
“You are a social friend of Dr. True; is that a fair statement?”
“Primarily,” answered László.
The clincher questioning came from the quite incredibly noisy Mr. Windy “Shindy” Scheisser not even, not even, half a page into the trial’s transcript [Transcripts of Part Four = Trial Three THERE SOOOO … EXIST!] on László’s testimony, “And you have a romantic involvement with Dr. True?” “A romantic involvement” is the phraseology used by shysters! I hadn’t known that until that day, my first day, and … my very first … witness whom Lawyer Scheisser cross‑examined!
“Absolutely not.” The court reporter, a man who worked for only one judge, Judge Harley Butcher, and literally followed him around an 11‑countywide district court circuit! to record only that specific judge’s trials and to whom then I would eventually go on to pay out in three installments of $1,000.00, $1350.00 and $1,775.00 just moments before another legal deadline would’ve stopped further appellate action by me, placed no exclamation point at the end of László’s answer! He did not.
Then shot Silly Scheisser’s next manly‑man question, “Do you have a sexual involvement with Dr. True?”
“And, again, from that court recorder’s transcription, Jury, we see no exclamation point, ‘Absolutely not.’ ”
“You are a good friend of her, right?”
“Yes.”
“And your testimony has been totally platonic, right?” Now, I so am not certain how “testimony” could or could not be platonic. I had always thought relationships were or were not; but that was, indeed, the line of questioning which Mr. Scheisser greeted László with––first––before finally getting on … on to those of material substance!
Oooo, had Mr. Jazzy Jinx been right! “No men, Legion. Not one! I’m tellin’ ya’! I don’t want to hear that there’s even been one!” Shit, was I glad I had listened to him––and not only because of the courtroom custody proceedings’ reason either! Anyhow, while Dr. Herod Edinsmaier probably could have handled hearing and learning that I was in a sexual or a romantic liaison with a dallying man––other than he––although Herry would have surely tried to use that information against me in my striving for custody for my children, what he absolutely would never abide is being told that I, Legion True, was in a social relationship with this specific man, László, a gay man!––whom I really, really liked. László did not and I never did either, that is, we were never compelled to, so we did not, … tell … the Good and Wonderful Dr. Herod Edinsmaier how it was that László came to not be my love interest. Were we to have told him? That would have driven Herry truly livid!––tantamount as it was to: the Narcissistic Passive‑Aggressor Edinsmaier’s being told when he did not want to hear it that which Closet‑Homophobe Herry did not want to hear!
By Friday morning with only half of my witnesses heard and cross‑examined, I awakened with what was eventually diagnosed that afternoon as food poisoning. László had taken me to supper after Thursday’s session of “We have to put up with the Ditch‑Witch, Stupid‑Ass Heifer‑Cunt, Men!––but not for long!” After Thursday’s session of all of Ms. Snowball’s explained … Looks. The doctor felt the creamy shrimp salad dressing to be the culprit. I thought him quite correct and would never have, on my own terms, incurred this medical bill; but I, being most powerfully knowledgeable and capable of diagnosing this condition myself, did not trust that I … that I, The Not‑Real‑Doctor‑At‑All, would be believed were I to not also have been able to tell Ms. Wren when I called the courthouse at 8 a.m. on the 28th of August, that I was seeking medical attention––along then … with its subsequently written and, therefore, validating documentation––yet another gaaaawddamn note from The‑Big‑Man‑Real‑Doctor for the li’tl’ pussy to take with her and give over to The‑Other‑Big‑Man! DaJudge! And for what I, a totally capable adult but one … Sick‑While‑Throwing‑Up‑as‑a‑Blonde‑DEhuman … believed to be poisoning from bacterial toxins!
I realized that Judge Butcher could not outright state either to Ms. Wren or to me or, for that matter, to anyone else that he didn’t really believe me, that he didn’t really believe I was so ill that I could not continue on that day; but I never, ever dreamed that he would do what he, instead indeed, did do––––to punish me!
