Deference to the judgments and rulings of courts depends upon public confidence in the integrity and independence of judges. Commentary, Canon 1, Code of Judicial Conduct
Hillsborough Circuit Civil Court
Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
800 E. Twiggs St., Room 511
Tampa, Florida 33602
Order of Recusal, Judge Cook, November 18, 2010
2010, 11-18-10, Sua Sponte Order to Recu[...]
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Petition For Writ of Prohibition To Disqualify Judge Martha J Cook, with Motion For Order of Protection
2010, 11-18-10, Petition For Writ of Pro[...]
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2010, 11-18-10, Petition For Writ of Pro[...]
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2010, 11-20-10, Writ of Prohibition, Not[...]
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Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation
The FBI is the lead agency for investigating violations of federal civil rights laws…and we take that responsibility seriously. Why? Because as Director Mueller has said, "When just one of us loses just one of our rights, then the freedoms of all of us are diminished." Find out here how we aggressively investigate and work to prevent hate crime, color of law abuses, human trafficking, and freedom of access to clinic entrances violations—the four top priorities of our civil rights program. And learn how you can report suspected abuses and obtain assistance if you have been victimized. Read more
Bradford Kimbro of Holland & Knight declined limited or full representation with no reason provided
Bradford Kimbro, Executive Partner of Holland & Knight's Tampa Bay region, declined limited representation at court-ordered deposition by Judge Cook. Read his letter below.
2010, 11-03-10, NJG to Bradford Kimbro, [...]
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2010, 11-04-10, reply from Bradford Kimb[...]
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DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS UNDER COLOR OF LAW
Summary:
For the purpose of Section 242, acts under "color of law" include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the their lawful authority, but also acts done beyond the bounds of that official's lawful authority, if the acts are done while the official is purporting to or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. Persons acting under color of law within the meaning of this statute include police officers, prisons guards and other law enforcement officials, as well as judges, care providers in public health facilities, and others who are acting as public officials. It is not necessary that the crime be motivated by animus toward the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin of the victim.
The offense is punishable by a range of imprisonment up to a life term, or the death penalty, depending upon the circumstances of the crime, and the resulting injury, if any.
Motions to Disqualify Judge Martha J. Cook
Plaintiff’s 5th Motion To Disqualify Judge Cook
2010, 11-10-10, P's 5th Motion Disqualif[...]
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2010, 11-15-10, Order Denying Fifth Moti[...]
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Plaintiff’s 4th Motion To Disqualify Judge Cook
2010, 11-10-10, P's 4th Motion to Disqua[...]
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2010, 11-15-10, Order Denying Fourth Mot[...]
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Emergency Motion to Disqualify Judge Martha J. Cook
2010, 11-01-10, Emergency Motion to Disq[...]
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2010, 11-01-10, Notice of Filing Affidav[...]
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2010, 11-02-10, Order Denying Emergency [...]
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Judge Cook falsified record of panic attack, ADA
10-28-2010, AFFIDAVIT of NJG, Judge Cook[...]
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Judge Cook falsified record, denied due process
10-28-2010, AFFIDAVIT of NJG, Judge Cook[...]
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Judge Cook removed NJG from hearing, feigning illness
10-28-2010, AFFIDAVIT of NJG, Judge Cook[...]
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Judge Cook, Final Summ Judgment, phony TILA claims
for Defendants on TILA fees previously denied with prejudice and by three different federal courts
11-01-2010, AFFIDAVIT of NJG, Judge Cook[...]
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Judge Cook falsified contempt order
falsified the Order stating Gillespie voluntarily left the hearing and did not return
11-01-2010, AFFIDAVIT of NJG, Judge Cook[...]
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Letter of Dr. Karin Huffer, October 28, 2010
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Prior Motions to Disqualify Judge Martha J. Cook
2010, 07-27-10, ORDER Denying Motion to [...]
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2010, 07-23-10, P's Motion to Disqualify[...]
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2010, 06-16-10, ORDER Denying Motion to [...]
