More Info On Spanky Pete's New Restrictions, Turns Out It Was In Response To An Attempt To Slap Paper On This Blogger!

Creative stock photo, soldiers assembling a jigsaw puzzle at FOB Gardez, blog post by John Hoff

This blog recently reported on a new court order restricting "Rule 9 frivolous litigant" Peter Rickmyer from filing more crap in court, click here. Having lost his right to file new lawsuits without an attorney signing off on the suits, Peter Rickmyer (a Level Three sex offender) attempted to file something in an old and closed case.

I attempted to search the case number on MNCIS but for some unknown reason it wasn't showing up. Turns out it's a case involving this blogger...

Hennepin County District Court Slaps New, Severe Order On Frivolous Litigant "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

Peter Richard Stephenson, a/k/a Peter Rickmyer, a Level Three Sex Offender who neighbors refer to as Creepy Pete, Spanky Pete, Pete The Pervert, Pete The Pedophile, and other names, has already been declared a frivolous litigant. That happened back in May of 2010, click here.

Despite being unable to file lawsuits without an attorney to sign off on the filings, Spanky Pete is more or less a fixture at the Hennepin County Government Building. With help from his attorney, Jill Clark, who may be just weeks from having a suspended law license, Rickmyer has managed to keep one of his lawsuits alive in court. That's the lawsuit which names this blogger but has not yet been served on this blogger, partly due to my being away in Afghanistan for most of a year.

Now, despite the fact there's ALREADY an order in place restricting Pete's filings, Assistant Judge Peter A. Cahill has seen fit to write ANOTHER order, making excruciatingly clear what the restrictions are on Pete the Pervert's filings, as follows...

Spanky Pete Meets Defeat, And This Blogger Has That "Headline Deja Vu" Feeling...

Contributed photo, taken when "Spanky Pete" was actually in the jail pictured, blog post by John Hoff

When an anonymous commenter left a link to Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer's latest court defeat, my first reaction was, "Wait a minute, didn't I recently write about two of his court defeats?"

I went back to check the old article,  Spanky Pete Meets Defeat (Level Three Sex Offender Peter Rickmyer Manages To Lose Two Court Cases In One Day, Guess Who Is His Loony Toons Lawyer?)

And I compared it with the case at the other end of the posted link, Peter Stephenson a/k/a Peter Rickmyer v. Tom Roy, in his official capacity as Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections. In this case, Rickmyer challenges the lower court's denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. This is basically a "let me out of jail or prison" petition.

(Why was Rickmyer in jail? For throwing bad paper in the general direction of this blogger)

As it turns out, this is a "Spanky Pete" case I have not yet reported upon, even though the ruling was on May 9.

My bad...

Level Three Sex Offender "Spanky Pete" Writes Whiny Letter To Sheriff's Department Complaining About This Blogger, Confidential Source Forwards Letter To...THIS BLOGGER, Ha ha ha!

Photo by a friend, blog post by John Hoff

Peter Rickyer, the Level Three Sex Offender who long ago crossed the line from Northside "gadfly" to perverted pain in the ass, recently sent a letter to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department. Rickmyer, who is unhealthily obsessed with a particular post on this blog featuring a picture of him, click here, wrote the following letter on May 16...

Spanky Pete Meets Defeat (Level Three Sex Offender Peter Rickmyer Manages To Lose Two Court Cases In One Day, Guess Who Is His Loony Toons Lawyer?)

Stock photo, skyway connected to Hennepin County Government Building, where you're very like run into Spanky Pete scuttling around like a crab, blog post by John Hoff

Peter Rickmyer, the Level Three Sex Offender whose frivolous lawsuits against the world at large ultimately resulted in his being declared a "frivolous litigant," unable to file lawsuits without a set of licensed lawyer training wheels being firmly attached to his bike of legal madness, got a double spanking recently along with his lawyer, Jill Clark. Two of Pete's lawsuits were brutally dismissed on April 5, and he can soon expect to be slapped with defendant Michael "Kip" Browne's hefty legal fees.

This "injurious lawsuit boomerang" result is eerily similar to what happened with Clark's clients in the "true JACC" case, and in the Bicking case, and in the Veches case, and the Gathje case.

Though not a resident of North Minneapolis, in the last several years Clark has managed to get her fat fingers in the pie of almost every prominent issue in our neighborhood, always to the detriment of the issue itself as Clark transforms dry legal proceedings into a stage for her own flaky vision of justice and wild accusations of conspiracies, the actual plaintiffs themselves be damned.

No surprise, therefore, that Clark hitched herself to Spanky Pete's raggedy-ass bandwagon when the law said Pete couldn't keep suing people without a licensed lawyer.

"Wait," Clark must have thought to herself. "I'm a licensed attorney! Well, for the time being, anyway!"

So let's examine precisely what happened with Pete's lawsuits, copies of which I received today by email. We'll start with the oldest lawsuit first...