That is, Judge Butcher set the continuance date for the remainder of Trial Three to not start up again … for another two months’ time! The concluding segment was not rescheduled to begin again until Wednesday, 28 October 1992, and then to not end in that courtroom at all but in two wholly unfamiliar ones inside a courthouse inside an entirely different county than Storm County and 20 miles to the west of Ames! This dressing down, this upbraiding was ‘the Court’s’ payback to The Cunt for her legitimate physical sickness that temporarily halted The Opera’s Part Four. And it utterly amazed me. I be stunned.
Now?––now I know. I know that this sort of evil and harassing maneuvering takes place by ‘the Court’, by daMan, by daJudge in unspoken cahoots with the pillar and the pillar’s pettifoggers against us DEhumans all of the time. I just didn’t––then. Meanwhile––meanwhile what does this delay mean for all of us Fucked Mothers on Trial?! Our children grow older; they grow up. They friggin’ grow all the fuck up. They continue to grow up––without us. Mirzah, Jesse and Zane got older and older and did all sorts of seventh, eighth and high school grades’ things and I, their ma, was still––still … to them … invisible.
Grace had wanted to testify early on, but she had suddenly been called out of town. In her physical stead then, I placed into the record the exhibit of her affidavit, handwritten, with the time out she took to do it and have it, as well, witnessed by László … also Grace’s compeer… and affirmed and notarized on the very date of her third baby boy’s, Noel’s birthday, also an August one as are Jesse’s and Zane’s. “I, Grace Portia, on August 21, 1992, do affirm that I am a friend of Legion True and was neighbor and friend to the Truemaier Boys when they lived in Ames.
Herry Edinsmaier called my home early September 22, 1990, to say he had won custody. According to Abbey Gaffey, Mr. Scheisser phoned and faxed the information to the Ames Tribune September 24th.
The Boys were hurt and humiliated to learn of the decision in this way.
Herry told me the next week he would hold the Boys responsible for Legion’s actions. He did not want any further court action, and he said money spent fighting Legion would take away funds available for the Boys’ future. He stated Legion had lost the Boys but had not ‘hit bottom’ yet-- --not until she had lost her home and food.
Herry allowed the Boys visitation and their Spring Break week with Legion in 1991, before completely severing ties between the Boys and their mother. The Boys were allowed to visit my home at different times later that spring and summer; however, I was not to allow them to have contact with Legion. Since he disallowed her visitation rights, I decided not to have the Boys visit again. I did not want to assume responsibility for the care of children whose father I did not understand. Fannie told me Herry had turned down several positions that summer in order to keep the children closer to their mother. This made no sense because Herry did not allow visitation, cards, or phone calls.
I cannot understand how a court could allow this to happen. Herry traveled most weeks after receiving custody and before moving to West Virginia. When Legion had custody, she cared for the children and actively involved the Boys in all activities and opportunities that were available.
I beg the court to please give custody to Legion, an involved, caring, loving Mother. The Boys thrived under her care, as was testified to in 1990. The Boys need discipline, care, and a loving relationship during these critical years.
Grace Portia, Ames, Iowa
László, Witness”
Just as Grace had been unable to appear (then), neither, of course, were any one of the Truemaier Boys able to!
Not that Herry would have permitted any of them to––had I asked him. Not that ‘the Court’ would have allowed any of them to––had I asked ‘it’, daJudge, daMan! I didn’t. I didn’t bother. That much I already did know!
Into ‘the Court’s’ record, thus into its transcript too then, I placed all three of the Truemaier Boys’ sworn affidavits, a bit of a great time‑travel trick acquiring those affidavits it had been, I must say, with Jesse’s subscribed to and affirmed before a notary public on 27 March 1992, and Mirzah’s and Zane’s subsequently on 03 April 1992!
“I, Mirzah Truemaier, 12½ year old son of Legion True, hereby state that:
1.) I wish to be represented by legal counsel, as with a Guardian Ad Litem and/or an attorney for my brothers and me until I reach majority age on 28 September 1997. I want my brothers to continue to have legal counsel until they, too, reach their majority birthdays, Zane Truemaier on 24 August 1994, and Jesse Truemaier on 15 August 1996.
