Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Truncated version of formal complaint against Stan Hazlett

Formal Complaint Against Stanton Hazlett (Truncated)

Excerpt of Letter from Keen A. Umbehr to his first attorney, John Ambrosio (Oct. 5, 2010)


October 5, 2010


SENT BY FACSIMILE AND U.S. MAIL


Mr. John Ambrosio
Attorney at Law
800 SW Jackson, Ste. 817
Topeka, KS   66612

            RE: Keen A. Umbehr; DA Complaint No. DA10,902

Dear John:

This letter is to acknowledge your October 1, 2010, invoice showing a $200.00 credit balance on my account. When the remaining balance is consumed, please notify me and we will set up an appointment to renegotiate any and all agreements on the remaining work to be done in this matter.

Please be advised that I will not accept any form of diversion as I will not admit nor concede to a scintilla of unethical conduct in my actions regarding the August 7, 2009, phone conversation with [>>>>>>>] of KDOC, or the August 10, 2009, attorney-client meeting with inmate [>>>>>>>] at TCF. Therefore, I am instructing you not to expend any time on drafting or the negotiation of a diversion agreement with the Disciplinary Administrator. If you have already produced a first draft of a proposed diversion agreement, please send me an unedited copy of the same.

At our last meeting you indicated that the Probable Cause Panel met in Hutchinson, however, you did not disclose their decision. Please notify me of the date of the probable cause hearing in my case and the decision of the panel. . . .

My personal experience is that when the misconduct of government officials is exposed and they are put in a negative light, they will often use their power to retaliate against the whistleblower in some form or another . . . If another complaint is filed against me as a result of my decision to carry out my client’s wishes in assisting them in having their story told publicly, then I will defend that accusation just as vigorously as the first. This is why any diversion with the Disciplinary Administrator is out of the question.

My intent is to fully participate in the disciplinary process and, if necessary, plead my case before the Kansas Supreme Court. If, after a full airing of the facts, the Justices determine that the act of assisting my clients in the exercise of their First Amendment rights and exposing the unlawful sexual relations occurring between TCF staff and inmates somehow violated one or more Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct, only then will I accept and endure such a finding.

Sincerely yours,

Keen A. Umbehr

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Letter from John Ambrosio to Keen Umbehr (Oct. 18, 2010)

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Email from John Ambrosio to Keen Umbehr (Nov. 24, 2010)

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Letter from Stan Hazlett to John Ambrosio (Jan. 12, 2011)

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Letter from Keen Umbehr to Stan Hazlett (Jan. 15, 2011)


January 15, 2011

                                        

Mr. Stanton A. Hazlett
Office of the Disciplinary Administrator
701 Jackson St., First Floor
Topeka, Kansas  66603-3729

            RE: In the Matter of Keen A. Umbehr; Case No. DA10,902

Dear Mr. Hazlett:

My attorney, John Ambrosio, forwarded a copy of your letter to him dated January 12, 2011, wherein you state: “I have not heard back from you regarding Mr. Umbehr’s position on diversion.”

On October 5, 2010, I sent Mr. Ambrosio a letter outlining my position on diversion. The letter stated in part:
           
Please be advised that I will not accept any form of diversion as I will not admit nor concede to a scintilla of unethical conduct in my actions regarding the August 7, 2009, phone conversation with [>>>>>>>>>] of KDOC, or the August 10, 2009, attorney-client meeting with inmate [>>>>>>>]at TCF. Therefore, I am instructing you not to expend any time on drafting or the negotiation of a diversion agreement with the Disciplinary Administrator. . . . My intent is to fully participate in the disciplinary process and, if necessary, plead my case before the Kansas Supreme Court. If, after a full airing of the facts, the Justices determine that the act of assisting my clients in the exercise of their First Amendment rights and exposing the unlawful sexual relations occurring between TCF staff and inmates somehow violated one or more Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct, only then will I accept and endure such a finding.

My position on diversion, as set forth in the above stated excerpt from my October 5, 2010, letter to Mr. Ambrosio, could not have been stated more unambiguously. In addition, I have repeatedly reaffirmed my position in subsequent letters to Mr. Ambrosio dated October 18, October 25, November 8, and November 21, 2010.

I can offer no explanation as to why Mr. Ambrosio, while acting in the capacity of my legal advocate, failed to convey my decision to decline the diversion option as set forth in my letter of October 5, 2010.

Additionally, in my letter of October 5, 2010, I specifically instructed Mr. Ambrosio not to expend any time drafting a diversion agreement or negotiating the same with your office. However, according to Invoice No. 10094 which I received from Mr. Ambrosio dated November 1, he had two separate conferences with you in the days immediately following receipt of my October 5, 2010, letter (sent my facsimile) wherein I relayed my decision not to take a diversion.  These conferences, occurring on October 6 and October 8, 2010, lasted for a combined total of [thirty] minutes. This is when I would have expected Mr. Ambrosio to inform you of my decision to reject the diversion option.

Again, I do not know how I could have stated my position any more clearly. Notwithstanding, your letter to John [Ambrosio] dated January 12, 2011, and forwarded to me, indicates that you are unaware and uniformed about my position on diversion.

I have requested that Mr. Ambrosio, as my legal representative, forward this correspondence directly to you on my behalf no later than January 19, 2011.

Sincerely yours,

Keen A. Umbehr

KAU/eu
Enclosures

Copy: John Ambrosio

Letter from Stan Hazlett to John Ambrosio (March 17, 2011)

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