I am proud to call Kristi my friend. We have been friends for many years. She is a woman of integrity, sincerity, and character. I often marvel at her ability to take her spare time to volunteer at school, do charity events -- all that and raise two great kids. She does not do any of this because she wants people to know this is who she is. Maybe that is why the article doesn't mention it.
I believe Georgia had a hard time with the fact that Kristi was a "regular" mom and not interested in petty uppity B.S. Frankly, some of my fondest memories with Kristi revolve around a tiny hole-in-the-wall BBQ shack that served the best chicken and ribs! Denny's would be a step up...
From the beginning, Kristi only tried to avoid the situation; at times when things were at their worst, she would talk about it the least. When the article quotes Kristi as saying that Georgia is a mom we want to stay away from, it sounds so... yuck! In the context of the situation, Georgia made me feel terribly uncomfortable. My husband had witnessed one of her screaming moments at the gym the week before. That prompted me to talk to Kristi about avoiding the situation. We even went as far as to change Kelsie's name when registering her at the gym to avoid hurting Georgia's feelings.
Kristi doesn't turn people away or act cocky or insincere. She is sincere and grateful to those who support her in her job. That is why it was so difficult to deal with Georgia. In all her years, Kristi had not had to deal with this.
How the state attorney's office became involved is another story. We were at my house at my son's birthday party, and a good friend of mine and his daughter were there. She happened to work in the state attorney's office, so I asked Kristi to tell him her story and solicit advice. Kristi did not use her "pull" with anyone. She didn't want to get the police involved. She wanted Georgia to go away peacefully. I strongly encouraged Kristi to go to the police. Every time I read, see, or hear anything regarding this case, I feel awful, because that was the worst advice I could have ever given my friend.
On the stand, most of us who testified did not remember dates, and Georgia made dates fit wherever she needed them to make us look like liars. Shame on us for not pulling all the records of Georgia's job history, the gym records, and other records, to be more prepared. But I did not lie. Kristi did not lie. It is not fair that someone can lie and make someone's life hell, get away with it, and then threaten to sue. Kristi has worked hard to get where she is; she loves her job, her family, her friends, and her fans. Why would she invent any of this and risk her reputation? She wouldn't, she didn't, and this is so wrong.
Kim Christensen
Pembroke Pines
The cops are going down: Bob Norman writes that Georgia Roberts, who is planning to sue Kristi Krueger for malicious prosecution, has "a dubious case" ("Georgia in the Pines," October 16). Based on the facts Norman reports, the only "dubious" part here would be suing Krueger. Since this situation involved criminal litigation, the prosecutor (Tony Loe) would likely be the primary party subject to paying punitive damages. While Krueger, as an informant, could technically also be responsible for malicious prosecution, any responsibility Krueger herself might have here would most likely be 1 percent or less -- perhaps zero.
Roberts can also very justifiably sue Detective Leslie Haywood and any other officers involved in her 2 a.m. arrest for the tort of false arrest. Based on the facts Norman reports, she once again has quite a strong case and could win punitive damages. Norman writes that Detective Haywood testified that Loe "pressured [Haywood] to make the arrest though there was no probable cause."
Haywood apparently knew and admitted that there was no probable cause to arrest Roberts for aggravated stalking, but nevertheless he (and presumably other officers) then acted to arrest Roberts on that charge. That would be an obvious case of false arrest. Prosecutors and police officers must not only enforce the law; they must scrupulously follow the law.
By suing Loe and Haywood for malicious prosecution and false arrest (respectively) and winning substantial punitive damages, Roberts can help to protect all of us from being harmed by out-of-control prosecutors and police officers.
Bill Wolfe
Coral Springs
This guy knows his vowels: I would like to compliment Bob Norman on the Georgia Roberts story. I did not know all of the facts about Chicago. My reason for writing is that in the article he said that I am CEO of a financial firm. That is not correct. I am actually COO, or chief operating officer.
Neil Riddles
Via the Internet
So make it right! Bob Norman's stories about water in Pompano ("Don't Drink the Water" III and IV, August 21 and October 22) have been very informative. It sounds to me like there is a lot of fraud going on there in the water department. They need to find out who knew what and when. And if there was any criminal activity, someone needs to pay, but more likely, the taxpayers will pay, as always. Why worry about terrorists messing with the water when you have the water department? This is not right!
Eddie Gonzalez
Miami
Winning readers, losing leaders: I just wanted let Bob Norman know how fortunate we are to have someone like him truly reporting on the City of Pompano Beach. I will say that prior to this story, I had no idea what New Times was. But because of Bob Norman's outstanding reporting, he has won over many new readers. I would like to know if there will be any additional articles on this subject.
Toleiha Williamson
Pompano Beach
Dave Flaherty for Dade County manager: Regarding "Don't Drink the Water": Wow. I thought I was reading about Miami-Dade County! Thank God for those who stand up for what is right. Our South Florida motto, "Kill the messenger," is still going strong. Another amazing local government at work.
Mark Wolosz
North Miami
Just call him Andrew: Clark versus Bush: A delicious dichotomy! First, let me say that Edmund Newton sold Gen. Wesley Clark short by calling him a "minor tropical disturbance" in hurricane parlance in the September 25 edition of Tailpipe ("Four-Star Muddle")!
Political hacks like Joe Geller and the rest of the "scrum" in Broward County need to look well past left-wing New England liberals like Howard Dean if they want to beat Dubya. America will never again, in our lifetimes, elect a Howard Dean president. He's OK for me (except for his position on Israel), but a more conservative America will flush Dean down the political toilet, just as it has Eugene McCarthy, Walter Mondale, and Michael Dukakis.
If the Democrats want to win and reverse Bush's draconian plans for America's future, they need to stop bitching about Clark's "early organization" and get behind him, because only Clark of all the Demo candidates can beat Bush. The right-wing fascist media talk hosts must really fear Clark, because they have already begun bashing him on the airwaves.
It would be a delicious dichotomy to see, after the smoke has cleared, a national guardsman who was AWOL for at least a year while a war raged in Vietnam (Bush) debate Clark, a four-star general who graduated number one in his class at West Point -- and who also happens to be a Rhodes Scholar. Who would you rather see as your commander in chief?
In closing, if Clark is a "minor tropical disturbance," then George Bush must be nothing more than a puff of hot air passing by. Or, more likely, a lukewarm fart.
Harvey Slavin
Hollywood