2.) I wish to testify to any Court and/or to any judge and/or to any agency personally and privately about any matters and/or issues and/or conditions that do and/or will impact upon and/or affect my life until I reach majority age on 28 September 1997. I want my brothers to continue to, likewise, testify personally and privately to the same agencies, parties and/or bodies that may and/or will be deciding on any matters and/or issues that may and/or will impact upon and/or affect their lives.
3.) I wish to speak and/or counsel with and/or listen to anyone that I TRUST about issues and/or matters that may and/or will impact upon and/or affect my life until I reach majority age on 28 September 1997, without their or my fearing reprisal from anyone for my and my brothers’ doing so, my brothers’ speaking and/or counseling with and/or listening to anyone they also trust until they reach their majority ages, Zane Truemaier on 24 August 1994, and Jesse Truemaier on 15 August 1996.
4.) I wish to live with my mother, Legion True, in her full care until my 18th birthday at least, which occurs on 28 September 1997.
AFFIRMED
Mirzah Truemaier”
“I, Zane Truemaier, 15½ year old son of Legion True, hereby state that:” and his followed exactly as Mirzah’s except for the appropriate names’ and dates’ changes for reaching majority ages of his brothers and himself.
Jesse’s differed slightly, “I, Jesse Truemaier, 13½ year old son of Legion True, state that:
1. I want to testify to the Court in any proceeding modifying custody, visitation and/or economic and financial support of me that will or may be held until my 18th birthday, 15 August 1996; and
2. I want a guardian ad litem and/or attorney to represent my brothers, Zane Truemaier and Mirzah Truemaier, and me at any such proceeding until we are all of majority age; and
3. I want to be allowed to speak to and counsel with anyone that I trust about my life.
Jesse Truemaier”
Certain I am now that Grace’s and the Boys’ affidavits daJudge Butcher never read. Just as certain I now am that no judge, either district or appellate, ever read any of them either! In addition, I am also now just as positive that Ms. Abbey Gaffey’s affidavit was never read by any of this Act Three set of four judges.
Had they been? It still would not have done me one lick of good––my now knowing about ‘the Court’ what I now know about these men and about their relationships with other alleged pillars of the community such as the Dr. Herod Edinsmaier‑genres of it.
Perhaps Principal Druid’s Judge Butcher read. After all, it was short. But, more accurately, to the point of why he may have read it? It was written by a man. A pillared one … at that.
“I, Dr. Patrick Druid, after duly swearing, depose THAT I was Principal of the Urbandale Senior High School, Urbandale, Iowa, including during the 1991–1992 academic school year when Zane Truemaier, then of 8293 69th Street, Urbandale, Iowa, became registered for and began attending his freshman year of high school (ninth grade) there; THAT in or near the middle to latter part of August 1991, Zane’s stepparent, Ms. Fannie Issicran McLive, also then of 8293 69th Street, Urbandale, Iowa, supplied me with a copy of a newspaper article about Dr. Legion True, Zane’s mother, taken from the 25 September 1990 “Ames Tribune” which I read completely through and THAT it is my opinion Ms. McLive personally delivered the clipping of the newspaper article to me in order to show Dr. True up to me, Zane’s principal, in a bad light with the expectation that I would then not allow her access to Zane, to the school in any way nor to any extracurricular activities in which Zane Truemaier may have been a participant. Dr. Patrick Druid” This one I had obtained by personally driving down to Principal Druid and his Urbandale school, one more last time, on what was Zane’s very 16th birthday, 24 August 1992, and two days prior to the opening of Trial Three.
While I know it was not read and, therefore, not considered (let alone, believed!), Reporter Abbey Gaffey’s affidavit specifically speaking to the generation of that Tuesday, 25 September 1990 Ames Tribune article which she herself, by its soooo‑male Editor Geiser, had been slammed down into her chair and commanded to juicily and titillatingly come up with and then type out and of which Nottingham Sheriff Fannie Issicran McLive so freely and so cavalierly, as well as at her King Herod’s behest, supplied Principal Druid … makes for head‑bangingly sad and sorrowful (but no longer incredible) reading … anyhow … and entirely validates that which my Friend at the Ames Tribune (Tom = Friend’s first name––of Chapter 27‘s infamy!) had recounted to me when I checked myself into the SpaChezResort’s Sixth Floor Hotel and, instead of walking out of it after three days’ and nights’ refreshening somnolence as all that I had only needed, became there … King Herod’s prisoner!
