This was on Frugals, but important enough to share again here:

Dear fellow citizen,

My name is Edgar Steele. I am a lawyer with offices in Sandpoint, Idaho and the San Francisco Bay Area. You have provided me your email address in connection with my involvement in the current McGuckin family "standoff" in Sagle, Idaho. I apologize for not having responded to you immediately, but I have been preoccupied with developing the many civil issues involved in the McGuckin case.

As it happens, the McGuckin house is just up the road from my mine, here in Sagle. They have been a reclusive family (there is nothing wrong with that), so I never met them before JoAnn McGuckin was arrested this past week for "felony child endangerment." In a very real sense, they are neighbors of mine, so I would have offered them my help even if I had not been asked to do so by several people.

This is quite literally breaking news: The local authorities have just persuaded the children who were holed up in the family home to come out and have spirited them away to an unknown location. I am delighted this has ended without any injury to any person. Now we can move on to consideration of what is happening to this family by keeping their mother and her children separated since just a couple of days after they buried their husband and father. Of course, there is also the matter of the property that was taken by the county for only about $ 8,000 in back taxes....

As reported in the press release reproduced below, which I read to the media assembled in Garfield Bay earlier today, I withdrew from active representation yesterday afternoon because I was suddenly denied access to my clients. You see, if I were to continue, I would have had to share my files with the fellow who claimed to be her sole contact representative, the court-appointed lawyer. Also, I would have had my efforts directed and controlled by him. He didn't retain me, JoAnn did. As I am sure you appreciate, I will not be held accountable in this case to anybody whose last name is not "McGuckin."

Please understand this: I have not abandoned the McGuckins, however, and will immediately renew my representation of any family member, of any age, who personally asks me to do so...and at no charge.

As it now stands, I will continue to speak out about the outrageous charges lodged against Mrs. McGuckin and the outlandish bail amount which prevents her release from jail.

Thank you for your interest.

-ed


Edgar J. Steele
Attorney at Law

102 South Fourth Avenue, Suite C
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

Admitted in Idaho, Oregon, Washington & California

Facsimile: (208) 265-5329

Telephone: (208) 265-4153

email: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE - IMMEDIATE

June 2, 2001, 12:30 p.m., Sagle, Idaho

Contact: Edgar J. Steele, attorney at law

McGuckin Lawyer Sets the Record Straight

Sandpoint, Idaho. It has been represented to me by members of the press that Bonner County’s Prosecuting Attorney, Phil Robinson, is reporting that I was fired last night by Mrs. McGuckin. That simply is not true and is merely another of many false statements made in this matter by local government officials.

What is true is that, early yesterday afternoon, I served written notice that I was voluntarily withdrawing for the time being because I have been cut off from all access to Mrs. McGuckin and her children by the local government. This is forced upon me by the strictures of applicable law and rules of ethics. Now I may continue to speak out publicly about the outrageous conduct of county officials in this matter.

I have not abandoned the McGuckins, and will return to actively represent and support any member of the family, and for any purpose, immediately upon being asked in person. I continue to offer my support and counsel pro bono (free of charge), of course.

My concern at the moment is, first and foremost, for the welfare of the children still terrified and isolated in the family home just up the road from my own personal residence here in Sagle, Idaho. Their interests will not be best served by stirring up additional controversy that can await resolution at a later time. Let’s get the kids out and to safety, then we can discuss how best to reunite this family and begin the process of healing the damage that they have already suffered.

The Bonner County Sheriff has now totally cut off my access to JoAnn McGuckin, though I have been representing her and her children strictly for civil issues related to the pending criminal charge (for which she has been provided a taxpayer-paid public defender, Bryce Powell). The Sheriff’s rejoinder has been that I cannot see her since Mr. Powell is her attorney; Sheriff Jarvis refuses to recognize my status as her personal civil attorney.

I have been told by the Sheriff’s deputies that Mrs. McGuckin desires that I communicate with her henceforth only in writing, and only through Mr. Powell. I have been unable to confirm that with her in person. Mr. Powell seems intent upon enforcing that arrangement, as well.

