Who Is This Woman And Why Is She Running For Charlevoix County Circuit Court Judge?

 

                                   Mary Beth Kur or Ms. Kerr?

It has been brought to our attention that the billboard on US-31 North of Charlevoix announcing Ms. Kur's candidacy for circuit court judge has been removed. Does that mean that she has dropped out of the race? One can only hope.

 The Pretty Lie has been looking into the George Crear case and the connections he has to former Charlevoix prosecuting attorney Mary Beth Kur. Crear was Kur's band teacher in middle school and they engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship.

While I have sympathy for all victims of sexual abuse, I question why Ms. Kur kept silent for years about Crear. Why did she wait until he victimized countless others before speaking out against him? Was she really concerned, or did she see dollars signs and potential lawsuits?

 We have documentation regarding the Crear case that clearly shows that Ms. Kur could have prevented the abuse that occurred in Florida had she just come forward sooner. She still sought Mr. Crear out for friendship after high school although she was old enough to know better. She claims that she didn't speak up because she knew he would get in trouble.

So she kept quiet until victims in Florida came forward, then she apparently  offered to assist them legally in some capacity. I guess better late than never.....

So I am not going to rewrite the same information. Instead, I am posting the links on our blog concerning Ms. Kur. In the information below,Mr. Crear's wife accused Ms. Kur of stalking.


LINKS TO CREAR CASE: http://theprettylieortheuglytruth.blogspot.com/2014/02/who-is-real-mary-beth-kur-or-is-it-kerr.html

AND THIS: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8vbQh1II8q9QVhxQ2ZiRjJQWjQ/edit


OTHER LINKS TO MS. KUR:  http://theprettylieortheuglytruth.blogspot.com/2014/02/mary-beth-kur-announces-her-candidacy_4868.html


TPL LINKS TO KUR:
http://theprettylieortheuglytruth.blogspot.com/search/label/Charlevoix#uds-search-results

Now back to this post. I found the following articles from Florida about the Crear case. It seems that because Crear was allowed to leave Michigan and continue teaching in Florida, several other young girls had their lives destroyed by him.

 In fact a 16 year old girl committed suicide after being rejected by Crear.

Article 1: 

Former Band Teacher In Court In Sex Charges

Man Accused Of Having Relationships With Teens

EXCERPT: The woman, now 20, testified on Tuesday about her three-year sexual relationship with Crear, 45, a former teacher at Palmetto High School who is accused of three counts of sexual activity with a child under his authority.

When the accusations first surfaced in late 1994, Miami school officials learned that Crear had left his previous job in Flint, Mich., under a similar cloud of suspicion in 1987. That and several other cases involving teachers and students helped fuel a drive to tighten background checks for teacher applicants in Florida.

Under a law that went into effect in July, prospective teachers now undergo fingerprinting, an FBI background check and a criminal check by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The charges on which Crear is now standing trial were filed early in 1995 after the parents of Gillian Garrido-Lecca, a 16-year-old student at Palmetto High School, began blaming him for their daughter's 1992 suicide.

Three other former students later came forward to say Crear had lured them into sexual relationships. One, the woman who testified on Tuesday, was the best friend of Garrido-Lecca.

She said Garrido-Lecca killed herself in June 1992 after attending a birthday party. She said Garrido-Lecca became despondent when Crear broke off their relationship and began courting her.

Crear was the last person to speak with Garrido-Lecca before she shot herself in the chest.

In opening arguments on Tuesday, David Shapiro, assistant state attorney for Dade County, described what he called a "violation of trust" and called Crear a "master at manipulation."

LINK: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-05/news/9702050050_1_band-teacher-band-trip-students

Article 2:

Former Dade Band Teacher Not Guilty Of Sex Charges

EXCERPT: MIAMI — In Michigan, George Crear faces trial on five charges of criminal sexual conduct. Prosecutors there say that in 1983 and 1984 Crear had sex with a 13-year-old band member at Flint's Whittier Middle School.