In 27-CV-10-3378, Spanky Pete sued Robert Hodson, this blogger, this blog, attorney David Schooler, the Jordan Area Community Council, (JACC) Joel Pucely, Mike Martin, (the commander of the Fourth Precinct, some set of balls on this pervert Spanky Pete!) Scott Olson, John G. Hubbard II (known as PJ Hubbard) Ann McCandless, Michael "Kip" Browne, Briggs and Morgan, (David Schooler's law firm) Brandon Bartholemew, Jeffrey B. Newman, John Haddy, John Does 1-25 and Jane Does 1-20, (begin joke font) The So-Called Lord God Almighty, The Known And Perceivable Universe, My (expletive deleted) Parents, That Guy On The Bus Who Always Looks At Me Like I Might Whack Off In The Seat, My Little Dog "Foofy" Who Ran Away OR DID I ACTUALLY CUT OFF HIS DOGGY JUNK AND HE (expletive deleted) BLED OUT, and Evil Pete Who Lives In My Pants. (End joke font)

This is the case where Peter Rickmyer tried to have me served with his legal paper while I was in city council chambers at the Police Chief Dolan confirmation hearing and I miraculously escaped, then opportunistically left the state on a long truck driving trip. Spanky never did manage to serve me in that lawsuit.

That case was not only dismissed, but Rickmyer was declared a frivolous litigant, the litigation equivalent of a vasectomy. Notwithstanding the fact this case was dead, and Rickmyer failed to appeal in a timely fashion, Jill Clark (on behalf of Rickmyer) tried to get the district court to (basically) overturn itself and "vacate" the order. In this most recent ruling, the court said, in so many words, "We're not going to do that."

The court also spent some time addressing the fact that any correspondence this blogger may have sent, inter alia, to the court denying service had taken place did not (by any wild eyed stretch of attorney Jill Clark's feverish imagination) constitute a fraud on the court.

A somewhat humorous note here: I remember being out on the road, in a hotel room, and lacking a mailing envelope, lacking stamps...unable to procure these things and yet feeling the pressing need to inform the court...which kept, like, MAILING me stuff as though I were part of the loony proceedings...that I hadn't been served. I did have a stamped postcard handy. And so, (with an apology being the first line from my pen) I sent the Honorable Court an Honorable Postcard. The court record soberly records the postcard missive as "correspondence."

To Jill Clark I say: fine, the next time you or one of your sex offender clients want a postcard from beautiful, exotic locales so badly I'll send ya'll a postcard, but only if you SOLEMNLY PROMISE not to have a raving lunatic fit about it.

Of course, the fact Clark and Pete lost on the motion to vacate hardly matters. Their motion is simply a flimsy little foundation for an inevitable appeal. As one lawyer I spoke to explained, a motion to vacate the judgment was the ONLY POSSIBLE MOVE on this case.

This legal result was hardly a surprise. This case was so dead and buried it had dirt in its empty eye sockets. The second Spanky Pete case is much more interesting because, well, live things are so much more interesting than dead things.

(Spanky Pete voice: "But dead things are so much easier to control!"

In the second lawsuit, 27-CV-11-11012, State Ex Rel Peter Stephenson a/k/a Peter Rickmyer, once again Spanky Pete tries to sue the world at large. The lawsuit is against "Joan Fabian in her capacity as Commissioner of Corrections, and her successor, Tom Roy, in his official capacity." Also named are Will McDonald, (formerly the Department of Corrections "zoo keeper" for sex offender Spanky Pete) this blogger, Megan Goodmundson, Michael "Kip" Browne, and John Does 1-3.

It's a tough economy. Jill has had to cut back on John Does, and give up the Jane Does entirely.

In this case, Michael "Kip" Browne, an active citizen in North Minneapolis who was involved in taking back the Jordan Area Community Council from rampant mismanagement, resulting in the drawn out "true JACC" litigation (Jill Clark again!) led the charge against Spanky Pete. The other defendants pretty much drafted off Kip's legal moves. But once again, this blogger managed to avoid getting served because I just happened to get deployed to Afghanistan. Yes, sometimes my ability to avoid service amazes even me. From where did this hidden talent spring, I wonder?

Incredibly, though fully aware of the provisions of the Service Members Civil Relief Act, (SMCRA) Clark tried to bring a default motion against me, even though I've never been served in the first place and I was ALSO deployed to Afghanistan. This motion by Clark failed. And this most recent ruling upholds the court's Order Staying Further Proceedings Against Defendant John Hoff.

But, really, this is Defendant Kip Browne's special day, so let's concentrate on Browne, shall we? In this second lawsuit, Level Three Sex Offender Spanky Pete sued over having his "conditional release" briefly revoked and being sent back to prison for several weeks. Why was Rickmyer's "conditional release" revoked? Well, because after being declared a frivolous litigant, Pete still tried to serve legal papers on this blogger, a supposed "injunction" against this blog.

And yet somehow MICHAEL "KIP" BROWNE was supposed to be responsible for this? Part of some vast Northside conspiracy to make miserable the life of one poor little sex offender?

So Browne was left holding the legal bag while I lived the high life in a mud-straw-and-goat dung "qalat" in Afghanistan. I should feel bad Browne had to fight my battle but I wouldn't wish Afghanistan on a vicious, feral dog.

Through his attorney, David Schooler (who was a defendant in the PREVIOUS case, go figure!) Browne asked for a dismissal on the basis of Rickmyer's claim being barred by Heck v. Humphrey. That case can be summarized as follows: you can't file a "1983" civil rights case for false imprisonment when neither the terms of your release (from prison) nor the revocation of your release has been legally invalidated. Jill Clark attempted to argue that Heck v. Humphrey didn't apply...those arguments didn't work. Rickmyer couldn't even find a way to prove Browne acted under "color of law," which is absolutely necessary for a 1983 action.

(Spanky Pete voice font)

"But his name is BROWNE! That's a color!"

