So here is a private letter supplied by the Plaintiff, Melody Bodine (now Melody Thomas-Morgan) which either Judge Hamm or Judge Markham solicited and unlawfully ordered slipped into the court file. (If she can be trusted, in a Response to a Motion, the former Mrs. Bodine claims the court "asked" her for these documents.) Judge Hamm mentioned this letter at trial and sentencing. It was never entered into evidence, making it hearsay. I was never given an opportunity to formally object to this letter, although I informally told Judge Hamm at trial that I had not received any notice of this letter.
Tampering with a court file is criminal. It undermines the integrity of our entire judicial process. It's cheating. How do any of you know the same isn't being done to you in Prescott?
You can inspect the court file yourself too - - ask to inspect the file for case 20081217J at the Prescott Consolidated Court. You will not find this document in the electronic scanned version of the case at appeal in Superior Court! CV 20091145
I should add that this letter was written more than a year before Mrs. Bodine claimed harassment. This letter is stale by law. Nevertheless, Judge Hamm considered it anyway.
Background: Melody Bodine accused me of Harassment and obtained a temporary injunction against me. As I hadn't had any contact with Mrs. Bodine since when she first filed papers against her husband, I fought the Injunction in court.
There wasn't any evidence to use against me, so they made it up. This is a private, heartfelt, spiritual letter I had hastily sent to a Mr. Wes Shoemaker days before his son was to marry. Mr. Shoemaker's son, Ryan, was about to marry the oldest daughter in a family going through the throes of a divorce. Even though private, Mr. Shoemaker apparently shared it and it found its way into the court file without any notice to me.
As you can see, this email was not sent to Melody Bodine and therefore, is not an act directed at her. (Which is part of the definition of harassment.) Nevertheless, Judge Hamm cited this as an act of harassment against Mrs. Bodine.
Incidentally, I wrote a similar private letter to warn young Ryan Shoemaker that he might be making a HUGE mistake, marrying in the turbulent time of divorce.
Even though he wasn't even a member of the family at the time, Judge Hamm said "You knew he would show Mrs. Bodine this letter" and said this was harassment. So now a judge can use prognostication as evidence?
Judge Hamm called Ryan to the witness stand (!), asked him questions for Mrs. Bodine. (Mrs. Bodine did not call any witnesses or ask any questions. Judge Hamm was her attorney.) Among the questions she asked Ryan (she tried to lead the witness when he didn't answer just right), she asked how he felt about the photo of me I sent. (See letter below.)
Pretty scary, isn't it? It's of me after I was beat up while evangelizing. Click on the photo for the story.
Even though he wasn't even a member of the family at the time, Judge Hamm said "You knew he would show Mrs. Bodine this letter" and said this was harassment. So now a judge can use prognostication as evidence?
Judge Hamm called Ryan to the witness stand (!), asked him questions for Mrs. Bodine. (Mrs. Bodine did not call any witnesses or ask any questions. Judge Hamm was her attorney.) Among the questions she asked Ryan (she tried to lead the witness when he didn't answer just right), she asked how he felt about the photo of me I sent. (See letter below.)
Pretty scary, isn't it? It's of me after I was beat up while evangelizing. Click on the photo for the story.
October 9, 2007
Hello Mr. Shoemaker:
Please forgive the melodrama of sending this overnight, but time is short. The Spirit only brought you to my attention the other day. More on that in a moment.
By way of introduction, my name is Mike Palmer. I doubt we've met, unless you've visited the Mormon temple in Mesa in the past decade and talked to "the guy holding the (Bible) sign" at their light show in December or during their Easter Pageant. I claim to be a Christian Evangelist who works the front line in the spiritual battle, primarily witnessing to the lost Mormon (LDS) people.
But as you know from the Bible, anyone can claim to be a Christian. Jesus said even the angels couldn't always tell the wheat from tares, and without persecution, it's even harder. In my short Christian life (20+ years; 50 years since my first birth), I've been surprised to see four or five gung-ho people eventually deny the faith. So we are to be suspicious, which is noble. Like the Bereans, we should "test everything" (1 Thes 5:21) We are commanded "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God... " (1 John 4:1)
So I don't expect you to believe me or anything I say. But I hope you'll test everything I say. In my defense, though, you can see from the photo that I've shed a little blood for Christ. (Very little. Nothing like the Apostle Paul or the prophets of old who were martyred.) A punch to my eye (and nose) by an angry Mormon gal on Christmas Eve 2005 at the Mormon temple resulted in permanent vision loss in one eye and I write this with great difficulty. (Please forgive any typos.) And yet, I still love them and have to warn them they're on the road to destruction. I'm writing you because I apparently love your son Ryan more than you do and also have to warn you and him of the road he is currently on.