As the families of his alleged victims cursed and sobbed, former band teacher George Crear III was acquitted on Tuesday of three counts of sexual activity with a child.

"May you rot in hell, Crear!" one family member shouted as the defendant hugged his attorneys after the verdict.

"No justice! Incredible!" hissed one of the women who testified against him, rushing from the courtroom.

Although the acquittal brought an end to Dade County's two-year prosecution of Crear, it did not set him free. He remains in jail awaiting extradition to Michigan, where he faces five charges of criminal sexual conduct involving students there.

Crear, then band teacher at Palmetto High School, in 1995 was accused of having sex with four female students. One of them, Gillian Garrido-Lecca, 16, committed suicide in 1992 because she thought Crear had spurned her, according to testimony during his seven-day trial.

Prosecutors portrayed Crear as a charismatic manipulator who made the girls think he loved them and would leave his wife for them.

LINK: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-12/news/9702120030_1_band-teacher-verdict-jury-s-decision

Article 3: 

Crear Conviction Serves Justice

EXCERPT: Every parent's and child's nightmare is a teacher who abuses his position of trust and authority over young people to prey on them sexually.

George Crear III, 46, a former band teacher in Flint, Mich., and at Palmetto Park High School in Miami, turned that nightmare into reality. For at least 14 years, he got away with it. But on Tuesday, justice triumphed. A Michigan jury convicted Crear on five counts of criminal sexual conduct.

That brought a sigh of relief to anyone who knows his sordid history. It also is a welcome contrast to a February decision by a Miami jury to acquit him despite overwhelming evidence he had seduced four female students, one of whom later killed herself. While he beamed and hugged Miami jurors, his victim-accuser sobbed, stumbled away and collapsed as her family shouted in anger at injustice.

Afterward, he was extradited to Michigan to face charges involving another ex-middle school student there. His victim, now 27, claimed that in 1983 when she was only 13, Crear coerced her into sex at school.

She testified she felt humiliated but kept quiet, after he told her no one would believe her or would blame her.

This story is made even more outrageous and disgusting because irresponsible Michigan school district officials ducked their duty. They failed to prosecute Crear the first time abuse allegations surfaced. Then they failed to inform their counterparts in Florida about his record.

That example of educators ``passing the trash'' let Crear get Florida teaching credentials and a teaching job in Miami, then victimize other students.

LINK: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-11-22/news/9711210357_1_michigan-school-district-guilty-verdict-ex-middle

Now back to Ms. Kur. The feedback from our readers indicates that she will not have their support if she chooses to continue with her campaign for judge. 

Our readers want to know why she kept quiet about Mr. Crear for so long. 

They are also very concerned about her support of current Charlevoix county prosecutor Allen Telgenhof in the 2012 election. Was she aware of the domestic violence allegations against him and did she support him anyhow? 

SEE OUR BLOG POST ABOUT TELGENHOF HERE: 

http://theprettylieortheuglytruth.blogspot.com/search/label/Charlevoix#uds-search-results

It seems that there is an entire group of people who are politically connected at the local level who have an entirely different set of standards  from the rest of us that they live by.

SEE THIS POST REGARDING KUR/DEPUTY BUSH FIASCO HERE:

 http://theprettylieortheuglytruth.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-prosecutor.html

We have had citizens of Charlevoix express their concerns that Ms. Kur's financial support of Telgenhof  during the 2012 elections could create a situation of favoritism and bias that could create the appearance of siding with the prosecution. ( Candidate Val Snyder also has the same taint)

Did Ms. Kur let her hatred for former of former prosecutor John Jarema cloud her judgement, to the detriment of the citizens of Charlevoix County?