(End Spanky Pete voice font)

As the Honorable Court puts it so well, "Throughout the complaint Rickmyer argues, in conclusory fashion, a conspiracy among Browne and public actors to deprive Rickmyer of his constitutional rights." Here, "conclusory fashion" should be translated as "without anything to back it up."

At another point the court says, "Paragraph 22 is the very essence of a conclusory allegation because it contains no specific facts and rests entirely on speculation." This sentence can be translated as, "Look in a legal dictionary under the phrase 'conclusory allegation' and you will see a picture of Jill Clark."

And, in a sentence that Clark would do well to have tattooed on her forehead, "Contacting a public official to express concerns and invoke the authority of the public official does not give rise to a conspiracy..." And, in a footnote that would make another very nice tattoo in the middle of Clark's back, "Plaintiff's subjective belief that there was a conspiracy does not mean that there was a conspiracy."

Finally, Browne wins his attorney fees under the anti-SLAPP statute. So how much did Browne win? Though the exact amount is being determined, I strongly suspect that if you put the entire amount in single dollar bills, it would fill a small rowboat. In other words...

A boatload of money.

Finally, Rickmyer's attempts to sue me while I was serving in Afghanistan are handled by the court in a dismissive tone. It reads kind of like "the law protects soldiers serving overseas (stomp stomp) and Hoff is a soldier serving overseas (stomp stomp) therefore Hoff is covered by the law."

The last sentence of that section reads, "Further elaboration is unnecessary." Translation: Clark, how exactly did you graduate from law school?"

I must confess, however, it is thrilling to see my service in Afghanistan memorialized in a court order.

As always, an appeal is expected.

I pity the poor wasted trees.

Johnny Northside Location Update For "Spanky" Pete Rickmyer Includes Deep Fried Cheesecake...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff


As previously promised, I am giving regular clues about my location so Level Three Sex Offender Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer has a shot at serving me with his pseudo-legal paperwork while I'm taking stateside R&R from my deployment in Afghanistan.

I just have a little time before my son and I catch a shuttle bus to one of the local amusement parks here in Orlando, but hopefully later there will be a "clue festival" which will include what I'm wearing, what I'm eating, what I'm driving, etc.

Pictured above...



...is deep fried cheesecake, a southern gastronomic delight.

Turns out the trick to deep frying unusual food--whatever it may be, Snickers bars or whatever--is to first wrap it in doughy won ton wrappers. This keeps the food together in the fryer.

My hotel is only a short distance from a restaurant that serves up deep fried cheesecake. We'll be staying here tonight so Spanky Pete process servers? Come and bang on my door!

Johnny Northside Location Update For "Spanky" Pete Rickmyer Includes Retirement Home Of Confederate President Jefferson Davis...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

As I promised, during my R&R leave from Afghanistan I'm providing clues about my current location so Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer can have a fair and square shot at serving me with his procedural poo-pile of pseudo-legal paperwork that he has been trying to slap upon me, lo, these many months.

Pictured above, over my son's right shoulder is...

..."Beauvoir," the final home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. For much better pictures of Beauvoir and information about historical tours, click here.

The house is located in Biloxi, Mississippi. Right at this moment I am only a short distance from Beauvoir in a cheap motel room. It is quite possibly the cheapest hotel on the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast and I received a military discount on top of that.

I told my son that if the police kick in the door on a drug raid, to just do what they say.

Like I said, it's a REALLY cheap motel.

Interesting fact learned about Jefferson Davis: after the fall of the Confederacy, one of his daughters ("Winnie") fell in love with a Yankee and wanted to marry him.

Jefferson Davis reluctantly agreed to the marriage but Winnie's mother still disapproved. Before the marriage could take place, word leaked of the wedding plans and the entire Deep South was SCANDALIZED. So much anger was directed at Winnie's father, Jefferson Davis, that Winnie broke off the engagement to save her father's reputation.

Some time after that, Winnie decided to take a long overseas vacation.

Somewhere in Egypt, she died of a fever.

And a broken heart.

Update On The Johnny Northside "To Tell The Truth" Lawsuit...

Photo and blog post by John Hoff

Pictured above, an Afghan flag that I mailed to my lawyer, Paul Godfread, as a thank you gift for all the great work he has been doing in the infamous Moore v. Hoff lawsuit.

As most regular readers know, this blogger said disgraced former JACC executive director Jerry Moore was involved in a fraudulent mortgage at 1564 Hillside Ave. N. (because Jerry Moore was, and that makes him a low down, dirty, no-good, neighborhood-wrecking scum snake) and Moore (incredibly) sued for defamation.

The jury ruled this blogger did not defame Moore, but then the case took a strange bounce because of "tortious telling of the truth" and (as some legal experts have pointed out) a flawed jury instruction form.

Currently, we are still patiently waiting for a response to our "Motion For Judgment As A Matter of Law," supported by an amicus curie brief filed by the Minnesota Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists. (And have I thanked them lately? Here's another public thanks)

In the interim, while awaiting word on the Moore lawsuit, I have been to the other side of the world as part of...

...a military deployment to Afghanistan. However, at this moment I am taking R&R leave so I can spend some time with my son before school starts. Yes, it's pretty early for R&R, but only so many soldiers can leave the Forward Operating Base at one time, so I volunteered to go in mid-August to early September.

As for the flag, it was mailed yesterday from a post office in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Oh--! Heads up, Spanky Pete process servers, it's a Johnny Northside location clue!

