Content referencing City of Milwaukee - Page 4
Kaye to Pay in Tossed RICO Suit — Updated!
“Only a Fool has Himself for a Lawyer” –proverb On September 13th, 2005, Atty. Joe Kaye filed a lawsuit on his own behalf (“pro se”) in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin alleging a violation of federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) by a number of entities, including the City of Milwaukee, Ald. Michael D’Amato, Julilly Kohler, Lincoln Fowler and others, claiming they conspired to wrongfully deny him the opportunity to buy and develop city-owned real estate. The riverfront property at 1142-58 E. Kane Place was eventually sold to Kohler, who had been vice-chair of the City of Milwaukee Plan Commission. On July 11th, 2006, U. S. District Judge J. P. Stadtmueller dismissed the case, finding it to be frivolous, and ordered sanctions against Kaye, including that he “reimburse the defendants for their reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees.” Kaye made many allegations in his complaints, including behind-the-scenes machinations between Kohler and fellow commissioner Fowler; that Ald. D’Amato collaborated with officers of the East Village Association [EVA] to create a historical preservation district that would exempt Kohler’s proposed development; that D’Amato, Kohler and others engaged in a fraudulent scheme to manipulate the EVA election; that a wire fraud scheme existed; that D’Amato stole a yard sign from a neighbor; and that D’Amato’s actions constituted theft and extortion. The allegations were contained in a rambling 19 page complaint riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, reminiscent of “Riddley Walker,”a post-apocalyptic cult novel of which Kaye is apparently fond. His business address on court documents is listed as “Grooling and Smarling, 7355 N. Green Bay Av., Glendale.” “Grooling and Smarling” are neologisms introduced in the novel, which is either gibberish or inspired, depending upon the reader. [Editor’s note: It is gibberish.] The city attorney’s motion in November, asking to dismiss the suit, called Kaye’s case “a rambling, disjointed and unsupported complaint that fails to state a claim. “[Kaye’s claims are] fatally deficient in every material respect … [and are] linguistically and logically incoherent.” In other words, the sort of case one might find from a jailhouse lawyer, but not from a licensed attorney. In the court’s ruling yesterday, Stadtmueller said, “While we treat pro se litigants gently, a pro se attorney is not entitled to special treatment,” the veteran jurist ruled. “Although the court liberally construes allegations in a pro se litigant’s complaint … the court does not apply this principle of construction to Kaye’s complaint because Kaye is an attorney.” He added, “Kaye does not specify the many victims, the time frame involved, the five separate schemes or the distinct injuries. Kaye does not cite to any allegations within his complaint or to any exhibits. “Kaye’s RICO claims must be dismissed for another reason: Kaye has not properly pleaded the existence of an enterprise. … Each of the RICO claims, therefore, fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. “Kaye should have known that his RICO claims had no legal basis,” he added. The amount […]
Jul 12th, 2006 by Michael Horne
“Legacy, Schmegacy”
John O. Norquist, in his final days as mayor, talked about the things that mattered to him. (His legacy wasn’t one of them.) Also: the man who could have beat him in 1992 – and, about that new job in Chicago
Jan 5th, 2004 by Michael Horne
Why Gov. McCallum’s Spending Priorities Were Wrong
As the legislature wrestles with the state budget deficit, there has been talk of cutting every level of government except the schools.
Mar 14th, 2002 by Bruce Murphy
How Mayor Norquist’s Salary Cut Lowers Property Taxes
John Norquist styles himself as a budget cutter, but few are aware of how personally he has taken that mission.
Oct 19th, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
Why Businesses Are Attacking The State’s Freeway Plan
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's latest freeway project could "virtually suffocate downtown Milwaukee," a letter from the Downtown Business Improvement District complains.
Sep 12th, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
Figueroa Accused Another Man of Sex Harassment
For months I've been hearing rumblings that Marilyn Figueroa had accused another man of sexual harassment.
Aug 13th, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
Why Are Homeowners Subsidizing Cable TV?
Republican and Democrats can't agree on much, as they squabble over the state budget, but both parties seem to think that AOL Time Warner needs a tax break.
Jul 16th, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
Gary George’s Plot to Kill the Comptroller
State budget deliberations are a time for mischief making, and state Sen. Gary George (D-Milwaukee) has always had a reputation for quietly slipping pet proposals into this biennial document.
Jun 21st, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
State Secrets: What’s In the File on Figueroa and Norquist
There is damaging information about Mayor John Norquist in the state files related to the investigation of Marilyn Figueroa's sexual harassment complaint.
Jun 14th, 2001 by Dave Reid
Did Marilyn Want Millions From The Mayor?
Marilyn Figueroa never wanted money from the mayor
Jun 11th, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
