MARION—A Marion attorney known for being on the mostly-losing end of representation when it comes to public bodies (municipalities, counties, public officials) who is also president of the local school district’s board of education has opened his mouth, as it were, and has firmly inserted his foot, in a very, very public way.
And while there’s been no official word of foot extrication, the excoriation of attorney Joseph A. Bleyer continued several days past his inane post on the Facebook page of popular Marion WGGH radio show host Monica Zukas’ Reality Check.
The post was made June 24 on the radio show’s page, and exhibited the snarky, arrogant attitude exemplified by many attorneys, but especially inherent to attorneys who are also public officials (in this case, elected) and often consider themselves not only above the law, but their opinions to be priceless gems of wisdom.
In this case, Bleyer was opining on the death of a 19-year-old Southern Illinois University-Carbondale student, Pravin Varughese.
The Varughese case
Varughese was found deceased in a wooded area behind Buffalo Wild Wings and Kohl’s department store on Carbondale’s east side February 18, this after having been determined “missing” since he was last seen at a party in town on February 12.
The situation went from a “missing student” to a “death” case…however, local authorities, it was later learned, didn’t believe Varughese came to harm in an incident of foul play; instead, they issued press release after press release that indicated Varughese died of hypothermia in the bitterly cold temperatures of Feb. 12/13, and attributed his death to that with a vague reference that he was yet another college student who had come to be under the influence of some intoxicating substance, and had wandered to the wooded area to his own demise.
A subsequent examination of the young man’s body by family members in the northern part of the state, however—all of them in the medical field—brought that “official” explanation into question. And so the Varughese family hired their own forensic pathologist and other experts to provide a second opinion before they laid the young man to rest.
And what they found was that there were not only NO “intoxicating substances” in his body, but that he had sustained several injuries, consistent with a beating, shortly before his death…and while Pravin Varughese may have ultimately died of hypothermia, it appeared as though his injuries were severe enough to have lead to an incapacitated state…meaning someone else was liable.
SECOND firestorm of criticism
In the ensuing revelation that not only was this definitively the case as put forth by the medical professionals up north—and stood in stark contradiction with the local “official” report—a firestorm of criticism erupted in Jackson County…as this would have been the second “mysterious” death of a young person in Carbondale in the past two years (coming on the heels of the abject dismissal of official interest in the case of the death of Molly Young on March 24, 2012 in that town).
Calls for the resignation of the coroner (Tom Kupferer), the police chief (Jody O’Guinn), Jackson County’s prosecutor (Mike Carr) and even the mayor (Donald Monty, who took over after Joel Fritzler resigned last year, mid-term; interestingly, Fritzler was mayor when Young died) began and continue to this point.
However, with his internet faux pas, the same fate has now befallen Bleyer in neighboring Williamson County…whom many, including those who are calling for his resignation from the school board, consider a “power player” in Marion, being tied up with the likes of mayor Bob Butler, developer Doug Bradley, State Representative John Bradley (who declares he’s no relation to the aforementioned Bradley, although they look exactly alike), and others who pull the strings of the people in Marion and throughout Williamson County.
That Bleyer is the board of education president makes the post comment all the more offensive, as he is in charge of the lives of young children who frequently seek higher education at the university in the neighboring county where the two young people, Varughese and Young, met their demise, neither of which has been even remotely resolved.
It therefore stunned many and they, now, are calling for his resignation from the school board.
Here is the post in its entirety, without alteration to the many typos and grammatical/tense errors.
Bleyer’s blunder
“Monica:
“I have been patient in not responding to your many post and comments; I have not responded because I have found your movements and the comments to your post entertaining. I applaud your movements, to steal a quote from Bill McCellan of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, we need a good movement every now and then. I take no position in the cause of death involved in either of your movements. Why, because, I like you and most if not all of the persons who comment do not know what happen! I have the following questions for you and your followers. If you or your followers can answer the following questions in the affirmative, I will support your movements. If all the questions cannot be answer in the affirmative, I will not think less of your or your movements. Further, if not all questions can be answered in the affirmative, I hope the questions will give you and the persons who comment on your time line, pause and take time to reflect before posting allegations which the person cannot support with facts. Regardless, thank you for keeping me entertained.
“Questions:
“1: Have you looked and studied all the documents and investigation in the States Attorney or Special Prosecutors file?
“2: Can you identify all of the evidence which has been collected and tested?
“3: What evidence do you have that is not in possesion of the State
“4: Have you interviewed all of the persons/witnesses identified by the States Attorney or Special Prosecutor?
“5: What criminal charge would you bring? Considering the charge you pick, do you know what are the elements of the charge that the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
“6: What is reasonable doubt?
“7: Have you ever tried a criminal case before a Jury or Judge?
“Unless, you answered in the affirmative, it is easy to second guess the Prosecutor and/or the Police on Facebook. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but unless you have the facts and all of the facts and know the evidence and what must be proved, stop bashing the Prosecutor and/or the Police. To quote Bill McCellan again, keep the movements going!!”
Overwhelming response
The response being overwhelming to the offensive post, it mostly consisted of the facts that most attorneys seem to be completely oblivious of: one is the public’s RIGHT to criticize their elected and appointed officials; a second, that it is frequently seen that “movements” (media coverage of unexplained/unresolved deaths, which subsequently puts pressure on authorities to take action) are often the last line of defense against the corruption that is suffocating southern Illinois and other locales across the country.
That Bleyer couldn’t spell Bill McClellan’s name properly might show that he either really doesn’t pay attention to the columnist who writes for the mostly left-wing St. Louis-area publication, or, quite possibly, that he was imbibing a bit too much adult beverage prior to posting.
Either way, most folks Disclosure spoke with about the matter felt the post was in extremely poor taste, considering Bleyer’s perceived “position” in Marion society and politics…and that it’s potentially devastating for someone in the position to make the best decisions for area youth as regards school issues.
Monica issues only kind words
Zukas was a little more altruistic about the presence of Bleyer’s opinion on her page.
“So many things get lost in translation when we can only read text on fb threads,” she responded. “I have known Joe for as long as I can remember and I agree with MOST of what he said in his post. The burden of proof ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ in a criminal case to get a guilty verdict is monumental. Period. His questions are legit. His opinions are welcome and I love debate. Once things go to court, it really does become a game, of sorts. Sad but true. What I didn’t agree with or like was the term ‘entertaining’ concerning situations in which children/young adults are dead! I welcome all opinions and discussions. However, I will not tolerate personal attacks on me, from ANYONE, without retaliating. That’s as real as it gets right there. I don’t go over to any of your pages and attack you, so don’t try it here.”
She, without a doubt, spoke for an untold number of people at that juncture; but her kind comments have not prevented a “movement” to call for ousting of Bleyer from his school board seat…something that will likely not happen, as most elected officials who are also lawyers, as pointed out at the outset of the article, regard their own opinions and what they “have to offer” the public as something irreplaceable…which simply means that come the next school board election, it’s up to the public to put up a candidate who can replace Bleyer, and send him packing.