Pantera99GS
05-18-2006, 12:33 PM
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=424672
Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee left Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Clare Fiorenza's courtroom in handcuffs Wednesday afternoon, under arrest on allegations of threatening a woman in court.
Moments after Fiorenza told McGee she was throwing out the restraining order he had obtained against Kimley Rucker, who claims she is pregnant by the alderman, he turned around at his table and appeared to speak to Rucker.
Nothing McGee said was audible from the courtroom gallery.
However, Rucker, who had obtained a restraining order against McGee that remains in place, said she clearly heard what he told her while Fiorenza looked for paperwork.
"He said, 'If you drive by my house, I'm going to kill your ass,' " Rucker said.
Shortly afterward, McGee was searched by a courtroom bailiff and marched off to jail. Although both Rucker and her attorney, Russell Jones, claim they heard McGee's threat, the alderman and his attorney, Tarena Washington-Franklin, both denied McGee had said anything while he was turned around facing Rucker.
"I didn't do nothing. I just turned around," McGee said.
The arrest brought an unusual end to a court proceeding that was already extraordinary for the amount of time spent dealing with a single restraining order. Both McGee and Rucker had filed for restraining orders against each other after a March 31 confrontation in which McGee claimed Rucker scratched his face and Rucker said McGee twisted her arm.
Each appealed the other's restraining order, though McGee's appeal of Rucker's order isn't due in court until August.
Rucker's successful appeal of McGee's order took three days of court hearings, in which McGee denied Rucker's claims of a longstanding romantic relationship. He said the two had sex once, in August, then claimed she had stalked him with unwanted phone calls as well as uninvited appearances at his home and at community meetings.
He also denied authoring what Rucker claimed were a sheaf of e-mails, some with explicit sexual content, from an e-mail address McGee has maintained for years. After denying under oath in an initial hearing that he had ever had the account, McGee said the address, mcgee4me@yahoo.com, is open to access by up to 10 of his current and former staffers.
Claims lacked credibility
Fiorenza said she found McGee's claims lacked credibility, especially after Rucker's roommate and landlord both testified they had seen McGee in and outside Rucker's apartment several times after he claimed to have broken off contact with Rucker in August. She said "common sense and the evidence" in the case indicated McGee and Rucker had carried on a lengthy affair, rather than the stalking McGee claimed.
After McGee was admonished by Fiorenza for turning toward Rucker, he voiced his displeasure about Fiorenza's ruling directly to the judge.
"You certainly did not help me," McGee said.
Once Rucker and Jones said what they heard McGee tell Rucker, the bailiff in the room said he would have to arrest McGee, who cooperated with arresting officers. McGee made several cell phone calls while waiting to be led away.
Bail information for McGee was not readily available Wednesday night.
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Who the hell votes for this shithead?
Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee left Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Clare Fiorenza's courtroom in handcuffs Wednesday afternoon, under arrest on allegations of threatening a woman in court.
Moments after Fiorenza told McGee she was throwing out the restraining order he had obtained against Kimley Rucker, who claims she is pregnant by the alderman, he turned around at his table and appeared to speak to Rucker.
Nothing McGee said was audible from the courtroom gallery.
However, Rucker, who had obtained a restraining order against McGee that remains in place, said she clearly heard what he told her while Fiorenza looked for paperwork.
"He said, 'If you drive by my house, I'm going to kill your ass,' " Rucker said.
Shortly afterward, McGee was searched by a courtroom bailiff and marched off to jail. Although both Rucker and her attorney, Russell Jones, claim they heard McGee's threat, the alderman and his attorney, Tarena Washington-Franklin, both denied McGee had said anything while he was turned around facing Rucker.
"I didn't do nothing. I just turned around," McGee said.
The arrest brought an unusual end to a court proceeding that was already extraordinary for the amount of time spent dealing with a single restraining order. Both McGee and Rucker had filed for restraining orders against each other after a March 31 confrontation in which McGee claimed Rucker scratched his face and Rucker said McGee twisted her arm.
Each appealed the other's restraining order, though McGee's appeal of Rucker's order isn't due in court until August.
Rucker's successful appeal of McGee's order took three days of court hearings, in which McGee denied Rucker's claims of a longstanding romantic relationship. He said the two had sex once, in August, then claimed she had stalked him with unwanted phone calls as well as uninvited appearances at his home and at community meetings.
He also denied authoring what Rucker claimed were a sheaf of e-mails, some with explicit sexual content, from an e-mail address McGee has maintained for years. After denying under oath in an initial hearing that he had ever had the account, McGee said the address, mcgee4me@yahoo.com, is open to access by up to 10 of his current and former staffers.
Claims lacked credibility
Fiorenza said she found McGee's claims lacked credibility, especially after Rucker's roommate and landlord both testified they had seen McGee in and outside Rucker's apartment several times after he claimed to have broken off contact with Rucker in August. She said "common sense and the evidence" in the case indicated McGee and Rucker had carried on a lengthy affair, rather than the stalking McGee claimed.
After McGee was admonished by Fiorenza for turning toward Rucker, he voiced his displeasure about Fiorenza's ruling directly to the judge.
"You certainly did not help me," McGee said.
Once Rucker and Jones said what they heard McGee tell Rucker, the bailiff in the room said he would have to arrest McGee, who cooperated with arresting officers. McGee made several cell phone calls while waiting to be led away.
Bail information for McGee was not readily available Wednesday night.
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Who the hell votes for this shithead?