Please read the following news articles detailing that fiasco.

http://static.record-eagle.com/2004/aug/04pross.htm

The Kur-Jarema campaign was one of the most interesting - and contentious - of all the northern Michigan primary races.
      Jarema received a $50,000 settlement from the county last year after filing a whistleblower's lawsuit claiming he was fired as he attempted to expose alleged corruption and mismanagement in Kur's office. Kur consistently denied any wrongdoing.

http://www.northernexpress.com/michigan/article-2127-the-untouchables.html

Had the media printed letters from concerned citizens regarding the domestic violence allegations against Allen Telgehof, perhaps Charlevoix wouldn't have an accused wife beater, along with many other questionable acts, as a prosecutor.

See link: http://articles.petoskeynews.com/2012-08-08/charlevoix-county-prosecutor_33105137

Mary Beth Kur attempted to reduce the prosecutors pay when she left office, which indicates to me that she has a vindictive streak that nobody needs to have in a judge.

As her term winds down, departing Charlevoix County prosecutor Mary Beth Kur has proposed a 27% decrease in her office's budget for next year.

This includes a huge cut in her own position, from $84,700 to $55,000.

SEE ARTICLE HERE: http://ellisboal.org/pages/budget.shtml

Another lawsuit inspired by Kur.

http://articles.petoskeynews.com/2004-11-30/deputy-sheriff_24029722/2

And here: http://articles.petoskeynews.com/2003-04-22/county-clerk_24039632

CHARLEVOIX - Two employees of the Charlevoix County prosecutor's office have alleged that the county and prosecutor Mary Beth Kur violated the state's Whisterblowers' Protection Act and created a hostile working environment in the prosecutor's office.

And this: http://static.record-eagle.com/2005/may/14char.htm

 CHARLEVOIX - A jury awarded $1.1 million in lost wages and punitive damages to two former county employees who said then-county prosecutor Mary Beth Kur created a hostile work environment for them.
      "It sends a huge message to Charlevoix County employees and to Charlevoix County, that elected officials should be held accountable for how they treat people," said former victims assistance coordinator Sandra Ward, who won the judgment along with former prosecutor's office manager Jacqueline Rozema. 
      Kur and Charlevoix County were defendants in the seven-day jury trial, which concluded Thursday.
      Ward and Rozema alleged Kur "retaliated" against them after they gave deposition testimony in a whistleblower's lawsuit filed against Kur and the county by former chief deputy prosecutor John Jarema. Both Ward and Rozema left their jobs in early 2003, citing stress-related medical reasons. 
      "There was an intolerable work environment," Ward said. "There was harassment, intimidation and retaliation."
      The lawsuit also alleged county commissioners admitted the working situation in the prosecutor's office was intolerable, but took no action to remedy it.

And here: http://static.record-eagle.com/2004/mar/28kur.htm

March 28, 2004

Taped deposition sealed

Mary Beth Kur says she's not hiding anything

By KEITH MATHENY
Record-Eagle staff writer

      CHARLEVOIX - A judge has sealed a videotaped deposition by Prosecutor Mary Beth Kur in a pair of whistleblower lawsuits that Kur's attorney said are "fraught with political undertones."
      Grand Traverse Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power, who is hearing the suits, ordered the deposition sealed on a request from attorney Dennis Taylor of Traverse City, who is representing Kur and Charlevoix County.
      Taylor argued the depositions contained "irrelevant, slanderous and potentially personally or professionally damaging" testimony. 
      That included claims of pornographic material in the prosecutor's office, "unsubstantiated claims involving school and legal issues involving prosecutor Kur's young son" and unsubstantiated allegations of "misuse of county funds" and "witness tampering by prosecutor Kur in the (John) Jarema case."
      Attorney Grant Parsons of Traverse City, who is representing county employees Sandra Ward and Jacqueline Rozema in their lawsuits, questioned the sealing of Kur's deposition.
      "Why close the record on a public official for something they did at work?" he said.

One would have to be blind not to see the pattern of calling in favors, intimidation,etc. We hope that our readers can see what the truth is about Ms. Kur and see why she would not be a good candidate for judge.

In the opinion of many, she poses a liability for the county due to the corruption and malfeasance she displayed while prosecutor. It is high time that the citizens of Charlevoix see the ugly truth behind the pretty lies of those who wish to rule over others.