Sherman R. Frederick/Properly Subversive
When District Attorney Lori Frugoli’s press release came across the transom, I read it and said to myself: “Jeez, did the Catholic Church really sign off on this?”
I later got the answer. It was a big NO. The “resolution” touted by Frugoli as “justice” and “fair” was a unilateral decision. The Catholic church is hopping mad about being left out of the process and objects to the end result, which the church says makes Catholics fair game for hate rhetoric and hate crimes.
They have a point, if you ask me (which of course no one has but why else do you need a newspaper columnist?)
You can see more here: https://marinlocalnews.com/archbishop-blasts-d-a-for-letting-felony-vandals-off-the-hook-says-catholics-treated-as-unworthy-of-consideration/
In case you missed it, the crime occurred on Oct. 12, 2020, during a Columbus Day protest. The protest was announced and the San Rafael Police Department was well aware of it. So was the media. But, strangely, the officers remained in the outskirts of the protest, videotaping the event and choosing not to intervene when people in the crowd strapped up the statue of Saint Junipero Serra on the grounds of Saint Raphael Catholic Church and pulled it down. People in the crowd then painted the statue red and scrawled the word “rape” on the fixture.
At the time, protesters said it was supposed to be a peaceful event. The vandalism was just something that “got out of hand.”
That’s baloney. People showed up to the “peaceful protest” with straps and red paint. That goes to the real intent of the protesters.
The Police Department later said that “higher ups” told them not to intervene in the protest. So far the “higher ups” have not been identified. This is a loose thread that still pisses off Catholic authorities, who (I think it is fair to say) puts a target on the back of Catholics and church facilities.
It would also have added a problematic element to the ability of Fugoli to prosecute.
One of the interesting elements to this “resolution” is the stipulation that all five charged in the crime: Ines Shiam Gardilcic, 40; Victoria Eva Montanopena, 29; Melissa Aguilar, 36; Mayorgi Nadeska Delgadillo, 36; and Moira Cribben Van de Walker, 25, apologize in writing.
I’ll be interested in reading those apologies. They better damn well be good. My bet is they will be more of a justification than a contrite apology. (Sidebar: If the apologies are not good enough, will the D.A. reinstate the felony charges?
The D.A. wants us call this a “resolution.” It’s not. It’s another unsatisfactory result coming out the Marin D.A.’s office.
POSTSCRIPT: The next edition of our printed newspaper (comes out Wednesday, May 31). It delves into the Civil Grand Jury report on how the D.A.’s office has brought the justice system in Marin to its knees. I encourage you to give it a read.
ONE MORE THING
Thanks for reading. Until next week, avoid sore heads, laugh a little and always question authority.
(“Properly Subversive” is a commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick for Marinscope Community Newspapers, the “mother ship” of the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. Mr. Frederick is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
Frugoli needs to be removed! Why she wouldn’t include the church is downright criminal, shame on you Frugoli! I’d like to see their apologies also!
Once more the bad guys win. There are laws which have been around for years, decades and centuries. It’s a very rare occasion that anyone pays the consequences for breaking them. We just keep getting stoopider and stoopider. Meanwhile our lives become more and more unsafe and costly. And the people with the loud disrespectful, holier than thou attitudes just keep having fun at the expense of the majority. How and why does this keep happening. We need more people judging these Morans that at least have a bit of common sense and decency!