And at this very moment, I am at an airport, eating a Rueben sandwich. Last night, in an effort to save money on hotel expen--UM, I MEAN AVOID SCARY PROCESS SERVERS!!!--I slept in my car in a parking lot on the ocean front.

Further location clues will constantly follow, so Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer will have a fair and square chance to serve me with his intellectual dung heap of pseudo-legal gibberish.

The Game Is On! Serve Me If You Can, Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer...

Mugshot, available even on the other side of the frigging PLANET, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff


I am just about to depart Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, on my way home from Afghanistan for R&R. I am posting this information fair and square so Level Three Sex Offender Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer and his attorney Jill Clark have a shot at...


...serving me with Rule 9 frivolous litigant Rickmyer's bat s*** crazy psuedo legal paperwork, which also names the current and former head of the Minnesota State Department of Corrections. As I take my stateside R&R, I will be posting truthful, tantilizing clues about my location on a fairly regular basis for the entertainment of my readers, who are undoubtedly entertained by this sort of thing. Indeed, Rickmyer's constant failed attempts to legally serve me have become quite the mythic saga.

Oops, did I say "mythic saga?"

Regular readers know what THAT means!

Click here for the song O! Fortuna!

Motion To Dismiss In Latest "Spanky Pete" Lawsuit...

"Wacky court case" stock photo and blog post by John Hoff


Level Three sex offender and "Rule 9" frivolous litigant Peter "Spanky Pete" Stephenson, who uses the alias "Peter Rickmyer," just can't be deterred from filing gibberish-filled quasi-lawsuit documents with the court system. The backstory on Pete is long, and many of our regular readers know it, but some might not.

So here is the "creepy lubed up thumb nail" version of "The Tale Of Peter" up to this point in time...


Peter R. Stephenson spanks minors for sexual gratification, exposed himself to a child in a hotel room, and is generally creepy. Creepy enough that he was hospitalized or incarcerated (take your pick) for being such a creep-a-zoidal creepster, but Peter got himself released and thrust back upon society. So where did Peter decide to live where he could accomplish this societal Peter thrusting? North Minneapolis, of course, dumping ground of deviants. (And we are INCREASINGLY PISSED about that!)

For many years, Stephenson contented himself by filing lawsuits pro se, in forma pauperis, against an assortment of decent folks. He sued some nice church ladies who didn't want him around the church children. He sued the Tupperware lady, alleging Tupperware he ordered didn't get properly delivered. People feared Stephenson and the hassle he could cause with his lawsuits, even though Stephenson's legal track record was abysmal and the lawsuits read like they were written by an insane person. But Peter could still tie you up in court, make you spend money.

Peter haunted the downtown government center building, learning as much legal stuff as his cracked brain would allow, kind of like that guy in Cape Fear only Peter wasn't as smart as De Niro's character, nor as good-looking. When Peter haunted the high-profile Larry Maxwell trial(for reasons that still aren't entirely clear, though some neighbors speculated Peter was reporting back to slumlord Keith Reitman on each day's events) everything sort of hit the fan.

And, arguably, it hit the fan because it got BLOGGED ABOUT. Suddenly the events everybody in the neighborhood knew about--the way Peter would skulk around various public events where minors were commonly in attendance, his mentally cracked anal bead string of lawsuits against almost random individuals--these things were no longer confined to unrecorded, inaccessible conversations in North Minneapolis social circles.

Peter, and the chilling concerns he presented to citizens in the neighborhood, were described in detail to the whole wired world.

All the shit had been building up for years, but now the shit was being poured into a giant fan, like the industrial sized fans used to (for example) move air around in the hallway of an army barracks.

The negative attention Pete got on the blogosphere seemed to push Pete to do even crazier things, kind of like Lindsey Lohan, only the opposite of hot.

Pete got removed from a courtroom during a trial over who was the "true leadership" of the Jordan Area Community Council. He was removed by Will McDonald who was, at that time, Peter's probation officer. ("Zookeeper" is a more accurate description, only feces-hurling apes are more lovable)

Some time later, Pete tried to file a gigantic "midnight manifesto" slash lawsuit against this blogger and an assortment of other folks for, (in general and to the degree the gibberish in the lawsuit can be understood by sane people) being big meanies and saying critical things about a Level Three Sex Offender who likes to thrust himself into neighborhood politics where he is not wanted, not welcome, and makes a shocking spectacle of himself kind of like somebody who masturbates on a public bus.

There was an attempt to serve the lawsuit on this blogger in City Council Chambers which was not successful, but certainly became notorious. This blogger was never served. The lawsuit went forward. It went forward in the sense that a motion was made by one of the defendants to declare Spanky Pete a frivolous litigant and that motion was successful. From that day forward, Spanky Pete couldn't file a lawsuit without a licensed lawyer signing off on it, and the Chief Judge approving it.

Around this time, City Pages did a front page story on Peter Rickmyer.

After the Judge issued his "frivolous litigant under Rule 9" order, spunky Spanky Pete tried to file something anyway, a purported "injunction" document to keep this blogger from publishing stuff about Rickmyer. Once again, given the insane and rambling nature of the writings Pete files with the court system, it is difficult to say what any particular document is "about." But, in general, Peter was complaining about stuff being published about him, and in particular one photograph he was bitching about.