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2010, 06-14-10, P's Motion to Disqualify[...]
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Judge Cook’s Conflict of Interest on Disability Issues
Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3E, Disqualification
Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3E, Disqualification (1) A judge shall disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned, including but not limited to instances where: (a) the judge has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party (relevant portion).
Paragraph 8, Plaintiff’s Motion to Disqualify Judge Martha J. Cook, July 23, 2010
Judge Cook is biased on matters of disability. Judge Cook is emotional on matters of disability because daughter Hilary Sedgeman is disabled. This information is
public knowledge and Judge Cook seeks publicity about her daughter’s disability. In a St. Petersburg Times story May 13, 2009 reporting on Hilary Sedgeman’s disability, the Times wrote "Her mother,
Hillsborough Circuit Judge Martha Cook, fought back tears as Sedgeman told the story." (Exhibit B). Another story published April 12, 2001, Birthing Bad
Legislation (Exhibit C) wrote "Martha Cook-Sedgeman, chokes up with happiness as she describes her daughter" Hilary who was born two months premature. Her birth mother exited when Hilary was 1 day
old. There were clearly problems at birth, which would become apparent later as a 70 percent loss of hearing. The Sedgemans, who had arranged to adopt Hilary before her birth, had to guarantee an
unexpected $100,000 in medical bills. "The costs were staggering," Martha recalls.
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Exhibit B, Plaintiff’s Motion to Disqual[...]
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Exhibit C, Plaintiff’s Motion to Disqual[...]
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Intentional Infliction of Severe Emotional Distress
2010, 11-01-10, Emergency Motion to Disq[...]
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From Emergency Motion to Disqualify Judge Martha J. Cook:
Judge Cook Intentionally Inflicting Severe Emotional Distress on Gillespie
8. Dr. Karin Huffer, Gillespie’s ADA advocate, wrote a book "Overcoming the Devastation of Legal Abuse Syndrome". Legal Abuse Syndrome is an injury, a sub-category of PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
9. Dr. Huffer says misinformation by the court triggers symptoms of Legal Abuse Syndrome. The psychic injury is a barrier to due process because your body may be present in court
but your mind is not, and that is a violation of civil rights and the ADA.
10. Judge Cook is knowingly and willfully harming Gillespie through a confusion technique. Judge Cook is doing this to help Mr. Rodems and Barker, Rodems & Cook prevail over
Gillespie in the lawsuit over which she presides. Judge Cook knowingly introduced false information into the court record and other such as a coercive technique used to induce psychological confusion
and regression in Gillespie by bringing a superior outside force to bear on his will to resist or to provoke a reaction in Gillespie. The CIA manual on torture techniques, the KUBARK manual, calls
this the Alice in Wonderland or confusion technique.
11. A letter from Dr. Huffer in support of Gillespie is attached to this motion to disqualify. (Exhibit 3). The letter shows that Gillespie has been subjected to ongoing denial of
his accommodations and exploitation of his disabilities. Dr. Huffer wrote:
"As the litigation has proceeded, Mr. Gillespie is routinely denied participatory and testimonial access to the court. He is discriminated against in the most brutal ways possible. He is ridiculed by
the opposition, accused of malingering by the Judge and now, with no accommodations approved or in place, Mr. Gillespie is threatened with arrest if he does not succumb to a deposition. This is like
threatening to arrest a paraplegic if he does not show up at a deposition leaving his wheelchair behind. This is precedent setting in my experience. I intend to ask for DOJ guidance on this matter."
(Dr. Huffer, October 28, 2010, paragraph 2)
12. In support of and accompanying this motion is Plaintiff’s Notice of Filing Affidavits, the Affidavits of Neil J. Gillespie showing that Judge Martha J. Cook is prejudiced
against Gillespie. See the affidavits listed above.
