There are some news articles we put together that just defy description…because we’ve just never seen anything like them before. Ever.
And a front-pager in this issue is indeed one of those.
We can’t even get into a descriptive of it without giving it away. Rest assured, when you read it, you’re going to see…there are a lot of strange things in this world. Many of them take place in a court of law. That’s where this one came from. So without further ado, from Crawford County, we bring to you your noontime Read the Lead, Judge’s son takes OP case to appeals:
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Gregory Hill
CRAWFORD CO.—A strange case originating last September with a Stalking/No-Contact Order in Crawford County has gotten stranger with the filing of a Small Claims case against a circuit judge in late July.
To add to the intrigue of the situation, the complainant in the small claims case is the son of a local, well-liked retired judge…and it appears that while this complainant might have some significant problems, he seems to know his way around the legal system.
Gregory J. Hill, 38, of Robinson, son of retired Second Circuit Judge James V. Hill, was charged with a Violation of an Order of Protection (the Stalking/No-Contact Order, hereinafter referred to as an OP) in June, the OP having been taken out against him in September of 2013…and resultant of that alleged violation, and the misdemeanor filed against him, the younger Hill has taken it upon himself to file suit against the judge handling the case, David Overstreet.
Unfortunately, it’s unclear what Hill is requesting, exactly, in his small claims case.
However, the mess that’s been made of the OP—in which it appears there’s a legitimate concern about Hill’s behavior, if court documents filed last year are to be believed—is quite evident.
And how it’s all going to be sorted out remains to be seen, since the OP is now on appeal in Mt. Vernon, an unusual circumstance in and of itself.
Alleges bizarre behavior
The matter started with a complaint for OP issued by one Kate Maurer of Robinson, filed Sept. 25, 2013.
Maurer wrote in her petition about strange circumstances surrounding Hill, which she encountered while employed at his business, Coffee Cottage in Robinson, the previous year.
“I am requesting a Stalking No Contact Order because of many inappropriate occurrence committee by my ex-employer, Greg Hill,” her complaint began. “I began working for Greg at the Coffee Cottage in the summer of 2012 for some extra money, as I am a middle school teacher during the school year. While working there, Greg asked me if I wanted to work during the school year; once school started, I worked from 6 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. during the weekdays and on some Saturday mornings.
“While out of town on vacation in the fall of last year (around October), Greg was constantly texting me very bizarre messages to which I did not respond. When I returned to work, I explained to him that I was not comfortable with him texting me, especially since it did not concern work. He proceeded to tell me that he hadn’t slept in days and that I was the ‘voice in his head’ telling him what to do and where to go (I later found out he visited my parents’ shop and that he said I was the one telling him to go to their shop during the same weekend I was on vacation.) He continued to explain that while I was gone, he had stripped naked in a field in West York upon ‘my request (in his head),’ and he explained that I, of course, ‘knew this, because [I] was the one who told him to do it.’ At this point, I was quite startled and uncomfortable. He then explained to me that he was in love with me. Then, he asked me if he should take some pills that he was holding in front of him because he was only going to listen to me, his ‘voice in his head.’ That’s when I explained to him that he needed to get some help. I immediately….
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To read the rest of this article, click the link above the excerpt in the headline if you have an online membership to the e-Edition, or, if you don’t, simply click this link here to get started. Or, if you prefer to hold a newspaper in your hands, visit any one of our wonderful vendors, including in Crawford County, Maxwell House in Flat Rock or Mach 1 Marathon in Robinson; or in Jasper County, Newton’s vendors including Newton Marathon, MVP on the river and Bottle Junction; or The Gas Station in Ste. Marie. Hurry! We’re making a trip up there Thursday to restock, as these are going fast…and the next issue is on stands in TWO WEEKS. Get your August-September copy now while you can!