(Pardon the rough language of this blog post, gentle readers, I am constantly around individuals who cuss a lot here in Afghanistan)

When Peter filed that document with the court, this was a violation of the order of the judge which told Peter NOT to file his crazy crap with the local judicial system. I'm paraphrasing. I don't think the order contained the word "crazy" or "crap." But that was the gist of it. Of course, being a Level Three sex offender, Peter is supposed to be closely monitored. For doing what he did and violating the order of the judge, Peter went back to prison for a short while, at Lino Lakes. And we were all SO HAPPY to have him gone. Neighbors could walk the sidewalk in front of his house and not worry that the local pervert would come flying out like a rabid bat in heat.

Peter wasn't out of prison long, however, before he had another lawsuit going. And, incredibly, he got a lawyer to sign off on it. That lawyer was none other than Jill Clark.

Once again, this blogger is named in the lawsuit but has not been served. As a soldier stationed overseas, I am protected from being roped into a civil lawsuit, even if such a lawsuit had a lick of merit and wasn't filed by a freak who should be a freak on a leash, but isn't.

Yes, indeed, Pete's attempts to serve me have been epic and legendary. He once thrust papers into the hands of my lawyer, but my lawyer was representing me on a DIFFERENT matter and NOT on the Spanky Pete fiasco, so Pete didn't manage to serve me even though he came within, like, two feet of me with PAPERS.

Sheeeesh! Such a close call! Kind of like when that 50 cal popped off. Well...never mind. That's a different story for a different day.

Living in Afghanistan, I am safe and sound, utterly beyond Pete's ability to rope me into a lawsuit FOR NOW.

But who knows, I might be in the States on leave some time in the near future.

And I might drop tantilizing little clues about my location, to give Pete a fair chance to have somebody thrust the lawsuit paperwork into my hand. I have plenty of hand sanitizer in army green bottles, to use after I handle any document that has ALSO been handled by Peter.

But other defendants aren't so bulletproof when it comes to getting served, and they have to face Pete in court and expend their financial resources. The lawsuit names Joan Fabian, the Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections, and Probation Officer Will McDonald.

Why Pete wants to take on these powerful entities who will crush him like a cocky cockroach is a mystery to me, but we all know Pete is cracked in the noggin.

So--! Well--!

One of the defendants is Michael "Kip" Browne, the guy who pulled the Jordan Area Community Council back together after years of mismanagement. Recently, Browne's attorney made a motion to dismiss under "Rule 12.03 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, Minn. Stat. 554.02 and the doctrine of res judicata."

Wow. Sounds like a real lawyer wrote that. The motion also requests reasonable attorney fees and costs for the defendant, Browne.

To which I say: Good luck with that, Browne. You know only the person who has been ISSUED the EBT card is allowed to USE the EBT card.

I'm just sayin'.

The motion is apparently scheduled to be heard in...

November.

It is said the wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.

To this famous and venerable quote I add: Don't stand near those wheels with your Peter exposed.

Spanky Pete's Latest Loony Legal Action--Habeas My Rotten Corpus!

Stock photo and blog post by John Hoff

I may as well address rumors that Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer, the Level Three sex offender who went to prison about a month ago for trying to file dubious legal paper against this blog after being declared a frivolous litigant, has filed a new legal action against this blog. How many does that make? Honestly, I've lost count...

But, first of all, his latest legal nonsense is not a lawsuit. It's actually a habeas corpus action, legal Latin for "let go the body." This kind of action is filed by somebody who believes they have no valid legal reason to be incarcerated by the authorities. I say again, INCARCERATED BY THE AUTHORITIES.

At this point you might be asking yourself, hey, wait a minute...why would a private citizen like John Hoff the blogger be named in a habeas corpus action? Sounds like this kind of action can only be filed against a government entity.

How right you are. Spanky Pete has named a number of public officials in his action, including corrections authorities. Keep in mind, however, that because Spanky Pete is a "Rule 9 frivolous litigant," he isn't allowed to file lawsuits without 1.) the signature of a licensed attorney, 2.) the permission of the presiding judge.

So far, I have no indication of anybody actually being served with this paperwork and, furthermore, I haven't heard anything about Pete getting permission to file it. One might wonder why he's filing it at all, since he's expected to be released on or about June 6. Heck, by the time any legal issues got sorted out, Pete would be a free man. Or would he?

Many of us are hoping, praying, crossing our fingers that Pete would be re-assessed, re-evaluated, re-incarcerated and just stay locked up. Is the habeas corpus action some indication this might happen, and Peter feels like he needs to start fighting his way out of jail? Who knows.

(Parody font)

But let me just address the naming of a blogger in a habeas corpus action or, as one might phrase it, "bloggus habeas corpus."
(Blogger! Let go my body!)

I want to address the authorities directly: Look, it was a lot of fun when the white prison van pulled up at my house, and you wild-n-crazy Corrections Department folks said, "John, we'd like you to have the honor of driving Spanky Pete to prison." I especially enjoyed the part where we stopped at that, um, nightclub establishment for drinks and music and left Pete in the van. The doggie dish full of bottled water? Nice touch.

But here's the deal: scratch my cop-loving exterior and the bleeding heart liberal beneath is soon revealed. Nobody, not even Spanky Pete, should be subjected to repeated body cavity searches by female Law Enforcement Explorer Scouts, and, furthermore, not even a terrorist should be forced to pee and defecate upon himself while being transported.

Yes, I'll admit I was laughing pretty hard when one of the Explorer Scouts was imitating Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs, "Yes, Precious, he WILL get the hose."

But that stream of ice cold water was coming out WAY TOO HARD. I could see the red marks on Spanky Pete's hide.

