The Morgan Hill Times is currently running a story about my wife
and I titled
”
Hot Java owners arrested for not having workers’ comp.
”
Dear Editor,
The Morgan Hill Times is currently running a story about my wife and I titled “Hot Java owners arrested for not having workers’ comp.”
I would first like to state for the record I have a great deal of respect for the law. This complaint filed with the state was done by the insurance company that recently settled a workers compensation claim I had against them. They have known about Hot Java for about two years and waited until the case was settled to file a complaint. They are using the State of California and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office to carry out ongoing threats that have been made to get me no matter what. They have committed numerous felony criminal acts against me personally, that I attempted to report to the Santa Clara District Attorneys office in February 2009. The District Attorney’s office refused to accept recorded court documents I have that clearly show these felonies. They told me that they would only accept documents from an attorney. There have been clear violations of my wife Paula and my constitutional rights by the agencies involved in the investigation.
Testimony taken by investigators and recorded in the filed complaint as fact are not true and were never verified. I have written documentation that refutes this testimony. I do not wish to air all the issues here at this time but would encourage the State of California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, whom I left a voice mail, to contact me to get this resolved without the State of California and District Attorney’s office being used by an insurance company for revenge.
I will contact the District Attorney’s office to make the same offer to them to get this resolved. Due process has not been followed in this case. This has become a private vendetta against me. It has also been a brutal attack on my wife Paula who is disabled with Multiple Sclerosis to get back at me. This is not how our justice system is to be used.
Please note that our system is supposed to presume innocence until proven guilty. I do wonder why the bail was so exorbitant for a misdemeanor at $20,000 each for my wife and I for a total of $40,000. I wonder why such a high bail was required since my wife and I are both disabled and have two small children and strong ties to the community. I believe it was done to punish us in advance for a crime not proven which last time I checked was illegal. I want to thank all of you who have expressed your support and concern and would encourage everyone to be patient and allow me to get this resolved.
To clear up some rumors currently circulating:
Please note that the Morgan Hill Police Department had no part in this. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department and State of California Department of Insurance were the arresting agencies. My wife and I voluntarily surrendered and paid the $40,000 bail at the San Martin Sheriff’s substation. We were never in police custody. The person who processed us at the substation was extremely polite, treated us with respect and was very professional. We have only been charged with a misdemeanor of not having workers’ compensation insurance on one person, if I understand the charges correctly.
William M. Quenneville Sr., Morgan Hill
Congratulations to reporter, and a job well done
Dear Editor,
I’m sorry to hear that the Times’ star education reporter Natalie Everett will be leaving Morgan Hill for a newspaper job in Southern California. Natalie did an exceptional job keeping Morgan Hill Times readers informed about our local school district.
Reporting on school news in any community is a tough job because of the politics and sometimes heated emotions that come with the territory. Very often, reporters get attacked unfairly by frustrated officials, teachers and citizens who need to “vent” their emotional anguish. Natalie demonstrated true grace under fire covering often controversial stories about the school district. She did her news reporting with admirable professionalism. She’s also a damn fine wordsmith who has real finesse for the writing craft. She made school news and features articles truly fun to read.
Natalie will be truly missed in Morgan Hill. I wish her and her boyfriend Joshua the best in their new adventures in Los Angeles.
Marty Cheek, Morgan Hill