“Notice initially, Jury! that Reporter Gaffey––right the hell off!––knows when scripting her affidavit to ‘the Court’ that … she must address it to … a man! ‘Dear Sir,’ … she begins, doesn’t she?!”
“Dear Sir,
I have been requested by Ms. Legion True to give details about a story which I wrote about her in the September 25, 1990 edition of the Ames Tribune.
The story dealt with a court order which came down on September 21, 1990, as part of a divorce/child custody proceeding of some sort. I have been asked to tell where I got my information for the story. I do not have a copy of the actual story. I believe a copy has been submitted by Ms. True.
I received a call from Ms. True’s former husband’s attorney, Shindy Scheisser, shortly after deadline (10:30 a.m.–11 a.m.‑ish) on Monday, September 24, 1990. I do not know if Mr. Scheisser asked for me personally, or whether the call came into the general switchboard and was transferred to me because my line was open.
The gist of Mr. Scheisser’s telephone conversation, to the best of my recollection, was that he had some information about Ms. True that he felt the public needed to know. Ms. True was a candidate for County Recorder at the time, I believe, and Mr. Scheisser emphasized that voters might be well served with the information about Ms. True’s personal problems at the time.
For whatever reason, the telephone conversation was fairly brief and ended with Mr. Scheisser asking if he could FAX the court decree to the Tribune marked to my attention.
I had taken notes during my conversation with Mr. Scheisser. Those notes are not in my possession and therefore I can’t confirm exactly what was said, only what I recall. The notes are in the possession of the Ames Tribune.
Later in the afternoon of the same day, September 24th, I received the FAX from Mr. Scheisser. I distinctly remember the FAX because of its extraordinary length––it almost stretched the length of the newsroom. The FAX was a copy of the court decree. It was not annotated by Mr. Scheisser or anything else. I was left to draw my own conclusions.
The original story which I wrote was highly watered down from what eventually appeared in print. I felt, at the time and presently, that much of the article presented information that was titillating at best.
At the behest of my editor, Dan Geiser, I was literally forced to ‘put the juicy stuff back in,’ to use his words. The article was written in the published form with the editor breathing down my neck.
Mr. Geiser was aware of the ‘juicy stuff’ because several Tribune staffers had taken the FAX off of my desk in my absence and read parts of it aloud in the newsroom. I will admit that some of the information in the court decree made me laugh, as well. It was rather lurid.
I attempted to reach Ms. True for her comments on the story. I remember getting hold of her mother the next morning, Tuesday, September 25, 1990. I requested more time to locate Ms. True but my editor would not hear of not running the story that day for fear the Des Moines Register would get it first. Consequently, the final product (the story) was indeed one‑sided.
I am not aware of all that ensued with the story after October 1, 1990. I do know that there was quite a bit of backlash from community members who thought the story was unfair, slanted, in poor taste, etc., etc. I am aware that the newspaper received several unfavorable calls and letters as a result of the story.
I am not aware of anything after October 1, 1990, because that was the day I was terminated at the Tribune. I suspect, though I was never told by officials at the Tribune, that the majority of my dismissal can be attributed to the negative comments about the True story and that my firing was to send a signal to the community that something had been done about the situation.
Of most interest in this present proceeding are the following facts to which I will attest:
1. The information from the story was obtained from public court records FAXED to the Tribune by Mr. Shindy Scheisser.
2. The FAX originated after a call to the Tribune by Mr. Shindy Scheisser.
3. Ms. True was not given adequate time to respond to the story—even though attempts to reach her for comment were made. I was only able to reach her mother, and then, only the next morning. (September 25th.)
4. A sizable number of Ames residents found the story upsetting and questioned whether it should have been published at all.
I attest to the veracity of the contents of this letter, though I no longer possess my actual notes or the FAX and am writing this solely on my memory, over the space of almost two years, of one of the thousands of stories I’ve written in the past decade.
Sincerely” and then Ms. Gaffey affixed to this official missive her personal signature … with an address that set her particular point of residence then at the northeast border of the State of Nebraska. Reporter Abbie Gaffey had, indeed, exited Ames in very, very short order.