(End of parody font)

So, for the record, I say the man has had enough and the authorities should LET HIM GO...

Inside a very large fenced area.

Where he will be made to build his own cabin and raise his own chickens.

I hope this makes my position clear on the incarceration of Spanky Pete, and whether to habeas his corpus.

"Show Cause Hearing" Canceled For Level Three Sex Offender Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer...

Grilled sheep testicles, photos and blog post by John Hoff

Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer, currently cooling his gonads in the Lino Lakes correctional facility for attempting to slap his frivolous pseudo-legal paper on this blog despite his status as a Rule 9 frivolous litigant, now has a proposed release date: June 6, 2011.

In the meantime, the "show cause hearing" before the Honorable Judge Swenson has been canceled. It appears Peter Rickmyer will not be required to "show cause" why he should NOT be held in contempt of court.

So Rickmyer is in the somewhat legally ironic position of...

...having his probation temporarily revoked over something he should not have done (filing frivolous legal paper) but he doesn't face the prospect of being held in contempt of court for that same action.

Apparently, the fact Peter Rickmyer is sitting in prison until early June is good enough for the Honorable Judge Swenson, and there's no need to waste more judicial resources on the matter. Bottom line: Peter rots in prison but has virtually nothing he can effectively appeal because everything that happened to him was parole-related.

If Peter wasn't such a creepy wankster who sexually gratifies himself by spanking minors, you could almost feel sorry for him.

Peter Rickmyer "Show Cause" Contempt Of Court Hearing Canceled...

Contributed photo, and TONIGHT WE DRINK, blog post by John Hoff


Level Three Sex Offender Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer, currently incarcerated at Lino Lakes, was expected to have a court hearing today in front of the Honorable Judge Swenson, to "show cause" why he should not be held in contempt of for attempting to spankily slap an injunction-like document on this blog. Rickmyer has been declared a frivolous litigant, unable to file lawsuits without a real attorney AND the approval of a judge. This doesn't actually STOP Rickmyer, no more than being incarcerated for sex offenses stopped Rickmyer from committing more sex offenses, i.e. the "Golden Chicken Spanky Wanky Incident."

The hearing was scheduled for today but was canceled. It has not been rescheduled.

I am unable to determine the reason why. When I know more, I will publish it.


(Do Not Click "Read More")

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Spanky Pete's Handwritten Missive To Judge Blaeser--Smoking Gun Proof Why He Went To Prison: FOR THROWING PAPER AT THIS BLOG!!!!

Contributed image, thanks for the vodka, blog post by John Hoff



Ever since Level Three Sex Offender Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer went to jail on or about March 10, and faced revocation of his parole, which ultimately did happen and he went to Lino Lakes...I suspected the reason for his incarceration involved an attempt to slap paper on this blog: some kind of bat-guano-crazy request for an "injunction" to keep this blogger from publishing photographs of his creepy face.

Peter Rickmyer--whose real name is Peter Richard Stephenson, and heaven only knows why the Department of Corrections (DOC) allows Spanky Pete to get away with using an alias--isn't ALLOWED to pursue lawsuits (or injunctions, attempts to obtain writs of mandamus, or other lawsuit-like actions) because he's been declared a frivolous litigant under Rule 9. This is, so I've gathered, an extraordinarily rare legal event. Your odds of meeting a "Rule 9 frivolous litigant" are about as great as your odds of meeting an albino snapping turtle.

Recently, I was unable to confirm the reason for Spanky Pete's incarceration when I was provided a document from his court file, visible above (click to make larger) in which Rickmyer alludes to...

...his attempt to obtain an injunction, which Rickmyer says was done "in the spirit" of Judge Blaeser's Rule 9 order.

Judge Swenson will apparently decide whether Peter was "in the spirit" during the Order To Show Cause hearing on April 11, at 9 a.m. Rickmyer is represented by attorney Jill Clark.

Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Contempt Of Court Hearing RESCHEDULED, More Specifics Of His Probation Violation Confirmed...

Contributed photo, albeit taken with MY camera, blog post by John Hoff

It's already been published in a comment stream on a previous blog post, but in case anybody missed it: Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer's "order to show cause" for contempt of court has been scheduled for April 11, 2011, at 9 AM before the Honorable James T. Swenson.

Apparently, taxpayers will be required to transport Rickmyer from prison at Lino Lakes so he can attend the hearing. Despite the fact Rickmyer was sent to prison for violating his Rule 9 frivolous litigant status, and pushing his atrocious and confusing "injunction" paperwork in the direction of this blog, Rickmyer must still...

...face a judge for "contempt of court" for doing essentially the same thing that got his probation revoked.

Confusing? Yes.

A case of "double jeopardy?" No.

Separate charges can arise from precisely the same action. For example, you might be drunk in public AND commit disorderly conduct. You might be guilty of TWO THINGS for doing ONE THING. In this case, it appears Rickmyer violated his probation AND probably committed contempt of court. But as for the contempt of court...we shall see.

In regard to the photo above: if you think that photo looks eerily familiar, you are right.

Compare and contrast with the photo in this blog post, linked here.

Also, I can now positively confirm Rickmyer went to prison for violating his probation directly because of trying to slap paper on this blog, and then attempting to file an affidavit of service. I am in possession of a copy of a handwritten letter Rickmyer scribbled to the judge from jail, which confirms the specifics.

And let me tell you, getting a copy of that letter without once actually touching the court file (the better not to get served, my dear) was a bit of a gymnastic act, but I accomplished it.

