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So the State Journal followed up on a curious incident related by state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman to investigators looking into Justice David Prosser's attack on Justice Ann Walsh Bradley.
Gableman said that on Sept. 18, 2008, Bradley had thumped him on the backside of the head when he had called the Chief Justice “Shirley.” Gableman specifically remembered that date because it was his birthday and Justice Patrick Crooks was reading the horoscopes.
But the State Journal's Dee Hall did more digging and found that the justices hadn't met that week. In fact, Justice Patience Roggensack had requested that the court not meet during Sept. 15 and 29, 2008:
So where does that leave Gableman, Prosser's closest ally on the court?
Spinning, as usual. (Tom Foley put it more bluntly: “just making stuff up now.”)
Gableman's now saying that the incident occurred on Sept. 18, 2009—one year later than he told the investigators:
But I'm not having any of it. Because here's what's in the police report (page 64 of 70):
So the date of the alleged incident stuck out in Gableman's mind because A. it was his birthday, and B. he had only been on the court for a month.
Which would fix the date in his mind as Sept. 18, 2008, when the court was not meeting and Crooks was not reading the horoscopes and Bradley wasn't thumping him on the back of his head for calling the chief justice “Shirley.”
There's a vast difference between being a rookie on the court and being a seasoned veteran of 13 months. By the time Sept. 18, 2009, rolled around, Gableman would know whether anyone could call Ms. Abrahamson “Shirley” or if he should stick with the more formal “chief justice.”
Gableman's newest lie, along with his statement to investigators that Bradley is much taller than Prosser (she's actually six inches shorter) as well as his insistence that Prosser grabbed Bradley's shoulders (even Prosser admitted to grabbing Bradley's throat and feeling the warmth of her skin) really call into question Gableman's truth-telling skills.
Oh, wait—haven't we been down this road before?
Gableman said that on Sept. 18, 2008, Bradley had thumped him on the backside of the head when he had called the Chief Justice “Shirley.” Gableman specifically remembered that date because it was his birthday and Justice Patrick Crooks was reading the horoscopes.
But the State Journal's Dee Hall did more digging and found that the justices hadn't met that week. In fact, Justice Patience Roggensack had requested that the court not meet during Sept. 15 and 29, 2008:
"Such a request is ordinarily granted, as appears to have been the case here," Abrahamson told the State Journal. "To the best of my recollection (and Justice Crooks's recollection is the same) no incident as described (and no similar incident) ever occurred in our presence."
So where does that leave Gableman, Prosser's closest ally on the court?
Spinning, as usual. (Tom Foley put it more bluntly: “just making stuff up now.”)
Gableman's now saying that the incident occurred on Sept. 18, 2009—one year later than he told the investigators:
During my interview with the officers, I was uncertain as to whether Justice Bradley struck me on September 18, 2008, or September 18, 2009. I knew it was September 18 because that happens to be my birthday. Court records indicate that the seven Justices did, in fact, meet in closed conference on September 18, 2009. In any event, the incident happened exactly as I related it to the officers and as it was set forth in the report. While Justice Bradley might not be able to recall it, I certainly do.
But I'm not having any of it. Because here's what's in the police report (page 64 of 70):
Justice Gableman said at this time his mind also went back to September 18, 2008, a date that he recalled because it was his birthday. Justice Gableman said he had been on the court for approximately one month at the time, and while in a meeting with the other justices, Justice Crooks was reading the horoscopes.
So the date of the alleged incident stuck out in Gableman's mind because A. it was his birthday, and B. he had only been on the court for a month.
Which would fix the date in his mind as Sept. 18, 2008, when the court was not meeting and Crooks was not reading the horoscopes and Bradley wasn't thumping him on the back of his head for calling the chief justice “Shirley.”
There's a vast difference between being a rookie on the court and being a seasoned veteran of 13 months. By the time Sept. 18, 2009, rolled around, Gableman would know whether anyone could call Ms. Abrahamson “Shirley” or if he should stick with the more formal “chief justice.”
Gableman's newest lie, along with his statement to investigators that Bradley is much taller than Prosser (she's actually six inches shorter) as well as his insistence that Prosser grabbed Bradley's shoulders (even Prosser admitted to grabbing Bradley's throat and feeling the warmth of her skin) really call into question Gableman's truth-telling skills.
Oh, wait—haven't we been down this road before?
