Heeeeeeeeeeer's Flunkie Taryn Thoman, Flopping at the RECALL of Janet Swain Joakim!

RECALL ORGANIZER FACES CRIMINAL HARASSMENT CHARGES

Written by David Still II
October 23, 2008
Thoman to be arraigned Nov. 4

Taryn Thoman, 49, of Marstons Mills, is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 4 at Barnstable First District Court on two charges of criminal harassment against her next-door neighbors, Ronald and Christine Howell.

The charges detailed in the complaint indicated that the harassment occurred “over a period of time between May 2006 and August 2008.”

Attempts to reach Thoman were not successful by press time.

Thoman is the driving force behind the recall effort of Town Council President Joakim, which some say can trace its origins to the neighborhood conflict that spurred the harassment charges. There is no indication in court records that Joakim is involved in the harassment case.

The arraignment had been scheduled for today (Oct. 24) but was rescheduled at the request of Thoman’s attorney, J. Drew Segadelli of Falmouth, because of schedule conflicts.

It is the second time the Barnstable Police Department has brought similar charges against Thoman for involvement with the same neighbors.

The prior complaint for criminal harassment, along with complaints brought directly by the neighbors against Thoman and by Thoman against the neighbors, were part of district court proceedings from 2006 through July 2007. In July 2007, a judge entered “nolle pros” for all of the charges, meaning they would not be prosecuted, “in the interest of justice.”

When Thoman became a candidate for the Barnstable Charter Commission in fall 2007, Christine Howell began posting statements about her experiences with her neighbor to multiple Web sites focusing on the Town of Barnstable, including one operated by Joakim.

It was after these postings on Joakim’s site, sevenvillagesblog.com, that Thoman became active in criticizing Joakim.

Thoman’s attorney characterized the case as a "Hatfield/McCoy neighborhood dispute" with "underpinnings to some political motives.”

"It's frivolous," Segadelli said in a phone interview Oct. 23. "I look forward to going to court and trying it."

The court file for these new charges is scant on details regarding the May 5, 2008 incident that prompted them. It does contain the hand-written notes of Clerk Magistrate Robert Powers, who allowed the BPD’s complaint to be presented in court.

At the Aug. 28 hearing Thoman indicated that her attorney could not be present because of obligations in other courts. According to the magistrate’s hand-written notes, Thoman’s attorney returned a message during the hearing in his office, where he said he was that entire afternoon. The notes also stated that Segadelli had not been retained by Thoman for the hearing.

During the magistrate’s hearing, Thoman called Gary Lopez, operator of the capecog.com blog site, as a witness. According to the magistrate’s notes, “He also didn’t have much to add other than his belief that Ms. Thoman was responsible for putting a video of Ms. Howell on U-Tube (sic).”

Powers also noted that he had a conversation with Thoman during the hearing regarding “immediate medical issues” Thoman claimed in a motion before the hearing.

In a Sept. 3 magistrate’s report, Powers questioned some of the assertions made by Thoman leading into and during the prior hearing.

“It would appear that the ‘immediate’ medical attention that the deft. said she required in her 8/27/08 motion apparently only needed attention at the time of the 8/28/08 hearing,” Powers wrote. “There appears to be some question as to what [the defendant] is attempting to perpetrate on this court.”

Separate charges from a separate incident were brought against Thoman’s husband, Dennis Wilcox. He was arraigned Sept. 4 on assault and battery charges stemming from a May 22 incident with Christine Howell. He pleaded not guilty and a pretrial conference was held last month.

In a phone interview Thursday (Oct. 23), Christine Howell said that she’s just looking to put an end to the situation.

“It’s been a pattern of behavior for three years… and really it affects the entire neighborhood,” Howell said.

This month, Thoman filed papers with the Barnstable Town Clerk’s office forming the “Recall Election of Precinct 6 Councilor Joakim” committee, with herself as president and treasurer. Wilcox is listed as another officer.


Comments:
at October 24, 2008 13:49by ionu2
Thank-you for exposing this unstable individual.

Cape Cod Living
Cape Cod Living :: A blogseye view of the heart, soul, and economy of the Town of Barnstable, Cape Cod and the Islands.

Friday, October 24, 2008
Barnstable is better than this
Yes, it is true. Barnstable is better than this.

It is certainly better than the front page smear on Thoman and Wilcox. When "political malcontents" have to face trumped up criminal changes seven days before an election, you might as well move to Zambia.

Call me a political malcontent, but COG has to be completely off the reservation to support the inane antics of Taryn Thoman!