Even if true, I find this intolerable and unworkable, since I pledged that I would serve only her interests and that of her children. I cannot do that if others are claiming to speak to me for her. The duties of a personal lawyer are just that – personal.

I originally met with Mrs. McGuckin for nearly two hours, shortly after her arrest, during which she requested my assistance for herself and her children. Since then, my firm has been working nonstop to develop a number of civil issues for the family, such as our inquiry into the sale of their property for back taxes. I am not willing to continue to pay others to develop aspects of the case or work on it myself, all for free, only to turn over the products of our effort to anybody other than my original clients.

continued next post....

Interestingly, Mr. Powell has requested that I continue to speak out on the family’s behalf, which I certainly would have done, in any event.

It has also been represented to me by the press that Mr. Robinson claims he refused to make Benjamin McGuckin available as I requested, merely because I had not yet filed a formal notice of appearance. That, too, is false, because county officials simply ignored my request to speak with Ben, as well as my request for copies of the child seizure order so that I could prepare and file the initial representation notice.

Nor was I able to see Mrs. McGuckin “once or twice (yesterday),” as Mr. Robinson reportedly told the press. The truth is that I did not even speak with her personally, and was and am being denied access to her altogether, even by telephone.

I have been particularly gratified by the worldwide response to the request for funding of Mrs. McGuckin’s bail bond fund. There have been substantial pledges, which make me very hopeful that any reasonable bail can easily be posted on her behalf. I was disturbed to hear that her bail reduction hearing, for which I had pressed so hard, went by the wayside yesterday, with nobody appearing on JoAnn’s behalf.

My office has been flooded with messages of support from throughout the Western World, and more offers of help than we can possibly even acknowledge. We are all deeply touched by this outpouring of human generosity and concern for this family which continues to be under siege by its own government.

I call upon all who are following these events to refrain from jumping to conclusions. Please keep in mind the real objectives here: First, the safety of the children. Second, keeping the children together as a unit. Third, reuniting the children with their mother and ensuring that they are allowed the space to heal from the blows that their family has taken lately, not the least of which was the loss of their long-suffering and beloved husband and father. All other considerations are of little significance, in my opinion, until these objectives are met.

Donations to the bail bond fund may still be made to: McGuckin Family Trust, PO Box 1255, Sagle, ID 83860. Rest assured that every penny contributed to this fund will inure directly to the benefit of only members of the McGuckin family. In particular, I will with my last dying breath ensure that nothing is ever paid out from the fund to any lawyer.

[To anyone who has not followed this case, I have several articles and links on my site - [url]www.bowmansbrigade.com[/url] covering this case of federal tyranny]

this is another tradgedy at the hands of the us federal government.

how much longer?



freedom at all cost..

What exactly did the U.S. Government do?
Everything I've seen only mentioned city/county authorities.

Please be careful and accurate or our voice will lose credibility.   Of course you should correct me if there's some fact I missed, just pass along some stomach remedy for after I eat my hat.

[red]PRK

I like what Imbroglio said on a recent reply to one of my posts:

[b][i]"Most of the people on here won't survive because they treat everything like a video game where when they die they think they can hit reset and start over again."[/i][/b]

From the number of responses and reads on this, I fear that this is all too true.

I am no fan of the feds, but where does the_survivalist get that this is the fed's fault?  Can you say Paranoia?  Everything is not a damn conspiracy by the feds.  prk, you did not miss anything, just that some tin foil hat wearing types see black choppers everywhere.

Umm, I believe that is my quote, not that stinkin mean monster's.

Right.  Fixed it.  Sorry about that.  You're one of the good guys.  God help those who don't realize what's coming down.

Isn't Steele the lawyer for the Aryan Nations?  Sounds like he's just seeking publicity.  Nobody asked him to be there, especially not the family involved.

Reminds me of Jesse Jackson and his offer to go to China to negotiate the release of the surveillance-flight crew.