How The Spanky Have Fallen! Peter Rickmyer Incarcerated At Lino Lakes!

Department of corrections mug shots, therefore in public domain, blog post by John Hoff


After Level Three sex offender Peter Rickmyer's probation was revoked for 90 days, (with credit for time served) North Minneapolis residents following the issue were wondering where ol' "Spanky Pete" would end up. Back at the Moose Lake facility for sex offenders? Some other facility?

Friends and neighbors, wonder no more! Rickmyer is at the Lino Lakes facility and has, well, not exactly a hot new look. Really more of a makeover fail. Looks like Pete was...

...growing a scraggly beard the whole time he was in jail. Ewwwww.

But back to Lino Lakes: this facility is the "primary treatment facility" for sex offenders in the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Click here for more info about Lino Lakes.

I, for one, am very excited (in a completely appropriate and legal way) to hear Peter is at a facility where he might get treatment. I certainly hope Peter will be sitting down and talking all about his dodgy pervert issues and recent history: the front page story on City Pages about his outrageous behavior, the incidents among residents in the neighborhood, some of which (but not all) have been reported to the authorities, and Peter's multiple failed attempts to complete legal service on Johnny Northside Dot Com despite being declared a "frivolous litigant" under Rule 9.

As for accusations from anonymous commenters who write as though they have legal training, (who could THAT be?) saying I am using "fighting words" against Rickmyer:

I think it's fair to say I only write about the man when there's something going on with him. When Peter behaves himself and/or no new "Peter issues" arise, I write stories about other stuff like, well, potholes. It is my perception that articles about Peter are widely read, especially by individuals who work at the county government building, and therefore there is a strong interest among members of my audience, which this blog exists to serve.

Oh, yes...more sensitive and delicate Peter issues for therapy: Let's not forget how his lawyer (Jill Clark) tried to help Peter, sort of, but he ended up going to prison, anyway. Peter must be feeling pretty rough about that. Pretty let down. Let's hope he has an opportunity to talk about those issues in therapy.

I think if Peter is NOT willing to talk about his issues, well, I really don't think he's ready to go back to society. My opinion. And I do have one, but when I have one I try to make sure I don't have my back turned to Peter.

During Peter's sudden incarceration, I know neighbors are keeping eagle eyes on his property, making sure not the slightest thing is going wrong at his house.

If ANYTHING happens, ANYTHING AT ALL, we will be sure to call 311 or, if appropriate, 911.

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Letter From Judge Blaeser To Attorney Jill Clark, Alludes To Some Kind Of Legal Hot Water...

Thanks, NoMi neighbor, for help scanning image, blog post by John Hoff


Today this blog received a copy of a letter from Judge Robert Blaeser that was mailed to Jill Clark.

The letter, which can be seen better if you click on the image above, reads as follows...

March 23, 2011

Jill E. Clark, Esq.
2005 Aquila Avenue North
Golden Valley, MN 55427

RE: Rickmyer v. Hodson, et al
Court File No. 27CV10-3378

Dear Ms. Clark,

I received your notice of appearance and motion paperwork dated March 17 and March 22. I disagree that the order to show cause is a criminal contempt proceeding and that the Rules of Criminal Procedure apply. Because I prompted an investigation by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility into your conduct on another matter, I will recuse myself to avoid any appearance of impropriety. The case will be reassigned to Judge Swenson to hear the order to show cause when his schedule allows. Also, if there are any questions pertaining to the record in this case, the order and transcript from the hearing are available at your request.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Blaeser
District Court Judge

RAB/an

cc: District Court Adminstrator, Hon. James T. Swenson, James A. Moore, Esq., Kevin M. Decker, Esq., David A. James, Esq. John W. Hoff aka jns aka Johnnynorthside, The Adventures of Johnny Northside

...

This blog does not know what is the "other matter" or the "conduct on another matter." We do not know if this "other matter" was something recent, or some long ago matter.

It does, however, sound like legal hot water.

Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Violated Probation--Sentenced To 90 Days, Credit For Time Already Served--The Whole Spanky Tale!

Stock photo, Hennepin County Jail, blog post by John Hoff

On March 10, 2011, Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer was arrested and taken into custody. This followed telephonic complaints made to probation officials about Peter's behavior: attempting to serve purported legal paper in the courthouse, twice, on Johnny Northside blog (neither attempt accomplished actual service or court jurisdiction, however) and following a female North Minneapolis citizen around inside the county building, to the point she was able to photograph him with a cell phone.

So Rickmyer was arrested and a probation revocation hearing was set for today, March 24, because Peter is, after all, a Level Three sex offender and only out in our community because he's on probation. His sentence goes until, gee, 2016. Click here for his special little Department of Corrections page, and note the current status.

Simultaneously, while facing a probation revocation hearing, Rickmyer was required to appear before Judge Robert Blaeser on an "order to show cause" for contempt of court, specifically because Rickmyer had attempted to file an "affidavit of service" purporting to serve legal paper on this blogger. (Rickmyer couldn't actually serve this blogger, however, because he has been declared a frivolous litigant under Rule 9) Technically, the legal paper doesn't appear to be a lawsuit, per se, but a pathetically worded rambling request for an "injunction" saying this blogger has somehow photographed Rickmyer and this has interfered with Rickmyer's ability to "think."

After being in jail for a while, Rickmyer retained attorney Jill Clark...