Sorry to be so blunt. I don't sugar coat much in my ministry to the Mormons when I warn them about hell, and there's no time to sugar coat this now. But I would be remiss and culpable before God if I didn't warn you, as his father, of what Ryan is unknowingly getting himself in to. (Frankly, I don't think he wants to know. As you don't want to know? Like father, like son?) But look, the Apostle Paul warned that a Godly marriage was hard enough ["But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this." 1 Cor 7:28]. Unfortunately, your son is currently headed for an ungodly marriage (who knows now if Sarah is really a believer?) and I really, REALLY want to spare him this, as he's mostly an innocent victim. He's being used. Someone needs to warn him what's ahead, and unfortunately, the lot now falls to me.
I'm not usually given to Crazymania (charismatic) stuff, but I "prophesy" that Sarah, in generational curse fashion, will divorce Ryan in about 7 years without Biblical cause, just as her mom is divorcing her dad. (With the blessings of her local "church" to boot.) I've known the Bodine family, both Greg and Melody, for about 14 years. So I think I know what I'm talking about.
[So that you know, I am writing this without Greg's knowledge or consent. He mentioned to me the other day how the Spirit had brought it to mind to call you and ask to meet with you.
A reasonable request, don't you think? But you would not. I've heard that either you or your wife have met Melody in person. Why not Greg? Doesn't that sound perverse to you, given that the husband is the Christ (head) of the family? At best, you have only heard one side of a story. At worst, you may be defiling yourself by listening to gossip from Melody.
But you deferred to your child, whom I suspect, as with Adam with Eve, deferred to his "wife." (Already a bad omen.) So you were unwilling to meet with Greg. Hey, if this marriage goes through, you're going to be related anyway. Wouldn't it be more logical to meet now rather than later? You can't advise your son about the marriage after the marriage. Don't you care?
Greg told me in passing how he had found your phone number on the web under your wife's name. From that, I was able to find your address on my own. I've not told him I'm writing you. He might even be upset I'm writing. But unless he hears about it in a negative way (unfortunately, there's been a lot of "misinformation" (gossip = sin) going around), I don't plan to share this with him unless he needs to see the raw data for himself.]
Up until two years ago, the Bodines had been the perfect Christian family. As you probably know, Greg has 7 children. (Although we're concerned lately that a few might commit suicide over this divorce and other sin.) Until recently, all have been home schooled by BOTH parents. [Against Greg's wishes, Melody recently invoked the civil authorities (contrary to 1 Cor 6:6) to put the youngsters in school.] I wasn't raised in a Christian home, so their family life was out of my experience. It sounds strange to say this about a family with 7 kids, but it was always relaxing and enjoyable for me to visit the Bodines.
They were gracious enough to have me overnight many times at their house(s) over the many years. (I'm a starving missionary type. Single man, never been married.) I saw the kids grow up. I saw new kids born into the family. We used to "house church" together. I would often drive an hour to pray with Greg for an evening. We would do family prayer time together. I used to joke with Melody, asking if she had a sister I could marry. But about 4 years ago, Greg asked me to pray for him and Melody about their marriage. That was about the last time I stayed with them. (The last time I saw them was here in Phoenix at Sarah's high school (equivalent) graduation, maybe 3 or 4 years ago.)
About a year ago, Melody snapped. Whether spiritual, physiological, mental, demonic or all of the above, she has become a different woman. To paraphrase Jesus, "we never knew her." She's like an unbeliever. She has since spurned all her friends who tried to rebuke her, and even those who haven't. (Me, for simply showing up in the courtroom to watch and pray.) Whereas Greg has remained consistent and true to the faith. While I don't think Greg is blameless in all of this, unlike Melody, he has confessed many sins, and genuinely seems to have repented of them. He has grown, whereas Melody has shriveled. I have been to his rental house a few times now and seen him interact with the younger children. Of course, I don't expect you to believe me. But would you believe their son, Josh?
I hope I'm not breaking a confidence, but here's a clip from an email to me from Josh. Josh is Greg's 2nd oldest. While he "sees" the problem, he is in denial, defending his mom. He wrote:
> I can only guess what my Dad has told you, but somehow you and MANY of our family
>friends have come to the conclusion that the reason for hostilities between my dad and my
>siblings and myself is that my mom has turned us against him.
Yes, that's exactly right. It has little to do with what Greg has told us, and more to do with what family friends have observed. Again, many have tried to rebuke Melody but have been spurned and rebuffed. It would be safe to say, based on the courtroom gallery, that, not just many, as Josh said, but a majority of the family friends believe Melody to be in grievous sin. [That the children are often poisoned by their mom and in a divorce and Josh is defending her is typical. I've included a CD with an audio clip from Rush Limbaugh observing this, when the Alec Baldwin telephone voice mail to his daughter was in the news.]
I'll get to Sarah in a moment, since she is what this is mostly about. But like mother, like daughter? You've probably heard the old saying that if you want to know what your wife will turn out like in 50 years, look at her mother. Let me say again that I'm surprised you have only talked with Melody and have rejected her head. Isn't that a perversion of what God has ordained? Besides, how do you know she's telling you the truth? May I remind you of Proverbs 18:17, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." How do you know she's a believer? How do you know she's not an adulteress? That is a common reason a spouse divorces, you know, and we should consider it. Naturally, she's not going to tell us. How do you know she's not an axe murderer? (Okay, she's not an axe murderer. An extreme example, to make a point. Although, seriously, many of us are very concerned that she doesn't go Andrea Yates on the children. We've been praying for protection of the children. If you had been in court, you would have seen for yourself that Melody is paranoid delusional. Even her son Josh sees she is unstable and is worried that she might take her life.)