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FBI: "Color of Law" deprivation of rights - 18 U.S.C. 242
U.S. law enforcement officers and other officials like judges, prosecutors, and security guards have been given tremendous power by local, state, and federal
government agencies—authority they must have to enforce the law and ensure justice in our country. These powers include the authority to detain and arrest suspects, to search and seize property, to
bring criminal charges, to make rulings in court, and to use deadly force in certain situations.
Preventing abuse of this authority, however, is equally necessary to the health of our nation’s democracy. That’s why it’s a federal crime for anyone acting under "color
of law" willfully to deprive or conspire to deprive a person of a right protected by the Constitution or U.S. law. "Color of law" simply means that the person is using authority given to him or her
by a local, state, or federal government agency.
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating color of law abuses, which include acts carried out by government officials operating both within and beyond the
limits of their lawful authority. Off-duty conduct may be covered if the perpetrator asserted his or her official status in some way. Read more
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO)
Commander of the Court Operations Division
Major James Livingston has been with the Sheriff's Office since 2006 and serves as the Commander of the Court Operations Division. The Division is responsible for all
aspects of security at the Courthouse Complex, which includes the Edgecomb Courthouse, the Courthouse Annex, the County Center, the State Attorney's Office Building, and the Public Defender's Office
Building. The Division also includes the Civil Process Section which serves approximately 150,000 court-related documents each year.
Major Livingston came to the Sheriff's Office from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he retired as a Supervisory Special Agent after a 22-year career. He
has over 30 years of experience in the criminal justice field, having served as a juvenile probation officer prior to joining the FBI. He is originally from Memphis, Tennessee where he earned a Law
Degree in 1983 and a Bachelor's Degree with honors in Criminal Justice in 1977, both from the University of Memphis. Read more
Request for criminal prosecution, ch 825, Fla. Stat.
Major Livingston: Request for criminal prosecution of Judge Martha J. Cook and Attorney Ryan Christopher Rodems, chapter 825, Florida Statutes, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Elderly Persons and Disabled Adults, April 20, 2011
April 20, 2011
2011, 04-20-11, NJG to Major Livingston,[...]
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April 25, 2011
2011, 04-25-11, Affidavit of NJG.pdf
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Request for Investigation of Judge Cook, follow-up
(by email, February 2, 2011)
Major Livingston:
This is a follow-up to my email of January 31, 2011 requesting an investigation of Judge Martha Cook.
Judge Cook’s misconduct September 28, 2010 was not an isolated incident. September 27, 2010 I provided Colonel Previtera my affidavit that Judge Cook created a false
record of events surrounding a panic attack July 12, 2010. (copy attached). October 7, 2010 I asked Colonel Previtera about Judge Cook’s wrongdoing and what action would be taken. Colonel Previtera
did not respond. I provided you copies of the communication.
In yet another instance, Judge Cook created a false record in her order dated July 22, 2010. The order benefited opposing counsel by unlawfully creating a false
record of Judge Nielsen’s order of May 12, 2006. Judge Nielsen's order allowed reconsideration of disqualification of Mr. Rodems on the basis that he was a witness. Judge Cook issued a new order that
created a false record of Judge Nielsen's ruling to benefit Mr. Rodems. See my affidavit of October 28, 2010, attached as exhibit 2. It shows Judge Cook falsified a record in violation of section
839.13(1), Florida Statutes, engaged in official misconduct in violation of section 838.022, Florida Statutes, and mislead a public servant, the Clerk of the Court, in the performance of her official
duty in violation of section 837.06, Florida Statutes.
Circuit Court Judges are given tremendous power which they must have to enforce the law and ensure justice in Florida. Preventing abuse of this authority, however, is
equally necessary to the health of Florida’s democracy. Judge Cook willfully deprived me of rights protected by law.
Major Livingston, you are uniquely qualified to know and understand Judge Cook’s violation of Florida Statutes under the color of law. You earned degrees in law and
criminal justice, and served as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation with a 22-year career. When will Judge Cook be held accountable?