As previously reported on this blog, Clark committed various and sundry crimes against the trees of earth by filing a great big wasteful wad of quasi-legal crapola, including assertions the civil contempt of court proceeding was somehow a criminal proceeding and asserting the judge was less than objective.

At today's hearing, the legal standard was mere "clear and convincing evidence," not "beyond a reasonable doubt." Hearsay, for example, was allowed.

Clark reportedly tried to turn the tables at the proceeding, putting forward a case for Peter Rickmyer being "harassed" because this blog has been (OMG!) writing about him.

So, for example, if Peter were to try to serve legal paper on this blog, and this blog were to report on the attempt to serve papers...that would somehow be HARASSMENT.

Of Peter.

In Clark's twisted world view, it is HARASSMENT of a Level Three sex offender to report on his frivolous lawsuits, his creepy hanging around at community meetings with minors present, his attempts to get around a judicial order by filing a civil rights complaint instead of a lawsuit.

Clark reportedly had printouts of pages from this blog, indexed with yellow sticky notes, and the pile was a full two inches thick. The hearing started at about 11 a.m. and went until around 3:45 p.m. Peter Rickmyer was not present in the room during the hearing.

In the end, none of Clark's efforts mattered. Peter was found in violation of his probation.

At about 4 p.m. I spoke on the record to Hana L. O'Neill, Corrections Unit Supervisor, Sex Offender Unit in her office on the 8th Floor of the Hennepin County Government Building. O'Neill was reluctant to say very much and was careful what she said, but it would be fair to say she was helpful, professional, and even friendly.

O'Neill stated Peter had been found in violation on ONE of the alleged violations.

"How many were there?" I asked.

"More than one," she answered, after a thoughtful pause.

Because of this violation, Peter would be "returned to his institution." O'Neill did not know precisely which institution this would be. An official at the jail said that tomorrow Peter would be sent on a bus to St. Cloud where a kind of "sorting" takes place. Prisoners either stay in St. Cloud or go to other institutions, depending on various factors including health needs. In the case of a Level Three sex offender, it was speculated such an individual would go to the Moose Lake Facility or Rush City.

O'Neill characterized Pete's violation as "technical," and said specifically it was not a violation that included stalking or harassment. (Such as the "following around" activity in the court building)

It is believed by this blog the "technical violation" is, in fact, Peter attempting to file an affidavit of service after being declared a frivolous litigant.

Notably, Peter might still have to deal with a contempt of court hearing over that very issue, but for purposes of probation violation, it may be the matter has already been decided.

And so, for a couple happy months, North Minneapolis will get a reprieve from ONE sex offender. The neighborhood is still full of sex offenders.

In an offhand remark, O'Neill said the Department of Community Corrections "doesn't like being in the middle of this." To which this blogger replied, "My neighborhood doesn't like being in the middle of this." Gesturing to a map on the wall full of pins representing the locations of sex offenders, I pointed out L3SOs are being "dumped" in North Minneapolis, and citizens of North Minneapolis are becoming increasingly unhappy and vocal.

Peter "Spanky Pete" is the tip of the deviant iceberg. North Minneapolis has borne this burden for too long. We want a reprieve. We DEMAND a reprieve.

We want the army of sex offenders out, out, OUT.

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Violated His Probation--DOWN HE GOES FOR 90 DAYS!!!!

Peter Rickmyer was found in violation of his probation. He will be "returned to institution" (prison, apparently) for 90 days, credit for time already served. More details to follow soon...

(Do Not Click "Read More")

Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Probation Revocation Hearing Is RIGHT NOW!

Cheese curds, Campus Pizza, Stadium Village, blog post by John Hoff

A great place to hide from process servers!

It's 11:24 a.m. as I type this. Twenty four minutes ago, the probation revocation hearing for Peter Richard Stephenson (a/k/a Peter Rickmyer, a/k/a Spanky Pete, Creepy Pete, Pervert Pete, and Pete the Pedophile) was scheduled to begin.

Attorney Jill Clark is representing Peter. The exact procedure of the hearing has been described to me by a local attorney, and it is believed it will go something like this...


Pete will sit quietly for a moment, glaring. He will seem to calm down. Then suddenly, without warning...

Kidding. I'm kidding.

There are two phases of the hearing. In the first phase, the allegations against Peter will be either admitted (yes, I tried to slap legal paper on Johnny Northside and then attempted to file an affidavit of service, even though I've been declared a frivolous litigant) or denied. (What affidavit of service? YOUR HONOR, that's a spurious forgery that I didn't even write!)

If allegations are admitted, the pedophile probationer either hopes for mercy or would assert the actions in question don't amount to something probation should be revoked over. If the allegations are denied, well, every little thing will have to be proven. Those who have observed attorney Clark expect her to fight for every inch of ground and attempt to extract a pound of flesh, though the effort ultimately be futile.

It is unknown whether there will be an actual decision today, or whether the judge will take the matter under consideration. We're also not sure who the judge will be. There's some speculation it will be the original judge who sentenced Peter to prison. But we just don't know and, unfortunately, this blog has been repeatedly told the hearing is NOT PUBLIC. It will reportedly take place in the jail building.

There are civil rights issues this blog will beef about, like my right to take a photo in a public street or public place. However, the openness of this particular hearing is not one of those issues. If it's a starry chamber inside that hearing, with the judge wearing a ski mask, I will likely say, "Sometimes it gets cold inside. Oh, I like what you've done with the ceiling."

When I have word about the fate of Spanky Pete, I will slap it up on this blog as fast as possible, I promise.