I will not submit––here––one word from out of either of Jesse’s or Zane’s journals, from those hard copies themselves. Should they ever want these trial exhibits of mine––and of their actual self‑scripted writings––published, then they, of course, are free to do that themselves. My only assessment of the two is summed up in one, tiny, too familiar adjective: sad …
[to be continued…]
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Dr. Legion True: One Fucked Mother
Dr. Herod (Herry) Edinsmaier: Legion’s husband/Sperm Source [“re: I am snide” backwards]
Jesse Truemaier: Legion’s son
Mirzah Truemaier: Legion’s son
Zane Truemaier: Legion’s son
AmTaham True: Legion’s father [Mahatma backwards]
Mehitable True: Legion’s mother [Me hit-able—i.e. she was abusive]
Ardys and Endys: Legion’s sisters [names backwards]
Sterling: Legion’s brother [her mother’s planned name of next son (who never came)]
Mi Sprision O'Revinnoco: Herry’s sister [misprision: concealing knowledge of treason/O'Revinnoco = O'Connivero backwards]
Juggern Aut Misein Edinsmaier: Legion’s father-in-law [juggernaut; aut = 0; misein = “to hate (misogyny)”]
Detanimod Edinsmaier: Legion’s mother-in-law [dominated backwards]
Ava Saffron True and Zebulon True: respectively, Legion's paternal grandmother and her husband, Legion's paternal grandfather
Rowland and Wyman Natures: respectively, Legion's most favored uncle and most favored male first cousin
Fannie Issicran McLive: fawning enabler of ex [narcissi(st) and Mc(Evil) backwards]
Mary Jane: daughter of Fannie Issicran McLive; stepsister of Zane, Jesse, and Mirzah
Legion’s Friends: Margaret, Mona, Yanira, Stormy, Lynda, László, Jane, Kincaid, Joseph, Sheryl, Abraham (Quaker elder), Frieda
Legion’s Best Friends: Ms Grace and Dr Lionel Portia and Rachel
Wende: = Legion's friend after divorce [committed suicide due to Custody Crisis]
Jim Cornball: Herry’s acquaintance from AA and realtor
Loser Lorn: Insurance agent referred by Cornball
Judge Harley Butcher: Family Court judge
Judge Sol Wacotler Seizor: Family Court judge
Judge Barry Crowrook: Appellate Court judge
Judge Pansy Shawshank: Appellate Court judge
Judge Sol Wacotler Seizor: District Court judge on first two trials
Judge Allen Donnellson: Chief, Appellate Court for second and third trials' appeals
Judge Harley Butcher: District Court judge for third trial
Jazzy Jinx: Legion’s first Family Court lawyer
Carlotta Klutz: Legion’s second Family Court attorney
Shindy Scheisser: Herry’s lawyer [shindy = noisy; scheisser = German for shithead]
Li Zhang: Herry’s Aussie affair
Dr Freddie Goldstein & Ella: Herry’s colleague and wife
Mick: = Herry's acquaintance from high school; best man [not in Herry’s life after that as he had no true friends]
Varry Wussamai: Herry's AA sponsor (not a real friend) [I am a wuss backwards]
David Humes: nursing student; classmate of Legion's, y1968 - y1971, New York City
Edmund Silver: Legion's boyfriend pre-Herry
Braemore St: where Legion and her family lived, y1983 - y1986
Havencourt condominium: Legion's Ames apartment; after separation
Zephyr: tabby cat of Zane's, Mirzah's, Jesse's [pronounced “Zay – fear”]
Rex: Jesse’s pet Eastern Florida Kingsnake, female
Lady: Zane's pet Zebra Finch, female
Madonna: realtor
Larry Brouhaha: court-mandated marriage counselor
Dr. Shark: Herry’s residency supervisor who fired him
Carrie Canard: twice judge-mandated custody evaluator
Ms Tsianina Snowball: Legion's friend who instructs her in re The Look
Author: Dr. Blue, aka Ofherod, BSN, DVM, PhD = Commander Edinsmaier's Handmaid (Commander reiamsnidE's Handmaid)
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