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Neil J. Gillespie
8092 SW 115th Loop
Ocala, FL 34481
(352) 854-7807
http://yousue.org/request-for-investigation/
cc: Dr. Karin Huffer
Alex Newman, Liberty Sentinel Media
Brian S. Kramer, Esq.
Paul Hill, General Counsel, TFB
September 27, 2010
2010, 09-27-10, fax to Col Previtera, J [...]
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Exh 2, 10-28-10, AFFIDAVIT of NJG, J Coo[...]
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Request for Investigation of Judge Martha J. Cook
(by email, January 31, 2011, PDF below)
Major Livingston:
This is in response to your letter of January 12, 2011 that confirmed my assertion that Judge Cook ordered me removed from the courtroom September 28, 2010, and that I
did not leave voluntarily. Your letter is evidence that Judge Cook falsified a record when she wrote that I voluntarily left the hearing in her contempt order dated September 30, 2010. Attached you
will find my affidavit of November 1, 2010, exhibit 5, swearing to the foregoing. Judge Cook falsified a record in violation of Florida Statutes, section 839.13(1) as set forth in my
affidavit.
As for the timing and circumstances under which Judge Cook ordered me removed, I take issue with the following. You wrote that "[I] made contact with Deputy Christopher
E. Brown concerning your request for an explanation regarding why he escorted you out of the courthouse on September 28, 2010 after a hearing with Judge Martha Cook."
Please be advised that Judge Cook ordered me removed at the beginning of the hearing, not "after" as inferred by your letter. The hearing was transcribed and the
relevant pages are part of my affidavit dated November 1, 2010 marked exhibit 5 and attached hereto.
As for the circumstances of the removal, you wrote that "Deputy Brown advised that the Judge ordered you to leave after a disruption in the courtroom." I take issue with
the "disruption" characterization. The record shows I made appropriate speaking motions for the circumstances.
Attached you fill find Dr. Karin Huffer’s letter dated October 28, 2010. Dr. Huffer is my ADA Advocate. Dr. Huffer wrote that she created a reasonable ADA Accommodation
request for me and that document was properly and timely filed. Nonetheless Court Counsel David Rowland denied the request by letter dated July 9, 2010.
Dr. Huffer also wrote I have been subjected to ongoing denial of accommodations, exploitation of my disabilities, am routinely denied participatory and testimonial
access to the court, discriminated against in brutal ways, ridiculed by the opposition, and accused of malingering by the Judge. Dr. Huffer also wrote that I face risk to life and health and
exhaustion of the ability to continue to pursue justice.
Because of the foregoing it was appropriate for me to file a federal ADA/Civil Rights lawsuit against the 13th Judicial Circuit, see Gillespie v 13th Judicial Circuit et
al, case no. 5:10-cv-00503, United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division. Judge Cook is a defendant in her capacity as a judge and personally. You can read about the
lawsuit and download the complaint on my website at http://yousue.org/ and here http://yousue.org/litigation/
As set forth in my attached affidavit of October 28, 2010, exhibit 3, my lawsuit against Judge Cook and the 13th Judicial Circuit was filed the morning of September 28,
2010 just after the court opened 8:30am in Ocala, Florida. I had hoped to file the lawsuit weeks earlier but could not. When I arrived in Tampa for the hearing before Judge Cook at 11:00am she was
unaware of the lawsuit. Therefore I had a duty to inform her prior to the hearing, and did so by handing a copy of the complaint to Deputy Henderson prior to the hearing and asked him to give it to
Judge Cook while she was still in chambers. This was not for service of process, but to inform Judge Cook that she was a defendant in a lawsuit. Rule 3, FRCP, Commencement of Action, a civil action
is commenced by filing a complaint with the court.
Deputy Henderson refused to take the complaint from me, and he refused to hand it to Judge Cook in chambers. Instead Deputy Henderson went back to Judge Cook’s
chambers where I assume he said something to the judge. As such Deputy Henderson left me no choice but to address the issue in open court as shown in the record.
