Demanding Accountability

 

Deschutes County Corruption
Attorney Ingram Continues
“Legal Charade”

By Investigative Reporter
Edward Snook

Bend, Oregon - On March 7, 2005 Roger Weidner, the 1998, Reform Party candidate for Governor of Oregon once again appeared in a Deschutes County courtroom with Attorney Claude Ingram of Eugene, Oregon.

Ingram had filed a motion to have Weidner held in contempt of court and jailed for refusing to answer questions in the discovery process of an on-going barrage of civil lawsuits between the two.

The hearing was held on March 7, 2005 before Josephine County Circuit Court Judge Loyd O’Neal. Rather than have Weidner jailed Judge O’Neal gave him until March 18, 2005 to respond to Ingram’s questions. The questions mainly consisted of inquires into Weidner’s financial status. This hearing was much unlike a prior hearing conducted by Jefferson County Judge Gary Thompson wherein Thompson had Weidner jailed for 10 days when Weidner simply asked the judge a question. The Observer believes the arrest was a foregone conclusion between Thompson and a highly questionable Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO). The Observer has compiled complaints against Judge Thompson for years and he can now look forward to his placement into the Observer’s “Hall of Shame” in May, 2005 where he will receive the recognition he deserves.

It is clear that the DCSO has sided with Attorney Claud Ingram in that they have failed to act on Weidner’s citizen’s arrest of Ingram, yet when Weidner left his March 7th hearing he was taken into a side room by Captain Edwards of the DCSO and informed that Ingram wanted Weidner arrested for harassment, but that Edwards was just going to issue him a ticket forcing Weidner to appear on April 6, 2005 to answer the charge. The actions and the lack of any investigation by the DCSO concerning the serious charges leveled at Attorney Claud Ingram by Weidner and others might just place the Deschutes County Sheriff Les Stiles in nearly the same category as former Deschutes County Sheriff Greg Brown who is spending three concurrent 33-month sentences in federal prison for embezzling nearly $600,000.00 from Deschutes County organizations. Long before Brown was caught the Observer warned the citizens of Deschutes County that he was involved in fraud and illegal activities and we would warn Sheriff Stiles at this juncture that he should fully investigate the charges against Ingram and not choose to ignore and or become complicit in this matter… Just as Sheriff Brown learned, Stiles and the judges involved in protecting Ingram, his so-called clients and his scams will soon learn as well that they are really not “gods” but rather public servants…And that it is possible for the public to both expose them and hold them accountable.

Weidner’s Involvement with
Property Owner Patricia Wishon

Weidner, a fearless arbiter for people he considers victims of frivolous and vindictive lawsuits became involved with LaPine, Oregon property owner Patricia Wishon and her attempt to stop her estranged husband Santiago Torres from obtaining property left her by her late husband Paul Yeager. Wishon has continuously claimed that Torres mentally tortured her and physically beat her on numerous occasions. Wishon stated, “He beat me so severely that I thought he was going to kill me.” According to Observer sources Torres, when charged with assaulting Wishon accepted a plea bargain to avoid a long prison sentence and spent only six months in jail.

Wishon informed the Observer that she had fired her attorney Anthony Albertazzi of Bend for having secret meetings with Torres and his attorney Linda Hasse also of Bend. Wishon continued, “After I fired Albertazzi he continued to represent me by preparing and executing an agreement on my behalf that gave 25% of my property to Torres who only married me because of my property and this was done without my knowledge or consent.”

When Weidner became involved he signed onto Wishon’s property with her and subsequently filed a motion to quiet title. At this juncture Hasse and Torres hired Claud Ingram to represent them. Ingram, who has made it a practice to file frivolous lawsuits, then filed civil actions against Weidner and Wishon and anyone who supported them, including the Observer for reporting on Wishon’s accusations and the public record concerning the case.

At the conclusion of Weidner’s March 7th hearing Weidner’s mother Francis informed Captain Edwards and another deputy that they should be ashamed of themselves.

Victims of Ingram’s frivolous lawsuits often include people who can’t afford to hire expensive attorneys and his victims usually “settle with him rather than pay out thousands in fees to defend themselves.” Others who choose to represent themselves usually get caught up in procedural errors and lose outrageous amounts to the conscious- less Ingram and his clients.

While Oregon judges continue to plead for more jail space and tax dollars to conduct our courts their pleas fall on many “deaf ears.” If our court system would stop allowing frivolous suits, start conducting hearings with justice in mind rather than procedures, and if law enforcement would properly investigate before charging a person, we would certainly have a windfall of funds for our justice system.

As for Claud Ingram, he will eventually have to face the Observer in a courtroom where he and his clients will lose…period. Then Ingram and his clients will face the dreadful experience of being exposed and sued to the hilt for their destructive practices. This is a promise from the US Observer to Claud and his worthless clients.

The US~Observer prompts anyone with information on any of the participants or matters involved in Ingram’s lawsuits to contact the Observer at 541-474-7885.