Are you going to yoke yourself with her and condone this wedding? Wouldn't that be suborning sin? Will God bless this marriage? Now, let me focus on Sarah.
Sarah has, up until recently, been a charming girl. She always carried herself well, and was fun to talk with at the dinner table. (How many kids do you know have read Plato?) That has all changed since her mom started the divorce process against her dad. Sarah has gone horribly carnal.
Look, I'm willing to allow for a little grace here, and allow that Sarah may be "wavering in her faith" during this traumatic time. But we have to be realistic, and consider that maybe she's not a believer at all. It's especially difficult to tell the wheat from the tares when children are raised in a Christian environment, as they may be simply mimicking Christian behavior as opposed to living it. (You know the stereotype of the P.K. or M.K.) Whatever the case, it is clear she is in rebellion. She even cut her hair short, in Britney Spears fashion, this Spring! We need time for things to settle down, to see if she will go back on the straight and narrow.
Sarah used to dress modestly. (As God ordered in the Bible. 1 Timothy 2:9) Not anymore. She now dresses quite worldly. She used to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Not anymore, if the reports from John xxxxxx's children are correct. (The xxxxxx's are assigned guardian of the Bodine children). His children report that Sarah is now using the "f" word in fits of rage, sin according to Ephesians 5:4 and James 1:19. (Please call John to confirm this.) Is this who you want your son marrying?
I'm not into psycho-babble, preferring to see the world God's way, in black or white—you're either walking by the flesh or by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). But it seems to me that Sarah is rebelling against her father. And in this, poor Ryan, your son, is just a pawn.
You see, Greg believes in Biblical headship. (As do I, per Ephesians 5:23 and following.) He has never condoned dating, but wanted his daughters to court, as was done in this country when we still let God and the Bible in school. Sarah has blown this off. You know the verses in the Bible where the father can overrule a daughter's foolish vow? (Numbers 30:3-5) The implication is he is her head until she leaves and cleaves.
Greg tells me (but you would have to talk to him) that Sarah made a vow to him when she was younger, to the effect that she would seek his permission (as in "giving his daughter's hand in marriage") before getting married. Sarah has blown this off too. As you know, she doesn't even want her father at the wedding. If Greg's report is correct, then Sarah is in sin in this. How do you expect God will bless this marriage to your son?
From a psycho-babble perspective, I suspect that Sarah is using this whole marriage thing to run away from the trauma of her mom's divorce. Making marriage preparations, and even getting married itself, can be a wonderful distraction when your world is crumbling around you. I suspect she'll get pregnant quickly, and further distract herself for a few years after the honeymoon is over. But she was raised believing the man is the head of the family. While she's clearly wearing the pants now, it may be years from know she realizes that Ryan is not what she wanted in a husband. (They say girls marry their fathers.)
It seems to me, although I do not know for a fact, that Sarah is marrying the first boy she's ever dated. While I suppose there's Biblical precedent for marrying the first one you meet (Isaac with Rebecca) God's hand was clearly in that. God's hand cannot be in this. (How can it be that many of us are praying God would postpone this wedding, whereas others are praying the opposite? Are we not to be of one mind?) This is all very hasty. Sarah is not herself. What's needed is time.
You may say that the church is sanctioning all this (despite the father's wishes? Isn't that usurping headship authority?) and so this must be okay. Again, you don't know both sides. May I suggest to you that David Knight is the quintessential man the Apostle Paul warns us about in 2 Timothy 3:6 who has been rejected by God? (This is my personal conclusion, no one else's, based on raw data.)
... having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who WORM their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
This is exactly what Mr. Knight has done and this verse explains a lot of things. The puzzle fits. If you could have seen Melody testify at trial, it was obvious she is loaded down with sin. You should talk to Mr. xxxxxx, a former elder in the house church we all used to attend. He has written a strong letter to the church leadership, condemning their sin. If I'm correct in my discernment, then a wolf in sheep's clothing is leading your son down a bad path.
Okay, I'm done. As when I warn Mormons, I don't really expect you'll act at this late date. And it seems, from what little I've heard, that you're content to wash your hands of all this and defer to your son. Fine. My hands are clean. I've fulfilled my watchman duty. If there is a divorce or heart ache in the future, that "blood" will be on your head.
I obviously won't be at the wedding. Even if I had been invited, I could not condone this godless union. I don't know if the "preacher" still asks this during the ceremony, but if he asks, "If anyone knows why these two should not be married, let him speak now or forever hold his piece," what will you do? They are not ready for marriage today. Maybe some other time. But not now. The loving thing to do would be to tell your son to wait.
Sorry to have to be so blunt. Love is often like that. Feel free to call.
"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
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