This week marks the capture of the last member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, or SLA, who had

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skipped out before she could stand trial in 1976.  Kathleen Soliah, who when arrested had changed her name to Sara Jane Olsen, was one of the women who played a role in not only kidnapping Patty Hearst, but who is also at least partly responsible for several murders and bank robberies.

After being showcased on America’s Most Wanted in 1999, several people who lived in the St. Paul, MN area called in tips that finally brought her out of hiding and back into the spotlight to stand trial.  After having gone from hostage to SLA member, Patty Hearst drove the getaway car during a bank robbery in California where one woman was killed during the heist.  She was the one who said Soliah was in the bank when the bank customer was killed.  A few months later, a bomb was placed under a police car but never detonated.  It didn’t take long to figure out the SLA was behind it as well.  During this time, Soliah patiently waited for the right time to make her escape.  Before she ever stood trial, she’d dropped off the radar.  When she was arrested in MN, she was the epitome of an American soccer mom and doctor’s wife.  She led several local charities and was a community advocate for many projects within the St. Paul area.  With her pleasant domesticated life and the fact she is an excellent mother and wife, it was difficult to reconcile this woman with the one in the 1970s who played such a big role in so much destruction and tragedy.

After she was brought back to California, her lawyer managed to work out an agreement with the district attorney that meant her only having to serve five years in prison.  The Board of Prison Terms decided it wasn’t an acceptable sentence and promptly upped it to fourteen years.  Naturally, a judge overturned it later and said the board abused its discretion.  But this first sentencing had nothing to do with the deal her lawyers would have to negotiate for her role in the bank robbery.  She ended up with an additional six years.  She’s still in prison, but should be set free within the next twelve months.

A California sex crimes prosecutor was charged on Friday with twelve counts of sexual crimes. This is one of the most disturbing cases of a sexual assault in recent memory. The fact the accused, Michael Gressett, is a twenty year veteran attorney also puts a different slant on this story. The woman who accused him is also a lawyer. The counts run the realm of sexual abuse and include four counts of forced sodomy, two counts of rape, false imprisonment as well as several other charges. Further, the prosecutors in this case worded their claims in ways that can’t be taken lightly, saying in part the victim was warned of repercussions “which would result in death and great bodily injury” if she reported the rape.

What’s not clear is the timeline, or rather, the extended timeline. This was said to have occurred in May, reported in September and charges filed last week. It’s not uncommon for rape victims to delay reporting the crime, and it’s even more common when the victim knows the accused. And too, at some point, the victim and the prosecutor were romantically involved. Naturally, this case was handed over to the California attorney general’s office due to obvious conflicts. The judge seems to be pretty confident as well, since he’s warned both parties to steer clear of one another. He set Gressett’s bond at one million dollars. Still, his attorney calls this a “creative fantasy” that this woman has “conjured up” and goes on to say the fact she returned to work and didn’t report the crime for several weeks serves as more proof of his client’s innocence. Apparently, there were text messages at some point but are now deleted from Gressett’s cell. There’s also been a search of the home where this assault was supposed to have happened. The findings of that search aren’t being released, but they have acknowledged finding items that would substantiate the victim’s story.

Michael Gressett

I think an ominous sign is his attorney’s reply when asked if Gressett used a handgun and an ice pick the day of the attack, he did deny it but then on to say that it wasn’t used in the way she said it was. I could be living a rather sheltered life, but I’m having a hard time understanding how handguns and ice picks play into a consensual sex act, as Gressett claims. You might also be interested in knowing he has a degree in Psychology, along with his law degree.

In the meantime, the trial is set for early next year and Michael Gressett is relieved of his duties via a paid leave of absence. If he’s convicted of all these charges, he could very well face life in prison. Since he’s responsible for prosecuting many of his potential cell mates, my guess is any jail time will be served in solitary. An interesting twist is during one of his unsuccessful runs for district attorney, he promised to crack down on violent crimes and vowed to allow public access to the district attorney’s files by placing all of the current trials online.

I’ve been awaiting the verdict in the O.J. Simpson trial just so I could post about it. And the day has come. I’m sure anyone would be hard pressed to find more than a small handful of people who believe O.J. did not commit murder in 1995. As we have all heard time and again over the years, he was acquitted of those charges in California. If he thought his life would be one of luxury and

OJ Simpson

overindulgence after the acquittal, he was only half right. He’s redefined overindulgence if for no other reason his extreme narcissism that allows him to believe he’s entitled to all the spoils of a retired successful NFL football player.

For some bizarre reason, he believed he could waltz into a Nevada hotel room and in a Wyatt Earp moment, with guns blazing and big apes on either side of him and demand a host of sports memorabilia be turned over to him. He insists it was stolen from him and he was only reclaiming it. Yeah, well….whatever. Now, much as I was looking forward to the verdict in his trial that concluded on Saturday, I’ve not kept up with the minute by minute goings-on during the trial. Seems as though I wasn’t the only one - not only do most people not even know the district attorney’s name, but we have no idea what shade of blue his or her suit was, nor did we care about the grooming habits, haircuts or love lives of any of the lawyers this go around. And honestly, when I think back to the murder trial in the mid-90s, I can truthfully say I never watched one minute of it, even if it was broadcast on every news network. Still, though, I anticipated the verdict that was announced twenty four hours ago. I doubt anyone, including O.J. Simpson, was surprised at being found guilty on all charges. In fact, I was watching the news when the jurors announced a verdict, which ironically came thirteen years to the day of the verdict in his double homicide case, CNN never even broke in with the familiar foreboding music announcing a breaking news announcement. It was only significant enough to scroll across the bottom of the screen in a red banner.

And here’s where my interest begins to peak. First of all, am I the only one anticipating his attorneys to appeal the verdict based on the jury thinking even if he wasn’t guilty of armed robbery, there’s something he’s bound to be guilty of and since he got away with murder, a guilty verdict would wash, somehow balance the scales? Or maybe they will appeal due to the inability to find a jury who’s lived in a vacuum the past decade and a half and has no idea O.J. Simpson was ever anything other than a football player? And what about the jurors? You know they’re waiting with baited breath for the accusations to start flying regarding their inability to separate the two trials. A jury consists of a panel of people who have careers, kids and bad haircuts; or maybe bosses who they have to make excuses for and spouses who have to make excuses for them - you know, everyday people with lives and joys and heartbreak. There’s a very good chance they will collectively be on the hot seat between the media clamoring for interviews and relatives, co-workers and friends demanding details of whether they ever made eye contact with O.J. or what they had for dinner during deliberations - things won’t be considered normal for them for awhile.

And then - the question on what they did convict him for lies dormant until that almost-certain appeal comes. And then it finally boils down to whether or not anyone cares what he was convicted for, only that this man is finally getting his just desserts. Not very American, is it? Maybe not - but it’s certainly human.