By way of background, in August 2005 I sued my former lawyers Barker, Rodems & Cook for about $8,000 the lawyers unlawfully took from a settlement. Mr. Rodems is
unlawfully representing the firm against me, a former client in a matter that is the same as the prior representation. His independent judgment as a lawyer is compromised by his conflict of interest
in this case. On March 6, 2006 Mr. Rodems intentionally disrupted the tribunal with a strategic maneuver to gain an unfair advantage. Mr. Rodems submitted a sworn affidavit that misrepresented an
argument we had during a phone call to set a hearing to disqualify him as counsel. In February 2010 Kirby Rainesberger of the Tampa Police Department determined that Mr. Rodems was not right or
accurate in representing to the court as an "exact quote" language that clearly was not an exact quote. You can read about the matter here: http://yousue.org/ryan-christopher-rodems/
Initially I had a good working relationship with Judge Nielsen and his judicial assistant Myra Gomez. I prevailed on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss and Strike
September 26, 2005. But after Rodems’ stunt Judge Nielsen did not manage the case properly, favored Defendants in rulings, and responded to me sarcastically from the bench. Judge Nielsen later
recused himself as trial judge.
In 2007 I hired Gainesville attorney Robert W. Bauer to represent me. The record shows more hostility from Mr. Rodems, including threats of sanctions. Mr. Rodems filed
two section 57.105 motions against Mr. Bauer. Rodems filed four section 57.105 motions against me. Mr. Rodems obtained sanctions of $11,550 against me for discovery errors and a misplaced defense to
a phony libel counterclaim. Rodems voluntarily withdrew the counterclaim September 28, 2010. It was an abuse of process to extort a settlement.
Mr. Bauer represented me for over a year. One of his last statements on the record was the following: "…Mr. Rodems has, you know, decided to take a full nuclear blast
approach instead of us trying to work this out in a professional manner. It is my mistake for sitting back and giving him the opportunity to take this full blast attack." (transcript, August 14,
2008, emergency hearing, the Honorable Marva Crenshaw, p. 16, line 24).
Mr. Bauer is now facing a bar inquiry over the representation, Florida Bar File No. 2011-00,073(8B). You can read about it here:
http://yousue.org/bar-complaint-of-robert-w-bauer/
I regret bringing a lawsuit in Hillsborough County, a jurisdiction plagued by scandal, unprofessional behavior, and worse, as shown here:
http://yousue.org/13th-judicial-circuit-hillsborough-co-florida/
From the outset Judge Cook has denied me the basic requirements of justice, fairness and equality that we should all expect from our courts. Acting under the color of
law, Judge Cook’s falsification of records and other such are willful acts to intended to deprive or conspire to deprive me of my rights. I request you investigate this matter.
At this time I do not believe it is safe for me to enter the Edgecomb Courthouse or attend any hearings in the 13th Judicial Circuit. My concerns extend beyond Mr.
Rodems’ stunts. I am concerned with judges acting unlawfully under the color of law and worse. I am also disappointed by the behavior of Deputy Henderson as described above. And you have my concerns
about statements attributed to Deputy Brown.
Please advise what I can expect from you and an investigation of Judge Cook. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Neil J. Gillespie
8092 SW 115th Loop
Ocala, FL 34481
(352) 854-7807
cc: Dr. Karin Huffer
Alex Newman, Liberty Sentinel Media
Brian S. Kramer, Esq.
Paul Hill, General Counsel, TFB
2011, 01-31-11, emai, NJG to Maj Livings[...]
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Exh 5, 11-01-10, AFFIDAVIT of NJG, Judge[...]
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Email from Major James Livingston, January 12, 2011
Mr. Gillespie,
Attached is a copy of your letter dated 11/13/2010, along with my response letter dated today. The original response letter will go out today via U.S. Mail.
Thank you,
James P. Livingston
Major - Court Operations Division
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Office: 813-242-5061
Fax: 813-242-1834
jlivings@hsco.tampa.fl.us
2011, 01-12-11, email from Maj Livingsto[...]
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